Somewhere to her left, shots of top shelf liquor clinked in a toast to fifty years of relative peace. At the tables far to her right came the rhythmic flutter of dealers shuffling through decks of cards.
Bursts of victorious laughter and their accompanying growls of defeat cleaved through the air louder than any crack of gunfire and yet, even so thoroughly entrenched within the chaotic din of the evening, Safiye didn't need to see behind her or hear their steps to know someone was lingering.
Either they were there to slip a blade between her ribs over a rivalry she hadn't been around nearly long enough to fully comprehend yet or, more likely than not, they had eyes on the nearest seat.
Betting on the second—though she was one more call away from welcoming the first—she murmured, “Go on. It’s yours if you want it.”
Still, her gaze didn't shift. Dark eyes remained locked on her phone, the thing face down and vibrating atop a cocktail napkin, while she held a glass of 2016 Chateau Margaux in a white knuckle grip.
It wasn't until voicemail inevitably took over ( and took the choice of accepting or declining out of her hands ) that Saf sighed. Or that she finally deigned to spare a glance. “The spot beside me, I mean.” A corner of her mouth twitched. “I waited about thirty minutes before I managed to snag mine so, if you're looking to stake a claim, this might be your only chance.”
FIFTY YEARS OF PEACE — that's what tonight's celebrations were all about and from the outside looking in, at least around the casino presently, you'd think that all seemed well and copacetic. the masses of five gangs enjoying an event of pure debauchery. but if you know, you know, harmony was an egg dangling from a bungee cord ready to snap at any moment. rocky unable to also deny that; while not wanting to end up in the middle of any crosshairs, well not now anyway, she was interested to see the what sort of outcome endless booze and wild betting would have for them.
her steps tread lightly almost everywhere she goes, perhaps a habit built off her profession, moving like a shadow. but as such wasn't her intention tonight, in fact she actually made her presence known at a few of the tables earlier on. deciding to take a break while on top, the woman sauntered over towards the bar, finding a familiar figure sat in the direction she headed. ❝ don't mind if i do, saf – though can't help but wonder what else but the spot you assumed i'd want. ❞ her words fall in nothing short of a jesting tone, with a smirk playing across her features before taking a seat and ordering a french 75. jade hues moving from the bartender back towards her fellow spider lily. ❝ hopefully lady luck has been on your side in better ways than finding a seat ... unless gambling isn't your particular vice. although judging by the way you've been glaring at your phone i'd say, perhaps not. ❞
The Lucky Coyote was one of the few places in the city where people could pretend the gangs weren't constantly one bad decision away from tearing each other apart. The illusion was almost impressive. Cards shuffled. Glasses clinked. Slot machines chimed endlessly in the background. People laughed. Money changed hands. And beneath it all sat an unspoken understanding that everybody in the building was armed, dangerous, and behaving only because the consequences of not behaving were significantly worse. Mia liked it. Or maybe liked wasn't the right word. Respected it, perhaps.
The mechanic sat at the far end of the bar, nursing a whiskey she'd barely touched. One elbow rested against the polished countertop while her attention drifted across the casino floor. Old habit. People-watching. Keeping track of exits. Noticing who arrived together and who pretended they hadn't. The place was full tonight. Representatives from every corner of the city. Enough tension packed into one room to start a war if somebody sneezed wrong. Mia found herself smirking. The whiskey burned pleasantly as she finally took a sip. The seat beside her scraped softly against the floor. She didn't look up. Not immediately. "You're either brave," she said finally, swirling the amber liquid in her glass, "or you've never been told it's rude to stare."
SHE COULDN'T HELP BUT let out a softly snorted type of laugh, knocking back the shot in her hand then, before responding. ❝ a little column a, little column b..❞ shoulders push up into a shrug. she hadn't so much as been staring at the red-head as she so happened to glance at her within that particular moment — a little too long it would seem. a tendency she seemed to have but in this place it was hard not to stay at least a little vigilant. one of those lessons taught when she was younger, to always stay on your guard, and while rocky wasn't expecting anything too chaotic to pop off, if the peace was meant to be kept that is. there's no forgetting just how many people surrounding them were trained in certain arts, herself included, that could still pose a hazard regardless.
❝ sometimes staring can actually be a valuable tool, for example my personal favorite is giving someone the death stare until they give in, much like how i was even able to get this seat considering how packed this place is. ❞ even down on this end the bar had been filled up but she wanted a drink, and too bad for the poor saps that were just over here having a conversation, that she happened upon them. one might think that at a towering 5'5" she couldn't look intimidating, but she didn't carry a reputation and air of 'could kill you if feeling so inclined' for nothing. ❝ don't worry though, in your case i come in peace. ❞
hey, wait a second— i could swear that was KADIR YAZICI that just walked past. don’t tell me you haven’t heard of the HACKER of NAMLESS? they’ve been a member for 2 YEARS and apparently they’re actually LOYAL, so make sure not to forget this time. i’ve heard they’re known as THE POLYMATH, and i can tell you for sure that they’re CHARISMATIC and ADEPT on a good day, but i don’t think you’d like to see them when they’re MACHIAVELLIAN and IMPULSIVE. rumour has it that they ARE PLOTTING TO OUST HIS FATHER FROM THEIR FAMILY COMPANY, but i don’t know if anyone has ever lived long enough to confirm it. either way, most people would use MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN by DEFTONES to describe them, as well a lone wolf howling at the dissipating moon, icarus flying dangerously close to the sun, the shift of the temperature as a storm approaches. god only knows how they ended up here, but love them or hate them, they’re not going anywhere.
STATS.
full name: kadir ekin yazici. / nickname(s): n/a. / d.o.b. & age: august 4th & 32. / zodiac: leo, pisces, virgo. / gender & pronouns: cis man & he + him. / sexuality: bisexual. / relationship status: single. / ethnicity: turkish. / scent: valentino — uomo born in roma. / height: 6'2". / birthplace: short hills, nj. / occupation: hacker / software developer. / parents: volkan & melike yazici. / siblings: twin sister, one younger. / pet(s): veli ( belgian malinois ) / languages known: english, turkish. / residence: glassline towers penthouse
INFO.
⸻ born and raised in a small though wealthy suburb of new jersey, second generation turkish-american right behind his twin sister who's a couple minutes older and never lets him forget about it. the yazici name that carries a weight bestowed upon him even before he took his first breaths. a powerhouse back in their home country and international, who have their hands in everything from industrial to real estate. and kadir stood as the heir to this empire, whether or not he wanted it.
⸻ you'd think being brought up in such a cushy world meant having a picturesque life, and in many ways it was of course. being handed just about everything you could possibly want is a dream for most people. and to the public, their family was the epitome of perfect. but the saying not everything that glitters is gold exists for a reason. behind closed doors everyone had to ENDURE that which is volkan yazici. a power hungry man that praised nothing less than success and image, who could also be known for having a bit of a temper. he was never outright cruel, but if everything wasn't up to his standards then the walls of their home would boom.
⸻ growing up kadir and his siblings were given the best private school education expected to keep their grades high, and given options for a plethora of extracurriculars. for him that took the form of sports, namely basketball and hockey. though outside of that he'd always had a deep interest with computers, a bit of a nerd as he was a jock. in fact, the first time he hacked into anything was in middle school, when he changed one of his grades, as well as that of a friend. from there it was only an interest that continued to develop.
⸻ his father had already carved out a path that started with business school and ended with him taking over the company. however he had his own plans in mind, that deviated, instead pursuing a degree in computer science and going to college across the country at stanford. you can imagine this caused them to but heads, but ultimately he won out, a big thanks to his mother for intervening and convincing the man to simply let it happen. he spent some time in LA after graduating and where he also moonlit as a hacker for profit, and sometimes for his own entertainment/gain.
⸻ a couple years ago though, he found himself moving to coyote's rest after getting a job at a software firm sitting just outside the city, a place of unbridled debauchery, perfect for him to continue his own little escapades. until he landed on the radar of nameless, unintentionally exposing a vulnerability in their own cyber security. though they had brilliant people who'd been able to track him. initially there were heavy suspicions as to his motive, in spite of the fact that there truly was none, apart from curiosity. and instead of truly ending up on their bad side, or worse, he ended up taking an offer to join them, not given much of an ultimatum.
⸻ it's interesting, to say the least, being part of something so covert and quite literally nameless, considering how much of his life had been spent in a limelight of sorts. having a literal gang at his disposal, so to speak, might also just be perfect for his own plans, involving getting his father out of running their family company. as of lately he'd been making terrible calls, bad press, and attempting a hostile takeover that didn't exactly benefit them. something he'd already shared with his siblings, all of them in agreement on.
WANTED.
friends.
enemies / rivals. ( again other gangs or anyone nameless )
fwb / one night stands.
clients. ( perhaps someone looking for his hacking skills )
neighbors. ( those living in glassline towers as well )
good influence.
bad influence.
anyone who may know of his family.
hey, wait a second— i could swear that was RAQUEL AGUILAR that just walked past. don’t tell me you haven’t heard of the ASSASSIN of THE SPIDER LILIES? they’ve been a member for 10 YEARS and apparently they’re actually LOYAL, so make sure not to forget this time. i’ve heard they’re known as THE ENIGMA, and i can tell you for sure that they’re SOLICITOUS and CLEVER on a good day, but i don’t think you’d like to see them when they’re PEDANTIC and TEMPERAMENTAL. rumour has it that they HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN MILITARY STYLE COMBAT SINCE SHE WAS YOUNGER, but i don’t know if anyone has ever lived long enough to confirm it. either way, most people would use FXCK UP THE WORLD by LISA to describe them, as well sunglasses hiding that cunning glint in your eyes, the way light hits cascading velvet, a sharp tongue and even sharper mind. god only knows how they ended up here, but love them or hate them, they’re not going anywhere.
STATS.
full name: raquel valentina aguilar. / nickname(s): rocky, sombra. / d.o.b. & age: may 25th & 34. / zodiac: gemini, cancer, aries. / gender & pronouns: cis woman & she + her. / sexuality: lesbian. / relationship status: single. / ethnicity: mexican. / scent: noyz — unmute. / height: 5'5". / birthplace: fort hood, tx. / occupation: assassin. / parents: caesar & lucia aguilar. / siblings: one older brother. / pet(s): opal ( maine coon cat ) / languages known: english, spanish, korean, italian, arabic, french. / residence: a suite at the nightshade
INFO.
⸻ born in fort hood, texas, though she's called various places home throughout her years growing up. because of her father's position in the army, her family moved around quite a bit, both in and out of country. she hadn't necessarily minded it, not as if she had much of a choice of course, sure it was difficult to form solid friendships after a time, but on the flipside it was nice getting to see different parts of the world and experience new things.
⸻ her father being in the military made him a man of discipline and focus, things he instilled onto his children by way of training as they grew older. to him this was a way of self-defense and being better prepared for the world with more than just book or street smarts. little did they know just how much this would come in handy in future.
⸻ rocky was a natural — maybe not at first, after all the man wasn't all too lenient, even on his children, but practice makes perfect, and she picked up fairly quick. excelling in muay thai, a bit of krav magra and brazilian jiu jitsu, even competing in tournaments for the latter.
⸻ this was all also to her mother's chagrin, the woman had wanted a girly girl, and when she was much younger, there was some success in trying. but ultimately she is her father's daughter. that's not to say she doesn't have her moments though. sometimes she just wants to be babygirl ✨
⸻ eventually her family's escapades around the world came to an end, with them settling in las vegas, her father retired from the military and opted to start up his own security company. by this time rocky was already an adult and ready to go out on her own, though she didn't exactly have a solid plan for the future. instead she lived by making the city and especially the strip, as her playground. after all it was a breeding ground for all the best vices.
⸻ she spent plenty of time in casinos using her talents in the art of deception, whether that was playing dumb as though she didn't understand how the game worked, or with the confidence of a true professional and each time it worked in her favor. although one night, she caught the attention of two brutes who weren't exactly keen to the fact that she bested them. unfortunate that they underestimated the 5'5" girl with a pretty face, and got their asses handed to them.
⸻ unknown to her was the fact that there had been a set of eyes on her for most of the night, watching her every move with intrigue, coming to her with an offer that lead to her eventual recruitment into the spider lilies. she hadn't started off as an assassin of course, but she proved herself an invaluable asset, her ability to take on a chameleon persona, beyond capable with nearly any weapon or her hands, it was easy to climb the ranks.
⸻ it was a life far from the question 'what do you wanna be when you grow up' but she certainly wasn't complaining, the thrill of her work was right up her alley and has thoroughly come to the think of the spider lilies as a new family ( not that there was anything wrong with hers of course ) but nevertheless she certainly has no plans of leaving.
WANTED.
best friend / confidant.
friends.
enemies / rivals. ( could be from another gang or something friendly in the spider lilies )
good influence.
bad influence.
exes.
fwb / one night stands.
neighbors. ( anyone else staying in the nightshade )
workout partners.
anyone she could've met in her younger years while traveling around.
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