( jay hernandez. cismale. he/him/his. new blood & zayde wolf. ) well, would you look at ROMERO ‘REYES’ FERREIRA this year? i believe they have been training for 37 of their FORTY-FOUR years of life. this makes them a SPECIALIST hunter in their family, but they’re also pretty good at BROKERING INFORMATION. when dusk falls, you can usually find them heading home to WOODHAVEN, QUEENS by MOTORCYCLE. ( ezra. 30. they/theirs. est. )
@duskintros
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NAME: Romero ‘Reyes’ Ferreira
AGE: 44
SPECIES: Hunter/Slayer
AFFILIATION: Ferreira Family (Figure Head)
OCCUPATION: Information Broker, Dealer of Trade Secrets, Patriarch (Ferreira Family)
Romero always knew he’d had a penchant for tongues. By the time he’d reached six years old, he’d been proficient in three languages. Never mind that he’d already changed hands more times than he could count at that age. He learned how to work fast; how to weasel his way into the hearts of his foster parents before they’d had the chance to give him back. As time passed his methods changed, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t make them want him. At seven-years-old that mentality began to twist his thoughts, affectively steering his life into an irreversible direction.
Rome was ‘adopted’ by Salma Ferreira when he was seven-years-old.
By adopted I mean he was living on the street and she caught him trying to break into her car, and took advantage of an opportunity. He dwelled in a historically underprivileged area and hadn’t quite mastered the art of deft hands.
Acclimating into the folds of the Ferreira family was easy. By age twelve, tri-lingual had evolved into penta-lingual, and he had cultivated meaningful relationships with most of his brothers & sisters.
Reyes brokered his first trade at thirteen-years-old. He gets six-months worth of NYPD inventory records for the name of a guy who knows a guy who makes problems disappear.
This is also the same age he started going by the name REYES instead of ROMERO or ROME, specifically where ‘business’ was involved. He was and still remains committed to the fine line between business and pleasure.
Plus... Real names? In this economy? No ma’am.
Reyes speaks English, Spanish, Mandarin, Polish and French.
CONNECTIONS:
Open for any and all connections-- there is a 100% chance that we can make just about anything work.
Reyes is close with his family. Those who are adopted or ‘inducted’ into their family have proven themselves loyal, and in most cases, loved. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for his brothers and sisters.
Rome has no biological children of his own, having bought wholly into the Ferreira way of choosing and adopting family.
Rome does have ‘offspring’ that he’s had a tremendous hand in raising, some from a very young age, and some from their late-teens.
Although he lives in Queen’s as is their family headquartered, he ‘works’ through a number of burroughs. While his business is not necessarily restricted to humans & hunters, the safety and well being of humans & hunters are always the bottom line.
𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑻 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑭𝑨𝑴𝑰𝑳𝒀 𝑯𝑨𝑫 𝑫𝑬𝑴𝑨𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑫 𝑺𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝒀 𝑨𝑻 𝑯𝑶𝑴𝑬 , 𝑳𝑬𝑻 𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑴 𝑫𝑬𝑨𝑳 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑨𝑭𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑴𝑨𝑻𝑯 . but katherine being the ever so stubborn woman she was had argued back until they’d given in . still she was under strict supervision as not to aggravate her injury further nor hurt herself due to her limited mobility . chime of bell garners a flicker of gaze , curious as to who would visit considering the horror that had taken place here only recently . she’s surprised to see reyes , being a council member 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍’𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚙 𝚋𝚢 . kat smiles politely from her seated position , hospital wheelchair a few feet away . ❝ IGNORE THE NEW WHEELS , what brings you here ? looking for cian or needed an escape from interrogations ? ❞
Anyone who tells you growing up in this life isn't a struggle, is a liar. Alliances, relationships, they were fickle. They could change from day to day. In a years time, the people you were closest to could become your greatest enemies. Being a Ferreira, being The Ferreira, Reyes had to work twice as hard, twice as long to cultivate relationships. To keep them alive. It was and endless and exhausting job, but there was no one else to do it. It was his responsibility.
And sometimes, it wasn't so bad.
The O'Riley's and the Ferreira's were one of those fickle alliances-- although Reyes had found an easy camaraderie within the other hunters' ranks. Many of the family's figure heads had grown up with Reyes, Osei, and a number of their other siblings. Friendly rivalries ensued, but at the end of the day, the respect was there. For Reyes, at least, and that carried a lot of weight.
"Heard someone say we ought to start callin' you Wheels." he'd jest, slipping into the building that housed carnage and chaos just days before. "Had to have a look for myself. Didn't think anything could get you on your ass for so long." Kat O'Riley took no shit, but had no problem giving it. Her and Cian had always been a perfect match in that regard. At least, Reyes thought so. "This strictly an informal visit." he specified quickly, before his dark eyes flickered to new liquor bottles being set up around the bar. "Just came by for a drink with an old friend." Reyes mused with a smile.
Getting a summons to fucking Staten Island is not how Lenny prefers to spend her evening. But council business was council business and she wasn’t going to upset the balance over a ferry ride to the middle of nowhere. After seeing Kat in the hospital that morning, she’d worked on some orders before receiving a text with a time and place for her own questioning. It would’ve been more convenient if Cian could’ve done it but considering they were family…it wasn’t really a choice. So she pulls her jacket tighter against the cool spring breeze as she pushes into The Flame.
She’s five minutes late, she sees when her phone reads 9:05pm, but that’s mostly on time for Lennon. Making her way to the back, she spots Reyes, heading in his direction before he snaps. “Jesus, okay. Maybe if you hadn’t made me trek all the way to this god-forsaken island, I’d have been here sooner.” She remarks dryly, sliding into the seat across from him.
-
The response came in a hurried, irritated garble, and Reyes couldn't fault her. Not really. He wasn't snapping at her specifically; had possibly lost track of time and not even realized that it would be her walking through the archway. But he'd adjusted himself accordingly, prepared to button up into every bit the professional he was supposed to be. Though he couldn't help how the lines seemed to blur so easily these days.
"Sorry." He mumbled, owing the woman at least that much. "That wasn't aimed toward you. Not really." But that was all he was willing to part with. She was an O'Riley, and by association, that elevated her only slightly in his eyes. But he still played his cards close to his chest. Reyes always had. "I know, it's pain in the ass. But I'm fucking tired of bouncing from borough to borough, so..." he'd trailed off, stubbing out his smoke and taking a deep swing of whatever amber liquid rested in the glass to his side.
Okay, so tonight we were aiming for kind of professional.
There was something to be said about the way her nerves eased in his presence, lending her to take what felt like the first real breath since that night. But, Nisa couldn’t put a name to what made that piece of her settle when it came to Rome. It just was.
Despite the fact that her own ulterior motives were currently afoot.
She would even go as far as to reason that it was because of that feeling — the fear of losing it, that she was currently armed with the serum. “Someone has to be the life of the party,” she answered, letting deflection roll from her tongue before the quick curl of a smile, eyes flicking from the menu to him. Of course, Nisa didn’t think that a very large bottle of Jameson and herself could really constitute a party. But, then again, it wasn’t the company she sought. It was the numbness.
Just as she opened her mouth to offer a reply, a waitress appeared alongside the booth. It wasn’t until she walked away, order in hand, that Nisa turned her attention back to Rome, chocolate hues scanning the various nicks and scrapes marking his skin — and, not for the first time, she was reminded of the gravity of that night. Reminded that she was one of the monsters. It was only Rome’s unaffected demeanor now that had her questioning if she had, in fact, been spotted. Surely, things would have changed if that were the case, right? It was almost enough to put her off her half-cocked plan, but— no, she had to know.
“This is the highlight of your day? A shitty diner in Queens?” she teased, rolling her eyes in jest. “I knew your life was boring. I just didn’t realize how bad it was. We’ll have to remedy it, you know?” What she didn’t say though, barely internally acknowledged, was that this— he was the highlight of hers too.
-
An amused chuckle rumbled low in his chest, his attention still squarely on the woman who sat across from him. He'd gotten very good at tuning other people out. So much so that people often squirmed beneath his observation. Nisa had never been one of those people; whether she enjoyed his attention or simply didn't mind his hyper focus did not matter to him one bit.
"Quite the opposite." he insisted, head canting only slightly to the side. The shadow of a grin across his features remained. "This might be the most peace I've gotten in days." he'd paused, willing his chest to remain level even as his breath threatened to hitch. Reyes remained reluctant in eluding to his presence that night. Wasn't willing to give anything away, especially not when he'd still had the image of her in his mind. Of that beast. The thing inside of her that separated them so fundamentally.
He would never admit it out loud, but it caused an ache in his chest. In his heart.
"You'd be surprised just how busy my brother keeps me." Right. As if it were Osei's fault that he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep in what felt like days. But Reyes is eager to change the subject. He wants to eat. He wants to talk about Nisa. Wants to pretend like they're normal, Gods fearing citizens with absolutely nothing holding them back.
"I've missed you." Reyes allows the words to slip free from his lips, unabashedly, his grin somewhat smitten, though she was surely used to that by now. But even now, he was cursed to wonder; how many more times will I get the chance to say such a thing? and the thought is a heavy weight on his conscience. "You're--"
But his words come to a halt as the waitress returned rather quickly with their drinks. A few waters, some juice. The usual. His attention flexes to the young woman as he bids her thanks.
He looked like he walked out of brawl that wasn’t meant for survival. Her nurse instincts kicked in. she was assessing him from head to toe, and she could tell by his wince, his rib area hurt. a part of her wondered where he came from, and if it was smart to be drinking right now. He was conscious at least, alert, oriented, the hospital wasn’t far from here.
The doctors were either rounding, at the ER department, and off duty who knows. “Maybe you should have crawled, add it for scenic effect.” she states walking towards him. Looking at him closer “So what’s your situation?” she states looking over at him. “You obviously didn’t make it far enough to the emergency department.” she was watching to see if at any point he would start to lose consciousness, then it would mean he had wounds, and he was bleeding out.
-
“Would you believe me if I told you I’d done that before?” Not a lie. Not even an exaggeration, but the words were still bitter on his lips. He probably couldn’t even count on both hands anymore how many times he’d had to haul his own ass to the hospital, or die. Such was the life of a hunter.
“Bar fight.” Lies. Dark pools considered the woman as she approached him. Something familiar about him, but he’d disregard it-- everyone felt familiar to him these days. Names and faces all blurring together. “No one fights fair anymore.” he groaned almost involuntarily as he adjusted himself on the bench. “It’s a damn shame, really.”
location: the council building.
who: @reyes-ferreira
-
——THIS WAS NOT the first time he had been called in for formal questioning of any sort. aleksander held that same cool, detached demeanor as anyone else had - though he couldn’t help but entertain the slightest consideration of what answers he could provide would assist with. he was certain that a tavern full of frightened witnesses could conclude what he’d been doing throughout the night, but even then he wasn’t entirely certain where the inquiries would lead. and so he sat in silence, observing the room in full detail for how empty and spacious it seemed. it was reminiscent of an interrogation room, minus the pointed chill that police stations seemed to want to provide with their spaces.
when the door creaked open he turned black gaze toward that, tipped his head at the familiar face and offered a more polite version of a greeting he would otherwise spill. “ good afternoon, councilman. ”
-
Despite his reluctance in voicing his frustration, it was clear that Reyes didn't want to be there, either. Interview after interview had left him frustrated- wading through answers that were all but identical. Tight-lipped Supes weren't likely to share any information with the likes of him: a hunter. A Ferreira. It didn't negate the fact that he'd had a list, a job, and a lot of shit he couldn't get to until he got these interviews out of the way.
Reyes toed his way into the room, door closing on its own behind him. The gentle slam was the most passive-aggressive way he could think to make his impatience known. It wasn't this guys fault, though. Not that he knew of. Not yet, at least.
"Aleksander." Not a question. Reyes flipped open the small file that he'd laid out on the table, settling into the chair across from the man without returning his greeting. "B?" an initial for the first name, no elaboration. He'd quirked a brow, but didn't press further. He wasn't the authorities in any 'official' capacity. "You know why you're here?"
𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗬 𝗪𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗨𝗣 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗗 . and reyes was no different . upon approach she gained a harsh retort , clearly still high strung from the responsibilities of council member . hunters and their tempers . calli had been alive long enough to know boundaries 𝚢𝚎𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚙𝚞𝚛𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 . brows furrow when she finally stills , observing the angered figure before her , the vampire finding some sort of amusement in his temper . ❝ oh calm down reyes . acting so coarse isn’t going to get you anywhere , MUCH LESS A CONFESSION . ❞ she responds calmly , inspecting manicured hand in the process . ❝ on that note , if you need assistance with interrogation i’m more than willing to help . a couple of centuries on this earth and my current occupation 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 . ❞ serpent doesn’t offer help out of the kindness of her heart , instead out of boredom , curiosity and sheer mischief . though she wasn’t lying about her insight , she’d easily become her task force’s best enhanced interrogator , perhaps it’s her two thousand years of experience with hurting people .
-
Reyes' eyes slid easily over the woman who'd answered his aggression, and he slid further back into his seat. A wild brow flickered in amusement, partially, not really expecting anyone in staten island to have the gall. Cali was a few miles from home, however. He shouldn't have been surprised. So was he.
"You know, I knew today was going to be trouble and then--" he feigned a look of shock, gesturing to the centuries old female. "-- look what the cat drags in." Finally, he kicked his feet up onto the nearest chair. Body still tense, but he's able to put it in the back of his mind. For a moment. "'do you a kindness, Cal?"
Translation?
What the fuck do you want?
OSEI: I'm at the office. I can meet you at the docks? 😎
He'd flipped off Osei so hard in his mind that he convinced himself it would be impossible not to feel it. After, despite the still-cool air of a slow moving spring, Reyes pocketed his broken cellphone and promptly hopped on his bike to make his way down to the docks. It was a safe place for them to meet, or at least, it always had been. Neither of them would pretend they weren't ready to pack up and move at a moments notice. Such was their way of life; the business of thievery, politics, and violence. But down here, as the waves from New York harbor lapped tirelessly at the molten rock of the pier, something settled over his bones. A kind of comfort that only thick, putrid smell of seaweed and salt water could provide.
Home.
"Shit is going to hit the fan." He'd murmured, bringing a smoke to his lips and lighting it quickly. As soon as he felt the weight of Osei's presence, he'd gone off, their place between a maze of buildings and shipping containers guarding them from prying eyes. "I don't know where the threads are going to break, but they're fraying along every edge." Reyes took another shaky drag, his free hand raking through his wind-blown tresses.
Nisa wasn’t laughing. Not in the slightest. But, the witch? Oh, the witch had laughed until she’d snorted, wiping tears away from her eyes, making it woefully obvious just how naïve Nisa was when it came to the supernatural world around her. Even after ten months.
Rome wasn’t Rome, was he? Not just. He was many things, as Nisa had come to know, some sooner than others. Friend — she’d known that. But— Reyes. Hunter. And maybe most importantly… Ferreira. Those were new, and she may not have known much, but she did know that name. She’d just never thought the two were the same and it left her trying to reconcile everything she thought she knew about the man hunter and what she’d seen for herself at the bar. What she wished she could forget.
She thought a simple visit to a witch would be enough to wipe away any memory of her from that night, but when she pointed out exactly who it was she wished to affect… Well, it had all been very enlightening indeed, the witch unable to hide her amusement as she took needle to bubble. Except, maybe Rome hadn’t even spotted her, or realized who she was in the chaos.
That was how the wolf found herself sliding into a booth at a local diner in Queens, truth serum heavy in her pocket, clinging to some sliver of hope. She’d almost suggested a bar, but— no. “Sorry, got held up at the shop.” It was a lie, of course, the witch’s revelation still ringing in her ears. But, Nis pasted on a smile and picked up the menu. “I need the greasiest burger possible.” And then— “Hangover,” she said by way of explanation. Which wasn’t a lie. “How’s your day?”
It had been days, but time seemed to be so liminal lately.
With the community still abuzz concerning events from Saint Patrick's Day, it was impossible for Reyes to put behind him the things he'd rather forget. The bloodcurdling screams. The scent of ichor, and adrenaline, soaked into the air. His own wounds were still healing, evident by the scrapes and bruises that lightly tattered the skin across his visage. But there were no more aching sighs elicited from the cracks in his ribs, and the torn muscle around his clavicle was healing nicely, after all. Nisa's company was a welcomed respite from the shadow of gloom from the days ahead.
Even if every curve and shadow of her face pained his conscience with guilt.
"Hey." he'd responded aptly, quickly pulled from his thoughts as Nisa appeared in a whirlwind. Reyes stood briefly, acknowledging her presence while she slid into the booth. "Don't even worry about it, I haven't been here long anyway." the air between them stilled, but it was not thick with awkwardness, or tension. Reyes couldn't quite put his finger on it. "If grease is what you're after, you're definitely in the right place."
Reyes sat back down, leaning into the well-loved vinyl plush of the booth. His menu lie undisturbed in the same place the waitress had left it. "What's got you drinking that hard on a weeknight, hm?" he'd teased her lightly, unable to help himself as the weight of his gaze settled over her. With chestnut pools nearly as dark as his own, they glistened in the sunlight of their cramped corner booth. Her skin was so smooth that he wondered if it was truly as soft as it looked. And while they'd shared a number of nights where Reyes had almost given in to his impulses, he'd never acted on those whims. What if things weren't the same between them? And yet, all of that seemed so irrelevant compared to that which he'd been most recently plagued;
' What if she had died? '
"My day?" A strained chuckle left his lips, his fingers lacing together loosely as they came to settle against his abdomen. "this is the highlight of my day." he purred, obviously deflecting in that notorious way that Reyes did.
She had just finished her shift at the hospital and could use a hot shower right about now. Deciding to take a walk home rather than drive, she wasn’t afraid of the city. she could kick anyone’s ass, if anything, they should be more afraid of her than she is of them. From a distance she spotted someone out in the distance. Judging by their posture, she could see something happened. However she casually kept on walking forward. it wasn’t until the sound of their voice had her stop.
It wasn’t directed at her. At least not in that tone. She shifted to look over her shoulder. “Is that your way of calling for attention?” she asked with a raised brow. “Cause if you want others to help, you’re going to have to be a little nicer.”
-
A soft pluck of his brow had Reyes turning to meet the voice, though as soon as he'd turned his two bottom ribs ached in defiance. A bitter chuckle loosed his lips, and once again, he'd brought the bottle of liquor to his mouth and taken a swig. Despite his unwound disposition, he'd remained conscious of all of the weapons that remained on his body; he was well aware of the creatures that lurked through the city this time of night.
"Aye." Reyes sat the bottle down on the bench next to him, it's lip stained lightly with the darkened blood from his fingers. He wasn't dying, no. But damn if he wouldn't be hurting the next few days. "I figure if I sit here lookin' sad enough, someone who's taken a hippocratic oath will wander by eventually."
Messy as his mug had been, he'd still tossed a glance over his shoulder with mischief in his eyes and a glint to his grin, even as he flashed his bloodied smile at the stranger.
Ash watched the other visibly gather themselves, their dark eyes watching with no judgement. The last few days had been a blur and stressful to the high heavens. For both those on the council and those expecting answers. “Is the person you are meeting someone you are questioning?” Ash asked, ignoring the deflected question of how business was to stay on topic.
-
He’d allowed his gaze to settle momentarily over the other man, composure lacing through his spine and stiffening his back once more. Ash spoke to him as though they were comrades-- like Reyes’ tongue would ever loosen beneath his scrutiny. They were not brethren. Were barely peers. The eldest Ferriera didn’t care how old, or important the unofficial chairman to Staten Island’s misfits fancied himself.
“My business is my own.” there was an edge to his tone, of course. He wouldn’t be Reyes if there hadn’t been. But the slight flash of his teeth and curl of his lip was meant to appear friendly, even if it hardly was. “you wont see any more quarrel from me-” Reyes paused, before he’d added with a drip of acerbity, “-sir.”
Reyes sat on the deserted bench for longer than he ought to have. With the bottle of clear liquor in his hand, he took a hearty swig before he turned to pour its contents on an opened wound against his shoulder.
"Well, are you just going to stand there gaping, or are you going to help me?" he’d rasped, not at all sure who'd approached him, or if he'd even cared at all.
