Theodore

But we cannot simply sit and stare at our wounds forever (theodore ingabire. they/them. dependent muse of boneyardfm)

[b4rredteeth]

CLOSED STARTER FOR @whenwill-you-realize

Zakir wouldn't be the first to be selling information to particular members of the Weiss family and not directly to his contact person. It was nothing new that he spoke even to those outside of the family he was suposed to be loyal to. Zakir felt like everything he got was hard-won, and why shouldn't he relay if it was important.

What was different was that in this case, he'd been asked to collect certain information about certain individuals on the council. And it wasn't hard, he was privy to their personal details, and he usually wasn't far away when the discussed important information.

He neatly wrote it all down and packed it into a little notebook, which was exactly the same as the notebooks he carried around to write his poetry in. Nobody ever took a look at those, too afraid Zakir would start some monologue about his inspirations and how superb Urdu poetry was.

He sat down on his usual bench, tapping the cup of coffee against his lips, as he watched the underboss of the Weiss family move along the street towards him. He petted the seat beside him. "There is my coffee buddy! I got you your usual," he said, pointing at the second cup of coffee beside him, which stood on top of the notebook.

[whenwill-you-realize]

It wasn't easy to be Theo, the person in charge of so much all at once. If they didn't at least like the people around them a little bit, it would've been much more difficult. Zakir was fascinating, and Theo was glad they had the opportunity to speak to each other often. As often as the Weiss family saw fit, that was.

Ah, the life of crime. Rather, the life of a rather complicated family. Harsh sometimes, but that was what coffee was for. "Buddy!" Theo declared, spreading their arms wide in an expression of cheerfulness at seeing Zakir. "It better be the good stuff."

Theodore joined Zakir, sitting where indicated after a quick tilt of his head to see if anyone around them was acting a little too suspicious. They took a sip of the coffee before glancing down at the notebook.

"Ah, you've gotten me a present!" Theo exclaimed with delight. The coffee was good, but information? That was priceless.

[wtfru--imabrat]

Romi found herself at her father's house quite often, given that she was vying to be his righthand man. Good luck with that shit. Needless to say, she was personally...struggling. And trying her damn hardest to keep that under wraps. So when she walked down the stairs and was greeted with none other than Theodore, that fucking snake, she told herself to take a deep breath and to not take the bait. He was probably goading her into another fight. And she always fucking fell for it.

Good afternoon, princess. And how are we on this lovely, lovely day? God, everything about him was so fucking irritating--but probably the most irritating thing was the fact that her father practically doted on him, as if he were his own fucking son. The son he never had. After all, he'd been 'blessed' with three daughters, each one more fucked up than the last. But even now, she'd known that each birth had been a disappointment of sorts because whenever the doctor said 'It's a girl,' it was yet another mouth to feed without being the male heir that he so badly desired. How nice it was, that in the age of the working woman, in fucking 1997, her father was still a raging misogynist.

Giving Theo a smile that silently said 'Go eat shit,' she said "Quite well, thank you. And how about you? Still stuck up my father's ass?" She couldn't hide her disdain. They were both gunning for the same job and as the days dragged on and nothing changed, she was becoming less and less certain that her father would give her the job she wanted. And privately, she was starting to question why she might even want it in the first place. Her cousin's sharp words rang in her ear, the words that said she was a fool for ever thinking she was getting that promotion. But all this hard work, surely, couldn't be for nothing. Right?...

[whenwill-you-realize]

Theo couldn't help messing with Romi. It was so easy. They didn't know if she suspected that they were up to no good or if she just hated the way they'd stolen her father away (an easy thing to do, all things considered), but it was just simply a good time.

"I'm doing lovely, thanks" Theo said, ignoring the ass comment. There were a lot of asses he was interested in, and Romi's father's was as far away from the top of the list as possible. "Were you just making a trip? I doubt there's anything you could do..."

Their voice turned just a little sing-songy at the end, bragging just a little bit. That was another fun part. What were they to the Weiss family? Not much, and yet here they were, the snake, hiding in plain sight.

"But maybe if you're lucky he'll have bought you a new necklace." Theo hummed as if considering it. "Wouldn't that be nice?"

[no-one-likes--a-mad-woman]

When they said her name--both first and last, just as she had--she averted her eyes just for a moment. She was trying to decide how aggressive she wanted to be. Should she snap at them for falling off the face of the earth? She worried that would make her appear too...desperate? After all, that's how it might appear. Who holds a torch after four years for something that was hardly even a situationship? But aside from the child that they shared, which Theo currently had no knowledge of, their relationship had been more than casual. It might not have been...official but it had meant something. She knew that and she was certain that deep down, they knew it, too.

She figured that it was probably best to just come right out and say it but there was also a part of her that wanted to let them...dangle, just for a little bit. How have you been, darling? Giving them a smile that was anything but pleased, she said "I've been pretty good, can't complain. And how about you?" She almost wanted to call them a pet name, as they'd called her 'darling,' as if no time had passed at all, but she held back. She knew she needed to stay cool and collected and most of all, she knew that she couldn't be selfish, no matter how much she might want to. As much as their sudden disappearance had hurt her, what was more important was that she seize the opportunity for their daughter to finally have both parents in her young life instead of just one. If they wanted nothing to do with Rhea, then fine. It was their loss. But something in Alice doubted that that would be the case. As suave as they might appear to be, she knew that below a smooth facade lay a kind heart. She'd known it back then and she was pretty sure she knew it now.

Or perhaps she was being too hopeful, too overly optimistic, like she so often tended to do. Perhaps she was just fooling herself and she'd never actually known Theodore as well as she might've thought. There was really only one way to find out. "Care you to join me?" she offered.

[whenwill-you-realize]

Clearly, Theodore wasn't in Alice's good graces. It's not unexpected, given the connection that they'd had--had it been reckless of them to leave that? Maybe, but no more reckless than the type of thing that Theodore was used to doing. And that was another problem altogether.

"I could complain, but I won't," Theodore said, "I'm gracious like that." It had certainly been an eventful start to the year, and not one that they would be forgetting anytime soon. They picked up their coffee, ignoring any look the barista might have been giving them, and joined Alice again.

Theodore hesitated for reasons that were beyond them when Alice asked if they wanted to join her. It had been so long, and they worried that things would be different. Scratch that, they knew that things would be different. But it hadn't been that long, had it? They would still have some things in common, they were sure.

"I'd love to. Maybe you can tell me what you've been up to?" It was a smokescreen before Alice got in on her questions. As much fun as it was to weave around the specifics of their life, they wanted a second to take her in.

[devilsons]

about a week into the new year, an exclusive cocktail bar inside the riviera, early evening ( 1/5 ) with @boneyardstarters

A meeting ends in the wafting of cigar smoke and aged scotch, shaken hands and departing pleasantries. His guests leave and he watches them go, it isn't until they're well out of sight that Francisco sit down again, leaning back into the booth, a nearly empty rocks glass resting in one hand, a half smoked cigar in the fingers of his other. Decompress, finish his drink, and go about the rest of the evening; or such was the plan. The silence in the booth is needed, desired, a moment of privacy he's rarely afforded, but it doesn't last as long as he'd like.

There's shuffling, dark eyes sharp as they rest on the person sliding themselves into his booth. This wasn't an appointment, nor, does it seem, even a request. He doesn't say anything, just looking at them, a pull on his cigar with half narrowed eyes. The server comes over quickly, surely sensing the unexpected company, doing her best to be the image of discretion. A brief meeting of gazes, the implication of asking him if they're allowed to be there; being a partial owner of the casino comes with it's benefits, even more so recently with the added coverage on his family, the death, the flurry of news. She no longer knows who her direct boss is, the whole staff has been on edge, wondering what's going to become of the casino now, and they aren't the only ones.

There's the quiet hum of music from the speakers, low voices in the intimacy of the style of bar, a private booth not designed to be stumbled into so to speak. It better be good. He holds up a hand, an acquiescence as well as a dismissal. It's fine, he's never been to afraid to tell someone to fuck off himself. They can speak or babble or slur, whatever it is that comes out of their mouth, and he'll make the executive decision as such.

[whenwill-you-realize]

What a time to be alive, inching closer and closer to a new millennium. Theo's glad to be inching forward through the years, making their moves from the background. Maybe clawing through is a better term. But one day, they will see the fruits of their labor. One day, people will have respect on their name. Assuming they're not dead in a month, that is. Always a possibility, that.

For now, they're focused on getting all their ducks in a row, and that means they need to reconnect with people who won't have their head. Or probably won't. Augustu had trusted Theodore implicitly. Theodore couldn't be sure if the rest of the family felt the same way, but there were ways of making connections, especially when you had some major ins with the Vitellis already.

The casino isn't exactly the best place for them to be showing their face, but they've kept a low profile and are wearing an outfit that is far toned down to what they would prefer. Some might even call it tasteful. Besides, if they see anyone they recognize, they were here, too. Not exactly like they could make a formal appointment in the current conditions.

"Shoo me away if you have to, but at least give me some idea of what's going on." Theodore said. "A person gets antsy."

[run-in--the-shadows]

location: aurelia's trance

date: january 10, 1997

@boneyardstarters

The new year had started off a bit shaky, Aurelia having awoke that first morning with a lingering feeling, a vision, an inkling that things weren’t right. But then again, living in a town such as this, when were things right, really? And maybe they’d have written off their worries as just that—worries. But then the death of Augustu Vitelli had been announced and they knew they’d been right, as their predictions usually were.

But what exactly could they do about all of that? Probably nothing. So, like almost every other day since the first of the year, they went to work and opened up their shop. As of right now, they didn’t have any readings on the books but they always welcomed walk-ins. Perhaps they could provide some clarity to others. So when the little bell above the door finally rang out, signaling that someone had arrived, they sat up a little straighter behind the front desk and mustered a small smile. “Hey, welcome in… Let me know if you need anything in particular. We actually just got a new shipment of amethyst in, if you’re interested, just in time for February.”

[whenwill-you-realize]

Theodore could really have used a bit of luck, and while the only crystals they typically wore were for fashion purposes, it seemed like it might be helpful to have something that gave them a bit of help, especially with Augustu Vitelli's death. It wasn't often that they were feeling superstitious (the only thing they believed in for sure was themself) but it couldn't hurt.

"Is that amethyst good luck, then?" Theodore asked. "I'm looking for a little extra help this new year."

They flashed the apparent owner of the store a little grin, partially flirtatious, partially begging. It wasn't that they didn't have the money, just that, in this particular case, they were out of their depth. Not really something they were used to feeling.

[starskipplng]

Closed starter for Oz & Theo ( @whenwill-you-realize ) Location: Kitty's Jazz Club

Sometimes, there's migraines that only an ice cold cocktail and the sultry tones of a saxophone can solve. Work is methodical, easy, but dull. And there's only so many novels that Oz can organize and put away and stamp and check out and check in and... well, they've locked the library door and rolled on over to the jazz club tonight.

The sangria is tart, sweet. Oz's hooded eyes focus on the cherry, fingertips tugging it out of the drink by the stem. It's only then, as it dangles, that they catch sight of someone familiar in the periphery.

"...Theo?" The cherry drops back into the glass, and Oz tilts their head curiously. "...Want to sit?"

[whenwill-you-realize]

There was far too much going on in the world to do anything but have a nice drink and try not to think too hard for too long. After ordering a martini, mostly for the aesthetic of it all, Theodore went to find a place to get their mind off of working.

Of course, the fact that they were in public meant that they were still working, holding up various facades just by standing there. That was something that they could deal with.

Especially with the help of a...friend? Fling? Theo detested labels for most things, but they knew when they could have a good time. "Hel-lo, Oz!" Theodore said, keeping their normally booming voice down a little so it didn't interrupt the band. "I'd love to."

They took their place with Oz and said, "Enjoying the band so far, then?"

[whenwill-you-realize]

weiss manor

closed starter for @wtfru--imabrat

Was it possible for anyone to be prepared for the death of their boss? Even their secret mafia boss? If it was, Theodore hadn't quite learned the trick to it. They had been...what, close? But there was no way Theodore could have even attend the funeral, not least of which because they were supposed to be doing something for the Weiss family.

And speaking of, here was the young Miss Weiss herself, probably looking forward to a little more day-ruining. Not that Theodore could publicly be having a ruined day, but they were sure that Romi was going to try. It could be good to get a little energy out on a fight, but they were trying to lay low.

A ridiculous idea, considering their usual method of madness was to keep all eyes on themself, but with all that had been happening recently...well. It was tough to say.

"Good afternoon, princess," Theo said, their usually cheery tone filled with a sharp sarcasm, "And how are we on this lovely, lovely day?"

[no-one-likes--a-mad-woman]

location: jeff’s joe

date: january 11, 1997

@whenwill-you-realize

The beginning of the year had started off with quite a bang—the news of the head of the Vitelli family had sent shock waves through the town. So had the naming of the new underboss, Meera, and then the subsequent suspicion that followed thereafter. Alice had been watching all of it closely, trying to pick up every little detail that she could. Today, she found herself at Jeff’s Joe during her lunch break—though, her ‘lunch’ wasn’t much of a lunch at all. In front of her, amongst her notes about the latest news, was a scone and her second cup of coffee.

Per usual, she was enthralled in her work, her mind racing. Had the Don’s death truly been a poisoning? And was it really Meera that was responsible? True, Alice had never met her, but she seemed so…kind and mild-mannered, even for a Vitelli. However, her focus was broke when she heard a familiar voice place their order, somewhere behind her. She knew that voice—she’d know it anywhere.

But it wasn’t until she turned around that she actually believed what she already suspected: it was Theodore. She hadn't seen them since before she even knew she was pregnant with Rhea. They'd gotten the hell out of dodge and gone god's knows where. She'd looked for them for a while before giving up, figuring that they didn't want to be found. And now, over four years later, here they were. And she couldn't help herself but to say something. She didn't move from her seat but she made sure her voice was loud enough to be heard. "Well, well, well... Do my eyes deceive me or as that actually Theodore Ingabire in the flesh?" Anyone listening could tell by her voice that she was anything but impressed.

[whenwill-you-realize]

The rug had been pulled out from under Theodore with the death of Augustu Vitelli, and it was hard for them to know where they stood, especially when they'd been scrabbling around with the Weiss family for most of the new year. A shame, really, but what was a hardworking (totally loyal) underboss to do.

Enjoy a cup of coffee. Well, there were other things to do, but there was always time for a good cup of coffee. Or even a mediocre one, really. They placed their order with a wink at the cashier and went to wait with the rest of the masses who had decided that coffee was a brilliant idea.

That was when Theodore heard it. A voice they hadn't heard for, what, a few years now? It had to be. A voice they'd remember if they were blindfolded and slapped about a dozen times with rubber chickens, the kind that made an annoying 'honk' sound, for all the intervening years. Alice.

"Alice Pallas!" Theodore said, meeting her less-than-impressed voice with a delighted tone. They had always liked the way that her name sounded in their mouth, along with...well, other things. "How have you been, darling?"

[whenwill-you-realize]

HEY, i think i just saw THEODORE INGABIRE walking down the strip. stop by to catch up and you’ll learn the THIRTY-FOUR YEAR OLD is working as an UNDERBOSS FOR THE WEISS FAMILY and lives in MANOR SUITES. given they are AMBITIOUS but CONTROLLING, it’s likely that they ARE NOT a vampire. on the flipside, rumor has it that THEY'VE BEEN SEEN ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THINGS and it keeps them looking over their shoulder. i bet you can find them tearing up the dance floor to PARALYZER and you’ll know why they’re called THE SNAKE IN THE ROAD.  ☾ .⭒˚ ncuti gatwa. genderqueer + they/them. bisexual + gemini.

The Quick Facts:

Note: can be worked on and edited to better fit in with connections!

Born June 14 to a family in the suburbs of Las Vegas, Nevada. Theo has two younger siblings, neither of whom they talk to after their parents' death in a car crash when Theodore was 28.

Had a relatively ordinary childhood but was frequently punished due to their intelligence and manipulative (some would say "leader-like") behavior around other children, usually involving leading some dangerous activity or convincing to someone to do something they shouldn't.

Moved into Las Vegas proper as soon as they could and immediately got into trouble, that is to say, attempted to ingratiate themself into the Vitelli family and charmed the snake charmer through a series of...messy tasks.

Given a more difficult task as a result: to catch the deadly eye's attention.

Moved up from there, stepping on a few other pawns in order to get to the position they're in now: underboss of the Weiss family. Not that Romy Weiss appreciates that. It doesn't matter if she's the daughter of

Played the game, but was drawn to someone on the side: Alice Pallas. Theodore isn't used to being the one caught up in someone else's charms, but Alice is impossible to avoid. At least, until a set of orders for Theodore makes it possible to avoid her, and a lot more of Las Vegas.

Back into the swing of things now, which is great considering his in with the Vitellis is dead. Life has focused on not getting caught; not getting caught means they stay alive and they love being alive. Theodore's maneuvering the only way they know how to.

Personality

Dramatic. Gets things done, but has to have a little audience appeal, if there is an audience.

Ambitious. Wants to be in charge of something bigger one day, and willing to do pretty much anything to do this.

Manipulative. There are dozens of faces for Theodore to wear, and they enjoy most of them.

Parental? This one's a surprise to Theodore, and it makes them reminisce on what could have been. But nobody will be allowed to hurt any of Theo's relatives. Not while he's alive.