ROLEPLAY HQ - such-as-we-are-made-of

Glitter, gilded edges - there was elegance, and then there was Evelyn Hughes. The sparkling foyer of the Golden Canary had been filled with the friendly chatter of the other guests moments before, but all fell still and quiet as sharp, rhythmic footsteps heralded the arrival of Mr Anthony Russo’s guest of honor. She appeared in the doorway, a curving silhouette of shimmering white and gold sequins and feathers, with a stole of mink draped with casual sophistication about her sloping shoulders. Her expression was one of smooth confidence and she hardly spared a glance for the others in attendance as she made a determined bee-line toward the large double doors leading into the main dining room. There was no need to announce a reservation - the hostesses knew precisely who she was and by whom she was expected. The dining room was a vast space - dark paneling decorated the walls and black partitions separated all of the booths from one another. The dim lighting offered a moody kind of atmosphere and was made still dimmer by the swirling cloud of cigar smoke that lingered in the air like evening fog over the Hudson. Everywhere was the scent of heavy perfumes, the sounds of eager jazz, and the sights of swirling gowns and finely-tailored suits. Evelyn paid no attention. Her eyes were only for the large booth in the back where Anthony - Tony - sat surrounded by his entourage. Of course, there were obstacles even for her - several large men stood around the perimeter, limiting the guests’ access to him. One such figure stood like a mountain, looming over her the moment she broke from the crowd, and she glanced haughtily up at him with a smile that said ‘Move.’

04:51

@Deleted User

Freddy stood in front of his bedroom mirror, his chin tilted toward the ceiling while he finished adjusting his tie. He stood up straight and stared at himself in the mirror. As best he could at least, since his height meant he could only see himself from the neck down. He admired his new pinstripe suit and turned to leave, only to see his mother in the doorway. “Freddy, darling, you know you don’t need to keep working for this man. Please don’t go tonight,” Rebecca said solemnly. Freddy sighed. “Mother, you know I have no choice. How else will I keep you and dad in this house? I won’t let you go back there,” he said, referring to the shack his parents had raised him in. Rebecca, old and increasingly frail, shook her head and walked away. When Freddy got to the Golden Canary, he kept his head down as he went straight to his boss. He paid no mind to the glitz and glamor that surrounded him. The only thing that interested Freddy was doing his job, and little else. He got to the booth in the back and extended his hand out to Tony. “Mr. Russo, such a lovely evening tonight. Where do you need me? Tony smirked as he looked up at his most loyal bodyguard. “Freddy, when are youse going to stop with this ‘Mr. Russo’ bullshit?” He said with a laugh. “Just go stand out in front of the table and don’t let nobody bother us.” Freddy nodded and followed his orders. Freddy was growing bored at his post when suddenly the room became silent. He looked up and saw the guest of honor - Evelyn Hughes. He had never seen her in person, but she was every bit as beautiful and elegant as he had heard. Evelyn came straight towards the booth, and Freddy was taken aback when she approached him and instructed him to move. He began to stammer. “Evel- Miss Hughes, tha-thank you for gracing us with your presence tonight,” he said, failing to move. After a few awkward moments, Freddy snapped out of the trance Evelyn had him in. “My apologies, ma’am. Mr. Russo is right this away.”

05:25

@Bliss

Evelyn was just polite enough to allow the man a few moments of stammering reverence before she brushed past him with an airy wave of her hand. She had not even a word to spare for him - there was only one person that she was here to see and it certainly wasn’t some building-sized blockhead. A spot immediately opened for her within Tony’s booth and she slid delicately into it at Tony’s side, her lashes lowered becomingly as she fixed the man with a lazy smile, arranging her stole a bit closer about her slender figure, “Tony, darling, why do you keep this room so cold? I’ll need a drink or three just to warm up..” @Deleted User

“Waiter! Another round over! Actually, make it two rounds!” Tony shouted with great urgency. The waiter rushed past Freddy with the drinks, nearly spilling them as his shoulder collided with Freddy’s. Freddy rolled his eyes and kept his gaze focused on the crowd. He had a keen eye for people who didn’t belong. Out of his peripherals, Freddy caught a group of 3 men who were clearly trying not to draw attention to themselves. Those were Freddy’s instincts: Anyone trying too hard to not be suspicious, is immediately suspicious. One man turned pulled the brim of his hat up and revealed much of his face. Even from across the room, Tony could see that giant mole right below his left eye. It was that fucking rat Lorenzo. Freddy made his way across the room to the entrance. “Sei un rompicoglioni,” he muttered under his breath. He caught Lorenzo from surprise and got inches from his face. “Get the fuck out of here. We know you’re working for the Clemenza family. The boss hasn’t forgotten your treachery.” Lorenzo was one of the few who could match Freddy in height and strength. He puffed his chest into Freddy and bumped him back. “If you didn’t want me here, maybe you should have changed the password.” Freddy slowly reached into his waist band and pulled out his Smith & Wesson Revolver. He kept it concealed under his jacket, and stuck it to Lorenzo’s ribs. “Don’t fuckin’ test me.” Lorenzo put up his hands and backed away. “Alright, Freddy, have it your way,” he said as he exited the club with his crew. Freddy turned to walk back to his post. He made eye contact with Tony, who had been paying close attention to the interaction. Tony raised his glass to Freddy, and Freddy nodded. @Bliss (edited)

Tony, as usual, seemed perfectly happy to entertain - though Evelyn noticed that he really had very little attention to spare for her. He would order rounds of drinks and throw an arm about her shoulders, but he had very little to say to her. A nod here, a flirtatious smirk there - he was really far more interested in engaging with the other men seated around him. She had fallen quiet after several attempts to start conversation with him but had ultimately resigned herself to a purely ornamental status. The men around her were all discussing people she’d never met (politicians, influential businessmen, and the like) and her attention inevitably wandered. Her eyes scanned the crown beyond the both and came to rest upon the large body guards Ton had hired to protect himself. It was just as she had glanced over at the man she’d first run into - the stammering one who acted like he’d never seen a lady before - went storming off across the room with a rather terrifying expression on his face. Evelyn could hardly contain the urge to gasp as he suddenly accosted a man on the other side of the room. They looked as though they might come to blows, or worse - was that a gun she saw fastened to his hip? But just when she was about to call Tony’s attention to the impending fight (not that he could really do anything about it, of course), the body guard seemed to intimidate his antagonist and the man departed. She breathed a sigh of relief - the last thing she needed was to die from a stray bullet in some sort of a gun fight. Her mother would kill her. She watched the man return to his station near the booth and saw his brief exchange with Tony. She leaned toward Tony then and, gently stroking his sleeve, murmured quietly, “Who is that man, Tony darling?” @Deleted User

Freddy returned to his post and saw Evelyn and Tony whispering to each other. Just before Freddy turned to face the entrance, Tony raised his arm and motioned him over. Freddy was used to more personal requests from Tony. The two had grown rather close in the past few years. Tony considered Freddy to be his most talented, and more importantly, most loyal man. As Freddy approached, Tony moved men out of the booth so Freddy could slide in closer to him and Evelyn. “Fred,” Tony began. “You know who this is, her reputation precedes her.” Freddy nodded at Evelyn. “We met, sir, when she first got to the club. Evelyn,” he said, turn his gaze towards her. “You look lovely tonight.” Tony started again. “Look, you know how busy I am. I would appreciate it if you could keep an eye on Evie. Could you do that for me?” @Bliss (edited)

To Evelyn’s amusement, Tony waved the fellow over to apparently offer her a bit of a more formal introduction. At least, that is what she thought his aim was. When room was made and the man slid into the booth with them, Tony offered a name - Fred. Evelyn was just on the verge of greeting ‘Fred’ herself (and correcting him on his informality, for she was always to be called Miss Hughes by those who were not counted among her friends), when Tony further explained his desire for Fred to ‘keep an eye’ on her. At this Evelyn, turned her head sharply to look at Tony beneath a furrowed brow, “Tony! Surely you don’t mean that..” Her expression softened and her lashes lowered as she again stroked his arm, “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself, you know.” @Deleted User

Freddy was taken aback by Tony’s request. What, Tony wants him to be a fucking babysitter? That wasn’t exactly the job he signed up for. Freddy remained calm and stoic, however, while Evelyn voiced her displeasure with the suggestion. Freddy leaned into Tony’s ear. “Hey, are you sure this is a good idea? She doesn’t seem to happy about it,” he whispered. Tony turned towards Freddy, obviously upset from Evelyn’s reaction. “Fred, since when do you fuckin’ question me, huh?”

Tony hardly looked at her - he merely berated Fred for questioning him. Evelyn looked between the two men, realizing that she wasn’t been heard, much less listened to. Her brow furrowed once more and her eyes flashed with anger - she was accustomed to getting her way and it seemed that, at present, it wasn’t happening. Nudging Tony’s arm off of her shoulder unceremoniously, she slid out of the booth. Wrapping her stole closer about her shoulders, she stormed off across the dining room with her nose in the air, clearly expression her feelings on the subject of being given a ‘babysitter’. Tony was going to have to make it up to her big this time.. Her footsteps resounded from the vaulted ceilings as she made her way back through the foyer and out into the receiving area in front of the club. With a wave of her hand, she commanded the valet to call her driver and then she waited with her arms crossed over her chest - half hoping Tony would come after her and beg her to stay. @Deleted User

Tony was so upset with Freddy that he hardly noticed Evelyn leaving the table until she was halfway across the club. He threw his arms into the air. “Un-fucking-believable,” his voice trailing off with each syllable. He stared daggers at Freddy. “This is why it’s a good fucking idea. Bring that idiot back here before she gets herself killed. She doesn’t realize who I deal with.” Freddy was annoyed about having to take care of what he saw as a spoiled brat, but he merely grunted and nodded his head as he stood up and ran out of the club after Evelyn. As he passed through the line of bodyguards, he turned towards them and said, “I’ve been given a new assignment. Keep an eye on suspicious people trying to enter the club. And don’t let those fucking teenagers sneak in through the kitchen entrance again, alright?” @Bliss (edited)

Evelyn stood waiting before the club, her arms crossed defiantly over her chest and her foot tapping agitatedly against the stone walk. Her driver was taking an age and she wanted to go home and pout. If she didn’t wake up tomorrow to a roomful of flower arrangements, she was never going to speak to Tony again.. When the driver still didn’t appear, Evelyn threw up her hands and immediately turned and began walking off in the general direction of her father’s expensive townhouse. The light and sound gradually faded behind her as the club disappeared from view. She seemed little disturbed that she was now truly alone. @Deleted User

Lorenzo continued to circle the block after being thrown out of The Golden Canary. The two goons who had travelled with him sat in the back. Sweat ran down his face as they sat in silence. The two men with Lorenzo also worked for Chuck Clemenza. Freddy was right about who Lorenzo was working for, but he was still very much on a probation period. He had gone to the club last night to prove he no longer hand any loyalties to Tony Russo. “You gave up awfully quickly in there,” said one of the men. “He sure did Al,” the other one said. “I don’t think the boss will be very impressed.” “ he sure won’t, Jason.” Lorenzo’s heart began racing. “Fellas! Fellas! Take it easy. We were outnumbered. I think Mr. Clemenza would be more angry if I went back without his two top, men!” Al and Jason looked at one another and rolled their eyes as Lorenzo passed the club for the third time. However, the time, Lorenzo spotted Evelyn in the distance, walking alone into the fog of the night. From her extravagant outfit, he could tell this was the woman he saw sitting with Tony. “Well, fellas, I think we might have just struck gold.” Lorenzo sped towards Evelyn and pulled up next to her. He rolled down his window. “Ma’am, you know it’s dangerous to be walking alone around these parts. Why don’t you let me give you a ride?” Meanwhile, Freddy burst through the door of The Golden Canary and looked frantically for Evelyn. Just then, the valet driver pulled around with her car. He stepped out looking confused. Freddy took off the to the street. In the distance, he could see what seemed to be the silhouette of a woman stopped near a car. It must be Evelyn, he thought. @Bliss (edited)