TIGHTEN UP - open

[JOSEPHINE]

[align=center][div style="width: 400px; text-align: justify; font-size: 12px; font-family: calibri; letter-spacing: .6px; color: #494949;"]she’s begun having an intense bout of cabin fever, unable to do any substances to numb herself and forget everything going on. a usual coping mechanism for joey. she would, if she wasn’t scared of being chewed out by anyone who sees for possibly hurting the parasite in her, especially now with it being so obvious by a quick glance. she just wants to go back to normal; she can’t even have any fun, who the fuck would be interested? and, she’s practically lost both of her boy toys, so she could be entirely back to square one after the baby comes. joey hopes not, she feels so powerless because of it all. she’s terrified, but she hasn’t told anyone and would probably never admit it; except maybe to her mom. fuck, she really misses her mom..

maybe, just maybe, she can find some distraction down in the village. she’s spent minimal time there, still feeling uneasy knowing a body is just beyond the tree line. the spot stops her for a moment, she’s staring, wondering when it’ll be found... a hard swallow and head shake, joey forces herself on, glancing around to see if anyone has even taken notice. with a clearing of her throat, she returns to holding her head high and that air about her that has a hint of her thinking she’s better than most. she sets her sights onto the bar, maybe someone in there would give her some attention, even if she can’t drink; honestly, one of the first things on her list after pushing this thing out of her body.

she pulls the door open and scans the patrons, lips pursed just a tad. she lets out an almost frustrated breath and wonders over to the bar, slipping into the second to last seat, resting her elbows on top of it and her chin on top of that. her lip protrudes in a pout as she looks longingly at the stock of alcohol.

[spoiler=tags, updated 07/30/2020]◜BASICS ┊ I HAD A DREAM◞
&. ❝ josephine elena van doren ❞ |  joey, joy, hoey | female [ she/her ] .
&. 21 years old . | november first ; scorpio .
&. reaper of flintlock lodge .

◜PERSONALITY ┊ GOT EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED◞
&. impulsive . outgoing . femme fatale . flirtatious . seemingly emotionless . guarded . self-destructive . obsessive . hot headed . reckless . kleptomania tendencies . selfish . brat .  assertive . loyal to those close to her . intuitive . stubborn . passionate . self-preserving . quick . nosey . reliable . non-committal . determined . secretive . resentful . resourceful . distrusting .

◜ APPEARANCE ┊ NOT WHAT YOU THINK ◞
&.  five foot six & one hundred and seventeen pounds ; reference .
↳ blonde hair just past her collarbone, grows a dirtier blonde, lightening up as soon as any sun touches it .
↳ slim, muscular build. legs on the longer side .
↳ big blue/green doe eyes, light yet well-groomed eyebrows, full lips, dimples .

◜ INTERACTIONS ┊ AND IF I’M BEING HONEST ◞
&.  [ 8/10 ] physically  |  [ 9/10 ] psychologically .
↳ difficulty w/ guns [ medium ] | difficulty w/ melees [ hard ] | difficulty w/ hand-to-hand [ hard ]
↳ combat information .
&. attack in bold #990000 | [member=570]scully[/member] | PM for any major plots .
&. friendly or nonviolent actions may be powerplayed .

◜INVENTORY ┊ IT MIGHT’VE BEEN A NIGHTMARE◞
&. [ 2 ] weapons | [ 0 ] armor pieces | [ 0 ] consumables | [ 2 ] aid items | [ 1 ] misc .
↳ one combat knife .
↳ a three piece throwing knife set
↳ one german short-haired pointer puppy, demetri
↳ one english setter puppy, robin
↳ a bracelet from her late mother, each one of her sisters has a piece to the same set, their mother having the biggest piece

◜ RELATIONSHIPS ┊ TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT CARE◞
&. elizabeth van doren (npc) x malcolm van doren (npc) | second youngest of nine children .
↳ cassian van doren, eldest, flintlock .
↳ beau van doren, second eldest, unknown .
↳ range rover van doren, unknown & scarlett van doren, dead .
↳ auden van doren, unknown & tara van doren, dead .
↳ maxine van doren, just older than joey, flintlock .
↳ richard van doren, youngest, flintlock .
&. pansexual, panromantic ; mongamous  . | scared of commitment, however enjoys casual fun .
&. pregnant ; third trimester . [/spoiler]

[freddie]

[align=center][div style="background=transparent; borderwidth=0px; bordercolor=; width: 400px; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 125%; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: black"]

— fred enjoyed the bar. more than anything, the place was his pride and joy. if someone was looking around for him, it seemed that the bar would be the first place to look. and, as much as he enjoyed growing up with his time spent sitting at the bar, drinking and partying, he equally enjoyed being on the other side just as much. everyone loved the bartender, right? that was what fred told himself as he served drinks to the usual patrons, eyes eventually finding joey sitting among the other bar-goers.

fred couldn’t resist stepping over, observing the way she eyed the amazing stock of alcohol. “you always want what you can’t have, huh?” wasn’t that the truth. placing his hands on the bar, he huffed a short breath before he mused, “after you have that kid, i’ll drag you back here and we’ll have a real party, yeah?”

if anything it was one of the few times in his life freddie found himself feeling a tad awkward - a little awkward, but that was still saying something when it came to frederick. nothing prepared him for the latest turn of events - nothing prepared him to know that joey had will’s baby. it was a hard thing for fred to try and process, especially when it seemed that will was so distant about it himself. he liked josephine, he adored his brother even when he was reluctant to blatantly admit it. over all, fred simply decided it was best to try and act as if he was unaware of the situation as it was. sometimes he preferred not knowing.

[EDMUND.]

[align=center][div style="width: 430px; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 6pt; letter-spacing: 1.5px; word-spacing: 0px; line-height: 12px; color: #000"]Eddie would be a hypocrite if he were to express disappointment in William ever getting Joey pregnant in the first place. Two parents who were clearly not ready to start a family - if they could even call the mess they made the beginning of a new family. Perhaps it was what Joey hoped for - a family. William certainly wouldn’t be one to stick around long enough for that; he was far too insensitive and cruel to ever take into consideration anyone else’s feelings but his own. Even if Joey did want a family - which seemed unlikely - she would never find one with a man like William. He would certainly die alone and, in Eddie’s opinion, for good reason.

Sat in the corner of the bar, mindlessly taking a sip of his drink, eyes followed the heavily pregnant Joey as she walked to the bar. He could never be a hypocrite in being angry with William for ever being so irresponsible - he too had done the same to Blake, but took things too far and left her with a broken heart. Maybe Joey was lucky that William was so clearly disinterested; it made for less heartbreak in the end. She deserved to be happy, so Eddie would make sure she was protected for as long as the Stirling family was around.

❝ So, what do you think? A boy or girl? ❞ Eddie questioned quietly, taking a sip of his drink as soft eyes darted over Joey’s features. Any attempt to join in on a conversation was an absolute miracle for a man like Eddie.

[spoiler=tags ― updated 06/06.][size=6pt]◜BASICS ┊ SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE◞
&. ❝ edmund theodore stirling ❞ | ed, eddie | male [he/him] .
&. 24 years old . | seventh august ; leo .
&. currently the captain and official loyalist of flintlock lodge .
&. currently the boss of the stirling's notorious irish crime family .

◜PERSONALITY ┊ IT'S NOT WHERE WE HAD WANTED TO BE◞
&.  ambitious . brave . calm . disciplined . honorable . intelligent . leading . logical . patient . reliable . skillful . trustworthy . wise . aloof . cynical . detached . flirtatious . harsh . jealous . lustful . pessimistic . quiet . ruthless . secretive . stubborn .

◜ APPEARANCE ┊ IF HALF THE WORLD'S GONE MAD ◞
&.  five foot eight & one hundred and seventy one pounds ; reference .
↳ dirty blond hair kept very short and neat .
↳ stocky and well-built frame , lightly freckled skin .
↳ muted blue vacant eyes , unreadable , somewhat frowning expression .

◜ FAMILY ┊ THE OTHER HALF JUST DON'T CARE , YOU SEE◞
&. alfred stirling x leonora moray | both deceased .
&. four older siblings and two younger half-siblings .
↳ dominik stirling , 32 , shot and killed by alfred .
↳ thomas stirling , 32 , caretaker in flintlock .
↳ alfonso stirling , 28 , enforcer in flintlock
↳ franklin darrow , 25 , estranged in bluestem .
↳ henry stirling , 11 , resident in flintlock
↳ ida stirling , 9 , resident in flintlock
&. also lives with four cousins and his aunt .
&. father to thomas , charlotte , kieron and louis .

◜ RELATIONSHIPS ┊ YOU DON'T WANNA FUCK WITH US◞
&. bisexual, biromantic ; mongamous | tends to have a wandering eye .
&. ex-husband to blake kegan
↳ marriage fell apart after he cheated on her .
&. ex-lover to mickey serge
↳ he learned about his bisexuality with him .
&. lover to maxine van doren
↳ a rekindled flame where their relationship is kept a secret .

◜ INTERACTIONS ┊ BRITISH TO THE VERY LAST ◞
&.  [ 9/10 ] physically  |  [ 7/10 ] psychologically .
↳ difficulty w/ guns [ very difficult ] | difficulty w/ melees [ difficult ] | difficulty w/ hand-to-hand [ difficult ]
&. [member=2919]truce.[/member] | dm for any major plots .
&. friendly or nonviolent actions may be powerplayed .[/size][/spoiler]

[JOSEPHINE]

[align=center][div style="width: 400px; text-align: justify; font-size: 12px; font-family: calibri; letter-spacing: .6px; color: #494949;"]the concept of starting a new family made joey sick, she already had a family. and, even though she was blessed with a pretty good upbringing and parents, any spawn she gave life too would not be anywhere near as lucky. the resentment she already harbors has damned the child before anything else could, except maybe its genetics; her and will, arguably, have little redeeming qualities. she knows this isn’t throwing her into domestic life, that, quite literally, is her own personal hell; she can’t imagine will feels much different. there’s an element of spite that runs in joey that makes her want to force it onto the man for doing it to her. she doesn’t want a family, she wants, needs in all reality, for william to be around so she can dump the kid off whenever she wants. she didn’t do this to herself, so she won’t deal with it herself.

at least joey feels like she’s liked by the stirling’s, enough to not have them write her off by will’s request. she also still really enjoys being around his brother, freddie, so losing that friendship definitely would feel like a loss. clearly, she willing put herself in his bar to try and cheer herself up. joey offers a little laugh through a puff of air out of her nose, “ just want to say fuck it and have a drink, “ she jokes, but knows it’s in everyone’s best interest that she doesn’t. she shifts in her seat, sitting up a bit, but feels dragged down by her stomach. his suggestion brings a grin to her face, a couple nods of her head, “ [color=#990000]okay, okay, i might be able to hang on till then, “ she wants nothing more to just be able to do what she wants again.

she doesn’t even know eddie’s in the bar until he speaks up, asking what joey thinks she’s going to have.  this earns a bit of an aggravated sigh from her, turning to look at him. she’s not frustrated with edmund himself, enough though his threats on aiden’s killer has made her incredibly nervous around him, she just wants to escape everything and wishes it would all stop. joey offers a shrug, eyes on the floorboards, “ [color=#990000]havent thought about it, “ she states, “ [color=#990000]don’t care. “ joey adds bluntly. and it isn’t a heartwarming ‘i don’t care’, it’s a complete disinterest. she tries to avoid as much about the pregnancy as possible, trying to keep an arms length even though it’s all going on inside her.

[spoiler=tags, updated 07/30/2020]◜BASICS ┊ [color=#990000]I HAD A DREAM◞
&. ❝ josephine elena van doren ❞ |  joey, joy, hoey | female [ she/her ] .
&. 21 years old . | november first ; scorpio .
&. reaper of flintlock lodge .

◜PERSONALITY ┊ GOT EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED◞
&. impulsive . outgoing . femme fatale . flirtatious . seemingly emotionless . guarded . self-destructive . obsessive . hot headed . reckless . kleptomania tendencies . selfish . brat .  assertive . loyal to those close to her . intuitive . stubborn . passionate . self-preserving . quick . nosey . reliable . non-committal . determined . secretive . resentful . resourceful . distrusting .

◜ APPEARANCE ┊ NOT WHAT YOU THINK ◞
&.  five foot six & one hundred and seventeen pounds ; reference .
↳ blonde hair just past her collarbone, grows a dirtier blonde, lightening up as soon as any sun touches it .
↳ slim, muscular build. legs on the longer side .
↳ big blue/green doe eyes, light yet well-groomed eyebrows, full lips, dimples .

◜ INTERACTIONS ┊ AND IF I’M BEING HONEST ◞
&.  [ 8/10 ] physically  |  [ 9/10 ] psychologically .
↳ difficulty w/ guns [ medium ] | difficulty w/ melees [ hard ] | difficulty w/ hand-to-hand [ hard ]
↳ combat information .
&. attack in bold #990000 | [member=570]scully[/member] | PM for any major plots .
&. friendly or nonviolent actions may be powerplayed .

◜INVENTORY ┊ IT MIGHT’VE BEEN A NIGHTMARE◞
&. [ 2 ] weapons | [ 0 ] armor pieces | [ 0 ] consumables | [ 2 ] aid items | [ 1 ] misc .
↳ one combat knife .
↳ a three piece throwing knife set
↳ one german short-haired pointer puppy, demetri
↳ one english setter puppy, robin
↳ a bracelet from her late mother, each one of her sisters has a piece to the same set, their mother having the biggest piece

◜ RELATIONSHIPS ┊ TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT CARE◞
&. elizabeth van doren (npc) x malcolm van doren (npc) | second youngest of nine children .
↳ cassian van doren, eldest, flintlock .
↳ beau van doren, second eldest, unknown .
↳ range rover van doren, unknown & scarlett van doren, dead .
↳ auden van doren, unknown & tara van doren, dead .
↳ maxine van doren, just older than joey, flintlock .
↳ richard van doren, youngest, flintlock .
&. pansexual, panromantic ; mongamous  . | scared of commitment, however enjoys casual fun .
&. pregnant ; third trimester . [/spoiler]

[freddie]

[align=center][div style="background=transparent; borderwidth=0px; bordercolor=; width: 400px; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 125%; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; color: black"]

— god, freddie was glad that he’d never have to be in the same position as joey. not getting to have booze, or an occasional smoke with a group, only then to be stuck with a shrieking little devil child to take care of - that kind of position would kill the man. while he often struggled to find sympathy for others in all kinds of positions, it seemed the downsides of pregnancy was something he felt sorry for others to go through - and for the most ridiculous of reasons with that. he didn’t know how the hell joey managed to make it this far. fred would’ve given up seconds away from the starting line if he were in her position.

with a growing smile, he placed his hands comfortably on the bar. the idea of having a big party following this kid coming out of her definitely seemed like something fred wouldn’t celebrate. though, it seemed like nowadays the man found just about any excuse to party. besides, joey wasn’t the worst possible company. he actually enjoyed the moments where he managed to get her attention. he enjoyed the moments he could get anyone’s attention - joey wasn’t special in that aspect - though she was far more enjoyable and bearable than the people fred often went to. his eyes wandered over towards eddie as the other man talked.

he thought it was impossible for the other man to join in on conversation, let alone try and start one. huh. he was almost impressed. as much of a miracle it truly was, joey seemed quick to shut the conversation down.

oh. he especially enjoyed the company of people who seemed equally as annoyed by eddie as fred was. he sent a short, almost amusingly condescending look eddie’s way - he’s lost his touch with women, apparently - before looking back over to joey. “so you can’t have booze now,” he started, drumming his fingers against the counter. “but i could probably set you up with a non-alcoholic drink. mix something up with some club soda…? i doubt it’s anything close to booze but-” he shrugged. “might do something to cheer you up.”

hey, wasn’t it just a rule at this point to try and make a miserable pregnant woman feel slightly less miserable?