❝ i can't hear you — meeting [06/14] . ❞

[EDMUND.]

[align=center][div style="width: 430px; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 6pt; letter-spacing: 2.5px; word-spacing: 0px; line-height: 12px; color: #000"]Edmund was a perceptive man, yet never perceptive enough to acknowledge the acts of a guilty conscience. He wasn’t one to understand what that looked like when veiled across a person’s face; he’d been raised alongside men who’d committed dreadful crimes, and yet none sported remorse in the way Joey did. If he understood, perhaps it would’ve led him a step closer to uncovering the mystery of Aiden’s disappearance. Instead, Joey asked Eddie a question, one which a certain name had his heart skip a beat. They wanted their relationship with one another to be kept under wraps, but the very thought of Eddie and Maxine being associated with one another felt… nice.

He liked the way she made him feel.

❝ She- ❞ Eddie paused to nod his head towards the doorway, ❝ She’ll be here soon. ❞ She was busy at the moment. He knew as, only minutes prior, he’d been with her keeping her company. Perhaps he felt softer around her, more at ease even if the feeling was fleeting. And, with a fondness lingering in his void of a heart, he’d begin the meeting with the slightest glimmer of contentment in his eyes. A shard of his brokenness felt at peace in that moment.

❝ Firstly, let's welcome a couple of new faces to Flintlock Lodge, ❞ As he introduced them casually, he gestured to the respective person, ❝ Richard, Aspen and Lorena. All here under different circumstances, but make them feel welcome all the same. ❞ He had an interesting run-in with one of the newcomers but, despite all that had happened, he chose to welcome her regardless. Maybe he was blind to her ulterior motives, or simply chose to dismiss them for her firecracker of a personality.

He cleared his throat, flitting his gaze to look upwards ever-so-slightly. An avoidant gaze. ❝ Additionally, I’d also like to announce that - as many you already know - I am a father again. Blake gave birth to two healthy boys, Kieron and Louis. ❞ Two sons he could only hope he’d be able to raise but, with the way things were looking, it only felt as if they were slipping through his fingers. He shifted from side to side, the joy and pride one would feel having two new babies seemingly absent from Eddie’s features. Instead, his gaze was mildly dulled down by worry that, whilst he was a father, perhaps he could never have the chance to be the dad he so wished to be.

❝ Next thing to discuss. The village. I think it’s fair to say the village is open for business now. I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to help renovate it because - well - this is a great new venture for this group. It will act as a commercial hub for our group and - whilst we are perfectly self-sustainable on our own - this will help support further expansion of our group. Turn a group into a community, a community into a society. We will have more footfall, so more opportunities for trade, more opportunities for business and more opportunities to find like minded individuals to join and help consolidate this group. ❞

He paused for a moment, brows furrowing together in thought as he glanced towards those who listened. ❝ I don’t want any Flintlocker to feel uncertain about the future again. No fear of food shortages, no unpreparedness. If we don’t eventually have it in the lodge, it’ll eventually be in the village. This expansion is more than material. ❞

Eddie grit his teeth ever-so-slightly, contemplating his next words momentarily before he spoke up, words growing sterner. ❝ Unfortunately, we’re still in a world where some still must fear for the future, where we may fear for another’s future. ❞ He was silent for a long moment, searching the faces of those in the group before he announced, ❝ A member of Flintlock Lodge has gone missing, and it is of the utmost importance we find her safe and sound. ❞

Briefly, Ed glanced over towards his brother, Alfie perched at the end of his seat, elbow resting against the arm of the chair as he worriedly gnawed at the skin around his thumbnail. The woman in question had been none other than Alfie’s lover. Eddie was reluctant to call her a girlfriend despite Alfie insisting that they were exclusive, perhaps not for Eddie’s own benefit but for Alfie’s sanity. It seemed that whenever Alfie opened his heart to a woman, all they’d do is leave his life with little or no trace, leaving his heart weary and exhausted.

He had to find Aiden. Not only was it vital he found her safe and alive because she was loyal to Flintlock Lodge, but Eddie also feared that his brother could not take another heartbreak. If Alf loved Aiden as much as he claimed he did, then Eddie would do this for him. ❝ Aiden has not been seen for over two weeks. It has been long enough to assume that she is a missing person, and so I want everyone pulling their weight in ensuring she is found. ❞

Wagging a stern finger, Eddie was going to persist until there were no stones left unturned. For his family, he’d do anything, even if it meant stopping everything else in order to find Aiden. Admittedly, he was worried. She wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye. She was a good one. ❝ I want search parties out twice a day - one out in the day and one out at dusk. We will not stop until we find any clue to her whereabouts. ❞ He was a persistent and ambitious man. Edmund would not stop until Aiden was found.

He took a step back, picking his mug up to take a sip of his coffee before he said, ❝ If we say the first search party leaves in… an hour? ❞ He glanced at his watch, nodding his head slowly, ❝ That’s enough time to have dinner - which should be ready by now - before heading off. I’d like groups of six to ten people sticking together in these search parties, please. It’s getting dark outside. Now I’ll let you all head off to dinner. I’d like to see the majority of you back here in an hour to sort groups out. ❞

With that, Eddie took one more sip of his drink before he wandered out of the living room. He was going to have a busy evening that night, preparing search parties and joining one in search of a girl who had already died.

[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 .
&. ex-lover to cove lefebvre
↳ one of the other women , pregnant with his baby .
&. 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]

[EDMUND.]

[align=center][div style="width: 430px; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 6pt; letter-spacing: 2.5px; word-spacing: 0px; line-height: 12px; color: #000"]After a quiet couple of weeks in the lodge, Eddie knew that this week he had a couple of new advancements to announce. And so, with his gaze low and - for once - a mug of coffee in his hands, he wandered into the lounge and settled in front of the gently crackling fireplace. ❝ A’right - meeting. ❞ He grumbled softly for those who’d arrived before him, and then he took a sip of his coffee whilst he waited for the arrival of a couple more people.

[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 .
&. ex-lover to cove lefebvre
↳ one of the other women , pregnant with his baby .
&. 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]

[freddie]

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— casually lounging in a chair before the meeting, eyes followed eddie curiously as the man wandered in. the man still had that don't-give-a-shit attitude as he strolled in with a low gaze and a hot cup of coffee, setting himself down in front of the fireplace. however, there was something about him that seemed -- somewhat softer around the edges than usual, if that was even a feat possible for eddie. leaning back in his chair, head tilted to one side to rest against a propped-up hand, he raised his brows and waited for the meeting to start.

//aw shit what a crummy post

[JOSEPHINE]

[align=center][div style="width: 400px; text-align: justify; font-size: 12px; font-family: calibri; letter-spacing: .6px; color: #494949;"]she dreads the meeting. she’s been walking on eggshells since the murder, manslaughter she reminds herself, but it doesn’t help. it’s only a matter of time before something’s said and all she wants to do is let the memory decompose. normally, joey doesn’t have too much of an issue with killing, but this wasn’t for her own gain; not to mention, being blackmailed into hiding it, really not something that sits well with joey.

she makes her way into the lounge, feeling more and more sick the closer she gets; at least she can just blame it on being pregnant and not a guilty conscious. her hands are gripping the excess of the sleeve of her sweater, avoiding looking at most people as she takes her spot on the couch. aspen sits on the other end, she notes as she starts to look around to see if her sister is anywhere as she brings her knees up to her chest so she doesn’t have to take note of her now noticeable bump. when she doesn’t see her yet, her lips downturn into a pout and face falls in dismay; she wants her security blanket.

“ eddie, “ she starts, tone nicer than usual, “ [color=#990000]where’s max? “

[spoiler=tags, updated 06/15/2020]◜BASICS ┊ [color=#990000]I HAD A DREAM◞
&. ❝ josephine elena van doren ❞ |  joey, joy, hoey | female [ she/her ] .
&. 21 years old . | november first ; scorpio .
&. forager 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 ; second trimester . [/spoiler]

[MAISE.]

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