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Theodore J. Moon

0 · 868 views · located in Boston

a character in “Dirt n' Diamonds”, as played by SleepingInTheGardens

Description

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THEODORE J. MOON
FULL NAME Theodore Jacob Moon
ALIAS (the name he uses outside the mafia) Theodore Seo
NICKNAMES Theo, Teddy, lone wolf
AGE 21 years old
BIRTHDAY November 3rd - Scorpio
HEIGHT 5 feet 11 inches
GENDER Male
SEXUALITY Bisexual (open)
ETHNICITY | NATIONALITY | RESIDENCY Though he is of Korean descent, he was born in Singapore just a few months after his family had moved there. Currently, Theo lives in Boston with his father.
MISCELLANEOUS Theo speaks three languages fluently; English, Korean and Mandarin Chinese. Because he learned English outside of the United States as well as from his parents who lived in London for years, Theodore has a very noticeable English accent.

_____ ♠ _____

DIALOGUE HEX #8A2BE2
FACE CLAIM Lim, Sejun






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Theodore Moon, for lack of a better phrase, is nothing short of an enigma. In complete contrast to his older sister who wore her heart on her sleeve, Theo’s emotions were always shrouded behind dark eyes that sometimes felt deeper than the darkest depths of the ocean. He often found himself alone as a child, though not for lack of love and attention. Even someone as heavily guarded as he could admit that his family loved him. More than with words, their actions always showed Theo they cared. However, they too struggled to understand him. Theo was not a shy child, despite what those around him believed. If and when needed, he would speak his mind with brutal honesty. He’d never been one to sugar coat. Simply put, he was a boy of few emotions, and even fewer words.

However, as he grew, so did his spectrum of emotions. Still, he became inexplicably talented at keeping said emotions hidden while simultaneously maintaining his curt way of speaking. With every passing birthday, Theo became more and more difficult to read for those around him. It didn’t take long for him to be pegged as a “callous” and “judgmental” young man. Though not the full truth, these statements aren’t false either. Perhaps it’s due to growing up in a mafia family, but Theo has become a bit aloof and distant with most people he meets. It’s not that he dislikes strangers, though he does find it very difficult to trust newcomers. It’s more so that he doesn’t feel anything towards them. Neither hate nor love, like or dislike. Indifference is typically what those that are meeting him for the first time are met with. Naturally, it makes him come across as distant and unapproachable, and for those that spend enough time around him, intimidating and judgmental. Again, though not the complete spectrum of what makes Theodore, these assumptions are not too far off. Theo enjoys his distance, refusing to get close to anyone that isn’t a family member or long-term family friend. He is undeniably judgmental, capable of tearing someone down with a single look. He prefers to be alone, and so he finds it bothersome when he’s approached for anything other than business. He doesn’t care to make friends. Truthfully, he only cares to protect those he already has.

With that being said, Theo is not heartless nor uncaring. Loyalty to family is something Theo has believed in his entire life. His actions speak volumes, and though he may not verbally affirm his love for someone, his actions will speak for him. Should you have the pleasure of being accepted into his very small circle, Theodore will protect you, tooth and nail. He will unflinchingly put his life on the line for the select few he considers irreplaceable. There lies the biggest misconceptions about the young man. He is not shy and quiet, he is observant and calculated. He is not antisocial and unfriendly, he is extremely selective with who he spends his energy on. He is not uncaring and heartless, he is exclusive and saves his love and loyalty for those that earn it.





ImageCaesar Moon has always been the picture perfect Mafia boss. Careful and calculated, dependable, intelligent, charisma dripping from his every word, and most of all, loyal to all of his family. Of course, his immediate family always came first. Before being a leader, he was a father and husband. Always making sure his family had everything they needed and then some. The moment he met Irene Song, a Seoul born beauty living in London, he immediately knew he wanted to marry her. The two hit it off while in their early twenties, and as soon as Irene graduated from the University of London, Caesar planned his proposal. He shared the details of his family business with her, but made it clear that he would be willing to leave it all behind if she asked. Irene, being on her own with no family to depend on or report to, found acceptance within Caesar’s. Though she knew a lot of what they did was outside the borders of legal, she didn’t see them to be bad people. In fact, Caesar was by far one of the best people she’d ever met. She vowed to be loyal to him, and by extension, his family who had now taken her in as one of their own.

The two were happily married for three years before they had their first child, Katerina Moon. She was their princess. Everything they did revolved around her care, which is why they decided to move to Singapore where Caesar’s parents lived. Because of their line of business, being close to Caesar’s father, the boss himself, was the safest for the married couple and their little princess. His watchful eye kept them safe. About four years later, they had their second child. Theodore was a surprise for the couple, but a welcomed one nonetheless. Just like with Katerina, Theodore was loved and protected by everyone around him. The two children were polar opposites, and though Caesar always planned on allowing both of them to make their own choice on whether they’d join the business or not, the man always joked about how Theodore would become a boss so powerful he’d surpass every boss before him.

As Katerina and Theodore grew older, not only did their personalities solidify, but so did their views on the Mafia. Katerina early on made it clear that though she loved them, she wanted no part of the family business. Meanwhile Theodore became more and more like his grandfather with every passing day. One rainy Sunday night, the four of them were enjoying a family night at home when they got a call. Caesar’s father was in the hospital, hanging on by a thin thread, after being struck by a sudden heart attack. Doctors soon after speculated that he’d been dealing with a heart condition in secrecy, never truly getting the medical attention he needed. He passed away that same night, and everything fell into chaos. As soon as word got out that the boss was dead, it was an all out battle of powers. Amidst the war and mayhem, Irene found herself taken hostage by the Di Dio family, a rival mob that had been itching to overthrow the Moon Dynasty. Though Caesar did everything in his power to get her back safely, he was unsuccessful.

After Irene’s death, Katerina began to distance herself from her father and brother, and as soon as she was old enough, she moved back to London on her own. That left Theodore with only his father while the man struggled to raise his son and take over his own father’s responsibilities. Theodore saw how hard his father tried to be everything he needed while simultaneously being the fearless leader the family needed. At fifteen, Theodore had already made the decision to join his father and help him lead the dynasty in any way he could. Though he wanted to give his all to the Mafia, his father insisted he at least finish school. Theodore obliged and graduated from high school in Singapore. Very soon after, the pair uprooted the main core of the family and moved to the United States. Their chain of restaurant ventures landed them in Boston, where Theodore decided to continue his education as an international relations student, something that would aid both their organized crime and their cover up, the chain of Korean food restaurants.

It didn’t take long for Theodore to be promoted to underboss. Though some within the family were skeptical, chalking his promotion up to it being simply because he was the boss’ son, the young man quickly proved them wrong. Theodore Moon was born to be a leader, steadily earning the respect of those around him. Much like his father, he was brilliant, brave, and loyal to those he trusted. Though Boston was a bit more wild than Theodore was used to, he soon called it his home.





.IMPORTANT PEOPLE.

Caesar Moon | Father | Living | Theo and his father have a great relationship. Despite being the head boss, Caesar trusts Theodore's judgement when it comes to Moon Dynasty matters, and has made it very clear that everyone is to answer to Theo, and Theo only answers to him.

Irene Song | Mother | Deceased | Theo and his mother also had a very close relationship, despite Theo being a quiet child. He always felt like he could run to his mom anytime he needed help. She was a kind soul, and her death left Theodore with a hole in his heart that he's never quite been able to fill.

Katerina "Kat" Moon | Sister | Living | Though Katerina distanced herself from the Mafia, she didn't cut all ties with Theo. She still finds it difficult to speak to their father, but the siblings stay in frequent contact. Despite being in entirely different continents, Theodore always checks up on his older sister and makes sure she is doing okay.

Beah Montgomery | Girlfriend | Living | If you ask both Theo and Beah, they are merely friends with benefits. However, Beah's father makes sure the Moon Dynasty have pollical and commercial backing. In a way, he oversees the line of Shangri La restaurants and makes sure everything is clean and free of suspicious activity. So, in order to please Beah's father, the two play along as a loving couple despite neither one of them truly having romantic feelings for the other.

Salvador Olivera | Best friend, right hand man | Living | Salvi, as Theo affectionately calls him, is Theodore's most trusted friend. The two hit it off the moment they met and became fast friends. In a world filled with deception and distrust, Theodore trusts Salvi with his life and visa versa. The two share a brotherly bond that puts them far being being boss and his subordinate. Theo trusts and even depends on Salvi for many things.

Jake Aiden | Best Friend, Salvi's right hand man | Living | Jake is also one of Theo's few trusted, close friends. Unlike his relationship with Salvi, Theo does not depend on Jake. Not because he doesn't trust him, in fact he trusts Jake just as much as Salvi. The difference is Theo is very protective over Jake. Despite being a few years older than Theo, he's seen as the dynasty's little brother.

So begins...

Theodore J. Moon's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Theodore J. Moon Character Portrait: Victor Russo
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v i c t o rxxr u s s oxx-xxboston, massachusettsxx-xxm o r n i n g
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Boston was different from the eyes of a drug dealer.

At least, the drug dealer that Victor was pretending to be. It was part of the elaborate story that would get this undercover cop into the most well known mafia in Boston history: the Moon Dynasty. He was no longer a low level detective trying to rise the ranks, he was Victor Russo. Any connections to his former life had to remain in the dark until he was able to take down the Dynasty, which meant he had to get in fast. His last call before transforming into the no-name dealer was to his girlfriend, Pattie. ”Remember, I can’t see you until all this is over. I don’t know how long that’ll be. Are you sure you want to stay with me?” Of course, the girl said yes, but Victor doubted she would remain faithful through months of no calls, no texts, no fancy dinners - no sex. Victor wasn’t sure he could remain faithful even if Pattie did, he didn’t know what would be asked of him.

He only drew the line at one thing: murder. He could forgive himself for anything else to prove his so-called loyalty to the group. What a joke, no one was loyal these days.

The first few days he stalled going out onto Dynasty turf and got himself acclimated with the area. His apartment wasn’t far from where their dealers usually sold, but it was a dump; it made his old apartment seem like a palace. It fit his character: recently orphaned, sold his parent’s place in New York and moved to Boston to start selling drugs and make a name for himself to the local crime families. Thus, the easiest way to make a name was to get involved with the biggest family in town: the Moons.

Victor made a residence in one of their local restaurants, coming in every day and staying for hours, occasionally buying something so he wouldn’t raise suspicion too easily. He couldn’t ask the waitstaff for information until the last moment possible, there was no way to tell if they were part of the mafia or at least an informant who would tell the mafia that some guy was poking his nose around. He had to make sure this was the perfect spot since they had to be quick; there were only so many undercover cops he could sell to, since he couldn’t risk product getting back out on the streets. But there was only so much he could stall, and it became time for him to take action.

”Alright Russo, you can’t keep holding the operation up. It’s now or never,” Victor’s partner barked at him through the burner phone. Hector Fieldings was the one person that Victor could talk to while undercover, and one of the few people Victor genuinely trusted in their department. He would give Victor any intel he needed to gain the mafia’s trust, and honestly, give Victor a little bit of his real life that he needed to remain on track. Even if he couldn’t call Victor by his real name, the familiar voice was enough. ”Alright you asshole, I’m going. You know you have a lot of opinions for someone who doesn’t have to pretend to be a drug dealer,” Victor growled back at the older man, causing him to laugh. ”Vic, my wife would kill me for even thinking about drugs. Stop pussying around and go,” The other detective ended the call and gave Victor no chance for a rebuttal. That meant his last excuse to stall slipped away and he had to dive right into his mission. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was scared. The last time he faced a mafia man was being beaten within an inch of his life in the streets of Tampa. Now, he had to join them.

There were cops already set up waiting for him to arrive. They’d already been scoping the area a few days before Victor made it out there, and not only were they the fake buyers, but they were armed in case the Dynasty decided to take him out instead of bring him in. Victor settled into the noodle shop as he did plenty of times, smiling at the waitress as she brought him tea like usual. ”Hey sweetheart, you ever met anyone from the Moon family before?” Victor turned up his accent to an obnoxious level and watched as the waitress tensed. She shook her head, changing the subject and asking if he wanted his usual. ”Didn't mean to scare ya, I just wanted to see if the rumors were true,” Victor added once agreeing to his usual. The waitress tilted her head in confusion, but once their eyes met, she was fully aware of what rumors he meant and she scuttled off towards the kitchen.

Victor caught eyes with one of the undercover cops outside, and stared at him until he got the hint and made his way inside. He carefully sat at Victor’s table, and placed his hands on the table with the money hidden underneath. Victor took the money just as the waitress returned with his tea, asking the cop that joined if he wanted anything. The guy played along and asked for a tea cup to share the tea with Victor, but once Victor exchanged a small bag with him he was out. One of the waiters was passing by as they exchanged hands, which was exactly to Victor’s plans; he needed to be noticed now if he was going to be successful. Victor merely winked at the waiter, leaning back in his seat and trying to stand out with his bravado. He would do whatever it takes to have the Moon family notice his presence, even if he had to take more drastic measures.

But it appeared that wasn’t necessary. It wasn’t the waitress that returned with his bowl of noodles, but two men who weren’t wearing the waiter uniform. They placed the bowl on the table but the man closer to Victor grabbed his arm. This was it.

All he remembered was being led to the back of the restaurant and once he was out of sight from the other customers, it only took one punch for him to black out. He didn’t know where he was when he woke up, only that the two men were still here and had all his stuff on a nearby table. His fake ID, his burner phone - even the product he had on him to sell. Fuck. ”Oh look, he’s awake,” One of the men walks over, stopping in front of Victor. Glaring at him with such a deathly look Victor had to swallow back his fear. ”Alright, Victor Russo, why don’t you tell us why you were selling in our restaurant?” the man asked, causing Victor to start laughing. The man easily cut off his laugh with a strong fist in his face. ”You think this is funny? Why are you asking about us?” he growled, grabbing Victor’s chin roughly.

Victor stared back, willing himself to be strong. He wanted this after all. ”I’ll tell your boss that. I’m not talking to you,” Victor mustered the most threatening tone he could make and leaned back in his chair, shaking the man’s hand from his face. He could take this. Victor’s father had done worse to him in the name of “training” him, so what could a few mafia men do?

One of the men turned around, talking in a muffled tone so that Victor couldn’t hear him. He turned and looked at Victor like he was sizing him up, then turned back and finished off his phone call. ”Todays your lucky day. The boss has some time in his schedule to entertain your bullshit,” The man said, spitting his words at Victor. The ‘time in his schedule’ must have been his usual happy hour, because he was left in wherever the hell he was for hours before someone finally showed up. The man - well, in Victor’s eyes, the kid - sauntered into the room with all the authority of a mafia boss. He dressed the part well, and his eyes were more intimidating than either of the men in the room, but he was clearly too young to be a mafia boss when he barely looked old enough to drink. Victor almost laughed; were these men taking him seriously?

”I thought your boss was coming. Who’s this kid?”

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Theodore J. Moon Character Portrait: Victor Russo
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THEODORE J. MOON ♠ Boston, Massachusetts ♠ #8A2BE2
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”It’s a bit dodgy, Theo”

Caesar’s cautious glance washed over Theodore as his baritone voice filled the office, fingers drumming on the mahogany desk beneath his elbows. It was a quiet day, or rather it would have been, had a neighboring mob chosen to mind their business. Theo had long since caught wind of a planned attack. The Marrotta crime family had been itching to get to Theo, and by extension his father, for longer than the dynasty could afford to overlook. Intel revealed that they now had garnered the support of a couple of other low-rank bosses in the area. Though his father was skeptical, Theo had a plan. He always did.

”The only thing that’s dodgy is those blokes managing to recruit support.” Theodore all but muttered. His eyes were occupied on the stack of papers in front of him, each of them giving a play-by-play of how Esteban Marrotta and his newly acquired partners planned on taking down Ceasar Moon and his dynasty. It was almost comical how easily he’d been able to get the details. They certainly dreamed big, but had nothing to back it up. ”You trust me?” his dark eyes followed the question as he peered up at his father through thick, black lashes. The older man remained silent for less than a second before reclining in his chair, a hearty chuckle taking over his body. ”Who could ever doubt you, my boy?’. Theo returned the smirk, his fingers sliding the documents over the desk to his father for safe keeping.

”I’m off, then”

It didn’t take long for Theo’s black sports car to make it to the location. A night club his girlfriend’s father, Edward Montgommery, had so generously rented out for him. Taking note of his surroundings, he realized he was a bit too early. The clean up crew wasn’t quite ready, and he still had about a half hour before Marrotta and his partners were meant to show up for a negotiations meeting. A message would soon be sent throughout the community. A friendly reminder of why threatening the Moon Dynasty was never a wise idea. Theo let his body relax into the black leather seat, hands resting on his steering wheel as he mentally ran through the strategy one last time. He wasn’t able to get too lost in thought, however, interrupted by a muffled buzzing that came from beside him. A quick glance at the phone screen revealed a call from Salvi, who knew better than to call during an operation.

”This better be good or I’m knocking you myself.” there was a quiet chuckle on the other end, a rather unusual thing for Salvador who could be heard from kilometers away. ”Mister popular, we’ve got somebody here that is requesting to meet you.” the thick Boston accent seeped through the phone, earning a sigh out of the younger. ”Caught him trying to pass at the main plaza. Thought maybe you’d wanna have a word with ‘em before we clip” a heavy sigh escaped Theodore, his eyes continuously scanning his surroundings. The day just continued to grow messier. ”Hold him, I'll be there after we sign this contract.” There was a short pause before Salvi returned to the phone, bidding his goodbye to Theo. The cell once sitting in his passenger seat slipped into his jacket pocket as he stepped out of his car.

The plan was set into motion the moment Marrotta stepped inside the deserted club, followed by Espinosa and Ruiz, two men Theo knew of but not much about. Not that it mattered now. The three men sat across from Theodore and one of his men. A few words were exchanged, followed by a couple of drinks, and the man beside Theo straightened his tie. The signal was received, and within seconds the clean up crew came out of hiding, firing three shots into each of the guests. Their bodies landed on the floor with a thud, blood instantly pooling on the ground. Theodore maneuvered his way around the corpses, making sure not to get any blood on his italian leather shoes. He nodded once towards the crew, making his way out of the club the same way he came in. His job was mostly done, all that was left for him to do was iron out the details . The boys knew exactly what to do with the bodies.

Perhaps Theodore had grown callous, unphased by something so atrocious as murdering three men in cold blood. Unfortunately, the Marrota family hadn’t given him many options. They’d been given countless opportunities to negotiate. From the moment Theo learned of their plans to overthrow his father, he’d arranged several sit downs with them. But each conversation ended in disagreement. They’d forced young Theo to choose between them and his own family, a choice he didn’t have to think twice about. Tying up loose ends had always been Theodore’s least favorite part, but loyalty to his family came above all else. He’d do whatever he had to in order to protect those that looked to him as their leader.

After several hours of maintenance and making sure everyone did their job, Theodore was free. Or rather, he had a short break, which he now had to spend interrogating some wannabe that had been stupid enough to attempt selling right under their noses. He eventually made it to the warehouse, their usual holding spot. Once again, courtesy of good ol’ Mr. Montgomery. He quickly took note of Salvi’s car before driving around and parking towards the back. It was rather quiet when Theodore walked in, his gaze immediately scrutinizing the man tied up in the interrogation chair. He’d decided beforehand to study the stranger before asking any questions, however he wasn’t given the luxury.

”I thought your boss was coming. Who’s this kid?”

There was a quiet scoff that came from behind him, no doubt Salvador getting ready to use his fists. Before the older man could get too wound up, Theo raised a hand, signaling both Salvi and his helper to stay where they were. A halfhearted sigh came from Theo then, as he grabbed the nearest stool and positioned directly in front of the newcomer. ”Victor Russo…” he mutters, more to himself than anything. He doesn’t know anything about this man yet, but he will. With or without his cooperation. ”Alright then princess, here I am.” he states matter-of-factly as he leans forward, folded arms resting on his knees. His gaze fixated on Victor, watching his every movement. ”You’ve got approximately three seconds to tell me why I’m here wasting my time, and it better be a bloody good reason.” he states, right hand vaguely gesturing towards the men behind him. ”Or they have full permission to blow your brains out right here.” he waits a beat before lifting a brow towards Victor, his patience running thinner than usual. Though his voice is low, his tone demands answers.

”now, speak.”

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Theodore J. Moon Character Portrait: Victor Russo
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Victor had expected to control the conversation, smooth talk some old mafia boss into letting him in; this kid was not in his plans.

It was easier to talk to the other guys since they were not currently threatening him with a bullet in the head. He should have just told them his situation and let them convince their boss, but Victor had gotten too cocky and now the boss was directly involved.

He obviously wasn't going to take any shit from Victor, and he dominated the room the moment words left his mouth. Victor hadn't expected the accent, and it almost made the threats even more deadly with such a soft tilt in the words. Victor eyed up the other guys, who were willing to follow through with their boss' orders considering their hands rested firmly on the pistols at their sides. He swallowed his fear, forcing himself to be calm as his eyes returned to the boss.

”Alright, take it easy boss, we can all be friendly here,” Victor’s first step was to deescalate the situation so the boss couldn’t get a chance to let his men open fire on Victor. The boss had already shown he wasn’t giving any respect to Victor, judging by the ‘princess’ that was thrown his way, so Victor had to prove that he was going to be respectful; well, as respectful as he could be to a kid that somehow became a mafia boss. He was disinterested in the whole encounter, so Victor had to peak his interest.

”Look, I just moved to the area. I want protection and I've heard that the Moon Dynasty is the best place to find it. I'm not just some stupid dealer, I needed to get your attention. Now that I have it, I know there's a price to get in, and I have something of value to you." Victor started the spiel he had created for just this moment, praying that somehow his offer was more valuable than taking another low life dealer off the street. The department had given him several options of negotiation to get into the Moon Dynasty. First, simply having another drug dealer sell for them. If that wasn't enough, which was definitely the case considering the boss already thought Victor was wasting his time, they were willing to provide intel on the other mafia families in the area. The last offer was intel they personally had on the Moon Dynasty, which Victor decided to use first considering his life was already in danger.

Victor made sure his breathing was under control before continuing. The ropes around his torso were so restrictive he could barely get his words out, and the building panic that they really would kill him was settling in the longer their boss was here. His eyes were trained on Victor the entire time, sizing up if he was worth the slaughter for 'wasting his time'. "I know a few guys in the Boston police department. And I can get any intel you need from them for the right price. I've heard they have a big file on your Dynasty, I could make that disappear." Victor was grasping at straws for anything that would appease the man sitting in front of him. Detective Fieldings would bring him back to life just to kill him again if he let himself be killed on the first day.

Setting

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Character Portrait: Theodore J. Moon Character Portrait: Victor Russo
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THEODORE J. MOON ♠ Boston, Massachusetts ♠ #8A2BE2
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It was not the first time Theodore had been referred to as a “kid”, and he was certain it wouldn’t be the last. Comments like those rarely, if ever, ruffled his feathers. No, Theo’s lack of patience didn’t stem from Victor’s comment nor his unmistakably cocky attitude. He’d been in a bad mood long before getting to the warehouse, and he’d be in said mood long after leaving. It’d been a long while since Theodore had to be involved in a murder. Contrary to popular beliefs, the Moon Dynasty did not kill for fun. Any and all kills were for survival and protection. Clipping in cold blood just for the hell of doing so was not something the family stood for. Yet here Theo was, with the blood of three men on his hands, albeit not innocent men by any means. On top of that, he’d possibly have to have the blood of this stranger as well. He damn well couldn’t just let the man walk free. He already knew too much.

Still, Theo didn’t necessarily plan on having him killed where he sat. Those words were said purely for invoking fear, and it worked like a charm. The second time Victor spoke, all traces of arrogance were replaced by nerves, despite how adamantly he tried to hide it. Theo had done this enough times to know when his words worked the way he needed them to, which they usually did. It was a bit amusing watching Victor negotiate for his own life. Had it been a good day for Theo, he may have even offered a smile. Still, Victor made his goal clear as day. He wanted protection, much like the majority of the family members once did. Theo and his father were meant to be those protectors, and whatever Victor was running from was bad enough to have him run to one of the most dangerous organizations in the country. He wasn’t one to deny someone the need for protection, but he also couldn’t go around letting just anyone join. That could put everyone else in danger.

It was a tempting offer, and Theodore knew well enough how long the officials had been targeting them. They had attempted to flip their restaurants several times before, but always came out the other end empty handed. Theo would be damned if he let all of his and his father’s hard work be ruined all because of a single moment of compassion for a stranger. He could hear Salvi’s fingers drumming against his pistol, itching to drive a few bullets into Victor’s head. Both he and Theo took the safety of the family very seriously, but the two handled it in very different ways. Theodore’s gaze studied Victor’s every nook and cranny as he spoke, His eyes slowly slipped closed as he brought two fingers to his right temple, gently massaging the headache that had been building for the past few hours. ”You’ve really got some god-awful timing, mate.” Open lids reveal a pair of scathing, dark eyes once again as Theodore weighs his options.

Let Victor run free, and risk him turning on the dynasty. Though he wouldn’t have much to go off of, it was still a thought Theodore was not comfortable with entertaining.

He could have Victor killed easily enough. What was one more body at his feet? But there was something so barbaric about it. Not the kind of image Theo strived for.

Lastly, he could take Victor up on his offer. That in turn would entail a lot of leg work, background check included, and 24/7 monitoring until Theodore deemed him trustworthy. It was an awful lot of effort. But something scarily similar happened with Salvi a few years before. Having Victor around at the very least for a trial period, could prove useful.

”Alright, I’ll humor you.” he declares as he gets to his feet. He can feel the disapproving glances from Salvi, no doubt having the same worries Theo does, but he stays quiet. Even in disagreement, Salvador has always trusted Theo’s judgement more than his own. He runs a hand through his hair, a few locks falling onto his downcasted eyes. The room is silent, hanging on Theo’s every word. The once loud-mouthed Victor stares up at him with an array of emotions Theo can't quite place. Surely he can’t think it’ll be that easy. ”Twenty-four hours.” he states, both hands slipping into his pant pockets. The gesture reveals a small tattoo across Theodore’s collarbone. The date of his mother’s death, written in roman numerals. That was also the day Theodore vowed to protect what he had left, even if it cost him his own life. ”If you’re still useless after twenty-four hours, well...you can take a guess as to what happens next.”

With that, Theo decided he was finished speaking with Victor. He was finished with the day as a whole, in fact, he was going home and getting some well deserved rest. No doubt Salvi could take care of the rest. ”Full background.” he ordered as he turned to Salvador and Jake, who’d been quietly watching and undoubtedly hoping he’d get to do the kill. ”If anything feels dodgy, you know what to do.” In a way, he was giving them the greenlight to get rid of Victor should anything suspicious come up, however they also knew better than to do anything without passing it through him first. Should Victor need to be sent under, Theo would hear about it. ”Have a ball.” with a slight tilt of his wrist, he bid the room farewell before stepping back outside. It’d been too long of a day, and there was a likely chance that Theo would be hearing from Salvi again very soon.

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Character Portrait: Theodore J. Moon Character Portrait: Victor Russo
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The anticipation was almost worse than the assumed outcome. The moment the boss spoke again, rather than letting his eyes continue to do all the threatening, Victor was sure that he’d failed to convince him his worth.

All these years of giving up his life just to be taken out the very day he was getting closer to having his life back. It would be a cruel fate for Vincent to lose his mother and his son to the mafia groups he fought so hard against; though Victor wasn't sure if they'd ever find his body if the boss decided to kill him.

But against all odds, the boss decided to ‘humor’ him. Victor tried to hide his relief but he’s sure it is palpable when the boss decides to hold off his murder. His men did not seem to approve of the boss’ decision, but he frankly didn’t care what his men thought as long as the boss wanted him alive. They were clearly tired of his existence already, especially with the boss approving it for at least the next twenty four hours, which gave him enough time to gather the protection from their pistols. Though what exactly that entailed had not yet been identified, and that was the part that didn’t make the panic go away. Victor wasn’t sure how to feel at this point: this was so much different than the scenarios he prepared for and it was dizzying not to know when his next breath would be his last. He'd be thankful when they finally untie him and he can get a proper breath, then he could plan.

Victor had barely heard the boss’ proposition as he stared at the tattoo on the boss’ collarbone, probably for too long as everyone was expecting an answer. He tried to memorize the numerals for further research as he also had to think of what he could get in 24 hours. But he mustered the rest of his confidence and nodded. ”I’ll have your information tomorrow,” Victor answers smoothly. He didn't want to promise too much or he'd end up in the same situation now, scrambling for anything to keep him alive. He just had to pray that his partner had good intel on the Dynasty - and that he was willing to share.

Once the men with the boss had untied him, he grabbed the few items he had on him and made his exit. The glare he got when his hand went for the drugs made him leave it, which would surely get him scolded by Fieldings; thankfully he had a trump card of not dying on his first meeting with the Dynasty. Victor forced himself not to run back to his apartment, though he would really appreciate at least a door between himself and the mafia.

Victor went to his room and shuffled through the boxes he'd yet to unpack and searched frantically for the extra burner phone he'd bought just for this situation. He was sure that those men had bugged his phone while he was unconscious, and needed a new phone to call Fieldings.

"Fuck, fuck fuck fuck- Jesus Fieldings, do you not know how to answer your phone?" Victor snapped as soon as Fieldings came on the line, sounding too nonchalant for Victor's liking. He moved to his window, checking out the blinds to see if any of the men had followed him home. They did have his address from the fake ID, but if there were any men out there, they were hidden from Victor's view. "Calm down, Russo. What happened?" Fieldings' voice calmed him more than he thought it would, it reminded him that he had made it out and now he had to make sure that he continued to make it out of these meetings with the Dynasty. "I have twenty four hours to bring the Dynasty something useful - whatever the hell that means. They're ready to take me out now so I need something good. Whatever intel you have on the Dynasty."
Victor explained his situation, feeling the panic rise in his throat. Fieldings sighed, and Victor could hear him shuffling through paperwork; he must have been prepared for Victor to ask him for this.

"I have something I've been working on against the Moons. But, if I give this to you, you better take those bastards down. I've lost a few good men to get anything on the Moons and I don't want it to go to waste," Fieldings was deathly serious, which meant it was exactly what Victor was looking for.

They met at dawn, and it was the first time Victor had seen the sunrise in a long time. Fieldings handed him the files he had on the Moons. ”These are all the locations that the Moons use for meetings that the police are aware of. That should be enough to keep you out of the morgue the meantime." Fieldings ran his hand through his hair, looking over at Victor. Victor saw Fieldings as an older brother, and it was clear when his 'brother' was worried about him. "I'm fine, Hector. The kid just caught me off guard, that's all." It was more than the boss catching him off guard, but he didn't need to worry Hector more than he already was. The other detective raised his eyebrows as Victor mentioned the young boss, but didn't feel the need to comment.

"Just keep yourself alive, Vic. I'm not losing another partner to the fuckin' mob," Fieldings ended their little rendezvous, and Vic took his extra time before going to the restaurant to look over the files. He didn't want to look like some idiot handing over intel he had no idea about. But there was not enough intel in the entire department that could delay his meeting with the boss. He sat in the same booth that the boss' men found him in yesterday, and waited to see if he would get more than twenty four hours with the Moon Dynasty.

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Character Portrait: Theodore J. Moon Character Portrait: Victor Russo
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THEODORE J. MOON ♠ Boston, Massachusetts ♠ #8A2BE2
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It was going to be one of those nights when Theo couldn’t actually sleep the way he would’ve liked to. That much was clear the moment he let his tired head fall onto his pillow, closed eyes willing his brain to give into sleep. Salvi had met up with him after letting the new guy go, assuring Theo that everything had been taken care of. And after a couple of jabs over Victor’s “kid” comment, the Columbian left Theo alone, ending his day much earlier than most. The spacious condominium felt quieter than usual, too. The young man’s gaze studied the water dancing below his balcony, the night’s silence almost feeling overwhelming.

Despite what he told himself, Theo hated the feeling that followed a murder. Even if they were deceitful leeches. In that moment, it felt easy. It was after the fact that Theo always wondered if there was something he could have done differently to avoid it. In this case, there wasn’t. He had exhausted all of his options, and Marrota certainly didn’t make it easy. There was no use harping on it now, yet here he was, staring out into the pier with a glass of wine in hand. It was going to be a long night. He hoped that at the very least, his message had been received loud and clear. That would keep possible threats null for a while. In the meantime, he had a new problem.

This new guy, Victor, was an odd case. Rather than a dealer, he gave the impression of a politician, or perhaps an officer. Something about him just didn’t fit the bill. But to be fair, Theo hadn’t heard much of his story yet. Who he was, what or who was he running from, and why had he chosen the Dynasty? Theo disliked not having those answers, but that wouldn’t be the case for much longer. As expected, come morning, Salvi had everything he could find on this Victor Russo character. Theo carefully studied the files. Though nothing in particular screamed suspicion, there were questions still left unanswered. Those answers would have to come from Russo himself. Whether he had the intel Theo requested or not, Theo would get him to talk. If he didn’t have anything of use, well they’d cross that bridge when they got there.

In order to keep things moving, Theo had requested that Salvi bring the guy to a different location than the night before. He was to be kept at arms’ length until Theo deemed him trustworthy. While waiting at the temporary meeting place, Theo looked over Victor’s information once again, planning on where exactly he wanted to start with the questions. Not too long after, there was a knock at the door, and shortly after that it opened. Salvi walked in first, already visibly irritated by the entirety of the situation. Following suit were Russo, and a couple of fresh bruises on his face, and Jake who held the man’s hands behind his back. Theo watched the three men in silence until the door closed, then pushed himself off the desk he’d been leaning against. His gaze met Victor’s for a moment. He was notably quieter than the previous night. Theodore could practically feel the fear radiating from the man’s body as he studied him in silence, no one daring to speak a word. It was Theo’s quiet click of his tongue that first broke the silence.

”Truly, Salvi, must you use your fists to solve everything?” Out of Victor’s line of vision, Salvador let his eyes roll skyward, before responding. ”If the little snitch kept his smartass comments to himself, then maybe I wouldn't have to.” Theo allowed a sly smile grace his face, revealing a very miniscule piece of himself in front of Victor. ”Alright lads, I can take it from here. Wait outside.” the order soon followed, all traces of his upward turned mouth now gone, as if the expression had never been there. Salvador instinctively took a step forward, brows furrowing in disapproval. ”Boss-” a subtle lift of Theo’s hand stopped any further protests Salvi had. Though reluctantly, he and Jake both turned to leave the office, placing a stack of papers on a nearby table on their way out.

Once alone, Theo moved a few steps closer, his hands reaching around Victor to untie the ropes that were binding his wrists together. He quietly examined the marks left behind before tossing said ropes aside. His hands took hold of the papers left behind by Salvi as he returned to his leaning position on the desk. Though he had all the information he needed to bring out Victor’s full story, he decided to let the man speak for himself first. Considering he’d been quiet since he arrived, he probably had a lot to say. ”Alright then, start from the beginning, and tread carefully.” his words were serene, eyes glancing up at the clock hanging on the wall behind Victor. ”You’ve got twenty five minutes left”

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The two men from before were the ones to meet him today. He had the files for the Moons folded neatly into his coat jacket, and once the men came to his table just like before and took him out back, he was prepared to be knocked out this time. However, the men roughly turned him and started tying his hands behind his back. ”Oh, you’re not going to knock me out this time? You must be happy to see me,” Victor sneered at the man that wasn’t tying him, he was pretty sure the boss called him Salvi. The man mockingly laughed before pistol-whipping him across the face. Victor’s head swung to the side and hung low as he spit out a small puddle of blood from the impact. The man used his pistol to shove Victor’s head up so their eyes would meet. ”I’ll be happy when the boss lets me put a bullet in your head,” Salvi growls, and the other man puts a blindfold around Victor's eyes before Salvi could do anything else. The blindfold was a good sign, in his head: if they didn’t want to show him where they were going, maybe he would survive this.

It was a different location than before, and they undid the blindfold as they made their way inside the building. It wasn’t familiar to him in any way, so there wasn’t any point in memorizing anything about it until he knew how to get here. Plus, he knew behind one of these doors was the young boss that would decide his fate, and that was occupying his thoughts. When he was led in and caught eyes with the boss, the fear in his heart ramped up just as it did yesterday. But then the boss did something odd: he smiled. He seemed in a better mood than when they spoke yesterday, and even left the two of them to speak alone. ”No need to be scared of a ‘little snitch’ alone with your boss,” Victor calls after Salvi as he’s leaving, the glare never leaving the mafia man's face.

But now was the moment of truth. Victor had to be careful with his words: any embellishment would make Victor Russo more real, but the more he told, the more information he would have to keep up with to maintain the lie. He was surprised that the boss untied him, and moved back to a file Victor was sure was about him. ”Your guys out there don’t seem to like me very much,” Victor comments as he rubs his wrists. He hadn’t had his wrists tied since his dad was teaching him how to escape from them, and there were small rope burns on his wrists. It was only a small addition to the steadily growing bruises he’d received from Salvi over the past two days. Victor knew that he got under Salvi’s skin by his feisty outbursts, but he had to be careful because he was obviously trusted by the boss, who would trust his opinion on Victor as well.

Victor swallowed, and praying that his intel would be enough, he pulled out his own intel file and laid it softly on the boss’ desk. ”These are all the locations that the police department had on file for the Moon Dynasty,” Victor explained what’s in the folder, as he practiced hiding every hint of fear. The clock was ticking and Victor had no idea if this would work. Plus, having a guy that was happy to put a bullet in your brain right outside the door wasn’t an anxiety-reducing thought.

”Any intel you need from the police, I can get it. Valuable information for your family’s safety, at the price of my safety.”

With this last statement, it was the most fear he would allow into his voice in front of the boss. He needed this kid to believe that he needed to be in the Dynasty, and that his life would be worth continuing past this meeting. If he could get any kind of empathy from a man who was expected to have none, then maybe he could survive in this family.

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THEODORE J. MOON ♠ Boston, Massachusetts ♠ #8A2BE2
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Throughout his years as the underboss, Theodore had been able to keep the family safe and in relative peace, eliminating any threats that bubbled to the surface. Though Victor didn’t pose an obvious threat at the moment, he also didn’t appear to be trustworthy. Salvi had clearly taken a distaste for Victor’s smartass outbursts, and though Theo didn’t particularly care about them, he also didn’t like the stranger’s disrespect towards his right hand man. Victor was walking on a thin rope, and he knew it. His voice and body were steady, but the fear never left his eyes. The young boss had become rather skilled at reading others, and though Victor tried his hardest to conceal, his gaze said it all.

Theo’s eyes followed Victor’s movements as he placed a stack of papers on the desk beside him. Taking the files Salvi had left for comparison, he quietly studied the two side by side as Victor spoke. The dynasty had monopolized several meeting places, and keeping track of these and their conditions was one of their top priorities. They were all listed out in front of Theo, and luckily for Victor, the ones he’d handed over were indeed included in that list. They weren’t extremely valuable or critical locations, but they were important enough to raise alerts.

After another beat of silence, Theo finally put the files down, getting to his feet once again. Arms folded across his chest as he scrutinized Victor with his gaze. The only sound heard was the ticking of the clock above the door bouncing off the office walls. The information Victor shared was valuable, yes, but was it worth keeping a stranger around? Theodore wasn’t quite sure. The city of Boston was wired by the dynasty, both above and below ground. Even if Victor wasn’t around to provide confidential information such as this, it always had a tendency of making it back to Theo one way or the other. Though keeping Victor around would make gathering that information much faster and easier, it would not be a major game changer. Theo had all but decided to grant Salvi his wish of putting a bullet through the man’s skull, but before he gave the word, he figured he’d at least have to hear his story.

”Awfully gobby, aren’t you?” Theo finally spoke, his eyes wordlessly threatening Victor to stay silent until it was his turn to speak. ”To be perfectly frank, princess, I don’t very much fancy you myself” he admitted, referring back to Victor’s comment over Salvi’s dislike for him. Though Theo didn’t particularly dislike Victor in the way Salvi did, he also didn’t feel inclined to keep him around. But he still needed some questions answered, and until he got what he was looking for, Victor would be allowed to continue breathing. ”You see, your presence alone poses a threat to my family’s peace.” he explained, finding it necessary enough to at least let Victor know why he was disliked. Surely Salvi hadn’t been that thorough before landing his punches. ”A threat to my family…” he continued, never once moving from his position. ”is a threat to me personally.” his tone lowered an octave as he said this, making it clear that his family would always come first. Theodore didn’t know how familiar someone like Victor was with the concept of loyalty, but in the Moon Dynasty it was the number one rule. Loyalty to the family trumped everything else. If you couldn’t abide by that rule, you had no place here.

Theo allowed a few seconds to pass, making sure his words made it through Victor’s head loud and clear, before continuing. ”So, I will only ask you this once. And I suggest you think carefully about your answer” his voice took on a slightly threatening tone. The kind he used while speaking with Marrota before deciding he needed to be eliminated. Ten minutes were now left on the clock, each second passing with the loud tick of the hand. Victor was running out of time, and Theodore was running out of patience. So, he asked the one question that had been circulating in his mind from the moment he met Victor, and his answer would determine how much longer he’d be permitted to live.

”Why did you choose the Dynasty?”

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Victor's father always told him that he had a big mouth. "These mafia bosses will shut you up with a plastic bag around your head before trusting you." Victor had never believed him, and had honestly formed a resentment against any mafia man that he was supposed to be joining. For years, he never cared whether or not his words had any impact, and it was another cause of strife between him and Vincent. He planned on going to school and never becoming his mafia-obsessed father who he'd written off the moment he hit puberty.

But now, god, he wished he'd taken his father more seriously.

He obviously wasn't making the best impression, that much was clear from the guarded mafia boss. The longer Victor tried to play this game by his rules, the closer he would get to Salvi's bullets in his head. He had to prove he wasn't a threat, and he had one last play before it would be game over.

Victor stayed quiet, mostly because the threatening gaze from the boss never left Victor's own fearful gaze. The princess nickname was one the boss enjoyed it seemed, and he wouldn't comment until he was sure he wasn't leaving in a body bag. But every word that left the boss' mouth ensured these few minutes would be his last in case he had something better than the locations. Victor was betting on the locations being his way in, but it was time for the emotion route. "Okay, alright... fuck- The curse was mumbled under his breath, but the panic was louder than anything he could have said.

"I'm not really a dealer," Victor started, his eyes previously trained at the desk but flicking up momentarily to show his sincerity. This was the part where real life emotions would need to bleed into his words or he would be bleeding out today. "My folks, they dealed for the Di Dios. They had the smart idea to deal to cops, so that they could get intel and have some cops in their back pocket. They recorded all their meetings, so that the cops wouldn't betray them. But the Di Dios didn't like that idea. They came to my house and shot up the place to look like a drive by from a rival gang."

Victor took a breath before continuing. His grandmother had been murdered ruthlessly by the Di Dios, and Vincent had engrained a true anger in Victor against them. They'd used his grandmother just as he pretended they'd done to his parents. But the helplessness he saw in his father when he failed, that was enough to fuel his emotions as he spoke to the Moon boss now. "I'm the only one that knows they were murdered by the boss, and I-" Victor's voice stuck in his throat. He knew that even as the Moons were threatening to kill him, the Di Dios would happily do the same if they knew he was a Killingsworth. They had been looking for Vincent all this time, and obviously as his son, he couldn't be spared either. Victor wasn't just pleading for his life to be spared by the Moons, but the Di Dios as well. "I don't want to die. Not by them, and not by you."

Victor cleared his throat, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment as his voice just continued to thicken with tears he refused to spill. Though if this was what got him in with the Moons, he couldn't hold back now. "That's it. That's why I left New York. Before they died, my parents told me to find you for protection. They trusted your family and your loyalty. And... I can play nice, I promise." Victor ended with a small smile, more hopeful and innocent than what he'd shown before.

Everything he didn't believe in was the very foundation of the Moons. Victor Russo couldn't be a carbon copy of himself, rather, a man who grew up believing in the mafia solely because his parents did. A man from two dealers who believed in loyalty and family. A man who could play by the rules and give their life for a mafia. Basically, everything Victor was not. But, if he couldn't become Russo, he couldn't continue living as Killingsworth. He was signing himself up for a life with the Moons and their undying loyalty until he could get enough intel to take them down. Was this really worth it? Victor couldn't think that way anymore if he wanted to live. And he would, if only to see the look on his father's face when he took everyone down.

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THEODORE J. MOON ♠ Boston, Massachusetts ♠ #8A2BE2
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Theodore remembered with lucidness the day Salvi requested to join the Moon Dynasty. A scared young man, running for his life, seeking refuge within the Dynasty. As Theo listened to Victor’s story, he couldn’t help but draw similarities between the two. Much like Salvi, Victor was seeking refuge in what he believed was the best place. Perhaps the dynasty was a place of safety and protection for its members, but it was still the Mafia nonetheless. Its definition of “safe” was far removed from the norm. Yet here Victor was willing to give his life to an organized crime family in order to run from another.

The Di Dio and Moon Dynasty feud could be traced back for decades. Long before Theo was born, the two forces fought for power. The more the dynasty grew, the more threatened the Di Dios felt. Like a cornered beast, they began to lash out, or so Theodore had been told. His father had shared with him countless stories of the Di Dios’ ruthless quest for dominance over any and all territories the dynasty gained. Despite the latter always being one step ahead, it faced many losses thanks to their rival. Theodore’s mother was one of them. The moment his grandfather, the boss at the time, died due to health complications the Di Dios took advantage. They used the uncertainty and emotional strife the dynasty felt after losing its beloved leader to gain the upper hand. Though Theo was young, he still remembers the pain he felt when he learned his mother had been captured and killed by the savages.

Despite what they were, Theo vowed to never stoop so low. Over the years, the squabbles watered down to a relative peace. Still, both Theodore and his father had little to no trust in any of the Di Dio family members. They’d proven time and time again that they would stop at nothing to get what they wanted. While the dynasty strived for respect, the Di Dios aimed to implant fear into anyone that came in contact with them. Said fear dominated Victor’s entire body as he spoke. It was a sight Theo was very familiar with. His eyes pierced through the desk behind Theo, lifting occasionally, only to fall back down. It was a stark contrast to what the young boss had seen from Victor until now. Despite the rumors, Theodore was not a heartless man. He was simply selective about when, where and to whom he showed his compassion.

He listened silently, omitting every detail of the story to memory, and only responding when Victor had finished. "You're bloody mental, mate." he sighed, accompanied by a subtle chuckle of disbelief. ”You truly believe we can give you protection?” he asked, raising an inquisitive brow. His arms moved from their crossed position to both hands resting within his pant pockets. He waited a moment, not entirely expecting Victor to respond yet, as he marveled in the ironing of someone coming to a mafia family in search of safety. Theodore had been convinced that Salvi was the only one crazy enough to do something so drastic. ”You do understand this is still a crime family, do you not?”

Though Theo now understood why Victor had come looking for his family, he wasn't certain whether Victor himself understood what he would be walking into. Joining a crime family was no easy task. Especially one as well guarded as the Moon Dynasty. Every single member of the family had to prove their worth and loyalty, and work hard for years before being considered a member. If Victor believed Theo would just allow him in, no questions asked, he was in for a rude awakening. Still, Theo had to admit that the man had successfully peaked his interest. At the very least it was enough to keep Victor alive for just a bit longer, even as the last tick of the clock hand resonated throughout the room, marking the end of Victor's twenty-four hour period.

"Are you prepared to prove your loyalty?"

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The moments waiting for the boss’ response were torturous to Victor. He’d tapped into some very personal memories in a desperate attempt to garner enough sympathy to save his life. Hell, he would take the boss’ pity if it meant his time wasn’t up. He had pushed the smartass comments and unbacked confidence for a real side of himself that he’d usually never let a stranger see. Now, as seconds ticked by as hours, he just had to pray that his display had worked.

Victor felt his heart drop to his stomach as the boss called him mental and asked if he really believed they would protect him. Sure, mafias aren't really known for their protection of strangers. Victor knew very well that their protection and compassion were saved for the loyal, trustworthy members of the family. But it was the only believable story Victor could make that wasn’t complete bullshit. He had to make sure the Di Dios never knew who he was, as Russo or Killingsworth, and going to a family that would protect him from them was his only option. It wasn’t something just anyone would do, but it was a reasonable option for someone who would be killed anyway. The responses that came to mind were a bit too smartass for someone whose imminent future still hadn’t been determined. So he stayed quiet, watching the boss who was unreadable as always.

They both knew the clock had ticked to the last minute and it was the moment of truth. Twenty four hours had ended and the boss had to decide whether to let Victor prove himself valuable or end his life right here. He had to believe the stories that the Moons weren’t as trigger happy as the Di Dios or the Brambillas, and that the only reason Salvi was so happy to kill him was all the smartass comments and disrespect; Victor would really have to work on that. He had to believe they wouldn’t kill a stranger in cold blood.

The boss’ next words crushed Victor with relief, though he attempted to keep that hidden. Though there was a tinge of a threat in his words, Victor had a new goal that didn’t involve his death and that was a victory in its own. ”I’ll do anything to show you how serious I am about this,” Victor answered, trying to squeeze out any more compassion he could with the fear that still lingered in his voice. ”My parents believed in loyalty, just as your family does. I will prove to you that I am worthy, however long it takes.”

Victor was aware that mafia members didn’t just walk into the family, they earned their spots through respect and countless displays of loyalty. The idea of loyalty was still lost on him, simply because of the way his own family worked. Vincent was only loyal to the idea of taking the Di Dios down, and had forced Victor into this life. Nicolette was loyal to the money her clients brought in, and had gotten herself involved with some of the worst criminals in the city. And his little sister Lilly was the only innocent one, uninvolved in this life that Vincent had obsessed over for years and made Victor’s life goal. He couldn’t help but resent her as much as he loved her. No one in his life was loyal, even his girlfriend, but everything was about loyalty in the Moon family. If he expected to come out of this alive, he would have to learn the concept of loyalty at a deathly level and not lose himself to his emotions. If he actually started to like the Moons, even Salvi, it was game over.

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THEODORE J. MOON ♠ Boston, Massachusetts ♠ #8A2BE2
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As far as strengths went, Theo couldn’t pinpoint what Victor’s were. Surely, his big mouth was not one. Though he could figure out when it was time to speak, and time to keep quiet. For his sake, Theo was relieved that he did. One more snarky comment would’ve landed him back in Salvi’s custody. Both Theo and Victor knew how that would’ve ended. Theo himself was not particularly convinced that Victor had what it took to survive within the walls of the mafia. Despite being Theo’s family, one he wouldn’t trade for any amount of riches in the world, it was not a life he would wish for anyone. Dealing on the streets of Boston to earn a living was one thing, but once you were integrated into a crime family, you’d be living each moment as if it were your last.

Theo had always been hyper-aware of the imminent danger that came with diving so deeply into this world, but it was the only way he knew how to live. Victor, however, was dangerously inexperienced when it came to maneuvering through the workings of a mafia family. His only knowledge being his unfortunate encounters with the Di Dios, which consequently had him living with a target on his back. Joining the dynasty wouldn’t eliminate that target, in fact it would only double. Not only would he have to stay out of the Di Dio’s murderous radar, but he’d be living with one of the most wanted crime families in the nation, and quite possibly worldwide. Theo couldn’t help but wonder just how much of that had crossed Victor’s mind.

A quiet hum left Theo’s mouth, his piercing gaze once again meeting Victor’s. There was some sincerity in there, stirred in with a couple of other things that Theo didn’t exactly care for. Perhaps it was his district for any newcomers that had the young boss second guessing his own decision, but he wasn’t anything if not a man of his word. ”Well then, princess, batten down. It’s going to be a long ride.” When it came to trust, earning Theodore’s was undoubtedly the hardest task Victor would face. A task he’d have to accomplish purely of his own accord. A place within the Moon Dynasty was earned through blood, sweat and a moderate amount of tears. There wasn’t a single soul within the family that would make things any easier for Victor. ”If you can prove you’re not a snake, you’ll have our protection.” his gaze danced over to the door where Salvi now stood. No doubt he’d been keeping a close count of Victor’s time limit. Both Salvi and Jake stepped inside after earning a nod of approval from Theo, but didn’t make any moves to pull their weapons.

"That being said…”

Theo’s gaze reverted to Victor, his previously relaxed features slowly contorted into a warning. To ensure the man in front of him met his gaze, he took a step closer. Close enough that if he whispered, Victor would still be able to hear. ”I’ve got eyes everywhere.” the statement was no exaggeration. If Victor knew enough about the Dynasty to come looking for it, surely he knew just how far its influence reached. Officials, politicians and barons alike depended on the dynasty to keep their positions and comfortable lifestyles, and would be willing to give up anything or anyone to keep the Moons on their side.

Theo gave the warning that he’d given to everyone that had once been looking to join the Dynasty, Salvi and Jake included. Fortunately, he had only been forced to see it through once, and he hoped that Victor wouldn’t be a second. ”If you cross me, or anyone in this family... you’re going to wish the Di Dios had found and killed you first.” Out of his peripherals, Theo could see the subtle smirk on Salvi’s face, though it quickly vanished the moment the young boss moved back to his desk.

”Alright then, you blokes better start getting acquainted. You’ll be spending a lot of time together from here on out.”

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Victor was stepping through the threshold into a whole new world. This world was only one he’d seen from the comfort of being outside of it. Victor wasn’t sure what to expect from his new role as an untrusted newbie, but he did know that the first task was getting them to trust him; he didn’t have to be a fully engrained member at any point as long as they trusted him with enough inside information to take them down.Though, judging by the first impressions he made, he was unsure of any of them would trust him. He didn’t realize his mouth would get him in the doghouse so quickly, and he’d have to carefully pick and choose his battles.

There was no backing out now. Regardless of the danger he was now in, he signed up for this for as long as it took to take down the Moons. He had to forget about the danger, and focus his path forward to a spot beside the boss at the top. It was the only way he could really get the information he would need for a takedown to be possible.

Victor remained quiet as Salvi and the other man entered, those his eyes wandered over to them and the pistols still at their sides. He would make sure that Fieldings knew about this guy, because he was too eager for Victor’s demise and Fieldings needed to know who his threats were. If they could get some legitimate police intel on any of the members, not only could he become more of an asset to the Moons, he could threaten these mafia men in his own indirect way.

But then his attention was caught by the boss once again as he stepped in and easily made the most threatening look Victor had seen so far from the boss. It wasn’t any new information for Victor, but the intent was clear: Victor had no allies against the Moons. The boss obviously wasn’t aware of Detective Hector Fieldings, and Victor would keep that secret with his dying breath if he had to. If he couldn’t bring the Dynasty down, Fieldings had to. Victor was the better choice, being a stranger to most politicians and officials that could possibly depend on the Dynasty for protection, and he had the drive that Fieldings didn’t.

The rest of his words also rang true. Victor would need to be deadly sure before finally crossing the Dynasty, otherwise they would tear him limb from limb for his betrayal. The department had enough evidence of what the Dynasty did to their enemies, but they needed the undeniable proof to link them to these horrible crimes.

Now it was game time. Victor looked over to the two men, who surely weren’t thrilled to be working with him but wouldn’t argue with their boss. Victor wasn’t prepared to argue either, considering he’d just escaped his death sentence. He now just had to wait until the boss had some work for him. He wasn’t sure when that would come, but there was no telling anything with these people. Victor was more concerned at the moment with getting back to his apartment and using his real phone to get Fieldings up to speed. And assure him that he didn’t die today. Once he was dismissed, he felt the same urgency to get home as he did just yesterday. Damn, even yesterday felt like a lifetime ago. Victor got home and closed his door with this body weight, slowly sliding down and sighing in relief. Another day. He bought himself another day, and he would buy more days now that this one was done.

Victor pulled himself up only to get his other phone and dial Fieldings. ”I’m alive.”

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THEODORE J. MOON ♠ Boston, Massachusetts ♠ #8A2BE2
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Once he was certain his message had been received, Theo let Victor go. He had plenty of work for the new guy to start getting his hands dirty, but that would be for a new day. After the last twenty-four hours he had, Theo didn’t think he was in the right state of mind to go out into the field. Just as they had done the night before, Salvi and Jake accompanied the newcomer back to where they’d picked him up. Once they’d return, Salvi didn’t waste a single second before voicing his dislike.

”Look T, I trust your judgement. Obviously. But this dude…” his thick, dark brows knitted together in annoyance, a reaction that had almost become a reflex at the mere mention of Victor. Theo watched the older man fiddle with his pistol, meticulously cleaning its parts one at a time. ”Just let me shoot him once to get it out of my system.” his suggestion came with a mischievous smirk, his eyes now searching for Theo’s face. ”I’ll even pretend you chewed me out.” the sly wink made it clear that Salvi was joking, despite how much he actually wanted to do as he suggested. Theo let out a low chuckle. It was a nice change, after the Marrota situation that had been going on for weeks, followed by the unexpected addition to the mob. Yet another head he’d have to keep track of.

”I would if I didn’t think you’d just off him instantly.” the smirk of amusement on Theo’s face matched Salvi’s own as the former made his way towards his kitchen counter. There were a small handful of people that were ever allowed within Theo’s home. Including his father, his girlfriend Beah, and of course, Salvi. Though it hadn’t always been that way. Theo took his time trusting the Columbian and took even longer to accept him as a close friend, a brother even. Despite being close, Salvi continued to treat Theo as his superior in the presence of others. Though he was older by a few years, he never talked down to Theo, even in private. He ensured his boss was always respected, all the while takingthe spot of a much needed friend. That’s precisely what landed Salvi as Theo’s right hand, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t see the older man’s faults. His biggest ones being his temper, and silver tongue. Much like Victor, Salvi had an arsenal of smartass comments. If he had to guess, Theo would say the main reason Salvi took such a strong dislike to Victor was because the man reminded Salvi too much of himself.

”Now cut the whinge fest and let’s eat. I’m famished.” Salvi’s body pivoted in Theo’s direction as his set his pistol aside, a perplexed expression quickly settling in.

”The hell does whinge even mean?”

Come the next morning, Theo had requested for Victor to be brought it. He surely didn’t plan on integrating the man anytime soon. Not until he gave Theo a good reason to do so. However, there were a few things he needed to be aware of before being sent out into the open fields of underground Boston. This included an overview of the targets he and his team could be going after come late afternoon. The easiest task for a newbie to do was to help collect debts, and the Dynasty had more than a few of those. There were also some important codes Russo would need to memorize. Taking his big mouth into careful consideration, Theo thought it wise to ensure Victor didn’t use it to bring in unnecessary trouble. Lastly, he would be officially introduced to the men that would be accompanying him for the third night in a row.

While waiting for those very men to return with Victor, Beah had wandered into Theo’s office. She sat at the edge of the desk, her bright blues following Theo’s careful movements as he paged through a rather hefty folder. ”How do you think he’ll do?” though Theo didn’t share details with her, Beah knew enough of what was going on around her pseudo boyfriend to keep up with conversations. The corners of Theo’s lips twitched into a smirk, his slender fingers setting the folder aside to look at the blonde in front of him. ”Dreadful. I’ll be awed if he doesn’t get himself killed first mission.” Beah granted Theo a soft giggle as she crossed her legs. It was more than just a lack of faith in Victor’s abilities, it was more so his inability to stay quiet that would undoubtedly land him in hot water. Theo could only hope that the newbie showed the same restraint out there as he had while speaking with him.

Just under an hour after Beah’s arrival had passed when the doors to the office finally opened. Beah remained in her seated position while Theo got to his feet, placing his hands in his pockets as he welcomed Victor to the beginning of his first mission, and for his sake, hopefully not his last.

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A loud banging woke Victor from the first restful sleep he had in a few days.

Victor didn’t know who the hell was at his door, and grabbed the pistol from his nightstand before slinking out towards the door in only his boxers. As he was looking through the peephole and recognized Salvi and Jake, they pounded on the door again. He sighed in relief and held the pistol at his side as he undid the locks on his door.

Salvi scoffed as Victor opened the door undressed, and Jake chuckled. ”You didn’t know we were coming?” Jake asked. Both their eyes were pointed at Victor’s side, and he wasn’t sure if it was suspicious for a kid of drug dealers to have a pistol, so he placed it on his windowsill and leaned up against his doorframe. ”Do you even know how to use that?” Salvi grunts at Victor. Obviously the mafia man was still not a fan of Victor, and since he wasn’t much of a fan of Salvi either, he didn’t blame the man. He didn’t know if they would ever be on good terms, but he didn’t care whether Salvi liked him. It only mattered when it came to the boss, Theo. Still, he was relieved to see Salvi at his door instead of someone that was allowed to kill him.

”Judging by my lack of clothes, obviously not,” Victor answered with a chuckle to Jake, but was more serious as he replied to Salvi, ”I may not be a drug dealer but I know how to protect myself. And it’s registered, so it’s not going to cause any problems.”

Victor had thought about bringing his regular pistol with him, but Fieldings immediately shot down the idea and got Victor a pistol registered in his alias’ name. ”You don’t need anything out there that can trace you back to who you really are. If you need anything, we’ll connect it to Russo.” There was no way he was going into this unarmed, so they got the pistol along with the scrummy apartment; could tell that the little Salvi and Jake could see was not impressive considering Victor barely unpacked his boxes and had takeout containers at the dining table. ”Gimme a sec and I’ll be right out,” Victor told them, about to close the door when Salvi pushed his way inside. Thankfully, the only evidence to his police life was the extra phone, which was safely tucked into his nightstand off exact situations like this.

Victor just huffed, letting them both into his living room and jogging off to get dressed. This style was not his usual groomed police look, but even with the loose button ups and distressed jeans, there was something about him that was just too proper for this. Fieldings had gotten him a silver chain to wear around his neck, which he never took off, but even ruffling up his usually carefully styled hair didn’t do much.

Victor walked back into the room, shutting his door and ruffling his hair once again. ”You have my number, could I get just a little bit of warning next time, fellas?” Victor asked with a grin, but it quickly fell from his face as Salvi shoved him back against the door. ”You’re not in any place to make requests, Snitch,” Salvi growled right in Victor’s face.

Jake pulled him back with a roll of his eyes, ”C’mon Salvi, can you at least make it a little less obvious that you hate the guy?” Victor was already liking Jake more than Salvi, and he was thankful that at least one of the men he was surrounded with didn’t outright dislike him. Victor brushed off his shoulders and followed the two men out of his apartment, locking the door once they were out. He had to play onto the desperation of being wanted by the Di Dios and not necessarily safe with the Dynasty either. His apartment was his safe zone.

Victor immediately noticed the girl by Theo's side. She was beautiful for sure, someone that he wasn't surprised to find by a mafia boss' side. "Mornin' boss, Victor called, trying not to sound like a smartass as he said it. He'd already rubbed Theo the wrong way with their introductions, so he was very conscious of his words and his tone. His eyes glanced over to the girl, smiling at her. "Who's the pretty lady?"

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THEODORE J. MOON ♠ Boston, Massachusetts ♠ #8A2BE2
――――――――――――――――――――――――――


Theo was both surprised and relieved to see Victor showing up without any fresh Salvi bruises. He’d had a private chat with Jake that same morning and tasked him with keeping Salvi’s outbursts towards Victor at bay. As much as Theo trusted his friend, he didn’t always trust his self control when it came to his temper. Especially towards someone that currently had no power against him. Other than himself, Salvi had found a good friend in Jake. The two had basically become inseparable. Even before his friendship with Theo himself bloomed, Salvi had found comfort in Jake’s company. Currently, he was the only one Theo could entrust Salvi to when he wasn’t around himself. From what he could see now, it worked like a charm this time as well.

Victor’s question about Beah wasn’t answered. Instead, the blonde hopped down from her sitting position on the wooden desk, taking the men's presence as her cue to leave. ”I was just leaving, actually.” she said, handing Victor an amicable smile before placing a quick kiss on Theo’s cheek. ”I’ll see you later tonight.” she lowered her voice, though still loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. She then grabbed her bag as she headed towards the door. ”Behave boys.” her comment came accompanied by a soft squeeze of Salvi’s shoulder, her words more specifically directed towards him.

Once she closed the door behind her, Theo’s gaze immediately focused on Victor. ”I take it the lads didn’t give you the road map?” the question was more of a statement. The muddled expression on the man’s face was enough to let Theo know he hadn’t a clue why he was there so bright and early. His gaze flickered towards Salvi and Jake, the latter giving his boss a slight gesture towards his partner. Theo predicted Jake would be busy keeping Salvi in line, so he’d prepared accordingly. ”Right then.” with that, Theo handed Salvi a small stack of files, a few names highlighted in yellow on the pages.

”Your first task is to collect what belongs to us.” Theo headed towards the desk while Salvi and Jake studied the files given. A quiet scoff came from the former as he looked up. ”Cruz is still being a little bitch, I see.” Theo formed a subtle smirk as he opened one of the desk drawers, bringing out a brand new pistol.

”He took what he owed us and hocked it. Thought we wouldn’t nose it out, but we did.” the drawer shut with a soft thud as Theo paced back towards the group. He first gestured for Victor to set his own weapon aside, leaving nothing to chance. Once the man complied, Theo then took one of his hands and carefully placed the new weapon in it. ”A welcome gift.” the hushed comment was followed by a brisk wink. He wasn’t one for flirting with strangers, but he could play around every so often when the mood struck him.

Leaving Victor behind, Theo trod back to his desk, palms set against the thick wood as he leaned forward. ”Jake can give you the particulars about the targets.” he announced, earning a swift nod from the man mentioned. Typically, Salvi would be given the task of rendering crucial information on missions, but given the more than rocky start between he and Russo, Theo thought it best to simply task him with keeping everything running smoothly.

”Any questions?” though he asked, he didn’t plan on waiting for an answer. He immediately followed it with a ”Brilliant! Off to work then.” A statement that officially dismissed the group, though before the three left, Theo gestured for Salvi to stay behind. He waited until Jake had ushered Victor outside, closing the door behind him, before speaking. "See to it that he keeps quiet out there." the statement seemed to rile Salvi's spirits, immediately earning a toothy smile from the man. [b]"Yessir!" Theo sighed halfheartedly, his neutral expression morphing into one of warning. "And do try to use your words to do so." Salvi immediately feigned a disappointed frown, but promised Theo he'd at least try. He was then promptly dismissed to join the two waiting outside.

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The girl didn’t explain herself or even give her name, but judging by her comfortability with Theo and the kiss on his cheek, that was Theo’s girl. It didn’t surprise Victor in the slightest that Theo had a pretty girl on his arm; what did surprise him was the weird feeling he had about seeing her with him. Victor was sure he was just jealous of Theo being with his girlfriend while he couldn’t see his own girl, though Victor couldn’t remember a time where seeing another man with his girl had brought a feeling like this within him, especially about Pattie. He simply chalked all of it up to being undercover.

Victor put these thoughts to the back of his mind once Theo got down to business. He was still working on his image with the boss so as much as he wanted to make a smartass comment about almost being dragged from his apartment in his boxers, he kept quiet. Victor wanted to look at the files that Salvi and Jake had been given, but considering they barely trusted him with his life at this point, he waited for a debrief.

It was slightly humiliating, being on the bottom once again. He’d worked his way into a good enough position at the department to be one of the youngest detectives at Boston PD, but he had to work even harder to be trusted with this mission; only for this mission to put him right back on the bottom with mafia men. He hated being looked down upon by the very men he looked down upon in any normal circumstance. It reminded him of Florida, when the Brambilla men mugged him and beat him silent. The Dynasty wasn’t much different, dangling his life in front of him and making him behave like a dog waiting for a treat. If this was what took them down, he would just have to take it.

Victor looked from Salvi and Jake to Theo as he walked over and motioned for Victor to give up his pistol. He weighed his options, keeping his own gun or accepting a pistol that probably had crimes connected to it, and carefully sat the pistol Fieldings got him to take the pistol from Theo. He was thankful that he hadn’t taken his detective pistol now. Victor was more taken aback by the wink. He didn’t think Theo wanted anything to do with him, but the casual flirting suggested otherwise. It brought up those same feelings he felt watching Theo’s girlfriend, but Victor had never been interested in another man. He’d also never met a man like Theo.

Victor was glad that Jake would be debriefing him. He was definitely on better terms with this man than Salvi, and he could actually take a joke. They were dismissed before Salvi, and he only assumed it was for Theo to make sure Salvi would keep Victor in his place.

Salvi joined them not long after they left, in a slightly better mood but not by much. Before he and Victor could get into another sparring match with their words, Jake started to explain their mission. ”Alright Vic, listen up. We’re doing some collections today. That means we have to find these rat bastards and take back what we’re owed,” Jake explained, walking towards a car that Victor assumed was either his or Salvi’s car. He stopped for a moment, looking seriously at Victor. ”These guys are more trigger happy than Salvi. So I suggest you keep that pistol boss gave you nice and close until we’re done for the day.”

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THEODORE J. MOON ♠ Boston, Massachusetts ♠ #8A2BE2
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It was a simple enough mission. Something Salvi and Jake had done numerous times. Theo was well aware of his boys’ capabilities of keeping themselves safe. It was when a wild card was thrown in that the boss began to worry. This wild card came by the name of Victor Russo this time, and for all the information Theo had on the man’s past and present life, he still didn’t know him. There’s no telling how he’d react once he was thrown to the blood-thirsty wolves. He could only hope the guy would at the very least attempt to lay low.

Tossing his frets aside, Theo decided to focus on other tasks. In particular, a troubling rumor that had been circulating underground for a few days now. The Di Dio family was on the move. As to the what and the why, that was yet to be determined. Much like the Dynasty, the Di Dios had a particularly tight security system encompassing them like a forcefield. To anyone else, they’d be untouchable. However, there was a good reason why they saw the dynasty as a threat. In all their decades of reign, only one family had been able to face them head on. Now, they worked from the shadows, keeping their heads low to stay out of the moon’s gaze. But they couldn’t hide for long. Theo and his father had been warned by different sources that there was something brewing. The task now was to find out exactly what that was.

The Moon Dynasty base was rather quiet this time of day. Most of the members were either home, or out taking care of some business. The underground levels of the commercial building felt almost too quiet as Theo made his way through the parking garage. Mr. Montgomery was said to be away on a business trip for the next two weeks. Consequently, he’d left Beah in charge of the employees that would still be working during his absence. The blonde had always been exceptionally good at making sure everyone minded their own business. That, coupled with the fact that anyone that worked in the building knew Theo as Beah’s future husband, made Theo’s visit just another usual.

”Here for Miss Montgomery, I assume?” the head receptionist stated, a familiar southern twang sounding in Theo’s ears, along with the welcoming smile she often wore. The young Moon returned the gesture, a slight nod to his head as he began adding his name to the sign in sheet. Theodore Seo, 8:05 A.M. Though he could have easily have used their private entrance and avoided this process all together, it sometimes felt nice to interact with people that didn’t know who he was and what he did for a living.

Once finished, he carefully handed the pen back to the redhead, marginally leaning forward with a flash of his dimples. ”Who’s to say I’m not here to see you?” The older woman swatted him away with a flick of the wrist and a hearty laugh that echoed throughout the reception hall. ”Oooh child, you better stop that! With that smile and that accent of yours, you’re gonna give an ol’ woman a heart attack!” Theo joined in her laughter, a genuine one that almost made him feel like a regular person. Anne Marie had a knack for making him feel like that, even if just for a short while.

After he bid the older woman a farewell, he headed towards the furthest elevators. He pressed the L2 button, two levels below the building entrance, and inserted his access card. He was welcomed the moment the elevator doors opened by a few dynasty members that were on their way out. As far as he could see, no one else was here. No one but his father. Theo didn’t bother to knock, but instead made his way inside the older Moon’s office, his eyes immediately landing on a briefcase that rested next to the desk where Ceasar Moon sat.

”Compensation for…?”

The older man looked up from the files in front of him, a smile quickly reaching his eyes the moment he spotted Theo. ”Actually...” he sat his pen aside as he got to his feet, taking the briefcase and setting it on the table. ”It’s a present.” The locks on the case clicked open and Caesar pulled on the top to reveal a silver pistol with the initials TJM engraved into the magazine well. Theo cocked a brow, perplexity noticeably painted on his face. ”Not that I’m ungrateful, pops, she is a beauty.” he said, cautiously plucking the weapon from its resting place. ”But I’ve had mine for less than a fortnight. You didn’t need to.” though he said this, Theo continued to examine the weapon. The closer he looked, the more he realized, it wasn’t a new pistol at all. In fact, it was rather old, and though kept in great condition, it was clear that it’d been heavily used. Flipping the pistol on its head, he took another look at the initials. What he initially thought was a T was actually an I, slightly worn from the passage of time. ”IJM?” the letters instantly clicked, putting the pieces into place. ”Is this…?” the nod from his father confirmed it. Theo was holding his great great grandfather’s pistol. Ilsung Jaehyun Moon, the man that started it all. ”Why are you giving this to me now?”

Theo’s bewildered expression earned a chuckle out of his father who settled back into his office chair, hsi features easing into a fatherly smile. ”No need to fret, I simply thought it best for you to have it now. I have no use for it. And should anything happen to me...he will guide you through it.” though he sounded serene, Theo couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that settled into the pit of his stomach. He was well aware of the dangers his father faced on the daily, but the idea of not having him around was something he was not willing to entertain. Theo would willingly give his own life before letting anything happen to his family, most especially his father.

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THEODORE J. MOON ♠ Boston, Massachusetts ♠ #8A2BE2
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The uneasy feeling in Theo’s gut lingered only for a few minutes, promptly making way for strategic conversations with his father. He didn’t have time to worry about what might happen in the future, the focus was now with the Di Dio family and whatever the hell they were planning this time. Theo and his father exchanged any information they had, which added up to a fairly reasonable conclusion. The Di Dios were after a crime family, but it wasn’t them. At least, not yet. Perhaps they planned on taking down everyone around the Dynasty first in the hopes of leaving them alone and defenseless. It was a clever way of going about it. Were the Moon Dynasty not so large and spread out, it could work. But if that was really their aim, it would take them decades to even get to that point. Still, both Theo and Caesar agreed to keep a watchful eye over them, not wanting to put any part of their family at risk.

After their talk and a few drinks, Theo headed to his own office. It was quiet, almost too quiet. He wasn’t the kind to always need company, but on certain days it felt almost lonely without Salvi, Jake or Beah around. They always gave him a sense of normalcy that he craved more often than willing to admit. If asked, Theo would assure that he wouldn’t trade his life for anything. After all, he had been given the option to walk away from it all, but he’d chosen to stay. Leaving never felt right. Being where he was now was where he was always meant to be, of that he was certain. It was only on these quiet days like today, when he wondered what if. What would’ve happened if he’d chosen differently? If he’d walked away from it all just like his sister Katerina did, would he be happy? Or would he have regretted not having the means or power to protect his family?

There’s no telling where he would be if not for the mafia, But What he knew for fact was that if he was not here, his father would’ve had many struggles. Theodore helped him with a lot of the heavy lifting, and he did it happily if it meant keeping his father safe. He could also keep tabs on his sister from afar and make sure no one tried messing with her. Theo often called Katerina, usually to check on her, but sometimes he just wanted to talk. Today was one of those times he just needed a chat. After dialing the number he took a seat behind his desk, leaning his body against the plush leather chair while he waited for an answer.

”Hey teddy bear!” Kat’s voice chimed through the phone line as bright and cheerful as ever, pulling a subtle smile out of the otherwise serious Theo. ”Hey kitty cat.” his response was much less cheerful than hers, though not unhappy in the slightest. The moon siblings had always been polar opposites in every aspect, personality included. Katerina was the cheerful social butterfly, while Theo was the quieter counterpart. Even now, despite Theo being skilled at socializing and dealing with all types of people, it still rang true. Talking with Kat always felt so calming and effortless. There had been times where the two spent hours on the phone, most of which were spent by Kat telling stories of her life in London while Theo listened attentively. That’s exactly what happened this phone call. Not that Theo minded, in fact, after saying their goodbyes and hanging up Theo felt refreshed.

He set his cell aside, ready to dive into some paperwork. He was about thirty minutes into the first batch when the mobile device rang again. Half expecting it to be Katerina calling back about something she had forgotten to mention, Theo hit the answer button and brought the phone to his ears without pulling his gaze away from his work. ”Boss!”Salvi’s voice immediately got him to his feet, his brain processing what he was being told as he gathered up his things. ”Bloody hell…” the grunt was more of a tired one than angry. Theo had mostly expected something to go south this mission, but he was hoping his intuition would be wrong just this once. ”Bring him to my office. I’ll handle the rest” was Theo’s only other response before hanging up the call.

By the time Salvi and Jake made it to base with Victor, the medic was already there waiting for them. The cleaners had been just outside the office door waiting for the car to arrive. The medic instructed for Victor to be settled onto the stretcher he’d already set up beforehand. He and his two man team immediately got to work with the wound. Theo kept his distance for the moment, taking a standing position next to Jake and Salvi who looked more distressed than Theo had seen in a while. ”Who’s going to explain?” the question came with a curious brow as he turned to face the two men beside him. His gaze shifted from a frowning Salvi to Jake who seemed ready to tell. ”Cruz pulled a pistol on Sal. I was ready but Snitch here got in the way of the bullet before I had a chance.” Jake’s explanation, though short and sweet, was enough for Theo to piece together the scene. His gaze then shifted to Victor on the sofa before coming back to Salvi. ”Well then did you at least thank him?” his question was mainly directed towards Salvi who grumbled something along the lines of ”We had it handled” before walking out the office doors.

Theo’s sigh and silent stare was enough for Jake who quickly turned tail and followed Salvi. He knew his friend well enough to know that he most likely was great full, but Salvi had always had a strange way of showing his emotions. After they’d left, Theo grabbed the nearest stool, taking a seat as close as he could to Victor without getting in the way of the medics. ”You whinged about joining the dynasty for protection, yet you go and pick up a bullet first round? You Americans are strange.” the latter half of his comment wears a very obvious joking tone in hopes it will take Victor’s mind away from the pain for a few seconds. Theo may not know the man much, if at all, but he had been in his situation many times before and it was not a pleasant one. Anything that could distract from the excruciating pain was always welcomed.

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v i c t o rxxr u s s oxx-xxboston, massachusettsxx-xxm o r n i n g
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They ended up back at base. As Salvi and Jake were pulling him out of the car, a cleaning crew immediately stepped in to take over removing any evidence that Victor was bleeding pretty profusely in the back of the car. Victor was concerned just how much blood had been lost from the wound, considering he felt on the verge of unconsciousness from however much had already left his body through the wound.

He was settled on a stretcher and the team went to work extracting the bullet and cleaning the wound. Victor was given a numbing agent but he still gripped the side of the stretcher as the adrenaline wore off and his arm started searing with pain where there wasn’t any numbing feeling. Victor could hear Jake and Salvi talking with Theo but it was muffled by the medics talking above him. ”You’re lucky kid, this just missed the brachial plexus. Whoever shot you was centimeters away from killing off all the nerves in your arm,” The medic said with a chuckle, doing little to calm Victor’s anxiety; he didn’t want to hear how close he was to losing his arm just to protect a member of the mafia. "We could have been cutting your arm off."

This wasn’t the first time he was shot, not even one of the first. Most of the time when he was shot at he was either lucky enough to have missed the bullet completely or it was embedded in his bulletproof vest. His father made him stare down the barrel of a gun so many times to eradicate his fear, but there was no way to make it fully go away, especially when it wasn’t his father and someone who actually wanted to kill him.

His first few years on the force were spent chasing after low level criminals who had poor aim. But there was a dealer that managed to get him in the calf once, and another domestic abuser who barely missed a forehead shot. This time was completely different. Victor could have just let Salvi take the bullet and taken out the boss’ right hand man on his first mission. He doubted he would’ve taken the blame, considering Jake was there too, and it could have led to enough distress for Theo to make Victor’s takedown that much easier. But here he was, laying on a sketcher for a man that didn’t even like him. He could hear Detective Fieldings scolding him already for how reckless it was.

Victor wasn't sure if Theo expected this outcome, but he pulled up beside Victor and made a joke about taking a bullet when he had come for protection. ”Yeah well, hopefully he’ll protect me when there’s a bullet coming my way. And would it kill him to say thank you?” Victor tried to tease gently, not wanting to upset Theo or upset the wound that had just been bandaged for him. Truthfully, he didn’t care whether or not Salvi thanked him. He was really trying to gauge how Theo felt about the whole situation. It was one thing to take a bullet as someone who was trusted and respected, and another to take one on the first mission for the Dynasty. Victor wasn’t sure if this would be seen as the start towards his proven loyalty to the Dynasty or the path to a quick death. For Victor’s sake, he hoped it was the former.

Victor decides to make an admission, one that came from his true feelings. ”It was aimed at his chest. We may not be friends but what kind of man lets their ally die in front of them? I’m not that kind of man,” Victor says firmly. It was one thing that was true of him as a budding mafia man and as a determined cop: he didn’t let anyone he was allied with die without at least a chance to save them. Some called it loyalty, he considered it decency as a man.

He realized he hadn’t talked to Theo alone since he was pleading for his life, and it felt almost… nice to have him sit here and attempt to distract Victor from his pain. Or he was probing Victor to figure out his “true” motive for taking the bullet, he wasn’t too sure what Theo wanted from this conversation. Theo was a closed book and he had his doubts that he would ever get to see more of him.

But he wouldn’t be able to have much of a conversation with the boss anyway, his head was still dizzy from the blood loss and the pain all across his arm. ”You think they have any stronger painkillers? The feeling is coming back in my arm and it’s unbearable,” Victor asked quietly, unsure if he was asking for too much or overstepping his boundaries, but it did hurt like a bitch. Plus, the faster he could get home to recuperate, the faster he could get Fieldings up to speed. ”I have liquor at home but I’ve heard that doesn't mix well with medication. Or blood loss,” Victor attempts to joke, wincing and trying not to grab his arm as the pain shot up again. He was sure of one thing: this wouldn't be the last stupid decision he would make for the Dynasty.