HeyRavyn

Ravyn & Remmi

Vespucci Beach

BEACH DAY With the long days it is always good to just take some time to chill and hang out with family at the beach. Sharing laughs, drinks and just vibin' the day away while capturing the moments we wouldn't want to forget. ♥ROOKS♥ [Ravyn & Remmi] [Frank] [Harley] [Apollo] [Yousef]

A Set up She laid there staring at him, eyes slowly scanning every inch of his body, remembering every scar, every wrinkle, each out of place hair in his mustache as he sat on the edge of the bed talking on the phone. She trailed her finger down his side, slowing as she reached each rib; he was losing weight again. He flinched a little as he looked down at her laying on her side to his left, swatting her hand away as he smiled at her. “Stop it” he mouthed. She huffed and flipped onto her back, her hair cascading to the ground. She needed a haircut she thought to herself as she rested her arm over her face, knees bent, one crossed over the other, fidgeting. “Of course, that won’t be an issue…” he assured the person on the other side of the conversation. He turned quickly, reaching behind him gripping her thigh tightly. He quickly muted the phone and asked “Are you okay? You seem off today Ravyn.” She lifted her arm from her face just enough to see him, looking at him confused, “What?” she whispered. He squeezed her thigh again to bring the attention to her twitchiness. She made an ‘EEK’ face and quickly sat up wrapping herself around him from behind resting her head on his back as he continued his call. “Yeah, that’s not a problem, we will be there. On time.” She kissed his back as she went to get off the bed, “Do you want breakfast?” she said softly. “Not just yet” he responded as he tossed the phone on the bed, and quickly grabbed her arm tugging her back to his lap. “What’s going on with you? You have been off, you have been acting differently, something is going on.” He was being overly persistent about this, it was out of character. “No. Must be getting sick or something. I’m fine. Nothing is different.” She kissed him softly and stood back up. “Go shower, I’ll make you something to eat.” She knew he wouldn't buy it, she had felt things were off for a while, things were different. She is used to the stress, she is used to not talking to him as much, but it just felt different the last six months or so. She was right, and he knew he was right and it hurt much more to think he knew how she felt without her saying it because he had told her over and over what it was going to be like, and she accepted that with no obligations. “He picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, “Well, you are coming with me then” he demanded as he made his way to the shower. As she wiped the steamy mirror off she felt she was looking at a stranger. She felt so lost lately, she questioned who she would be a lot more without him lately. She put on a brave face though and reminded herself it was just in her head as she squeezed the toothpaste onto her toothbrush and began the morning routine. She smiled at him as he came up and kissed her forehead as he secured his towel around his waist and began to brush his teeth. “Can you make some bacon? Please?” he winked at her before spitting into the sink. “Of course love,” she nodded as she brushed out her hair, quickly securing it in a top knot and sliding one of his t-shirts on and walking out. He slapped her on the ass and chuckled as she jumped yelping. “Hey Olivia?” he said sarcastically, “I love you.” She stopped and turned to him, smiling slightly, “ I know you do. I love you too” she said as she turned to walk to the kitchen. As she shuffled through the fridge grabbing the thick cut bacon, onions, tomatoes and fresh eggs she thought about the events over the past few days. She could still hear the chickens clucking from off the shore on the dinghy, they were so loud as if something was attacking them off in the distance. A fox in the hen house, stealthy, deadly, direct and to the point. It was a blood curdling noise, she can only imagine the carnage that was left behind. She can remember what it was like to have blood all over her hands, the smell was always the same. It's a smell you can pinpoint in a second, it's all too familiar at the slaughterhouse if you are there enough. She remembers frequent visits there after having to clean up after herself. She smiles a sadistic smile as she remembers what it used to be like, a small giggle escapes her mouth before she quickly looks behind her to see if he was near. She lets the cupboard door slam shut as she grabs the pans and sets them on the stove. It's amazing how much dropping crowbars on cement sound like the metal pans on the burners. “Let’s go, make it fast, we don’t need to be here longer than necessary, we all have things to do.” Moving our order from one place to another was quite a job. The majority of High Command was in attendance to get the job done, quickly and with as few mistakes as possible. Granted it didn’t all go as smoothly as we had hoped, but we got the job done with no police and no casualties. Ravyn has had her hands clean for far too long, her true character was fighting to break through and it was taking everything she had to restrain doing anything to jeopardize her freedom. The thing that held her back was each and every face she called family. They were the reason she fought every day. The reason she sat on the side lines, antsy, irritated and becoming more and more displaced in her own mind. As she dropped the dirty bowls into the sink of water the backsplash hit her in the face and she laughed. The shitty quality of repair on the dinghy was definitely not funny, but hearing them tell those on the dinghy she was in to hurry up, in its slow and water retaining state was hilarious. The ride back to shore to store items was so long and frightening with sharks swimming the water and possibly stalking on land. Blood in the water had an all new meaning that night. The fins breaking the water set fear in many of us that night, all it would take was one failure in the engine and we were all fucked. She began laughing as she thought about how she nearly fell in jumping to the speed boat from the failed dinghy she was in charge of keeping afloat. “What’s so funny?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. “The fucken dinghy” she replied, still laughing. “Yeah, that was a nightmare,” he sighed as he grabbed a cup of coffee and walked to turn on the television and immediately switched to the news as he always did. “I wonder if any of LSK will make an appearance from the other day” he scoffed as he sat on the couch looking through his texts. She finished breakfast and put together their plates, quickly bringing them to the living room so it didn't get cold. “I don’t know but I would love to be able to drain each and everyone of them…” she blurted out. She handed him his plate as he sat back and scooted over for her to sit next to him on the couch. “Thank you,” he said graciously. “I cannot believe how arrogant that mother fucker was. Like he acted like you didn’t matter, like you were no one” she growled. “I know,” he replied. “He will end up learning the hard way, don’t worry baby.” He grinned as he shoved an entire piece of bacon in his mouth. She knew it's been some time since he ate actual food. She smiled at him shoveling food in his mouth, “I know you will be sure of it.” A few days ago there had been LSK members selling at the pier and those who knew better were aware that was Rook territory and that was off limits. So in true diplomatic form, we wanted to have a meeting to discuss how things were going to proceed from there. After some words and numbers were exchanged with Kirk, an LSK member, we waited for a call, a call we should have just ignored. Ravyns phone rang as they were looking at properties in Del Perro, UNAVAILABLE flashing across the screen. She picked it up answering cautiously, “Hello?” “Yeah, who is this?” the caller demanded. “I’m sure you called me, who the hell are you?” she laughed. “You wanted to meet with me I was told, so who are you?” His tone was less than desirable in any situation. The conversation continued in a way that had her wanting to reach through the phone and choke a motherfucker. She got his name, Trent Johnson, and his number and gave it to so he could call him back. When that call was over you could see the annoyed look on his face. It was his “I cannot be fucken bothered with this” face. She laughed as she looked at him but was quickly alerted to Remmi’s screams. As she was looking around the building she had gotten clipped by a rogue Go Postal truck on the road, but not hurt too badly. “What the fuck is going on with all these fucken drivers these days?!” she grumbled. They were a problem everyone was having to deal with as of late, but our current situation took priority over the chaos that are Los Santos drivers. Neither of them was too sure what drove us to go meet with LSK after the asshole on the phone was disrespectful and demanding. Our better judgement said otherwise, cancel or as Ravyn suggested several times, change things up, go to a different location last minute. Regardless of the tingles up her spine and spidey senses screaming don’t do it, those of us awake went to meet with the arrogant prick who was leading LSK and his followers. As they pulled up to the meeting spot you could see the members standing there in the hangar waiting for them. There were no real pleasantries exchanged, straight to business and rude as well. We all removed our masks as we were told, ’s remind on as well as ’s. The rest of us should never have listened to in this situation, but we did as we were told and it was something that would make the family’s life a bit more complicated. “We’re familiar with the city, we got eyes everywhere man. We got guys posted up two miles up the road, one mile down the road, half a mile down the road and a quarter mile down the road.” Ravyn could feel the irritation in radiating as she stood inches from him. It grew quickly by the second with every word spoken, it was in the way their leader was demanding in areas he had no right know. He was in no position to know half of the little he was even told, yet demanded more and began to take control of the meeting. For anyone who knows , being spoken over, disrespected and made to look weak was not going to go over well. “Am I not being heard? Am I not talking?” he asked us standing at his sides. “No, he just doesn’t fucken care” Ravyn hissed low and slow. You could hear the leather gloves rub together as she tightened her fists and gritted her teeth at the man across from her. She learned to whisper to on her right, just past Remmi, “This fuck is far too arrogant.” agreed with her and they were cut off as Trent spoke over them, directly to them. “What are we whispering about?” he asked in an undesired tone. “Deciding what I’m going to make for dinner...” She was cut off by who sternly told the man “If it was something you needed to know, you would’ve been told.” “Oh yeah?’ he laughed sarcastically, “ I mean we could eat, when are we coming over?” Ravyn wanted to slice the smile off of that ugly ass face of his. Before she could say anything chimed in, “Yeah she can cook, but let’s get back to business” It has recently become a common recurrence with to hear “Take your mask off”, “You’re being disrespectful”, “I won’t talk to someone who won’t take their mask off”, you can only laugh at this point. There were too many loose lips around and if they did not want to acknowledge that, they were part of the problem. Those that have met with many times before decided acting like they didn’t know him, his voice, the fact that all of us looked to him when they asked a question, waiting for him to respond, were suspicious to say the least. There was no logical reason for them to see ’s face unless they needed to make a positive ID on him, and unless it was for PD when you clearly knew , save your bullshit and lies for the next fool. The comment of having people posted not far away rattled in Ravyns mind. “We’ve got guys posted…” And that they did, the LSPD as a matter of fact. When we met with the people below him earlier that day, they stated their leader was being arrested or was in jail, how long unknown, but conveniently released not long after we requested a meeting. Convenient don’t you think? It wasn’t long into the meeting before sirens were heard, far too close, tires squealing as numerous cop cars came barreling in behind us, not leaving a lot of time to get out. As they ran to their cars, Ravyn struggled to tie her mask back on as floored it out of the airport, other cars speeding behind us. We saw members of LSK stalled or crashed on the side of the road on our way out. Ravyn knew what she needed to do immediately after they were free and clear and laid low. There were so many things that went through their heads as they hid out for awhile, how much did actually let them know, what was their angle. Ravyn replayed every single word said over and over in her head, their tone, any meanings behind it, EVERYTHING. “Are you full or did you want something else?” she asked as she grabbed his plate from him. “More coffee please?” he asked politely. She nodded as she headed to the kitchen to clean their plates and refill his mug. She could smell the blunt he lit as she put away the clean dishes in the cabinet. She handed him the cup and he passed the blunt to her as she sat besides him sprawling her legs across his. “We should go get going, we have people to judge, can’t be late,” he replied as he got up and motioned her to go get dressed. She smiled and compiled, this is her life, she knew what it was, this is what it will always be. This is what they will be, she will always be wondering when he will tire of her and leave, but she was persistent in reminding herself she was being paranoid and it was a problem. As the day progressed she didn't hear anything from him, no texts, responded to, no calls answered and she knew he was around, she heard him on the radio. She arrived shortly before anyone got there and talked shit with Frankie for a bit before others began to arrive. She was always at ease with him. She could laugh and be herself and she was thankful. It wasn’t long after her telling him a new name choice, since it may have to happen again so soon that the shit talk fell out of his mouth like ice cream from a self serve machine. Frankie and Ravyn laughed over different options as the others finally arrived. The entire day passed before she saw him and had the chance to say anything to him. Had she done something she wasn’t aware of? What was his issue? As approached her she told him “I may need to change my name again, Church was asking for my ID today at the pier after and were standing next to me, both saying different names” she groaned rolling her eyes. He looked over to her, brow raised in curiosity. “What did you have in mind?” he asked. “REDACTED ” she said quietly and cautiously, “What do you think?” He didn’t say anything on the subject other than repeat it back to her questionably before he walked away calling everyone to gather up. As they waited for the remaining members to arrive she whispered to him “Would you even care if I disappeared?” He didn’t acknowledge she spoke to him, not even a look, a sign, nothing. It has been eating at her since they have been getting more and more distant it seemed. She bit her tongue and leaned against the rail waiting for it all to begin. As she stood there came up and stood beside her and whispered asking what ’s problem was today. He seemed off the last few days, it seemed she wasn't the only one noticing. Their conversation continued as they listened to the prospects and asked their questions. In the midst of it all the conversation turned a direction she hadn’t expected with . Jokingly she told him to kill her, and he asked when and where and from there it seemed to get a bit more serious. She kicked a pebble over the edge and listened for the splash; there wasn't one. No echo, nothing, just silence. “I’ve thought about disappearing too” he whispered to her as he moved in closer, his gaze looking down as well. “ REDACTED and I both thought about it, doing it together” he said in a sad cold tone. “I still do” she stated as she turned around returning to her leaning position against the rail. As the time began to drag on, as recruitments tend to do with us, some members began to get antsy, Frankie and Ravyn being two of them. He slowly approached her on the right, sniffing the air near her. “What in the fuck are you doing?” she said quietly to him. “I smell dog shit, did you step in some?” he questioned, looking her over, continuing to assault her with his sniffing. “NO” she said a bit too loud. “Did you?” she said quietly. “No, check your shoes.” he demanded. She looked at the bottoms of her shoes and reiterated her statement, “Nothing on them. Maybe it's your upper lips nasty ass” she laughed softly. The conversation continued and they were a little louder than they realized and it caught his attention and he was not amused. He walked over scolding Ravyn, whispering to her “Are you ignorant? Drunk?” in an unfavorable tone, the tone in which she knew her place and to shut up. “You can continue on with not saying much to me from here on out” she whispered in a growl to him and walked away. It wasn’t too long before REDACTED came up to say something to her quickly. “Sorry I’m hangry and I feel like I have told you to chill already multiple times'' and then walked away. Thankfully recruitment ended shortly there after and they were free to leave. Ravyn couldn’t get away fast enough, walking for quite some time before Shawn was instructed to pick her up and bring her to collect REDACTED ‘s car and pick him up. She did as she was told and collected him and drove back to the city saying as little as possible before stopping to fill up his tank. REDACTED ’s tone had changed, but she still proceeded cautiously. The ride back to the city was fairly quiet on her part and the conversation was basic and business as usual with a few little jokes inserted at an attempt at comic relief. The suggestion to go fishing to relax was put on the table and they headed that direction, things starting to fall back into place between them. As they approached the entrance to the pier he said something that caught her off guard, reminding her she was wrong and her stress was getting the best of her. “I think we should go skydiving one day maybe.” She just looked over to him, confused at his request. “Everyone?” she questioned. “No. You and I” he reassured. “Ok.” Maybe he did hear her, but she will never know.

No one commenting intended to make it seem we were upset, so apologies! If you would run into any Rooks IC and have interactions you would see the evolution from earlier posts and where they are at now. But I think you should take a read, the stories are great and provide a great option for immersion! I would love to see even more clothing options in city as well! #BougieLife

Good thing thats such an OLD pic right? The evolution of the Rooks is a beautiful thing. ♥ #details

+1

4 years ago…. The ground shook with an insurmountable force, there was no way anyone would be able to hear the actions going on inside. The decision to hack into the system was far better than the caveman rituals of the past; using explosives to get past the thick steel doors. What was awaiting us on the other side was an abundant amount of gold bars, thick stacks of one hundred dollar bills and jewels that rested waiting inside the vault. It had taken valuable time, patience, practice and manipulation to get us to this point. The hours spent going over the plans, the practice runs on multiple locations in different areas of the world so as to not raise suspicion as well as the countless failures have all got us here. It was now or never and none of us were ready to fail or go down without a fight, this was of far too much importance. Needing to complete this with precision accuracy, coordination and on top of it all flawlessly was key and we were more than capable. As they approached the bank they pulled into an alley less than a block away, lights off and Ravyn got to work accessing the bank's security system, overriding all permissions. Her fingers danced across the keys of the secure laptop. The screen's low glow casted a dim light on the interior of the dark car. The program was running perfectly, and thankfully after the long nights testing it over and over. All you could hear was the steady thud as the massive raindrops hit the outside of the vehicle, no one dared to make a noise, it seemed as if no one was even breathing. “Okay, it’s done.” Ravyn whispered as she destroyed the hard drive before closing the laptop, handing it off to [] and with one swift motion he tossed it out the window as the car began to drive away. The car glided the remaining distance quickly and they all piled out one by one in front of the main branch of the Pacific Standard Bank in the Plaza de Callao in the center of Madrid. As they stood there looking up at the massive structure [] smiled knowing full well what was in store for them and what they were leaving with. “Keep your damn gloves on, move fast, don’t fuck up, and heads on a swivel.” [] hissed in a low tone. “Everyone knows their positions, so do what we came here to do and make it quick.” [] looked at each and everyone of us reassuring us all he would not stand for failure. With that everyone pushed through the door and carried on with the task at hand. The first through the doors was [], his slow stride allowed everyone to get to the spot they needed to be before he got to his rightful place. Jack and Jerzy had the luggage bags to carry out the haul, Randy was responsible for putting the cameras on a loop before security could realize they were down. We had 9 minutes from the time the system was hacked to get in and get to the safe before they would check the camera loop again. As Randy worked diligently on his job, Johnnie and Frankie stood guard at the front doors. Harley made her way to the gate to get to the back standing guard while Jerzy and Jack passed through. [] made his way through and waited as Jack dug in his bag to pull out the tools he needed to get through the gates. He made quick work of the codes and disassembled the wires and damn near the entire box. Ravyn stood by the other entrance as she pulled out a second laptop monitoring the system as is and watching over them as they worked, eyes glued to the screen in case there was any indication they had been made. You could hear the brass gate creak and squeak as it was opened. “One down, one to go” Jack announced as they proceeded through down to the vault. “You’re still all clear” Ravyn affirmed over the radio. “Over watch? Are we clear?” she questioned Johnnie and Frankie at the front. “Clear.” they replied, in tandem. “Carry on Jack, make it quick. You have 3 minutes left.” she reminded him. “Oh Ravyn, yee of little faith, I’ll have it done with time to spare little bird” he laughed. The team managed to clear a large amount of items, free and clear and gone before anyone even knew they were there. They watched the news for the following weeks keeping watch on anything that may lead the authorities their direction. After a month passed and everything settled they decided that hiding the money away on a highly secure private island. The money, jewels and gold had sat untouched, unnoticed and safe for four years. Present Day… The only thing that crossed []’s mind was how did they find it. “How...” “Who said something…” “What in the hell happened…” All that mattered at this moment was how were they going to get it back and who was going to pay for this. [] planned a trip with five of the family to take a trip to the island and inspect the damage and look for clues. [This is in no way meant to be a gain as a faction. This is strictly fiction to help deepen the immersion of the Rooks genre.]

The window was cold under her index finger as she slid it across the foggy glass while she looked around waiting. The stagnant cigar and weed smell was thick and potent, the thought of needing to get the limo cleaned crossed her mind several times as they sat waiting. The horns could be heard in the distance as the ships made port, the echoes radiated through every inch of their surroundings. You could hear the fork lifts, squealing tires off in the distance and the laughing of workers on their breaks from the buildings behind them. Her focus was broken when [] asked if there was a bottle of wine in the mini fridge. As she turned her focus to him she was caught off guard as she normally was as their eyes met. His ice blue eyes could rip a person's soul apart or set it ablaze. She often imagines the stern deadly look he gives people when he has the barrel of his gun in their face, the thrill that had risen in her could be looked at as off putting to some. They had a relationship that thrived on the oddities that would make others squirm. It has always been that way, the sadistic, sarcastic attraction that was magnetic from the moment they met. She watched from the corner of her eye as [] reached into the fridge to grab the bottle and reached for the bottle opener. The sound the cork made as it pooped was deafening. She caught a glimpse of headlights in the distance as she jumped hitting her head on the window. Within seconds you could hear the directions given over the radio, perfection from trained members. “They’re here. Let’s go.” As we all piled out of the car, you could see their vehicles drive by and slow down one by one as they parked off to the side hiding their cars as well as they could. You could hear the soft pitter patter of the rainy mix hitting on the ground around them all as they all lined up. Everyone stood there for a moment, staring at each masked face across the board, a few voices were familiar as they spoke. [] & []’s voices rang clear. She had met them a few days prior and her curiosities of who they may be with were laid to rest. The discussions progressed as the cold night continued around them. The frigid air was beginning to hit most of us. As she sat shaking slightly trying to hide it, Ravyn noticed a faint light in the distance and the low hum of a BF400 approaching. She got on the radio instantly to check to see if it was one of them and with no response she and [] began their perimeter search to locate the person on the BF400. The cold bit at her thighs as she ran around the warehouses. She checked doors and corners thoroughly as she passed scanning the area as she proceeded along. As they finished the lap there was no sign of the person they were looking for, confirmation from the eyes above left them calm and able to return to the meeting. After all was said and done they all quickly loaded back into their vehicles, frozen and slightly slower than they once were. Thankfully the car was left running and it was warm with alcohol waiting for them. The leather gloves adorning her icy hands did nothing to help with the cold she thought as she rubbed her hands together vigorously trying to warm them. [] smiled as he handed her a glass of whisky on the rocks, “Here, this will help.” She began to slowly drink it as the drive back to the city began and it instantly began to warm her with every sip. “We need to discuss our current locations and decide which is our main headquarters. It has to be something that will suit us and our needs.” he spoke softly. There was a short discussion of options as they made their way through the eerily quiet streets. The list of our current locations included [], [] and [] the one which [] wanted badly for future business ventures. [] had plans, great plans for their future options and the possibilities laid out in front of them. As they pulled up to the pier the sun was rising in the distance, fresh snow settled carelessly across the wet and warped planks beneath them. Ravyn, [] and [] climbed out before the car drove off to make the last few stops. They made their way to []’s little perch he likes to oversee things on, above the crowd, atop his throne and only conversing when he sees fit; a king. Their conversation changed subjects as the morning began and topics from prospects, old members, other organizations and a few other topics, but one thing never changed as the topics did; what was expected from us and what needed to happen and sooner than later. The pier began to stir and people started pouring in for their daily routines. It didn’t matter to [] if they were talking shit, having a good time, working to make ends meat or just hanging out. As long as they weren’t bringing unnecessary problems our way, selling weapons without our say so in the area [] made it clear there was nothing to be done and they should be allowed to continue on. he daily routine was in full swing once [] approached the first car of the day looking to speak with him. Ravyn said her goodbye as he kissed her cheek before walking away to start his long day. “I’ll see you when you are done here. You need some sleep, 36 hours is enough love.” She hugged him tight since she never knew if he would make it home safe, but since they were close she knew she could be back in minutes. “I’ll have breakfast for you waiting from the diner. Hurry so it’s not cold.” Before she left she looked down at the people on the pier and smiled and spoke softly to herself. “Look how far we’ve come. I'm so proud of all my boys.” She scoffed after a second. “Pfft. And they thought they could destroy us. Look who’s still here thriving bitches.”

Welcome to the family!

Cannot wait to see what you do with this!!

Everything was going as it usually had; business as usual, once our contacts reached out to us to alert us to shipments beginning again. It was a long drought in which there was quite a loss of weaponry among many gangs in the city. There was a loss for many across the state, many people lost homes, money, friends and family as well as their stature with the city. It seemed as if even the highest fall sometimes...sometimes they also crash and burn. Ravyn remembers the laughs and chuckles that escaped their lips as they held a gun to her. If she closed her eyes right this second she could smell the burning smell of his cologne that made her stomach churn, she could hear the streets alive at night and the squealing tires in the distance. She remembers the twinge she got the minute his screeching, crackling voice escaped his lips as he said... “On your knees Ravyn, DOWN!...Where is Dmitri Ravyn?” Rex’s voice could peel paint from walls, and make you wish your ear drums were both ruptured. A devilish smile begins to form on her lips as she thinks of the very moment she heard the Triads were no more. “Karmic debt has been paid,” she mutters under her breath. She snaps out of it as she hears his name being called over the radio on the table to the side and her phone ringing off in the distance. She groaned as she lifted the blankets as she shifted to roll over. She giggled as she stole the pillow from under his head and instinctively threw it over his head to the radio placed on the table. The radio fell to the floor with a thud as she returned to her warm spot on the bed. As she closed her eyes she heard the sleepiness in his tone as he grunted. He rolled over and pulled her close as he overtook some of her pillow and pulled the blankets over his head. “You’re such a bitch..” he said in a loving smart ass tone, “...I love you but I will throw your ass in the ocean if you do that shit again. Now go back to sleep.” It was only a matter of minutes that passed before both of their phones were buzzing and ringing. “Can I get one full night's sleep?” he growled as he rolled over to sit up and reach for the phone. “Yeah?” his tone changed to stressful as he stood up and began to pace around the room. “Ok, I’ll be there soon. Don’t agree to anything before I get there.” He set his phone down and began to look for something to wear before heading to the bathroom. She scrambled across the bed to grab her phone to look through the numerous text messages she had missed. She sighed as she threw herself back onto the pillows and let her phone fall to her side and closed her eyes. Some time passed before she felt him sit besides her she could smell his cologne and body wash and smiled as she opened one eye. “Hey lazy ass, are you going to get up today?” he laughed as he poked at her. “Yeah, yeah. Meetings?” she questioned. “Yeah, I will be away for a bit, but I hope I will see you when I am back between them.” He sounded tired as he usually does, “Be safe okay? And remember, Keep your ass out of trouble, no stores, no gun sales.” he reminded her sternly. “Okay okay. I know, they are watching me, I am not dumb.” she mumbled as she rolled her eyes. “Ravyn. I fucken mean it.” he hissed as he grabbed her arm to have her face him. “Don’t do anything dumb.” “I know. I get it. I won’t” she reiterated. He leaned over to kiss her forehead before he stood up to grab his keys and wallet. “Just remember if anything happens I’ll always be able to find you. Just don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be ok?” he laughed as he placed things in his pocket and grabbed his black leather gloves and his gun. “I make no promises sir.” she giggled as she got up to get ready for her day. He kissed her goodbye and walked out the door. Before she could get to the bathroom door her phone was ringing, she sighed as she turned around to fetch her phone. “Why good morning Harley, what’s up?” She finished her call and moved quicker than she had. “Of course there is a fucken meeting right now! FUCK!” she said to herself as she rushed into the shower. Her tires squealed as she flew into the parking lot of the Noodle house, the parking lot was full of different gang members vehicles. She swiftly got out of the car and made her way to the building where she saw a crowd lingering on top of the building. “Yo, Fitz!” she shouted up at the men, some faces she knew and others were guarded by masks. Tom Fitz climbed down and headed her direction and greeted her warmly as he got closer. “What's up Ravyn, long time.” “Yeah, nothing I’m sure you aren't aware of.” she responded “Brandon around? I am late for this meeting.” “Of course you aren’t looking for me,” he laughed “Just kidding, they are all inside, come on I’ll show you where.” He began to walk to the front showing her the way and requested the door gets unlocked over the radio. As she entered the building the background music playing fit the tone the second the aroma hit her nose. Her stomach began to growl as she moved in further, the food cooking in the kitchen smelled amazing. She could hear the voices grow louder and the clanking of glass as she entered the large dining room. There were loads of familiar faces gathered in one room, faces she had seen on the other side of the barrel, faces she saw beaten, bruised and bloody laying on the ground. Faces she had laughed with and faces she had seen destroyed by loss. She scanned the room looking for her family as she slowed her pace, quickly finding them she turned to their direction. Dante, Charlie and Harley were all gathered together at the table as the discussion continued. Behind them stood a face she hadn’t seen in awhile prior to the day before. Brandon Fitz stood, arms crossed with a welcoming smile. He nodded at her and moved a bit closer as she stood there with her arms crossed. He moved closer to her, just behind her to the right and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Hey sister. How are you?” he opened warmly. “Good, just a bit late,” she laughed softly “...you?” “I’m good, are you hungry? Need something to drink?” he offered her. She shook her head “...not just yet but I will soon.” He nodded and took a step back as they returned their attention to the meeting. Tension seemed a bit high as they discussed the Blacklist. “It doesn’t matter, if there is proof they are a snitch, we do not need to run the evidence past you. They are cut off unless they can prove their innocence. Blacklisted are enemies of us all and should be treated that way. No guns, no drugs, no help.” Alicia growled through her teeth with elegance and flair. “I just wanted it noted I am against it, but I’ll abide by it.” Charlie sighed as she forcefully threw herself back in her chair. She missed a bit of the meeting, but by what she had heard, she hadn’t missed much important. It seemed as if they skipped the things they were here for and got stuck on the Blacklist. As the meeting died down they began to serve food and drinks and tensions relaxed a bit. As the sun began to go down people started to clear out and Harley leaned over to whisper “We will be having a meeting after this, head to the Getty.” Ravyn nodded as she headed to the door. She said a few good byes and walked out the door to head for her car. The fresh air felt amazing on the walk, her stomach full of dumplings and tea, she rubbed her stomach with a smile. “I’ll admit, the motherfuckers can cook..” she said under her breath. As she pulled up to the Getty she noticed she was the first to arrive and radioed in she was there and it was clear. Shortly after cars started to arrive, first was [REDACTED], then followed [REDACTED], Harley and then [REDACTED]. Harley explained why she called another meeting with [REDACTED] and shortly thereafter they pulled up to the Getty. Ravyn watched and listened as Harley went through the motions, questioning the way things were said. There were things that Ravyn may not have agreed with, but she kept her mouth shut and collected information as she always does. With Dmitri not around as often due to important things to handle in meetings out of city, it was left on others to represent him and the family in his absence. Most knew the role they were to play and what role they belonged in, but it did seem that not everyone had received that memo. As the weeks passed our number grew, our potential new associates came in flocks it seemed. Ravyn was meeting new people everyday, and trying to see how everyone fit. She knew there were going to be bumps in the road with the new faces and wanted to be sure those of us looking over the progress remembered key points that may have been forgotten after the fall out and reformation. “Remind them to keep comms clear, phones off at labs, remember to change your freq as fast as you can if you can and for the love of god, we were told to not chop cars. If there is a way around us doing it and you get profit, talk to Bruce.” she reminded [REDACTED], [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]. She also reminded [REDACTED] to be more stern, they love him for who he is, but [REDACTED] needed to show he was in command of the group he had and they needed to show him the respect he deserved and listen. “You are capable of great things [REDACTED], so show them” she encouraged. “Good talk [REDACTED]” she laughed as she said good night and locked her door behind her for the night. She didn't have the energy to even change, she just flopped onto the bed, motionless. After a few minutes she looked at her phone for any missed calls or messages. She knew Dmitri had been around as Bruce had said he had talked to him here and there so she knew he was ok. She grabbed the radio and said her good nights before turning it off for the night. As she set down her phone and radio on the table she whispered “Good night Dmitri…” as she turned off the light and closed her eyes.

+1

A little further down the rabbit hole... "These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which as they kiss consume." - William Shakespeare As she kissed him goodbye and locked the door behind him she heard something which set her into panic mode and before she could get to her weapon it was too late, they were coming in, guns pointed in her direction and aimed at the back of his head. Things were just starting to fall into place after the hell their family had faced, and now one by one she saw numerous members of Aztecas, Zetas and Triads funneling into her apartment with all their eyes set on him. They wanted blood and answers and were willing to do whatever it took to get them. She knew the look she was given, it was one to shut the hell up and don’t act out. She didn’t need an explanation, didn’t need to be told, she would listen and do as he asked. With all the voices screaming in her ears it was deafening and she fought to keep focus on anything being said to her. “Bring him upstairs,” a voice yelled from above and without missing a beat they began to force him up the stairs, the gun still aimed at his head. Her breathing started to struggle as they moved him from the room, up the stairs and out of sight. Her eyes scanning and ears listening for a hint of him...something, anything. She could hear the door slam behind them and the men in the room with her still were on the radio and laughed as they mockingly joked “Good by Dmitri.” It seemed as if there was a house party going on upstairs as she stood at gunpoint in her bedroom, men saying unspeakable things to her as if it was second nature. There were numerous familiar faces in front of her, faces she wished she could forget and erase forever. Faces she once trusted, faces she once laughed with, faces she wished she could bury six feet under. It felt as if they were there for days as she stood there trying to hold her composure as best she could as she reminded herself to breath and focus. She barely caught what was said to her when one of the men near her stated they took Dmitri to his apartment to have a “conversation” and I was no longer needed. By the time they started to clear out she could barely stand and just wanted to get out of this place she thought to be her sanctuary from all the bullshit outside the walls. As the last person walked out the door she slammed it and locked it quickly before and then instantly unlocked the door and ran straight for the elevator and to the floor she hoped he would be on. As she tried to open the door, it wouldn't open, it was locked and she didn’t have keys for the very reason that just occurred. She slammed her fists on the door screaming his name, unaware if he was alive in there or if he was hurt. She fell to her knees as tears fell down her face continuing to beat on the door looking for any sign he was ok or if he was even in there. There is no knowing how long she actually laid there waiting before she managed to get the strength to pull herself off the ground and go back to her place to begin cleaning up the mess that awaited her. In the days that passed she spoke to no one. She waited with her phone and at the apartment to hear something from him. It was about a week later that she finally got word from him, he didn't say much other than he was ok and she needed to sell the apartment immediately because it is no longer safe. She brought boxes and began to pack up the essentials and was going to sell the rest with the penthouse, nothing else mattered at this point. She didn't know where she was going to stay but she knew it couldn't be there and loaded up what she could in her car and placed the apartment up for sale. After the house raid Ravyn knew she needed to pack up and find a new place to live until she could get back on her feet. Being able to live together at this time wasn't an option given the circumstances they were put in and to avoid further complications they continued to keep contact minimal. Things began to look up in the time that followed after the incessant loss the family faced. With the strength to move on and push forward, the loyal members stayed vigilant in their fight to regain their footing and power within the city. The nights were long and the fights brutal but the vision we had remained strong, as it had to be...there was no other option. Failure was not in our vocabulary. With a shift in the way we met with our overseas contacts, things seemed to be working in our favor in regards to growing in power and influence. We established our footing in Del Perro and skated within the shadows as we had been. We grew in numbers, the members may have been questionable, but they were what was needed at the time. Powerful allies, motivated sellers and moving stacks of money made our contacts very happy which was nothing but beneficial. With plans in place and everyone standing strong behind [REDACTED] the rise of the Rooks was on the way. This in no way meant there weren't changes to be made in our ranks and change they did. We lost numbers, but there is and will not be room for anyone who will not fall in line [REDACTED] wouldn’t stand for it. He would no longer tolerate the insubordinate and made sure to clip their wings so they were no longer able to fly again in our ranks. Once things calmed down for us, the city woke in chaos again. Many of the gangs were at war with each other, a song tried and true that never fails. You could hear the war cries across the state, the bullets sang a death song to any one who listened close enough and we were directed to stay out of it and if we didn’t, there would be consequences and repercussions. There would be no repeats. No second chances. There were no instances in which disobedience would be tolerated and some found that out swiftly, without hesitation. We stood neutral with the rival gangs and hoped it would stay that way although there were some members of other gangs that didn’t seem to understand this situation at hand. There were a lot of meetings to be attended and our higher ranking members attended and allowed the trusted members to attend and handle their own as long as they followed the guidelines set out for them. “He was a silent fury who no torment could tame.” ― Jack London, White Fang Making new friends, contacts and acquaintances was beneficial in all ways possible. We still were always looking over our shoulders and for now, we regained sights on our real enemies again...the police. What we didn’t realize is they were also looking a lot closer at us as well. [People reaching out to regain our trust] [Various meetings] While Ravyn, [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] were laying low driving around they spotted Ravyn’s car and instantly pursued. As her vehicle was searched and they were questioned, they said they were being detained due to suspicion of being affiliated with the criminal organization the ‘Rooks” and there was a case being built on them and Ravyn’s name was listed. Ravyn and [REDACTED] were arrested and thrown into prison for possession of an illegal firearm. This instantly put [REDACTED] on high alert and Ravyn was directed to stand down in anything that would leave her in a compromising situation or that would possibly lead them to anything within the organization. Officer Jason Steele had a hard on for the Rooks, [REDATED] in particular and it seemed there was nothing he wouldn’t do to be able to get his hands on them. With all eyes on her actions she could do nothing but follow [REDACTED]’s directions the best she could and believe, it was harder than it seemed. Leaving little options to make money she helped out in other ways making contacts and meeting new people. She directed those seeking help in the right direction and was sure to vet those she came in contact with carefully and cautiously. There were very few that could be trusted, even less that she did trust completely. Keeping their circle small and their enemies under a watchful eye they continued to do business keeping their demeanor, voices low and punishment fierce. “To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.” - Sun Tzu Even with all the eyes on them, the family found ways to laugh and enjoy their days between business deals and meetings. It kept us sane, focused and aligned in our plans. As the family grew closer you could see the love and strength they possessed. It wasn’t something you would see in the other gangs, it wasn’t an obligation, it wasn’t forced. You could see that when [REDACTED] moved they all moved in rhythm, as it was meant to be, which helped in keeping the mindset right, the focus on the prize and kept everyone in line; everyone had a role to play. With the war still in play and the heat getting hotter surrounding it, our contacts shut the doors on us as well as everyone else in the city. Trying to avoid the drama that followed the fighting gangs war and the trouble it brought along with it left them with no choice other than to remove themselves from the equation. This added a bit of a complication to plans but [REDACTED] wasn’t worried and we continued as planned as we waited to see what would come of this situation at hand. [REDACTED] had his mind set on how things would progress and refused to waiver and watched every move being made, calculating the outcomes for each change he could foresee. This game of chess was far from over and they were determined to be the victor and eagerly waiting for the words “CheckMate” to cross their lips. “Where there is perhaps a province in which the photograph can tell us nothing more than what we see with our own eyes, there is another in which it proves to us how little our eyes permit us to see.” - Dorthea Lange

This makes my heart happy!! ♥

It seemed like any other day flying in for the monthly catch up in the city. When Ravyn got to town she went through her routine, checked messages, changed freq and went from there. There was a text from Harley reminding her of the meeting they spoke about last time. She made her way to the location and upon arriving she saw A LOT more people than last time she was in town, apparently members grew quite a bit. Things felt a bit off as she made her way in further but she parked in an available space and made her way over to the crowd. As she approached she saw Harley and said her hellos and was then instantly introduced to all the people she did not know. However, she was unaware these were not Void members, but members of the Shelby gang. After the meeting finished and people decided they wanted to take photos is when she was informed who these people really were. While everyone was posing and laughing and enjoying their time Ravyn realized she hadn’t seen Jerzy and decided to text him and find out if he was around. As she was finishing up her text her heart dropped, the undeniable screech of sirens and yelling set in and she was caught off guard….something she has been working hard at not letting happen in the last 9 months. As she hit send she heard a man yelling from behind her to put her hands up and she began shaking as she tried to calm herself and put her phone away. She went to put her hands up as she heard the shot fire...then the instant pain she had been all too familiar with. She had been shot, and a moment later realized where she had been hit… As she screamed in pain she felt the officer handcuffing her, ignoring her pleading as she was bleeding severely from her stomach. As she cried out the only thing the officer said was “I guess you shouldn’t be at a gang meeting when you're pregnant then now should you?” The emotions were running high as the tears streamed down her face, she wasn’t crying from the pain...she could feel the baby contorting in her womb...she could feel the pain he was in as he was surely fighting for his life, and she hers. It took forever for the officer to finally get her to the medic that was near and Ravyn began to go into labor, bleeding, cuffed and snarling at the officer dragging her across the property, careless of what had been done to an unarmed woman with her phone out. The medic instantly began trying to deliver the baby but things were not going as she would have hoped. It took even longer for the medic to get the officer to allow her to be brought to the hospital but thankfully Officer Raven helped move it along faster since he could see this was a severe situation which needed to be handled appropriately and quickly. They rushed through the streets of Los Santos fast and as carefully as possible screeching the tires as they reached their destination. As they rolled the stretcher into the hospital medics were besides Ravyn trying to assist in a fateful situation. The doctor quickly sedated Ravyn having to perform a C-Section to remove the baby, wasting no time she inserted the needle and went through the motions to put her under. As she came to, the tone of the room was that of death, it was as if she was in a morgue, cold, alone and empty. She instinctively reached for her stomach which she could tell was empty….she couldn't feel him move. She began to look around the room as things slowly came into focus. Gripping the side of the bed, she struggled to pull herself to her side as she scoured the room looking for a hint of her son, a clue, a cry, anything. She heard movement to the foot of the bed and saw Officer Raven there, eyes glossy, head down, awkwardly fidgeting trying not to look her in the eye. “Where is he?” she was able to mutter softly. He only looked up at her and she saw the tears run down his face. She felt this pain one other time not long ago, the pain of her heart being ripped into a million pieces...tiny particles with no hope of recovering from this one. The sound that escaped her mouth is indescribable, pure gut wrenching pain you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. Ravyn loses her balance as she cries and nearly falls to the floor as the doctor comes back into the room rushing to her side. The doctor and the officer try to help her to the bed but she fights to stand next to the bed, demanding to see her son...she needed to know for sure. “I want to see him. Now.” “Ms. LeRoy, I don’t think that’s…” “NOW” Ravyn screams. “Bring him here. NOW.” As Ravyn became hysterical the Doctor couldn’t fight her, and felt for her as she pleased, demanded and cried to see her child. Without another rejection, the doctor left the room to retrieve the infant's body. “You don’t want to see him Ravyn…” Officer Raven tried to plead with her, but he knew better as she glared at him, and did not say another word, tears still running down his face. As he hung his head she heard the door open and any bit of her heart that was hanging on for dear life died in that moment she looked down at him. She ran her fingers over his face, his cheeks soft and cold, his precious lips were blue and perfect. He looked like Dmitri, even at this size, she knew he would look like him. A head full of dark hair, his nose...and he was perfect. As she continued to fight to breathe she couldn’t tear herself from him. The spot where her heart began to grow cold and hard in the last moments she saw him. She memorized every inch of his face which fielded the rage and fire from within. She didn’t know which officer shot her, nor did she care at this moment. They would all pay eventually. She didn’t care if she had to burn the entire city to the ground to do it. It felt like an eternity that she sat there looking at the beautiful baby she was never able to see smile. The boy she would never see laugh, never see in his father's arms, a little man she would never hear call out to her. As she stared at him she remembered the name Dmitri had in mind that she thought was a name she would never agree to. Durial. She had looked up the meaning of that name a while back and laughed as she read the meaning. “God is my home.” She thought it was ridiculous since she didn’t believe in god. But in that moment looking down at him and his angelic face she knew he was right, Durial was right “Lil D” for short. Officer Raven looked to Ravyn, knowing he was supposed to bring her in. He walked to her slowly and placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered…”This was punishment enough. I cannot arrest you after this...No one should have to endure that and then go to jail.” He apologized again and made his way out the door behind the doctor wheeling Durial from the room. Ravyn watched her son as she took him away and fell to the bed passing out exhausted. The time that passed after that felt like years although it was only a few days she was in recovery. When she was able to leave, she reached out to the family and let them know what had happened. Harley had been fighting and scouring footage of any possible go pro footage anyone may have had from that day, but was more concerned on comforting Ravyn at this moment. Ravyn’s only concern at the moment was how she was going to tell Dmitri. How is she going to tell this man his son he didn't know about until a short time ago was now dead and what he would do or say. A couple days passed and in that time she floated around emotionless, staying hidden away as much as possible. The looks on peoples faces, the sympathetic looks and the sorrys were too much to bear. She missed Dmitri, she missed her brother, the two men in her life that were most important. A few days passed before she heard from Dmitri and it was to call a meeting. When she got the call from him her heart sank instantly as she fought to find the strength to say the words and destroy the happiness in his voice then and there. Tears began to fall and her voice began to crack and he knew something was wrong and wanted to meet up to talk. Ravyn and Harley made their way to the meeting spot and she recognized faces she hadn’t seen in awhile. [REDACTED], seeing their faces made her smile and warmed her soul a little, hearing [REDACTED]'s voice made her smile as it always had. They pulled into the meeting place and as she approached him her legs felt weak and she couldn’t breathe and the worry on his face was able to be seen from where she was. He hugged her and gave her a kiss before the words could leave her mouth. “I have some news.” she said quietly. She turned and headed away from the group wanting to tell him privately. “He’s gone...they killed him.” The tears began to flow as she began to tell him what happened. The expressions on his face cycled from pain and hurt instantly into rage and anger as the words left her lips. “Who was it?” he demanded. “Harley put in an IA report and we are still trying to find out.” You could cut the tension with a knife as the next moments passed. In true Dmitri form he pulled himself together and reminded Ravyn she needed to do the same since there were other dire issues at hand and they needed to be vigilant and focused on the things in motion around them. The meeting commenced and took a long time as they usually did, and Ravyn began to get antsy as she usually does. All she could think of was the call she received telling her she could collect Durials body to bury him. She had the arrangements set and the grave was ready for him. She knew it all had to be done secretly and without anyone knowing given the situation everyone was in due to the traitorish activity of previous Rook members. It saddened her knowing none of the family could gather for it because so many of them had to appear non-existent. As the meeting was coming to a close she excused herself letting Dmitri know where she was going, hoping he would be able to meet her. She met the staff at the hospital to sign the paperwork and left to meet them at the grave site. She waited for a while for Dmitri to text her back or call and when he didn’t she texted [REDACTED] to have him remind him if they were still in the same place. The workers there were getting impatient as she continued to wait longer still hearing nothing. Her nerves were shot, jumping at every car she heard speed by not knowing who it could be or if they would pull in and see her there. She knew she couldn’t wait anymore and directed them to start. She watched the casket get lowered in the ground, and as they layered the dirt on his casket, part of her soul was buried with him in that moment. She sat there for a couple hours longer before she decided to leave, the sun was setting and it wasn’t safe to be sitting out in the open like that. A while passed before she heard from Dmitri again and she met up with him to help retrieve vehicles from impound quickly and safely. As they sat there her thoughts began to race and she blurted out she buried their son. “Wait, you did WHAT?” he said with an anger she hadn’ t heard before in a very calm tone. “You did it without me?” He just stared at her as she stared blankly back at him. She had no energy left to argue, the only words she uttered was “I waited and you never came or called. I couldn’t just sit there staring at that casket knowing he was in there anymore. I carried him alone, I lost him alone, I buried him alone.” She knew what she said was uncalled for and regretted it immediately. She knew the situation and she wasn’t truly mad, just alone, hurting and the sadness she was feeling had no words to describe it at this moment. You could tell he was hurt and angry, but he kept his composure and never raised his voice. He didn’t say anything for some time as they sat there waiting for an officer to retrieve his vehicles. After the police gave him his vehicles and Ravyn helped him move them to a secure place they went for a ride. They didn’t say much as they rode around but things calmed between them. They didn’t speak of what she had done, unsure if it was out of fear, anger or what have you neither said a word about it. He rested his hand on her thigh as they drove and she placed her hand on his speeding through streets with the engine of the jester purring loudly. In that moment she remembered everything they had been through in the last 3 years together. The things they have fought through and survived, this would be no different and they will survive this too. As he pulled up to the house he smiled at her softly saying, “ I love you.” “I love you too” she said as she unbuckled and they climbed out of the car. They both had a long day and hadn’t seen much of each other in a very long time. They both were exhausted and just wanted this all to be over, everything. They climbed onto the bed and he curled up behind her wrapping his arms around her as they slowly drifted off to sleep ready to fight another day.

TRYING TIMES The next few days were a blur as Ravyn tried to wrap her head around everything going on. She began to just go through the motions of her daily routines, empty and lost. She took to the roads with nothing but a bike, her cards and her phone looking for him as well as some clarity. She would jump every time her phone would buzz and each time she saw anyone who resembled Dmitri. A month passed and still no word from him, she was beginning to lose hope for it all, ready to walk away from the family and leave town for good but something changed all that. It was the one thing that made her stay, in hiding from everyone in safety...she was pregnant. Another month passed with no word of Dmitri and Ravyn kept her secret safe. She kept in contact with Jerzy and had random meetings on the status of the Rooks and how it has been hidden under the surface of the Void. Jack, Jerzy, Harley and Ravyn had meetings to be sure they did all they could to be sure the Rooks looked dead to everyone, including some members. They changed everything, colors, clothing, attitude and purpose on the outside while things were being handled beneath the surface through Dante. They were not going to let this go down in flames, regardless of it they heard from Dmitri or not at this point. Family is family and they were fighting to keep it alive. A short time later Ravyn had arrived in town and got a call from Jerzy to meet up. Thinking it was just another meeting in secret she gathered herself, climbed in her car and made her way to meet him. As she pulled up, something seemed off and as she got closer she saw him. Tears instantly filled her eyes as his face came into view, his smile had it hard to breathe. It took all she could to pull herself to her feet and walk towards him. He hugged her tight and kissed her as she clung to him, not wanting to let go. He explained what he had been up to and how he had been in contact with Jerzy, Jack and Dante only due to he knew she was being watched and followed by those hoping she would lead them to him. He knew it was hard for her as well as him, but it was for everyone's safety and in order for all these plans to work out, it had to be that way. It took everything Ravyn had to not tell him their baby had been growing all this time, but after hearing all of this, she knew it had to be this way. He began to explain his plans from there on out and how there would be no way to contact him and he would reach out to us when he needed to speak to them. He would be changing his name, appearance, everything to be absolutely certain the plans would play out. Unknown if and when she would hear from him again. They said their goodbyes as she hugged him tight, trying to remember every part of him as this would be the last time she would see the face she has grown to love. The passing month consisted of plans, recruiting, choices and making more people believe the Rooks were no more. With Ravyn being second in command of the Void it kept her a little busy, but her focus wasn't there and she was beginning to be noticeably larger than normal as the months continued on. Knowing it was not safe to be out and about in the daytime or around those who would recognize her she began traveling out of town more often and staying away and having little contact with the high command as it was harder to hide her predicament. Jerzy seemed to be getting annoyed with her absence and she knew it was time to tell them the news as she was almost 8 months pregnant and she didn’t want things to go down hill and interfere with plans. She needed to show her face and be more present, and this was the only way this would happen. She called Jerzy when she landed in town and asked if they could meet up and talk. He was more than willing to meet up and discuss things and that set her at ease. Jerzy, Harley, Randy and a few new faces were present as well when she broke the news. It took a minute as they all looked at her with a bit of confusion and the obvious question came out….”Is it Dmitri’s?” Ravyn rolled her eyes and sighed as she confirmed it was his and explained that she didn’t tell him and had no way to tell him the news at all and hiding was the safest option for everyone. Catching up with them felt like home, she missed it, all of it. She explained how she would be available, but not in town as much until this was sorted and the baby could be protected. With everything going on in the city and the hecticness she could hear just driving to the location, she knew it was the right choice. She left again and told Jerzy she would be in contact once she landed in town again. A month passed and she kept her word but texting Jerzy to meet up. As she pulled up to the meeting place there was a man she didn't know there as well and Ravyn approached with caution. As she got closer she saw the masked man and could feel his eyes on her. She looked to Jerzy who stayed quiet other than saying “Hi Ravyn.” She clutched her growing stomach in concern as she responded “...Jerzy.” She never looked away at the man as she stood there wondering why they were meeting with whoever this was. Minutes of silence passed before the man began to lift his mask off and spoke. Ravyn’s heart stopped, she was speechless as the man spoke. She knew the voice, the tone but this man looked nothing like who that voice belonged to. So many thoughts ran through her mind in a short time and anger was what it landed on and she walked up to him and punched him in the face as hard as she could making him stumble backwards. “WHY HAVE I WAITED THIS LONG TO HEAR FROM YOU?!” She was angry and happy and confused all at the same time. Dmitri began to explain as he kept looking down at her belly. After he was done trying to apologize and explain he reached out to touch her stomach gently. “Is this mine?” he asked quietly. She nodded and smiled, “Eight and a half months. Just about ready to pop.” “A lil D?” he chuckled softly as he smiled at her. “Yes.” she replied. They discussed the baby for a bit before getting back on track with business at hand. Jerzy rejoined them in their talks and Dmitri and Ravyn were filled in on things they had missed and things in the works. Things seemed to be more chaotic than she remembered. The Counsel was at war yet again, the city was in complete disarray it seemed. Not a thing seemed to change it seemed, it only moved from one group on to the next as we all predicted after they came after the Rooks. When will they all learn who the enemy really was here? When will everyone begin to see there is only one way out...

Thank You, I plan on keeping my posts this way as much as I can! ♥

THE BREAK DOWN All Ravyn could think of after days and no word is something happened to Dmitri and no matter what he told her, she always looked out for him. He was always trying to keep her out of danger, out of the spotlight, but she is stubborn and knew what she had gotten into when they started dating over a year ago. She told him that time and time again, and she kept telling herself he’s just doing what he normally does, nothing has changed. But this time felt different because it was. She hasn’t gone a day without him reaching out to her. She hadn't gotten a call or a text nor heard him on the freq in days. She was beginning to lose control over her paranoia and the thoughts ran rampant. She had met with Lewis and Draven at Tequila La one day to play poker, deciding that may help get her mind off of things. She exchanged a few words with Lewis in which he reassured her Dmitri would reach out and he’s probably thinking of things. However, he also pointed out a man at the Poker table he believed looked a lot like Dmitri in different clothes than his normal business attire. Ravyn looked the man over and the resemblance was similar, but she couldn’t believe that; wouldn’t. She questioned that if that was really Dmitri, why has he not reached out to her, why let her worry so badly? They continued their conversation and Ravyn was constantly glancing and studying the man at the table, noticing tattoos, trying to match things up to verify it was him or not. After a round Draven and Lewis left the table and Ravyn sat down for a few rounds, glancing across the table at the man, wondering if it was Dmitri. If it was him he would definitely say or do something that she would recognize right? Even a wink, a glance, something, anything, but she got nothing from the man across the table from her. It was a stranger who resembled things in the man that had been missing. Maybe it was her emotions getting to her, maybe they were all wrong, it wasn’t Dmitri. She pulled herself up from the table and left to meet up at HQ as requested on the radio. TURMOIL After Ravyn arrived at HQ Gauge walked up to her wanting to talk about things that had happened earlier in the day he felt she needed to know if she hadn’t already. Gauge and a few others approached Ravyn which made her very uneasy given the situation at hand and her and Gauges past issues. He began speaking about a meeting they had with Dmitri this morning and her heart sped up. He stated Tony Rizzo had called them after he was speaking to Dmitri about plans he had for his future and the future of the Rooks that followed him. Ravyn instantly felt her blood boil as Tony seemed loyal, and to see yet another person betray Dmitri left her enraged, especially with him still missing. He proceeded to tell her a few of the details in which she had no idea about since she hadn’t spoken with Dmitri in days. Gauge questioned Ravyn if she knew about this and had spoken to Dmitri, but she hadn’t and it was evident in her reactions. He head began to race instantly as it began thinking about how Gauge and high command members were the last to see him, all of whom wanted him out of power and access to overseas contacts. They claimed he had left unharmed and fine, but she didn't believe it. She Didn't want to believe he abandoned her. She then thought back to the man across from her at the poker table...could they be telling the truth? Could he be alive and sat less than five feet from her not acknowledging her? LOSING HOPE After Gauge and a couple people left she sat in her car, turning her music up loud trying to deafen the static in her head. Dave Weeden stayed behind knowing she was in a bad place at the moment, but she ignored him as she began to cry out of frustration and confusion. Time passed and Draven had returned to HQ and moved away from the car to talk with Dave. Ravyn couldn’t hold it in anymore and snapped, screaming at the top of her lungs. Everything was disappearing, family, stability, sanity, her dignity..Dmitri. Dave and Draven walked closer to her car to check on her, but they hadn’t noticed that she had taken out her loaded gun which was in her shaky hands at this point as she cracked her window to see what Dave wanted as he knocked on her window. In this time, Neil Fergus had shown up at La Spada to meet with Draven, this was when she lost control of herself. She got out of the car, gun in hand and walked to board the dinghy in the marina. Unfortunately the gates were locked as she drove to them which left her even more frustrated and she let out a blood curdling scream that people could probably hear at Vespucci Beach. Draven, Dave and Neil had been watching her as she was freaking out climbing out of the dinghy. Ravyn just wanted to get away and dived into the water, swimming towards the docks on the other side to get away. She could hear Draven calling her name and their footsteps on the docks in the distance. As she neared the ramp she heard the splash in the water behind her and turned, pulling the gun out and holding it to her head, still shaking. At this point she was free of any thoughts in her head other than the voice in her head screaming “just pull the fucken trigger, don’t be weak.” As she tried to block out the voice, she saw Draven pointing his gun at her, which made that voice even louder. It was at that moment Draven lunged at her and she pulled the trigger and the gun went off. The bullet missed her head by centimeters, she laid on the dock with Draven over her trying to pry the gun from her grip. It took Draven and Dave to get her to loosen her grip and she just lost all strength she had left in her body, lying there staring off into the sky only hearing some of what was being said around her. She could make out Draven on the radio and knew she needed to get out of there, she didn’t want these people around her she couldn’t trust. She pulled herself to her feet accepting the cigarette Neil had given her and began walking back towards La Spada with them behind her. As she neared the back of the building she made a run for it to get in her car before they could reach her. Ravyn got in her car and sped off with them right on her tail, speeding up the West Highway, just driving, not knowing where she was going to go, she just knew she needed to get away. Her phone began to ring, as she reached for her phone her car went off the road and flipped and she landed shocked and a little out of it. Her phone was still ringing as she came to, Draven was reaching in the car frantically trying to pry the door open. She could make out him giving locations and she instantly came to and wanted to get away. With a knife the only thing she had left she pulled it out and made it known as she ran into the hills trying to get distance. As she ran she heard a car pulling up beside her and heard Gauge and Lewis’ voices yelling her name which made things much worse. As she ran the car passed her on the left and she was becoming tired, slowing. She ran near the car stabbing the tire in hopes it would slow them down, but she struggled to pull it out and by then she was surrounded by a handful of men grabbing at her trying to stop her. The only thing she could do was fight with what little energy she had left. She began to swing the knife around in hopes they would back off but ended up cutting someone and instantly felt bad. Were they really trying to help her? Or just get her out of the way? She screams for them to back off and after a bit drops the knife and walks away trying to breathe. Marco approaches her calm and collected trying to get her to talk and after a while he breathing slows and the reality of this all sets in. She still needed to get away and she knew that they weren’t going to let her go alone so Marco walks with her as they try to avoid the others out here with them. As she walks past them Rex drives by on his Drag and the rage begins to build as she remembers Gauge saying they were some of the last ones that seen him earlier and were the last ones to see him, and the things Rex had said in the last week. She and Marco walk to the road and find her car and drive away, unbeknown to the rest of them, they get away. After awhile she calms some and brings Marco somewhere so he can crash for the night and she convinces herself she needed to go look at Tequila La one last time in hope the man was still there and her questions would be answered. As she runs down to the poker table she rushes through the door only to find the room empty. She was too late. It was too late to know if that was him, she needed to accept that they could be right and he left her for whatever reasons he made up in his mind. From here she proceeds to the hairdresser, changes are to be made and she needs to lay low from family so she can think straight and that means changing things to go under the radar. She colors her hair and changes her clothes before proceeding to head to LSC to change some things on her car when Jeffrey pulls up and rats out her location over the radio which she can still hear. Within moments there are at least 5 to 6 Rook vehicles on her tail as she heads to the interstate. As she tries to make a sharp turn to head the opposite direction Frankie hits her car sending it over the edge, landing on the highway below, overturned. She quickly unbuckles and climbs out of her car and before she can make a run for it they have her surrounded. All of these familiar faces staring at her, some sad, some seem to have a sadistic grin forming on their faces, she can’t be here and looks over the edge and the long drop below her contemplating her next move.

WHERE LOYALTY LIES It was again, a new normal day in Los Santos the day Ravyn got into town and tried to reach Dmitri. No one on the frequency, no answers from text or calls. She called and sent a text knowing he would get back to her when he could as he has always done. It wasn’t a long wait for the text which read “HIDE AND LAY LOW NOW.” She knew what that meant, and she did as she was told as she tried to call him. He called her back asking where she was and if she was followed. She reassured him she wasn’t and he proceeded to tell her he needed to grab another radio, gun and a few things and he would call her back. She waited for a while before she reached out to him again wondering if something had happened since he seemed stressed and uneasy. Usually he is well composed and not much leaves him this way as far as she had seen. He told her where to meet him and others arrived shortly there after. He was on his phone trying to explain the situation at hand. He had explained that Rex had been taken hostage by Zetas and triads and they were demanding weapons. She knew that none of us should give in to giving them more weapons and she backed him on that choice. He then proceeded to tell them that he had gone on the radio asking for Tyler to come, leading him into a fate no one wanted. Dmitri was still on the phone over and over, she could hear the frustration in his sighs each time he hung up the phone and proceeded to dial numbers again and sent texts frantically. With each new family member who showed up, he explained the situation trying to think of the best course of action to take. He had asked everyone who came if they heard from Rex or Tyler, were they safe? Had anyone seen them, etc. About ten minutes had passed and we were all trying to figure out what to do at the moment and then someone said they saw Tyler at Central Hospital. You could hear Dmitri sigh relief as the words left their lips. No one had heard about Rex yet, he had made some more calls as well as continued to reach out to Tyler. The members that were at the meeting spot rolled out to meet after Dmitri heard from Tyler. We met and HQ and Dmitri and a couple others went off to talk secretly, things we have all come accustomed to unfortunately. Shortly after they spoke we all met up again and things took a turn for the worst. It has been said by other gangs and our high command members decided Dmitri should not be the leader of our organization. They believed he had shut us off from other gangs, showed blatant disrespect, amongst other things, as well as lift Tyler and Rex to be tortured and die. This left those of us there a little baffled, but Ravyn had been suspicious of all of this for weeks now, all growing stronger and she knew she was right now. WIth the recent situation in which Tyler and Rex were tortured, was the perfect way to set these actions in motion on their part. Why wouldn't the leader look bad by using his words against him to work in their favor? Things were discussed and Al Romano showed up out of nowhere, Ravyn had her thoughts on who called him to come and her mind wouldn’t be changed. The bickering was relentless and was getting them nowhere at all, emotions were on high and no one wanted to budge. Many of us stood behind Dmitri, but were also confused on how this came to be in the end. After some time it had been stated there would be a vote in true Rook fashion in which Rex was irritated and continued to be hysterical and say “he only wants a vote because he knows he will win. I’m out” After Dmitri left town for the day a familiar face showed up leaving some of us very concerned of our future as Rooks. Gauge Michaels voice sent chills down Ravyn’s spine and she was instantly on high alert. Al, Tyler, Draven, Rex and Gauge wasted no time trying to convince the remainder of us there that Dmitri needed to be taken out of his position. Ravyn’s blood was boiling with every word from their mouths. She believed this was all handled wrong and the fact they were allowing other gangs to decide our family's fate pissed her off even more. There was ending the war, and then there was this shit show and the actors on stage made her want to vomit. She knew that they knew she was going to tell Dmitri all of this, she wouldn’t deny it if they asked. She had her mind set and it wouldn’t change until there was proof that made it. The conversation continued and something said during it from a member left her very uneasy yet again. Tony Rizzo stated, laughing, “I cannot believe I am going to say this but if Dmitri doesn’t step down we are going to have to plot a coup!” Ravyn couldn’t believe what she heard before they all laughed like this was something to be celebrated. THE VOTE It was a dreadful day we came into town to, everyone was divided, some in the dark, some just following to follow not knowing all information, or what to even think. When Ravyn arrived with Harley at the meeting spot Dmitri stood out immediately, looking slightly stressed out. She approached him and whispered she loved him and he said the same, she felt for him at this point and was worried on how the family was divided. After the meeting started there was a lot of yelling, tensions were high and people were acting like children. It seemed nothing was actually being fixed, everyone's pride was out and showing in brutal force. After a while Dmitri walked up to Ravyn and whispered to her what he wanted to do, and she agreed that was the best option for the family. He knew who he wanted to lead the Rooks. This person has showed up time and time again, showed his dedication, his compassion and his willingness to fight for lower ranked members day in and day out. Jerzy. He had busted his ass to do all he could for the family and was constantly underestimated by people within the family; he was the underdog, the champion many of us believed in even if the ones voting against Dmitri didn’t. Rook command should stay with a Rook and many of us believed that. The vote wasn’t to decide if Dmitri should step down any longer, it was should a Rook stay in power or someone who was now an outsider. With tensions still high a rival gang member shows up in our meeting, Al Romano. Everyone was upset about this besides Rex of course; suspicious yet again. He felt he needed to talk in our family meeting, which made no sense to a lot of us, even Tyler and Draven were concerned and told him he needed to leave, but Rex fought for him to stay. Ravyn focused on everything going on still confused. Things that were said changed slightly every time they were restated which caused even more confusion among us trying to figure out what this was actually all about. After a while Gauge showed up after Rex had asked if people wanted Gauge to come, people had questions, but many of us still believed this was a family affair being puppeteered by other gangs at this point. After discussions were had we divided into groups who felt Rooks should have a Rooks leader and those who believed having Gauge in power would actually stop the war like we were told it would. After more arguing from both sides it was brought up as a suggestion, why not have them both in power to appease both sides. Things settled a little bit as people contemplated this choice and the people voting on Gauge DID NOT seem happy about this option. Jerzy and Gauge stepped away to have a discussion on this option and came back to tell us all what they had decided. They would both oversee the Rooks. Jerzy will oversee the internal side and Gauge, since he works well discussing solutions with people, would oversee the external areas. This left people a little uneasy, but felt it was a good compromise for now in order for the war to end. With people believing the war would now end as it was stated, meetings were to be had and everyone was in limbo for the next day or two, not knowing our fate. Ravyn left and later met up with Dmitri to talk about what had just gone on. His frustration was apparent, but not because he stepped down, but that there wasn’t a Rook at the head as boss, but a co-chair type of situation. He knew that our overseas contacts would NOT go for this in any way. He had strengthened a relationship with them, having knowledge of how Rooks handle business, who is who and who is not family. They worked with Dmitri closely so he knew how this was going to go and had no way to convince them otherwise in his mind. This was the last time Ravyn had talked to Dmitri, unaware she wouldn’t hear from him for quite some time.

+1

DIDN'T SEE THIS COMING Ravyn arrived in town unaware of the things brewing in the shadows. It seemed like any other messed up day in Los Santos. Robberies, car chases and other deviant acts of recklessness going on. The sun was shining on her face as she looked up into the sky taking her last careless breath as she knew it before her phone went off with an update frequency as it has any other day. She went through the redundant task of changing freq and checking in but was immediately informed there was something up and no one knew what to expect. She met up with the family and they were directed to group up because the counsel was holding a meeting with all the gangs and organizations within the city. Dmitri and the High Command went into the meeting and the remainder of us were told to hold back because Dmitri didn’t want it to look disrespectful for us to roll in once it had already started. We all followed his orders waiting impatiently not knowing what the outcome would be. Once the meeting was finally over, we all met up and discussed the issues at hand. We were informed that they were doing away with taxes completely. It was a blessing and a curse all at the same time. On one hand, we can save money to help with the organization's needs. On the other hand, that means we were fair game while at labs and places up north. We were told that we no one is to hit clothing stores, the barbershop, Head Quarters and various other places in the city. They also stated that it was said, taxes would now be paid in respect so we all knew we had to bite our tongues. Dmitri made it clear what was told to them, but there were still many unknown things he and high command weren’t fully sure on. With all things covered we went out on daily activities, but that's when the curse cloaked us like a dense fog, coating us all in darkness and left us blind and unaware of where to go. It was a very short time after the meeting that our members started getting hit one by one in places, we were told it wouldn’t happen. Ravyn was riding with Dmitri when it all happened. She pulled off somewhere safe for him to make calls and access the situation at hand. He had called Jay trying to figure out what had happened, had one of our members done something to violate the agreements? It was then told in another call shortly thereafter, that things were mis stated and that just meant chaos had begun. We all did what we could to not panic and try to access the situation and act accordingly but we had shooters with itchy fingers just waiting to be able to open fire and take them down one by one. The Rooks are made up of many types of people, shooters, thinkers, workers, comedians and those who are reserved. That's what made us unique, but at this time with things as they were, that wasn’t helping. *To take a few steps backwards to explain the current issues within the organization* ISSUES FROM WITHIN Our organization had been having growing pains with communication between high command, lower command and lower ranks. Ravyn had been approached many times regarding issues lower ranks had and she did her best to try and get them resolved, but could only do so much. She approached Dmitri with issues and gave her ideas on how to fix them, but only so much could be done. You can only lead a horse to water, you cannot make them drink. The main issues were as follows; high command wasn’t available when members needed them. They were too busy hunting down Zetas, Triads, WCA and NLA, not on freq and not answering calls. The person we bought guns from was never really in town around this time to help them with their needs so they were running low on supplies, making fighting this fight impossible. Not being able to communicate with high command when Dmitri wasn’t in town was an issue and Jerzy did his best to help everyone he could with those matters. Dmitri had been aware of the issue of high command not being on freq when he wasn’t in town and he was thinking of a way to fix that. There was talk of moving someone else to a high command position to help with those issues, but by this time things were getting worse. Morale was low, people stopped coming to town, people left since no one was in town to help with dealing with this. There was only so much Ravyn could handle and do to help. Trying to explain the situation was pointless if no high command could assure them of anything to aid them. Ravyn is a people watcher, she notices things, spidey senses tingling when things seem amiss. She sensed things were not right and tried to warn Dmitri. She discussed her concerns with Jerzy regularly and they would try to figure out a way to help the family as best they could with the power they had. There were a lot of changes that needed to be made, but no idea where to start first. *Back to the point* SITUATIONAL AWARENESS With things crazy around the city no one could rest, everyone’s heads were always on a swivel. The tension in the air was very evident in the days leading up to the beginning for the Rooks possible downfall. Many believe it was due to traitors, and you wouldn’t convince them otherwise. There were so many of us robbed, cars chopped, guns lost, bank accounts dwindling but some seemed to be in higher spirits than they should’ve been in hostage situations. Ravyn remembers a call from a Rook one day while she was with Dmitri, Johnnie and another member. The fact that he seemed to be laughing like this was funny made her think a lot about the situation. She played along and let things flow naturally, or as naturally as they could, but that stirred distrust immediately. Weeks had passed with no change in the war, people were doing all they could to stay positive on the situation. It all began to feel normal unfortunately, people stopped coming to town, you’d hear mostly radio silence, people would just talk shit, people hung out in areas they felt safest in and waited for direction. With Dmitri out of town more often, leaving high command in charge, we were left wandering with no answers, high command had dropped the ball in his absence. It was passed down to Ravyn that Dante had been deported. That news hit everyone very hard and with so many more questions Jerzy and Ravyn couldn’t answer at the time. We needed high command to take charge, not run the streets all day and night, ignoring the tasks that needed to be handled internally. The family was looking for solutions, answers, ideas, anything, not static and unanswered calls and questions. Members were becoming frustrated.

+1

With our numbers growing, more meetings were taking place. We brought in old friends and new faces, and began working on putting our strengths to work, training and improving in areas we needed. Things were starting to fall into place even when it didn't seem as though they were. With new faces came more responsibility, and safeguards to ensure things didn't cause too many waves. We met with other allies, had some laughs, some fun and made quick work of dealing with problems that arose when needed. Ambushes, set ups, raids and anything else that came our way was dealt with.

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