The Ink Family Legacy: Generation 5, Chapter 11 Part 2
This part is basically all about Jude! Coincidentally, I finally found a mod that lets my vampires have glowing eyes without the skin! Sure, now they all look like werewolves, but whatevs.
Also, this is my obligatory warning that this legacy contains adult themes, yo. Jude's storyline lends itself to that, as he has...somewhat looser morals than his predecessors.
| Part One |
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Oh? It looks like the younger kids weren't the only ones growing up!
Yes, Jude had finally taken that last step into adulthood!
Jude had taken his studies very seriously in his last few years of school. Something about wanting to advance at his job, he said. Abel and Kira were impressed that he kept his job from Riverview and was allowed to work from home, but it appeared to be paying well, so...
"Congrats, Jude-bug!" Kira laughed, hugging her son. "Damn, does this mean I'm old now?"
"Heh, you're as young as ever Mom."
"Congrats, kiddo! Top of the class and 'Most Likely to Rule the World', huh?"
"Well, I get it all from you, Dad."
"Ha ha, you're such a suck up."
Abel smiled warmly. "But really, I'm glad you're not going anywhere soon."
"Like you and Mom would have let me leave!"
"Heh, well..."
All of his sisters lined up for hugs, too! They were all glad that their big brother would be around for some time yet! Everyone was a little nervous that he would move back to Riverview the first chance he got to be with his girlfriend.
And, with Zoey's laser guided care bear stare, the boys were forced to play nice.
"So...congrats, I guess." Alex ventured. "You did really well for switching schools in your last year."
Jude appeared to be assessing how sincere his brother was being. But, unlike him, Alex usually meant what he said. He admired that - too bad Alex was so mind numbingly moral.
"Thanks." he finally replied. "But school isn't too difficult for guys like us, huh? It's what comes next that's the real test."
Before Alex could respond, Zoey piped in with, "Yeah! I hope I can be as smart as you guys someday~"
Her animated chatter kept the boys' word combat to a minimum, smoothing things over for now.
And it looked like someone else was graduating too!
"Robyn!"
"What are you doing here? I thought you guys weren't moving to St. Claire until next month!"
"Mom bumped it up! You know how our parents are - can't stand to be far away for long."
Yes, although Abel was the only one to move initially, the other Ink siblings were slowly migrating in as well! He told them that they didn't have to, but since when did they do anything alone?
"I suppose Sirius is moving here too, then?" Jude asked.
"Heh heh, yeah. He still wants to marry me, I guess."
He raised an eyebrow. "Will you?"
"Probably~"
"But enough about me! What about that tiny girlfriend of yours?"
"She's not that young, you know."
"Mmhmm."
"But as to your question, she's still in Riverview for now. Actually..."
--- --- ---
"...I'm going to visit her soon."
Of course, by 'visit her', Jude meant that he would be attending a meeting of the Four Kings in Bridgeport. And by 'soon', he really meant that he had to be 21 before they would even let him in.
But it seemed like today, finally, he would be meeting the rest of the organization.
Tobias had instructed him to remain as still and as silent as possible. It was a big deal for him to be here, and the slightest disruption could be seen as contempt.
"So very good of you all to join me! I do hope Bridgeport has been up to your expectations." began the oldest man in the room.
"Now, since we have a new face, allow me to do the introductions!" he chuckled. "I, of course, am Josiah, King of Hearts. Dearest Eden here is my Queen, with our little Isaac along for the ride. And our Ace is Antonia, as it has been for ten years now!"
"As for our other red suit, the Diamonds, Tobias and Sabine are here with their new Ace, Jude! I don't know much about him, but he appears very charming, so Peter, no glaring, hmm?"
"I wasn't glaring." Peter laughed lightly. "I was just noting how much Jude's changed since I last saw him! Children do grow fast, hmm?"
Jude was very careful not to react to the insult, his expression remaining smooth. He had been warned that Peter would be on edge as long as his Queen was around.
"If you say so. I suppose it goes without saying that Peter is the King of Clubs, with Mary as his Queen and Ivy as his Ace!"
"And last but certainly not least is the Spade Suit! Cliff and Mei, the royals, with Eli, their Ace. Do take care to remember these names Jude - I won't repeat them again!"
Jude, truthfully, already knew their names, especially Eli's. As the Ace of Spades, he was responsible for many of the suit's dealings. And since Spades was the death suit, he was not a man you wanted as an enemy. As an ally, however...well, that would take some careful negotiation. It wasn't a task for today.
And besides...
...he couldn't do much when Mary was openly staring at him.
She was clearly curious, but Jude didn't dare make eye contact. Peter had killed the old King of Clubs over her. He wasn't going to risk it when Peter was right there.
Some forty minutes into the conversation, the Queen of Hearts delicately interrupted, "Josiah?"
"Yes, dearest?"
"Isaac is getting a bit fussy. I think it's best I leave now."
"Yes, yes, of course! Let the boy get some sleep."
The Hearts appeared to have a complicated relationship too. Josiah was at least sixty, if not older, while Eden was at most twenty five. Tobias had laughed that she was only good as long as she was under thirty. Then she would end up like the three Queens before her.
Antonia silently followed Eden out, as was custom. The door had only just closed when there was a murmur from the Spades side.
"Eli, come with me, would you? I've had as much as this men's club as I can take."
"Of course, Lady Mei."
They were whispering as they left. Tobias couldn't hear them, even five feet away, but he didn't have to. Why else would he have a vampire as his Ace?
"So Eli, what do you think of him?"
"The new Ace, I mean. He's an occult, isn't he?" The word 'occult' slid off her lips like profanity.
"It appears so. What kind, I'm not sure - I'm not very familiar with them."
"See that you familiarize yourself them. I want to know what he is and what he can do. Most importantly, is he a threat?"
"I doubt that he's a threat." Eli whispered, so low that even Jude had trouble. "Occult or not, they can all die, can't they? Besides, he's just a kid."
Mei's voice curled into an indulgent tone. "Sweetheart, you're a kid too. All you babies, playing an adult's game. But if you insist, I won't worry."
Hmm. Perhaps it wasn't just Eli Jude had to worry about.
Another twenty minutes passed before Sabine rose fluidly from her seat, and Jude knew his time was up.
"Well, I believe it's time for me to retire." she announced. "Jude, if you would?"
"Of course."
He had no intention of seeing her much further than the door, and she knew that. As much as she hated his insubordination, Sabine would never push him in front of the Four Kings - she wouldn't be able to stand the humiliation if he snapped back.
Jude faintly heard Tobias address Mary as he stepped across the threshold.
"Mary, you must be getting tired too. Might you retire soon?"
Peter smiled thinly, but there was no hint of humor in his eyes.
"I don't think she will, no."
"Thank you Peter, but I wasn't asking you."
Peter's smile broke. Josiah and Cliff looked on, amused - Tobias was taunting Peter intentionally. Why, they didn't know, but damn was it entertaining.
"Look Toby-"
"It's fine, Peter." Mary soothed, laying a hand on his arm. "I was yawning just now. Tobias was just being considerate. I was planning on following suit anyway!"
Peter's response was both irritated and scattered. "But, well...you shouldn't just-!"
"Pe-ee-ter~" she crooned, drawing out his name into a song. "It's okay, see? I'm just going right to bed."
"Right to bed? You promise?"
"Promise~ I won't pass go, I won't collect 200 simoleons." she giggled. "Ivy can testify to that!"
"Well...alright. Go on."
With another smile, Mary beckoned to Ivy and departed from the room, leaving the Four Kings alone. As soon as the door closed, Tobias straightened up and folded his hands.
"Well then gentlemen - let's start the real meeting, shall we?"
--- --- ---
Mary didn't get very far.
"Oh?"
"I guess he wasn't as impassive as he looks, hmm?"
"Mary? Hey, we should really move on." Ivy said nervously. "Peter would kill me."
"Nonsense. Since when has he been able to stand up to me?"
"You go ahead."
"Fine, but I'm telling him you forced me."
"Please do."
"Fancy seeing you here. Were you waiting for me?"
"I wouldn't call it waiting. You seemed like you had something to say to me."
"Me?" Mary said lightly, feigning ignorance. "I was merely curious! Aren't being a bit presumptuous, thinking I want to talk to you?"
"You're the one who came over, didn't you?"
Mary smiled, shifting a bit closer to him. "Well...I guess I'll admit it! I really did want to talk to you, Mr. Jude Ink! I'm always curious about new members."
"What do you want to know?"
"Hmm...how old are you?"
"21."
"Oh, you're young! I'm 32 myself." she admitted smoothly. "What got you interested in the business so young?"
Jude laughed. "Why not?"
"Why not? It's dangerous! Good boys like you shouldn't be running around with criminals."
"Mary, you're making two mistakes. One, that I'm a 'good boy'. Two, that I believe even for a second that you're interested in my welfare. What are you really after?"
Mary crossed the space between them in an instant, standing uncomfortably close. He could tell she meant to intimidate, but he didn't rise to the bait.
"Can't I be interested in a boy's welfare?"
"Not as the Queen of Clubs, no."
She frowned, but her eyes were serious - he could tell that she was realizing that she misjudged him.
"I just don't want to see you hurt."
He laughed derisively. "I don't have to worry about that."
She leaned closer still.
"I think you're misunderstanding me, Mr. Ink."
"I don't want to see you get hurt, so take care not to deserve it, okay?"
With that she leaned back, a smile on her face again. "I'll have to remember to tell Peter how cute you are. Do take care now."
--- --- ---
Jude was exhausted.
He would match wits any day, any time. He would do so gladly. He was very good at talking. So to say nothing in the face of being constantly told he was a child in over his head...well, it was hard work.
Luckily there was someone who always made him feel better.
"Hey there beautiful."
"Jude!" she exclaimed, wheeling around. "There you are! Kicked you out, huh?"
"Yeah, unfortunately."
"Heh heh, is it bad that I'm a little happy? I was getting lonely."
"Hey, you know that I'm lonely without you too. Give me a little credit, huh?"
Pearl was 17 - the same age as his sisters, on the cusp of adulthood. And yet she was still treated as a child much as he was. But while Jude could compartmentalize and fight back his anger, Pearl would get absolutely furious. Unfortunately, this made her even more of a liability in the delicate politics of the Four Kings.
She was working on being more mature though, and Jude was always careful not to treat her like a child.
Not that he was particularly inclined to.
"Mmm...hey, you'll ruin my makeup! C'mon Jude..."
"Would you rather I ruin something else?"
"Hey! No dirty talk before 11. Besides, didn't you want to talk?"
That much was true. Jude often filled Pearl in on the details of the meetings, as well as whatever nuances he picked up in tone or body language.
"...and then I think she tried to threaten me by promising to piss off Peter. I think the black suits are both run by the Queens, to be honest."
"Ha ha! I think Daddy would agree with you there."
"I'm really proud of how well you held it together, Jude." Pearl said lightly. "I would've bitten someone's head off for sure."
"You know that diplomacy's the key. But speaking of that, there's something serious I want to talk about."
"Uh oh. Should I be worried?"
"I'm not sure. That's why I wanted to tell you before I acted on anything."
"Pearl, you remember what my goal is, right?"
"Of course I do. It's mine too, you know!"
He smiled. "Yes, yours too. But how I'm going to achieve that involves something you may not like."
"Pearl, I'm going to need them to trust me. And for that to happen, I might have to stoop pretty low. I may have to promise them to betray your secrets, or divert jobs to them, or something even worse. I may have to appear to turn my back on you entirely, that our relationship is nothing more than appearances. And I'll never mean it, but I need them to believe it."
"...you were right about me not liking it."
"I know, and I'm sorry and I love you, but this is what I have to do."
Pearl sighed and smiled ruefully. "I guess I can't say I didn't see this coming, though. I've seen you be sweet to my mother even though you hate her, just to stay on Daddy's good side. You're a very good actor, and sometimes it's hard for me to know when you're telling the truth."
"But for all that...I trust you. So it'll be okay."
Jude looked away, abruptly guilty. Pearl was much too kind to him. She knew everything about him and she still trusted him. His family's trust he had because he lied. Tobias's trust he had because he lied. But Pearl...
"I don't deserve that kind of trust."
"Hey now! None of that." Pearl said, kneeling down before him. "You're brilliant and ambitious - why shouldn't you deserve it?"
"Because I feel bad, not for lying or committing crimes, but for putting you through this? I've broken a man's ribs with my bare hands and laughed, but I balk at the prospect of flirting with Mary fucking Stone while you look on? Don't my priorities seem a little fucked?"
"Hey, nobody's perfect." she quipped.
At that Jude cracked a smile. "Tell me Pearl, in what sort of twisted world does a guy like me get your unconditional love?"
"Well, I do have one condition, actually. For me to be okay with all this."
"Name it."
"Marry me, Jude."
"Did you...honestly just propose to me?"
"It wasn't much of a proposition, was it?" she giggled. "It was more of a demand."
"That's really what you want?"
"More than anything."
"I don't have any dowry, you know. You're getting a raw deal here."
"Oh shut up and just kiss me already."
Jude was more than happy to oblige. He was 21, he was engaged to the precocious daughter of a mafia boss, and together they were going to reshape the Four Kings in their image. He wouldn't let anything distract him now.
Well, okay, maybe he was a little distracted by Pearl informing him that it was past 11 now.
--- --- ---
"When will I see you again?"
Jude frowned - this was always a tricky question. St. Claire was quite a ways from Riverview, and he wasn't ready to move Pearl in with him yet. He knew his parents would be fine, but Tobias would never allow it.
"I don't know, honestly. But hey - how about I start taking the train every weekend? It's not as much as I like, but it's better then now. I think I can apply for a train pass as soon as Friday."
She didn't reply, so he returned to the bed and gathered her back into his arms for a goodbye kiss. She locked her arms around his neck like she would fall apart if he let her go.
It seemed like their whole lives were tied up in waiting for the right moment.
But now, at last, things were starting to move.
--- --- --- --- ---
Pearl, you're making the wrong choice!! All of those choices were wrong!! Never get involved with an Ink. You're safer with the sim mafia, actually.
I almost had Mary say 'Peter may be the king, but watch the queen conquer', but then I figured I had enough Nikki Minaj lyrics in this story. For now.
And yeah, I'm aware of the continuity error with Eden's dress. The game crashed after I took the very first picture, and I forgot that I wanted her everyday, not her formal wear. Perils of the profession, I suppose.
For less illegal activity, head on over to Part Three!