- Posting Speed
- Multiple posts per day
- 1-3 posts per day
- One post per day
- Online Availability
- 3pm - 1am (GMT / BST)
- Writing Levels
- Beginner
- Elementary
- Intermediate
- Adept
- Adaptable
- Preferred Character Gender
- Male
- Female
- Nonbinary
- Transgender
- No Preferences
- Genres
- Monsters, supernatural, fantasy, romance, criminality, slice-of-life (modern or set in past, usually with some twists)
Artem Cheryshev had it all. He had money, power, notoriety... but none of that had stopped him from pushing the limits in order to get the one thing he felt he didn't have: his father's respect.
Truthfully, he did have that. His father had always looked at Artem with nothing but respect and pride, loving all aspects of his son. He loved that Artem was practically the younger version of himself, who would cope marvellously with the pressures of one day stepping in his shoes, but he also loved that his son wasn't afraid to show his vulnerability too. In a gang that were so infamous that even the police in Moscow refused to even attempt to bring them to justice, showing vulnerability only seemed counterproductive. It was often deemed a flaw; an element of weakness that authorities would pounce upon if it was shown. It was true that Artem knew better than to show his gentler side to them, but in the privacy of his lavish home, amongst his father and the gang he saw as his family, he really wasn't afraid to show that side of him, and that bravery was something his father deeply admired.
Nevertheless, Art never really believed he had won his father's respect. Every day, he worked his hardest in order to live up to the expectations placed upon him, and to simply make his father proud. It was true they had wealth and luxury, but slowing down would only allow other gangs in the city to take over their position. Stopping their activities wasn't possible and, knowing that, Artem often took it upon himself to ensure no other gang in the city got any ideas about taking over.
It was Artem that first had the idea of kidnapping Bartholomew when noticing the lack of security around the boy. It wasn't for money or even the attention; it was mostly to please his father. Art knew that, if he and his friends were successful, they would gain respect from their fathers in the gang and consolidate the gang's authority and status in the city. It was a win-win, but obviously came with a handful of risks. Bartholomew was known worldwide for a start, and the fame attached to his name would provoke interest from the world's media; it meant that Artem, if he was caught, couldn't get away with the crime as easily as he would do if he kidnapped an average guy off the Russian streets. There would be people across the globe calling for proper punishment and justice.
So, rather than storm the hotel, brandishing weapons and using brute force, Artem and the younger members of the gang had to sit down and actually plan things out properly. They disguised themselves as hotel workers and stole hotel room keys for easy access. Disguising themselves wasn't something they were used to doing, because normally, they had no need to hide their faces; authorities were too scared of them to even try arresting them. The last time they did, it resulted in a massacre after Artem's unexpected release from prison. In this instance, a disguise was necessary in order to evade recognition. Art had no doubt that people would suspect him and his friends, but a disguise (which in itself was uncharacteristic behaviour) would buy some time, at least.
Dealing with the guards outside Bartholomew's hotel room wasn't difficult; a few lies were made to get them to leave the door and then they were promptly dealt with, their unconscious bodies locked in a bathroom to keep them out the way. As soon as that was over, the 5 or so men entered the lavish suite and all quickly proceeded with their assigned duties. Some headed straight for the innocent Bartholomew, shoving a gag in his mouth and tying his wrists and ankles, whilst others searched the room for anything worthwhile to steal as self-given rewards for their trouble. Artem, meanwhile, stood back and observed the room calmly, only moving when seeing his friends struggle to properly tie Bart up. He was easily the tallest among the group -and probably the strongest- but he often only got involved if he was needed. He was much more happy sitting back and making sure things were going smoothly.
"...Keep still, don't struggle," he muttered to the other in English, brandishing his gun from his pocket with a smile - it often worked as a brilliant way to shut his victims up, anyway. "I don't want to have to use this, so quit squirming around before I get mad, boy. Or we'll... vybivat' tebya, hm? We'll knock you out. Just don't squirm and we won't have to give you a nasty bump on the head."
Truthfully, he did have that. His father had always looked at Artem with nothing but respect and pride, loving all aspects of his son. He loved that Artem was practically the younger version of himself, who would cope marvellously with the pressures of one day stepping in his shoes, but he also loved that his son wasn't afraid to show his vulnerability too. In a gang that were so infamous that even the police in Moscow refused to even attempt to bring them to justice, showing vulnerability only seemed counterproductive. It was often deemed a flaw; an element of weakness that authorities would pounce upon if it was shown. It was true that Artem knew better than to show his gentler side to them, but in the privacy of his lavish home, amongst his father and the gang he saw as his family, he really wasn't afraid to show that side of him, and that bravery was something his father deeply admired.
Nevertheless, Art never really believed he had won his father's respect. Every day, he worked his hardest in order to live up to the expectations placed upon him, and to simply make his father proud. It was true they had wealth and luxury, but slowing down would only allow other gangs in the city to take over their position. Stopping their activities wasn't possible and, knowing that, Artem often took it upon himself to ensure no other gang in the city got any ideas about taking over.
It was Artem that first had the idea of kidnapping Bartholomew when noticing the lack of security around the boy. It wasn't for money or even the attention; it was mostly to please his father. Art knew that, if he and his friends were successful, they would gain respect from their fathers in the gang and consolidate the gang's authority and status in the city. It was a win-win, but obviously came with a handful of risks. Bartholomew was known worldwide for a start, and the fame attached to his name would provoke interest from the world's media; it meant that Artem, if he was caught, couldn't get away with the crime as easily as he would do if he kidnapped an average guy off the Russian streets. There would be people across the globe calling for proper punishment and justice.
So, rather than storm the hotel, brandishing weapons and using brute force, Artem and the younger members of the gang had to sit down and actually plan things out properly. They disguised themselves as hotel workers and stole hotel room keys for easy access. Disguising themselves wasn't something they were used to doing, because normally, they had no need to hide their faces; authorities were too scared of them to even try arresting them. The last time they did, it resulted in a massacre after Artem's unexpected release from prison. In this instance, a disguise was necessary in order to evade recognition. Art had no doubt that people would suspect him and his friends, but a disguise (which in itself was uncharacteristic behaviour) would buy some time, at least.
Dealing with the guards outside Bartholomew's hotel room wasn't difficult; a few lies were made to get them to leave the door and then they were promptly dealt with, their unconscious bodies locked in a bathroom to keep them out the way. As soon as that was over, the 5 or so men entered the lavish suite and all quickly proceeded with their assigned duties. Some headed straight for the innocent Bartholomew, shoving a gag in his mouth and tying his wrists and ankles, whilst others searched the room for anything worthwhile to steal as self-given rewards for their trouble. Artem, meanwhile, stood back and observed the room calmly, only moving when seeing his friends struggle to properly tie Bart up. He was easily the tallest among the group -and probably the strongest- but he often only got involved if he was needed. He was much more happy sitting back and making sure things were going smoothly.
"...Keep still, don't struggle," he muttered to the other in English, brandishing his gun from his pocket with a smile - it often worked as a brilliant way to shut his victims up, anyway. "I don't want to have to use this, so quit squirming around before I get mad, boy. Or we'll... vybivat' tebya, hm? We'll knock you out. Just don't squirm and we won't have to give you a nasty bump on the head."