#Sylvain Alfonsi

[justmoreocs-writing]

Sy hadn’t meant to follow the young woman. He had spotted the red hair and was drawn after it like a moth to the flame. It had been years, and he would have recognised Lucinda Turner even now. He was sure of it. Part of him had wondered though, thought it was just some lack of sleep induced mirage.

But her laugh. Even in his memories it was a sound he’d almost forgotten. The warmth behind it, the pure joy… There was no mistaking it.

His heart thundered against his chest, as if eager to reach her before he did; as if calling out to her, even as she got lost in her own world entirely. She was talking animatedly to a woman; the smile on her face like undiluted sunlight every time she turned her head.

Sy drew closer, desperate to reach his best friend and all at once terrified as well. She thought he was dead, how did he explain that trick?

A wave of people hurried between them, momentarily blocking his view, clearing his thoughts. Luce had moved on, she was happy and he dare not destroy that.

Sylvain Alfonsi took off down a side street before the crowd cleared. He moved quickly down twists and turns that most in the city avoided but were completely open to him. He missed Luce looking over her shoulder, scanning the crowd absently. He missed the look that might just have reunited them and instead let out a shaky breath. So close, they had been so close and for once he’d bottled it completely.

[justmoreocs-edits]

The Piccola Rossa Series Perspective Character Introduction: Sylvain

Name: Sylvain Giovanni Alfonsi

Nickname(s): Sy / AKA Giovanni Capretta / AKA Gio

Birthday: 23rd of May

Age: 24 years old

Height: 178cm / 5’10’’

Dominant Hand: Right

Occupation: Part of Al Capone’s Gang

Species: Human

Faceclaim is Charlie Rowe

Character Tag

Story Tag

Story Introduction

Story Pinterest

[justmoreocs-writing]

Hal surveyed the young man carefully and wondered what he might have done in the same situation. It was difficult, given his own tumultuous feelings towards his father. But he guessed he could understand rage. He could understand, he supposed, if Giovanni – Hal refused to use his old name yet – decided to take action against him for killing his father. All he could hope for was that he’d not take too deep of a revenge; that Hal would still be able to see Joanie growing up because he couldn’t leave her or Cece. He’d fight that fate if he had to.

‘He was going for Lu?’ Gio asked in barely more than a whisper, eyes trailing to where the young woman was talking to Isaiah. Hal wasn’t entirely sure why she was there, but he supposed it was more for his benefit than the ghost from her past.

‘Like a dog with a bone,’ Hal said simply, recalling the way Mr. Alfonsi had blamed her for what had happened to his son. To the son now standing in front of Hal as if nothing had happened at all. ‘If I hadn’t –’

‘Thank you.’

Hal’s brain stalled for a moment, the words weren’t what he’d been expecting. Not at all.

His shock must have been obvious, because Gio shot him a small smile; there was something else behind the look, but Hal couldn’t exactly place it.

‘I spent years trying to protect Luce from Dad,’ he admitted. ‘The people he was with either wanted her to join the gang, or to eradicate a problem. I...’ He heaved a breath. ‘I was terrified when I didn’t come back that something would happen. But I think dying protected her.’

Hal carefully chewed on the inside of his cheek. Part of him thought the young man was right, but he also knew the impact the letter of death had had on Luce. If he’d returned home, she might never have found her way to Birmingham – least of all alone. She’d never had been caught up with the Shelbys.

‘So,’ said Gio, ‘thank you for protecting her.’

‘Always,’ Hal vowed, knowing that it was the truth. Luce was kin now, and he’d do whatever he could to make sure she was safe. No matter how difficult she made that sometimes.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Giovanni wasn’t exactly sure why he’d agreed to attend the meeting, only that he had and now he regretted it. Part of him had known it was self-preservation though. To go against a gang leader’s “suggestion” was one of the few lessons he’d actually taken from his father. No matter what was suggested, people did it if they didn’t want to end up like any number of enemies.

‘Why so nervous?’ Jeremy asked in awfully lilting Italian, pulling Gio’s attention back to the little table they were sitting at. Of all the people for him to be conducting the meeting with, Jeremy was the one he’d been the most worried about.

Gio breathed in deeply through his nose and exhaled slowly. He knew better than to give Jeremy a reason to tell on him; give him a reason to try raising his own station amongst the gang by belittling him.

‘I’m not,’ Giovanni lied in smooth Italian; the words earned a slight sneer from Jeremy. ‘I just thought these guys might actually be on time.’ He glanced absently at his watch. The watch that no longer actually worked but that he’d had with him on the front line. The watch his best friend had bought for him and he hadn’t been able to part with even when he made a new identity for himself.

Jeremy gave an irritating laugh that set Gio’s teeth on edge. ‘Power play, kid,’ he told him importantly. ‘They want us –’

‘I know what it is,’ Gio told him through gritted teeth.

A smug smile danced on Jeremy’s face, and Gio forced his attention across the café, as if he might be able to guess who was there for the Shelby gang. Anything, really, to avoid having to talk to Jeremy for any longer than was strictly necessarily for the job.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Sylvain nervously folded the corners of his napkin back and forth. Never before had he been so scared to see Lucinda. Never before had a business meeting held such gravitas for him. And yet they’d both insisted on this. They needed it more than anyone really understood.

In an attempt to eases his nerves, Sy contemplated the last time they’d properly seen each other. It had been on the docks, a goodbye that should never have happened. But he’d lied – and he hated to admit it, bribed – his way onto the boat. He had to fight for his country; do whatever it took to keep Luce safe. Even if at the time it felt like the worst decision. Her blue eyes had filled with tears, her lips trembled; she’d held onto him so tightly that he’d joked about cracking a rib.

He quickly dismissed the memory. That wasn’t how he’d wanted to remember his piccola rossa. It probably wasn’t what she’d want either. An adventure; the two of them exploring some new corner of London before everything went to hell. A trip –

‘Sylvain?’

Despite the softness of her voice, the complete disbelief, Sy tensed. For a second he found it impossible to turn. If he didn’t look around then the dream could never shatter. They’d remain two kids getting into trouble; not two professionals trying to broker a deal.

Luce, however, made the decision for them. She walked around the table and stood behind her chair, eyes never once leaving his face, searching for the lie. She was almost exactly as he remembered; though perhaps there was a slightly harder look behind her eyes.

‘Is it really you?’ she asked, voice reverently low as he jumped up to pull her chair out, as she sat opposite a little too heavily to be causal. She still couldn’t believe it.

‘The one and only,’ he said, trying for a jovial little smirk as he sank into his own seat. But the gesture felt hollow. There was too much to explain, to apologise for, on top of business… It was impossible to know where to start.

He motioned over a waiter. ‘Two mugs of your best chocolate, please,’ he ordered, for once cursing the Prohibition and the fact his meeting was being held in a legitimate establishment. For now, sugar would have to suffice. It might just be the beginning of a very long, and exhausting, afternoon.

But Luce was there, and to Sylvain that always made prospects a little brighter. He just hoped the feeling was still mutual like it had once been.

[justmoreocs-writing]

The Piccola Rossa Series Perspective Character Introduction: Sylvain

Name: Sylvain Giovanni Alfonsi

Nickname(s): Sy / AKA Giovanni Capretta / AKA Gio

Birthday: 23rd of May

Age: 24 years old

Height: 178cm / 5’10’’

Dominant Hand: Right

Occupation: Part of Al Capone’s Gang

Species: Human

Character Tag

Story Tag

Story Introduction

Story Pinterest

[justmoreocs-edits]

The Piccola Rossa Series Introduction

Moving to Birmingham was Luce’s way of escaping her past, her way of laying ghosts to rest that haunted London streets. What she never expected was to find herself making friends with people who had links to gangs, to find that even monsters have moments of humanity, and that sometimes the best adventures don’t always have happy endings. But Lucinda Turner is nothing if not resilient, and soon finds herself trying to carve her own path in Birmingham, a path she was too scared to try finding when she was home.

Stan always felt a little outside of his own family, even if he knew they never saw it that way. Yet part of him longed for those days of his elder brothers bending the law to come back after the War. What he had never expected was for his brothers to return and claim power in the city they’d always called home, for the chasm between them to grow. One chance meeting, however, has him being dragged into the more illegitimate side of things, and has him questioning what exactly it means to be a Shelby in name only. 

Being a Peaky Blinder was never a question for Hal; the Shelbys were kin, and there was nothing that would stop him from helping them however he could. He didn’t necessarily like the things they did, but he’d fight if it meant making sure his family were OK. He’d use the lessons of his past to help them move forwards, to protect those of them that couldn’t do it themselves. After the War, his views changed ever so slightly; his thoughts on how to protect the people he cared about altered, even if the world around him didn’t.

The War changed Wilfred Turner, so much so that even he himself thought he’d died overseas. A young man who had seen darkness and dealt out his own darkness in the hopes of surviving. He hoped time with his family might help him to cope, might help bring him out of the void. Yet, when his little sister runs away from home, and only a letter admits that she went of her own free will, that she’d contact them as soon as she could, Wilf decides to try fixing his shattered family. No matter what it takes.

Moving to America was meant to be the fresh start Sylvain needed; a new identity, a distance between himself and his family. He might have missed the people he cared about back home, but he’d hoped in time those emotions would fade. America was his chance to forget about the War that had changed everything. A chance to start life straight. But gangs and violence have a way of seeping into the cracks of life for Sylvain, and soon he finds himself coming face-to-face with the Shelby gang, and ghosts from his past.

It was no secret that Thomas Shelby wasn’t Cece’s favourite person in the world. Yes, he was like kin to her partner. And yes, she had to admit for the most part he always protected family. But she still didn’t like him. Her views on him further tainted as more people get dragged into the dangerous world he calls home. So it’s a little surprising for her when he asks for her to work with him in the political world after she’s tried pulling more than one person out from his orbit.

Story Tag

Sylvain Alfonsi Tag

Sylvain Alfonsi Introduction

Hal Brandon Tag

Hal Brandon Introduction

Cece Hawthorne Tag

Cece Hawthorne Introduction

Stan Shelby Tag

Stan Shelby Introduction

Luce Turner Tag

Luce Turner Introduction

Wilf Turner Tag

Wilf Turner Introduction

Story Pinterest

[justmoreocs-writing]

The Piccola Rossa Series Introduction

Moving to Birmingham was Luce’s way of escaping her past, her way of laying ghosts to rest that haunted London streets. What she never expected was to find herself making friends with people who had links to gangs, to find that even monsters have moments of humanity, and that sometimes the best adventures don’t always have happy endings. But Lucinda Turner is nothing if not resilient, and soon finds herself trying to carve her own path in Birmingham, a path she was too scared to try finding when she was home.

Stan always felt a little outside of his own family, even if he knew they never saw it that way. Yet part of him longed for those days of his elder brothers bending the law to come back after the War. What he had never expected was for his brothers to return and claim power in the city they’d always called home, for the chasm between them to grow. One chance meeting, however, has him being dragged into the more illegitimate side of things, and has him questioning what exactly it means to be a Shelby in name only. 

Being a Peaky Blinder was never a question for Hal; the Shelbys were kin, and there was nothing that would stop him from helping them however he could. He didn’t necessarily like the things they did, but he’d fight if it meant making sure his family were OK. He’d use the lessons of his past to help them move forwards, to protect those of them that couldn’t do it themselves. After the War, his views changed ever so slightly; his thoughts on how to protect the people he cared about altered, even if the world around him didn’t.

The War changed Wilfred Turner, so much so that even he himself thought he’d died overseas. A young man who had seen darkness and dealt out his own darkness in the hopes of surviving. He hoped time with his family might help him to cope, might help bring him out of the void. Yet, when his little sister runs away from home, and only a letter admits that she went of her own free will, that she’d contact them as soon as she could, Wilf decides to try fixing his shattered family. No matter what it takes.

Moving to America was meant to be the fresh start Sylvain needed; a new identity, a distance between himself and his family. He might have missed the people he cared about back home, but he’d hoped in time those emotions would fade. America was his chance to forget about the War that had changed everything. A chance to start life straight. But gangs and violence have a way of seeping into the cracks of life for Sylvain, and soon he finds himself coming face-to-face with the Shelby gang, and ghosts from his past.

It was no secret that Thomas Shelby wasn’t Cece’s favourite person in the world. Yes, he was like kin to her partner. And yes, she had to admit for the most part he always protected family. But she still didn’t like him. Her views on him further tainted as more people get dragged into the dangerous world he calls home. So it’s a little surprising for her when he asks for her to work with him in the political world after she’s tried pulling more than one person out from his orbit.

Story Tag

Sylvain Alfonsi Tag

Sylvain Alfonsi Introduction

Hal Brandon Tag

Hal Brandon Introduction

Cece Hawthorne Tag

Cece Hawthorne Introduction

Stan Shelby Tag

Stan Shelby Introduction

Luce Turner Tag

Luce Turner Introduction

Wilf Turner Tag

Wilf Turner Introduction

Story Pinterest

[justmoreocs-writing]

B A S I C S

Full name: Sylvain Toliver Alfonsi.

Gender: Male.

Sexuality: Heterosexual.

Pronouns: He/Him.

O T H E R S

Family: Mother and father, as well as a paternal grandfather in Italy, and both maternal grandparents in Italy. He has several cousins that live in America as well.

Birthplace: Sicily.

Job: Doesn’t have one, though he did sign up during World War I.

Phobias: While he has a phobia of mice, over the War he grew scared of the dark and silence. Both things hide far too much for his liking.  

Guilty pleasures: His mother’s cakes and terrible dancing. That being said, he doesn’t really feel guilty about things that bring him pleasure.

M O R A L S

Morality alignment?: Lawful neutral.

Sins - lust/greed/gluttony/sloth/pride/envy/wrath: Greed and pride.

Virtues - chastity/charity/diligence/humility/kindness/patience/justice: Kindness and patience.

T H I S - O R - T H A T

Introvert/extrovert: Introverted, Sy would much rather be on his own – or with people that are ridiculously close to him – than in a crowd of people.

Organised/disorganised: Organised, almost diligently so.

Close minded/open-minded: Open-minded, kind of impossible not to be when your best friend is as curious as his.

Calm/anxious: Anxious, mostly. He worries an awful lot about things, and is always doing what he can to try and make sure nothing bad happens to the people he cares the most about.

Disagreeable/agreeable: Agreeable for the most part, though he can be thoroughly disagreeable if things don’t go with what he thinks.

Cautious/reckless: Cautious, beyond a doubt.

Patient/impatient: Patient, and really wishes more people had the patience to deal with others.

Outspoken/reserved: Mostly reserved, but seems to be outspoken when paired with his best friend.  

Leader/follower: Follower, but not a blind one. He will ask questions if he thinks things are completely wrong.

Empathetic/unemphatic: Empathetic, though sometimes he really wishes he wasn’t.  

Optimistic/pessimistic: More on the pessimistic side of things, though his flashes of optimism are usually for the benefit of others.

Traditional/modern: His upbringing is mostly traditional, so sometimes that rears its head, but he actually leans more towards being modern.

Hard-working/lazy: Hard-working, and tries his best no matter the situation.

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

OTP: Doesn’t really have one.

OT3: Doesn’t have one yet.  

BROTP: Sylvain and Luce Turner.

NOTP: Sylvain and Luca Changretta – he really doesn’t like the man.

[justmoreocs-writing]

‘Not much of a reader,’ admitted Sy, scratching the back of his head. ‘Lu is though. She got me to read… Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and that was OK. I’ve always preferred doing physical things - whittling and playing piano - than reading, if I am honest.’

[justmoreocs-writing]

Luce’s Relationships

Initially, Hal tries his best to keep Luce away from the Shelbys in the hopes of protecting her from the horrors of the family – also, in his own way of trying to protect them from outsiders because he worries about them. When he realises there’s no way of deterring her, Hal decides to do what he can to ensure she doesn’t get herself into too much trouble.

Stan is the first person Luce met properly in Birmingham and while initially he’s a little shy, the two of them have grown to constantly rely on each other. One is rarely seen without the other in the early stages of their friendship. They are each other’s cheerleaders for a lot of things, and they know they can always rely on the other to be there should they need it.

Michael and Luce don’t actually see eye-to-eye a lot of the time; however, they have a kind of begrudging respect of each other when it comes to some of the less violent parts of being involved with the Shelbys. Occasionally they show something that could be mistaken for friendship, and they do look out for each other, but neither will really admit that there is anything other than a working respect between them.

Gio hears whispers of the red haired woman working with the Shelbys and starts to dwell on his life before having moved to America. When he comes face-to-face with Luce Turner, everything changes for him. Their relationship is a tense one, but one they are both going to have to navigate with care because of their respective jobs, and the past which in part they wish they could forget.

[justmoreocs-writing]

There were very few things in life that calmed Luce’s ever wondering soul, and one of them was Sylvain Alfonsi. Her best friend was the quiet to her noise, the calm to her adventure. Even the people that worked with his father didn’t shatter that, they only produced some fissures of irritation, of panic, in his calm exterior which in turn didn’t much bother her own calmness with him. But there were still times when they could interfere with that.

Sy cursed in Italian, pulling Luce’s thoughts back to the present. They were wandering by the canal, arm in arm and soaking up the last of the autumn sunlight. Soon, winter would be upon them and these little excursions wouldn’t be as frequent.

‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, looking at him. There was a furrow to his brow, a darkness barely masked behind his expression that told her everything she needed to know. His father’s friends were there. Instinctively, Luce glanced around as if she might be able to spot them. But they were getting better at sticking to the shadows.

‘Wait here,’ Sy said softly, patting her arm and looking her dead in the eye. ‘I mean it, Luce.’

She searched his face for a flicker of something. Something that she might be able to latch onto, to help him deal with this. But he was gone before she could find it. His posture seemed to change slightly, he walked a little taller, seemed to have a little more confidence than before.

Even as he strode towards the alleyway, Luce bounced on the balls of her feet, eager to follow him. There had only ever been one thing that he refused to share with her, and that was what his family did. All she knew was that they were Italian, and they’d found work with other Italians.

A raised voice and Luce couldn’t stop herself. She went pelting off towards the alleyway before rational judgement could cross her mind. She skidded around the corner to see two imposing figures flanking Sy. But somehow, he still looked as though he was in charge of the situation.

‘Luce,’ he breathed, just as she heard someone mention her hair. The words had been Italian, but Sy had taught her a little over their time as friends. Enough that she could get by, even if it took her a little while to fully translate. He rounded on the two men. ‘Leave,’ he hissed before moving towards her. He gently took hold of her arm and guided her away from them without so much as a backwards glance.

‘What was that?’ she asked, briefly looking over her shoulder, spotting the two men retreating the other way.

‘Nothing,’ Sy said, finally letting her arm go. A little of the tension seemed to slip away from him as well. ‘Come on, where was that boat you wanted me to see?’

Luce looked towards him, tried to figure out what exactly she’d run into. Her excitement about their little adventure to see the new barge, however, was too much. It drowned her curiosity for the moment, but she had no doubt it would be back again soon.

So, gently taking his hand, Luce continued with their walk, really hoping that one day she might be able to help him with the part of his life that seemed to concern him the most. To remind him that she was his best friend. There for him through thick and thin, no matter what.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Luce hasn’t found her first love really. She kind of falls for people in different ways. For example, there was always a type of love for Sylvain, and of course he’s always going to have a special part of her heart. They never really dated, but there was a kind of will-they-won’t-they thing for a while. Not that they ever got the chance to do much with the feelings due to him going to the War.

[justmoreocs-writing]

‘Curious,’ she said without hesitation. It was one of those things everyone always said about her, and even if they hadn’t she’d have known it. The amount of times she’d wandered off in search of answers, of an adventure to explore things, it was impossible not to think of the word as linked to her in some way.

She chuckled slightly before she said, ‘Reckless. Sy always used to say that…’ She heaved a deep breath, trying to push down the conflicting emotions that thinking of her London best friend brought with it. ‘He always used to say that he was my self-control.’

The pause that dragged out while she thought of her next answer was filled only with the sound of her lighting a match. The odd little habit was one she’d picked up without really realising it, but the motions of lighting the thing brought an odd kind of comfort with them.

‘Resilient,’ she said, though there’s the barest hint of uncertainty about her voice. ‘I don’t let things get me down for long, and I change what I can if it’ll help.’

[justmoreocs-writing]

🌟 Luce

She speaks Italian because Sy taught her.

Is stuck between not liking the darkness and craving it - fear of zeppelins really did a number on her.

Can dance a waltz because of her mother’s dances and it was the first one she was taught.

Once almost ended up in Essex on an adventure; Wilf brought her back because she was like five.

Her family nickname is Cinder - as in fire cinders, not Cinderella like Wilf used to tease her when she was younger.

Knows how to ride a horse but wouldn’t pick it as her mode of transport.

Her father is the one who taught her about boats and cars.

Literally ended up in Birmingham because it was the first place she saw a train to.

Once tried sneaking into one of Sabini’s clubs to see what they were like and why Sy kept trying to keep her away from them.

Wilf used to always carry her on his back during Bonfire Night celebrations and anything where she was too short to see.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Lucinda ‘Luce’ Turner: Luce grew up kissing people on the cheek to greet them. It was kind of a big thing in the social circles that her mother gravitated to, but also it was a thing Sylvain taught her. Still, Luce only really does this to people she knows well once she is away from the familiarities of home. She has gave Sy a lingering kiss on the cheek before he ran away to join the army for the War.

Stanley ‘Stan’ Shelby: Stan’s was mainly kisses on the forehead from his family; people ruffling his hair and constantly making him feel as though he was about four. He had his first romantic-type kiss when he was eleven, and a girl down the road wanted to see what the big deal about it all was. Part of him feels bad that there was no real emotion behind his first kiss, but another part is glad he could try helping her out.

Henry ‘Hal’ Brandon: Hal’s earliest memories are of his mother smoothing back his hair to kiss him on the temple. Now, his kisses with Cece are usually soft, a reminder of how much she means to him and how grateful he is that a strong woman like her is by his side. That being said, when they have heated kisses he is quick to pull her close to him; both of them can be a little desperate at times like this, as if terrified they might just lose each other.