shaking hands and kissing babies [open]

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This really wasn’t her scene. Firstly, the crowd that she overlooked seemed completely focused on one sole figure: her father. She wasn’t exactly used to having all the attention focused on anyone other than her, but she didn’t bother to trade him places. He seemed so comfortable in front of the crowd, addressing concerns and questions from the press with ease before he engaged in some winded speech, only pausing once to take a sip from his water and leaving the crowd in complete anticipation. Piper sat with one of her elegant legs crossed over the other, bored from the arrangement. The chair next to her sat her pompous little brother and both Hill children were placed on the same platform where her father was speaking right in the middle of City Hall.

Not only was it 10:30 in the morning and Piper couldn’t remember the last time she had awoken so early, the Hill family seemed to adapt this ‘sticking together’ philosophy now that one of the most notorious criminals in Gotham was chasing them down after eliminating members of all of those who went against him. Piper was near the edge, sipping on a coffee as she desperately attempted to stay away. Occasionally she would ease her boredom by flicking the statuesque officer that stood attentively next to her, only to get their attention and then turn away as if she was innocent.

She was dying to pull out her cellphone, but she knew that wouldn’t go over exactly well with both the crowd and her father. It appeared as though the security was tight enough, but when wasn’t it anymore? Piper couldn’t even use the restroom without checking in with someone else. The moment her father decided to take a brief intermission from this little conference, Piper was quick to dart from the stage, determined to get some space before she was noticed. Surely her father would be too preoccupied with friends and colleagues that were swarming in on him. Regardless, giving the security the slip seemed tiring and ineffective every time. Still, she blended with the crowd in search of space.

outfit: click here

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There was no way Carmine Falcone was going to miss an event led by this man, Hamilton Hill. The mafia don knew he had to start making friends, or his weakened grip on Gotham would become even more tenuous. His bodyguards had slipped throughout the small crowd, and constantly scanned for threats. Much like the mayor's plainclothes bodyguards, as a matter of fact. The two groups probably recognized each other, but each knew the other would keep out of trouble unless provoked.

The people who attended City Hall events were movers and shakers. They all knew Falcone, either from his time controlling the city or from his reputation after he left. As a result, as soon as anyone saw his forest green glen plaid suit jacket and red carnation they moved out of his way. It felt good to part crowds again, as he had before the Batman came to Gotham. It felt good to be back.

He approached the mayor, hoping to get a quick word in and alert the man to his presence. It would make things much easier when he demanded a meeting with the City Council. The plainclothes officers in the crowd tried to cluster around the mayor, determined to try to prevent any contact between the two men, but Falcone knew that they wouldn't be foolish enough to actually detain him. 

He saw two of the officers suddenly part, and thought he had an opening. That is until the young girl burst out and began to move away from the crowd and towards him. She was...colorful. If he were a woman he'd know what to call it. He decided it was blue. No green. Blue-green is as close to it as he was willing to try and guess. 

In any event she had stopped him from seizing his moment. He frowned as the officers resumed their place, then sighed and pulled out his gold pocketwatch. 10:35. When the young girl was within earshot he made eye contact and nodded towards the mayor, "He's a hard man to get close to. You must be important."

Carmine's father had taught him this trick. If you can't get close to the man, get close to whoever is close to him.

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Heart pounding as she decided this was the most opportune moment to make a break for it, she didn’t hear her father call after her, but knew that he was making a simple jerk of his head towards her and his bright blue eyes were surely livid. She could only picture the smug look on her little brothers face as he continued to sit politely at his little perch, assuring their dearest daddy that he was not going to be any trouble seeing as he had enough on his hands. The Mayor continued to keep his composure and act as though things were completely normal; giving his attention to anyone who asked for it that wasn’t his rebellious daughter.

The crowd was so extensive; the Piper decided that it would be the best place to hide until people started clearing out. She leaned against the brick wall of a building casually, her head turning as she attempted to recognize the men who had been hired to stand in plain clothes to insure the Mayor and his family was protected. Piper could make out some of them as they sifted through the crowd in search of her, their hands reaching suspiciously toward their earpieces as they communicated with each other. When she met the almost-comforting gaze of a man near her, she moved back slightly – assuming he worked for her father as well until he spoke.

She followed his gesture to see her father standing up at the raised platform, leaving his dirty work of retrieving her to the men he had hired. It bothered her that he didn’t even seem concerned that she had left, or that their might have been a problem. The only time she had even spoken to him the past few days was at the dinner table where the Hill family was outnumbered by the excessive amount of security. This ordeal with Dent was overwhelming. She was sick of it. Part of her wanted Two-Face to get ahold of her already if he was going to do it.

The blonde almost laughed at the strangers comment. “Hah, if I was that important he’d have come after me himself” She ran her hair through her long blonde waves before turning to glance behind her; paranoid that security had found her. However, she knew they wouldn’t outright grab her in such a crowd of people. They would let her have her way and simply keep a close eye on her until the crowd thinned before approaching her. Was she going to be scolded later? Probably, but she still had the feeling of freedom to fuel her for the time being.

“No, I’m only his daughter, which seems to fall into the last slot on his list of important people.” She whined almost selfishly to this complete stranger. “I’m sorry, but do I know you?”


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Carmine raised an eyebrow as the younger girl complained about the mayor not pursuing her. He had heard of young mistresses making such comments, but surely the mayor wouldn't let one of those on stage with his family. Unless, of course, Hamilton Hill was just as corrupt as the mayors that Carmine had known when the Roman Empire was at its height. He filed the thought away and hoped that it would come in handy one day.

Ah, a daughter. Well that explained the attitude, and the public showing. He had seen petulant children before. He had even fathered one or two in his time, but this girl had to take the cake. Even at their worst, his children would not be foolish enough to expect him to abandon business at their every whim. Still, an opportunity was an opportunity, and Carmine Falcone knew when to make friends. He smiled as warmly as he could when he answered her question, "Carmine. Pleased to meet you Miss...?"

He extended his hand for her to shake, ignoring the assorted men around him who tensed. There was no sense in giving her his last name if she didn't already know it. Anonymity was a good thing when you were trying to snake up the backchannels of the halls of power, and there was no sense in spooking a potential contact with the mayor. Besides, her father would tell her all about him once the man found out they had spoken.

Thinking of the mayor, Carmine flicked his eyes towards the man, who was now warmly greeting a rich looking man in a silk suit. "Well your father may not have the priorities you want, but look at that man. He knows how to kiss hands and shake babies."

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She was so busy glaring daggers at her father that she had almost forgotten that she was talking with the man beside her. As the crowd began to grow thin, the young blonde grew noticeably more nervous at the situation. It seemed as though her freedom was going to be short lived. Making a run for it was pointless and sure to gain some unwanted attention that would only lead to another rampaging lecture once she was caught and escorted into a town car. However, despite the tinning crowd security didn’t seem to be starting toward her. It was peculiar to say the least.

“Piper Hill,” She replied with her full name simply rolling off the tongue and a white smile as she reengaged with the conversation. It was clear that she was a bit distracted “The pleasure is all mine.” The blonde said politely as if on autopilot after all of the other introductions she was forced to endure at the breakfast prior to the current engagement. While the name sounded somewhat familiar she didn’t dwell on it too much. She had just spent the morning meeting what seemed like half the city.

Though she wasn’t known for her brains, she noticed the rippling reactions of those her father employed as the man reached out for a simple hand shake. The blonde blinked with an obvious confusion, looking from the nearest member of the security team. “Do you know them or something? It’s odd that they are not coming to fetch me yet.” She said aloud, but mostly to herself, extending her own hand to meet his and engage in a chaste handshake.

When he turned to attention back to her father, she had to do everything in her power not to look annoyed, though it appeared as though for some reason or another this man was buying her time in the fresh air away from her father’s side. “Yeah I guess, wait what?” She cracked a genuine smile for the first time at what she assumed what an accident.



outfit: click here

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Carmine couldn't help but wonder what kind of man would raise a daughter who couldn't hold a conversation for more than a sentence without shifting her attention elsewhere. He pursed his lips as she looked away again, but she finally took his hand and they shook.

Her question about the security amused him, "They probably remember me from years ago. I used to be quite active in local government. Surprised I haven't met your father before, actually. Though truth be told at this point the man bores me. In the old days  the mayor would have been happy to see me, but it seems that my long absence has left me forgotten and ignored."

He turned and looked at her father again as she questioned his joke, "Well look at the man, he kisses the hand of his king." Carmine gestured towards the rich benefactor who the mayor was laughing eagerly with.

"I'm surprised he hasn't passed the trait on to you. My children quickly taught me that the apple does not fall far from the tree, and yet here you are talking to a forgotten servant of the city who can't even get a handshake with the mayor. You could be earning your father's campaign plenty of money if you were to try."

He gave her a wry smile as he tried to evaluate her. She was ready to bolt, like a bird waiting for the cage doors to open and let her fly away. She was also relatively polite, when she could focus enough to actually have a conversation. She was the daughter of a mayor and yet she showed neither the commitment to his cause that typified younger daughters nor the absolutely unwillingness to participate that indicated an elder. Instead she hovered in between, close by but not actually participating in the event. Very curious indeed.

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Piper politely returned his statement with a smile at his mention of involvement though it wavered momentarily when the subject returned to her father. He seemed to be somewhat interested in the man, but this was something the young heiress was used to. Typically, she would rudely blow them off in search of a more self-centered conversation or a decent looking woman to flirt with, however, the longer she talked to this stranger provided her with a newfound freedom. The scandal with Dent and the tight security her father insisted on resulted in little communication outside of the Manor. They could be talking about something as simple as French toast and the social butterfly would have been just as relieved for the discussion.

“He does?” She was almost confused to find someone that didn’t seem to be practically worshiping her father and praising every word that fell from his lips. “Oh- well, I’m sorry, but I’m sure that’s not intentional at all.” She sent a glance in the direction of her Father through what was left of the limited crowd. He took a moment to send her a warning glance before turning his attention back to a very well-off gentleman who was a very successful business owner. “I’m sure if you were to try to go talk to him he-“ She allowed her sentence to fall, not even convinced herself. Why even defend him at this point?

While she didn’t want to admit it, she couldn’t help but agree with his last statement. “I suppose I can see what you mean,” She said quietly. “But I guess that’s politics?” Piper attempted to justify it, but even she didn’t agree with what she was saying.

She was doing her best to hold her charming smile at his next suggestion. Two years prior Piper was an asset to her Father’s campaign, but that was also back when her mother was alive and a positive influence in each of the family’s lives. Her determination to rebel followed shortly after her death, though it seemed as though each member seemed to turn down a darker path than they admitted to believe. “I really wouldn’t take it too personally; with some of the more recent threats we’ve-um-he’s been getting people rarely make it past his team of body guards. The practically follow him into the bathroom.”

She managed a smile, focusing on only the man before her to avoid her father’s gaze. She could almost feel his eyes on the back of her head. “You wouldn’t be the first person he’s forgotten. My father and I are not exactly on the best of terms…I used to be fairly involved with it all, but recently not so much” She attempted lightly, hugging herself almost nervously.



outfit: click here

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Carmine reached up and pushed his hat back. The brim moved out of his vision and the bright light of the day fully illuminated his face. Piper seemed to be growing more and more restless the longer their conversation went on. "Politics indeed," he said, assuming the girl didn't fully understand what he had told her. She was very obviously not the type of girl who engaged deeply into the system. It was probably best for her, and his own children had suffered for trying to follow in their father's footsteps, so he understood if Hamilton Hill was wise enough to let her do as she wanted, even if it did spoil her.

He decided to change the subject, and see if that got her to engage more. "So Miss Hill, what is it that you do? Surely since you don't play with politics you have another vocation. Perhaps..." he considered what a twenty-something girl in Gotham would do if she had enough money and family connections, "...a rock and roll band?"

He remembered her rather flamboyant outfit, though he kept his eyes politely on hers instead of looking down at her body. No need to send the wrong message, "Or perhaps a fashion designer?"

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Feeling slightly nervous, it appeared as though this particular civilian seemed to stray from the tabloids that typically had young Piper’s face plastered to them on a daily basis. Whether or not he was oblivious to her infamous reputation or he simply had decided to ignore it was almost a fresh exchange. Though her did seem situated on the topic of her father (while most people did) the blonde silently knew that there were so many worse things in her past that he could be grilling her about.

When the topic actually took a turn towards her personal career path, she couldn’t help but manage a small smile. “It’s a bit….complicated.” She began, allowing him to guess what field of work she was currently enthralled in. He was correct in the industry but not her particular part of it. “Definitely not a rock star. If I had that going for me I certainly wouldn’t be here.” She replied with almost a bitter taste on her tongue. While she dreamed of fame her lack of ambition didn’t fuel the passion that she adored.

“Your close, I model. I actually just got back from Metropolis not too long ago” Was it? When she actually stopped to think about it she had been back for years now. "I was lucky enough to get involved with this awesome agency over there and fell in love with it all” While she didn’t care to mention that most of these photo-shoots were not particularly the most modest, she decided to keep that bit of information to herself. “I came back to Gotham after my mother died and I’ve been just kind of taking up whatever jobs I can for some local businesses’ and a few acting gigs here and there Car commercials, nothing special.” Not to mention riding on daddy’s coattails.

Assuming she had talked enough about herself to a perfectly newfound stranger, she shrugged off the fact that she had basically spent the last few deals coated in cocaine to actually do something with her life. “And what is it that you do?” She countered.




outfit: click here

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Carmine smiled politely as Piper explained her occupation. "I've been meaning to go to Metropolis for a long time," he answered, "I have a few business interests in the city that aren't completely overtaken by Lexcorp.

"Modelling is a difficult business to get into. A lot of people aren't who they pretend to be, and a lot of people make poor decisions. I hope for your sake that you can avoid the bad side of the industry. I hear the photoshoots on the beach are incredible though." His smile faltered, "I'm sorry to hear about your mother. It's good of you to come back and help your family, especially your father. Public figures have to project a strong image, even when they feel they want not to."

He resumed his former smile, "But Gotham is full of opportunity. It's why I came back to the city after emigrating. There's something for everyone. Maybe Mr. Luthor will need some models for whatever he's bringing to Gotham."

"I'm an entrepreneur," he answered her question crisply. "I have plenty of businesses. Mostly in construction, transport, and storage, but I also own a few dry cleaners around the city. Those are mostly in west Gotham though. My earliest investments," he said proudly, "It was all I could afford when I was younger, and now I can't let them go. They remind me of where I came from."

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Her eyes undeniably lit up at his mention of Metropolis. Despite her father’s wary eye on her, Piper now had her full attention to the man that stood before her, engaged in conversation. It didn’t appear that any of his security planned to move toward her at any time, making her only want to continue to visit whatever topic Carmine chose to discuss. If it earned her more time in the sunlight and fresh air surrounded by the sounds of the city, she couldn’t care less what they talked about.

Besides, the man before her had a friendly, trusting face – almost like what she imagined a father too have rather than her father’s stern and expressionless one that seemed to replace the plastered politician smile the moment they were in the security of their home. “Really? I would do anything to go back there.” She said mostly to simply state, but she understood his comment in regards to LexCorp. “You mean there are some left that are not overtaken? Not a Luthor fan?” Piper teased, aware of the wealthy man’s success and his blossoming empire.

She almost blushed when he mentioned the bad sides of the industry that the pretty blonde had already been tempted to engage her time in on many occasions. “I wouldn’t know, I’ve never had the opportunity to be photographed on the beach. I think it would be an amazing experience though. I’ve been exploring my options outside of the modeling industry.” She said with a playful smile, though not quite willing to give away what she had been racing through her thread while cooped up at her father’s manor the past few weeks.

“Thank you, that’s very kind. It’s been a bit since she passed. We should all be over it by now.” Should be over it, but clearly they weren’t. The Hill family was undeniably broken with little attempts to repair each other.

Her eyes grew wide once more when he mentioned modeling for Lex Luthor. The idea alone sounded far too good to be true. In fact, the return of the name actually fueled her with another idea concerning the man. Perhaps he might be able to help her finance her next little project. “That would be incredible. My career would explode. I don’t see why he would want to come here though – of all places! I can’t complain though. It seems as though the only times we leave the house anymore is to go to one of his events.”

Her interested peaked once more when he informed her of his profession. In fact, she had been interested in business for a matter of time, but was too busy blowing money on bottles and booths to actually sober up and take some progressive steps and finish her schooling. “Really? That’s my major! Well, business anyway.” And it had been for the past four years with not so much as a degree to show for it. “I don’t go to the west side of the city much, but when I do I will look out for them. Are they named after you or called something else?” She said with a smile, mentioning his businesses.



outfit: click here