Dovahkiin stood in front of the fireplace in the great Nightingale Hall.  Snow was falling outside in the darkness, covering the city in snow.  The Hall could get a little chilly in the winter, but the fireplace roared, filling the space with warmth.  Chestnuts roasted on the hearth, and a snow soaked scarf was draped on the mantle to dry.  For a big stone hallway, it was surprisingly festive.  Wreaths had been strung over the doorways, and in one corner was a spruce covered in jewels from previous heists that glittered in the firelight.

The Dragonborn had called for one of her most faithful members on this cold December night, needing to have a talk with him.  True her to her dislike of cars, she had sent a horse-drawn sleigh out in the snow to retrieve him. The grand wooden door opened, and Shaggs stepped in out of the night.  The wind whipped inside, scattering snow around the room, a piece landing on Dovahkiin’s gloved hand, melting quickly in the warmth of the fire.

The wooden door closed, and the butler stepped forward to take Shaggs’ coat.  Dovah turned, smiling at him from under her hood, picking up a glass from the mantle of the fireplace and taking a sip.

“Shaggs, thank you for coming here so late, and in such dreadful weather,” she said, looking out the window with a faint smile on her face. She loved the snow.

“Now I wouldn’t have called you here if it weren’t for something important, so please, have a seat.” She said, picking up a decanter of amber liquid, pouring some into a glass and handing it to him. She refilled her own glass before sitting down in one of the luxurious armchairs. 

“MeadMaiden and I just finished this new batch of honey spiced mead, and I really would like your opinion,” she said, tilting her head and giving Shaggs a pointed look.  She could only hold for a second before her face cracked into a smile and she chuckled, shaking her head.

“I’m only joking, though I would like your taste on the mead,” she said, swirling the mead around in her glass before taking a sip.

“The Bronx has been so empty since Earl was killed, and I need someone that I can trust working alongside me.  I found a place nearby that I think you could make into a very successful headquarters.”  She pulled keys out of a hidden pocket, placing them on the table between them, taking another sip of her mead.

“So, what will you call your new family?”

Shaggs had been unsure what the meeting was going to be about as he walked in the door but that was nothing a sip from the flask hadn't eased by the time he walked in. He listened intently to the boss and almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. Shaggs smiled and took the keys from her hand. His ancestors ahd seen this day before but it had been many generations. He looked forward to bringing pride to his family name. Looking back at his boss with certainty he smiled.

I know just what we'll be called. "The Mystery Machine"

Dovahkiin gathered everyone in the great hall again, standing with Shaggs by the fireplace.

“Everyone, I have an announcement to make.  Tonight Shaggs will be setting up alongside us here in the Bronx.  There will be a second headquarters, and he will continue to work closely with us to make New York prosper.  Please wish him the very best, and if you would like to transfer to his new headquarters, please come see me privately.”  She said, lifting her glass in a toast.

“To Shaggs, my trusted Captain here in the Bronx!”  She said, the room erupting into cheers for their new Captain.

Congratulations.

Raises his glass.

Shaggs, our families have worked very closely in the past. My ancestors told long stories of your ancestry's willingness to make decisions, loyalty, and cool heads under pressure.

I know you'll do great things, and I wish you the most sincere congratulations.

She smiles as she pats Shaggs on the shoulder with pride.

You my dear will be an amazing leader. I am so proud of you. My ancestors, your ancestors, and plenty of ale... Or mead. I have some amazing mead! Strawberry banana, maple caramel apple, oh oh and the blueberry vanilla! I shall have few bottles of each sent to you. Leading can be stressful so it'll help you sleep at night.

I cannot wait to work with you more in the coming days, weeks, and months. 

Shaggs smiles as he sees all of his friends around to celebrate.

I couldn't ask for much more than this. Surrounded by friends and family and Wonderful Mead! MeadMaiden I do have to ask, could you make a Cherry Vanilla mead? An old friend of mine once made that recipe and it was a favorite of mine.

As for everyone else,

Shaggs points to the door as a classic holiday beer he was famous for was rolled in.

Now this stuff is pretty potent so make sure that you don't drink and less than 5

He raises his now full mug and toasts

To The Bronx!

Syndicate was out for a nice stroll when he happened upon a horse drawn sleigh, nifty business they got there, probably only sells during this one month of the year Syndicate thought. He saw a familiar face riding atop the sleigh as a passenger, it looked like Shaggs. Syndicate decided to wander around the streets of New York some more, he cut down a back alley towards an old friends crew headquarters, he was nearly a block away when the same horses from before started prancing down the streets towards him. He had hoped something wasn't going down since he was just dropping in for a visit. 

Syndicate watched as Shaggs entered through the front door. It was unlike Syndicate to be sneaky and watch through windows but he really did not want to intrude if something was going on and perhaps he could have a better sense of what was going on if he was able to get a closer look. Syndicate walked around the property and soon found himself on a balcony, yes he climbed a trelace, this surely didn't look good if he were to be caught but his sneaking skills were, if you could put a number on it, 100/100. He could crouch down in an open field and people would lose track of him. 

Peering in the window there was a conversation going on between Dovahkiin and Shaggs, MeadMaiden even brought over a drink. The two master Nightingales watched as Shaggs took a sip of the drink. He gave a nod and was deep in thought, there had to be more going on than just trying a drink he thought. Before long there was celebrations of sorts. Syndicate was still unsure what was going on but at least it was a happy meeting and maybe Syndicate would still be invited in for a cup of mead if it was a happy meeting. He swung his leg over the balcony and gracefully tumbled his way down the trelace until he collided gently with solid ground, okay it was more of a rough impact. 

Syndicate strolled around to the front of the house and knocked on the door as if to be there for the first time this evening. The doorman opened the front door and informed him of a meeting that was going on. He would have to come back later. He turned to head back out towards the horses when Dovahkiin peered over the balcony rail at the top of the steps, "Syndicate! Come in, hear the news, its good stuff!" Syndicate and the doorman looked up at Dovahkiin who was waving him inside. 

Just being turned away from the doorman, Syndicate smiled as he took off his hat and scarf and presented it to the doorman to collect from him. He hung his own coat on the nearby rack and ascended the stairs, he put on a look of surprise to see Shaggs sitting in a chair with a big grin on his face. "Shaggs is brining the Mystery Machine to the Bronx", Dovahkiin said. Knowing there were congratulations and excitement in the room moments before Syndicate smiled on the outside and made his way over to Shaggs to congratulate him on bringing a questionable machine into the city. He was still unsure what that meant but it quickly became evident that it was to be the name of his new crew. 

Syndicate waited as Shaggs stood to accept his handshake, "Shaggs, Congratulations mate, I'm sure you will do the great district of Bronx New York well. I'm glad Dovahkiin is finally expanding the district my father once called home." The handshake ended with some nods from each of them and they both rejoined the celebration with the others.