Realistic or Modern A Family Affair: The Irish Mob - IC (Ended)

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Ali was listening, but at the same time she wasn't. She was lost in her own thoughts about why she was acting the way she was. There was an unidentifiable knot in her stomach and her heart was pounding. What about this situation, what about Conor was making her act like this? Perhaps it was the fact that she was still avoiding figuring out her feelings towards him. Feelings she knew she had, but didn't want to admit. Well she certainly would have to now that she was in this predicament. His final statement, she heard and it was quite possibly her tipping point. How dare he act like he did nothing wrong, she thought to herself. Standing up, she stepped up to him and looked him in the eyes, hers filled with so much emotion.

"Conor. You think this is about you not being there for me when Leo got shot? No, no. This is about you not being there for me AT ALL." She took a dramatic pause and continued. "You didn't call to check on me when Alex suddenly popped back up into your life. You just... You just ran to her without a care in the world about what happened to me." There was the feeling of tears welling up and she dared a tear to even fall out. "Don't get me wrong, I knew what our relationship was. I knew eventually it would all end but I..." She closed her eyes, shook her head and sighed. For the first time in a while she felt vulnerable. "I didn't think you'd do it without giving it a second thought." She was currently admitting the truth to herself and to Conor and she felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

Conor ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Enzyme]

Eli Porter​

​

Elijah's eyes trailed up to the book placed on the table. Blue, silk stitching ran across the thick book's spine, matching the color of the bird plastered on the front. He instantly recognized the Blue Jay on the cover, along with the various families of birds below. A gift. He pressed his hand on the book, sliding it closer to him. "I always liked Sinead. She's smarter than most of 'em let on." He looked to the book, flipping over the hardcover and running his fingers across the smooth sheets of paper. "It's got the new book smell." As he studied the book, a small hint of a smile could be seen curling on the corner of his lip. "Alright, enough. Back to your cell, Eli," the guard calmly ordered. Eli looked at James at first, before looking back down at the book. "Look, Michael," Eli addressed the man. "My cousin got me a book, and I wanna read it to my dear James." The guard, Michael, seemed rather discouraged from dealing with Elijah's mental state, letting out a small sigh. "You need to take your pills, Elijah. We know you’ve been spittin’ them out. Let’s go.” Michael reinforced, lightly resting his hand on Eli's shoulder. Eli's pupils dilated to the size of a dinner plate, and his facial expression dropped, his hands tightening around the edges of the book. He slowly stood up from the bench, towering over the guard.

"Oh, did you want to read it?" Eli asked, clutching the book close to his gut. "Not righ-" Michael was silenced by Elijah's forehead viciously bashing against the bridge of his nose. The sudden, unexpected attack sent the man to the ground, blood pouring out of the open gash. Gripping both sides of the book, Eli brutally smashed the back of the hard covered book against the guard's head. "You want to fuckin' read it, you fuckin' wanka'?" Blood splattered against the edge of the white pages and the once beautiful cover. Seeing this, Eli dropped the book in horror. "Look what you did! That was a present, you prick!" Eli's gory hands gripped around the guard's throat, causing blood to soak Michael's tan collared shirt. Michael's legs flailed under Eli, attempting to kick his legs out from under him. Eli raised the man up slightly and slammed him back down against the tiled floor, causing the back of Michael's head to smash against the ground. This was enough to knock the energy out of the defenseless guard. The rest of the guards had escorted the patients back once the open recreation had ended, leaving Michael completely alone. With only the three of them in the room, it was evident that Eli had no intention of letting up. His hard grip tightened, causing Michael’s eyes to nearly pop out of their sockets.

Misty Gray (James)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Peter cracked a slight smile as George enthusiastically agreed with him on his view of violence, it was good to know that he wasn't alone on such an opinion. Darius was definitely going to be an issue that would be unfixable. Peter wasn't going to expect the young man to change his ways or see clearly, he was far too angry for any of that. Today's display was only the beginning, and unfortunately for poor Peter, it could only get worse. He would want to make sure there was no disruptions, no being saved by the bell. Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, his attention returned to George. Another small smile was shown as he expressed his hope that Sinead would be able to see him soon, regardless of the mood she was in. Peter was expecting the worst really, his wife was a fragile soul. He only hoped that everyone was taking good care of her, trying their best to keep her well and happy.

Peter's head snapped to the side, looking towards the cell door as the voices of guards demanded they get out of the cell and into the line. His heart did flips as he was delighted to hear that he had visitors. George requested more information form the cold guard who had the paper in his hand, Peter raised an eyebrow and stood quietly by watching the reaction the guard. When he did nothing but walk away, Peter's brows furrowed. He was quick to wipe the confused look off his face as George looked to him before hopping into the line. Peter followed suit and listened as George explained what would happen next. Nodding his head along slowly, Peter's eyes looked up as they walked down in a line. The gray on gray seemed to be suffocating him as he rubbed his hands together, his palms were sweaty and he could have sworn it had just gotten hotter in the room. He was nervous to see her.

"Next." Peter's head hung low as he awaited his turn to be searched. "Next?" Biting his lip, Peter wondered what the hell he was going to say to Sinead when she arrived, if she arrived. His head was spinning with all kinds of different scenarios on how it could all go down. He swore that if this was James or Conor showing up...No, Sinead would come. "NEXT!" The shouting caught the man's attention and he quickly took three large steps forward. The guard tapped Peter's knees, signaling for him to step out wider, "Arms out." He said before searching Peter. He stood frozen as he felt utterly violated by such an action. He held his breath and counted the seconds until it was finally over. "Move it." The guard said and pushed Peter forward.

Swallowing hard, he walked forward towards the visitors room. Unsurprisingly, this room was just as colorless as the prison but the energy of it seemed to be much...happier, if that were even possible in a place like this. Peter was instructed to sit at a separate table, each prisoner having to be separated from the other. He sat down slowly and looked down at the wood. Scratched and chipped there was a lot to look at on the table. Wanting to keep his attention from looking for her, Peter tried to pay attention to the symbols and words others had left on his table.

With: George Misty Gray
Mentions: Darius Enzyme : Sinead

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead could feel her heartbeat speed up drastically as Finn pulled the car into the prison car-park. She took a few deep breaths as she tried to control her anxiety. The metal fences, the grim grounds and the soulless building were like something out of a bad dream. Something about the place felt intimidating and it wasn't just because she was aware of the eyes looking down from the watchtower. She turned to Finn once he'd parked up and stopped the car. She felt safer knowing he was going to be by her side the whole time. "Thank you for coming with me, and for listening. It really means a lot," she assured her cousin.

Once they were inside the reception of the prison, Sinead and Finn were told to sign in. The guard dealing with them wasted no time in asking Sinead to hand over her shoulder bag until after the visit. The redhead frowned at the guard's request but knew she had no choice but to comply if she wanted to see Peter. She was about to retrieve the photographs of her and the children but the bag was taken away before she had the chance. "I brought some pictures in for Peter. I was told I could do that..." she protested. Thankfully, though a little rudely, the guard reached into the bag and pulled out the photographs in question. "Yes. Those," she abruptly confirmed, biting her tongue so she didn't give them a piece of her mind. "These people are so rude," she whispered to Finn. Although not quite as thorough as it would have been for Peter, Sinead and Finn were given a brief frisk search by security. She didn't like it one bit and felt wholly uncomfortable, but once again kept her distaste to herself as she kept her mind on getting through the formalities so she could see her husband.

Sinead walked closely by Finn's side as she apprehensively entered the visiting room. She scanned the room from left to right to seek out Peter. Some of the men looked very intimidating - and she'd grown up in a crime family where she'd met plenty of crooks and thugs in her time. Some of the men in the room didn't look at all friendly. At least her family's gang members had generally been friendly and approachable. Her eyes eventually landed on Peter, who was almost unrecognisable in the bland grey uniform and with his head down to face the tabletop. She gave Finn a nudge before rushing over to Peter. It was clear to see that she was about to give her husband the tightest hug and that was why one of the guards was fast to intercept her before she could try. "Sit down, Miss!" he firmly ordered, pointing to one of the two empty chairs that faced Peter - the other would be for Finn to use. Sinead practically shot daggers at the guard as she sat down on the chair.

"How rude. Stupid jerk!" Sinead grumbled once the guard was out of earshot. Her eyes were fixed down to her lap before she eventually managed to look up to make eye-contact with Peter. She placed one arm on the tabletop, reaching out in the hopes Peter would hold her hand across the table. "Hi, Pet--" she began, but her eyes fell onto the fresh bruising on his face. She reached her free arm out to gently stroke his cheek, but quickly pulled her hand back. "What happened? Which loser did that to you?" she asked, a mixture of anger and worry in her voice. She wanted so much to kiss him and try to make him feel better but she'd heard enough about how things worked in jail, so she didn't want to do anything that might make her husband seem weaker to the other prisoners in the room. Still, it pained her to not comfort Peter and he would probably know how to read her by now to know she wanted to be closer to him.

"How are you doing, Petey?" she asked him, managing a smile that was only deceived by the sadness in her eyes. She looked to Finn, letting him get a word in so he could speak to Peter too.

"We all love and miss you," she reassured him. "Savvy is a worrier, as we all know, but she's staying so strong and has been helping around the house. You're still Brady's biggest hero, but I keep telling him prison isn't a fun place and I will slap his butt if he thinks he's allowed to play pretend guns or whatever it is he likes to copy off of you men." She then sent Peter a soft smile. "And Emmy... Well, she doesn't quite grasp the concept of time yet, so she's quite content in her own little world and knows you'll be home. Although, she did tell me she loves you, even though you are really naughty. You're in for a telling off the next time Emmy sees you," she warned, managing a genuine laugh. It felt easier to talk about the children and how they were doing, rather than talking about herself. She felt proud of how strong they had been and worried Peter would be disappointed in her for struggling. She looked around again before focusing back on her husband. "You don't deserve to be in a place like this," she told him.

Bellz (Peter, Finn)

(More replies coming up...)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan and Thomas Dempsey​

Conor's heart sank as Aliana continued to go off at him. She explained that her problems went back further than since Leo's hospitalisation. He felt bad when she mentioned how he'd failed to check on her when Alex had returned and had seemingly done so carelessly. Any initial gut reaction to argue and defend himself was knocked back as he could see how upset Aliana was by it all. This caused him to remain silent and let her finish speaking whilst he tried get his head around the situation.

"Maybe you're right. I did lose touch with you and it was wrong of me not to keep you in mind after Alex returned." He let out a sigh. "It was such a big thing for me as it helped resolve years of uncertainty that I'd been feeling. But even more so, I was just so distracted at finding out I had a daughter. I didn't have a clue how to approach Michelle and I've struggled to keep being a decent father... or at least a competent one." He paused as he ran his hand through his hair. "Though I guess none of that excuses me abandoning you. I have no excuse for it and I'm truly sorry for not considering your feelings. It was a shitty thing to do and I should have realised."


As Tommy returned to the Porters driveway, he continued to clutch at the file Gideon had passed on to him. Brian's request for what was going on was ignored, only leading the gate guard to then make a light-hearted comment about Conor apparently chatting-up Aliana. Tommy rolled his eyes. "Fuck sake. Grow up, Brian," the younger man replied, the irritation clear in his voice. Still, as Tommy rushed towards his car, he couldn't help but fix his gaze on the pair in question, wondering what they were talking about. He'd heard rumours in the past about Conor and Aliana but never thought anything of them. Considering Conor was so hung up on Alex, Tommy shook off any suspicion and reminded himself two people were allowed to talk without it meaning anything more.

When he reached his car, Tommy opened the passenger door and put the file safely away in the glove compartment. He then lit up a cigarette and leaned against the vehicle as he smoked. He allowed the cool winter air to surround him as he tried to make sense of his thoughts. Everything was a jumble of him imagining putting a bullet between the eyes of the murdering bastard cop and also trying to figure out how he would next approach James. He found it difficult to understand why his boss couldn't present him with the name of his mother's killer and even harder to process that James could have intentionally kept the information from him. One thing he was sure of was that he felt a deep, dark anger brewing within him and he was repeatedly telling himself to keep it under control.

Melanin-Gxdess (Ali)

James Porter
​

James smiled as he watched his brother's eyes light up at sight of the gift. It warmed him to see Elijah appearing genuinely happy at the gesture. "Sinny will be made up to hear you like the book," he said, figuring she needed all the positive thoughts she could get right now. The moment was interrupted by the guard telling Elijah to get back to his cell. It was poorly timed and James hadn't had chance to bring the visit to a real close. "Eli, mate--" he began, but the guard place his hand on Elijah's shoulder and caused to man to react by headbutting him. "ELI!" James firmly yelled.

James rushed up to intervene, just as Elijah bashed the guard's skull with the book. With the guard then knocked out, Elijah continued to grip his throat. James rushed around, facing his brother directly and holding his hand out. "Elijah. Let go of his fucking throat," he calmly, but firmly ordered him. He carefully placed his hand on his brother's shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. "You need to let him go, mate. He was just doing what he had to do. The rest of them have already finished their visits and left the room. He wasn't attacking you and it wasn't personal." James placed his hand around the wrist of his brother's hand that was grasping the guard's neck. "You need to let go now, else the rest of the staff here might not let me visit again and I really want to keep seeing you." He tightened his grip on Elijah's wrist and placed some resistance, trying to pull his hand away from the guard's throat. "We'll do it right next time. You can read a few pages of a book to me on each visit."

James was staying as patient as he could, hoping he wouldn't have to turn this into a fight or be forced to hurt his brother to save the guard. One thing for sure was that Elijah hadn't been taking his pills and it became clear to James that his brother was exactly where he belonged, as difficult as it was to admit. He was a danger to others and whilst Grant had practically invited Elijah's violent response, it could be an innocent bystander killed by the man next time.

Enzyme (Elijah)

 

[Enzyme]

Eli Porter

​

Eli's hands constricted tighter around Michael's throat, twisting and breaking the skin beneath his grasp. Blood ran down the back of the man's head from where it had slammed against the floor, trickling down into a small puddle. With bloodshot eyes and a purple color developing on his skin, it was apparent Michael wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. Eli hardly felt James' hand on his shoulder and was far too fixated on Michael. The overpowering sounds of Eli's own heartbeat muffled his brother's pleading into faint murmurs. He wanted to feel the life leave Michael's body through his hands. The thrill of taking another man's life. Another man who deserved to die. He could feel Michael's veins popping out under his hands. He gritted his teeth with the primal satisfaction of overpowering the guard. Eli could now feel his own blood rushing down his nose, giving him an irritating sensation in his nostrils.

The secure clasp around his wrist caused him to instinctually slam his forearm against James' chest, forcing him away from them. His bloodthirsty episode made it hard for him to process who was around him. Like a tiger feasting on its prey, there was little that could stop Eli from strangling the man to death. The sounds of pattering of guards shoes against the hard tiled floor seemed far more distant in Eli's ringing ears. Soon, multiple arms wrapped around him, forcibly pulling him off of Michael. His tunnel vision was broken by the guards forcing themselves into his line of sight, and he could feel his aggression slowly fading away. Once his hearing and vision had returned he could see the guards, who weren't holding Eli back, huddled around Michael. After pressing an ear to his chest and not hearing a heartbeat, they started to perform CPR on him. Most of the color had disappeared from Michael's face, Eli's hand markings tattooed around his bleach white neck in a shade of dark purple.

Eli's miserable eyes locked on James. Without much recollection of his episode, he was worried he had struck his brother during his violent attack. It was always shameful to lose control, especially in front of his loved ones. He didn't seem to resist whatsoever when being escorted away.

Misty Gray (James)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James let go of his brother and took a step back as the guards finally appeared on the scene. He watched on as some of the guards dragged Elijah off of Michael whilst the rest tended to the unconscious guard. James looked to his brother and briefly met the disturbed man's gaze. He sent a simple nod, not one excusing the man's actions against Michael but it was a gesture that confirmed he himself was unharmed. James looked away once his brother was escorted out of the room. His eyes briefly fixed on the bloodstained book Sinead had innocently gifted to Elijah. He knew if she asked about it, he would tell her about the part where Elijah had loved the gift, but he wouldn't say anything about what had followed shortly after that appreciation.

When James finally got back in his car, he didn't immediately start it up. He retrieved a piece of paper from his coat pocket and re-read the list he'd written for himself some days ago. His next stop after visiting Elijah was to head to the shops and finish buying the rest of the Christmas gifts he was supposed to be getting. He'd been determined to make an extra effort this year, rather than letting business take over this time and ending up grovelling to Lucy for her assistance. Even as he read the list, his mind was still on what had just happened with Elijah. He'd never been able to give his brother a good Christmas but just a few weeks ago he was certain this year would be the one, but now he knew for certain it was just something he could never be able to do for him.



The ten-year-old boy sat in the basic living area of the small apartment, eating a slice of bread as he watched his father, Ronan, rolling up a cigarette. James had already watched the older man loading his guns and packing them up ready for whatever job awaited him later that evening. It was nothing new or at all daunting, as James was already no stranger to using weapons. Despite having been born into crime and spending every day fighting to survive in the streets of Chicago, James was still a child and even he was receptive to the festivities on the streets around him. "Dad..." he began, swallowing the bread before continuing. "Can we do something for Christmas this year? Your boss... Mr. Sullivan will be celebrating. I bet Eli would like it too," he added, thinking of his three-year-old brother.

Ronan placed the roll-up into the small tin before looking to James. "Don't be going soft on me. We don't have time for all that, lad. I've got some jobs planned the next couple of weeks, so I won't even be home at Christmas. You'll have to keep an eye on your brother, y'know." Ronan shook his head as he wondered why James suddenly cared about such nonsense. "Christmas is for proper families, like Mr. Sullivan's. We stopped bothering with that shite the day your mother fucked off and left us. So, when we become a real family, then we'll do Christmas." Ronan often switched between either telling James that Rayna was dead or saying she'd walked out, abandoning them. Ronan let out a sigh as he softened his voice for a short time. "Look, we're not the kind of people who need to celebrate Christmas. I may be friends with Emmet, but when push comes to shove, I'm disposable. I'm not smart enough or rich enough to do shit legally. I do what I'm employed to do and I know it could get me killed at any time, so I need to focus on surviving rather than getting distracted by pointless celebrations. And, if anything does happen to me, you've gotta stick with the Sullivans and do the jobs they give you. They'll keep you in work. I've already been telling Emmet your aim is bloody spot on!" Ronan stood up and put his coat on, ready for his next job. "If you and Eli want Christmas, you'll have to go out and pinch some presents, won't ya? Even better, rob 'em from under that wanker Romano's fancy tree," he remarked. "Our enemies wouldn't think twice about ruining your Christmas..."


James snapped out of his thoughts and took another look at the list before placing it back into his pocket. Whilst he couldn't do anything for Elijah now, he still had a family back at home who deserved to have the Christmas the Porter brothers had never got when they were children. James hadn't had a real Christmas until he and Lucy were married. The Romanos may have played their part in James missing out, but he wasn't about to let the Armstrongs do the same this time around and Jared would have to learn his actions had consequences.


Enzyme (Elijah)

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 11: The Unexpected Gifts
Friday 25th December 1959
Afternoon - Cold, Snow, White Clouds
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Porters House
​

James Porter and Shannon Sullivan

James had woken up early that morning, but didn't rush out of bed, deciding to spend some time alone with Lucy before the house would inevitably turn to chaos. The daytime he'd intended to be relatively relaxed, but in addition to the Callahans and the rest of the Sullivans, he'd also invited their closest friends over for the party due to start in the late afternoon and run onto the who knows when! Ryan, Jackson, Blake, Leo, Aliana, Tommy, Skye, Alex and Michelle were all expected to be at the house.

When James finally did get out of bed that morning, he started off by taking the dogs for a walk. It had snowed the previous night and left the everything covered in a festive white blanket. He was glad to see the snow wasn't too deep and the road conditions were still drive-able. He expected they'd be even clearer for the evening, meaning the small job he'd arranged for Syd, Ryan and Tommy to go out on could still go ahead. Syd had been crying out to help with the business and be given jobs to carry out. The job today was going to be relatively quick and straightforward, with them able to take advantage of the quiet streets and people busy, distracted by Christmas. James intended on briefing the three on the task after dinner, but it was to be a case of simply escorting a truck carrying a large import of alcohol to one of their warehouses.

James spent a little time in his office in the early afternoon, making a few calls to check everything was going smoothly across his businesses. His mind briefly wandered to the Armstrongs, but any doubts in his mind were cast aside as he heard the cheerful voices of his family out in the main living area. To ensure their safety, he'd had no other option but to take more drastic steps. When he entered the lounge, he looked around, still aware he hadn't seen Conor all day. This caused him to retreat back to his office and call the pub where he knew the man had been working the previous night. He was irritated that Conor wasn't at the house where Michelle would be expecting him, so he made that crystal clear to the barmaid who had answered his call. As he entered the lounge once again, he looked around to see who was already present, a content smile on his face as his eyes rested of Lucy and their rapidly growing teenagers!

Arlene's absence hadn't gone unnoticed, but for now he was giving her the benefit of the doubt. She'd said she would be back for Christmas Day and knowing her, she would show up just in time for dinner. If she didn't, he would no longer hold off sending some of his men out to investigate. He'd gathered she was annoyed with him for not letting her help out in attacking the IWU - a danger he wasn't willing to throw her into so early into her arrival - but he believed even someone as unpredictable as Arlene would still show her face for the rest of the family's sake.

James approached Delilah and Syd, stepping between them and placing an arm around each of them. "How's it going, kids?" he asked them, with a warm smile. "Are we expecting Leo and Skye this evening?" he asked, a stupid grin on his face. "Can't be having all of our lovebirds apart on Christmas, can we?" Syd would know Skye was presently out delivering gifts to her friends, but she would be over in time for dinner.


Shannon was sat on the carpet with Michelle as she watched her granddaughter play with some of her toys. She knew the Callahan kids would be over soon enough, but they weren't the ones whose absence was presently missed. The more the woman looked to the clock, the more likely she was to kick the living daylights out of Conor. He was in for an earful for not returning home already, that much was guaranteed. Shannon sent Alex a reassuring smile before focusing back on the child. "So, Shelly, tell me. What is Christmas usually like for you? As crazy and noisy as in this house?"


Interactions: Pyroclast (Syd) ElectricDandellion (Delilah) neverbackdown (Michelle, Alex)
Mentions: Bellz (Lucy) neverbackdown (Mallory) Fletchawk (Ryan)

Callahans House​

Sinead Callahan

The couple of weeks since Sinead had first visited Peter had seemed to pass her by in a sudden blur, though those around her would say it had been an important time for her recovery. Alhough she could never stop worrying about him, visiting her husband the first time had lifted her spirits and given her the motivation to pull through the next six months for his sake and the children's. She'd followed up on her talk with Finn by returning to her counselling sessions and taking her medication again. Having practically starved herself for a week when Peter was first arrested, she'd now got her appetite back and with it came the bright energy she was typically known for. Though she and Peter had already bought most of the presents, Sinead had still been into town a few times to buy the rest, with her asking (or begging) Aliana or Ryan to drive her to the shops whilst her own car was out of action.

A couple of days ago, Sinead had been disheartened when she arrived at the prison for her weekly visit. The warden had denied her visit, giving a vague reason about visiting privileges being temporarily revoked for all prisoners on Peter's prison wing. She'd been unable to drag more out of the warden but James had told her it was likely some of the prisoners had broken the rules and everyone was being punished for it. Sinead accepted the reason and knew she had to stay positive so she could focus on making sure the kids had the best Christmas possible.

Yesterday evening, Sinead spent time with the three children decorating the Christmas tree. They always finished the tree off by adding their own star baubles to the front and this year Sinead lovingly tied Peter's to the tree on his behalf. Other than the tree and some Christmas cards, the house looked quite bare compared to previous years. After putting the children to bed, reminding them they weren't allowed to disturb Santa, and having Skye guard the upstairs of the house, Sinead then put her plan into action. She'd earlier begged Aliana, Ryan, Jackson and Finn to help her trim the house up properly so the children would wake up to the most outrageous Christmas wonderland in their own home.

A few snowball cocktails later and the job was complete. Sinead hadn't made it to her bed on Christmas Eve, instead falling fast asleep on the couch. This also meant that she got to see the looks on the children's faces the next morning when they rushed downstairs to be completely amazed by fantastical scene that greeted them. Sinead watched on as they excitedly opened the presents she and Peter had got for them, making sure to take as many photographs as she could. Having not expected anything for herself from her immediate family, she was touched to find the children had managed to get someone to take them into town so they could get her some presents too. They'd got her a sparkly silver bracelet and a new book of piano sheet music, to which Savannah pointed out she didn't play enough music lately.

As the afternoon flew by, Sinead realised it was fast approaching time for them to start getting ready to head to the Porters house for dinner and likely even more presents for the little ones. She was secretly excited for the evening as she expected Lucy would finally reveal her own news. And, as much as the children kept her on her toes and showed their affection, she was starting to feel quite lonely as the afternoon went on. She carefully plaited Savannah's blonde hair as Braden and Emery were tasked with putting their toys into a neat pile at one side of the room. Sinead's bad moods over the last few weeks had been like water off a duck's back for the two youngest, but she knew Savannah was more sensitive to it, so she was making an extra effort to make it up to the girl.

"Muuuuum! Brady's being a giantgantic jerk!" Emery shouted. Before Sinead even had time to react, the youngest two children began chasing each other around the house, having put away approximately one toy. The sudden excitement also caused Savannah to pull forward, mid-way through having her hair plaited, and then rush off to chase the other two around the house. Sinead groaned and slumped back on the sofa, shaking her head in amused exhaustion. She couldn't wait for adult interaction, and perhaps some assistance...

[OPEN FOR INTERACTION: Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) and Fletchawk (Ryan) ?? ]
Mentions: Bellz (Peter, Finn, Lucy) Fletchawk (Ryan) Enzyme (Jackson) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

Textile Factory Apartments​

Arlene Sullivan

Arlene hadn't left the apartment she was being held in since the day she had been drugged and taken there by the IWU, on Jared's instruction. For the first three days, Carter had shown his face and the two had shared a number of conversations with each other. He'd been the only person she'd spoken with over the last two weeks. However, after the third day, Jared had ordered Carter not to visit Arlene for a full week and during that time, she'd had no human interaction whatsoever. Even the goons guarding outside the apartment door hadn't responded to any of her shouting and verbal abuse. Although she didn't see it, Jared had been very calculated in his approach to the situation and in the end it had the desired affect...

When Carter finally did show his face again a week later, Arlene found herself pleased to see him, against her better judgement. A mixture of finally interacting with someone again and her growing interest in the man's stories, she was grateful when he showed up again. Still, she was disappointed that Armstrong wasn't letting her leave, but she was growing less resistant to Carter's presence as the days went by.

Arlene had spent Christmas Eve standing by the window watching the snow falling. It wasn't quite the heavy snow she'd grown used to in New York, but it was still a beautiful and peaceful sight, regardless. The realisation that she was going to miss Christmas with her family had hit her and it was that thought that kept her from getting more than a couple of hours sleep that night. On Christmas Day morning, she once again found herself standing by the window, smoking a cigarette, as she wondered what her family would be thinking. She'd always been independent and one not to get involved with the sentimental side of things, especially with children running around the house. She wondered if they would all just think her absence was a normality. Did they even care she wasn't there?

Enzyme (Carter)

The Sullivans Pub​

Conor Sullivan

Conor woke up to the sound of heavy knocking on the door. It took him a short time to adjust and figure out he was in the small apartment above his pub. He rubbed his eyes and groaned as he felt the pounding in his head. Christmas Eve was a busy night at the pub, so he'd had to work to help his bar staff out. One drink had led to another and even after the pub had closed, he and his staff had continued drinking until the early hours of the morning. He'd known already it would only be a matter of time before he ended up in this state again. With Alex's injuries, Aliana's words a couple of weeks earlier, Peter's incarceration, not to mention Tommy being quite a "moody little prick" as of late, he knew he was heading to this point. As the date came flooding into his mind, he knew he'd fucked up and picked the worst day to let everything catch up to him. "Ah, bollocks..." he grumbled.

"CONOR!" the voice of the Irish barmaid shouted from the other side of the door. "James was just on the phone. You need to get your drunken arse home. He sounded pissed off, mate!"

"Jesus Christ! I can hear ya. Stop shouting..." he called back to her. Sure, James was going to give him some lecture about being irresponsible. It was nothing new. Besides, Conor was already aware of how much worse this one was as Michelle would be back at the house wondering where he was. He was just thankful that he'd managed to be organised in buying everyone's presents in good time. Hopefully that would count for something...

[OPEN: Anyone fancy driving Conor home? Enzyme (Jackson)?]
Mentions: neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz neverbackdown Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess Pyroclast Fletchawk ElectricDandellion ReverseTex
​

OOC: If I've tagged a 2+ of you in an interaction, would the players be kind to agree in the OOC thread who wants to post first? Same goes if I've left something open for interaction. I don't want to boss you all around too much and I'm not sure who is free to post.
Armstrongs post will follow later, so we can get things started with the above first. I may even leave it for a day or two to post them.
Morgans I will leave up to ReverseTex and Pyroclast to arrange. I had intended that they could join the Armstrongs if you didn't have something else arranged. It's in your hands.
I'll also have Skye and Tommy show up when I decide the time is right... perhaps in time for dinner. So post awayyyy...

 

[Enzyme]

Carter Dresden​

Carter had been ordered to keep away from Arlene, by Jared. With the multiple missions he'd been sent on, it was easy to put it the thought of her to bed. Still, she'd occasionally creep up from the back of his mind and riddle his thoughts. He would find himself walking by her door, wanting to turn the handle and go in. He couldn't put his finger on it, but for some reason, he tried to get back in there. He'd only allow himself to think about it for a couple of seconds, before catching himself and shaking the thought away. Once Jared had lifted his policy on keeping the prisoner isolated, Carter could feel the faintest skip in his heart. After getting dressed for the morning, he made his way down the hall and to her room.

He greeted the guards, who stepped aside to allow him passage. Slowly opening the door, he could see Arlene rested against the window. "I'd imagine its nothing like New York, but it sure is beautiful." He slowly stepped into the room, prepared for her worst reaction. She didn't seem bothered by his presence, which had surprised him. Although, he could imagine it would be nice to see just about anyone after being alone for as long as she had been. He made his way deeper into the room, sharing her admiration of the city. Despite the bare room, the windows had a fantastic view of the cityscape; towering over all the small shops and pubs.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small wrapped box, with a red bow on top. "Merry Christmas," he said, holding out the present to her. "I know you'd much rather your freedom, but this is the best I can give you for now." The box was tiny, but the way he handed it off, it suggested something fragile was inside. "Don't shake it too much; you'll damage the cords."

Misty Gray (Arlene)

______________________________​

Jackson McCarthy​

Jackson had been waiting outside the pub's doors. It was far too early in the morning for the pub to be open, but even after the barmaid invited Jackson in, he insisted on staying on the steps. There was something about Christmas that got him all giddy. He had always been a fan of the bright lights and cheerful singing. It seemed that no matter what was going on at the time, everyone put aside their differences and celebrated the holiday. With the sun just peaking out of the clouds, people had already gathered on the streets for last minute shopping. He looked over his shoulders at the bystanders and couldn't find a single smileless face. Putting on a warm smile of his own, he rested his weight against the doorframe and listened to Conor's booming voice inside.

As Conor opened up the door to the pub, Jackson observed the hungover man's state. "Look at you, walking around after last night. I'd call that a Christmas Miracle." He went in to hug his friend, patting him on the back. Even if they drank the night before, Jackson had missed Conor. Once Alex came back into his life, the friendship had become somewhat distant. Even so, nothing had changed between them once they were together. No matter what happened, their friendship could never grow estranged.

The snowing had lightened up a bit, calmly drizzly down from the clouds. Jackson left the Cresta running on the other side of the street; it's headlights beaming through the hundreds of snowflakes. He climbed into the car as Conor got inside the passenger. The car wasn't much warmer, the leather seats stiffened and their breath still freezing. "Let's get back before we get scolded," He chuckled to Conor, throwing the car in drive and peeling out of the parking spot.

Misty Gray (Conor)

 

[Misty Gray]

Arlene Sullivan​

Arlene had briefly turned her head when the door was opened. She'd caught a glimpse of Carter but had then quickly looked back to the window as though she'd not set eyes on him. When he spoke up about the beautiful city that surrounded them, she slowly nodded her head. She sighed and turned to look at him as he moved closer to where she was standing. "I guess I should be grateful Armstrong saw to it there was enough food stocked up, right?" she drily remarked. "A whole week..." she commented. Though her voice sounded bitter, it didn't seem like she was angry with Carter. If anything, there was a sense of relief in her voice brought on by finally having another interaction, having gone so long wondering if she would again.

Arlene focused back outside. "It is beautiful, even if the snow was much heavier and thicker back in New York," she relented. She was suddenly caught off-guard when Carter wished her a Merry Christmas. She saw his reflection in the window as he held out a gift towards her. She looked down at the small box as he spoke of not being able to give her the freedom she wanted. "Cords?" she repeated, reluctantly taking the present out of his hand. The smallest of smiles forced it way onto the corners of her mouth as she carefully unwrapped the gift. She was part intrigued and part suspicious, wondering if this was yet another of Jared's mind games.

The blonde's eyes opened wide as she set eyes on the music box Carter had given her. As she wound it up, she was taken even further by surprise as she heard 'Für Elise' begin playing, just like in the music box she'd wished for as a child. The very same toy she had described to Carter just a couple of weeks ago. As she carefully held it in her hands, she looked up to Carter. "Thank you," she genuinely told him, her eyes glistening at the gesture. The melody played for a few seconds more before she suddenly closed the lid to silence the music. She then eyed Carter somewhat suspiciously. "Is this some kind of game? Another instruction from your soulless leader?"


Enzyme (Carter)

Conor Sullivan​

After pulling himself together, Conor made his way downstairs. On his way to the exit, he diverted to the bar so he could fill up a glass of water for himself. After downing it all in one, he continued on to the double doors. He saw Jackson's bright and cheerful face as the man stood waiting for him on the outside of the door. He returned the his friend's hug, chuckling at his comment. "It'll take more than... however much alcohol I had... to keep me down, mate," he assured him. Though he was feeling guilty for letting Michelle down, he clearly wasn't put off of doing it again. "We need more nights like that. I've missed it," he admitted.

Conor followed Jackson to the car and climbed into the passenger seat, letting out a loud yawn as he was still coming around after his long sleep-in. When Jackson made his comment about them getting back before they could be scolded, Conor snorted. "Ahh, it's too late for me to be spared. James has already been on the phone, getting his knickers in a twist over my absence. I'm a goner. Save yourself!" he joked. "Unless you want to be my bodyguard?"

Conor glanced out of the window as Jackson drove them in the direction of the Porters house. "I'm used to James lecturing me by now, but I just hope Michelle isn't bothered that I'm late. That would be hard to let fly over my head," he admitted. He then looked to Jackson and grinned. "How's things with Blake? Still going strong?" he teased.

Enzyme (Jackson)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Syd was a naturally early riser no matter the time of year, but the excitement of Christmas day had pulled him to consciousness with such energy that he was up and ready by 7am. Out on his balcony, he breathed in the fresh, festive air and smiled down at the the ground below. The snow upon it was virginal, untouched even by paw prints, so he knew he must have been one of the first awake. Every inch of him was filled with pure happiness; he had everything to be thankful for these days and was thrilled to have so many great people in his life with whom he could spend Christmas. With the house still quiet, he spent his morning burning off energy in the garden with the dogs before their walk with James, so as not to wake up anyone who may still be sleeping. Then he went about setting up the house ready for guests and mixing a ridiculously alcoholic punch in the kitchen.

Once the afternoon had rolled around he allowed himself the time to sit around doing very little, just relaxing and listening to the atmospheric Christmas music coming from the radio. Since Christmas had become a family occasion for him, Syd had learned that it was a time when people thought of lost loved ones, but appreciated what they had. It might be hard this year, what with both of his uncles locked away, but he hoped that having people come together in his house would bring that bit of warmth and joy that his family deserved and needed so much.

"Hey, look at you," he grinned, taking a seat next to Delilah. She looked brighter and happier now than she had in recent weeks, and he noticed today especially that her usual glow had returned. "Leo's gonna blush when he sees you."
When he had first met Leo he had been suspicious, wanting to ensure that his sister wasn't getting involved with the wrong sort of guy. But he had since decided that Leo was the nice, trustworthy sort and hoped that the two of them could put that initial unfriendly tension behind them. Syd smiled up at his dad as he approached and playfully grasped his wrist as it was slung around his shoulder.
"Come on dad, you know I don't make myself look this good for anyone else. Don't tell me you hadn't noticed!" he joked, carefully smoothing his slicked back hair with his free hand. "Skye's with her friends right now, but she'll be coming round later to eat with us. If she doesn't...I guess I'm just going to have to sneak out again, aren't I?" He let go of James' wrist and gave Delilah a playful nudge. "Oh dad, have some punch and tell me if it's disgusting? I put a whole bottle of Vermouth in there, but I thought it tasted alright."


Interactions
ElectricDandellion Delilah
Misty Gray James

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Peter wasn't ready for Sinead to see him like this, something about this whole experience was uncomfortable, he was uncomfortable in his own skin. He lifted his head slowly. Peter's eyes wandered as he searched for his wife, watching as guards brought in visitors. When she finally arrived and saw him, she immediately rushed over. Peter's eyes lit up excitedly until one of the guards stopped his wife in her tracks, ordering her to sit. Peter hardly noticed Finn as he too had come over and was forced to take a seat. He stared at Sinead as she looked down at the table, wondering what she would do, what she would say. His eyes raked over her appearance hoping that she had been taking care of herself, she looked great today. Her delicate hand extended out on the table top and Peter placed both his hands on the table before taking hers. She finally met his eyes and just as she was greeting him, she paused. Peter winced slightly, knowing she and Finn could both see the bruising on his face. Sinead's other hand reached out slightly, as if to caress his cheek...but she quickly decided against the action, which hurt Peter slightly.

Clearing his throat as he looked to Finn, giving him a slight nod in greeting, he turned back to Sinead and sighed, "Ah, being affiliated with the Porters' has it perks." Shaking his head, his eyes looked around the room once before looking to Sinead again. When she asked how he was doing, she managed a smile. Peter could see the sadness behind it all and although he wanted to reflect the same sort of sadness, he would remain strong for his wife's sake. Finn tilted his head to the side, anticipating Peter's answer, "Hang in there." He said, his words kind and encouraging, obviously knowing that Peter would be overwhelmed with sadness.

"I'm doing just fine, Sinny." Peter said, mustering up as much positivity into his tone as possible. "These next months will just fly by." He knew that they wouldn't but there was no way he was going to break his wife's heart again, he needed to be strong for her even from behind bars. Sinead transitioned the conversation to talk about the kids, and Peter smiled softly in fondness as each of his children's reactions to his arrest were explained. He was relieved by this visit, by the fact that Sinead wasn't upset with him and that his children weren't upset either. He chuckled as Sinead told him he was in for it with Emmy, enjoying sharing a laugh with his wife. The moment came and went however, and soon a hush fell over the three of them.

Peter's hearted nearly stopped at her words. She was right. A panic had set over him for just a second, knowing that he didn't deserve to be in prison. He wanted to break out, the four walls around them were inching closer and closer and he felt like there was no way out. When Sinead and Finn left, they would leave without him and he would be stuck in this hole. He cleared his throat and squeezed her hand lightly, "I will be alright. Builds character." He said, giving her a small smile, trying to pull through his own panic attack and taking a deep breath...

***​

December 25th

"Well well well Callahan, I would consider yourself one lucky son of a bitch." The medic in charge of him chuckled deeply, a cigarette in his mouth as he looked over Peter's wounds from a few weeks ago. "You don't see many clean stab wounds let me tell you, this one went in and out no problem, whoever stabbed you is an artist." Peter let out a hollow chuckle at the medics enthusiasm over his wounds, he had heard it all before but it was still entertaining to listen to. Thinking back on his visit with Sinead had kept him sane while he was in the infirmary. He wasn't allowed to have visits for the time being. Prison worked like parenting seemed to work, if no one was gonna take the blame everyone ended up in time out.

He couldn't remember what happened to him exactly, he could only recall heading back to his cell. He woke up in the infirmary with the warden chewing his fucking head off, luckily, they had found the thugs who decided to jump him but they were all punished for it. "You are clear to go back to your cell." The medic told him and Peter's eyes looked up at the man, wide with fear. The medic didn't really have a reaction to the way Peter was looking at him but instead remarked, "Relax. With your luck, you'll be back in here in no time!" He cackled at his own joke and as two guards walked in the room to help Peter back to his cell, he couldn't help but find the medics humor annoying as he was sending him back to the one place he didn't want to be.


"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" The medic yelled cheerfully as Peter was roughly ushered out of the infirmary. His head spun slightly from the rough motions and the egg sized bump on his temple was beginning to throb. He took a deep breath, stretching out the bandages wrapped around his torso. Ignoring the hollering of some prisoners as he passed by them, Peter was focused on getting back to his cell now. The walk there seemed like forever but they had reached his tiny cell and he was shoved inside.

Peter stumbled and caught himself slightly rubbing at his wrists from the cuffs. "Fuckers." he hissed out before turning his attention to George. "Ho ho ho." He said, a smirk appearing on his features. "Thought you were getting another roommate huh?"




With: George Misty Gray
Mentions: Sinead and Finn

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

George was laid back on his bed, re-reading the letter his sister had recently sent him. It was always nice to read about the rest of the family and how his nieces and nephews were doing. He had yet to meet the kids but it at least gave him more things to look forward to once released. He knew he wouldn't be able to spend future Christmases with his family as his parents wouldn't want him there, but he would make sure he saw the rest of his family the rest of the year.

George peered over the piece of paper as Peter made his presence know. He folded the letter and stuffed it underneath his mattress before sitting up to look at his cellmate. "I have to admit, it was looking that way," he remarked, regarding getting another roommate. Peter seemed a little more upbeat than previously and George took it as a good sign the guy would manage to stick it out in jail. "How're you feeling now, lad? What did they do to you?" he asked him.

"If it's any consolation, the blokes who attacked you aren't very popular right now. The whole block lost visiting privileges this week," he told Peter. "I'd been looking forward to seeing my family before Christmas..." he trailed off. "I guess your wife would have missed out on seeing you too. I'm not going to lie, I was quite looking forward to seeing your good-looking visitor again." Most would figure George was speaking about Sinead, but his next words would have corrected that assumption. "Finn's your wife's cousin, right? You need to get him to visit more often," George persisted, with a playful grin on his face.

"On the subject of your family..." George began as he stood up and reached under the frame of Peter's bed to retrieve something. He handed him an envelope which contained a Christmas card and the family photographs Sinead had brought in for Peter. "These were just left on top of your bed by one of the guards a couple of days ago. I figured I'd keep them hidden safe for you until you came back here. Some of the lads will take anything that's left out in the open and some would even be cheeky enough to try selling it all back to you."

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue​

The snow had been threatening to fall for the past couple of days before they finally broke in the wee hours of the morning and delivered a white Christmas unto Dublin and it was continuing to do so as Ryan faced a window that overlooked the street that his flat resided on. Coffee in hand, staring at nothing in particular, he waited for the caffeine to kick in as his thoughts replayed the night previous and he vaguely wondered if Sinead actually made it to bed as he last saw her on the couch. She had supplicated he and a few others to help decorate the house for the morning after in a most lavish fashion. Smiling a little to himself as he imagined the surprise on the Callahan children's faces leaving their rooms in search of Christmas presents, Ryan felt a touch of envy although he pinned it on the children's youth, he wasn't entirely sure that was indeed the source.

After taking a long sip of the warm bitter beverage to help clear his head, he glanced at the clock that hung over a small dining table and the plain pair of chairs that accompanied it. Noting that it was late in the morning, Ryan's train of thought switched tracks to the job that he'd be doing later that night. It was supposed to be a simple delivery run but things are rarely simple and Ryan's forehead creased a bit as he reminded himself of the job that Peter got clapped for earlier in the month. Besides, the IWU had been keeping a low profile lately and Ryan knew something bad was going to come of it and likely soon. He took another lengthy draft of his quickly cooling drink as he watched a trio of children making a snowman on the sidewalk across the street.

***
​

A several hours later, Ryan was walking through the main gates of the Porter Manor, tugging on a rather itchy cardigan that his mother had knitted and sent him for Christmas along with a card and letter. The card was filled with well wishes and the usual holiday theme while the letter consisted of few pages containing some useless Chicago gossip followed by some rather obvious hints to find a wife, some minor updates on her own casual endeavors, asking after his health, a reminder to not spend all his time tinkering with machines, and a postscript containing a thinly veiled threat to sell his beloved car that he'd left behind. His mother had wanted to visit for Christmas but Ryan had managed to talk her out of it due to the fact that the IWU has been known employ some rather underhanded measures and he didn't want her to be caught in the crossfire. Needless to say, she wasn't pleased about it but relented in the end. Even though he knew the threat to sell 'Elise' was likely hollow and a ploy to have Ryan check in more regularly, there was not much he could do but comply.

The air was crisp and snow was still falling although not to the extent it was earlier as Ryan moved to the garage first to unload some of the things he would need for later. Even from the driveway, he could hear the muted Christmas music coming from the large house between the crunch of his footsteps upon the snow. Once he unpacked the items from the small sack that he'd brought along, Ryan looked out window on the back wall that happened to view the front of the Callahan house if one looked through it at the right angle. The heavy drapes were mostly closed to keep the warmth in but through an opening he saw the silhouettes of two children quickly pass by it to be followed by a taller one that was likely Sinny. She had mostly recovered from her period of dismay and once Ryan had finished fixing her vehicle, he had been distancing himself from her. The children kept her busy even with the help the nanny and as much he wanted to help, he knew it wasn't his place nor would it end well for him to step in. Still, he was unable to turn Sinead down when she asked for him to help dress the house last night.

Seeing as Sinead and her brood were still home and hadn't migrated over to the Porter's for the Christmas party yet and after a few minutes of debating with himself, he finally convinced himself that because it was Christmas, that he'd go see if she needed any help wrangling up the little ones. The path between the two properties were cleared and salted by someone so the danger of slipping was minimal but there was still an occasional crunch from the undissolved bits of salt underfoot. Although the temperature was starting to lower as it was later in the day, the lack of a biting Chicago wind made it bearable for Ryan as he made his way to the front door of the Callahan residence. Since his visit was more of a personal nature and didn't want to seem to familiar, he didn't enter after knocking loudly on the oaken door but instead waited outside.


Misty Gray [Sinead]

 

[Misty Gray]

Jared and Grace Armstrong
​

Jared woken up early on Christmas morning, but knowing what day it was seemed to excuse him from having to rush out of bed to attend to his work. Instead, he stayed under the warm covers and held Faye close in his arms. "Merry Christmas, my love. Shall we barricade ourselves in here and skip the festivities?" he joked. He figured they would have to surface soon to prepare the dinner later in the day. He and Faye had invited the two Morgans and Minnie to join them later in the day. Jared had also extended the offer to Carter, but someone trustworthy was also needed to keep an eye on their ongoing tasks and his right-hand man seemed willing to do so. Jared could only assume the man was having fun toying with the mouthy Sullivan woman. He had yet to decide the woman's fate, but today was to be a day for his own family rather than considering the filthy Porters.

After a light lunch and also helping Faye with dinner preparations, Jared allowed himself to relax. He was feeling content and surprisingly happy to let the afternoon pass him and his family by as they all spent time in front of the warm log fireplace in the centre of their living room. Grace had insisted the four of them shared their presents in the afternoon, rather than waiting until the evening to have all of the fun. She didn't doubt her parents and Quinn had gifts to open from their friends or associates, but she just wanted them to share their family gifts before the other guests arrived.

Grace jumped at the chance to give out the gifts she'd bought first. She first handed Jared his present and allowed him to open it to see the stylish wristwatch before speaking. "Dad... As much as I wish I could, I know I can't buy you more time to spend with us. But I figured I could at least make sure you look fancy whilst your managing your time," she told him, smiling as he pulled her in to kiss her cheek. She then handed Faye her gift and watched as the woman opened the box containing a figure-hugging red dress. "When I saw the dress I thought of how perfect you would look in it, Mum. You and the dress are both gorgeous."

Jared put his arm around Faye and leaned in to speak quietly to her. "You're going to look hot in that dress. Please wear it on our next date," he flirted with his wife.

"Eww, I heard that..." Grace playfully scoffed. She then carefully handed Quinn his presents. One box was large and heavy, the other small and light. The first contained some new books and the second was a pair of silver cuff-links. "I figured you'd appreciate some new books to read, my dear bookworm brother. And the cuff-links will make you look all formal and mature," she remarked. "Now you just have to find yourself a date to show them off to." She ended her teasing by giving her brother a tight, sisterly hug.

Grace knew their other guests were expected soon, which was why she wanted to give her gifts out first. Adam was a friend of her and Quinn, but she still knew she would have felt embarrassed exchanging gifts with her family with the young man present.

Bellz (Faye) Fletchawk (Quinn)
Mentioned/Expected: ReverseTex (Oliver) Pyroclast (Adam) Bellz (Minnie)

 

[Bellz]

Faye Armstrong​

Faye had woken to the sweet hum of Jared's voice, a lazy grin formed on her lips as she let out a laugh, "Let the kids figure out dinner." She played along her smile settling into a smirk. She sighed softly and cuddled closer to her husband, loving the warmth. As lovely as it would have been for them to stay in bed all day, she knew they would have to get up soon and face the cheerful day ahead. Faye loved the feeling that Christmas Day gave, the hope. It was a day that was focused entirely around family. Finally getting up and ready for the day, it was time for the preparations to begin. They were having guests over this evening, only a few but still exciting enough. Lunch was simple and easy, not wanting to overstuff the family before the big meal. Faye got to work with dinner, Jared helping her with it all, there was a lot to do and so little time to do it. Once things were cooking and most of the preparations were done, she insisted he go relax as she prepared to decorate the desserts.

Once everything had been done, Faye was able to relax with the family. She settled near the fireplace and held out her hands towards the flames, her hands warmed instantly and she smiled softly at the sensation. Turning to Grace as she started to hand out gifts she had bought, Faye clasped her hands together in anticipation at seeing Jared open his gift, smiling widely. "Oh love," She spoke softly, not missing the comment she made about Jared's time with them. He was a busy man, for now, she tried to focus on the fact that he had today to spend with them, the positives. "Ooooo!" Faye exclaimed excitedly as she was next to receive a gift, opening the box, she gasped at the beautiful red dress. Her lip trembled slightly at her daughters words and she couldn't help that her eyes watered.

Leaning into Jared's embrace, she was quickly distracted by his flirting and her cheeks reddened. She playfully slapped his arm, hushing him but nodding her head in response. She would definitely be wearing the dress on their next date. Faye giggled with embarrassment as Grace had overheard her father, she leaned her face against Jared's chest and laughed a few more times before settling down and watching Grace give Quinn his gift. She was touched by how close the siblings were, it never got old, even though they were.

Fanning at her eyes as they watered at the touching scene before her as they embraced, she took a deep breath and laughed at herself, unable to keep the large smile that had been permanently glued on her face. "You both are going to make me cry!" She said as she continued to fan at her eyes.
With:
Fletchawk (Quinn) ; Misty Gray (Jared and Grace)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

The roads were extra tricky this time of year; the double yellow lines rendered useless by the thin layer of white coating it. The Cresta was more a summer vehicle and wasn't equipped with four-wheel drive. Despite the occasional unresponsive wheel and slow brakes, Jackson was skilled enough to keep the car on his respective side of the road. The black hood of the Cresta was disguised a blinding white by the natural elements, the windshield wipers continually batting the flakes aside. Jackson looked past his shoulder as Conor asked Jackson to protect him from James and Lucy's wrath, causing him to crack a smile. "You kiddin'? I've been missin' work, myself. I'm using you as bait so I can sneak past unnoticed." He looked back to the road, sticking his tongue in his cheek with a devious grin.

The concrete buildings and sidewalks turned to tall trees and neatly cut grass, indicating that they'd entered the Porters' neighborhood. Most on the block had endorsed the holidays, lining the tops of their houses with bright lights and tinsels. Conor and Jackson had kept their conversation relatively light, deciding not to delve into the troubles they had fixed, and caused, the night prior. "Strong's the word. I've definitely pulled something this past week." He looked over at Conor and chuckled.

The nose of the car turned to the tall metal gates; the tops dusted in snow. "Stay warm, Brian," Jackson yelled out to the guard, who assured them he would be by raising his mittens as confirmation. "Should be a quiet night," Jackson said to Conor, pulling into the parking lot. "That is unless we decide to start another snowball fight this year around." Jackson hopped out of the car and back into the bitter cold. Prepared for the slippery stairs, Jackson used the handrail to get to the front door. While they'd be helping Sinead set up this year, most of the decorations were stored under the Porters' house. Instead of knocking, he pushed open the wooden doors and was immediately met with the warmth from the fireplace. "My, it's toasty in here," Jackson called out, pulling off the scarf from around his neck.

Misty Gray (Conor)

___________________________

Carter Dresden​

Carter couldn't hide the smile when Arlene thanked him, for it was far too genuine. He watched her play with the music box like she were a child. Carter walked closer to her, sitting on the windowsill beside her. "Nah, he ordered me to check up on ya'. Your story moved me, though. Took a little bit of searching, but I had time." He smiled lightly, looking at the beautiful skyline. He assumed she had been looking for the Porter household, trying to find their bright lights among the hundreds of others. He had no concern for them, but he was still unnerved by how upset she seemed. After connecting with her a few weeks ago, he had come to care for her feelings, which was a shameful thing to admit when you were the captor. He watched her line of sight move from the small box and back out to the window. He knew that no present could ever replace her freedom, which shouldn't trouble him, even though it did.

"I hope you've enjoyed cooking for yourself the past two weeks." He looked to the kitchen, which had been tidied up. "In the interest of honesty, I was half-expecting a kitchen knife to be shoved in me when I walked through that door." He smiled at her, pointing to the metal door. Even the guards had been surprised when Carter entered the room unarmed. To say he was taking a risk was a bit of an understatement. Carter may have been crazy for trusting her, but something about their connection made him feel comfortable about being around her. As a matter of fact, he felt slightly disturbed when he was forced to stay away.

"Also, I had to do a bit of shopping for you as well," he said, referring to the plastic bag beside the door. "I guess even my 'soulless leader' wouldn't want you to have to stay in the same clothes for weeks." He moved to the plastic bag and set it on the wooden table. "Don't expect anything expensive and it certainly won't be your style," he spoke, chuckling to himself. Jared never ordered him to get her anything to wear. He would've wanted Arlene to be as uncomfortable as possible, but Carter couldn't help but sympathize with her. He had done the shopping when he was out getting the music box. Carter would repeatedly have to tell himself that it was important in keeping her compliant, but even he knew there was a bit more to it.

Misty Gray (Arlene)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan
Savannah, Braden and Emery​

As the children stampeded around the living room like a bunch of baby elephants, Sinead took a deep breath and counted back from ten. Her eyes lingered on the star decorations hanging from the branches of the sparkly Christmas tree. She then looked down at the red plaid scrunchy that had been temporarily placed around her wrist ready to secure the Savannah's plait into a neat little bun on the top of her head. Considering the child had rushed off mid-styling, Sinead realised the hair tie would have to stay on her own wrist a little longer. After an exasperated sigh, Sinead stood from the sofa and put her hands on her hips. "Right, you little monkeys. Time to stop running around and--" she was cut off when Braden and Emery once again sprinted passed her. Quirking a devious eyebrow, Sinead started to join in and chase after them herself. She didn't run far before hearing the heavy knock on the front door. Whilst the redhead's orders had fallen on deaf ears, the knocking on the wooden door surprisingly brought all three children to a halt.

"OH MY GOD! IT'S SANTA!" Emery shouted, perhaps loud enough for even Peter to hear all the way from his prison cell.

"How can it be Santa? He's already been, you moron!" Braden told his sister, in a matter-of fact tone.

"Don't call me a moron, you smelly poo-face!" Emery snapped back. She was learning fast, so had opted to say 'poo' rather than 'shit' whilst in her mother's presence.

"Braden and Emery Callahan, you will stop bickering, at once!" Sinead called out to them as she made her way towards the front door. "You'd better hope it's not your Uncle James at the door, because he'll have you out running laps in the snow for misbehaving." She rolled her eyes as the kids then persisted to mutter excuses, as if preparing to have to protest their innocence to James. Braden even went as far as to rush to get his boots and start putting them on so he was ready to leave the house first. Sinead meanwhile turned the handle and pulled the front door open. She wasn't entirely sure who she had been expecting at the door, as it could have been any of her family or friends visiting on this special day. "Ryan! Happy Christmas!" she happily greeted him. The bright smile was a far different sight to the deep sadness her face had only been able to express just days ago. There were many factors at play, but all had worked together to draw out Sinead's positive spirit. She gave Ryan a quick, friendly hug before stepping back and motioning for him to enter the house. "Come in. We're not quite ready to head over to the Porters' yet, as my three children are being a bunch of little terrors today. Sooo much energy..." she playfully groaned.

"Hi, Ryan. I like your cardigan," Savannah sweetly said, looking up to the man. "Did you see our living room? It's so pretty and magical."

"The Christmas elves really outdid themselves," Sinead knowingly remarked, to which her eldest daughter quickly nodded. Though Savannah was old enough to know it wasn't the fictitious elves responsible, she still went along with it, so as not to spoil the illusion for Emery. "Savvy, please go put your boots on now and help Emmy with hers. I'll finish your hair when we get to Lucy's and James' house." Once the three children were off doing as they were told, apparently complying for their guest's benefit, Sinead look back to Ryan and smiled again. "Well, my day is proving to be a little exhausting. How has your Christmas been so far? I appreciate your help creating the children's little wonderland. Their sweet little faces and their eyes lit up when they saw it. It was exactly what they needed after being so upset about Peter."

Fletchawk (Ryan)

 

[neverbackdown]

Michelle and Alexandra Romano ​

Michelle had woken up very early that morning and began bouncing on her mother's bed "wake up, wake up we have to see if santa has been here" she squealed excitedly. Alex woke up sort of groggy but resisted the urge to moan and turn over, ignoring her daughter's efforts but instead she sat up and messingly tackled Michelle onto the bed "Well your an excited one this morning arent you" Alex teased before letting go of her daughter and sitting back on the bed "Merry Christmas baby" she smiled and Michelle grinned back "Merry Christmas mam now can we go" she grunted as she began trying to pull her mother out of the bed.
..........................................
Michelle sat in the lounge surrounded by her family but she was aware of how someone was missing, she looked up towards the clock with a sigh before looking back down at her new dolls and continued to play with them. Her grandmother was sitting beside her on the floor and Michelle did not miss the look she sent her mother, or the smile that her mother returned. She was glad that they were finally getting along, maybe some good did come from her mother's memory loss.

When Shannon spoke up, Michelle turned her attention towards her and smiled as she glimpsed around the room before looking back at her grandmother "Well there was only me, mam and Fallon so it definitely wasnt as loud but it was fun. They would play with all my new toys with me and even some old ones and then we would watch christmas movies until i went to bed" Michelle spoke fondly and the smile on her face showed that it was a pleasant memory for the child. "I love christmas" she added. "I say it was always loud in your house when they were children like me" she asked.

Misty Gray

 

[neverbackdown]

Mallory Porter​

Mallory had woken up late enough that morning enjoying the lie in when she could get it, all she had done since getting the holidays from school was study and she had promised her grandmother that she would take a break over the christmas days, it was long overdue and to be honest it felt nice to be able to lie in bed and do nothing, she had also hid her books so to stop the feeling of guilt that may overtake her for not studying. Mallory had eventually pulled her self out of bed and had gone down to find Michelle and Alex awake and downstairs. "Ohh what did you get?" she asked Michelle as she made her way into the lounge to see what Michelle was playing with. She played with Michelle for a while giving Alex a chance to go upstairs and get ready for the party later on this afternoon. When Alex arrived back down, Mallory sat and had a coffee with her before she herself made her way upstairs to get ready before everyone began to arrive .

Mallory looked at her reflection in the standing mirror and smiled, it was a tradition to dress nice for christmas and she was sure that every family did this and not just her. Since she wasnt a typical girly girl she did enjoy days like this where she could dress up and for a change throw on a dress or a skirt. Mallory made her way downstairs and into the lounge saying hr greetings to those that she passed as she made her way over to her father, brother and sister. "you spiked the punch" she laughed with an interesting smile on her face as she made her presence known "now that is how I know we are family" she teased ruffling his hair jokingly.

Pyroclast
Misty Gray
ElectricDandellion

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Depression really was a mystery to Peter, at the moment, he was feeling upbeat about things. Letting a small smile show, Peter shrugged his shoulders and decided to keep up the brave facade. "Eh, feeling fine. Probably look like a mess though." Peter answered, his jaw setting without him noticing. Underneath it all, Peter didn't want to talk about what happened to him. At the news of the whole block being punished for the attack, Peter felt guilt. Biting his lip, he looked down at his feet at the mention of being unable to see his wife. A laugh suddenly escaped him, Finn would definitely be flattered by George's compliments but he honestly didn't know if he would respond to such flirting. "Be careful there, he's got a little love of his own," Peter warned George, not wanting to see the man dig himself into a hole he wouldn't get out of. George was one of the only sensible people in this joint.

Raising an eyebrow as George reached under his mattress, he outreached his hand to take the envelope and opened it quickly. Peter stared down at the card and pictures numbly as the eyes of his family stared at him. George explained he had kept them hidden out of sight, going further to say that some men around here would try to sell such items back to Peter. Stumbling backwards, Peter's legs felt weak as he continued to stare at the card and pictures. Swallowing hard, he couldn't get the lump out of his throat as the tears watered in his eyes,"Shit." Peter mumbled as he palmed at his eyes for a moment, quickly drying his tears as he tried not to show his face to his cellmate.

He coughed a few times, clearing his throat and allowing himself to control his emotions before speaking again, "Thanks." He murmured to George as he finally looked at the man. Peter wanted to express how thankful he was for George's quick thinking but didn't want to come off looking like a total fool, "You didn't have to do that...but I will return the favor." He said before he slowly smiled, "Maybe I can get Finn to talk with ya." He said playfully, wondering if Finn would catch onto George's flirting in such a conversation or if he would just think George was being friendly. Finn was brilliant when it came to being a doctor, but he wouldn't know if someone was flirting with him, even if it was completely obvious.


His little family continued to stare up at him and he turned towards his pillow, lifting up the pillow case and slipping the pictures and card safely inside. Sighing, he turned back to George, "I'll make it up to you, for you having to miss your family this Christmas...its not fair."


With: George Misty Gray
Mentions: Sinead and Finn

 

[Misty Gray]

Arlene Sullivan​

Arlene looked up to Carter and gently closed the music box to silence the music, whilst the surprise was clear to read from her face. "Wait, so you bought this for me because of what I told you? No orders or tricks..." she trailed off. "Thank you," she said, the appreciation sounding natural and genuine.

Arlene shrugged her shoulders when Carter mentioned her cooking for herself. "I'm afraid not. The chef's skills leave much to be desired. The food was just awful," she said, mocking her own cooking skills. She smirked at mention of Carter expecting her to stab him when he entered the apartment. "Oh, believe me, that thought has crossed my mind many times. But where would that get me? There's more guys waiting outside the door and I'm sure their guns would be quicker than my knife, if I'm being honest."

Arlene took the bag from the table and opened it up, removing the clothing from inside. She failed to stifle a laugh as she looked at the attire she'd been brought. "Wow... To think, Mrs. Armstrong looked so stylish when I met her. Does Jared think you've kidnapped someone's nan?" she joked, acknowledging the fact Carter was also chuckling with regards to the style. "Well, tell him thanks, I guess," she remarked. "Obviously the gesture is appreciated, but I shouldn't even be here anyway." She curiously eyed Carter and allowed her features to soften. "What are your thoughts on me being kept here, then? Surely you've got better places to be and more interesting jobs to do."


Enzyme (Carter)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

Lucy had woken around the same time as her husband, finding it harder and harder to sleep at night with all the new symptoms she had been feeling lately. Shortly after waking, she was wide eyed a ready for the day. She decided to stay in bed however and enjoy the time she had with James before the day actually started. When James left to take the dogs for a walk, Lucy hopped out of bed and got ready for the day. The dress she wore was form fitting but luckily for her, she wasn't showing yet. Smiling at her reflection in the mirror, she took the curlers out from her hair and set them down on her vanity as the curls fell gracefully around her face. Heading downstairs, she greeted her children before heading straight for the kitchen. She knew James was done with his walk because she could heard the light sound of dogs running through the house towards the smell of food. Their spoiled dogs knew that Lucy would drop them little morsels of food while she cooked. Shaking her head she looked to all their dogs, "You beggars! You act like you haven't been fed in ages." She said with the roll of her eyes as she began kneading the large glob of cookie dough on the cutting board covered in flour. Swaying her hips to the Christmas music playing on the record in the other room, she hummed along to Dean Martin.

Lucy transferred the dough over to the other counter to use the cookie cutters, flatting out the dough. A few pieces of dough fell during this and the dogs quickly dove for the dough. Lucy chuckled at the dogs, "Don't make me get James, you know you aren't suppose to eat that." Lucy was a hypocrite as she dropped a few more pieces down and then took a piece for herself, unable to help the craving of something sweet. She looked around, wondering if her mother would pop up and begin nagging her about not eating cookie dough. Laughing at herself, she remembered cooking and baking with her family back in Chicago, the food fights that would sometimes occur. Her thoughts went back to her father, remember him having to step in the middle of such fights, when their would be flour covering the cabinets and countertops, tangled in the siblings hair. Lucy hadn't noticed that she had zoned out, now placing the cookies on the sheet like she had before. After doing so, she popped them in the oven after taking out a few side dishes from it. Taking them, she placed them onto the counter before moving to wash her hands. Hearing the door open, she wondered who had arrived. Arlene had promised to show up today but Lucy wasn't sure about her cousin's promise. She was hurt that the blonde had decided to take some time away from her family but also knew how she was.

Walking towards the front door, she was pleasantly surprised to see Jackson and Conor in the entryway. "Well hi there boys," Lucy said, her tone taking on a certain tone that made it clear to Conor that she wasn't very pleased with him. Instead of lecturing him right away, she decided that the lecture would be saved for later and walked forward to hug both Jackson and Conor, "Merry Christmas you two, Michelle is with mum and Alex in the other room." She informed Conor, "She's been waiting anxiously for you." Lucy crossed her arms.
With: Jackson Enzyme ; Conor Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The conversation she had with Conor kept playing in her head the past few weeks. It was a relief, getting it off her chest and finally realizing why she was so upset; however, it left her in a state of vulnerability for the moment. There was more she wanted to say, should have said, but with Tommy coming back up, she decided not to. No one knew, she thought, about her and Conor's relationship and if she were being honest, she wanted to keep it that way. She didn't need people to feel bad for her or pick which girl would be better for him. Being in that sort of predicament isn't something she wanted to worry about, amongst other things. That's why when she got the call from Sinead, she jumped at the opportunity. Not only did she need the change in thought, but also because she had been meaning to see her regardless. Decorating the house for the children was a great way to keep her mind off of the busy and stressful things pertaining to her life. Talking and drinking with both Ryan and Sinead reminded her of all the fun she was missing out on and that she should have been having.

It was late when she ended up leaving and returning to her own place. She made sure not to wake Leo, who had finally been able to return home. Yet because she had had so much to drink, she didn't make it to her bed and instead slept on her sofa. The next morning, she woke up with a blanket over her, her mind in a confused haze before realizing where she was and what had happened. It was late in the afternoon and signs that Leo was gone were evident, his door being open and shoes missing. "Little shit didn't even wake me up." She muttered to herself, palm against her forehead walking to the bathroom. It was time for her to get dressed and going, otherwise she wouldn't make it to dinner.

A few hours later, she was dressed in an oversized sweater that went past her knees with boots to protect her feet. It had snowed and Aliana wasn't going to risk getting sick. Not too much longer, she left with her bag full of gifts and headed over to Sinead's. Sure it was the Porter's home they'd all be at, but she wanted to see her handy work and the kids reaction to it. As she walked up, she saw Ryan entering the house and watched as the door closed. He either had the same idea or just wanted to stop by as well. Unlike Ryan, Ali didn't knock and just walked in bag in head and a smile on her face. "Well, if I didn't know any better I'd say you guys are partying without me!"​

 

[Fletchawk]

Alexander Quinn Armstrong​

The days before Christmas had been busy, not only for him but the rest of the Armstrongs as well. His father had been busy with his campaign while his mother and sister had been working overtime at the Bakery right up until the afternoon before Christmas. This had allowed him to run around looking for more information for the box of files in his room. However, his sources were drying up and new info was becoming harder to obtain. Regardless of the growing lack of new intel, Quinn still spent a decent amount of time studying what he had already acquired. Even the morning of Christmas Day was spent studying the files.

Quinn dropped onto his bed after putting the folder labeled "Anderson" away. He knew things were connected but not in a way that he thought made sense. Like he was looking at an iceberg from above water. Quinn closed his eyes as he let the smell that had been wafting from the kitchen bring the here and now into his mind. The house had been in the Christmas theme for a couple weeks but the smell coming from the kitchen along with the memories it provoked is what really brought the Christmas Spirit into the decked halls of the Armstrong house. His eyes snapped open as reminded himself that he needed to put the finishing touches on not only himself but the presents that were hidden in his closet.

Once he and the number of boxes were in a presentable state, he made his way downstairs with them mingled with his family for a while before Grace started handing out her gifts to them all. Quinn couldn't help but smile at the atmosphere and even chuckled a little at his sibling's reaction their parent's flirting. Although he wasn't fond of his parents being overly amorous in front of him, Quinn had learned that it was best to turn a blind eye to it he knew they wouldn't do anything indecent in front of their children. When it was his turn to receive gifts, he almost caught off guard by the heft of the larger box and was almost certain of what it contained. The books were beautifully bound in leather and while he'd already read one of them, it wasn't in either his or their father's collection. Even knowing that he might not read it again, the sentimental value of it was more than enough and relayed nothing but gratitude to his younger sister. The cuff links were a nice addition as they would match most of the attire he wore. "Thank you, Lily." Quinn said as he embraced his sister before continuing cooly "Not to worry, I'm sure I'll find another one before long." Quinn normally kept his romances low key and separate from his family, not because he was embarrassed by either party but mainly due to the lack of resolve he had during his romantic affairs.

After separating from his sibling, he walked over to the pile of boxes that was stacked nearby and put half of them aside for later. Returning to his family, he handed a thick rectangular box to his father, "For our future Mayor, something to help take off the edge after an arduous day of making our city a safer place." The box contained a fairly large bottle of Old Crow, a bourbon whiskey imported from the US. Quinn then handed a cubic box to his mother containing a red dress hat and veil that matched the dress his sister had gifted. There was also a business card to a high end salon, Ceann an Aingeal, with his mother's name written on the back. "Something to accompany the dress that Lily bought and the card is for a salon I hear is rather popular. Simply give them a call to confirm when you'd like to come in and everything else is taken care of." The appointment was actually the hardest to acquire out of the gifts and required a laborious 'favor' to secure.

Lastly, he handed a large thin square box to his sister. "Since your current one is starting to show it's age, I thought replacement was due." Quinn had a smirk on his face as his sister open the box that initially showed a neatly folded white apron. It was simple with a few green designs traced the edge of it. The piece of cloth was meant to be underwhelming and Quinn watched his sister's reaction with a mischievous smirk that would rival the devil's own. However, underneath of it was a Kodak camera, held in place with a cardboard cut out, that came out earlier in the year. Upon back of the camera, engraved in small lettering, was his sister's name. There was also a neck strap that he'd had made in town that the thicker part that hugged against the neck was leather and lined with sheep's wool and two rolls of film, knowing that she'd want to use it immediately. It was expensive but Quinn felt that the joke and his sister was definitely worth it.

Bellz [Faye] Misty Gray [Jared + Grace]