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

[Shireling]

Kieran Joyce
​

Kieran became increasingly embarrassed as he watched the Porter girls and their friend make what he considered to be fools out of themselves. His inclination to go to the payphone and call James was rising, as he realized he had tracked them to the nightclub, but he himself wasn't doing anything. The bartender Mallory was chatting up had to be at least twenty or twenty-two, which made him uncomfortable as he regarded his cousin as an older and more capable child rather than an adult.

At the same time, his eye lingered on Michael Hennessey. He had picked up a few more snippets of conversation and he felt almost certain that he was Ciara's brother. Now would be the best possible time to try to implant himself with the IWU, he reasoned. So, summoning up his courage, he put the magazine down and gestured to Michael, waving him over and holding out a package of cigarettes as if to offer one. As the man approached, he started in in his New York Irish Brogue, "You're Mick Hennessey, right? Care for a cigarette?"

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Skye McKendrick​

Skye was too busy dancing to realise Syd had arrived, not until the was up on the bar with her and Delilah. She was about to excitedly greet him when she realised he wasn't amused and he started lecturing his sister about choosing tonight to sneak out. When he turned to her, Skye brightly smiled at him and was about to tell him to start dancing. Instead, he told her she'd be in trouble too and that his parents cared about her. Her smiled dropped for a moment at that thought, wondering if he meant that and they would be upset with her too. She didn't have a family of her own so it caught her off-guard to be reminded that the Porters and Callahans had been so nice to her.

Regardless, Syd seemed to loosen up a bit the longer he spent stood on the bar with them. "Delilah is right, we're totally safe. Nobody cares about a bunch of teenagers out having fun," she assured him. She blushed a little when Delilah suggested Syd was happy to see her and then pushed him towards her. She recovered her surprise and smiled at him, quite enjoying Syd being in such close proximity and in this atmosphere. She place her hand on his shoulder and raised her eyebrows. "Come on, Syd. You should dance with us. Please?" she said, her tone turning a little flirty. "You might as well have fun now you're here!"

*******​

The barman chuckled when Mallory said the two girls didn't care for rules. He watched on as Syd also got onto the bar to join Delilah and Skye. "I really do need them to get down from there, though," he told her. Still, he made no effort to enforce the rules as right now the blonde standing before him was more interesting. When she told him to surprise her with a drink, he shrugged his shoulders. "Ahh, that's a tough call. You girls drink some weird shit," he told her. Judging by the way the three girls were acting, he decided they'd perhaps been drinking elsewhere before drinking in this club and he wasn't about to add to that by giving Mallory the heavy stuff. He grabbed a half pint glass and filled it with a draught lager. He then placed the drink on the bar in front of her, smirking as he expected it might not have been her preferred choice.

"I agree. You must start coming here more often," he said, with a grin. "The name's Adam and I work here most evenings," he introduced himself. He found the blonde to be quite attractive and was curious to talk to her more, but he was finding the three standing on the bar to be quite distracting.

ElectricDandellion (Delilah) neverbackdown (Mallory) Pyroclast

Conor Sullivan​

Conor gritted his teeth together as Lucy snapped at him, raising her voice. He glanced to Michelle and Savannah, reminding himself to control his tongue with children around. His eyes briefly caught Alex too and he sent her an apologetic look. Never a dull moment in this family.

Lucy rushed out of the kitchen, for a moment before soon returning and barking his name, followed by telling him the the kids had snuck out. "What fu--the hell are they playing at?!" he said, his tone reflecting his genuine surprise the teens would do such a thing. Not because they were teens sneaking out, as he believed that was normal and he did the same when he was younger. More because they were the kids of General Porter and they'd been strictly told to stay at home for the sake of their safety. Alright, so he'd done that behind his own dad's back at their age too! But still, it seemed different now he was supposed to be the grown-up in this situation. He looked to Alex when Lucy asked her to mind the two girls. "It means a lot, Alex," he echoed his sister's request. He knew Savannah would be no trouble at all, but just felt bad that the woman was still grieving.

As he followed Lucy out to the car, she didn't need to speak to make it clear she was pissed off with him too. When they were both in the car, she vocalised her anger at him. "Well, I'm sorry for not checking on them, alright?" she snapped back at her. "I didn't think they would do something like that because I thought they understood the situation by now. The gates and guards are a clear enough sign they live in a dangerous household, Luce. Added to that, the fact Jackson's place got blown up last night..." He didn't like being attacked and blamed for them sneaking out. "I didn't check on them because I was busy doing what I thought was right. Spending time with my kid and trying to reassure Alex after she lost her sister."

Conor folded his arms as Lucy argued with the guard at the gates. He wasn't sure why he was even being questioned about leaving, having thought James' rules only applied to the vulnerable family members. Lucy got her way and she was soon driving in search of her kids. Conor shook his head as he silently evaluated his sister's furious display. "You remind me of someone, Luce. Fiery and strong... You're turning into mum," he told her, intending it as a compliment.

When Lucy spoke out to ask where her kids could be, Conor pursed his lips as he looked out of the car window. He eventually turned to look at his sister. "Whenever I used to sneak out somewhere it involved drinking. These are teenagers and there's girls, so I doubt they'll be in my kind of pub, so we should focus on the fancier clubs. Head downtown and hopefully some of James' guys around the city have seen them."

After slowing down to gain the attention of gang members guarding some of the businesses, they eventually spoke to a guy who had seen the three girls enter a nearby club earlier. If Lucy chose to follow up on the man's lead, they would enter the club in question to see Delilah, Syd and Skye standing on the bar.

Bellz (Lucy) neverbackdown (Alex)

 

[neverbackdown]

Mallory Porter ​

Mallory turned her attention towards her sister and Skye as he made another comment about them being on the bar and her eyes widened slightly when she realized her brother was standing there too. She smirked however as she saw him trying his best not to smile at Skye before turning her attention back to the beautiful man in front of her.

She watched him pour a half pint for her and smiled before picking up the drink to take a sip “how’d you know I was a larger girl” she asked with a grin. When he introduced herself Mal smiled “well it’s lovely to meet you Adam, I’m Mallory but you can call me Mal” she told him with a smile “and trust me I will be coming here a lot more often, even if it is to annoy you” she teased.

Something in Mallory’s mind unknowingly made her turn around towards the door and as she did so she caught sight of her mother and uncle walking towards the three on the bar. Her mouth and eyes opened in shock before she turned back to Adam “I’m going to go for a smoke, do you smoke? Let’s go” she said without giving him a chance to answer she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him outside with her. All she could think right now was to get away from the bar and her mother

Misty Gray
Mentioned Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

Michael Hennessey


By now, Michael had been handed a pint of beer and the barmaid hadn't charged him for it. He often came to this place as it was lively and chaotic, so people were often too busy to bother him. In a strange way, it was relaxing. It was also less intense as Ciara and some of the others from the IWU tended to stick the regular pubs these days, where they could hear themselves talking business. The unsavoury side of their business.

As he leaned against the bar, he looked down again to see Adam still talking to Mallory, possibly flirting. Ciara would have a field day with that knowledge, he figured. The waiter once again took a moment to ask him more about how things at the factories were going and commending him on his work giving voice to the working class. The waiter had good intentions, but didn't realise Ciara was the one pulling the strings and had gone beyond what was considered noble. No sooner had the waiter rushed off again to tend to the tables when Michael was approached by a stranger.

"Yeah, I'm Michael Hennessey. Who's asking?" he replied to Kieran. His tone was flat but at the same time his face reflected curiosity and interest. He looked down as the man offered him a cigarette and decided to accept his offer. Anything to distract him from his earlier meeting. "Thanks," he said, taking a smoke from the man and lighting it up. "Are you from around here?" he asked, trying to make out the accent.

Shireling (Kieran)​

 

[Shireling]

Kieran Joyce
​

"Kieran Joyce, and no, I'm from the Bronx." He lit his own cigarette and Kieran mounted the barstool next to Michael with his gin and tonic in his left hand. "You and your bunch have been causing a stir with the Porters I believe," he started out, speaking quietly enough so as not to be overheard. "Well, they're kin of mine."

Kieran glanced past Michael to see the girls once again still making a ruckus further down the bar, but more than that Conor had just let into the club with what looked like a few more in tow. He cringed inwardly at the thought of just how much trouble the Porter girls were likely in, but at least they would be safe. He turned his attention back to Michael and flicked ash into a nearby ash tray.

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Michael Hennessey

"It's nice to meet you Kieran," Michael replied, at first not thinking too much about the man's name. That was, until he mentioned being related to the Porters. Suddenly the name did ring out to him from his earlier meeting with the Porters. James had mentioned Kieran had been on his back and apparently had instead expressed support for the IWU. Against his better judgement, he decided this conversation could prove quite useful. He knew for sure Ciara would take advantage of this situation and she would kill him if he didn't reach out to Kieran in this moment.

"I'm not sure if you can blame the IWU for that. We did have a good relationship with the Porters, until they got greedy." Michael took a sip of his pint as he decided to channel a little bit of Ciara into himself. He placed the glass back on the bar before continuing. "We used to think they were with us and cared about the likes of the poor, vulnerable, as well as the working class. But there they are, sitting in their fancy palace, making deals with the police and killing people on the streets. I think we all know who trashed the shops in town and killed the tailor a couple of days ago." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'd say your family members are the ones causing the stir. And I must confess, I've already heard about you tonight. My sister and I met with James and Lucy earlier. James himself mentioned you weren't happy with the way he's conducting things. Would that be accurate?"


Shireling (Kieran)
(With his back to the them, Lucy more than likely would not notice Michael at the other side of the club)​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Syd tutted at Delilah's sassy response. "What do you think I'm doing here? I came to make sure you're all okay," he replied. Of course he had actually intended to bring them all straight home, but now that he was there, he couldn't bring himself to leave so soon. At least he knew that they were safe - how upset could their parents be if no one actually got hurt? Syd wasn't well-suited to being a stick in the mud, and though he felt fairly confident that he could win an argument and force them to return home with him, he found himself making excuses in his head as to why they didn't have to go just yet. Besides, some of what Delilah said was right - he was happy to see them, especially Skye. So when his sister pushed him towards her, he gave up on the idea of arguing. Being up so high, he stumbled a little from surprise and ended up closer to her than he expected. Naturally, he'd put his hands out to steady himself and, without realising, had ended up resting a hand on her waist. Skye placed her hand on his shoulder and looked up at him with a seductive look in her eyes, and he noticed that they had a slightly glazed look about them. Blushing slightly, he finally allowed himself the smile he'd been fighting to conceal.

"Fine, I'll dance with you," he sighed, trying to act like he was doing it for her and not for himself. "But let's do it properly." With the intention of getting off the bar and onto the dance floor, Syd began to scale the ground below them to see where they could jump down. That's when he spotted the bar tender leaning towards Mallory across the bar, clearly flirting with her. Normally Syd would react somewhat aggressively to men chatting up his sisters, especially when they so clearly were not sober, but at least knowing where she was, he felt he was able to keep an eye on them from a distance. Instead of giving the guy a hard time, he decided to steal a long swig of rum from one of the bottles on the shelf while the bar tender had his back turned. Feeling better for excusing himself from the role of the responsible adult, he took Skye by the hand and lifted it up so she could spin, watching her feet carefully so that she didn't fall. Just as he was about to jump down from the bar and make his way over to the dance floor so that they could really let themselves go, Syd noticed Conor and his mother making their way towards them. "Ah, shit," he groaned, taking his hand from around Skye's waist and covering his face. "We gotta go...shit."

It was clear that Lucy was shouting at them, but with the music blaring it was difficult to make out what she was saying. Nevertheless, Syd knew that their night was over, and so he jumped down from the bar, holding out his arms for Skye and Delilah to get down safely in their heels. When Lucy then asked where Mallory was, he looked over to the bar were she had sat just a few moments ago. She was gone, and so was the bar tender. Syd felt a wave of guilt come over him and cursed some more, this time at himself for not looking out for his sister.

Interactions / Mentions
ElectricDandellion Delilah
Misty Gray Skye, Adam, Conor
neverbackdown Mallory
Bellz Lucy

 

[Shireling]

Kieran Joyce
​

"Accurate, yes. I suppose. Back in New York, the Sicilians said the same sort of savior bullshit when they were running rackets in Manhattan. Porter's a thug, simply put. I don't know what to do about it though. I'm in the country for the foreseeable future."

At this, Kieran crossed his arms in front of him and laid them down on the countertop. "Your sister's got a head on her shoulders. A bit abrasive, but she's bright. I think if you have to go to the mattresses with the Porters you could come out on top."

Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter

Lucy was furious with the kids as they stepped down from the bar, whatever good time they had been having was effectively over thanks to her and she could care less. Relief didn’t show in her features for she was far too angry with them for that, but it was felt. Lucy’s eyes followed Syd’s over to where he had looked and her eyes narrowed to find that Mallory wasn’t there, but she must have been shortly before she arrived. The blonde turned her head back towards Conor who had caught up with her quickly, ”Take these 3 to the car, I need to go find Mal.” Her blue eyes stared the three of the teens down a moment before moving towards the bar. Asking the other bartenders where her daughter had gone, they had informed her that they had saw the blonde girl heading outside towards the side door with another one of the bartenders.

Lucy quickly thanked them before moving outside searching around looking for her daughter, her eyes once again narrowed when she found Mallory trying to make a get away with a man whom Lucy had no idea who exactly he was. Mallory Porter! How dare you run away from your mother?! Do you even know how much shit you kids have just put me through. We are leaving. Now. And just wait until your father hears about this!” She shouted at her daughter, regardless of who was around at the moment. The man beside her became her new target. Go get your kicks somewhere else or you will seriously regret it.” Lucy raised a blonde brow, challenging the young man to deny her. Lucy reached out and grabbed Mallory’s hand, tugging on it. ”Home. Now.”
Misty Gray neverbackdown Pyroclast ElectricDandellion

(Sorry if it’s shorter, I’m on my cell phone now!)

 

[Misty Gray]

Skye McKendrick and Conor Sullivan​

Skye couldn't contain her joy when Syd said he'd dance with her. She smiled brightly and gently squeezed his shoulder. "Good lad, that's what I like to hear!" When they were about to get down from the bar, Skye also noticed Lucy and Conor had arrived at the club. "Oh dear... We're in for it now!" she said, nudging Delilah in case she hadn't noticed. With Syd's helped, she got down from the bar. It was all just in time for her to see the anger in Lucy's face.

Conor was told to take the three of them to the car while Lucy looked for Mallory. Skye stayed close to Syd and looked to him. "I'm sorry we got you into trouble. That's why we didn't tell you we were sneaking out - we would have invited you but we didn't want to get you in trouble. I guess we ended up doing that anyway."

Conor opened the rear door of the car and ushered the three teens inside. He then got into the driver's seat, figuring Lucy was going to be too pissed off to concentrate of driving them all back home. He turned sideways in his seat so he could look to the three of them. "What were you thinking, you crazy fools?" he seriously asked them. "James was pretty firm in his instructions and he wouldn't have set such orders if you weren't at risk. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves, because your folks are going to be furious." He then pointed to Skye. "I wouldn't expect to be off the hook either. If they don't tell you off, you can be sure Pete and Sinny hear about it. They'll be disappointed." Skye lowered her head and looked to her knees. She hoped the Callahans wouldn't fire her for this, considering she was meant to be a responsible influence on the little ones.

"James and Lucy think the World of you lot. We lost a lot when we lived in Chicago and the last thing they want is to lose anyone else. They're under a lot of pressure right now and you kids need to help them out here." Conor looked to Syd in particular. By the time he was 18, Conor was already fighting, using firearms and helping his old man out with his jobs. He couldn't help but think Lucy and James should have been doing the same for Syd by now. Would he have been able to defend his sisters if someone had turned nasty in there? "Have you ever thought about joining your old man's business?" he curiously asked Syd. "Certainly, if you insist on sneaking off into potential danger, you need to make sure you can fight back if something did happen. In fact, you girls could benefit from learning some self-defence too... Not that it's my choice, at all. Luce would shoot me in the balls if she knew. In fact, you lot have already got me into enough shit tonight. I'll probably be grounded with you, if Luce and James don't simply kill me. Forget I said anything."

"I'm already learning boxing..." Skye mumbled, though didn't look up.

​

Bellz (Lucy) ElectricDandellion (Delilah) neverbackdown (Mallory) Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Misty Gray]

Michael Hennessey

Michael nodded in agreement to Kieran's words. "I can't really argue with you there. Porter is a thug, along with many others in his family. I'm aware Conor Sullivan spends much of his time getting into public fights and then being magically bailed out of jail every time. It's a kick in the teeth to the average working man to struggle on as criminals sit on their thrones, bathing in riches."

He let out a light chuckle when Kieran described Ciara as abrasive. "Isn't she just?" he remarked. She was beyond abrasive by now, but all Michael could do was support her and try to bring some sanity to that head of hers. "She's very bright and she wants what's best for this city." No, he realised by now she was itching for power, feeling like she could finally be heard. "I feel we are already at war with the Porters. They're trying to pin last night's explosion on us but we had no part in that," he assured him. "You know, Kieran. I think Ciara feels bad for being cold with you at Lucy Porter's party. Perhaps if you give her a chance, she could clear the air with you and we could all try to come up with a way to bring the Porters down. One with minimal casualities," he suggested.


Shireling (Kieran)
​

 

[Shireling]

Kieran Joyce​

"Is that so?" Kieran asked, lifting his head up a bit. He glanced over and noticed that Connor and Lucy had removed the girls, and he breathed an inward sigh of relief. He was glad nothing had happened to them. He pulled his hat down low, and was starting to develop a headache. He had the waiter bring him another gin, which he laid promptly on the counter top in front of the young man. His hat hung down low over his face and the cigarette in his mouth burned like a torch on the wall of a crypt.

"Maybe you're right. It's not in my nature to hold grudges anyways," this much was true, "perhaps I should make a call on her."

He drank about a quarter of his fresh glass of gin in a swig and set it back down with a thud.

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Michael Hennessey

Michael turned his head to followed Kieran's glance and he too was aware the teenagers had now been removed from the bar, which he was quite grateful for as he'd had enough of the Porters for one evening. Still, his curiosity made him very interested in speaking to Adam at some point to see if his interaction with one of the Porters' kids could prove useful. He turned back to Kieran and faintly smiled., having realised he'd been briefly distracted. He thought it best not to comment on the teenagers, seeing as the man was related to them.

"I agree, you should get in touch with Ciara. I could give her a heads up first so she knows to hear you out. Otherwise she might think you're just appealing to her on James' behalf." He studied Kieran for a bit, trying to determine if he seemed genuine. It was probably a mixture of him being a religious man and his peaceful manner that made Michael believe he wasn't playing any games. "Once you get to know her, my sister can be one of the nicest people you can know and she has the back of anyone she considers a friend."​

Shireling (Kieran)


Shannon Sullivan
​

Shannon wasn't one to sit around for long and with the Callahan household far too quiet, she decided to head over the Porters' place. She hadn't had chance to speak much to anyone on her arrival, following what had happened the previous night and her then being warned to lay off Alex. Now, she wanted to speak to her family. She missed Lucy and though she wasn't at all happy with him, she wanted see Conor too. Then there was Kieran, who she still hadn't seen yet. She also wanted to see if Jackson was around as she thought of him as family and didn't like to think of him being upset, regardless of the person he was grieving for.

When Shannon entered the Porter house, it seemed far too quiet for her liking. She peered out of the window to the garden to see James was at least home and talking to a familiar man. When she focused, she realised it was the dangerous, but ruggedly handsome Russian, Nikolai. He was always an interesting one to her, but one she'd been told to steer clear of, perhaps out of fear the two would clash on a grand scale. She never did like to hold her tongue and Nikolai wasn't someone to be toyed with.

Shannon heard voices in the lounge so followed the sound, stepping into the room to see Alex with Savannah and another child. It was obvious who the new child was and her resemblance to Conor gave it away if nothing else did. The woman glared at Alex, the daughter of Vinnie and Gianna Romano. That family had done unforgivable things to Shannon's loved ones and it made her blood boil to know both Sinead and Conor had been romantically involved with the Italians. Still, every time she thought of Sinead's betrayal, she was reminded of the gift that was Savannah and it softened her. She wondered if it was possible to do the same for Conor.

"Shelly, that's Grandma Shannon," Savannah told her cousin, giving her a nudge.

Shannon broke her stare to glance two to the two children before looking back to Alex. She took a deep breath as she reminded herself not to cause a scene in front of the two girls. Plus, Shannon had compassion, so would go easier on the Romano girl following her recent loss. "Alex," she suddenly spoke up. "We haven't been been properly introduced," she said, motioning towards Michelle.

neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle)

​

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

“Fuck,” Delilah grumbled, brain scrambling for the translation. It was an easy enough one, but being quite drunk and nervous at the same time didn’t mix well with her and seemed to tear apart the innards of her ability to communicate. She watched as Syd helped them down, allowing him to help her land safely on her heels instead of the young girl just jumping and breaking an ankle. Syd was a very considerate brother, and for a second, she paused; her eyes looked over his face then down to Skye’s. Delilah could only hope that they’d both realise that they clearly liked one another and get together. Perhaps they could be as happy as she was with Leo. That would be nice, and they both deserved happiness. But, she realised that their possible attempts at communicating their feelings would be halted; after all, they’d all been caught or were about to me. Delilah stared at Syd, frowning for a few moments. What was the point in running when they had clearly already been spotted? “We are completely fucked. No getting out of this one,”

It seemed that in the time she had been consumed with her thoughts, she hadn’t registered that her mother had already made her way over until Skye had nudged her. The look on her face was enough to tell Delilah that she wasn’t just mad but disappointed. Gulping slightly, she dropped her gaze and avoided all possible contact with her mother, her eyes watering with nervousness as she had. Then, the sight of her uncle stroke her with surprise. Why had her mother brought him? At least their father hadn’t been brought, that would’ve led to a much more severe situation. Delilah could only assume that James would be waiting at home, and the very thought of getting punished and having life made worse by having addition restrictions made her stomach flip. What if they didn’t let her see Leo? Well, she’d just do it anyway. The more they’d tell her not to, the more inclined she’d be to do it.

They seemed to be walking now, and Delilah was finding it difficult to catch up with the others, her drunkness causing her movements to be slightly slurred and irregular. As she finally caught up, she obeyed what her mother and uncle had said and clambered into the car, feeling slightly awkward next to the couple-to-be. Her eyes seemed to linger on the window, watching the figures outside. Undoing it for some fresh air, she looked out at the people walking on the street, perfectly content with them until she heard a wolf whistle and hurriedly did the window back up, reaching over to lock her door from the inside. Men were weird at times, and she didn’t want to risk having to punch another dude in the face. At Connor’s insult, Delilah couldn’t help the smirk playing on her lips. “Probablemente algo loco**,” she mumbled, forgetting again, or apparently not feeling much of a need to speak in English. After all, her birth language was Spanish. But, her smile soon ceased to exist as she realised the seriousness of the situation and shyly leaned against the doorframe, lips pressed into a childish pout. “We are already locked in the house all day, what else can they possibly do? Ration our food?” It May have come across slightly rude, but a certain genuine tone was held in her voice. Really, she was being rather inquisitive. There wasn’t much more of a punishment than already not being allowed out of the house without permission or with security.

Everything else her uncle said was blurred, and she waited for him to finish before reaching over to the phone attached to the car, sloppily dialling in numbers before allowing it to ring. It was Leo’s home phone, whether he would pick up or not was a mystery. Either way, she would’ve said the same thing, either to him as he picked up or to the answering machine. “Leo? Just wanted to let you know...” Her eyes scrambled around the car as she thought intently for a moment. “That tonight my parents are probably going to kill me, so if you want to have any last words, go right ahead,”

Pyroclast (Syd) Misty Gray (Connor&Skye) Bellz (Lucy) Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)










**”Probably something crazy​

 

[Shireling]

Kieran Joyce​

"I can believe that," Kieran replied, sucking down the rest of his gin and waving his hand over the glass to let the barman know he was finished before tapping his finger on the table. He told him what he had had to drink and put the correct amount in paper florins on the countertop. He turned back to Michael as he stood to leave. "Tell her I'll be at the Hotel St. Germaine, and she can call there," he added with the flair of a detective from a dimestore noir novel before leaving out of the club.

As his feet hit the pavement his heart dropped into his stomach. He didn't have a room at the St. Germaine. Why did he feel the need to say that? To seem confident and clandestine like that spy in those Ian Fleming novels, he supposed. Although, if he had thought of selling out the Porters it would make sense for him to change locations. Ciara never knew he was staying at the Porter house in the first place. Then the panic set in. He had to go uptown and go get the hotel room he had just lied about, and he needed to tell James what was going on.

He ran two blocks until he found a payphone, slotted in his change, and called the house. One of the Porters' guards picked up and Kieran instructed him to tell James he was going to be staying at the St. Germaine, that he had gotten a break running into Michael Hennessey, and that the plan was going into place to-night. He wanted his suits and his rental car sent over tomorrow and that he would call ahead when he had his room number.

He ran another two blocks until he was able to flag down a cab driver, as it was getting late. He paid the driver a fair bit extra to break the speed limit, and in twenty minutes time he had written a check for the room for the next two days and he shut the door to room 326 with a tired thud. The things you do for family, he thought to himself. Panting from exertion, Kieran collapsed into a plush, hard-backed red chair by the table with the phone and lit a cigarette. He moved his hand towards the receiver, thinking he might call up some ice and a bottle of whiskey, but he decided against it. He leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers nervously, mentally double-checking that the door was locked and suddenly becoming acutely aware of the heavy iron of the revolver that Rudy had given him, hidden away in his coat.

Misty Gray (Michael)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

As Conor walked the three teenagers to the car, Syd removed his jacket and draped it over Skye's shoulders. He wanted to take her hand, but thought that might be pushing it - Conor had enough to say as it was. Instead he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked on, hunched against the cold.
"Ah, don't. I made the decision to leave on my own," Syd said when Skye began to apologize, keeping his voice lowered.

Once they were all in the car and Conor started on them, Syd quickly lost interest in the lecture they were being given. It sounded so much like the one he had previously given Delilah and Skye that he didn't feel like there was anything new to learn. As the irony of it hit him, so did the alcohol, and while trying to maintain eye contact with Conor his ability to focus began to waver.

Delilah made a brave attempt to argue back, and although at first it didn't really seem to Syd like a good time, he realised that he agreed with her. Being on lock down did seem quite overly cautious to him, and although he understood that things had been up in the air since the explosion, it felt unfair that they were home bound even though they themselves had done nothing wrong. If they had to suffer the consequences of their sneaking out, he figured it would make sense to just call the lock down a punishment from here on and leave it at that. Conor's eyes suddenly landed firmly on him and Syd realised he'd stopped paying attention to what was being said. When asked if he'd considered joining the family business, Syd remembered that his dad had told him to keep their plans a secret. Rather than breaking his father's trust further, he gave a roundabout kind of answer.
"Yessir, since I was 8 years old," he joked, his words slurring just a little. Skye then mentioned that she was learning to box, something he'd forgotten about her. He turned his head and gave her a look of admiration. She was looking rather abashed so he discretely threaded his fingers through hers and gave her hand a light squeeze.
"And I'm not afraid of stepping in. I've won my fair share of boxing matches," he bragged, turning back to face Conor. Of course, he didn't mention the ones he'd also lost, nor the reckless fist fights he'd been involved in over the years. "Just because I've not fired a gun before, doesn't mean I'm totally useless."

Syd realised he was being defensive, his usual reaction to receiving a lecture, but eased off when Conor hinted at the possibility of getting into trouble himself. It reminded him that his uncle didn't have final authority over the three of them and almost made it seem like he could end up on their side. After all, Syd knew of his uncle's history of drinking and couldn't help but feel that any lecture that he gave them tonight would be hypocritical to some degree. This lead him to wonder where Mallory and his mother were. He was anxious to see his sister back safe but dreaded the wrath that his mum was sure to bring.

Interactions / Mentions
Misty Gray Conor, Skye
ElectricDandellion Delilah
Bellz Lucy
neverbackdown Mallory

 

[Misty Gray]

Ciara and Michael Hennessey

​

Ciara hadn't immediately answered the door when her brother was around knocking. Her mind was on the earlier meeting with the Porters and the fact they thought they had any say in what she did. She needed to be rid of them but she'd promised Elijah she wouldn't kill James. Despite being a cold and twisted killer, she was surprisingly determined when it came to keeping her promises. It also helped that she cared about Elijah and he'd specifically told her not to kill his brother, so she felt compelled to honour that request. She knew she cared for the man more than she should considering he was always going to be James' family.

After eventually letting Michael in, he explained about his chance conversation with Kieran. Ciara was proud of her brother for taking the initiative now he'd realised this was a war and they had to win it. She soon dismissed him so she could privately make the call to Kieran and assess him for herself.

The telephone in Kieran's hotel room would loudly ring. When he answered it, he would hear Ciara's voice on the other end of the line. "Mr. Joyce, I believe you've been speaking with Michael this evening." she began. "I feel you and I got off on the wrong foot, but perhaps we could start fresh? I'm intrigued to hear of your thoughts regarding the Porters and also the IWU."

Shireling (Kieran)​

 

[Shireling]

Kieran Joyce​

The phone rang and Kieran jumped out of his skin. He flung himself to a standing position, and for a few seconds just blankly stared at the phone as the receiver rang and vibrated noisily on the hook. It was an old-fashioned thing with a metal hook and a thin, what looked like ivory, handle. Kieran swallowed his nervousness and after shedding his coat on the chair and setting his cigarette burning in the ash tray, he answered the phone.

Ciara's voice came through clear on the line. There was no mistaking her for anyone else. She wanted to "hear about his thoughts." He had about a million of them and about zero all at the same time. He put on his suave, college-man voice.

"I don't have to tell you, Miss Hennessey, that James Porter is mixed up in all kinds of business. Racketeering, fraud, gambling, murder, arms trafficking. He assured me its all for the greater good, of course, but it took about two days for the Robin Hood veneer to wear thin. It's the same gambit the Sicilians ran in Manhattan. I'm from the Bronx. It didn't fool us then, it's not fooling me now."

His voice got a little more intense. "He killed a man, Miss Hennessey. Right in his goddamned kitchen with his children upstairs. Got him on his knees and shot him execution style on the floor. There was...well, that's the rub. The poor bastard was trying to tell him that he didn't know who gave the Midtown bombers the explosives. He was just some dock-hand that worked at his warehouse."

Kieran crossed himself, but he hoped that his blaspheming would be the extra thing he needed to sell his vocal performance. He let an uncomfortable silence lapse between them.

Misty Gray (Ciara)

 

[Misty Gray]

Ciara and Michael Hennessey

​

Ciara smirked as Kieran spoke of the business James was mixed up in and that he wasn't fooled by it. "You're right. James doesn't do it for anyone other than himself. He doesn't need a big fancy house and flash cars, but that's how he chooses to spend his wealth, rather than helping those who he claims to want to protect."

Kieran would never see it, but a pleased and almost excited smile crossed Ciara's face when she was told the tale about James murdering a man in his family's own kitchen. She wondered if it was the sign of a desperate man who was rapidly losing control. Perhaps he would be his own undoing. "It sounds to me like James is losing his mind and there's nothing more dangerous than a crazed man with power." A psychologist would likely accuse Ciara of projecting herself onto James in that moment, but this was all too much fun for her. "You will be wise to steer clear of him. It sounds like he's becoming a danger to his own family, not just the IWU and this city." She sat back and casually admired her polished nails. "If you fear for your safety or worry he will find out about you telling me this, I can offer you a safe place to stay." Having Kieran on their side could prove very useful against the Porters, especially if he could provide them with some more useful information.

Shireling (Kieran)​

 

[Shireling]

Kieran Joyce​

Kieran glanced at the locked door. "I should be safe here at the St. Germaine," he said as he sat back down and tilted his hat a bit farther back. The receiver held tight to the side of his face. "I can't give you too much information over the phone. We'll have to arrange to meet in person, preferably somewhere public, or well-guarded." The tense tenor that he added to his voice betrayed a sort of paranoia that he thought would sell well.

"I'll be here in 326, at least until the end of the week."

Misty Gray (Ciara)

 

[neverbackdown]

Mallory Porter ​

Once outside Mallory began to explain to Adam why she pulled him outside. She explained how they were all technically grounded and had snuck out and her mother was after walking into the bar, she decided to hold back on some details as to why they were all grounded, deciding that he didn’t need to know that much details.

All of sudden the smoking area door swung open and Mallory did not need to turn around to know who it was. She quickly scanned the area for a route to escape but was too late as her mother was already beside her screaming at her. She turned to face her mother with wide innocent doe eyes, biting her tounge as she urged herself not to fight back with her mother, not when she was this angry and definitely not in this public place as it would definitely get messy. But she also wasn’t going to apologize to her, Mallory saw nothing wrong with what she had done and was annoyed that they were under house arrest anyway but she knew that it was not the time to bring this up, instead she left her mother to rant on.

“It was lovely to meet you” She said to Adam , a smile playing on her face for a second before allowing her mother to drag her away to the car outside

Misty Gray
Bellz

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra and Michelle Romano ​

Alexandra smiled softly at Savannah and could clearly see that she was overwhelmed about being able to talk about Giovanni “you can always come to me to talk about him dear” she told her with a gentle voice, she bit her lip when Savannah said she shouldn’t have heard the bad things about her father and Alex gave her a nod “I understand and I won’t tell anyone that you now, but your mammy wouldn’t want you to know them things about him” she told her trying to ignore the anger ripping through her veins at who was in the lounge with James and Lucy.

Lucy suddenly arrived into the kitchen and her and Conor left very quickly after asking Alex to mind them, Alex agreed realizing minding the girls would give her a distraction.

The door opened once again and this time she was greeted with the sight of Shannon. She knew this encounter would eventually happen but she just hoped that Conor or someone would be here to help her through it, regardless Shannon wouldn’t kick of with the children present. Alex allowed a smile on her lips as she looked to Shannon “hello Shannon” she greeted before nodding when she mentioned Michelle.

Michelle turned quickly when Savannah mentioned their grandma Shannon. She watched as her mother greeted the woman in question before ushering Michelle over.

“Michelle this is your grandmother Shannon, Shannon this is Michelle” she introduced the two. While she knew Shannon would never accept her, she just hoped that she was accept Michelle.

Michelle smiled a little overwhelmed at finally having a grandparent. She was still ecstatic but overwhelmed with meeting all her new family, having only ever had her mother and aunt. “Hi” Michelle greeted a little shyly before taking a step closer to Shannon and away from her mother. She looked at the woman careful before a slightly confused look came onto her face “your so young” she commented without thinking about what she had said. She had never met a grandparent and had always assumed they would be old especially since her parents were ancient. “And pretty” she added the smile still present on her face

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter
​

James was still outside when he was approached by one of his guards who informed him that Kieran had called. The news that Kieran had spoken with Michael and already began to make headway with their plan made it all become a reality he hadn't been expecting quite so soon. Any optimism he had about the breakthrough was dampened by the fact the man had just entered into the most dangerous act of his life so far. "Come with me," he told the guard as he made the way towards the gates. There, he instructed that man along with another guard to drive down to the St. Germaine hotel and lay low whilst keeping watch over the place from a distance. He didn't like to think Kieran was alone out there.

James turned, about to re-enter the house when he noticed a car missing from the driveway, causing him to turn back to the gate guard and point towards the empty spot. "Who's taken the car?"

"Lucy did," Brian informed him. "She took Conor with her and said they were going to find your kids. Oh... and she said I could tell you that she overrode your clearance," he awkwardly relayed. "I wasn't about to argue," he defensively added.

James shook his head and reassured Brian he was off the hook. He wasn't pissed off that Lucy had gone off to find the kids as she at least had Conor with her, but he was miffed that she hadn't told him. More than anything, he was proud she'd gone to get the kids back and he wouldn't have expected any less from their tough mother. Still, he couldn't help but think a little bit of her not telling him she was going was revenge for him not budging where Syd's training was concerned. As for Syd and the others - they were is deep shit for leaving the house without his permission or supervision. It was starting to feel like some of his family didn't give much thought to how the consequences of their actions would lead back to him, nor the real danger that loomed.

James rushed inside to retrieve his car keys and another firearm, but hopefully the others would return home before he was forced to leave and go searching for them...

Key mentions: Bellz (Lucy) Shireling (Kieran)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

Lucy didn't utter another word to Mallory as they stormed out of the alleyway and towards the car where they had parked, the dead silence would be a clear indicator to Mal just how upset her mother was. The blonde strode towards the car with her daughter in tow and let go over her hand as soon as they arrived, her eyes caught Mallory's face and it was clear to her that there daughter hadn't the slightest idea of what her actions have caused emotionally for Lucy. If she were more like Shannon, she most likely would have slapped the smug look right off her face, as so far, she wasn't apologizing like she should have been. Lucy said nothing as she slipped into the passenger seat. Not acknowledging her own children, she turned to Conor. "Let's go." She said quietly.

***​

Lucy had barely given the car the chance to stop when her door was swung open and she stepped out of the car immediately, the door slamming shut in her wake. She didn't stop to wait for her kids, wanting to inform James in case he was still being held up with Nikolai. Opening the door, she saw him in the entry way and her eyes watered greatly as she shook her head, feeling incredibly betrayed by her own kids at the moment. She would have gone to James for comfort, but considering the terms she had left on with him, she thought it was best to stand awkwardly in the middle of the doorway. "Our children decided to go out on the town. I want a full surveillance of the perimeter to look for where they got out. I want guards standing by that spot once its found. They have absolutely no remorse! No apologies for almost giving their mother a stroke." Just as someone was stepping through the door, Lucy took steps forward towards the kitchen needing a drink before she felt she could even look at her children.
Misty Gray neverbackdown Pyroclast ElectricDandellion

 

[Misty Gray]

Shannon Sullivan​

Shannon found it extremely difficult not to give Alex a piece of her mind, but she was grateful the children were present to hold her back. She looked to Michelle as Alex introduced them to each other. Seeing the child's smile, she loosened up a little before finally sending her a warm smile in return. "Hi," she replied, sensing the girl's slight shyness. "Let's sit down," she said, parking herself on the sofa and inviting Michelle to join her. The way the child resembled Conor was unsettling but at the same time made her more accepting of her granddaughter, as any doubt she had that he was the father had been wiped away.

Shannon couldn't help but laugh at the girl's next comments. "You think I'm young and pretty? Well, you'll do for me, Michelle," she remarked. "A little charmer, huh? Just like your dad. And, flattery will get you everywhere, dear," she told her. Shannon was about to ask the girl, in a subtle way, if Conor had been pulling his weight. Instead, they were interrupted when James entered the room looking extremely unhappy.

"I'm sorry to disturb you all," James told them, glancing to Shannon as it didn't slip his attention she was in the same room as Alex and there was no bloodshed. "I think it would be wise to get Savvy and Michelle up to bed now."

"Uh-ohhhh! They're all in trouble now," Savannah remarked, rolling her eyes as she thought of her naughty older cousins. She then took hold of Michelle's hand and looked to Alex so she could lead them away. Shannon sent James a glance before stepping out of the lounge after Alex and the kids. She left Alex to sort the two children out as she fully intended on stay close enough to hear what was going on and what the teenagers were in trouble for now.

neverbackdown (Michelle, Alex)