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

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson

​

George furrowed his eyebrows as Darius sat up, clearly finding something controversial or surprising in his words. As the younger man went on to question George's way of thinking, especially given all of the years he'd spent in jail, so far. The years had been unkind to George, dragging him through all kinds of emotions and doubts along the way. Like Peter, he'd suffered beatings, and like Darius, he'd gone through bouts of anger and aggression. It took quite some time for George to eventually settle and make efforts to seek out the positives or the productive aspects of being in jail. It was the only way he could find the energy to keep trying to get out of there.

George listened as Darius explained about his case being reopened, only for a guard to stick his nose in and ruin the lad's chance to get out. It was upsetting to hear he seemed to have given up; willing to just spend is time rotting away with free food as a silver lining. He could see the defeat in his eyes, but he doubted Darius wanted sympathy or any sort of consoling. It was why George would approach it differently. "Perhaps I'm doing too good a job in the kitchen if the food is making you want to stay here..." he drily remarked.

George stood up striaght and looked directly at Darius. "You stayed out of trouble?" he asked, looking over his shoulder in the direction Darius' friends had left in. His expression and tone began to take on a more assertive tone to the usually relaxed older man. "Hanging around with guys like them and threatening other prisoners is not staying out of trouble..." George rubbed the back of his neck as he decided whether or not to continue, but soon chose to do so. "I'm sorry you got knocked back, I truly am. But you're really going to give in so easily? You're right, I've been stuck in here for nearly ten fucking years. I settled down and I learned to bite my tongue more around the guards, to stop giving them lip. I even took on jobs in the kitchen and the woodshop, despite having no real interest in either. I did everything to show them what they wanted to see - that I'd changed and that I had skills I could used in some underpaid job on the outside. Last year, my parole got rejected again because the board heard I'd been selling contraband to prisoners in here. The things I have to do to avoid being beaten up by guys like your friends are the things that are keeping me stuck here, but I have to keep doing it and I've applied for parole again this year. I desperately want to get out of here. I want to choose when I wake up and I want to go wherever I please without being questioned." George bit his bottom lip and took a deep breath. "When you've been here for ten years, then you have a right to give up. You're still young and you still have time to turn shit around before you waste your best years in here. I hate that you're locked up but don't think you'll get sympathy from me over one knock-back. You get back up and try again. You don't give in and choose to rot in this dump! Kicking the living shit out of people only proves that dickhead judge right."


Enzyme (Darius)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Sinead Callahan
~ Emery ~​

James couldn't help but look lovingly into Lucy's eyes as she wiped away his tears. He'd never expected to hear this news and now it was happening, he felt like a a kid at Christmas. The kind of happiness he'd never had as an actual child. He couldn't believe there was going to be another addition to his amazing family. Another son or daughter to add to the three children he already adored. A brief moment of sadness overcame him as he thought of his mother and how he deep down wished she was in Dublin to hear the news in person. He had tried to call her earlier in the day, but with Rayna having her own family in Italy, he figured there was no answer as they would be celebrating Christmas with her in-laws.

The thoughtful moment was suddenly shattered by the sound of Emery's voice yelling at them. A smirk crossed his face before he looked up to see Sinead, Ryan, Aliana and Emery. "Luce, remember what I was saying earlier. Protect me..." he joked. James then stood by as Lucy took the lead and updated Sinead on her pregnancy reveal.

"Merry Christmas, Luce," Sinead replied, with a warm smile. As her sister approached her, she carefully put Emery down, making sure the child was standing up properly on the potentially slippery ground. Her attention was then place on an excited Lucy who confirmed she had told James the secret. "Oh, Luce. That's so great!" Sinead pulled her sister in for a tight hug, kissing her cheek before resting her chin on her shoulder. "You both deserve this happiness so much," she assured her. Sinead had spent the last decade feeling a sense of guilt for what Lucy and James couldn't have, especially as it had been through the fault of Angel. Even as the wounds had seemed to heal and her family had appeared to forgive her, there was always a part of Sinead that felt she was to blame for her sister's tragedy. Whilst the last ten years could never be reversed, she at least felt a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders upon knowing Lucy and James were finally gifted with a child of their own. "Love you, sis," she said, kissing Lucy's cheek again before pulling away. She then looked to James and felt her heart melt at the strong sense of joy his face was reflecting. "Congratulations, Old Man!" she told him. She then stepped forward to wrap her slender arms around her muscular brother-in-law for a rare hug with the man.

Emery looked up to Lucy and displayed a wide grin. "Thank you for having a baby, Aunt Lucy. Now I won't be the most smallest person around here," she informed her. "Also, can I keep Pistol now that you'll be busy?"

When Sinead stepped away from James, the man returned to Lucy's side and placed his arm around her waist. "Are you two planning on tell everyone back in the house? That nice, warm house?" Sinead asked, in a suggestive manner as she smiled at the happy couple before her. "Before Emmy lets it slip!" she quickly added. She returned to the bench she'd left the gift bags on, handing the smallest to Emery and carrying the rest herself.

When Sinead entered the house, she had to quickly step aside to dodge Emery who sprinted towards Samson and Lady. The redheaded woman placed the gifts down in the hallway and removed her coat, hanging it up on the nearby hook. Her attention was first drawn to Jackson and Blake, who were in that moment greeting each other with an embrace. She was glad to see Jackson looking happy again, after what had happened to Fallon. Not wanting to butt into their moment, she slipped deeper into the main lounge. Her attention was drawn to Conor who was sat happily with Alex and Michelle. Seeing her brother in that position was something she never thought she'd see and it seemed to suit him, especially judging by the excitement on Michelle's little face. Savannah and Braden then joined Conor, no doubt wanting to play with Michelle but also to see what presents Conor had managed to come up with for them.

Sinead turned away and unconsciously found an empty sofa to sit on. She pulled the sleeves of her jumper a over her hands and sat with her legs crossed. Her eyes fell on the nearby framed photographs, fixating on Peter's face for a time as a loneliness overcome her. Her gaze was eventually broken as she felt something crawling on her lap. Looking down, she saw Pistol looking up at her. "Hey there, little fella," she quietly greeted the dog. "Feeling left out?" She then softly stroked his fur as he curled up in a ball on her legs.

​

Bellz (Lucy)
And anyone else active or mentioned in the above post.

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The adults in the room were making idle chit chat and Aliana was grateful for it. It gave her something to keep her mind off of so many different things from the conversation about her brother she had yet to have with James, (although if we're being honest, she couldn't have picked a worse time to confront him) to figuring out the situation with Conor and Tommy. Yeah, her life was a little more hectic than she would like it to be. She had left the bag by the door, filled with presents for the Callahan kids. For Emery, she had gotten a four foot bear she would need to pick up tomorrow. Ali had gotten it engraved with the young girls name and showed her the ticket for it before giving to Sinead for safe keeping. For Braden, she had gotten him a walkie talkie set of four for when he wanted to go on "stealth missions". She thought it was cute and just right for the sneaky young boy. For Savannah, a tiara that Ali put on her herself to make sure she didn't mess up her hair. She then looked at Ryan and Sinead and winked before pulling out a bottle of Moscato for the both of them. "I think I'm killing this whole Christmas thing." A little more chat later and they asked about Tommy. Thank goodness she took too long to answer, although she knew it would be brought up again in the near future.

As they all walked over to the Porter's they stopped and observed Lucy and James. They were looking happy, happier perhaps than she had ever seen them. There was also this glow about Lucy she just couldn't place her finger on, but as Sinead placed her bags down and walked over she did the same. She was curious as to what was going on and why everyone was smiling so damn hard. Hearing the news herself, she understood. After Sinead gave her a hug, Ali swooped in and congratulated the both of them. "Aw yay. More kids to add to my inevitable army of minions." She joked and winked to Lucy. Her attention turned to James and she gave him a thumbs up, then pointed to Lucy and mouthed 'Good job.' When they all decided to join everyone back at the house, Ali picked up the bags and walked inside. Literally all they held now was everyone's favorite alcoholic beverage because adults were literally the most difficult to shop for. She placed to bags on the counter in the kitchen and set them up in a line. Ali couldn't be bothered to wrap them, so instead they had big bows on top and a tag with their names on it.

When she had finally put the drinks in a nice line, she took out the gifts she even bought for the dogs and set them in their respective dog bowls. The remaining bag was for the Porter children, excluding Delilah, considering Leo wanted to be the only Cartwright to give her something. Once she hung up her jacket, she fixed a drink and joined the adults, specifically Sinead. There wasn't much one on one time she had spent with her best friend, so she was taking advantage of any time she got. "Well then. I thought people were lying when they said this was a busy time." She tilted her head to the side and gave her a soft look. "What's going on in the red head of yours?"​

 

[Bellz]

Blake Walsh​

Finn Sullivan​

Finn followed Blake and when Jackson greeted him, he gave the man a hug in greeting. "Nice to see you Jackson," Finn greeted warmly, a laugh escaped him as he joked about changing his sobriety. "Looking forwards to it." He said excitedly. Tonight was sure to be wild and Finn was looking forward to getting plastered. It had been a rough few weeks for him. Eleanor had been as distant as ever and Finn wasn't sure if there would be anyway to fix the relationship that seemed so broken. Finn would never admit his depression to anyone, but it was starting to effect his everyday life. Before he could get too caught up in his thoughts, he cleared his throat and looked to Blake, "Want me to fetch anything from the kitchen Blake?" He asked, interrupting the little warm greeting that her and Jackson were sharing. Blake nodded once, "If you could grab more glasses from the kitchen, there was only a few behind the bar, we are also going to need mixers for the faint hearted drinkers." Finn took that opportunity to make his leave, not wanting to stick around to watch the couple who would no doubt engage in some loving manner, only remind him of what he had lost.

Greeting Jackson with a kiss and a squeeze, Blake smiled widely at him, she didn't even have to answer his question verbally. Her cheeks turned a rosy color as Jackson told her that she was incredible, "Well I sure hope so, I took this job very seriously." She murmured to him, squeezing him again gently before letting him go and clapping her hands together. "Alright boys, it is time to turn this crisp and clean party into something sloppy." Blake turned back towards the bar area where the bags and the bottles were waiting, pulling Jackson with her. She gathered up all the bags and placed them inside one big bag before storing it behind the bar. She was already in drink mode as she grabbed shot glasses from a shelf behind her. Blake arched her finger towards Jackson, beckoning him over to the bar. "What suits your fancy mister?" She asked sweetly, but the answer really didn't matter as Blake was already pouring shots of whiskey into the small glasses, filling them up to the brim.


"We can get as messed up as we like tonight, but." Blake looked to Jackson with a knowing look, "We have to help the Porters clean up the mess afterwards." She murmured before pulling him closer, over the bar top and kissing him again. After a moment, someone cleared their throat from behind them and Blake broke away. Her cheeks were on fire as she looked to Finn, who seemed to look a little down. "Ahh more glasses! Thank you Finnian!" She said as he brought them over and placed each one on top of the bar. Looking closely at Finn, Blake asked, "Are you okay?" to which the man just nodded his head, flashing her a smile. Blake didn't quite believe him but for now, she left it alone.
With: Finn ; Jackson Enzyme
Mentions:

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

Lucy was bursting with happiness but when she saw her sister, she felt that she needed to tone it down a bit for her sake. Sinead was happy for them though as Lucy informed her that she told James. Lucy accepted the hug from Sinead and held her tightly in her arms. Sinead kissed her cheek and rested her chin on Lucy's shoulder. Luce buried her face into Sinead's shoulder and couldn't help the tears that continued to flow from her eyes. There was a long moment between them before Sinead kissed her cheek again and pulled away. "Love you too Sinny." She murmured to her in return before watching Sinead turn to James. Lucy looked to Emery and laugh sweetly as she thanked her for having a baby, stating that she wouldn't be the smallest one around anymore. Aliana congratulated them and joked about having more minions for her army, "More fun to add to this fun house." She joked back.

"Sorry baby girl, you can't keep Pistol but who knows, Santa may have brought something else for you to cuddle and play with." Lucy said thinking to the little kitten that was waiting for her in the house. Lucy had asked Sinead prior and once she had the okay, Lucy picked out a feisty and playful little orange tabby. She couldn't paint the cat rainbow like Emery may have wanted but she did get a bunch of colored ribbon and tied it around the collar for Emery. The cold was now starting to get to Lucy, piercing through her big coat and striking her bones. Her teeth chattered a bit as Sinead suggested that they head into the nice warm house. "Come on Em! You still have presents to open inside!" Lucy said to the small girl. As they all walked towards the house, Lucy fell into step with Savannah and Braden. "Come give Auntie Luce a kiss." She said before pulling them both in for a squeeze and a kiss on the top of the head. She let the kids and Sinead head inside first before placing her hand on James' arm holding him back a moment. "Hey you," She murmured lightly, letting him face her again before smiling widely. "I want you to have a great time tonight, let work go for one night and just have some fun with the guys." Leaning in for one more kiss, she pulled away and smiled mischievously, "No arguments." She said before stepping inside the house.

The amount of noise in the house already told Lucy that everyone was ready to have a great time. Just as she was shedding off her heavy coat, the timer she had set for the desserts in the oven went off. "I'll be back." She said to James before rushing towards the kitchen to grab the pans out before everything burned. Quickly grabbing an oven mitt she opened the oven door and grabbed the last batch of cookies that had been cooking. Turning the timer off, she placed it back in the drawer before grabbing a spatula to scrape the cookies off the hot cooking pan. Returning to where she'd left James, she saw that Emery had ran towards Samson and Lady who were more than happy with play time and Sinead had sat down in the main lounge, looking rather glum. Lucy's smile faded a moment as she watched her, but as she turned to James she tried to stay happy. "Ready to tell the others?"
With: James Misty Gray
Mentions: Ryan Fletchawk ; Aliana Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Jared and Grace Armstrong
​

Grace accepted the money envelope from her parents and as she opened it, she listened to Jared explain the reasons for the small gift. She couldn't deny how lucky she was and that her family did spoil her. It wasn't really a surprise that her father had chosen not to spoil them, given the people he was now working with and the direction he was taking for his electoral campaign. It was only logical he would want to show his kids how to work for the things they wanted or needed. Most of the money she made working at the bakery she was saving towards a deposit for her own car as Jared refused to buy her one without her paying a significant deposit out of her own money. "Thank you both," she told her parents, with a soft smile on her lips. "It really means a lot to know you'll be spending the rest of Christmas with us, Dad. I miss having you around the place as often as we used to." She wasn't sure what she would use the money for, but she knew Jared was expecting it to be something meaningful, so she would think over it. She gave her parents a hug each before stepping back to let her them exchange their gifts with each other.


Jared grinned when Faye gasped in response to the gift of a holiday. "You think over those options carefully, dear. I'll go wherever you choose," he assured her. "Let's just make it out of Ireland, at least!" he was quick to add. Jared then watched as Faye got his present and handed him the small box. He unwrapped the gift and then opened the box to reveal the gold ring. He remained quiet as he lifted the ring out of the box and studied it closely, reading the words that were engraved on the inside. He glanced to his wife as she expressed her hopes about it fitting him. He placed the ring on his finger and was glad to find it did indeed fit. "It fits perfectly. It's perfect!" he gleefully reassured her. He placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer, placing another kiss on her lips. "Thank you so much, love. You never fail to impress me."

"Now who's spoiled?!" Grace playfully teased. Suddenly, she shot up onto her feet as her eyes opened wide upon realising she'd forgotten something. "I almost forgot, Dad..." she trailed off as she rushed upstairs to her room so she could retrieve the item in question.

"Oh Lily..." Jared mumbled as he shook his head. His daughter's energy still surprised him and he hoped she would never lose that innocence about her. Regardless, he was fully aware of her age and that she was growing up very quickly. If he had his way, she would never grow up. The best he could do was make sure she never came into any danger and do what he could to make sure she didn't start dating the wrong guy.

Grace hopped downstairs before handing Jared a box wrapped in metallic red wrapping paper along with a red bow on top. "Sorry, Dad, I forgot. This was left in the bakery for you yesterday. I was going to sneak it under the tree as a surprise! Although, it is addressed to 'Jared and family', so technically, I could have opened it!" The gift was around the size of a shoe-box and didn't feel too heavy. Jared read the gift tag and raised a curious eyebrow as he saw it was from Gary. He asked Grace if it was Gary who had handed her the gift, as he hadn't seen nor heard from the man in weeks and so was surprised to be passed on a present from him. "I don't know, Dad. Jenny took it, but she said it was from some little old man. Isn't Gary that big giant?"

Jared grinned at Grace's description of the man, and slowly nodded his head. He couldn't help but think Gary had a screw loose if he thought some gift was going to make up for disappearing when he had jobs to be getting on with. Once he'd removed the paper, Jared lifted the lid from the box. On the inside of the lid was a handwritten message: "Looks like you have a job vacancy... Stay away from my family, before it's too late." Jared didn't get the chance to read the words before he heard Grace let out a sickened scream at the sight of the box's contents. Inside, was a severed hand. If there were any doubts it belonged to Gary, the ugly large ring on the middle finger was practically the man's trademark. Jared wasn't shocked by the sight of the hand, having seen much worse over the last few months. However, the fact his family was involved and also feeding from Grace's disgust made him able to react in a naturally believable manner. "Holy shit!" he gasped, quickly placing the lid back on and placing the box on the coffee table, away from him and Faye. "That's just..." he began, covering his mouth with his hand. He placed his free arm around Faye. Though the cogs were already turning in his head about how he would approach this and how he was respond to the Porters, he decided to appear shocked, sickened and appalled for the time-being. He didn't want to give off the impression he wasn't disturbed by the sight, that he hadn't been involved in worse before now. "Faye, honey. Are you okay?" he asked her, his face full of genuine concern for his family, even if not for the sight of the gory gift.

"Oh my God!" Grace cried out again. She rushed to Quinn and practically clung to his side for comfort. "That's disgusting. Is that... Did the Porters do that?!" she asked, her eyes by now filled with tears. She'd been made aware the mobsters were unhappy with Jared because he had pledged to clamp down on organised crime if he became mayor. That was the story she'd been told, at least.


Bellz (Faye) Fletchawk (Quinn)

 

[Bellz]

Faye Armstrong​

Faye was excited to see that the ring she had gotten for Jared was a perfect fit, it had been a slight gamble deciding on the size but it turned out to be perfect in the end. Faye was blessed with the perfect husband, the perfect family and a bright future ahead of them all. Accepting another kiss from Jared, she blushed as he expressed his gratitude for the present. "You are welcome my love." She murmured to him. Faye moved closer to him, resting her chin on Jared's shoulder, laughing as Grace asked who was spoiled now. Faye rolled her eyes at her daughter as she shot up from where she was seated, Faye watched her with wide eyes, wondering what was wrong. Stating that she had forgotten something, Grace ran up the stairs. "I wonder what that was about..." Faye murmured lightly looking to Jared momentarily before her eyes set on her son. Quinn had gone quiet, nothing unusual for the young man, but something in his eyes told Faye the wheels were turning in his head. Faye was about to ask Quinn if he was okay when Grace came bounding back down the stairs, holding a gift in her hand.

The redheads brows furrowed in confusion as Grace said that the gift had been left at the bakery yesterday, wondering if that was something that her employees should have let her know about. Regardless, Faye said nothing as their daughter went on to explain that the gift was addressed to Jared and family. Leaning in, she read the tag that said it was from Gary, one of Jared's employees. Jared went on to ask if Gary had been the one to deliver it, but Grace stated that she didn't know, that Jenny had been the one to take it. Faye would have to speak with her at some point. Faye scrunched her nose up as Jared unwrapped the gift, something smelled off to her. Opening the box, the couple was met with the sight of a human hand. Grace let out a scream and Faye covered her nose and mouth with one hand, turning away quickly as she was stunned into silence. Just as quickly as it was opened, Jared let out a curse before slipping the lid back onto the box. He placed the box on the coffee table and Faye couldn't even find the voice to tell him to get it off of their nice furniture. Her husband was out of words as he tried to react to what they had just seen. Faye brought her hand up to her eyes and covered them as she hung her head low, wishing that she could unsee the severed hand. Faye felt a strong arm wrap around her and she turned falling into Jared for support.

Faye shook her head once as Jared asked if she was okay, she definitely wasn't feeling okay at the moment. In fact, she felt sick to her stomach remembering the hand. Moving her head so that she could look at her husbands face, her tears welled up in her eyes so much that she could hardly see him now. Grace's cries echoed the thoughts that went through her mind. Sucking in a deep breath, she released it and tried to pull herself together a bit, "Why would they do such a thing?" She asked, her mind briefly recalled the note on the lid, the passing words she had seen. "Stay away from who's family Jared?" She asked, her voice a little stronger now as she struggled to understand why anyone would have done this to her family.

With:
Fletchawk (Quinn) ; Misty Gray (Jared and Grace)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

Jackson’s eyes watched Finn walk away as he held Blake. He could feel that Finn might have been putting on a mask of sorts, but his attention was drawn back to Blake as she clasped her hands together. “I’d drink to that!” Jackson followed after her announcement. Jackson let Blake pull his hand, following behind her as he did his best to quickly greet those in the party before being ushered past. As Blake gathered up the bags and moved to setup in the bar, Jackson started a conversation with one of the guards. Most of the Porter house and bodyguards tended to stick around eachother, clumping together like a friend group at school. Because Jackson had been a part of the security for most of his time with the Porters, he still had strong friendships with a lot of the guards.

After being beckoned over by Blake, he patted one of the men on the back and moved through the party to her. “What’d we got?” He asked, slapping his palms on the bar table. He eyed her pouring the shots of whiskey, smiling up at her. “Looks like you know that already,” he said through a grin, admiring her concentration on not spilling the liquid. He rested his hand upon hers as he watched her fill the shots up to the brink. “Well, it wouldn’t be Christmas if we couldn’t,” he said with a chuckle. When she made it a point that they would have to stay and clean up any mess they made, Jackson let out an exaggerated groan. He was soon silenced by the pulling on his tie, as he placed his lips against Blake’s once more.

Before they could get too carried away, Finn made his presence known by clearing his throat. Blake was quick to pull away, her cheeks flushed red. It took a lot more to embarrass Jackson, especially in front of his close friends. By the look in Finn’s eyes, though, he seemed more focused on something else. He knew Finn would have no desire to bring up what was bothering him, so instead, he pushed the poured shot glass to Finn and then poured himself one. “To another joyous Christmas!” Jackson said cheerfully, raising his glass. “Speaking of, where the hell is Conor?”

Bellz (Blake/Finn)

Mention(s): Misty Gray (Conor)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead was aware of the huge amount of alcohol that was currently being unveiled and poured out by the adults. It was clear to her that it would be a pretty merry and messy Christmas in the Porter house. Given that she was recently poisoned at the casino and now wasn't sure how badly the alcohol would mix with her medication, she knew she had to be much more controlled with her drinking. Besides which, Peter wasn't there to carry her into bed or at the very least stop her from making a fool of herself. She had caught a brief glimpse of Finn and noticed he wasn't looking his usual happy self, either. She told herself to not burden her favourite cousin that evening and if anything, try to find something in herself to bring a smile to his face too.

Sinead broke out of her daydream when she sensed someone join her on the couch. She turned her head to see Aliana had joined her, causing her to send her a soft smile. With Aliana's brother being hurt and Sinead going through her own troubles, it had been a while since the two friends were able to spend much time together. She quickly nodded her head as her friend spoke. "It's always a busy time in the Porter house, but double the busy at Christmas!" she remarked. When Aliana then asked what was going on in her head, Sinead let out a small sigh. "I was just thinking how this is the first Christmas I can remember seeing everyone so happy at the same time. We've not had the best luck over the years," she explained. She was sure Lucy's news would bring even more joy to the house at any minute. "I'm just really sad that Petey isn't here to enjoy it with us. He would have been so happy to hear Luce's big news. And the children this morning. Oh, jeez, he would have been so excited at seeing their little eyes light up when they saw their surprise." Sinead bit her lip and glanced down to her hands. "It feels wrong for me to be having fun when he's in that awful place."

Sinead shuffled closer to Aliana and leaned against her friend. She caught sight of Conor and hoped it wasn't too uncomfortable for Aliana, seeing him in the same room as Alex. She knew better than to ask outright about it though. "Are you having fun?" she asked, looking up to Aliana, demanding an honest answer. "The children love their presents, Ali. Savvy looks so beautiful in her tiara. I definitely have competition from that sweet little princess of mine," she observed. Sinead decided to steer the conversation away from her own low spirits and instead fish for gossip. "Soooo. You never answered my question about Tommy. What's the deal with you guys? And where is that handsome little face of his?!"

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

Emery was about to playfully protest about not keeping Pistol when Lucy mentioned having something else for her to cuddle and play with. Her mouth opened into a big "o" shape out of great curiosity. "Oh wow. I bet it's a polar bear, yes? Because Skye told me they live in the snow and we have snow here now so we can have a polar bear here too." When her aunt encouraged her back inside, Emery quickly nodded her head. "I can't wait to see what other presents I have. I couldn't get you anything though, 'cos I'm too young to get a job and have my own money."

James listened on as Emery chattered away to Lucy. His mind divided between the child standing ahead of him and the fact Lucy was now pregnant with a future addition to his already wonderful family. When the kids had entered the house, he felt Lucy's hand on his arm as she held him back from going inside. He turned to face her and maintained his warm smile. When she told him to have a good time and let work go for the night, he reluctantly nodded his head. He gladly accepted her kiss and was about to protest about wanting to keep tabs on Syd and the job when Lucy told him not to argue. "Fine, but don't blame me when I'm too rough to clean up in the morning," he remarked.

When Lucy went to check on the desserts, James decided to do as his wife had told him and enjoy himself. He made his way to the bar area and let out a whistle as he saw all of the alcohol around the place. "What's this? Bringing unauthorised drinks into my bar?" he asked, eyeing Jackson, Blake and then Finn. He grabbed one of the shot glasses and filled it with whiskey. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to seize some of this alcohol," he informed them, before knocking back the shot and filling the glass again. There was a constant threat of a smile wanting to take over James' lips, like he knew something they didn't. Still, he managed to maintain composure as he looked to the others. He'd let Jackson take as long as he needed away from work to recover after the violent encounter with Gary. Whilst he wasn't a forceful boss and didn't want his employees to feel trapped in the business, he still hoped Jackson would be back in action soon.

Instead of mentioning work, James was about to speak with Finn, who seemed less upbeat than usual, but he was thrown off course when Lucy asked if he was ready to tell the others. "Of course, Luce. I'm ready to stand right by your side as you tell the others," he told her, blushing a little as he hoped she would take the lead on their happy announcement. Still holding the shot glass, he stayed close to Lucy's side.

Bellz (Lucy, Blake, Finn) Enzyme (Jackson)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

Blake Walsh and Finn Sullivan ​

Blake smiled widely as she lifted her glass along with Jackson and Finn, "To a joyous Christmas!" Blake said before downing her shot quickly. She wasn't waiting for anyone to get messed up tonight. Just as she was going to grab the bottle of whiskey to pour herself another shot, James entered the room. Blake laughed lightly, "Over my dead body." She teased him, "You know what it took to get this, I had to have a guy ste-" Blake paused and look to Finn who gave her a look. "I mean, buy I had to have a guy buy all this stuff." She said to James as he knocked back his first shot. Finn, who had narrowed his eyes at Blake slightly chimed in now, breaking his silence. "You aren't fooling anyone Blake." Was all he said, drinking his own shot before setting it down on the wooden counter top a little too harshly. He made a slight face at the taste of the liquor before turning to see Lucy enter the room. She stood by James and they shared a few words, something about the way they talked made Finn raise a curious brow at them. "Merry Christmas James, Lucy." Finn said lightly to the happy couple and Lucy smiled widely at her cousin. "Merry Christmas to you as well." The blonde chirped and she reached for her own shot glass, taking her turn at the bottle and pouring herself only half of the shot.

Blake smiled at the couple before her and nodded her head in Lucy's direction, "Well the other blonde has joined the fun, now its a party!" She said with an enthusiastic laugh. Holding her shot glass up, she initiated the toast. "Well this will be a add on type toast, say what you are thankful for ya da ya da...don't keep us waiting too long though." Clearing her throat, Blake went first, "Cheers to a long and fulfilling life." She said before turning to Finn, who was caught of guard and gasped slightly. Grasping his shot glass tightly, he bit his lip, unsure of what to say. There was many things that he should have been grateful for, he had friends and a family who loved him. Eleanor and him were going to be fine, he just had to keep telling himself that. He was just nervous about what was to come, not being able to see what was in front of him was frustrating. He leaned against the bar top, his drink sloshing onto his shirt slightly, "Uh well..." He said, his voice wavering, "to being surrounded by loving friends and family." He said raising his glass. Wanting to quickly get the attention off of him, he turned to James and Lucy. Lucy chuckled, seeing the way James had been blushing and knowing that she would be the one to take the lead on their announcement.

Lucy took James' hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze as she looked at the people before her. Biting her lip, she bounced on her heels with excitement ready to burst from it all. She took a deep breath and raised her glass, "I just want to make a special toast, something I've been wanting to say for a really long time." Lucy looked to James for strength, squeezing his hand a little harder. Telling the rest of her family and friends was a little more nerve wracking than she would have previously thought, "I would like to make a toast to the new baby James and I are having, may you grow healthy and strong." She said, eyes watering slightly, "Oh god." Lucy murmured, rolling her eyes at herself as she looked away from everyone.
With: James Misty Gray
Mentions: Jackson Enzyme

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

The familiar taste of whiskey running down his throat did its part in warming Jackson's veins. He let out a satisfied sigh, inspecting the shot glass. He looked to those around him as they took their shots, nodding to them. He let Blake refill her drink, which she was quick to do, before grabbing the bottle around the neck. As he refilled his glass, he heard footsteps beside him. Jackson looked to his left to see Lucy and James enter the room. "Aye, tonight's entertainment," he announced, sliding the bottle over to them. To his surprise, James picked up a glass of his own and filled it to the brim. "Porter lightening up? Must be a blue moon," he chuckled, lightly slapping his hand on James' shoulder and squeezing it. He was glad everyone was loosening up, especially after the past few weeks they had been put through. If Christmas excelled at one thing, it was bringing everyone together. Jackson moved to rest his hand on Blake's back as she stopped herself from admitting how she obtained the alcohol, reassuring her that, that was a good save.

Blake went on to explain a 'fun,' little Christmas game, where everyone went around and said what made them thankful. Jackson groaned lightly, subtly shaking his head. He had always hated 'ice-breaker' games, having to continually play them back at the orphanage, when new kids would arrive. Despite this, Jackson was overjoyed to see Blake getting along with his best friends so well, so Jackson put his feelings aside and stepped into the small circle. He was planning on using a cliche answer, but Blake was quick to use his line. Damn. He watched the attention turn to Finn, who was caught off guard. Jackson bit the corner of his shot glass lightly to stop himself from laughing. Luckily, Finn was able to save it.

The turn moved to Lucy, who looked to James for confidence. It confused Jackson, but he didn't give it too much thought. He loaded up another shot to warm himself before his turn, but Lucy took a bit of a detour. She moved to address the rest of the room, his eye-line following hers. As Lucy dragged on, Jackson wasn't entirely sure where she was going. When she dropped the bombshell, Jackson almost choked on his whiskey. He quickly covered his mouth with one of the napkins on the table, looking to the couple dumbfounded. It was no secret that the pair had been trying for years, to no avail. He slapped the glass on the table and shook his head. "Awe man. I was gonna get James the same thing for Christmas!" He smiled at the happy couple and clapped, as everyone else would. He looked to Blake, resting against the table. "After last week, I'm thankful for the exact opposite," He said quietly to her, giving her a playful wink, accompanied by a small chuckle.

Misty Gray (James/Lucy) Bellz (Blake/Finn)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Conor Sullivan​

James raised a curious eyebrow as Blake was almost about to tell him the alcohol was stolen. She soon corrected herself to inform him the drinks had been purchased. Then Finn spoke up to point out the blonde wasn't fooling anyone. "Wherever the alcohol came from, let just remember that I'm not a cop, so keep it coming," James remarked, with a grin. He was going to make a comment about it being okay as long as it hadn't been stolen from his own businesses, but it was Christmas so he'd even let that slide on this occasion. Finn's harsh placement of the empty glass once again caught James' attention, causing him to make a mental note to speak to him later. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, James looked to Jackson and chuckled. "I have been known to lighten up, once in a while..." he replied, feigning offence. "Besides, maybe I have plenty to celebrate on this fine day."

Blake went on to ask people to toast to the things they were thankful for. James wasn't in a rush to answer the question, given that it would pretty much spoil Lucy's announcement. As his wife began to speak, James held her hand, smiling as he felt her squeeze his whilst she spoke. When Lucy announced she was thankful for the baby she and him were having, James' cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red as he struggled to look to the faces of his friends and family. He quickly knocked back another shot of whiskey before placing his arms around Lucy who was by now appearing emotional and embarrassed. He softly rubbed her back before looking back to the others. "Well, I'm thankful for the family and friends we have been blessed with, and I'm very thankful to be having another child to add to the amazing kids we already have." His smile faltered a little as he thought of those who weren't presently with them. "I only wish Pete was here today to enjoy these celebrations. So I want you all back here in the summer for another party when he gets out!"

James grinned at Jackson's comment. "Well, you're just going to have to pull something else out of the bag, mate."

Conor had listened to the others and it was only when Lucy had made her announcement that he rushed up to join them. After James had stepped aside, Conor pulled his sister in for a big, warm hug. "I'm so happy for you, Luce. I can't wait to meet another niece or nephew. They're going to be one tough cookie, I'm sure of it!" he remarked. After congratulating James, Conor playfully put his arm around Jackson's waist and rested his head on his friend's shoulder whilst looking to Blake. "It must be Christmas. You two finally dragged yourselves out of bed and showed your faces!"

Conor then diverted his attention to Finn. He placed his arm around his cousin's shoulder and directed him to face the bar. He skilfully used one hand to pour himself and Finn a couple of shots each. He then turned to look at the man, no stranger to being able to detect when he wasn't quite himself. "You alright, mate?" he asked him. "We're going to get wrecked either way, but I'd rather you were the good kind of drunk. Wanna talk?"


Bellz (Lucy, Finn, Blake) Enzyme (Jackson)
Others assumed to be present: neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle, Mallory) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Fletchawk (Ryan) Pyroclast (Syd) ElectricDandellion (Delilah)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana watched everyone interacting with each other, along with Sinead. "The adults gifts from Ali are in the kitchen!" She shouted before turning her attention to her friend. She knew parts of what was going on in her friend's life and was going to make it her own personal goal to take her mind off it. It was a good way of distracting herself, especially seeing Conor with Alex and Michelle. Her smile quivered, wanting to turn into a frown, before she looked down at her cup. Taking a sip from it, she sighed. She turned her attention back to Sinead, knowing that she needed a shoulder at the moment. Peter being in jail wasn't the easiest, she knew that much. Her own father had been in jail during many Christmases so she knew how it all felt. "Yes, it'll feel like that love but think about it this way. When he gets out, the two of you are going to have the best sex ever." Maybe it would help, maybe it wouldn't but all she knew how to do was try and lighten the mood with jokes.

Ali laid her head on top of Sineads and smiled when she asked if she were having any fun. "Well," she started, "Yeah. I needed a break from this hectic place we live in, you know?" It wasn't a lie, it wasn't the truth either. But she didn't need the woman to worry so much about her. Really it was supposed to be Tommy who took her mind off of it, but he had been MIA for a while. Hearing that the kids liked their gifts, she felt a warming in her heart. The Callahan kids were also a big part of her life and she loved them like her own. "It was sort of difficult for me to find something for them, but I'm glad they loved their gifts. Anything I can do to help take their minds off Peter not being here and you too." Although, her happiness of making her favorite kids happy was short lived as the question of the relationship with herself and Tommy was brought up.

She knew it was going to come around again but didn't think it was this soon. "Ohh man! I knew you weren't going to let it go." There was a smile on her face as she put her glass to her lips and took another sip. "Tommy and I..." She paused and there was a confused look on her face, as if trying to figure it out herself. "Tommy and I... Yikes. I can't even explain it. Sinny, he confuses me and it's so weird." She scratched her head and lightly shrugged. "Anyway, we were supposed to go out on a date and it hasn't happened yet, mostly because we're both so busy, but if we're not even dating and we can't make time, does that mean something?" It was clear she was nervous and had never done this before. It was easy with Conor, they had rules and plans and an eventual expiration date. She knew what she wanted, for the most part, from him. Tommy? Tommy was different. "But, I haven't seen him lately. The other day, he disappeared to talk to someone I think and when he returned, he wasn't the same. Though, I'm sure he'll be around tonight."

Sinead ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead watched as her friend looked in Conor's direction. She loved her brother dearly and she knew he was a sensitive soul, but she also acknowledged he could be quite dumb at times and easily distracted. She wished he could understand why Aliana was hurt by his actions, regardless of the nature of their past "relationship". 'I ought to slap that boy silly,' she thought to herself. Sinead was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Aliana speak to her about Peter. At the suggestion the sex would be the best when Peter was released, Sinead almost choked on nothing and her cheeks turned a rosy shade of red. "Oh my..." she began, managing a giggle at the comment. Despite having three children as evidence she had slept with men before, Sinead still couldn't help but display an innocent kind of embarrassment when the subject of sex actually came up in conversation. It was only Peter whom she wasn't shy about it with. Still, she was close enough to Aliana to not reply to her. "Oh gosh. Maybe you're right, though. I look forward to testing that theory..." she admitted, followed by a playful wink.

Sinead smiled to herself as Aliana spoke of the children and wanting to keep them happy in Peter's absence. She knew how lucky she was to have the friends and family she had; knowing that even if she felt alone she really wasn't. It was even more reassuring to know how much they all cared for the children, especially as they'd been there when she'd lost herself over the last few weeks. "I'm glad you're here, Ali. You're such a good friend," she sweetly told her.

Sinead frowned and then pouted a little as Aliana spoke about Tommy. She mentioned how she was confused about him and how he'd been different or distant recently. "That doesn't sound like Tommy. God, if that guy can't be straightforward and open, then who can? I'm nosy, Ali, so I know what some of the guys talk about. He's seriously got the hots for you, honey." She sighed as she looked her friend in the eyes. "If you need me to knock some sense into him, just give me the word. Do you think he could just be shy?" she asked. That still didn't seem to explain him disappearing and when she thought about it more, she did recall something Braden had said a few days earlier. "Come to think of it, I suppose he has been distant. Brady came in the house a few days ago complaining that Tommy didn't want to play with him and seemed moody." Sinead just figured Tommy was busy working on some job for James, but perhaps there was more to it. "We need to have a word with Elvis when he gets here!" she decided.


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Enzyme]

Darius Rogers​

Darius' frustration with George was beginning to reach its limits. While he understood the man was trying to help him, by all accounts, the constant patronizing didn't sit well with him. He sat up from the bed, staring George down with a vicious glare. "And then what? Huh?" He grabbed onto the railings of the bed, throwing himself down onto the floor. "I'm out! Then what?" He got in George's face, demanding an answer. "I get back out there, sling drugs, move liquor, and shoot blokes!" He raised his arms, before slapping them down against his sides. "I'm not you George, why can't you get that through your thick fuckin' skull?" He tilted his head towards the man, getting mere inches away from his face. "Why are you in here? Fraud?" He shook his head, keeping his eyes locked on George's. "A kid, my age, raised in a broken home just like me. No father, no idol, just like me. Hella' roaches in the kitchen, brother, just like me. I shot him in the chest three times, put a hole just to the right of his nose to be sure he was dead. Just like that, I broke his mama's heart - just like those Porters had broken my mama's." Darius was a product of his surroundings. Where he was raised, you had no choice, but to alliance yourselves with one of the various crews. If you refused, you'd have no one to watch your back, in a neighborhood dripping with malice.

"How can you look me in the eyes and tell me what to do?" He looked at George with a bewildered stare, shocked by his audacity. "Motha' fucka', what would you do?" He shouted, shoving George back. "Huh? What would you do?" He tilted his head at him, resting the urge to shove his already raw fist against the mirror. "You want me to turn my back on my brotha's? The only guys who got my back!" His voice reached an all-new pitch, as he shoved his thumb back to himself. "They' me, Georgie. When you talk shit about them, you talkin' shit about me! All the dumb shit they do, I do!" He wanted so desperately for George to understand his situation. It wasn't as easy as the man was making it out to be. In Darius' world, police weren't the only ones he had to look out for.

The shouting had caught the attention of Darius friends, who stepped up from the bench. The men walked up to the cell, getting uncomfortably close to George. "What's up then?" One of Darius' friends asked George in a threatening tone. In his rage, Darius shoved the man harder than he had shoved George, forcing the man away. "Man, back up off him!" He looked to George now, throwing his pointer finger in the direction of which George had come from. "Man, why don't you get on up out of here? Go back to dabbing that bitch Porter's face with a wet rag!"

Misty Gray (George)
Mention(s): Bellz (Peter)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

Finn Sullivan​

After drinking from her glass, Lucy decided against drinking anymore alcohol, not wanting to deal with the aftermath of drinking even in small amounts. Lucy was touched by James' words and echoed the same feelings about Peter, their brother in law would have enjoyed the festivities and celebration. Smiling fondly at Jackson, she placed a hand on his arm, shrugging her shoulders at him, "Sorry dear, I'm sure you have a great back up gift." She said, sarcasm laced in her tone. Turning to James, she was about to mention the car that was forgotten in their joyous news when Conor arrived. Lucy welcomed her brother's embrace holding him close before releasing him so he could congratulate James as well. The news was out and Lucy couldn't be any happier with how the announcement went. Another year and the family was still all here. It felt like time was finally mending all the wounds of the past and she could enjoy life without excess weight on her shoulders. Her eyes watched the room, her fingers finding James' as she people watched. Everyone was together and happy, well almost everyone...Sinead was still no doubt hurting. Lucy's eyes looked and found her with Aliana, in good company for the moment. She would have to find a spare moment to sit with her too.

Distracted, Lucy had gone quiet while others chatted around her, noticing her own behavior she cleared her throat and turned to her husband. "Another drink, handsome?" She asked curiously, taking a step forward to reach for the neck of the whiskey bottle. Grabbing his glass, she poured him a good amount before handing the glass back to him. "That wasn't so hard now was it?" She asked him, referring to the announcement knowing well how much James liked to speak to audiences. Leaning close, she pecked a kiss to his cheek and smiled, features reflecting a relaxed look, "The worst is over...unless you count the number of months we have to wait for our little one." Her bottom lip stuck out in a small pout.

Finn had been delighted to hear about James and Lucy's news. He stuck to the sidelines for now, wanting to congratulate the couple when things settled down. After his awkward toast, he had gone quiet again, deep in thought. He hadn't even noticed Conor had made an appearance until the man had his arm around Finn shoulder. Sucking in a sharp breath, he was turned in the direction of the bar again and he let out an airy chuckle, "Jesus Con," Finn offered a small smile watching as Conor poured them each a couple of shots. When asked if he was alright all Finn could do was shrug. There was a lot of feelings inside of him at the moment and they were hard to identify correctly. "Getting wrecked sounds about right, mate." Finn said lifting his glass and staring at the liquor as it sloshed around, some of it pour down the sides of the glass. Maybe he was making it all up, or rather hit was all in his head. Perhaps things were just fine between him and Eleanor, everything was going to be alright. Turning to his cousin, his eyes expressed uncertainty as he voiced his concerns.

"Have you ever had someone so close to you but they feel like they are a million miles away?" Finn asked, he grabbed his shot glass and knocked it back without waiting for Conor, anything to take the pain away. Warmth pooled in his chest from the whiskey, an artificial feeling to fill the void. "Its like I'm trying to get to the point in our relationship where I can feel like we are okay.." Finn let out a hollow chuckle, shaking his head. "Its like trying to reach the top of a mountain, climbing and climbing...when am I going to reach the top dammit?" Hanging his head, he let the silence interrupt their conversation a moment before snapping his head back up and looking at Conor directly. "Shit man, I'm sorry. I'm probably over reacting, Eleanor and I are fine I'm sure..its Christmas, gotta be jolly..."

With: James + Conor Misty Gray
Mentions: Jackson Enzyme (Blake up next )

 

[Bellz]

Blake Walsh​

Blake clapped her hands in excitement at the news Lucy announced to the room. She had briefly been made aware the complications the couple had to go through. Jackson's reaction almost had her rolling on the floor however and his rush for a napkin caused her to slap the bar counter with delight. Blake simmered down after a moment and knocked back her own glass before slamming it down on the wooden surface. Jackson settled down and cracked a joke, which had Blake rolling her eyes, "Congratulations you two." Blake added in after him. Turning back to grab another bottle, ready to try something other than whiskey, Jackson mentioned that he was thankful for the opposite of what the Porter couple had. Snorting at the comment, Blake popped open a bottle of gin and poured some into her glass before holding it out to Jackson. "After last week I'm surprised you are even movin' properly, luv." She purred to him lightly, winking his way before knocking back another shot. She shook her head quickly and made a face at the taste, "Whew." She gasped out and laughed at herself.

Conor arrived in the room and Blake once again rolled her eyes, it was becoming a habit with these boys really. "Enjoy it while it lasts!" She hollered to him as he made his way to Finn. Blake's attention went back to Jackson, "Just because we are here tonight doesn't mean this is a permanent break mister." She went on, her eyes narrowing at him before she reached out to grab his tie. The blonde brushed a few stray strands of hair from her eyes as she untied his tie, "You know, its a mystery how you even got this thing on before me. I hope this isn't a reflection of your knot tying skills." Her voice sounded disappointed and her lips frowned but her eyes smiled teasingly as she securely tied the not and positioned it neatly against his chest. Leaning close, she pressed her lips to his gently, light as a feather before pulling away a bit. Their noses touched as Blake smirked, reaching into her pocket, she retrieved a key from it and held it in her palm, "Merry Christmas." Blake wasn't one to move through relationships quickly, mostly because she hadn't been in many long term relationships. The key to her place rested against her palm, representing so much more than meets the eye.
With: Jackson Enzyme
Mentions:

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

Jacksons Christmas present joke about James hadn't gone unnoticed, leading him to casually sip the glass as James and Lucy looked to him. "I'm sure your guys' kid would look a lot better without me involved." Realizing what he had just said, which didn't help in any way, he cocked his head with a cringed expression. "Nope, that wasn't it. Enjoy the drinks." He patted James on the back and moved to Blake, quickly being intercepted by Conor. "Aye, look who made it."He coolly sipped his drink as Conor commented on them dragging themselves out of bed. Jackson pulled the glass back, smacking his lips with delight. "Only for the promise of drinks," he chuckled, lightly pinching Conor's cheek. Jackson gave him one last smile, before gently tapping the bloke on the face in a sarcastic manner. He let Conor attend to Finn, who seemed to be distancing himself from the others. While Jackson would have loved to help in any way he could, he figured his cousin would do a far better job.

He turned his attention back to Blake, resting his weight against the bar table. She added her twist on his comment, which complimented it nicely. He nodded his head lightly, as he took another sip of his drink. "You're telling me." He looked down at her and cracked a smile, unable to keep a straight face. As Blake called out to Conor, Jackson looked to the man with a smile. "She's a wackjob, she is," he raised his glass with a 'cheers,' before having his attention drawn back to her, as she pulled his tie. Her soft purrs were captivating, accompanied by the face of an angel. The way she blurred out everyone else in the room, he was ready to throw her over his shoulder and split from the party prematurely. "Who said being here is gonna change our routine?" He tilted his head towards her, raising an eyebrow. Whether he was being serious or not, he didn't reveal. He felt her hands move to the neck of his tie, looking down to inspect it himself. As she made her comment, his eyes widened with a dumbfounded expression. He looked around him, unsure if anyone had heard that. "Ms. Walsh..." He said in a disbelieving tone. Pressing his tongue against his cheek, he slowly shook his head. "Santa's putting coal in your stocking."

He closed his eyes as she pressed her lips against his, feeling his senses melt away. Jesus Christ. He slowly opened his eyes; his pupils dilating to the size of dinner plates. He felt her place something metal in his hand. Stroking his finger across the tip, he felt the teeth lining the edge. Looking down confirmed his suspicions, opening his palm slowly. He looked back up at her, unable to hide his smile. "Are you sure? Cause there's no going back." He taunted, resting his hands on her waist. Her gift reminded him of his present for her, but that could wait till later.

Bellz (Blake) Misty Gray (James/Conor)

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson

​

George stood still as Darius jumped down from his bed and got into his face, flinging questions at him. The older man managed to keep his cool, having learned long ago that showing fear never did anyone any favours in a situation or place like this. He slowly nodded his head as Darius pointed out how different the two of them were. It didn’t for a second mean George didn’t believe even someone with Darius’ background couldn’t change or at least make a better life for himself that the one he’d known. Hearing of Darius’ crimes and the environment that had made him the way he was might have struck a chord in George, but it wasn’t a new story to him and there were others inside with similar backgrounds as Darius.

“I just don’t want to see you rot in here…” George spoke, but put little strength in his words as he knew they were presently falling on deaf ears. He believed Darius’ youth naturally meant he couldn’t break away from his group and it was only natural to want to stick with the pack. If he was ever going to feel he could step away from that, he might be too old by that point anyway and he’d have wasted too much of his life to bother wanting to leave.

Although Darius’ shove had caused George to stumble backwards, the man still refused to show any fear or intimidation. He’d long since stopped giving bullies what they wanted. If he was going to get a smack in the face or a relentless beating, he wasn’t about to let them see him scared. When Darius seemingly stripped away his own identity to claim he and his friends were all one entity, George slowly nodded his head. “So you’ll be beating the crap out of me now, then? Just like your friends have enjoyed doing in the past?” he asked. Any contempt George had for Darius’ friends, he felt was well earned.

As if on cue, the very friends re-entered the cell and one of them spoke to George in a threatening manner. The older man was a little surprise to see Darius force the thug away from him, rather than let his friends attack him. Even after all of the lad’s words and aggression, George still had a soft spot for him. He still felt there was something different about the lad. Potential? Darius then proceeded to telling George to leave, in a less than polite manner. “I would help him, but Callahan’s in the infirmary,” he couldn’t help but remark. George sighed before deciding he was wasting his time, especially with Darius’ mates back in the cell. “Enjoy your Christmas, boys!” George told the group, before brushing past one of the thugs and out of the cell.


Enzyme (Darius)

 

[Bellz]

Blake Walsh​

In the split second she had to reconsider every decision she just made, she was thinking of how she could possible play this off if things went south. If for whatever reason Jackson rejected the key, then she could just walk away from him right then and there...but for her, this sort of action wasn't a deal breaker. Maybe she would just pour them both another drink, play it off and try to get him as drunk as possible so he wouldn't remember anything. Blake was successfully talking herself out of it when Jackson's voice lured her back into reality. Blake had been down this road before with others, the point were she felt like she couldn't handle the commitment any longer. She knew what she wanted in life and she had yet to meet someone who wanted the same or close to the same. She wanted to be committed, she wanted to be serious but at her pace.

A relieved smile formed on her lips and she let out a breath she hadn't noticed she been holding. Blake wanted to hit herself for being so dramatic about it, things were going to be just fine. She hummed softly and moved her hips slowly as Jackson placed his hands at her waist, "Well, let me put it this way McCarthy," She paused and looked to the ground before her eyes looked into his, full of sincerity, "If I wasn't sure about this, we wouldn't have made it this far." The truth was evident, taking on tone she didn't often use with him. The blonde smiled once more and pressed a kiss to the side of his mouth gently before pulling away from him completely.

"Alright enough with being sappy, its time to get wrecked." She announced to him before reaching for the bottle of gin. Instead of pouring herself another small amount, she drank directly from the bottle. Holding the bottle by the neck, she took a considerable amount before hiccuping and laughing at herself. "I think I'm going to win." Blake teased, turning their drinking into a competition like she had in the past. Her worries about commitment were a thing of the past, at least for now, she was sedated with her drinks and the joyous holiday that was Christmas.
With: Jackson Enzyme
Mentions:

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor noticed the deep breath Finn had taken and that his cousin was clearly not expecting him. He grinned as Finn vocalised his surprise. He grinned when the man agreed getting wrecked was a good idea. "Good man. Wise choice!" he cheerfully praised him. Still, Conor eyed his cousin as he seemed to stare into the glass and absent-mindedly slosh it around. The man's nonchalant shrug also hadn't gone unnoticed. Conor removed his arm from Finn's shoulder as he turned to face him and show visual evidence there was something troubling him. Conor's face turned serious, inviting his cousin to speak seriously to him.

Conor slowly nodded his head when asked about someone close feeling millions of miles away. Though he was sure his examples weren't the same, he felt like he could empathise on some level. For instance, how he lived seconds away from Sinead but felt they have become disconnected. However, if Finn was having these kinds of doubts it had to be serious and Conor was only going to concentrate on his cousin's worries. It soon became clear that Finn was talking about Eleanor and their relationship. It came as a surprise to Conor to hear there were problems as he'd thought the two were happy together and in it for the long-run. "What's happened, mate?" he softly asked, knocking back his shot and placing the glass down on the bar. Finn apologised for bringing up his relationship, but Conor quickly shook his head. "No, don't apologise and don't change the subject. You're not the kind of guy to overreact and if something is concerning you, then it must be important. You can tell me..." he reassured him. Facing his cousin head on, Conor placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "What's going on with Eleanor? Has something happened? It's not like you to be downbeat about your relationship. Do I need to have words with that girl?" he lightly asked him.


Bellz (Finn)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

It was clear to her that she was helping cheer Sinead up. She was glad to have been at least a small reason to her happiness. A small laugh escaped her lips when Sinead reacted to her comment about sex. That was perhaps her favorite thing about her; pretending to be innocent but Ali knew the hidden layers her friend had below the surface. "Oh, don't act like that. We both know the truth about you, Sinny." The tip of Ali's index finger flicked her nose, a sign of 'your secret is safe with me' as she gave her a devilsh grin. "And when you do test this theory," she paused to take a sip of her drink, "I want to hear all about it!" She couldn't contain her laughter any longer as she smiled at her friend shaking her head. It took Ali a minute to catch her breath as she took a deep sigh and rubbed Sinead's shoulder. "Aw don't worry babe. You know I'm here for you.. Even if I haven't exactly been so recently" After a quick peck on her forehead she looked at her empty cup.

"Okay so, " Ali stood up and paced while talking to her friends, obviously nervous and quite bothered by her whole situation. "I don't think it's him, it's me. I'm losing my cool here, Sin. You know me, heart of stone and all but lately around him, I want to.. Ugh." It was like the words were vomit coming out of her mouth, her hand on her chest. "Open up to him and so much more it's fuckin weird." It was hard hearing herself admit all of these things aloud, and to someone else for that matter. "I seriously don't like it and every time he does something affectionate like.... At the hospital, he moved hair from my face and I jumped! It freaked me out because I didn't know what he was doing; no guy has ever done that before." She was rambling, of course but it was okay because it was her best friend. "Moody is not that word I'd use. He heard something that upset him, Sinead. I don't know what it was."

Sinead ( Misty Gray )

​

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

Blake's words were genuine, about her not sticking around this long if she wasn't in it for the long haul. Surprisingly, that comforted Jackson even more. To know that she had stuck around this long, putting up with his antics, made him realize she wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon. He smirked as she placed a kiss on his cheek, lightly rubbing her back. "Now that's a good gift." She pulled away and grabbed the bottle of whiskey, putting on her game face. Drinking had made them so close. Not as a substitute for communication, but as an interactive activity they both enjoyed. To think of it; alcohol brought everyone together. He looked around at the crowd, broken off into their separate groups. Even Finn was beside himself on such a joyous day. It was Christmas; the decorations were up, and the tree was standing tall, yet something was missing. "Hm," he mumbled as he looked around at the crowd. "Think you're going to win aye?" He asked, looking back at her. "Let's make things more interesting."

Jackson grabbed onto the center beam of the room, using it to help him stand up on the bar table. Looking down at everyone in the party, he lowered his hands to silence everyone. "'Scuse me! Can I have everyone attention?" He waited patiently for the talking to cease - until the last murmur was uttered. "On such a beautiful evening, after receiving some beautiful news," he motioned down to the happy couple, nodding to them. "It got me thinkin'. Which I know can be quite rare, before any of you have to say it." He looked back up at the crowd, holding a smile. "I'm Jackson McCarthy, from Waterford, bloody clicks away. Yet, everyone around town calls me a 'Porter.'" He looked around, sure that most in the room experience the same. "Y'know what? They're right; I'm a bloody Porter! And so are you! If you're here, in this room, you're part of the family." He smiled to the crowd, hoping they weren't getting impatient with him just yet.

"As a 'Porter,' we got a lot of great attributes, but ya'know what we do best?" Jackson asked the crowd. "Gambling!" One of the guards yelled out. "No, no, that's not it. Although, James' casino eats a lot of my money!" He pointed down to James, glaring at him. "No, C'mon! We're really good at this! Increbile!" He looked around, hoping someone would catch on. "Blowing shit up!" Another guard yelled out. "Nope, not it either. Love the enthusiasm, though." After a couple more seconds of waiting, no one could come up with the answer. "Drinking! Bloody drinking, lads!" There was an outburst from the crowd. Of course, that's what they were good at. "You love to drink! You love to drink!" He went on, pointing to people in the crowd. "I know you fuckin' love to drink!" He pointed to Mallory, until realizing he had just outed her, causing his smile to drop immediately. "No, no, wait, you're too young - you hate that."

"Right! You lot may love to drink, but I know no one here loves it more than me. I didn't get this reputation bloody handed to me. So, here's what's going to happen, anyone interested in taking me and uh..." He pointed to Conor, the only man who shared a similar reputation. "Conor on, come around this table and put your liver to the test. If you beat us," He reached in his pocket, pulling out car keys. "You get my Cresta. And if you think that's not a worthy prize, then you can go fuck yourself, because she's a beauty." He swung the keys around on his finger. "If you can reach the bar, you can play, that includes my beautiful girlfriend, who's the only one thats got me worried." He smiled down at her, before hopping off the table. "That should get this party started." With the help of the caterers, Jackson arranged the bar with a line of drinks. Anyone who wanted to step up was more than welcome to.

Bellz (Blake/Finn/Lucy) Misty Gray (James/Conor/Sinead) neverbackdown (Alex/Mallory) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Fletchawk (Ryan) Pyroclast (Syd) ElectricDandellion (Delilah)

 

[Fletchawk]

Alexander Quinn Armstrong
​

Quinn had not really been paying attention when his sister left the room and returned to hand a box to their father. His mind was preoccupied with how he'd be able to get in contact with certain individuals that were incarcerated as he watched his father open the box with an unfocused gaze. Grace's scream shattered his thoughts and caused his whole body to tense up in reaction to the horror that could be heard in its tone. His eyes followed his sibling's to find what triggered such a reaction from his sibling and saw it was the contents of the box that their father was holding. Having not been completely attentive during its opening, Quinn was unable to see the contents of the box from where he was standing but he could imagine it wasn't pleasant as his parent's faces shared looks of distress and fright. He stepped forward see what it was in the container but Jared closed it with an exclamation before Quinn could get a look at it although he did catch a whiff of something being to rot. The first thing that came to his mind was that someone had sent his father a dead animal to show their disapproval of his run for Mayor as he had heard of rare cases of it happening in the past.

Although he was fairly sure what the box contained, his inquisitive nature would not leave it as an unknown. Stepping past his panicking sister, Quinn steeled himself before lifting the box lid partially. The note was seen and read almost instantly but the shape underneath of it brought any thoughts starting to form to a full stop. It only took a second or two for Quinn to regain his some of his senses but it felt like minutes for him as the image of the dismembered hand burned into his head. Closing the lid and stepping away from the box, he could vaguely feel the color of his face slowly match the extremity in the box that now sat on coffee table between them all. His focus directed completely on a single point, Quinn tensed when he felt his sister attach herself to his side. Thoughts started to form once again but it was as though they were being seen through frosted glass. Quinn looked to Jared, his face still pale. "Father..." The word was quiet and had been meant to be followed by others but he stopped himself when he heard how meek it sounded. He wasn't sure if he just not hearing himself correctly or if his voice was really that weak. Watching his parents as he tried to collect himself, Quinn became more aware of his sister's body that was standing next to him and pulled it in closer to comfort not only her but himself as well.

Misty Gray [Jared + Grace] Bellz [Faye]

(( I'll have Ryan as well up soon.))