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

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

It took a fair amount of effort for Syd to remove his coat using just one arm. By the time he had hung it on the stand, Skye had walked in to greet him. When their eyes met, everything seemed to stop for a second - until she stepped closer, and carefully slipped her arms around his waist. Without answering her question, Syd put his arm around her and held her for a moment, allowing her warmth and gentle touch to dispel his bad mood. The delicate kiss that she planted on his lips drew a smile from him. "A sit down would be nice," he murmured, as she lead him by the hand into the living room.

"Howdy, big man," he greeted Braden, who was watching some Western on the television. Syd smiled faintly at the boy. When he was around that age, he had been into cowboys too - he remembered watching a Lone Ranger serial once, the first show he had ever managed to sit through from start to finish, and was enthralled by the gun-spinning and the shootout scenes. Now, his own gun hung in a holster at his hip, and he was coming home from real gunfights. As he considered the parallels between Braden and his past self, Syd's smile faded and his stomach clenched. Someday, he knew, the boy would end up slinging guns just like he was, and like all his idols were. It unsettled him slightly to see Braden so keen to follow in their footsteps, but he knew that Lucy felt the same way about him, so he wasn't going to do anything to stop him from making his own decisions. When the boy passed him on his way upstairs, Syd sent him a wink, but said nothing more.

Skye invited him to sit beside her on the sofa, which he gratefully accepted. "We got what we wanted," he told her, heaving a sigh. "So, it went...Well, it went well enough." He looked into her eyes, saying nothing for a moment, and reached out to gently caress her hand. Savannah's piano playing sounded from the next room. "You teach her to play like that?" he asked, a small smile coming to his face. "Skye, you know, if you don't want the kids to see this -" he gestured to his beaten face, "- you can tell me not to come. It's just, you do a great job at keeping this place in order, and things are always a bit weird at home after a job. God, and now it's looking like my dad's adopting another kid..." Syd leaned forward and rubbed at his tender eyes before letting out a somewhat exasperated laugh. "He's my cousin or something, I don't know. Guy's a total stranger, like. But dad's started laying down house rules and whatever, as if he's gonna be staying here. I mean, it's not like we don't have the space for him, but hell, I don't even think mam knows he's here."

Syd looked up at Skye and, catching himself, sent her a smile. "Sorry, I shouldn't give out," he said, putting his arm around her and pulling her into him so he could kiss her. He rested his head on Skye's for a moment while next door's harmonies filled the gap in conversation. "You alright?" he asked her softly. "What you thinking?"

Interactions
Misty Gray Skye

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Sinead Callahan​

Sinead was pleased to see Gwen smiling as brightly as she was, glad to see she was still able to make others feel good even when she wasn't feeling the same way herself. It also reassured her that the club would be in good hands even on the days she was performing elsewhere or had to spend time at home. She caught the way her friend's smile dropped when she answered about her family showing up unexpected, but she grinned at the words. "Ahhh. You know, I used to be so nervous about my family watching me perform. I didn't let them come watch for some time," she admitted. "But seriously, your family would be so proud of you, girl!"

After talking to Matteo, James showed the teenager and Rayna to their rooms so they could settle in. He asked them to give it a bit of time before returning downstairs, in order for him to tell - or warn - Lucy and Sinead about their arrival. When he entered the kitchen, he saw Lucy, Sinead and Gwen sat at the table talking. As much as he didn't want to break up the three ladies, he didn't want to leave it until too late to discuss things with his two known family members. "Evening... Gwen," he said, only giving a brief pause as he internally questioned if he'd got her name right. "Are you two redheads planning a duet or something?" he remarked to the two singers. He then approached the ladies, standing by Lucy's chair and briefly rubbing her shoulder. "Please don't think me rude, but I need to speak to Luce and Sinead in private for a bit. You're welcome to help yourself to more drink in the lounge, if you want?" he offered.

"Wow. So rude, James," Sinead remarked, but smirked to show she was joking... mostly. "I'll come join you after the old man has given his talk, if you want, honey?" she then suggested to Gwen, hoping her friend would stick around.

Regardless of whether Gwen chose to wait in the lounge or go home, James sat next to Lucy once she had gone, with Sinead facing them. "So, I need you both to go easy on this old, tired man," he began, flashing a brief smirk. "Rayna arrived at the house a short time ago and she's brought her great-nephew, Matteo, with her. He's a teenager whose mother is an alcoholic; she chooses the drink over her kid. Rayna's been the one taking care of him, or at least trying to. He's hard work by the sounds of it and a troublemaker for sure." He let out a sigh, sending Lucy a defeated glance. "Mum asked me to help her to get him under control and, in my interpretation, kick him into shape. I was having none of it to begin with, but I could see how much it meant to her and I want to help her... So I agreed and that means Matteo with be staying with us for a bit." He reached for the nearby bottle of whiskey and knocked some back before placing it back on the table, then clearing his throat to make it clear he had more to say. Probably best to get it all out at once and take the ear-bashing in one sitting. "It turns out that Matteo's dad is - was - fu--" he began. He hadn't stopped himself because Sinead would have complained about the profanity, more because she might not have liked the words he was going to use to describe Savannah's biological father. "Angel. Rayna's niece slept with Angel all those years ago and he's Matteo's dad." There were a lot of words James wanted to use when talking about the man and he was sure Lucy knew that full well, and that he was holding his tongue for Sinead's sake.

Sinead knew in the back of her mind there were a million thoughts, memories and concerns dancing around, but she quickly shook her head. She internally repeated to herself that it was some kind of joke. At the same time, she reached out and grabbed her glass, quickly drinking the remaining half of the wine from it. She then slammed the glass down and let out a dry laugh. "Luce, will you tell your husband that's not funny. At. All."

Bellz (Lucy, Gwen)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Leo thought it was all going to be over, hoped for it even. That the threatening gentlemen would go away and leave the place alone. He didn't think it was too much to ask for, considering the answer he had given wasn't a firm no. But, obviously the men who stood to defend him and the men who were there threatening him did not like each other and he was stuck in the middle of it. All he wanted to do was solve this problem so that he could solve another and get on with his life. Except, he would never have that opportunity. Leonard felt it, something coming that was just going to be bad for everyone involved. He could never have anticipated that that something would be a bullet in his head. He saw Mickie pull the gun out and everything moved in slow motion after that. His life flashed before his eyes and before he could do anything, the world went black and Leonard McGrath no longer existed in this world.

As the three women made their way inside the building, Ali couldn't help but now think of Tommy. She often wondered what his last thoughts were, never wanting to ask those who were there. What she really wanted to know is if he was thinking about her in his final moments, but she knew now that she was with Conor that would be an answer she'll never have. Perhaps her anger had to deal with not having closure, that closure being seeing the man who had killed him dead. That and the fact that he was taken from her, to begin with. Thinking about it all made her take a quick pause before opening the door to her office. Instead of taking Blake and Evelyn back to the front, she decided to take them to her office where they could drink one of the recovered bottles and not be disrupted. While she reached for three cups, she heard several gunshots. After the first one, there was a pause later followed by several more. It took her completely by surprise causing her to drop the three glasses. Her face formed a frown and she stomped her foot, almost in a temper tantrum sort of fashion. Storming over to her desk, she pulled out a handgun from the drawer and took off her heels. "I just want an evening. Just a peaceful fucking evening where no one is shooting up my restaurant!" She shouted to no one in particular.

Being that her office was in the back and through the kitchen, it took a while to get to the main floor. The cooks and chef were all scrambling out the back door making it difficult. She was fighting against a wave of people and she didn't have the time nor patience for it. There were people sobbing, she could hear, from both patrons and employees and that only pissed her off more. 'Sky Haven' was supposed to be a safe, family-friendly restaurant, not an eat here at your own risk type of restaurant. Cleaning the mess up was just going to give her a headache. Thankfully, she thought to herself, I'll have Leo to help. That's when she started to get a little anxious and worried about not seeing him in the back. That's where he stayed practically the whole night to crunch numbers to help the restaurant. As she made her way through a part of the restaurant, she walked slowly and stayed low, for fear of the shooter still being there. She kept a sharp eye out for anything out of the norm until she saw him. There on the ground surrounded in a puddle of blood was Leo; her baby brother.

Immediately her feet moved in his direction, not caring if any of the men were still there. "Please, no, no, no, no." She said aloud. She had to see if he was really dead for herself. Her footsteps although fast, were hesitant. If he was dead, she didn't want to know but if he was alive, then definitely she should go see, right? After what felt like an eternity she was kneeling on the ground, warm tears streaming from her eyes as she cried. Ali raised her forearm to her mouth to try and muffle the sound but it didn't do much. Her lip was trembling and her body shaking and she managed to pull Leo's lifeless body into her lap, his head on her chest. The blood was everywhere but she wasn't focused on that. Her body rocked his as her soft sobs started to grow louder. Her heart had fallen into her stomach and was being destroyed. "Come on, buddy, say it's one of your cruel jokes and wake up." But she knew he wasn't waking up. Her hands were now covered in blood as she continued to rock, her tears still streaming down her face.

Throughout this time, she hadn't noticed the two men who were standing nearby. Aliana had come down to her soft sobs as she started to question them. "W-Who did this and wh- where is he?!" She tried to shout, but it came out quieter than she had meant. The tears started again and she held him close while she buried her face in his neck. "I want the man who killed my brother. I want his head." Her father had been taken away from her, Tommy had been taken away from her, and now Leo had been taken away from her. She was tired of people taking things from her and planned to do something about it. But, at the moment, she wasn't going to leave Leo; she couldn't. She wouldn't.

[/center]

Evelyn ( Pyroclast ) Blake ( Bellz ) Kennedy ( mpower ) Aldous ( Shireling )

 

[LateForDinner]

Nathan Bennett
​

It still shocked Nathan how deafening gunshots can be when fired recklessly. The marksman would never get used to the principles of war; determination to kill, taking a life without hesitation and breaking boundaries to claim the victory. Nathan was experienced at it, but never relished in it. This gunfight was a reminder of what can happen when it gets personal, full of rage and the lust for power. It made him wonder if the Porter business has done anything similar. He doubted it. Nathan knew James would never be this cruel. He felt relief in knowing he's part of the good side, fighting for the sake of a family and their business.

Nathan managed to keep his levels of stress and panic down, allowing himself to function clearly, as he occasionally poked himself up to fire a few defensive shots. It had only been going on for a few moments, but it felt substantially longer. As it does with any heated battle such as this. He leaned himself back against the table, taking a quick breather and glancing over to ensure his clients were still safe; he wouldn't be much of a bodyguard if they weren't. At this moment, he was lucky enough to miss the young boy being ruthlessly murdered. "How many bullets do they have? Fuck." He whispered to himself, harshly though breathless panting.

Eventually, the rain of bullets ceased and all that was left was an awful silence. It reminded him of the battlefield. He kept his expression firm and peaked around to check on the state of the restaurant. It seemed like he wasn't eating here anytime soon. Again. Although, the veil of silence was quickly torn when a familiar face screamed in anguish. Nathan looked up to see the woman from outside, the owner of the restaurant; Aliana. His eyes were locked onto her frightened state, quickly leaning around to follow her to the corpse. The bodyguard's eyes grew wide and he felt his heart sink. No words could be spoken. The marksman stood up slowly as he continued to watch the owner grief over her loved one. Despite his own survival and the many other casualties that were avoided, he didn't feel as if they won. Not anymore. He simply stepped back from the scene and waited in the background, sliding his gun back into his holster. All Nathan could do was watch in silence with a heavy heart, hoping to find an opportunity to leave the building.


Interactions & Mentions
Aliana; Melanin-Gxdess Kennedy Sullivan; mpower Evelyn McKenna; Pyroclast Saoirse Fitzgerald; Misty Gray Griffin Fitzgerald; Blake; Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

Gwen Sheehan​

Gwen didn’t say anything more on the subject of her family, finding it very uncomfortable to talk about in that moment. Shifting in her seat, she simply nodded along with what Sinead was saying offering a small smile when she said that her family would be so proud of her. She was sure that if her mom could be around, she would be. There was a beat of silence before someone else walked into the room, someone that Gwen hadn’t expected to see. The redhead’s eyes widened slightly and smiled a bit too widely at James as he greeted her. He joked about Sinead and her planning a duet to which Gwen chuckled lightly at.

James made his way over to Lucy’s chair and rubbed her shoulder. The blonde turned her head to peer up at her husband, already noticing that something was off about him. She wasn’t surprised when he asked Gwen to step into the other room but looked over at the younger redhead to see her reaction. Gwen’s smile had faded only slightly as she stood up quickly, ”Not rude at all, it is your house after all.” She said before turning to look at Sin, nodding at her words. ”I’ll be taking up that drink offer in the lounge.” With that, Gwen left without another word.

Lucy didn’t say anything as Gwen left, still looking to James even as he took a seat beside her. His words about going easy on him made her reach her free hand forward, grabbing his and squeezing it lightly in concern. Hearing that Rayna had arrived was wonderful news, Lucy had been expecting the woman’s arrival today and was glad that she had made it safely. But the other news about her great-nephew being with her caught her off guard.

Keeping an open mind, Lucy listened on as her husband continued to speak about how Matteo’s mother was an alcoholic and prioritized a drink over him. Lucy felt like she knew where this conversation was headed long before James got to the point but when he arrived there, the blonde still wasn’t sure what to think. They already had such a full house to begin with and with the baby due any week now, it was about to get even fuller.
Lucy watched as her husband reached for the bottle of whiskey and drank straight from the bottle before clearing his throat, making her hesitate in what she had to say.

Brows furrowing in confusion, she couldn’t understand why Matteo’s father’s identity was important until James finally spit it out. This caused Lucy to tense, her hand leaving James and moving to place on her belly, feeling uneasy. Her eyes searched James’ wondering if what he was saying was true. It had to be, all those years ago they had promised that their would be no more lies, no more secrets between them. This time was no different than the rest. Her sisters actions made her jump slightly as she slammed the glass down on the table and let out a dry laugh. Lucy looked away from James to Sinead, her eyes wide as she shook her head slowly. ”As much as I want this to be some sort of sick joke Sin…” Lucy huffed out a sigh, feeling achey and a little ill. Hugging herself lightly, she bit her lip, ”He wouldn’t joke about something like this. Neither would Rayna.”

With that being said, she spoke her mind, ”I don’t know how I feel about this James…with the baby almost here..”
With: Sinead + James Misty Gray [/b]

 

[Shireling]

Jack Brady
​

While Jack wasn't that confident in the force of his punch, he wanted to think that he had stunned the deranged IWU henchman just enough to see how insane and seemingly full of bloodlust he was acting. That's primarily why he wasn't expecting Mickey to immediately grapple the knife out of his hand. He was barely paying attention to the "you're with us or against us" bullshit that Mick was spouting as he struggled against him - but after a few seconds he realized that the thuggish man was simply two strong for him to fight or leverage.

"I signed up for the revolution, Mick, not to indulge your fucked-up power trip," he snarled back, but could barely be heard over the sound of the wind as Mickey forced him out the side window with the submachine gun in his hands. As the Porter car edged closer, he could make out the shapes of the people in the Ford. With Mickey pressing on his neck and head, he brought the machine gun up ready to fire while the bullets sailed over his head from the passengers in the Ford. He was about to pull the trigger and rake the windshield of the advancing car with automatic gunfire, when the Ford suddenly sped up and made contact with the fender of their Pendant. Mickey's grip on him relaxed as he, like everything else, bounced from the high-speed impact. The Uzi slipped from his fingers and he almost went tumbling out of the window when, with a brief moment of clarity, he hooked his foot around the driver's seat to keep himself steady and caught the falling weapon by the top of the short stock. He pulled himself into the vehicle just in time to brace for impact, as the Pendant began to fishtail and careen towards the curb. The car rebounded against the parked sedans it had slammed into with the muffled sounds of metal bending and breaking, followed shortly by the pursuers' car clipping their bumper - now jutting into traffic - and careening off themselves to stop in the opposite lane.

Jack knew that the car was fucked and that a footbail was in order. The typical reserve he had for armed conflict was out the window now, knowing that if he was caught he would go down for at the very least accessory to murder no matter what. Given that their car had come to a stop first and he had changed positions with Mickey during the ordeal, Jack was able to pry the bent door open with some help from his uninjured leg. He knew if he could keep the Porters pinned that it might buy them time to escape. Thus, by the time the Ford had ground to a stop several yards down the road they were greeted with a barrage of automatic gunfire that raked the driver's side. The passenger in the rear had attempted to open his door, but he quickly withdrew his arm as bullets shattered glass and pinged against door panels. Meanwhile, Jack retreated, putting the wrecked Pendant between himself and the Porters and looking for an exit.

Rudolph Meyers
​

As the Pendant approached, Rudy had his window down and his large revolver waving out the window, but he couldn't keep a clear shot owing to the erratic movements of the vehicle. "Ryan, I can't get a clear shot." He complained, as his bullets went sailing over the fleeing Pendant and into god-knows-where. He noticed as they got closer that some of the passengers were leaning out the window of the Pendant with weapons. He winced, expecting bullets to come whizzing through the windshield. Instead, they made contact with the Pendant and it careened into a wall of parked cars on the side of the road.

As the car ground to a halt, Rudy was about to jump out onto the pavement to begin engaging the men in the IWU car when bullets pinged against the steel-framed interior of the door and ripped into the foam padding. The back glass shattered, causing him to withdraw his arm and hunch over to avoid the spray of bullets.

"Fucking hell," Rudy mumbled exasperatedly as he crawled over the rear bench seats and opened the door on the other side to put the full metal of the car between himself and the shooter.

Misty Gray Enzyme Fletchawk​

 

[Misty Gray]

Skye McKendrick​

Skye briefly got up to turn down the television volume, preferring to hear the piano from the other room. She then looked to Syd and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think the film is so bad, but I do believe Sinead would disagree with me. I don't want to cause any more worries for the Callahans," she explained.

Skye slowly nodded along when Syd explained the job had gone well enough. She figured it hadn't been straightforward but it seemed they'd done what they set out to do. Thankfully, Syd had returned home in one piece, albeit slightly more damaged than the last time she'd seen him. "I'm glad you guys got the job done," she softly told him. "Are you feeling okay about it though?" she asked. She hoped by now he would realise he could tell her anything. Though she wasn't going to pretend she didn't worry about him, she also wanted to know everything and not be shielded from the worst of it. She understood how the business worked by now and she was on board with her boyfriend's lifestyle, supporting everything he did for his family.

"Are you kidding?" Skye said, when asked if she'd taught Savannah to play the piano. "Savvy does all of that without my help. The kid's some kind of genius! Honestly, I don't think there's anything I can teach her and I'm kind of afraid to tell Peter and Sinead that. I don't know if they would appreciate more complications right now." She quickly shook her head when he mentioned not coming to the house when injured. "The children have seen it all before, Syd. Brady didn't even give your bruises a second look, did he? You don't need to worry about that. I like it when you come see me and talk to me." She couldn't help but let out a short laugh when Syd mentioned James was adopting another kid, but his exasperated sigh made her realise he was being very serious. "I honestly doubt that, Syd. Lucy's nearly due to have the baby and your family's business is going through a lot right now. How would he even find time for that? You said he's your cousin?" she asked. "Well, that just sounds to me like he's letting more family stay over. Your house is Dublin's business hotel, after all," she joked. "You shouldn't worry about that stuff, Syd. After all, I can see how proud your dad is of you. Obviously, Samson is the number one good boy, but still," she lightly teased him.

Skye moved into Syd as he kissed her, causing her to softly smile, content in his warmth. "I'm alright," she answered him. "I'm thinking about how good it feels to be with you... That, and how beautiful this music is, whatever it is Savvy is playing now."

Pyroclast (Syd)

James Porter and Sinead Callahan​

When Lucy pulled her hand away, James sighed and looked to the clock on the wall for a short time, really just diverting his eyes away for the moment. He brought his attention back to the two women as they spoke up, nodding as Lucy assured Sinead he wouldn't joke about such a thing. After everything Angel had put all of them through, it wasn't a subject James found any humour in and he never had. He rubbed the back of his neck as Lucy said she wasn't sure how she felt about it, understanding completely where she was coming from. In all honestly, he was already regretting taking on even more duties when he had enough problems to be dealing with. "To be honest, I'm not even sure myself. I tried to refuse, but I could see how much it meant to my mother and I caved. I wanted to help ease her worries and I guess I figured the kid deserved at least a chance to change. On the plus side, he never met Angel..." he trailed off. "Look... When the baby is born, I agreed to take a week off from work to focus on us and the baby," he said, looking Lucy in the eyes. "I won't let Matteo take that time away from us. I'm thinking of getting Conor involved in this. I think it could prove constructive for both him and Matteo, especially as your brother was often in trouble himself at that age." He looked to Lucy, his eyes offering for her to respond honestly. "Do you agree I can give this a try?" he asked her.

Sinead had been sat quietly as James and Lucy spoke. Her mind had first found itself going back to her relationship with Angel. James had mentioned Matteo was a teenager, so obviously that particular sexual encounter of Angel's had preceded when they'd first met. Still, she had to wonder if Matteo was the only one of Angel's secret offspring. She'd heard enough said about the man to know he'd been a womaniser yet it still surprised her to now learn of his teenage son. The fact the lad was present in the Porters' house also made it crystal clear to her that he couldn't remain a secret for much longer. Her thoughts shifted to Savannah, wondering how the girl would take news of having an older brother. The girl had always been curious to learn more about Angel, wanting to know more about where she came from and to find her place in the world. In honesty, Sinead expected Savannah wouldn't hate the news, especially when Braden and Emery at times made her feel left out. She just didn't like to know Matteo was a troublemaker - she didn't want any of the lad's behaviour rubbing off on her daughter, especially if any of it resembled Angel's bad side.

Soon enough, Sinead's thoughts fell onto Peter. Still fresh from their own argument, she was already dreading how he would react to this news. She hadn't even met Matteo yet, but she already feared his presence would cause more problems for her and Peter. No matter how much she and Savannah loved Peter, the subject of Angel was always going to be a sore one and she couldn't blame her husband for that. In his present state, she hoped the news wouldn't be the final nail in the coffin.

"This is just..." she began, her hands visibly trembling as they rested on the tabletop. "I need this to be kept quiet until I can talk to Peter and then Savvy. I don't want them to find this out from anyone but me," she said, sharing her vision between James and Lucy. "And I can't tell Peter tonight. We had an argument... We made it up with each other, but I can't pile this all on to him tonight. I just can't." She dried her damp eyes with the back of her hand and took a deep breath to contain her emotions. "Why can't we just have some peace and quiet for a change?!"

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Enzyme]

Mickie Mckinely ​

Mickie's grin grew as the Porter car inched closer and closer. His finger shifted down on top of Jacks, causing the journalist's finger to move to the trigger forcibly. Just as a clear shot was coming into view, the Porter car slammed into the side of their Pennant. The sheer exertion to his door caused Mickie to lose his grip on Jack and fall back into the car. The uncontrollable swerving only gave Mickie a few seconds to secure himself.

Instead of buckling himself with his fleeting moments, he instead stood up and attempted to cross over to where the other IWU man was sitting. The abrupt collision with the parked vehicle threw Mickie off of his balance and sent him careening to the windscreen. With the amount of force presented, the windshield could not prevent Mickie's back from flying through it. Shattering through the hardened glass, Mickie skidded across the hood of the Pennant and then slammed into the back window of the parked car, cracking it drastically.

Multiple civilian vehicles scrambled to avoid either of the now parked cars. The sudden crash caused cars so skid into one another, creating a small pileup that blocked the large intersection. Only a few seconds of confused silence lingered before distant sirens could be heard over the hill.

Mickie rolled over the back of the car and ungracefully collapsed onto the sidewalk. Slashed from the broken glass, he left a trail of blood as he clambered up. Half of his body didn't want to cooperate, his right arm rendered useless and his right foot facing the wrong direction.

Despite the apparent pain he was in, the adrenaline helped him quickly shuffle across the grass, where the other IWU had run to from their totaled car. The large crowd that had formed around the scene seemingly helped them slip away before the Gardai arrived on the scene.

Fletchawk (Ryan) Misty Gray (Conor/Evan) Shireling (Jack/Rudy)

 

[Pyroclast]

Evelyn McKenna

Satisfied that Saoirse and Griffin were being compliant, Evelyn passed the bag of alcohol over to Aliana and took a step back. "I think that's a good idea, Nathan," she replied, at his offer to occupy the pair. Still, she thought she detected a change in his voice when he turned to Saoirse; something in the way he looked at her. As he directed them into the restaurant, she watched him through narrowed eyes and shook her head, only hoping she was misreading things. It would be a risk, and rather unprofessional of him, she thought, to harbour feelings for someone who had wronged a member of the mob. Then again, he was a gentleman of sorts; it was possible he was just being friendly.

When Blake offered to buy her and Aliana drinks, Evelyn was more than a little surprised. It was the first time the woman had ever made a kind gesture towards her - in another situation it may have seemed suspicious, but Evelyn was more than keen to relax after what had just happened. So, she smiled at her and gratefully accepted. Kennedy piped up then with yet another teasing remark about her management skills, at which she rolled her eyes. The man continued to tease her as they entered the restaurant through the rear door that lead to Aliana's office, and Evelyn grew more convinced that he didn't give every woman this sort of attention; it seemed to her that he just didn't want to leave her alone. A smile came to her face before he had even finished speaking as she amused herself with her own train of thought -

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a gunshot sounded from the next room, making her jump - instinctively, she grabbed onto Kennedy's arm in fear, but quickly let go when he pulled out his gun. Heart thumping, Evelyn followed Aliana as she lead the group hastily towards the dining area, where the shot would have come from. She could hear more distant gunfire, and the sound of tyres screeching across the asphalt. Whatever had caused the chaos, she hoped had by now left.

As soon as they entered the room, Kennedy jumped into action, raising his gun towards the main entrance in defence. But Evelyn had her eye on Aliana. The screams she had heard immediately after the gunshots had simmered to fearful sobs, but when it came to light that the victim of the shooting was a loved one of Aliana, everything seemed to go painfully quiet but for her own uninhibited cries. Evelyn, though ready to comfort the woman, felt that she needed some space to grieve. The scene was utterly heart-breaking, and Evelyn raised her hand to her mouth as tears collected in her own eyes. "Oh, the poor lad..." she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion as she watched her friend pull her lifeless little brother onto her lap. It seemed Ali was in denial as she continued to speak to the boy as though he were alive and pulling a prank on her, but her sobs were real enough, and it soon became too much for Evelyn to bear. She turned away from the scene and into Kennedy, who was standing beside her. Without worrying of what he might think, she wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his chest, allowing the tears to flow freely from her eyes.

Interactions
mpower Kennedy
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana
Bellz Blake, Griffin

LateForDinner Nathan
Misty Gray Saoirse

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

When Skye asked him how he felt about the job, Syd raised his head to meet her gaze and a soft smile grew on his face. "God, I got lucky, didn't I?" he said, more to himself. "I don't reckon it's easy to find a girl who supports this kind of work like you do." He worked his fingers between hers and brought his feet up onto the sofa, turning his body to face her. No matter the subject, her opinion mattered to him - every belief she held seemed to be founded on something very real, and he trusted her every word. When it came to the family business, it was important to him that she expressed any concerns she had, but the fact that she seemed to support him in his decision to work for the mob meant a lot to him. It had been something he had wanted to be a part of ever since he learned what the family did. It came down to respect: Skye respected his lifestyle choices, and in turn he would respect her. Even though he would normally play down the violence, the physical and psychological effects of the business, he felt she deserved to know it all. So, he looked her in the eye and began to describe to her in detail everything that had happened that night: the brawl; holding a gun to a room of people; triggering a car chase; almost getting caught by the Gardaí; how they had left things with John. "You don't have to worry about me, Skye," he said, after a brief pause. "At the end of the day, no one got shot, no one got arrested and no one died. It was messy, and it was my fault things got messy, but we got out of there, we got away and now we can focus on dealing with that fuckhead accountant of ours." He squeezed her hand and flashed her a smile. "The mob always wins in the end."

Syd listened as Skye expressed her insecurities about teaching Savannah. "Ah, don't worry about that, Skye," he assured her, shaking his head. "Sure the kid's smart, but you're not just here to teach them, are you? You're like family, and you do so much to help them. It doesn't matter that you didn't finish school - you've got wisdom, and you're a perfect role model for them. If they turn out anything like you, they'll be fine." He brought her hand to his lips to kiss her fingers before adding, "They wouldn't be better off with anyone else, I promise. You have a special bond with those kids, and no other nanny could replace that."

Skye was right when she pointed out that seeing people coming home with injuries was nothing new to the children. "I guess you're right," he accepted. "It's not like there's much we can do about it. I just don't want them to worry about Pete. I got used to seeing dad and the guys with busted knuckles, head wounds, gunshot wounds and all that when I was young, and it hasn't affected me. But we've had a lot of deaths in the last year, and Peter's arrest too. I just don't want them to be scared, I guess. But, I love coming to see you, too..."

"Yeah, I don't think mam really wants more noise in the house. I'm sure I'll be coming here enough to escape the baby's screaming anyway," he lightly joked. He emitted a small laugh when Skye called his house Dublin's business hotel. "God, you're so right. We don't let any old scum in, though, unless they're family...and Matteo seems alright. I won't worry, Skye - as long as I have you, no change can be too big."

Syd sat comfortably with Skye against her. His smile reflected hers, and he felt truly relaxed and happy; the stress of the evening's job had all worn off now, just by spending a few minutes in his girlfriend's loving company. He sat and held her as they listened to Savannah play the piano from the next room. "Good," he whispered, planting a kiss on the top of her head, his face set in a soft smile as he thought about how lucky he was.

Interactions
Misty Gray Skye

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

Lucy was somewhat comforted as James said that he was unsure himself, it was nice to know that she wasn’t alone in feeling this uncertainty. But it was also a scary thing, if James didn’t feel certain, then why were they letting Matteo stay with them. She understood where her husband was coming from, knowing that she would have also tried to ease poor Rayna’s worries. There was a lot to think over and not a lot of time to do so. Lucy found herself biting her lip again when James asked if she agreed that he could give this whole thing a try.

Before she could get out what she was thinking, she felt a small cramp in her belly which caused her to place both hands on it lightly. Scrunching her nose, she proceeded to simply nodding her head a few times as the small amount of pain subsided, causing her to let out a sigh. Finally she could answer, ”Yes, I agree that you can give this a try…I can’t turn away this poor kid.” She wasn't going to turn away a kid who clearly needed help. If Rayna had tried so hard to turn the kid around then there must be something that she sees in him. And she couldn't say no to James like this, she was proud that he was willing to put in the time and effort for a kid that wasn't even his own. It continued to prove what an amazing father and mentor he was and she had no doubt in her mind that he would be just as incredible when the baby came. It was something they both were going to be very new.

Another series of cramps formed and caused her to shift in her seat uncomfortably. Her attention was quickly turned to Sinead as she spoke, worrying about her sister as she could see her hands visibly shaking on the table top. Lucy reached out to grab one and squeezed it tightly, keeping her other hand firmly pressed on her swollen belly as the cramps only seemed to get worse.

Not wanting to interrupt, Lucy tried to focus on what her sister was saying, nodding her head along as she stated that she didn’t want Peter and Savvy to find out about this news from anyone else but herself. Hearing that they had an argument was worrying to Lucy, and she squeezed her sisters hand lightly again as the woman dried her eyes. ”This is just another hurdle we have to….” Lucy trailed off as she then let out a low hiss. The cramping was turning into something much worse and very fast. Lucy wondered if it was that time, she still had a few weeks yet to go.

As if on cue, she felt something wet running down her leg which caused her to look down. Her eyes then went wide as she looked to both Sinead and James, ”We might have to put this conversation on hold.”
With: Sinead + James Misty Gray

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue​

It didn't take long for Ryan to recover from being turned around, as the sound of bullets plinking against the car reminded him of their goal. Just as he ducked low against the wheel, a couple of holes appeared in the windshield, causing cracks to spider across it. The short barrage of bullets soon stopped, but not before it give him a sense of Deja Vu from the Christmas firefight.

After waiting through a few seconds of silence, Ryan poked his head up briefly, but could not see any obvious enemies. Since he was not rewarded with another round of gunfire, Ryan then took the moment to check if anyone was hit. "We good?" he called out, but a quick visual check told him that everyone was at least mobile. With no movement coming from the totaled IWU vehicle, he opened his own door after setting the parking brake, and then pulled his sidearm out and kept it low as he got out of the car.

The smell of burnt rubber wafted through the air as Ryan stood up slowly, his eyes frantically looking for potentially threats as the low hum of the now idling cars around them mixed with the faded ringing in his ears. As much as Ryan wanted to check the car and finish off the survivors, there were too many people watching now. While it made him grit his teeth in frustration, the sound of distant sirens only enforced the growing notion of falling back.

"Come on, let the pigs clean up this mess." Ryan said to his passengers, signaling them to get back in the Ford. Hoping that nothing vital had been hit by the spray of bullets, he got back into the driver's seat, undid the brake, waited for Conor and Rudy to get in, and joined the traffic that was slowly picking it's way around the crash area.

* * *​

A few minutes later, the Ford pulled into the alley behind the Sky Haven. As everyone got out, he whistled to get Rudolph's attention before throwing him the keys. "Hey, take it few blocks from here, and then meet me at club. I'll go deal with it after I go police my brass and call the boss. Thanks," Ryan said in near monotone since coming down from the adrenaline had left him feeling drained. It didn't take long for Ryan to make around to the front of the restaurant and find the loose brass, but sirens could be heard echoing clearly through the street that announced that the Garda had arrived on the scene as he finished.

Entering the restaurant, Ryan numbed himself to the scene of the lone body being held by Ms. Cartwright. While Ryan could, in a sense, commiserate with her loss, he knew it wasn't needed as Conor stood nearby. After asking a rather pale waitress, Ryan found a phone to place a call to the Porter Manor.

"The IWU showed up at Sky Haven. The McGrath boy is dead..."


Enzyme [Hey Micky] Shireling [Jack + Rudolph] Misty Gray [Even + Conor + James]

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 16: Ashes to Ashes
Friday 10th June 1960
...2 weeks later...
Evening (7pm)- Breezy, Overcast
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Porters House
​

James Porter

The last couple of weeks had a been a chaotic mixed bag for James. The same evening Rayna and Matteo had arrived at the house, Lucy went into labour. The fact the baby was due for a couple more weeks only piled worry on to everything else he was already feelings by that point. It came as a great relief when Thomas Wayne Porter was born fit and healthy. Whilst everything else around them was being thrown into darkness, Thomas was the light that shone through in it all.

It hadn't been planned to happen so soon, but James had promised to take a week out from his full workload to spend time with Lucy and Thomas. Given the fact Leo had been killed, James couldn't commit to sitting back completely. He'd left Jackson and Conor in charge, with the former being the man to ultimately make the final decisions. Still, he'd made sure to pass on his own instructions, namely, keeping close tabs on the IWU and beefing up security in all businesses in Porter territory. He wanted to know more about the likes of Evan and Jack, as well as Gideon himself. The Porters' retaliation needed to be carefully planned and calculated well enough to wipe out as many members of the IWU as possible.

A week ago, James had returned back to his full duties and had managed to phone through to Gideon directly. The words exchanged were tense, starting with James questioning what the IWU were playing at and finishing on cold words as Gideon proclaimed he was taking over as many businesses as he could. This was clearly war and the Porters needed to plan their next move very carefully. It needed to be effective and final. The IWU needed finishing off, once and for all.

*****​

Today had been the day of Leo's funeral. James had woken early in the morning, making Matteo accompany him on his jog before going off to work out in the gym on his own. He'd then spent some quality time with with Lucy and Thomas, making sure to give his wife a breather from tending to their baby whenever he could. James and Lucy had then got dressed to attend the funeral, leaving Shannon at the house to babysit Thomas and Emery who were too young to be exposed to funerals. Much of the focus over the last few days had been ensuring the funeral ran smoothly and securely, not putting it past the IWU to try something even there. James knew that once today was over with, they would then be able to shift their minds onto wiping out the bastards responsible for it all.

After the funeral, most people had returned to the Porters house for drinks. James, Syd and Rudy didn't have long to spend around the place, as that evening they were returning to the Archers Pub. The Duncans had recently carried out another robbery and they were planning on one more that very evening. It was time to put a stop to it for good. Richard had been given enough opportunities to get his family under control and to follow the rules, but he'd used up his last chance.

James had changed out of his suit and into more casual clothes for the job ahead. Before leaving with Rudy and Syd he sought out Lucy, finding her in the kitchen preparing food for their guests who had returned to the house after the funeral. He walked over to his wife and stood close to her. "You should get someone to help you, love," he said, wishing his wife would relax a little more. He took Thomas, lifting the baby in his arms and placing a soft kiss on the baby's head as he held him close into his chest. With Lucy, their teenage kids and now Thomas, these kind of moments were what made James feel like there was still something good to take from his life. When he was with his family, he couldn't help but smile. Attending Leo's funeral made him realise how lucky he was to have such an amazing family and to never take them for granted. Now more than ever was it important to protect them all.

Bellz (Lucy, Thomas)
Mentions: Shireling (Rudolph) Pyroclast (Syd)


Sinead and Savannah Callahan

Whilst there was still something missing from their marriage, things between Sinead and Peter had been relatively peaceful since their argument a couple of weeks ago. Peter had continued to go to work, also helping increase security and intelligence for the Porters. Sinead hadn't put up any argument or anything that would be unsupportive of her husband's choice. The news of Leo's death had hit everyone pretty hard and Sinead had found herself distracted from her own issues as she wanted to help support Aliana during her grief.

Sinead had held off talking to Peter about Matteo until a few days after the news of Leo's death. Though he didn't blame her in any way, she could see he wasn't happy with the news and she'd expected that. They'd then told Savannah about her half-brother but told her they would arrange a time after the funeral for the two siblings to meet properly. In the meantime, amongst all of the other jobs they were on with, Peter and Sinead had been visiting some of the local schools before deciding where they would send their eldest two children.

Savannah and Braden had attended the funeral with their parents, both having known Leo and wished to be present during the ceremony. Meanwhile, Emery had stayed at the Porters house where the little girl was adamant she would be "helping" Shannon babysit Thomas. After the funeral, Sinead had stayed with Aliana, keeping Savannah close by her side to avoid any premature run-ins with Matteo. Braden and Emery had since gone off with Skye to play games away from the grieving adults.

As time went on, Sinead knew she and Savannah needed to go to the smaller guest lounge where she'd arranged for Rayna to accompany Matteo to meet with his sister. Whilst Sinead was nervous about the whole thing, her daughter was curious more than anything and that intrigue had stopped the girl from feeling much else. She'd always wanted to know more about herself and meeting a half-brother she didn't know she had filled her with so much interest. As she sat on the couch next to her mother, Sinead placed a warm arm around her, pulling her in close. "You worry too much, Mum," the blonde girl pointed out.

"No kidding, smarty-pants!" Sinead playfully replied. Her daughter was almost 11 years old and it scared her how independent the girl was already becoming. It had been a tiring few months and the funeral had been yet another thing piled on top of the woman's worries. She only hoped Matteo and Savannah would get along. The last thing she needed was for her daughter to be upset...

Bellz (Rayna) Enzyme (Matteo)


Conor Sullivan

Conor hadn't been his usual cheerful self since Leo had been murdered a couple of weeks ago. The first week, he'd been helping Jackson carry out James' instructions and helping pass down orders to the gang members. When James had returned to his full duties, he'd then been taking orders directly from James - and there had been many of them. The extra work didn't bother him as it served to educate him more on the IWU and get heavy handed where necessary. He'd also made sure to spend time with Aliana when he could, trying his best to support and comfort the woman who had just lost her brother. He was aware she had still been mourning for Tommy before Leo had been killed, but that was something he continued to leave unspoken unless she chose to bring it up.

The thing that stood out most was that in the alone time Conor did get, he didn't spent it drinking himself stupid and instead had been training far more intensely than before. He was never a fan of firearms, but any beliefs he held about them being a coward's weapon no longer mattered. If he was going to help take down the bastards responsible, he knew he too would have to become as open to shooting people as he was with beating the shit out of them.

As soon as the funeral was over and he'd driven some of the guests back to the house, Conor left again to take a drive around the city to make sure everything was running smoothly. With many of them at the funeral, he wanted to make sure nobody had tried to take advantage of the situation. He eventually returned to the house and was about to slam the front door shut when his attention instead fell onto Lady who had greeted him straight away. He instead closed the door calmly and took a moment to stroke the dog behind her ears as she stood up on her back legs to greet him.

Conor eventually broke away from the animal's greeting and made his way into the main lounge, his mind focused on finding Aliana again...

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

Dublin City Library
​

George Sanderson

It had been two weeks since George had last seen Finn. He'd known at the time it was a huge risk telling his friend about his feelings for him, but he still maintained that honesty was the course of action to ensure there were no secrets infecting their friendship. Despite knowing Finn might not take the confession favourably, it was still hard to take when it did happen. In an instant, he'd lost one of his few friends and no doubt the most interesting person he'd known in some time. As the days had gone by, the wounds grew less painful, but Finn was often still on his mind no matter how much he knew he had to move on.

A few days after he'd last seen Finn, George had a very successful interview at the city library and he was offered the job. Granted, he'd been more creative with the truth on his application forms that time around; giving no mention to his time in prison and providing false references. He felt a little guilty about lying, but he was running out of options if he wanted to keep paying his rent and he believed he would prove his worth to his new employers.

Today was George's fifth shift at the library, having started the job at the beginning of the week. He was enjoying his work and found it was a great distraction from his personal troubles. The city library was huge, especially compared to the tiny library room in the prison. Now, he was surrounded by thousands of books and he loved it. Every now and again, he'd even manage to strike up conversation with the library members about all kinds of books and topics. As a man who loved to talk, it had cheered him up somewhat, enjoying the social interactions after being cooped up in his lonely apartment for some time.

The library had closed over an hour ago, but George had offered to stay back until Margaret, his supervisor, was ready to leave and lock up. It would be less time for him to spend alone in his apartment and the extra pay was a bonus. The man continued to return the abandoned books to their rightful places on the shelves. He'd already eyed up half a dozen more titles to borrow once he'd returned the ones he already had out on loan. He eventually heard Margaret call out to him that she was ready to go and he quickly returned the empty trolley to where it belonged.

Once outside, George stood next to the woman at the top of the library steps whilst she locked the large, heavy doors. "You have a good weekend, Margaret. Go easy on the wine!" he lightly teased, evoking a laugh from the older woman. The two then walked down the steps outside, going off in opposite directions.

Bellz (Finn)

The Oak Tree Restaurant
​

Saoirse Fitzgerald

As tough as she tried to be in the months following Bridget's death, being present during the shooting at the Sky Haven had shocked Saoirse. The sound of gunfire and the screams in the restaurant had taken her back to the night Bridget was killed in front of her. This led her to staying inside for the days that followed Leo's death. She couldn't eat and barely slept, unable to stop thinking about her sister. With Griffin's help and the promise of being put in touch with the Porters, she eventually managed to spring back and made herself get back to work with her brother at the grocery store. Seeing people had done her some good and she started to get her confidence back again.

Nathan had also been in touch over the last couple of days and had arranged a business dinner to discuss their concerns. Saoirse had spent some time getting ready for the meeting whilst Griffin had continued to work in the store downstairs. She'd made sure to dress smartly, opting for a white blouse, black knee-length pencil skirt and matching heels. She wanted to make sure she presented herself as serious and in control... Though it still crossed her mind that there might have been something more behind her extra efforts to look good for the meeting.

Griffin got held up at the store and it didn't look like he was going to finish up any time soon. The last thing Saoirse wanted to do was be late or cancel the meeting altogether, not after the trouble they'd gone to to secure it in the first place. She stuck to her guns and assured Griffin she could handle it, not entertaining the thought of rearranging.

As arranged, Saoirse arrived at the Oak Tree Restaurant at 7pm. After paying the taxi driver, she climbed out of the vehicle and made her way inside the Porter-controlled eatery, looking around to see if she could find Nathan...

LateForDinner (Nathan)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess Pyroclast Fletchawk Shireling mpower @Rusty of Shackleford LateForDinner
​

 

[Enzyme]

Chapter 16: Ashes to Ashes
Friday 10th June 1960
...2 weeks later...
Evening (7pm)- Breezy, Overcast
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Carter Dresden

Carter had distanced himself from IWU activities in the passing two weeks. The unexpected heat threw him off his balance, even if he hadn't offered the Gardai anything during his four-hour visit. The interrogation had left him with a slice on his lip, but time had healed the blemish remarkably. Only a faint scar remained where his upper lip met the bow, stretching halfway up to his nostril. It seemed everything was beginning to catch up to him, including his injuries. Although he had been out of his sling for months, he could still feel a sharp pain when rotating his shoulder. While he would've never admitted to it, easing off the throttle was essential to his physical and mental health.

Due to his accomplishments with the IWU, going above and beyond to pledge his allegiance to their cause, he was able to hang back without any repercussions. It seemed that there was a mutual understanding among the leading ranks that rest would only improve Carter's performance.

Carter had spent most of his off time with an unlikely companion. Seeds first planted during the duration of kidnapping had grown into a peculiar bond. While there were many reasons for the pair to despise the other's very existence, Carter was drawn to her in a way he couldn't describe. Forgoing his relations with Arlene would only serve him, yet he continuously found himself dismissing missions to spend his time with her.

After a few drinks at Kingsway Bar, the pair retreated to Arlene's apartment. The continued date would overlap with another significant event, but Carter only paid a single, brief thought to partake in the mission. His whole life he had played the role of a Socialist Knight, every waking moment of his life dedicated to the cause. With Arlene, Carter felt just like a regular guy, with natural, attractive feelings. He knew this wouldn't last forever, but he wasn't quite ready to let it go.

As Carter stepped into Arlene's apartment for the first time, he examined the room. "Well, this flats already beat mine." Carter lived in the factory along with the rest of the IWU. Each apartment was identical to the other, each room only offering the essentials. He stepped into the living room, looking out the spectacular view of downtown.

Misty Gray (Arlene)

 

[Pyroclast]

Chapter 16: Ashes to Ashes
Friday 10th June 1960
...2 weeks later... Evening (7pm)- Breezy, Overcast
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Rosie's Diner

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Evelyn McKenna

Though she hadn't known Leo personally, Evelyn had taken the day off to attend his funeral in support of Aliana. She knew how hard it was to lose a loved one after the violent death of her own mother, so was determined to be there for the grieving woman, should she want or need anything. There were still one or two things she needed to get done at work, so she had left the wake at around 4 and headed to the warehouse. It had been a rather emotionally draining day, however; after a couple of hours of slow progress, Evelyn decided to give up. She bid goodnight to the few workers that were working into the evening and headed out.

On a whim, and without really thinking, Evelyn turned her car into the car park of an American-style diner rather than continue on home. It wasn't a place she had been to before, but she figured anything they sold would be better than her own cooking. She ordered a burger, fries and a strawberry milkshake, looking around at the diner's unusual decor while she waited. It was then that she spotted Kennedy Sullivan sitting alone in one of the booths. The sight of him made her instantly smile, but she turned away before she could accidentally catch his eye. As much as she had tried, she hadn't been able to go a single day without thinking of him in the past week. She had seen him briefly at Leo's funeral earlier on in the day, but it hadn't been the sort of occasion to inspire much conversation between them.

When her food arrived, she took it up on a tray and wandered over to him.
"Mr. Sullivan, what a surprise," she remarked, still smiling his way. "Mind if I sit here? You might be my last chance to make today a little brighter." Without waiting for his response, she placed her tray down on the table and slid into the booth, tucking her skirt neatly under her legs. The man looked like he could be busy, but then again, he often wore a serious expression even when he was teasing her. She pulled her milkshake close to her and found the tip of the straw with her lips. "I don't suppose you're at work, are you, Mr. Sullivan?" she questioned, before taking a sip of the milkshake and setting it back down.

Interactions
mpower Kennedy

 

[Bellz]

Chapter 16: Ashes to Ashes
Friday 10th June 1960
...2 weeks later...
Evening (7pm)- Breezy, Overcast

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Lucy Porter
Porter's House​

Thomas cried out softly as Lucy quickly stood up from her seated position in the lounge. She shushed him softly, positioning the small babe against her shoulder and patted his back softly as she headed upstairs to his nursery. His mood today seemed to reflect the mood of everyone else who had attended Leo’s funeral, including Lucy herself. The hardest part of living this sort of lifestyle was losing the ones that you have gotten to know. ”Oh hush now, my little Tommy. Mummy’s got you.” She cooed to the baby, placing him on the changing table.

With the death of Leo, came the birth of Thomas. The little one was very impatient and came a few weeks early, on the exact day the lad died. Although Lucy hadn’t made it know, it had hurt her to know that her son’s birth would always be associated with poor Leo’s death, such a sweet and innocent life lost. Once finished changing Thomas, she headed to the bathroom with him to wash up before heading downstairs.

He was still a bit fussy even after changing him, so she continued to hold him against her shoulder, patting his back and rubbing soft circles on it as she hummed a soft lullaby to him, heading into the kitchen where his extra bassinet waited for him so Lucy could have free hands to cook. ”So upset. Its alright..there there.” Lucy cooed once more before walking over to the bassinet and setting Thomas down inside. This seemed to calm the babe down more than anything and Lucy sighed in relief before moving to prepare some food for the guests who were at her home.

Washing up her hands, Lucy then fetched some fresh fruits and small appetizers for people to snack on, not wanting anyone to be sad especially on an empty stomach. Her thoughts were going crazy as she tried not to think about how this could be one of her own one day. It was hard for the blonde not to think so negatively sometimes, especially when it came to death. Chopping up a few apple slices, her thoughts went to James. He had always been able to get out of dangerous situations alive…but the one thought that always haunted her was, what if he didn’t?”

Before her thoughts could go any further, another cry was heard and Lucy immediately stopped cutting and moved to pick up a towel to dry her hands. Swinging it over her shoulder, she walked over to the bassinet before reaching down to cradle Thomas in front of her, looking down at him with loving eyes as she smiled ever so gently. She didn’t realize she wasn’t alone until she heard James' voice, telling her that she should get someone to help her.

Lucy looked up from Thomas’ little eyes and her smile only faded slightly, knowing what James had came to see her for. Goodbyes were the worst. She watched as James took their son from her into his own arms, cradling him close to his chest. The blondes eyes watered at the scene before her and she moved to stand closer to them both, reaching out to caress Thomas' head.”Please stay?" She whispered softly. "Thomas…he wants you to stay. So do I." Lucy's tears flowed past her eyes and down her cheeks, turning her head away from her boys in embarrassment. "I just...after today. Another life, gone..." Her voice shook as she lifted her free hand to wipe at her eyes. "It can't be you. Please promise you will return to me? To us?" Lucy turned her head back to look into James' eyes. "We all can't lose you now."
with: James Misty Gray

Peter Callahan
Porter's House​

There was nothing like a funeral to put you in a sour mood. There was a stillness in the air that reminded Peter so much of prison, he could have sworn as he’d walked through the door of the Porter’s home that he was there. Having just been outside for some fresh air, with stiff roll of his shoulders, Peter shrugged off his suit coat and draped it over his left arm before moving further past the entryway in search of a drink. His brow was beginning to sweat and there was a twitch to his lip that hadn’t been there before. Licking his lips repeatedly, Peter found what he had been searching for a raided the liquor cabinet for something strong.

It had been a long few weeks, with the death of Leo brought back all sorts of dark feelings. Peter felt like he hadn’t slept in ages. Finn had offered to help him, and to a point everything the doctor was doing was working. The medication he prescribed him for his anxiety attacks was nothing short of a miracle for him, when he took it. Today, the man had decided it was best not to take the medication and now he was realizing that it had been a mistake from the beginning. He hadn’t been able to concentrate the whole funeral and he felt awful about it, feeling as though he hadn’t given Leo the respect the young man deserved.

Not to mention the whole thing with Matteo. When Sinead had informed him that the boy existed, Peter hadn’t taken it so well in the beginning. Of course he hadn’t taken it out on Sinead, it wasn’t her fault that Angel had been a man whore in his life and slept with everything that had legs. Still, Peter had been quiet about it, not wanting to speak about Matteo much after Sinead had talked with him. As much as he didn’t want to speak about Matteo, he knew that he would just have to put on a brave face if the young man were to ever be around Savvy.

Reaching into the liquor cabinet, he grabbed the first thing he could find. Funnily enough, it had been the brandy that Sinead had boldly taken a gulp of all those weeks ago, during their fight. The man held the bottle in his hand and stared at it for a long moment as he traced the branding on the label. Closing the cabinet slowly, he didn’t bother to get a glass as he pulled open the glass stopper to the tumbler and downed what he could of the liquid. The warmth that was building in his chest was familiar and comforting as took a few more swigs before finally setting the bottle down on the nearest table.

As much as he wished that the brandy had done its job, he was left disappointed and feeling like someone was standing on his chest with heavy boots. Clearing his throat a few times, he looked for Sinead in the small crowd of people who had returned to the Porter house. Needing the keys from her purse, he was sure that the alcohol was going to continue to do nothing for his nerves and he was desperate to get over what he was feeling at the moment. The pills were sitting in the medicine cabinet in their bathroom at the house, he would just have to slip away for a moment to grab them.

Peter shuffled around a few people nervously, ”Excuse me.” He mumbled under his breath, lifting his head up a little higher so he could locate his wife. When he finally did see her, he waved his hand out lightly, flagging her down. ”Hey.” He said, his breathing a little uneven as he finally reached her. ”I need the keys to the house…I need to take one of those meds Finn gave me.” He informed Sinead openly, not bothering to cover anything up.

with: Misty Gray

Gwen Sheehan
Jazz Club​

Tapping her foot against the footrest of her barstool, Gwen watched on of her fellow coworkers on stage as she sat sipping on a tall glass of whiskey. Normally she didn't like to drink much before heading onto the stage, it didn't sit well with her nerves usually. But tonight was different, she felt something off about the air in the club tonight and she wasn't having it. Humming along to the tune of All Blues by Miles Davis, she found that her mood was slowly beginning to lighten as she focused on the music itself instead of the lyrics. As a small girl, she had always been very influenced by the music being played. Her mother use to call her little "jukie" stating that she was like an old jukebox, going with the flow of whatever was playing. Turing in her seat that so that she was facing the bar, she sighed lightly using the small straw to take another long sip of her drink before slamming her hand down on the table lightly to get the bartenders attention. "Keep my tab open tonight would ya? I'm gonna be hear for most of the evening anyway." This made the bartender shake his head lightly as he turned to pick up another clean empty glass, taking a dry rag to it.

"You've been in this place almost every single night this week." He clarified to which Gwen rolled her eyes and let out a sarcastic laugh, "Oh yea, because I don't already know that." The bartender then let out a laugh of his own before setting the clean glass down on one of the many shelves behind the bar. "I'm just saying, it wouldn't hurt for you to branch out a little bit, make some more friends that aren't working at this bar. When I was your age, I wasn't working nearly as much as you are...I had a life, with a lot of friends-" Gwen held up her hand, interrupting him as she said, "Woah woah woah woah...are you saying that I don't have a life?" Gwen gasped and held a hand to her heart, clearly being over dramatic and not taking what the bartender said to heart. "I will have you know that I have a lot of friends and a wonderful life..." Although she said this, she knew it wasn't true. Compared to the life she use to have with her mom and stepdad, this one was vastly different. Gwen didn't see the point in having all of those friends that she use to have.

They weren't there supporting her now were they? She was left to figure out her own way and none of her so called "friends" came to support her. Sinead was the one friend she was okay with having because she had proven that she would be there for Gwen even in times of trouble, she had been the one to see the potential in her after all. Looking to the bartender again, she sighed, "Just keep the tab open okay??" To which the man nodded before turning away from Gwen to help another customer. This caused Gwen nibble on her bottom lip a bit before she too turned away to face the stage area again. She would be going on in less than an hour by the looks of it. Her nerves always got the best of her during this time...it was during times like these when she wished that Sinead could be around or at least someone she could have to talk to.

Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

As she waited for Matteo to join them, Sinead quickly turned to see who was standing in the lounge doorway. She was surprised to see it was Peter stood there and he appeared somewhat anxious. She got up from the sofa, leaving Savannah sat down, the girl making a point of looking anywhere but at her parents as she was by now aware things were troubled between them. When her husband asked for the house keys, Sinead kept her mouth closed and simply nodded her head in response. She retrieved her handbag from the coffee table and didn't have to dig deep to find the fluffy pink key-ring the house keys were attached to. She couldn't help but think about his mention of needing his medication. Her husband wasn't the same man since leaving prison and she honestly hoped the pills would somehow help him. She could feel his anxiety simply by being in his presence, but she could only wonder how difficult it had been for him every time she'd had a relapse or refused to take her own medication.

The day had been emotionally draining enough and she didn't want to make things worse for Peter or herself. She held the keys in the air for her husband to take from her. "You can do this," she reassured him. She could smell the brandy on him, but it was a wake, after all. "Just keep taking them, as Finn told you," she quietly reminded him and sent nervous smile to her husband. She wasn't sure how much longer she could live the way they were living, but she wasn't going to give up on Peter yet... no matter how much it hurt or how much she could feel her heart secretly breaking whilst she forced herself to keep putting on a brave face.

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Shireling]

Rudolph Meyers
​

Rudy had sat through too many funerals for Leo's to be anything special. He didn't attend the visitation or the service, just the burial. As the headlamps of his Jaguar cut the dense darkness of the Porter's drive, he slid up beside James's car and cut the motor. The next little while he spent smoking and lightly drinking in the dark exterior garden behind the house. As he cast a casual eye towards the window and noticed James moving about in more casual clothes, he knew it was time to play ball.

Rudy entered the kitchen with a grin, his heart warmed about twelve degrees to see the picture-perfect couple with the newborn tot. "He looks very much like his father, strong features." Rudy commented, swigging down the last drops of a Guinness. "But with his mother's eyes," he said, nodding towards Lucy with the empty bottle before depositing it in the wastebin. Whatever touching interchange had occurred moments earlier, Rudy had missed it. Instead, he sidled up to James like the quintessential goofy uncle, looking around his shoulder at the baby's face.

"Hey there, champ," Rudy intoned, in a voice that was uncharacteristically nurturing and sincere for the gruff mobster, "You just wait. As soon as y'er walking, Uncle Rudy is going to be filling you up with sweets and setting you in front of the Tellie!" He smiled at the infant, who smiled back weakly, which Rudy took to be a sign of favor.

"I knew your kid was gonna like me, Jim." He said with a grin, then turned to Lucy. "Mrs. Porter, I'm gonna promise you that no harm is gonna come to Mr. Porter, you hear me?" He said, half-serious and half-joking.

Misty Gray Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan​

The last two weeks had been hell for the Doctor. Another brave soul had died and everyone had to endure another funeral. Work had been piling up on Finn, unable to take as many cases as he wanted due to the fact that he had one thing on his mind. Finn tried hard not to think about him, every day he found something new to do to force himself to not think about him. He started working out again, finding that the movement would help ease his frustrations. Even in that short amount of time, Finn had found two sleazy girls in his bed.

The morning of the funeral he had said goodbye numbly to a pretty little number who did absolutely nothing for him sexually the night before, although she try very very hard. As he got dressed for the event, he couldn’t help but look at himself very closely in the mirror. He hadn’t shaved and already he had grown a full beard. His eyes were hollow, the light that had once shone in them was gone and he honestly didn’t know what to do to get it back. He felt lost.

There was one thing in the back of his mind, one person who he had left behind. It had felt wrong from the start…

The funeral had been as horrible as expected, it did nothing to lighten Finn’s mood and although it was a beautiful ceremony of Leo’s life, the poor boy shouldn’t have died to begin with. Finn was left feeling even more hollow as they left the cemetery, the ride home was long and dull. Arriving at the Porter’s house, Finn had been wary of heading inside, not feeling like himself at all. The man stayed behind as everyone went inside for drinks, looking out at the lot of cars before his eyes set on his own. Rolling his shoulders, Finn finally knew what he had to do.

***​

Finn turned left at the two way intersection down towards the Dublin Public Library. He had seen him there at the beginning of the week. He was returning some books he had been using for some research for his cases and as he was leaving, he saw him from the corner of his eye. He knew that there was a chance he wouldn’t be there, that they were closed. Something about Finn hadn’t felt right, he hadn’t been the same after he left George behind. He had been lying to himself, lying to the women he’d been with, lying to his family…

Pulling into the library lot, Finn quickly hopped out of his car, leaving it on as he ran towards the entrance. He hoped he wasn’t late as he ran, turning the sharp corner to get onto the side walk when he nearly bumped into someone. Knocking them forward, Finn quickly grabbed them and pulled them close to his chest to avoid falling. ”I’m so sorry!” Finn cried out as he began to pull away from the person. He caught sight of George and his face paled as he stammered to blurt something coherent out.

He clamped his mouth shut quickly and pushed away from George as he backed up, leaving a few feet of space between them. ”G-Georgie…”

with: George Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

It had only been four weeks since Jason had moved to Dublin. Though he had crossed the city before, he hadn't settled down anywhere for longer than a few months since his release from prison two years ago, and had never stayed in Dublin longer than a few nights. With its urban nightlife and escalating crime rate, Jason had had his sights set on Dublin for a while, and so finally made the move with the intention of landing a few gigs in the city's jazz scene. So it was that he found himself visiting local jazz lounge All That Jazz; he had arrived halfway through a set, stealthily enough to slide into a seat near the back of the room and finish off the remainder of some stranger's abandoned glass of gin.

Jason knew the song, of course; his parents had raised him on jazz of all kinds, from Dorsey to Duchin, Calloway to Gershwin, Holiday to Basie - barely a day went by in his empty life that he didn't turn on the radio hoping to hear an old favourite. Although this particular song wasn't what he would call a dance number, he still found his feet shifting rhythmically beneath the table. It was a long track, and despite the talent of the musicians on stage, it didn't capture his attention entirely. Instead, he used the time to check out the interior of the place, his eyes drifting from table to table. Most people had come in groups, or on dates, but there was one young woman who his eyes kept returning to. Unlike the others in the room, she sat at the bar, alone, chatting to the bartender. A typical indication of loneliness, of a natural conversationalist or perhaps that she was a local to the establishment. Either way, Jason saw something for himself in each possibility.

Driven by intrigue and the buzz of stolen alcohol that still tingled on his lips, Jason made his way over to the bar and perched on a stool behind her. The woman stopped speaking with the bartender when he came over to serve him, and turned back to watch the performance. After catching sight of what was in her hand, he ordered two whiskeys, pushing a couple of notes across the bar. He placed the first one in front of the woman, which of course grabbed her attention - but by the time she had spun round to see where it had come from, Jason had fixed his eyes on the stage, fighting the urge to get a proper look at her face so as not to seem too keen.

"Ye shouldn't be drinkin' alone," he advised, pretending to be unable to tear his gaze away from the band. "It's always more fun with two." The song finally came to a close and he set his drink down to applaud them, allowing himself a quick glance at the woman's face. She was deeply attractive and very well dressed, unusually so for someone who had come to a jazz bar on her own. He flashed her a smile, and when the applause died down and the band began their next song, he picked up his drink once more and turned to properly face her. "That's yours, if you want it," he offered, nodding to the glass he had placed before her. Having noticed the nervous expression on her face, he added, "You look like you might. Are ye waitin' on someone still? I wouldn't guess anyone'd stand you up."

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Peter shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as Sinead moved to grab her handbag. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly a moment, feeling slightly overwhelmed with all of the voices around him. A few seconds later he opened his eyes, not having to search very far to find his beautiful wife before him, rummaging through her purse. There had been a lot of thoughts going through his mind the last couple of weeks, since Leo’s death. Besides the dread and the fear, Peter felt at peace with his family. He loved them all so very much and although he had a funny way of showing it right now, he loved Sinead more than she could ever know. The man never saw himself being on medications like Sinead, he knew that the poor woman had been through so much back in Chicago…he didn’t need his medication…

He blinked slowly as the keys were dangled in the air in front of him. He hesitated to reach out for them, having second thoughts about taking his meds now. As if she knew he was struggling, Sinead reassured him and told him to keep taking them as Finn had told him to. Peter continued to hesitate as he simply stared at her. After a long moment, he reached for the keys and took them from her hand. The nervous smile that she had been giving him was reciprocated before he turned on his heel and headed towards the front door, moving out of people way as he past.

Gripping the keys tightly in his palm to the point that it hurt, he escaped out the front door as fast as he could, taking in a huge breath of fresh air as the night greeted him with open arms. Peter stumbled down the fronts steps of the home, seeing his own house in the distance. The whole world was becoming a whirlwind to him as he struggled for control. Desperate to get his pills, Peter continued to take deep breaths as he walked towards his home slowly, squeezing the keys as tightly as he could against his palm, to feel something in all of the numbness.

His garbled thoughts wouldn’t let him be as he thought about how he had been neglecting his beautiful wife for so long. She clearly was doing everything she could to make him feel better…comfortable and she loved him so very much. He loved her too but he just didn’t know how to express such a feeling anymore…And the kids, they had changed over the last few weeks, sensing what was going on between their parents.

Matteo…Angel just had to have another kid, who just had to walk into their life now of all times. Poor Savvy didn’t need this kind of drama in her life, not after what she’s seen with himself. The blonde reached up and grabbed at his head in frustration, stopping just short of the garage, the fuzzy pink keys falling to the ground. Peter shook his head as his breathing felt labored now, tears formed in his eyes as he tried to fight through his thoughts.

(alright bitches, lets do this) Fletchawk Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James gazed at Thomas for a short time, smiling to himself as he took in every small details of his son's sweet face. He looked to Lucy's hand as she softly stroked the baby's head. He would have got lost in the moment had she not spoke up to say both Thomas and herself wanted him to stay. He looked up in time to see his wife's tears before she turned her head around. Keeping a steady hold of Thomas in one arm, he reached his free hand out to gently squeeze Lucy's shoulder. "Hey, come on, Luce. You don't need to worry about me. It's just the Duncans. They can barely ger themselves dressed in the morning..." he tried to reassure her. He solemnly nodded as he thought about Leo, but there wasn't much he could say on that matter. He was another young lad killed and an innocent one, at that. There had been no predicting something so terrible could have happened to him. When she made him promise to return home, he quickly nodded his head. "You're not going to lose me, Luce. That's not part of my plan." He looked down to Thomas as he held the boy in both arms again. "I wouldn't dream of missing this little guy keeping us awake tonight."

When Rudy entered the kitchen, James turned slightly to allow the man to see Thomas. "He looks like me? Oh shit... I'm sorry about that, Thomas!" he joked. He chuckled at the man's comments about giving the child sweets. "And here I was worrying it would be Emery sneaking him the bad stuff!"

Rudy then addressed Lucy, promising her no harm would come to her husband. "See, love. Rudy here's the assigned grown-up and he's going to look after me," he lightly joked. He rocked Thomas in his arms a little, sensing by the baby's sudden change in expression that crying was imminent. "Thomas, mate. You need to be good for your mummy while I'm gone." Aware of the time, he looked Lucy in the eyes. "Are you going to be okay? Your mother has managed to free herself from the children, so maybe she'll give you a hand in here?" he suggested. The longer he stood in the presence of his family, the more he wanted to just stay at home for the evening. But this was a job he needed to finish off and given the nature of the day everyone had already had, he didn't want to add more burdens onto anyone else's shoulders.

Bellz (Lucy) Shireling (Rudy)

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Sheehan​

The redhead sharply turned around to see where the note had come from, only to see a man who’s attention was seemingly grabbed by the performance on stage. Gwen raised an eyebrow at the man before returning her attention to the stage as well, lifting her nearly empty glass of whiskey to her lips and finishing it off with a hefty gulp. The man finally chose to speak which caused Gwen to smirk, dropping the glass from her lips and sitting it on her thigh. She looked on as the band stated that they would be taking a short break, not noticing the glance the man gave her until she turned her attention to him a moment later.

He flashed a smile her way and she smiled in returned, seeing that the man was friendly enough. Turning in her seat, she set down the empty glass to see a new full one waiting for her. ”Well don’t you know what a lady likes?” She asked after he informed her that the drink was for her. At the assumption that she had been waiting for someone, Gwen let out a soft laugh, lifting a hand to her lips to try and cover it up a bit. ”What if I like drinking alone? A woman doesn’t always need a man to accompany her for a drink.” Regardless of her words, Gwen took the full glass and raised it slightly up in the air, ”I’m willing to sit in the company of anyone willing to provide me with whiskey however, so consider yourself lucky.”

After taking a long sip, she set the glass down and turned towards the mystery man a little more though her head looked back towards the stage just in time to see that the band was setting up for their next set. She still had time before she had to go on, as she looked the newcomer up and dow she wondered if that was a good thing. The next singer marched up on stage and Gwen smiled slightly and clapped for her as she introduced herself. Thinking a moment about how she had told the bartender she had lots of friends, Gwen turned her head back towards the man and smiled slowly, ”I guess I should give you a name…The name’s Gwenneth but most people just call me Gwen…and you are…?” This had felt someone familiar to Gwen, having met with Aidan at the club only a few weeks ago. That had been disappointing however, he had left her high and dry without so much as a warning and before she knew it, he had disappeared all together. Gwen had been hurt by such an act and wasn’t sure if she was willing to give another guy a try for a bit.
with: Jason Pyroclast

Lucy Porter​

Lucy turned her head back to face her husband and little Thomas when he put his hand on her shoulder, wiping again and again at her eyes. His promise to her was reassuring and she knew that she was just being silly and emotional, especially since it had only been a few weeks since Thomas’ birth. A smirk formed on her lips as he spoke of never missing Thomas keeping them up tonight. Lucy definitely wasn’t a fan of that small detail but she loved their baby boy very much. Rudy entered the room and Lucy chuckled as she moved to pick up a few pieces of fruit, moving it into a bowl as Rudy went on to say that Thomas had James’ strong features and her eyes, which made Lucy smile widely. Rolling her eyes at James’ joke Lucy moved the bowl of fruit she had chopped up over to the opposite side of the counter before fetching a few more things from the cupboard that could be snacked on and placed into dishes.

Lucy turned to Rudy as he spoke of not letting an harm come to James and Lucy nodded her head happily at that promise. ”He better look after you, and Syd too. I don’t need him coming home looking like a mess like he did last time!” Lucy pointed the kitchen knife she had been using at Rudy playfully. ”You’re fearful of what this man could do to you when angry,” She nodded her head at James, ”Well, you should really be afraid of what his wife will do to you.”
Lucy then looked to Thomas and saw his expression, ”Oh no..” Lucy said with a small smile as she set the knife down and wiped off her hands before walking over to stand in front of James. ”Oh you know he can’t do that, mummy’s angel loves to give her a hard time.” She cooed down to him before her eyes looked up at James. Nodding her head when asked if she would be okay, Lucy made a note to ask her mother for some help if needed. ”I’ll ask but I want her to spend some time with your mother you know? its been a while since she’s had someone her age around.”

Sighing gently, Lucy looked at James and Thomas together one more time, taking in the image before reaching out her arms to take their son from him. She knew it was time for him to make his way out. Her tears had dried and she had hope that he would return to them tonight, that their oldest son would return home as well. Lifting the baby high up, she cooed to the baby before lowering him down and cradling him with one arm. His face didn’t look pleased but she knew that she would have a few moments of preparation before he started to get fussy again. ”I love you.” Lucy murmured to James softly before leaning in to kiss his lips quickly and gently, knowing how he was in front of company. ”I'll see you tonight, Thomas and I will be up waiting for you."
with: James Misty Gray ; Rudy Shireling

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

George had been walking with his hands in the pockets of his jacket and his mind focusing on what he could make for dinner with the ingredients he had back at home. He'd probably read a book afterwards, though he couldn't decide on fiction or non-fiction. He supposed he'd just go with his instincts once he was holding the choices in his hands. His lack of concentration had meant he didn't see the other man until they had collided with each other. With his hands restricted, he couldn't fully maintain his balance so well, but the other man pulled him in to prevent him from falling. "No, it's okay, I..." he mumbled and quickly took his hands out of his pockets. He then looked up to see the familiar man standing in front of him.

As Finn backed away, George's cheeks did the opposite to the other man's, instead turning a deeper red out of embarrassment. Whilst he still believed his honesty was for the best, he felt awkward for the way it had worked out. In a way, he now felt exposed. He'd imagined this day, where he may bump into Finn and he'd told himself he would be cool and neutral, keeping as much emotional distance as he could. Anything to avoid making Finn feel uncomfortable. "Dr. Sullivan..." he flatly replied, sending the man an acknowledging nod.

Wish him a good evening and walk away. Walk away. George bit his bottom lip as he looked passed Finn, into the distance he had been heading towards until now. Something was stopping him, holding him back. His eyes couldn't stay away from Finn for a second longer, no matter what had previously transpired. He couldn't blame Finn for the way he'd reacted and he certainly couldn't think any less of him. Whilst he wanted to spare Finn the ordeal of such awkwardness, he'd also missed his friend more than anything and he wasn't sure he could just walk away without being at all kind to the deserving man. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going... And I'm sorry I ended up complicating things the last time we spoke," he told him. "How are you doing, Finn?" he asked, his tone now softer, friendlier, and completely genuine. No matter how this had played out in his head over the last couple of weeks, he couldn't help but send a warm and friendly smile to the doctor.

Bellz (Finn)

Arlene Sullivan​

Arlene had only been living in her apartment for a few weeks. Whilst there was more than enough room at the Porters and the Callahans, it still felt crowded to her. There was always a drama going on, be it a couple's domestic or some pretty argument among some of the guys. Not to mention the squabbling children. Arlene liked children and loved those in her family, but only in small doses and with the limited work James gave her, she often feared she'd be dragged into babysitting duties at some point. Still, she remained only a phonecall away for when duty did call and she still spent time with her cousins when she could.

Someone else she had been spending time with was Carter and she supposed he was another reason for moving into her own place. She knew seeing him would be severely frowned upon enough without her having the audacity to live under the Porters' own roof given the feud they had with Carter's organisation.

The pair had been out for drinks before returning to Arlene's fourth floor apartment. When they entered her open plan flat, Carter made a comment she'd already been expecting, about her place been better than his. "This? I've have better," she casually pointed out. She bolted the door shut from the inside, not about to let go of security just because she'd voluntarily allowed one of the IWU into her home already. She then turned to Carter as he looked out of the window. "But you also know I've have much worse," she seriously added, knowing he was aware of the poverty she started out in. "I'd say this is a suitable balance."

Arlene rounded the breakfast bar into the kitchen area and leaned her elbows on the dining surface. "What are you drinking, Carter?" she asked him.

Enzyme (Carter)

 

[Enzyme]

Matteo Davide​

Senti l'acciaio freddo nella tua mano? Premilo contro la sua testa. Vuoi essere un delinquente? Devi essere in grado di uccidere.Non aver paura Sei terrificante. Sei potente. Sei più un uomo di quanto tu non sia mai stato tuo padre. Era un vigliacco. Era un serpente. Essere un uomo! Premere il grilletto!

Matteo awoke in a cold sweat at a man's beefy hand shaking his shoulder. His eyes opened to the half-shut curtains, able to see fog pouring over a neatly trimmed yard. He could hear the muffled sounds of a bird's incessant chirping before a flock dissipated off the gavel and vanished into the gloomy sky. He turned over onto his back to see the silhouette of a man standing over him. More confused than alarmed, his hands drifted out of the comfort of the warm blanket and rubbed his eyes.

With the sand brushed away, he could make out the man's features, but couldn't place a name to him. The shoulder holster wrapped over his white button up reminded him of the estate guards' attire. "Mr. Porter wants you downstairs," the man said, before turning around to walk away. Matteo sat up and looked over to the windup clock that was sitting on his nightstand. As he suspected, it was no later than 6:30.

Matteo had gotten dressed and met James downstairs. The pair went for a jog around the property, and although Matteo would've much preferred his beauty sleep, he found himself picking up the pace into a strong sprint. The air in Dublin seemed cleaner and more comfortable to breathe. The brisk wind didn't burn his lungs, but instead refreshed them as a cold glass of water would feel. While he resented it in the start, he felt invigorated and awake by the end.

Once James and Matteo went their separate ways, the sun had risen high in the sky. Matteo retreated to his room to get ready, fixing on an uncomfortable button up that Rayna had forced him to bring. He fidgeted with the cuffs, yet couldn't seem to get them to clasp together. Once he was downstairs with everyone else, he was practically ready to rip the damn things off.

The service was incredibly dull. A bunch of people Matteo had never met bunched around a hole in the earth as a priest talked about someone else he had never seen. He had no feelings towards Leo's murder, even after seeing his photos plastered around the reception halls. It did, however, bring the weight of reality down on his shoulders. This man, not a whole lot older than Matteo, was shot and killed in public. That thought segued him to another, to where he thought back to what he could remember of his dream that morning; what it would be like to kill someone. He wondered what the man who had pulled the trigger on Leo felt. Did he have any remorse? Surely not. Mob-related murders were the world they lived in, and he couldn't imagine they weren't numb to the feeling yet.

After escaping the service, people flooded the Porter mansion and socialized. Rayna pulled Matteo into the living room so he could meet his half-sister. As he rounded the corner, there she was. The first thing Matteo noticed was her resemblance to his father, through photos he'd seen. To some, it may have gone unnoticed, but to him, it was all he could see. Strangely enough, it gave him a warm feeling in his chest, and she felt like immediate family.

"Savannah?" He called out, stepping in front of Rayna now. He slowly stepped forward, seeing as she was a bit shy. He smiled, lightly tapping his hand against his chest. "I'm Matteo, your big brother."

Misty Gray (James/Sinead/Savannah) Bellz (Rayna)