Realistic or Modern Empire City: The Irish Mob - IC (Closed)

[RayPurchase]

Mitchell Van Gerwen
​

Mitch learned back in his chair. In the past few weeks the threats of death and pain had really ramped up. Maybe it was a sign that he was doing things well...? The whole mob dynamic was an odd one.

“Trust me, when it comes to work Mr Cartwright, I am not one to joke around. What I’m saying is I’m willing to take a fresh look over the case. If, and I can not emphasise the word if enough, I think that we've got enough to go on, to get you out of here, most likely on parole, then we can start constructing something. I don’t want to make you any sweeping promises or placate you with tales of this being an open and shut case. It isn’t, this is one of the tougher ones I’ve seen. So I’m not going to promise you freedom, it’s too early for that. Instead what I’ll offer you is complete honesty and evaluation. Whether we've got a chance. If I think the odds are in our favour, that there’s a chance, no matter how slim, I’m willing to fight your corner. If on the other hand this is a busted flush, I wont string you on and give you false hope. This trust goes both ways though, I’m going to need honest answers for any and all questions. Frankly I don’t care about morality and right and wrong, you got convicted for the crime by a jury of your peers, that’s all in the past, all that matters to is whether we've got a winnable case here,”

He leaned over the interview table offering him a hand, his watch face glinting in the light cast from the neon strips above their heads.

“Are these terms you can work with?”

( Melanin-Gxdess )

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor looked down as Leo wrapped his arms around him. He towered the boy by well over a foot and couldn't help but chuckle as the height difference was highlighted - not that the boy was far off from being as tall as Sinead. When Leo let go and stepped back to speak, Conor looked his son in the face as he attentively listened to what he was saying. He explained how he'd forgotten to bring the pets but suggested it was okay as they'd all be going home to see them. Given the way things were between him and Aliana, Conor would be staying with the Callahans for the foreseeable future, or least until he completed his parole and could get his own place again. But it seemed like Leo was expecting his father to go back to living at home, with Aliana, as had been the case before he was arrested. Conor's initial thought was to go along with it, ignore the comment and not correct the boy so as to avoid any awkwardness and worry about that details later. But his time in prison and his counselling sessions had taught Conor to be more open. He knew not correcting Leo now could only lead to deeper unhappiness later on. He had to be honest and responsible.

Seana spoke up to tell the boy to back off a little and Conor welcomed the brief interruption so he could collect his thoughts again. He sent his mother-in-law another warm smile. "It's good to be home," he replied to her. Conor crouched down so his face was level with Leo's and he placed one hand on the child's shoulder. "I won't be coming home with you and your mum," he gently told him, his face serious and sincere. "I'll be living with your Auntie Sinny for a while. You know I was an idiot and I did some dumb stuff, so I ended up in prison. Your mother is pissed at me..." he began, reminding himself to keep his voice level. "But, I can't blame her for that because I broke a promise I made to her and I missed out on years of being at home with you, mate." He let out a sigh. "We'll still get to see each other loads now I'm out of jail, alright?" Conor rubbed his head as the excitement, apprehension and significant increase of social interaction seemed to be overwhelming him. He was determined to fight it in favour of spending valuable time with his loved ones. "I would love to go to the pier, so of course you know that's going to be happening. As soon as I've had a good bath and a proper sleep, we'll get to planning that day out, alright?" Conor hoped the boy would understand and could hold out for a couple more days. He needed to get his own head straight and start to feel normal again first. He didn't want to let his son down. "Maybe we can even plan that party we discussed the other week. Invite your cousins and friends, yeah?"

Sensing someone else enter the room, Conor turned his head slightly, enough to see Aliana out of the corner of his eye. He turned back to Leo and softly smiled before standing up straight. Whilst he'd acknowledged he made a mistake and had let Aliana down, there were still things weighing on his mind. She hadn't visited him throughout his sentence and the one time she had, things hadn't gone down as well as he'd hoped. The fact he couldn't live up to Tommy still ate away at him. It hurt not knowing where he stood in his own marriage and he hated that they weren't now greeting each other with open arms. Sucking up his own troubles for the sake of not ruining Leo's joyful mood, Conor maintained a smile and loosened his shoulders as he turned to face Aliana completely. "It's good to see you, Ali..." he began, his voice trailing off as he noticed the sunglasses and got the feeling the woman was exhausted. He took a step closer but hesitated and dropped back ever so slightly. She probably didn't want him to come close to her and maybe didn't even want him be all concerned, even if it was his gut instinct to do so. It all felt too awkward and his confidence around her was dented. He'd convinced himself in prison that he'd blown it with his wife and she would likely seek a divorce once he was out. But he stood by his beliefs that they had to work on their marriage and he would fight against a legal separation. "How... How are you doing?" he asked her. "I'm glad you're here."


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Leo, Seana)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Thomas Porter
Roxie Carriveau ​

Roxie widened her eyes at the scene before her and started to tip toe back around the corner some, that was, until Lucy pointed her wicked finger at her. The words were harsh but she guessed from the way she was looking at things, they had to be just that. The brunettes eyes immediately turned to Syd as he shouted that he had called his parents. She had to look around her at her surroundings to remind herself that she wasn't in her parents home, though it sure as hell sounded like it. Watching him in anguish like he had been at The Plaza was making her heart ache. She wanted desperately to step in as he explained himself, to reassure to the Porters that Syd was doing as much as he could on his end, but she knew it was a bad idea.

Lucy watched her son as he stood there, clearly distraught over the whole mess, but was it because of that or because he got caught with her? The blonde turned her head to look at the woman once more before her eyes found Syd's. He was begging to her, wanting to fix what had happened between them. Lucy was a stubborn woman, much like her own mother and father but when it came to her children being in pain, especially over something that she could fix easily...

She let his last words hang in the air. He was right, she couldn't keep them apart forever, she didn't want to keep them apart. Looking to Thomas, Lucy motioned for him to come join her before kneeling down to him, "Thomas, my boy, my sweet sweet boy, I know you want to see Syd but you can't just run away. Do you know how much danger you could put yourself in? Surely we've had this talk before." With that, she stood and turned to look to James. "Thomas, why don't you go wait in the car? We will be out shortly." The boy had been stunned into silence at the way his big brother was reacting, all he could do was stare at him. He wanted to stay and make Syd feel better but he knew it was best to do what his mother asked.

He hesitated however, looking to Syd with tears watering in his eyes. Unexpectedly to both Lucy and Roxie, Thomas ran towards his brother and wrapped him in a tight hug around his stomach. "I love you Sydie." He said to him, muffled from his face being buried into his chest. After a moment, he let go before slowly heading towards the front door, rounding the corner before disappearing behind it.

Lucy waited until she heard the door shut before speaking. "Syd, love." She murmured before moving towards him slowly, her arms reaching out to offer a hug. "Its alright. Everything is going to be okay. I don't want this either...and I'm sure your father is on the same page as me." The blonde's head turned to look at James again nodding slowly as she was confident that he wanted the same. "We don't want to keep you apart...and I shouldn't keep you apart because of our feud with you, but..." She paused to look at Roxie, "We are just being cautious. How can you forget so easily about what happened to Sinead? Its not impossible, these things happen in real life. Especially in our lives." She hugged him tightly before reaching to place a kiss on his cheek, "I-I'm sorry." Though it was clear that Lucy was sorry, she didn't dare utter one to the girl practically hiding behind the corner now. Lucy was still up in the air about her.
with: Syd Pyroclast ; James Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James looked slightly confused when Syd protested that he had called. It didn't take long for the penny drop to realise he meant he'd been calling over the last week, not in the immediate past to tell them where Thomas was. He wasn't prepared to get into that discussion whilst Thomas and Roxie were around. It wasn't the place to remind him of how much business had taken over him, especially in the last week and regarding Arlene's death. He'd also hoped Syd would have shown up at the house to speak in person. However, as he heard his eldest son's voice falter with his shouts, James realised he should have maybe approached Syd already, even if he stood by his suspicions about Roxie and even despite Syd telling him to fuck off. It had been in the heat of the moment.

"That's fine, Syd. But, I don't want Thomas here when you and Roxie are doing what you do." James shook his head when Syd told him he wasn't being fair. He hoped his son would realise he was trying to do what was best for the family. Too much had been happening lately for him to let his guard down and take risks. Until he knew for sure Roxie checked out, he wasn't comfortable letting Thomas stay while she was there. He hoped he was wrong about her, because it seemed to be the first time Syd had shown attraction to anyone since Skye had died. He hoped Roxie wasn't going to hurt Syd in any way.

When Syd pleaded for him and Lucy not to go, James diverted his attention down towards the ground for a moment. It hurt to be fighting with his son and upset him to hear the way he was speaking. He met the younger man's gaze and let out a sigh as he mentioned them not being able to keep him apart from Thomas. He watched as Lucy hugged Syd and reassured him everything was going to be okay. When prompted, he quickly nodded his head to confirm he felt the same. "You have to understand where we're coming from. Too much has happened to us for me to just ignore any doubts I have." James had avoided saying much at all to Roxie, not wanting to scare her and have her think he intended to harm her. He knew his suspicion and mistrust might give her different ideas.

After Lucy had hugged Syd, James stepped forward and placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "I'm sorry we've made you feel this way," he said, looking him in the eyes. "You're always welcome to come home and spend time with Thomas," he firmly assured him. It went without saying the invitation didn't include Roxie for the time-being. "We've got the tickets for Savvy's play sorted. I hope you'll still join us," he told Syd.


Bellz (Lucy, Thomas, Roxie) Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

In all honesty, Jason didn't recollect ever promising to stay by her side, but it was such a long time ago now that he couldn't remember well enough to dispute it. It didn't sound like the sort of thing he would say - but then again, he hadn't entirely been himself back when he and Gwen were together. Being in love, regardless of whether he was aware of it or not, had brought about changes in him that, once they had split up, hadn't exactly stuck. Pretty soon his life was centred back on himself and himself alone.

Jason stared, taken aback as Gwen continued her tirade while beginning to take off her shirt. He wasn't sure where to look at first, but given how impassioned she was he decided it best to look her in the eye. Seeing her undressed wasn't enough to distract him from the argument - even though 11 years had passed, her body still felt familiar to him. Unfazed, he folded his arms and locked eyes with her through the mirror. His face twisted at her words but he listened on, doing his best to hold in any retorts. When she cut herself off, Jason knew what she had been about to say: that she had loved him. Eyes narrowing, Jason tilted his head forward as though willing her to finish her sentence. She had never told him that she loved him before, so it was news to him. He would have preferred to hear it in any other context than a fight, but at least his defences were already raised enough to not let her confession move him. Jason continued to listen, more to pick at her words in his head as she spoke than anything else, but found himself growing surprisingly sympathetic when she expressed her fear of having her daughter taken away and of being "found" by someone, whom he presumed to be her estranged husband.

Contrary to her accusation, it hadn't come as a surprise to him when she had left him. In fact, he barely remembered the night at all, having been so steaming drunk. The morning had left him with few clues besides an agonising hangover, split knuckles and a note written in Gwen's handwriting that read:'Maybe someday.' That was enough for him to keep his distance from her for good, or at least until she decided to get back in touch with him. Which, of course, she never did.

"What decisions, what are you talking about?" he pushed, failing to hide his frustration as his voice increased in volume. "Look, I'm sorry that you ended up unhappily married after you and I split but that has nothin' to do wit' me. None of the decisions you made after that have anythin' to do wit' me. And of course I fuckin' wanted to be wit' you, Gwen! You were all I wanted! But I couldn't just have you, could I? 'Cause ye come attached to this...this big threat, which - and I mean no offense - isn't exactly a selling point for you." He glared at her for moment. "Can ye really blame me for not wanting to get mixed up in the most notorious gang in all of Ireland?"

Gwen's bare arms were now on show as she laced up her corset and Jason's eye caught sight of something that momentarily stunned him. Despite never having shot heroin himself, he had spent enough time in prison to recognise track marks a mile off. It crossed his mind that her outbursts might be the result of some deeper underlying problem that she had understandably kept quiet about. Jason sighed, though the dark expression on his face didn't waver. "I'm not askin' for a chance," he growled. "Unlike you, I'm just tryin' to keep things friendly around here so we can make the show a success. After that, ye can fuck off an' never see my face again if that's really what ye want."

His eyes drifted back to the marks on her arms. The possibility of drug abuse was gnawing at his brain now and he found himself unable to move on from it. "When were ye gonna tell me, Gwen?" Neither his expression nor his tone of voice had softened much, but the drop in volume made him sound marginally more sensitive. "What kind of work injury would even give you those? How're ye gonna explain that to Angelica?"

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Syd looked down in embarrassment when James made allusions to what he and Roxie were getting up to. The thought of having to give up on her in order to be allowed to see his brother pained him. As if it wasn't difficult enough navigating his feelings towards her, he now faced the added pressure of deciding whether or not to give up on this rare chance at happiness. How could he be happy with Roxie, anyway, if it meant Thomas couldn't come to see him? Syd said nothing as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He understood well enough that his father was firm in his suspicion of Roxie and the only way to resolve the matter was to let him investigate on his own terms. If he tried to interfere, he was convinced that he would end up losing either Roxie or his parents.

Jaw clenched, Syd's eyes remained fixed to the floor as he waited for someone to speak. He could feel a familiar hopelessness begin to set in, draining the stress and tension from his body and replacing it with a numb, empty feeling. His vision glazed over and he barely registered his mother addressing Thomas and telling him to go and wait in the car. When the boy unexpectedly ran to wrap his little arms around Syd, his reaction was slower than usual but he soon brought his brother in close and squeezed him tight. His words tugged at his heart and he exhaled sharply. "I love you too, T," he murmured. "I'll see you soon, I promise. It's gonna be okay." He held the boy for several seconds before letting him go, watching him until he was out of sight. Thomas had never been caught up in a fight like this before and Syd only hoped he would be able to move on from it easily once it was all over. Otherwise, he would never forgive himself.

Lucy began to approach him with open arms but Syd only stood still and watched her cautiously. While he was desperate to make up with her again, his defences were up and something told him it was a trick - perhaps a ploy to manipulate him into agreeing with her. "I know," he quietly replied, when she told him they were only being careful. "I haven't forgotten about...does Sinead really think that?" He looked at her, hurt that his aunt might have turned against him, too. Lucy then took him in her arms and hugged him tight. Reluctantly, Syd raised an arm to pat her on the back. The hug just didn't feel genuine to him. He missed her heavily, but the disagreement between them was still too unresolved for him to believe she was ready to accept him back into her loving arms.

James spoke up then, pointing out their reasons for being cautious. "I know, and I am being careful, trust me. I've been in my fair share of dangerous situations by now, too. But you can't compare Roxie to Angel. Come on. She's - she's -" Syd turned to Roxie then, noticing how awkward she looked. He felt guilty about her having to witness the scene, wishing he had told her to stay upstairs. She looked so innocent in her dungarees, making it impossible for him to imagine his parents' suspicions being true. Then again, Sinead was no idiot - she surely had thought the same about Angel. "Do what you need to do," he sighed, in a lacklustre tone of voice. "Prove she's the enemy. Clear her name. Don't ignore your doubts, just do something about them..."

A few heavy seconds passed before James moved towards him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. At first he didn't react at all, but when he told him that he was welcome to come over and see Thomas he raised his head to meet the man's eye and gave a small nod of gratitude. His father spoke gently, telling him that he had a ticket already reserved to see Savannah's play. By now both of his parents had apologised to him, and while Syd knew the problem hadn't been resolved yet, it at least felt like a step forward to be speaking with them rather than shouting. "Thanks, I'll, uh...I'll tell her I'll be there," he said softly. As usual, his emotional outburst had tired him and now he lacked the energy to say much more. Instead, he moved away from his father's reach and took a seat at the kitchen table, using a hand to prop his head up. "You'd better get Thomas, then," he suggested, as a gentle way to ask them to leave. Just moments ago Syd had been desperate for them not to leave him, but now he was conscious of how uncomfortable Roxie must be feeling and he figured he'd need some time alone with her to make her feel better. If his parents stayed much longer, then she might leave before he got a chance. "I'm sorry about all this...shit," he mumbled, to everyone in general. He sniffed and forced himself to look up to his parents; he would have tried to smile at them but he was too weary at this point. "I'll come by before Savvy's play and we can talk more then." He cleared his throat, visibly uncomfortable. The topic of Arlene still weighed heavily on him, but it didn't feel like the right time to bring it up. Hoping to indirectly offer his mother some support during her bereavement so as not to turn the conversation back to something heavy, he gazed up at her and added, "'Til then, you know where I am if you want me."


Interactions
Bellz Lucy, Thomas, Roxie
Misty Gray James

 

[Misty Gray]

Rachel Harris
~The Emerald Pub ~​

Hearing the telephone ringing in the back room, Rachel left the barman to continue serving the customers as she rushed to the quieter room to take the call. Knowing Conor was due out of prison, she was making sure not to miss any calls in case he had some important instructions or even an update for her. There was also the matter of one of Conor's old friends moving into the upstairs apartment. As far as she was concerned, everything was sorted out on that front so she didn't really expect to be needed regarding that matter. However, as she placed the receiver to her ear, the familiar man's voice made her kind of wish there was a problem with the apartment or that Conor had called to give her some kind of instruction.

"Noah..." Rachel replied to her brother. She made no effort to conceal the annoyance from her voice. "So you've got your privileges back then? I wasted my time going to that fucking prison yesterday, only to be told you weren't allowed visitors. You told me it wouldn't happen again."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Guards searched my cell and found a blade. I'm not fussed, I've got plenty more weapons stashed around the place." Noah proudly informed his sister. "Gotta keep the others in their place, right?"

"You're never going to get out of there and we all wasted our time making sure you avoided a murder charge. I broke all contact with Mum and Dad because of you. But I know what you are, Noah. You're fucked in the head."

"Bit dramatic, Rach. The Boss wanted a guy dead and I obliged," he said, referring to his old boss, Liam Sullivan. In return, the Sullivans had helped to make sure Noah only got sent down for manslaughter.

"You're exhausting, Noah." Though Rachel always supported her brother, she knew he wasn't an honourable person and wasn't really a good one. She knew he had no remorse for hurting or killing others, yet he was a convincing enough liar to get the jury to believe he acted in self-defence. As much as she missed her brother, there were times she thought he was better off inside jail, where she wasn't responsible for getting tied up in helping to cover his tracks or fix his mistakes.

"I don't have long left on the phone. What have I missed?" Noah asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Well, Conor managed to get his parole," she informed him. With Conor being in a different prison, she knew Noah would be clueless about the news.

"Ah, good. So maybe you can now spend more time looking after my garage, yeah?"

"The lads are looking after that place, so they don't need me around. Business is good there - plenty of jobs coming in from the Porters," she quietly told him. She massaged her forehead with the fingertips of her free hand as she couldn't shift the feeling of danger she'd been having over the last few weeks. With the explosion and Arlene's death, she couldn't help but feel like she needed to be on high alert being associated with the mob. "Listen, I know you think you can handle yourself and you've got plenty of friends in that place, but watch your back, Noah. The Sullivans and Porters have a lot of enemies. Don't get too cocky."

"You don't have to worry about me, Rach... Come see me next week, alright? I'll stay out of trouble so you don't get turned away again... Listen, guard's pointing to his watch. I have to go. Come see me!"

 

[seasonedcat]

Penelope frowned when Brady said he wasn't doing well. She glanced around, now that she looked, she did notice that their leader wasn't here yet. That was very concerning now that her attention was brought to it. This could mean bad things, in their line of business, this could mean many things, death, kidnapping, or just running late because he lost his brush. But in most cases it wasn't the latter, it usually meant something bad was happening.

She listened to their plan of finding their missing leader. She hoped that this wouldn't lead to any more of them going missing if they did stumble upon what was happening here. She also hoped that they would be able to not only find their leader, but he would be ok. But it was a dangerous life they lived, so the situation was a very unsettling one. She just prayed that they wouldn't have to just continue without them, the unknown was dangerous.

Penelope loosened up and let out a small chuckle at Brady offering her a hand to help her up. She gratefully took it and stood up, "If we are doing ladies first, shouldn't you be going first?" she joked lightly as she followed him onto the streets. The others followed out as well, standing beside each other as they looked at Brady for the go-ahead. Everyone a little on edge with the whole missing leader thing.

She nodded as he pointed to her and a few others to follow him. She followed behind him a few paced behind, breathing in the smoke from his cigaret. The familiar burn caused an annoying itch to weasel it's way up into her chest. She hated the habit of smoking that she had picked up, and at times like this, it could be a little painful. Her body longed to smoke, but she had nothing to satisfy it. She did this on purpose, of course, not trusting herself to stay away from the stick if she had it in her pocket.

So, she leaves it at home, if she doesn't have it on her, she won't be able to fall into temptation and smoke. A painful way she hoped would help, but usually just result in a painful time before she gets home and smokes a few to finally scratch the itch. Running her hand down her face, she shook her head, doing her best to ignore the itch and focus on their missing leader, she could think about her problems later. Clearing her throat she spoke up, "Any ideas where he could be?"
Bellz

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The joy and excitement on Leo's face slowly faded when he was informed Conor wouldn't be staying in their home. He had planned an exciting night of movies and junk food and building a pillow fort in the living room. It was a secret plan, of course, because he didn't want his mother's feelings to be hurt at the fact he wanted to spend the night with him. In all honesty, he wanted to do those things with both of them but something in him said it was a bad idea. He looked down at the ground, then back up at Conor, a disappointed look on his face. "But I had all this stuff planned! It was going to be amazing!" Leo hadn't been able to do any of the normal stuff he saw Thomas doing with James in the past 3 years. Instead, he was visiting him in prison not being able to do the things he imagined doing in his head. Now that he had the opportunity, he was upset that he wouldn't be able to do a lot of that when he wanted since he wasn't staying in their home. The little crease in his forehead was beginning to form; the one when he started to get upset. Without a word he walked past him and sat on the stairs, placing his face in his hands. He was currently gathering his thoughts, trying to decide which of them he was going to let out. Seana shook her head and held up a hand to Conor, "I got it. You talk to her." She said, pointing at Ali. Giving him a pat on the shoulder, she went and sat on the stairs next to him. "Alright, mister, get your thoughts under control and let's figure out what we're going to say, hm?"

Ali just shook her head. "Mom knows how to deal with his temper tantrums better than I do..." Taking a slight pause, she looked down at her feet, trying to not only get her bearings from her hangover but also the overwhelming feelings she had. When she looked up at him, she could tell he was hesitant about doing something. Was it walking over to her? He was always perceptive of how she was feeling and wanted to comfort her whenever he could. It stung a bit that he hadn't, but she knew his reasonings why. She was so cold and icy towards him their last meeting, why wouldn't he be taken aback with her? Picking her head up, she nodded her head at him. "Aside from the raging headache and-" she was about to mention the explosion before she stopped herself. How was she going to tell him about that? Should she tell him about that? Amongst the other things that he was going to hear about today, that should probably be one she should keep to herself for now. Instead, she gave him a soft smile, straining her cheeks even more. "Oh, I'm fine." Oh, how much she wanted to run to him and just make up for a lost time but the many factors keeping her back prevented it. The ankle, herself, just to name a couple. She did, however, surprise herself in limping ever so slightly towards him. Sinead was right, she decided, she should still welcome him home. When she reached him, she hoped the hug wouldn't be awkward or forced. Reaching her arms out to give him a hug, her heart started pounding in the embrace. "I'm... I'm glad you're home." Aliana still cared about Conor, still loved Conor, there was no question about any of that. Just at the moment, she didn't know if she could forgive him. If she couldn't forgive him, how could she continue their marriage without resenting him?

Hugging him made her heart feel at ease like she was missing a piece and now after 3 years, she got it back. Pulling away from him, she put her hand on his cheek and lingered a bit before playfully tapping it. "Alright, enough of that." She joked. Because she knew of the news he was going to get, the filling in of all the terrible things that had been going on, she knew she couldn't be too rough on him. Hearing Sinead's voice about allowing her time to heal, she immediately went for the couch to relieve her ankle of pressure and her weight. Sitting down, she gave a deep sigh and leaned back, tucking her leg under her. Propping her elbow up on the side, she rested her head in her hand and nodded over to the spot next to her. "Come sit. Take a load off." There was a pause, as she thought of something to say. Currently, the sane part of her was suppressing the anger and rage portion; that and the hangover of course. That side had plenty to say but she wasn't going to... Not yet.





( Misty Gray )​

[/CENTER]

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
When Maddox explained that Peter's upbringing could have an effect on his adult life, something seemed to click in his mind. He spent years trying to forget the lonely nights he'd spent by himself, alone in a room that was meant to house 12 or so other children. Peter tried to forget the abandonment, the rejection and he, for the most part had been successful in doing so. Nodding his head slowly, Peter was willing to open up that whole can of worms if it meant he could get better. "I think it would certainly help me..." Peter said, not necessarily disagreeing with the man.

His questions, they were pushing him to dive deeper into the subject and Peter almost felt like he was explaining himself because he was guilty rather than just talking because he needed to. A wave of anxiety draped him and Peter swallowed hard. There was quite a few questions, so he didn't know exactly where to start...or if he even wanted to. "Well," Peter started as he leaned forward from the couch, clasping his hands in front of him as his elbows sat on top of his knees. "That's just it doc, I don't even know who I am. I thought I knew, I really did." He paused as his eyes once again gravitated towards the clock. Not really looking at the time, he let his eyes drift back to Maddox. "There was a time when I was so sure I knew, I was Petey, a nickname I was first given by the nuns. I was innocent, untouched by conflict...or at least that's what I thought. But now that I think about it, I don't remember much of who I was as a kid. And I don't know who I am now."

Thinking about the early days of his marriage was hard because even that seemed to becoming a distant memory to him, one that he was struggling to keep alive. "Our early marriage had its troubles but I was a lot less...jealous." The blonde man didn't go any further than saying that. He was unable to talk about Angel, because as far as he was concerned..he was no father to his Savvy. "We were happy, not scared of danger always lurking behind every corner. I feel like the years have taken a toll on us, you know?"
with: Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor saw the way Leo's smile dropped when told they wouldn't all be going home together. As much as he wanted to retract it all and say he would be going back there, he knew it wasn't possible. He had to be up front with the boy, no matter how uncomfortable it all was. There was soon clear disappointment on the kid's face as he mentioned he had planned things for when they all got home. "Mate, I'm sorry, I..." Conor replied, his voice sounding as dejected as he felt. He felt like the worst guy in the world in that moment. Before he could think of a good enough way to make it up to Leo, the boy walked out of the room to the staircase. Before Conor could call Leo back or follow him with an idea of how to fix things, Seana motioned for him to stay put and she would deal with the upset boy herself. Conor sadly nodded his head before looking back to another person who wasn't happy with him - Aliana.

Aliana explained that Seana was adept at dealing with Leo's temper tantrums. It was concerning to hear about the behaviour at all, because Conor could only assume it was his own fault. Not just the boy's frustration at his dad being locked in jail for years, but also that the man believed his son had inherited those behaviours from him. The last thing he wanted was for his son to end up like him. "I suppose that's something we need to work on. I mean, something I need have words with him about when some normality resumes," he spoke up. From his voice and expression, it was clear Conor was taking the blame for Leo's temperamental behaviour.

The focus turned to Aliana as she mentioned having a bad headache and trailed off before finishing the rest of her sentence. "Have you taken something for it? I'm sure Tink has some painkillers somewhere. I mean, she lives with Emmy - and now me - after all," he drily remarked. Despite his emotionless delivery of the light joke, he still looked to Aliana with something of concern on his face. Perhaps it was just the fact there was a barrier between them and the coldness of the prison visit was still eating away at Conor, but he felt like his wife was hiding something from him. He didn't get much time to run through all the possible things she was keeping from him, as he was taken aback when she stepped closer to him and reached out to give him a hug. Conor momentarily froze, like a deer caught in headlights, due to his surprise that the woman wanted to be anywhere near him. Then she said she was glad he was home, which caused Conor to relax slightly. He wrapped his arms around Aliana and held her close for a time. He'd left her to deal with the businesses and Leo for years. The whole mess was clearly taking it's toll on Aliana, so Conor held her for as long as he wanted, softly rubbing her back to reassure her she could finally relax now he was present to take a load of the work back from her. Whether she hated him or not, he wouldn't have her exhausted doing his work any longer. Obviously, he'd prefer she didn't hate him and would forgive him, so he wouldn't feel like he had a new fight on his hands.

Aliana pulled away from the hug and placed her hand to his cheek, causing Conor to send her a warm smile as he remembered how good it felt to be with her. She then walked away to sit on the couch and invited him to join her. The brief physical contact had made him wonder if it was possible she could want him back. Although he hid it well, that thought was soon snatched away when he caught sight of the bracelet she was wearing and remembered Tommy all over again. No matter how much he was trying and would continue to improve now he was out of jail, Conor believed he could never fill that man's shoes. Compared to him, Tommy had been a perfect saint.

Conor sat next to Aliana and for a time just accepted the silence. The moment there was a hint of it becoming awkward, he cleared his throat and turned to look at Aliana. "My head's spinning at the moment, trying to get used to finally being out of that place and with people I care about. But I'm going to get back into things tomorrow. I'll check in on the pubs and all that; catch up on all the stuff I've missed. I'll arrange to treat Leo as well - maybe a whole day with him on Sunday?" he suggested, hoping she wouldn't refuse him a day out with his son. He let out a soft sigh. "Things here are good, not like back in Dublin. James has got everything under control and it's working out well, so he doesn't even need me. Which means I can focus on my own businesses and keep my nose clean," he said. The certainty in his voice made it clear he was unaware of any of the problems that had recently occurred. Some of it had been intentionally kept from Conor for the sake of letting him focus on his parole hearing.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Leo, Seana)

Maddox Parker​

Maddox encouragingly nodded when Peter agreed that talking about his childhood would help. Having got the man to open up a little, the counsellor remained quiet as Peter spoke, not wanting to interrupt the man when he was willing to share his experiences. He remained seated comfortably in a casual position so as not to make the other man feel under pressure or under scrutiny. He studied the man's face as he said he didn't know who he was, clearly troubled by his inability to identify with himself. With the nuns mentioned again, Maddox decided Peter's childhood, especially in the orphanage was a starting point for delving deeper into the man's troubled mind.

Listening to the man speaking of his marriage, Maddox hadn't expected to hear Peter suggest he was experiencing jealousy. His earlier comment about Sinead having anxiety had at first seemed like the woman relied on or was dependent on his husband. For clarity, Maddox chose to ask for a little elaboration. "Jealous, how? What is it that makes you feel that way in your marriage?" he asked, wondering if there was someone or something hanging over the couple's marriage, such as a past mistake Sinead could have made during the relationship. "If you think about your marriage and the past tense of being happy, do you feel like it's beyond repair? Imagine five years from now; where you'll be and who you'll be close to. What springs to mind?" he curiously posed.

Maddox decided to steer the conversation back to Peter's childhood; something the man seemed willing to talk about. "You've told me of how you didn't have a family when you were younger, which I understand would be difficult for any child growing up. Though it seems like you had a tougher time than most. Can you remember why the families took you back to the orphanage?" he gently asked. "When in the orphanage, did you have friends and any pleasant memories?"


Bellz (Peter)

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue​

Although he muffed up his greeting, and could see that Aliana was trying to maintain some sort of front, Ryan knew that due to his lack of being present, it wasn't his place to address it. All he could do was give her a concerned look, and move out of way as she headed towards the lounge.

He was initially confused by Sinead's sudden drop in mood while handing over the keys, and by her being overly specific on who tidied the place up. It didn't begin to click into place until she affirmed that she wasn't to show up uninvited. Even then, it took a moment, as it wasn't exactly what he said, or his intention.

As he took the keys, he started to correct her softly, "Sinny, that's...", only for his voice to be overpowered by Emery's rowdy arrival. The girl had been mostly nonchalant when Sinead reintroduced them, but she was much more recognizable now. Aside from being slightly more tactful, he noted that the girl had lost little of her bullish ways as she quickly took over the conversation.

"I've noticed," somewhat confirming Emery's version of the man. Not that he'd been expecting much in the way of small talk from Harold, less from the pudgey one. While he was capable of it, the lack of chitchat wouldn't have bothered Ryan.

Unsurprisingly, Sinead gave in to her daughter's request after some back and forth between the redheads. Although he'd been expecting his ride to be quiet, he couldn't bring himself to refuse the girl's excited energy, especially since he wanted to prove Sinead's belief his ability to at least keep her safe to be well founded.

Shrugging as if it wouldn't be a problem, "If she gets too obnoxious, we can just stuff her in the trunk with the other one," giving Sinead a quick wink to show he was being facetious in order to try curbing the girl's enthusiasm a bit.

Since Emery was present and trying to goad him into leaving as soon as possible, he lightly touched back on the previous issue, "Lunch. Pick a place with Peter, and we'll pick this up again then." Ryan had wanted to clarify in the moment, but it would likely lead to misunderstandings without context. Something that he didn't want to provide to a teenage girl.

Once he started towards the front door, he looked down the hall towards the lounge, but saw that Conor was enthralled in the presence of his family, and decided to leave the moment uninterrupted as he'd see Conor again relatively soon.

Harold's eyes narrowed at the news another passenger, but didn't comment.


Misty Gray [Sinead, Emery]
Mentions : Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

What Mitch was saying had him thinking back to what landed him in this place to begin with. It wasn't his temper so much, but his love for his daughter. The over-whelming desire to protect his family is what drove him to be sloppy and kill that "cop". Surely the judge and jury would be able to see that? But, would they over-look all the other instances of murder he had committed? If this lawyer was as good as he made himself seem to be then surely he would be able to get it overlooked. The only problem was trying to decide if it was something worth risking. 'Trying to get back to your family is worth the risk...' Allen slowly nodded his head, taking a deep breath. With a slight chuckle, leaned back in his chair again and crossed his arms. "Alright then, Mitch the lawyer. You got yourself a deal." There was a big part of him that was looking forward to this very much. He hadn't seen his daughter since she was young and now he had the opportunity to not only see her, but to hold her as well. Not just Ali, but Leo and Seana. Whilst his wife could play the facade of not wanting anything to do with him, he knew she would be happy to see him home again. "So, I don't want you to say anything to anyone, especially Ali until we've come to the conclusion you can get me out of here... That is if you can of course. I don't want to give the kid a sense of false hope, otherwise she'll definitely hate me forever and she's all I have left." There was something in the small grin he gave, not sad not happy but something hidden. "Anyway, what's our first step to geting me the hell out of here? Since Sullivan left I've been absolutely bored out of my mind.

​

Mitch RayPurchase

 

[Inb4Cloaker]

Farrid Al-Assad
​

Page after page of the holy book within his grasp slipped through his fingers, the words inscribed on each page being carefully inspected and weighed in terms of how they related to the current situation. Of course, Assad knew that there probably wasn’t a specific phrase that tailored to being tortured for information by someone in the mob, but it wouldn’t hurt to look. His dark brown eyes shifted over to the men who were being subjected to the pain that was being dealt out by Dante, and sighed with a sense of pity for the two unlucky rivals.

Well, it wouldn’t do any harm to himself, at least.

Following the gradual increase in pressure that was being dished out by the phantom, the medic diverted his attention to the situation at hand, rather than searching his book for words that would most likely hold no comfort for the two soon to be dead men. Through past encounters with Dante, Farrid quickly identified an outstanding difference between the two when it came to gathering information and dirty deeds involving violence. Despite the remarkable amount of irony surrounding his beliefs and past life, the prior insurgent did not enjoy causing excessive harm to those whom he did not feel deserved it. What was initially a stern gaze softened, and was replaced by a more understanding stare as the torturer worked his ways on the victims of his methods. Who’s to say those two men were deserving of the treatment they received? All because information was suspected of residing in their mind, they would suffer a terrible fate in that warehouse, deprived of the comforts that a traditional death would hold. Their families would not be aware of their death for some time, they would not get to say goodbye, and the part of the world that was being held up by these two rivals, no matter how small, would be transferred over to someone else, for better or worse. For whatever reason, Farrid sensed as though the same sentiments were not within the reach of Dante.

As for the physical aspect of what was occurring, the medic saw no life threatening injuries on the men just yet, so he withheld care for the time being. While he did not agree with the process, he did, in some twisted way, acknowledge that it was useful and in some cases, required for the mission. Following the yell from one of the rivals, Farrid rolled his eyes at the response from Dante and placed his books on a nearby table. Sometimes, persuasion was just as effective as brutality, and in this case, Assad felt as though he may be able to combine the two. With a cloth still wrapped around his head, the prior insurgent stepped closer to the scene and cleared his throat.

“You chose this lifestyle, yes? This is something that you warranted unto yourself, and... I’m sorry for your decisions, and the path that led you to where you sit.” He began, pacing back and forth behind Dante, not wishing to directly interfere with the man as he continued to inflict pain. His gaze jumped from one face to the next, unwilling to break eye contact between the two.

“But your family did not choose this. I don’t know you two, but I’ll bet you have a family. Children? Parents? Sisters, brothers... you have someone. Could they endure this?” Farrid gestured to the Phantom, who was working away on one of the men’s finger nails. “Better yet, do you want them to endure this? Because if we get nothing from you, someone will have to take your spot, and provide the information you refused to give. Now, I sincerely doubt your daughter, son, grandfather or what the fuck ever will give a satisfying answer, and watching an innocent person die may not please me, however...”

Assad deliberately raised a finger, pointing it at his pain inducing coworker. Without missing a beat, his voice lowered to something much more sinister, and his tone carried a conviction that weighed heavily into his words.

“It will please him. He wants to meet your family, and he wants to drown himself in their blood. So, I will ask this only one time. Will you spare your loved ones, spare yourself the pain, spare god the time, and tell us what you know?”

Emitting a slow, steady sigh at having finished issuing his piece of knowledge, the medic crossed his arms and leaned back on the table beside him, surveying his audience for a reaction, and an answer. All he could do was hope that the two would see reason, or at the bare minimum, one would. Truthfully, the medic did not expect his request to have much impact on the attitude of the two sitting before him, but the fact that he did present the opportunity to cut the whole ordeal short was something that may help him sleep later on that night.

يستسلم أو يموت

Mentions: Dante @shadowz1995
Interactions: Warehouse Personnel Bellz


​

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Emery Callahan​

Emery watched on as Ryan suggested to Sinead that they arrange a lunch date with Peter included. The teenager didn't think much of it, seeing as Ryan was an old family friend and was no doubt wanting to catch up with her parents. Giving them a moment to finish up their conversation, she dipped her hand into the cookie jar and took one of them to snack on whilst she waited. When it was clear Ryan was ready, she quickly finished eating the last of the biscuit and swallowed it before looking to Sinead. "I'll see you tonight, Mum," she said, giving the fellow redhead a quick hug. "I'll sweet talk one of Old Man Jimbo's drivers into driving me back here," she assured her.

As she walked with Ryan down the hall, she noticed Leo and Seana on the stairs. The boy looked surprisingly unhappy considering his father had just got out of prison. However, it didn't take long for history to catch up with her and for his mood to be far from surprising. She wasn't sure what her uncle's deal might be in terms of his kid being upset, but her own experiences had taught her that things didn't suddenly get back to normal when their dad's got out of jail. Things between her own parents were still volatile and she was still waiting for a period of stability - a good length of time where her family would be together and happy in each others' company. She hoped for Leo's sake that Conor was still himself after three years away from home. Catching her cousin's attention, Emery sent him an acknowledging nod and a reassuring smile

If Ryan had intended to seat himself in the front passenger seat, he would have found his plan scuppered as Emery made a point of telling him to sit in the back with her. It was easier to talk to him if he wasn't sat in front. She ignored Harold's glare when he learned Emery would be joining them on the ride to the Porters. He was too easy to wind up, but he was off the hook this time around as she had Ryan to keep her mind occupied.

Once the car was in motion, Emery looked to Ryan and smirked. "I remember you now, y'know," she told him, aware she'd not recognised him a week ago. "It was that Christmas my dad first got locked up in jail. I remember you celebrated Christmas with my family. I mean, don't flatter yourself or anything. That Christmas just stuck with me and you're present in those memories," she told him. Though it had its high points, she still remembered it being one of the worst festive periods as Peter was in prison and Sinead was deeply depressed. "I'm sure we've all had better Christmas' than that one..." she trailed off. "Would be nice to have a good one this year," she quietly added. The way things stood, she felt like her parents will have drifted even further apart by the winter. The main reason she insisted on spending so much time in her room was to avoid the frosty atmosphere between her parents, especially as Braden and Savannah were never there to share the burden.

"I don't remember you sticking around for long after that. Where have you been all this time?" she curiously asked. Being that he was an old friend of the Sullivans, close to her mother and uncle, it struck her as odd that he hadn't visited before now. A mischievous smile crossed her lips as she thought of the purpose of the present car journey. "Soooo. Are you going to see my uncle to ask for a job? What kind of work do you do? Maybe you can help find those dickheads who shot Scott outside Mum's club. Bring me along - I'd like to give those jerks a piece of my mind." Not realising Ryan was likely unaware of the shooting a few weeks ago, she continued on. "It was my first day working there and I did not expect to be watching Scott bleeding all over his nice shirt."


Fletchawk (Ryan)

Sinead Callahan and Conor Sullivan​

Sinead had agreed with Ryan that they'd arrange lunch, hoping her softer tone would make up for her earlier remark about not showing up unannounced. She didn't mean to be sassy with Ryan, but she was feeling pressure from so many angles and it was building up inside. She intended on planning the mentioned lunch, though as Ryan and Emery left, she already wondered how on Earth she would approach Peter about it. Given the way he acted around Ryan, she wondered if he'd refuse altogether.

Giving herself a few minutes to try relax and focus, she eventually stepped out into the hallway, but the sound of Conor's voice in the lounge caused her to quickly retreat back into the kitchen. She walked to the sink and gripped onto the sides as she felt a slight nausea building up inside. She wished Peter was home to help her, even if it simply meant being by her side when she broke the news to Conor. There were a number of things her brother had yet to be filled in on, but Arlene's death was the worst and she hated that she was the one who was to deliver the news. After spending time controlling her breathing, she took a long drink of water from her glass before turning to face the door. "You can do this..." she whispered to herself. Her heart was racing, the mixture of excitement to see her brother mixing horribly with the feeling of dread.

Sinead eventually stepped into the lounge to see Conor and Aliana seated next to each other on the couch. "Well, look who it is!" she spoke up, unable to hide the smile from her face upon finally seeing her brother out of prison. Conor rushed up from his seat and stepped over to his sister, the height difference glaringly obvious before she tiptoed to fall into his open arms. The man tightly hugged her, leaning back a little so her feet lifted off the ground. "CONOR! Put me down, you know I'm afraid of heights," she playfully exaggerated and teased the tall man.

"I won't drop you, Tink," he played along, before finally releasing her from his grip and gently squeezing her shoulder with his hand. He looked to his sister's face as he studied her for a moment, mentally ticking the boxes that she hadn't changed since he last saw her. "I've missed you," he told her. He then looked towards the door before looking back to Sinead. "Where's Pete?"

"He's out at counselling," she informed her brother, avoiding going into too much details on her husband's behalf. Not wanting to say anything he might not want sharing with others. "Okay, sit back down so we can catch up," she said, pointing back to the sofa. She rushed to place herself at the opposite end of the couch to Aliana, before patting the centre cushion for Conor to sit down. She'd be lying if she said part of the plan wasn't to make him sit closer to Aliana, but more than anything, she just wanted him to not feel alone when she did spoil his day.

After spending some time catching up with the regular things that had been happening, Sinead became aware that she couldn't put off the inevitable for too long. As if reading her mind, Conor's next family update request was direct towards Arlene and Olivia, wanting to know if they were still keeping in touch from their home in the neighbouring state. Sinead nodded to herself before getting up and closing the lounge door, expecting Seana would know to keep Leo occupied for the time-being. She then returned to the sofa and sat close to Conor, resting her head against his muscular upper arm. "Arlene... She... I'm sorry, Conor, but Arlene is dead. She went missing and last week we found out she'd been... that she's dead." Sinead took a deep breath as she tried to contain her own emotions for the sake of supporting Conor.

Conor was about to question what his sister was saying, maybe even put it down as a terrible attempt at a joke, but he knew it was true. His family wouldn't be wrong and they certainly wouldn't joke about such a thing. His gut and past experiences also told him it was not likely some accident or natural causes like when Skye had passed away. Conor tightened his jaw as he felt his eyes begin to well up with tears. Of all his cousins, he'd been closest to Finn and Arlene. The latter, he'd visited often before his arrest, but had barely got to see her since then. He'd never got to say goodbye and hadn't known the last time they spoke on the phone had indeed been the last time. "What happened?" he asked, his voice faltering as, contrary to Dr Parker's advice, he fought to keep his feelings bottled up. "Who killed her?" he asked, his voice firm and cold. Unless Aliana or Sinead were about to tell him otherwise, there was no doubt in his mind that she'd been killed. The reason she'd moved to Connecticut was to avoid the many enemies she'd collected over time and to ensure Olivia was safe. Sinead tried to speak but couldn't get any words out. Seeing the heartbreak in Conor's face rendered her speechless. She looked to Aliana, unable to stop her eyes from pleading for her friend's help. She then buried her face into Conor's bicep, wanting to give herself a moment to hold it together for him. Using the hand of his still free arm, Conor used his fingertips to wipe away the tears from his eyes. His emotions were shakily balancing between anger and upset, but given his suspicions, he was sure anger would win out. "Please..." he began, his body tensed. "Tell me what happened and who the fuck did it," he desperately demanded. Unable to see Sinead's face at the moment, he turned his head and looked to Aliana.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
Mention: Fletchawk (Ryan)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Roxie Carriveau ​

Lucy wasn't satisfied with the way Syd responded to her apology but she knew she couldn't change the way he felt right now. So with a simple nod of her head, she cleared her throat as Syd mentioned getting to Thomas, who was by now patiently waiting in the car."Sounds good." She murmured before looking to James. "We should go then." With that, the woman turned towards the direction of the front door. The awkward silence that hung in the air was obvious as the Porters headed out of their son's home to tend to their other son waiting in the car. Though it was clear things weren't close to being solved, at least they apologized. Syd had to understand why they were so skeptical, they had tried for years to put trust in people who didn't deserve it and it always came back to bite them.

This was for his safety, for the family's safety and unfortunately it had to be this way. It didn't matter whether Syd was a grown man or a small child, he would be protected by Lucy and James no matter what. Once James stepped outside of the front door Lucy held open, she shut it behind her before breathing out a heavy sigh and shaking her head. "The death of me..." She muttered before moving to take James' hand and squeezing it tightly. She look forward to more awkward silence...

***​

Roxie was silent up until the Porters stepped out of the house, when she heard the door shut, she immediately asked, "Are you okay?" Taking a few steps forward, she reached her hands out to comfort Syd if he needed it. The pair spent a few more hours together after the whole ordeal, Roxie was more than willing to listen as she wished someone had been able to do that for her and she could see how relieving it was for Syd. Her eyes looked to the clock on the wall and a small frown formed on her lips as they sat in silence for a moment...

After a long and drawn out goodbye that Roxie was purposefully orchestrating so that she didn't have to leave him, she knew that she couldn't stall any longer and that she had to get back into town. "I know your parents aren't going to be exactly thrilled, but I'm going to be at Savvy's performance as well...so you have that to look forward to." She teased with a wink before giving Syd a peck on the lips, "Thanks for a good time."

***​

The keys in the lock of her door was getting jammed, twisting it furiously, she cursed out a few times before pushing against the heavy door twice. Finally, she seemed to have twisted it the right way because she almost fell flat on her face as the door swung open from her weight. Stumbling inside, Roxie held out her hands to balance herself before looking around the apartment from where she stood. "Anyone home?" She called out as she straightened up, pulling at her overalls. The fabric that clothed her was a bit more restricting and she realized that she was still wearing Syd's shirt. Wondering what Savvy would think, she decided that her friend probably wouldn't think twice about it, so she moved to the kitchen to grab a glass of water.
with: Savvy? Misty Gray
mentions: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

It was painful to watch his parents leave with the disagreement still unresolved, but Syd made sure to at least look them in the eye this time to show them that he wasn't angry. He hoped that they would sort out their suspicions of Roxie one way or another so that everything could go back to normal. After what the two had done, it didn't seem right to ask Roxie to help; if she was innocent, she would surely do everything she could to clear her name and regain his parents' trust without him having to intervene.

When they were gone, Roxie reached out her hands to him and asked him if he was okay. "I'm fine," he replied, taking her hands into his and offering her a smile. "Are you? I'm sorry you've got caught between all this, you shouldn't have to see it..." Syd felt ashamed of himself for getting upset in front of her - she barely knew him and yet she had already seen him at near breaking point twice. That she seemed to care for him, and had even gone so far as to sleep with him, was beyond his understanding. Still, she didn't seem put off by his family drama or his apparent emotional instability, because she kept him company for a further three hours. Not wanting to put her off, Syd didn't talk too much about the problems surrounding him and his family, instead spending the time relaxing in her presence. Rather than the argument, he chose to focus on Roxie and the level of intimacy he had reached with her; by now, he felt so comfortable around her that it already felt natural to touch each other with affection. When she eventually left, she told him that she too would be at Savannah's play, which brought a smile to Syd's face. He wondered what she would be wearing. "Look for me," he said, for now choosing not to care about what his parents would think if they caught him with her at the theatre. Roxie reached up to kiss him lightly, sending butterflies to his stomach, and he smiled after her as he watched her walk down his driveway.

Once alone, the events of the day began to replay on his mind and he stood in silence, twisting the platinum wedding ring on his finger. A photograph of Skye hanging on the wall opposite him caught his eye, and he stared at it for a moment before stepping closer to straighten it. It was another one he had taken himself - she was sitting across from him at a bar by the docks, masts from the nearby boats poking out from behind her in the distance. "It's okay," he said, half to her and half to himself. "I'll always love you, no matter what happens." He bit down on his lip, unsure of what else he could say. But that felt like enough for now - his feelings for Roxie were still brand new, and even though they had already slept together, he couldn't tell how things would pan out for them. Giving the frame a light stroke, Syd then moved into the room that he and Roxie had been dancing in to reset his turntable to play While My Guitar Gently Weeps again, and poured the rest of the unfinished drinks away, dropping them carelessly into the sink. One of them cracked, but he didn't notice, nor would he have cared. He was too busy singing along, roughly and out of tune, using the music to drown out his troubles.

When the song came to an end he put it on again, and then a third time, before it stopped working so well and the guilt started to creep back in. Not wanting to spend the evening alone, Syd decided instead to call on Sinead, to make sure that she wasn't mad at him after undoubtedly hearing Lucy's perspective of the argument. The thought suddenly popped into his head that Conor would be returning home today and he grew excited, barely thinking to call ahead before rushing out into the driveway and jumping into his car. Conor would surely be happy to see him, even if no one else was.


When Syd let himself in to the Callahan's home, the first people he saw were Seana and Leo on the stairs. The boy looked upset about something, but he couldn't imagine why. From the warm smile that Syd sent their way, no one would have suspected that he had been in such a state earlier. The sound of Conor's voice coming from the lounge confirmed that he had arrived already, and Syd's heart pounded with anticipation as he made his way towards the door.

"Where is he?" he asked, as he burst in. The second he saw his uncle, he bounded over to the sofa on which he sat, arms open wide to welcome him home. "Uncle Conor!" It took him a moment to notice that the mood between his aunts and uncle wasn't happy like he had expected. Perhaps Leo was upset for the same reason, whatever that reason was. His smile began to fade, but it didn't disappear entirely. "Welcome home," he added, voice dropping to a much calmer volume. It was rare to see his uncle upset like this and it made him uncomfortable. "Can I do something? Or get you anything? There must be something you've been waiting three years to drink."

Interactions
Misty Gray Conor, Sinead
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana (Seana, Leo)

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan​

Once the show was finished, Savannah had rushed into the dressing room to get changed out of her costume and back into her regular clothes ready to go home. No sooner had she zipped her dress up when she heard a knock at the door which was followed up by one of her fellow cast members entering to nag her into joining a group of them out in the city for drinks. She declined a number of times before getting the rest of her belongings together and stepping out of the room. For once, she was grateful that one of her 'babysitters' was hanging around, as Warren was able to ensure she made a speedy escape for the pestering of her friends and colleagues.

The drive home had been seemingly quick, with Savannah having earlier reached an understanding with James' brother, which meant she'd become more appreciative of his presence than irritated. Though a number of years older, he was easy enough to talk to and understood why she felt suffocated at times. As he pulled the car into a spot by Savannah's apartment, Warren fixed his eyes on the vehicle that was parked up across the street. After a short observation, he recognised the occupant of the vehicle as one of James' employees who was keeping watch over Savannah's apartment. Knowing surveillance was in place, Warren felt confident he'd be able to go home once Savannah was out of his car.

"Seriously, Warren..." the blonde continued as she unfastened her seat-belt. "I know Andre's a slimeball, but he's my manager and I need him to stay in one piece until I find a better one."

"Not even a minor beating? He won't have a clue who's behind it. Please let me teach the jerk a lesson!" Warren playfully pleaded. Despite his light tone, he believed Andre needed to be taught a lesson in respect.

"No! Leave the creepy loser alone," she ordered him. "I'm sure my uncle can point you in direction of plenty of other guys for you to beat up."

*****​

Savannah entered her apartment and made sure to lock the door behind her. When she passed the kitchen, she heard a sound and looked inside to see Roxie drinking a glass of water. "Had a good day?" she curiously asked her friend. She briefly looked over the woman's outfit and raise her eyebrows. "Is that a new outfit?" she suspiciously asked. "I've not seen that combination on you before."

Not only had her work schedule been hectic, but Savannah was feeling weighed down by the news of Arlene's death as well as having her mother trying to make her move back home. She didn't really understand why the Porters were being so suspicious over Roxie, but she refused to believe her friend had done anything wrong. Still, she couldn't help but feel overloaded. As such, Savannah retrieved a bottle of wine and a glass from the cupboard. "I need to get off my feet," she complained.

With that, Savannah stepped into the lounge and poured the wine into the glass, only stopping just before the liquid could spill over. She took a long drink of the alcohol before placing the glass down on the coffee table. The blonde then practically fell back into the sofa, lying down and propping her legs up over the seat arm before kicking off her high-heeled shoes. Assuming Roxie had joined her, Savannah turned to look at her friend. "Come on, tell me something juicy," she demanded, hoping to distract from her own thoughts.


Bellz (Roxie)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

When Conor asked if he could take Leo out, she nodded her head. Even though they were on the outs, she was going to be a monster and tell him when and when he couldn't see his own kid. She'd have contradicted herself with the whole never getting to see her father thing. There was a slight hesitation in her next statement, trying to decide how she was going to deal with the situation. Seeing how excited Leo was and how his heart broke when he found out he wouldn't be staying struck something in her. Scratching the back of her head, she stammered. "Ah, well you can- you know, stay for tonight. I uh- I think he was really excited about tonight." Apart of the reason she even suggested it, was because she knew what was about to happen. Once Sinead told Conor about Arlene, she would probably have to tell him about the explosion and the attempt on James, Lucy, Syd, Roxie, Dante, and her own life. The man was probably- no, he was definitely going to need all the support he could get. His return home was supposed to be a happy and positive one, now instead he was about to have his heart broken and his world shattered.

Once Sinead stepped into the room, she gave a small smile. Seeing the two of them interact with each other brought a smile to her face. She knew how Conor felt about his younger sister and it made her wish she had her own younger sibling. You did... Her mind started to remind her of Leo, her son's namesake, and she felt a sting in her chest. It was similar to the one when Leo asked where he got his name from a few months back. Ali got too choked up before to even tell him and he back off for a bit. The thought of her now dead brother always broke her heart as she played with his bracelet on her wrist. While Tommy's was on her left, Leo's was on her right and she realized she basically collected the accessories of dead men. If Conor died, would she have to move her ring from her neck to her wrist? Once she felt Conor and Sinead join her on the couch, she was brought back from her dark thoughts. The three of them sat together while catching Conor up on all of the good things that were happening.

In the next few minutes, Ali could feel herself glancing at Sinead, waiting for when she was going to bring up Arlene. It didn't take too much longer and it was actually Conor who brought her up and she could feel her heart sink. Sinead, bless her heart, she saw was struggling with the news. She was glad she decided to come and stick around to help her with this. Until Conor started to ask questions pertaining to her death and Sinead was overwhelmed. When the two of them locked eyes she took a deep breath and pushed her sunglasses to her forehead. Once again the scratches and scars that hadn't healed yet were present along with her tired eyes. Conor asked again, who had killed her and what happened and Ali took a pause. "I-... Probably... Look, a bit ago there was a bombing at this venue we were looking at. Myself, Lucy, James, Syd, Dante and Roxie we were all lucky to walk away from it. I'm assuming the same people with the bomb are the same people who killed Arlene." She spoke softly, rubbing his back. "We're taking care of it." She quickly added, not wanting him to freak out and try and do something stupid when he had just gotten out of prison. "Conor, I am so sorry."


​

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan and Conor Sullivan​

When Aliana suggested that he could stay over for the night, Conor was caught off-guard as he hadn't expected her to make such an offer given how things were between the couple. He was under no illusions and knew she was offering only for Leo's sake, but it was still a surprise that she even wanted him in the house. He was exhausted and needed desperately to lay in a comfortable bed, with a room where he could have chance to get used to no longer sleeping in a cold, soulless prison cell. He was sure Sinead had done everything to make sure the guest room - his new bedroom - was the complete opposite of that. He expected warmth, light and colour, not to mention an assortment of fluffy pillows and fresh linen. Regardless of all that, Conor couldn't refuse the opportunity to spend some time with Leo and hopefully put the smile back onto the boy's face. He felt terrible for upsetting him in the first place. "Alright, I'll stay for tonight. Just for tonight," he confirmed, making it clear to Aliana he wasn't going to outstay his welcome.

Sinead had brightly smiled upon hearing Conor would get to spend some time with Leo. She hoped it was the start of progress and that Aliana was open to forgiving Conor. However, there was a selfish part of herself that the redhead hated to even acknowledge existed. She'd been excited to have Conor staying with her as she knew how much energy and life her brother shared with others. With Peter struggling and the kids out doing their own thing, Sinead had been looking forward to some company. She felt terrible to thinking of herself, but part of her had hoped Conor might have been able to help Peter and give her some hope that her marriage was salvageable.

-----​

Conor studied Aliana when she pushed her sunglasses to her forehead. The healing marks on her face hadn't escaped his notice, but with his mind on Arlene, he didn't speak up about it. "Wait. What? A bombing?!" he repeated, his shoulders tensing as he listened to the names of those who had been present. Members of his family, Dante, as well as a female name that was vaguely familiar. He was sure he'd heard Sinead mention Roxie in passing when updating him on Savannah during their phonecalls. "Did anyone else get injured?" he asked, bringing his hand towards Aliana's face but not close enough to tough the healing wounds he was referring to. He lowered his hand and looked straight ahead as he tried to get his head around all of the news he'd been given. Arlene was dead and his loved ones had been attacked. "I can't believe I'm only being told all of this now?" he questioned.

"Conor," Sinead began, sitting forward so she could look to his face. "You couldn't be told this sooner, not when you had to think about your parole. If you were upset and angry, then you wouldn't have been able to focus on answering the parole board's question," she delicately told him.

"Yeah..." Conor mumbled, slowly nodded his head as he knew he couldn't exactly disagree with that reasoning. He'd been able to convince everyone, including himself, that he was only interested in his family and managing his business because he believed James had everything under control. He'd believed he wasn't needed and wouldn't be compelled to get involved in mob business. But this was his family and his cousin was dead. When Aliana assured him they were taking care of it all, Conor looked back to her with a darkness in his eyes. "Is James taking care of it, though? I find out my cousin is dead; my sister, wife and nephew got caught up in an explosion. It's up to him to make sure this shit doesn't happen again."

"Conor, he isn't God. No matter how much he does here. he can't do everything and stop everything, y'know..." Sinead tried to reason.

Before he could apologise, Conor's attention was drawn to the door as Syd made his enthusiastic entrance. Pleased to see his nephew, Conor stood up and accepted the younger man's hug, firmly patting him on the back as he did. Pulling away, Conor weakly smiled as Syd welcomed him home. "Thanks, mate. It's been.... It's better than where I have been," he decided. "How are you doing? I owe you big time, might I add," he told him. "I mean, Mitch certainly did his bit, but I'm not sure we'd have got my parole without Dr. Parker on side," he said, clearly referring to Syd's recommendation to see the counsellor in the first place.

When offered a drink, the first thing that came to mind for Conor was alcohol. After three years and the news he'd just returned to, he wanted nothing more than to drink until he passed out, but he'd promised himself and others that he was going to get his act together. Despite feeling suffocated already, he knew he couldn't give in so easily. "How about a milkshake?" he eventually asked of his nephew.

Taking the cue to give Conor a little space and to fill Syd in, Sinead hopped up from the couch to approach her nephew. "I'll help you," she told him. Being that a milkshake wasn't difficult to prepare, it was clearly not the only reason Sinead wanted to pull Syd to one side. Once in the kitchen, Sinead let out a small sigh. "Conor just found out about Arlene and the explosion, so he's just a little overwhelmed," she explained her brother's low mood. "How are you, Syd?" she asked. She wasn't oblivious to the argument that had happened between him and his parents. She was well aware of how Lucy and James felt towards Roxie's possible involvement in the bombing. She'd come to blows with Savannah about the whole thing, with her daughter unwilling to move back home where it was safe and refusing to believe Roxie was involved in the attack. "Have you spoken with your parents yet?" she wasted no more time in asking.


For the moment, Conor and Aliana were once again alone in the lounge together. He looked to his estranged wife and anxiously rubbed at his forehead. "I thought I had everything sussed out, Ali. I was going to do things by the book and be a good role model for Leo. Dr. Parker told me I needed to focus on myself and my son; to make an honest living and leave the mob behind. I wish I could do that, but it's impossible," he admitted. "I can't just sit back while people I love are killed or injured," he said, once again fixing his eyes on Aliana's wounds. "I want to be a better person and make it up to you, as well as to Leo. But if my family is in trouble, how can I just sit back and do nothing?"


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Pyroclast (Syd)
(I figured we could do two separate interactions for a little while? Aliana/Conor and Syd/Sinead)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Even though Syd could tell Conor wasn't his usual self, he didn't press the man to find out what was wrong. He looked up to his uncle with great respect and they had nothing but a positive relationship, but emotional talks played no part in the reasons why the two were close. In this moment, all Syd could think to do was offer him a reason to smile. "I'm doing great, thanks!" he said, because it seemed like the appropriate answer. At mention of Mitch, Syd was reminded of his last encounter with him, which thankfully seemed to have been swept under the rug. As long as the lawyer continued to keep quiet, Syd would do his best to stick to his word and keep his distance from the man. "Ah, come on, you don't owe me shite. We're all just glad to have you back. It's been too quiet without you around!" Though he was making an extra effort to cheer Conor up, he did mean what he said. Syd had missed Conor a great deal, especially when he noticed his father was stressed or when Leo was sad, or when business became difficult. The more trusted mob members there were around, the more secure everything felt. Conor had been a major role model for him growing up, and so with him out of the picture, it had been challenging to face certains situations.

Knowing how much of a drinker his uncle used to be, Syd was surprised when he asked him for a milkshake instead of something alcoholic. "A milkshake, seriously?" he smirked. "Where's the Conor I used to know?" He gave the man a playful slap on the arm but didn't hesitate in making his way to the kitchen. When Sinead told him she would help him, a red flag popped into his mind - he knew that what she actually wanted was a private word. Syd smiled nervously at her, but didn't protest. Once they reached the kitchen, he moved swiftly towards the bar and retrieved a bottle of Bulleit. "Milkshake my arse..." he uttered, conscious of his aunt hovering behind him. He was sure that Sinead was about to scold him for upsetting Lucy and so moved about the kitchen in a somewhat rushed manner, wanting to be out of the firing line as soon as possible.

Syd was on his knees rummaging through the freezer in search of chocolate ice cream when Sinead told him that Conor had just found out about Arlene and the explosion at the hotel. With this being the first time he had heard Arlene be mentioned since he got the initial phone call from the guard to let him know she was dead, Syd was caught off-guard and pulled out the drawer too far, causing it to drop into his lap and scatter shards of ice onto the floor around him. "Shit -" He quickly dug out the large tub of ice cream from the back of the drawer and scrambled to slot it back in its place, scooping up bits of ice with his hands. The fact that he hadn't been able to have a conversation with anyone about Arlene's murder meant that the reality of it hadn't quite hit him yet. Even in his aunt's soft voice, her name sounded heavy - it carried with it a certain darkness, like something dangerous to be steered clear from. It stunned Syd into a prolonged silence, and he set down all the ingredients on the island counter as he struggled to work out how to respond. Finally, he wiped his icy hands on his jeans and looked up at her. "Well, I guess there was no good time to tell him, was there?" His voice came out a little rough. "At least he knows now. We were all set to look out for him when he returned anyway, so I guess this is just..." His eyes drifted to the bottle of bourbon, wondering if perhaps it wasn't a good idea after all - but ultimately decided Conor would appreciate the kick after taking in such bad news. "Well, it's probably not the welcoming return he had in mind."

After dropping a few hefty scoops of ice cream into the blender, he took the tub into his hand and started to eat from it absent-mindedly. Sinead asked him how he was and it took a couple of seconds for him to remember to smile. "I'm doing good," he told her, through a mouthful of ice cream. "Happy to see you." His words sounded rehearsed, which they had been - he wanted to see if she would say it back. He and Sinead had never fallen out. She was always the type to want to get away from drama and heartache, so he didn't believe she would take sides in an argument that didn't directly involve her. But the fear of being pushed away was stronger than any reasoning he could come up with to dispel it, so he needed reassurance from her that she still wanted him around. Her next question confirmed that she knew what was going on, and at first he only stared at her in response. The milkshake was all but forgotten as he continued to eat the ice cream straight from the tub. "Yes..." he began. "They all came over actually, just now, and they said I could come round whenever I wanted, so...It's all looking up." He smiled at her, but the optimism he was trying to convey was lacking. He left out the part about Thomas running away from home, as well as the shouting and Roxie's presence.

"Sinead..." he spoke up in a small voice, the facade already beginning to falter. After going so long without seeing her, part of him wanted to let her in. As difficult as it was to admit the obvious, trying to act like everything was fine only made him feel distant from his aunt. What Syd really needed at times like these was to feel close to someone. It was perhaps part of the reason why he was so easily looking past Roxie's suspected involvement in the attack. He just wanted someone at his side. "I haven't seen you since before all that stuff you just told Conor." Suddenly realising that he had eaten almost all of the remaining ice cream, he dropped the tub onto the counter and poked little patterns into the ice with the edge of his spoon. "How're you keeping? What've you been doing with yourself lately?"

Interactions
Misty Gray Sinead

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead visibly cringed as she watched Syd hastily fumbling around in her kitchen. She let out a small gasp when he dropped the tray and pieces of ice fell onto the white tiles she'd repeatedly mopped clean a short time earlier. Her features softened as she sensed her nephew was uncomfortable at mention of Arlene's death. Remaining silent, she watched Syd carry the ingredients to the worktop. She turned away and casually began to pick up some pieces of ice Syd had missed. As she dropped the bits into the sink, Syd replied to say there wouldn't have been a good time to tell Conor about the woman's death. She slowly nodded her head to the man's words as she dried her hands on the nearby towel. "I tried to make everything perfect for my brother. Cleaned the house and made up the guest room. Deep down I guess I knew it wouldn't mean a thing once he learned about what's been happening."

Sinead's eyes followed Syd for a time as he set about eating the ice-cream straight out of the tub. Under normal circumstances, that would have cued the redhead to berate him for doing so, but her mind was clouded. Besides, when he told her he was happy to see her, Sinead softly smiled and nodded her head. "Well, aren't you just sweet?" she commented. His words were something she felt she didn't hear anymore; to be appreciated and feel like her presence was wanted. "I'm happy to see you too. I mean, you probably came to see Conor and eat all of my ice-cream, but I'm going to pretend you wanted to see me too," she said, lightly hitting his arm with the hand towel. Sinead cared for her nephew, having been closer to him when he was growing up than any of the other Porter kids who were now grown up. With Skye living with the Callahans and caring for the children, Syd was often at the house spending time with the nanny. There had been times during Skye's deterioration that Sinead had been there to support Syd and help him to care for the dying young woman. Having seen Syd struggle through all extremes of emotions, as well as having personal understanding of some of the suicidal thoughts that overcame him after Skye's death, Sinead felt a bond with her nephew. It was a bond that meant she wasn't going to fall out with him now there were arguments between him and his parents.

Hearing he'd just spoken with Lucy and James evoked an encouraging nod from Sinead. "I'm glad to hear you're sorting things out. I can't imagine them ever not wanting you to be around the place. It's still your home, after all. I mean, I always wish Savvy would come by here more often," she told him.

Syd's voice had faltered and that made Sinead wonder if there was something wrong. Was he upset or weary of her for some reason? She pointed to the ice-cream tub after he'd put it down on the counter. "You started it, so you'd better finish it. That's not going back in my freezer, Mister! Emmy would get her hand slapped for eating out of the tub like that," she teased him, hoping to break out of the awkwardness she was feeling. "Oh, you know me. The usual," she answered his question about what she'd been doing lately. She then shrugged her shoulders upon realising she hadn't given a real answer. She was sure he didn't want to hear about how unhappy she felt at home; like she was living alone despite there being three other people occupying the same building. It was why she'd been hoping Conor's energetic presence would help her to glue her family back together. "Well, I've got a singing gig lined up for Wednesday, which I'm excited about. Thankfully, Scott's feeling well enough to at least manage my jazz club while I'm off doing my own thing," she explained. "I've got some other venues lined up too, so hopefully they'll keep me distracted enough to stop worrying..."

Sinead had silenced herself with a heavy sigh. She momentarily switched off the blender, not wanting the background noise to distract her thoughts. "This business over Roxie," she suddenly backtracked. "Lucy and James are very cautious people. Given everything that's happened to us all in the past, how can they be anything else?" Sinead reached out and placed her small hand on his arm, just above the elbow. "They're not unreasonable people and it sounds like they're already coming around..." she reasoned. When she had found out she was pregnant with Savannah, Sinead had to come clean to her family about who the father was. When most of her loved ones were furious with her, with Shannon and Carrick giving the most scathing of reactions, she always remembered those who showed more understanding. Whilst Finn had consoled her with his usual loving hugs, she also remembered James had stuck up for her and tried to get her family to stand by her. Despite everything Angel had done to him, she remembered James hadn't turned his back on her. So now, she didn't believe he or Lucy could ever turn their backs on Syd.

"I want to be open-minded and I could never judge you for who you fall for. One of the most beautiful things in life is love. But I just need you to give me a straight answer on this, so I can stop fretting about you and Savvy. Do you trust Roxie and have no doubts about her?" she softly asked. "Savvy's already given me her assurance, but I just want to make sure, y'know? She's a little naive - probably gets it from me... I just can't bear the thought of something happening to her."

Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[RayPurchase]

Mitchell Van Gerwen
​

Mitch grinned and slammed the folder shut. In initial contact had been made, and he deemed it to be successful. Sometimes persuading the client that they actually had a stake in the case was half the battle, especially those who had been incarcerated for an ample amount of time. Once more thoughts of Syd and his threats, whatever doubts he had about working for the family, and even Roxie, spend from his head. He was back in his element, swept along by the current of thoughts and arguments that were often just a tributary away.

“I’m afraid Mr Cartwright, what comes next is the laborious slog. Paperwork sifting and comparison of similar legal cases and precedents. Today was just the first meeting of many that we're going to have. I’ll report back to Mr Porter of my initial findings, all of which are positive so far,”

Mitch slid his chair out from under him. Pushing himself up from the table and offering a hand towards Allen. Whilst he may have gotten Connor out, Allen was no given. This was not just a case of falling back on therapists and age old arguments of mistakes having been learnt from.

The crime here far outweighed those arguments, this would be difficult, this would be tough. But what was the point of anything without the thrill of the chase, to be put to the test and to have to fight tooth and nail for victory. Mitch realised that this is what he had missed. That fight and drive. Perhaps he had gotten sloppy, too lax in his own mind. This is the case that he needed, to get those neurons firing once more. For a second he imagined what his father would think of him right now. Using his hard earned talents for a cause which many would say was beneath him,, helping a man who, let’s be fair, was quite obviously guilty. It took only a few seconds for Mitch to realise that he didn’t care. It was the hunger to succeed that drove him above all else, beyond morality or what was deemed to be right. The question nagged at him for that moment. Perhaps he was more than suited to the mob. The impulse to succeed greater than any conscious or thoughts of morality. He pushed such notions to the side however. Such thoughts were best left for his spare time.

Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Mouth full of ice cream, Syd smiled with relief when Sinead told him she was happy to see him. It really sounded like she meant it, too. "Ah, you got me," he played along. "I'm all out of ice cream at home, so I figured Conor would be the perfect excuse to come round and nick yours." Syd laughed when she whipped him on the arm with a towel. It felt good to laugh, to know that his aunt could be playful with him despite all the horrible events that surrounded them. Her reassurance that he still had a home in Bayside, that she believed his parents still wanted him around brought some comfort to him, though he wasn't sure he quite believed it to be true. Just because he was welcome there it didn't mean they would actually want to see him. However, regardless of how things stood between them, he was still determined to visit for Thomas' sake. He smiled at Sinead's kind words. "Sav's young, she'll just be enjoying her freedom in the city," he gently reassured her. "I mean, no offence, but it's probably doing her good to be living away from the rest of us. All the mob stuff, you know, all the injuries and the fighting...Can you blame her for wanting to make her own way?" Syd had kept his eyes on the blender as he spoke, drawn in by the hypnotic swirling motion, but he eventually looked up to his aunt and offered her a sympathetic smile. He recognised how hard it must be for her to not be able to get away from the chaos like Savannah could. Sinead had a lot to deal with and a lot of responsibilities that she was shackled to. Despite her nurturing instincts and her commitment to the family, Syd always believed that she would be better suited to a more peaceful life. It saddened him that such a sweet, innocent woman was exposed to violence and terrorism, but the fact that she had never once abandoned them was great evidence of her loyalty and strength of will. With all the attempts he had made on his own life and the recurring suicidal thoughts he had been dealing with since, Syd knew how hard it could be to fight that urge to escape; given his aunt's condition and her own dark past, it encouraged him to see her keep going throughout it all.

With thoughts of Conor, Arlene, the explosion and the falling out with his parents all beating around inside his head, it took a second for Syd to understand what Sinead was telling him off about. When he realised it was for the small corner of ice cream he had left in the tub, he cracked a smile and rolled his eyes. He never liked to eat the last bit of anything communal, but since he had emptied more than half the tub for the milkshake and to soothe his troubled mind, he figured he owed her a whole new tub anyway. "Alright, mam," he teased. "If you insist..." Ignoring his uncle's milkshake request for the time being, Syd leaned back against the sink, running the spoon around the edges of the tub as he waited for Sinead to fill him in on how she was doing. At first she didn't give him much, but he was patient and decided to give her time to elaborate. He kept his eyes on her expectantly and after a few seconds she went on to tell him about a few gigs she had lined up. It brought a warm, encouraging smile to his face. "That's great!" he enthused, not waiting to finish his mouthful. "I'm glad you've got something to be excited about - God knows we need some of that round here. You let me know where I need to be and when and I'll do my best to come watch. I've missed your singing, Aunt Sinead."

Once he had finished eating, Syd flipped the tub vertically to show his aunt that it was empty so that she wouldn't tell him off again. "Hey," he piped up, cutting himself off to wipe the chocolate from the corners of his mouth with the cuff of his sleeve. "If you want more protection, more staff or anything, we can make arrangements. Anything you can think of to ease your mind. If the weight of what's worrying you can be shared, we'll share it." His expression was sincere as he looked at her, yet he spoke gently. He had always wanted to protect her and make her feel safe. Even though he was used to this life by now, it still often concerned him that their businesses could be targeted so easily. Sinead's jazz club had suffered a recent attack, leaving a heavy feeling of insecurity in its wake. To be in the wrong place at the wrong time could be fatal. One bullet was all it took...

Sinead soon stepped forward to switch off the blender. The sudden silence brought Syd's mind back to the task of making the milkshake, and he half hoped Conor was occupied enough to have forgotten about it for now. While part of him was desperate to hang out with his uncle, he understood that it must be quite an overwhelming day for him and so was happy to stand back for a bit. Besides, now that he knew Sinead wasn't against him, he felt much more relaxed in a room alone with her. Even though it had only been a week or so, dealing with all the trauma, fighting and grief on his own - on top of the usual business - made it feel like a whole month had passed since he had last seen her. Nevertheless, the topic of Roxie was clearly fresh on her mind as she suddenly brought her up. Syd swallowed in anticipation, readying himself for a guilt trip. His mind immediately returned to being in bed with her - thinking about it made his heart pound with excitement, but whatever happiness he felt over it, the inevitable guilt was never far behind.

Syd glanced down to the comforting hand she placed on his arm. She was right - it made sense that his parents were being cautious. But somehow, it was easier to hear coming from Sinead than it was from them. "I know," he quietly admitted. "It's just the way it all started. We were all a bit shaken, dad shouting and mam trying to grab Roxie, and - and there was so much noise, all the screaming and the sirens, and Roxie was really badly hurt..." He sighed heavily before raising his head to meet her eye. "Maybe if things had been calmer we could have talked it out and got somewhere, but I told them to fuck off, so...Any attempts to reason after that went out the window." Syd folded his arms and shrugged. "I just want to sort it out. I can't stand it, Sinead, I really don't think I can take any more." His voice grew weaker and he was struggling to maintain eye contact. "Mam looked at me like she didn't even know me. What if she doesn't? What if I've changed, into this thing that she can't love?" Suddenly his mouth felt dry, the words catching in his throat as they struggled to escape him. His fingernails were digging into the flesh of his arm, but he didn't even notice.

Sinead at least reassured him that he was free from her judgement, and Syd trusted that she meant it. She had once fallen for the enemy, so she had first hand experience at dealing with the reactions of the family. His cheeks reddened slightly at the word 'love', and he raked a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. "I..." he began, but immediately faltered. He wanted to say that he trusted Roxie, but it would only be said out of stubbornness. "I trust Sav," he finally said. "Naive or not, she knows Roxie better than any of us. And I know her position in all this looks bad, it makes sense that she's a suspect in the case and I'm not arguing against that, but it just doesn't feel right to me. If you spent some time with her you'd know what I mean. I mean, you must have met her, right? There's nothing sinister about her, nothing even remotely creepy. She's just...sweet. Like how you are." He gave her a light nudge, then let out a sigh. "It's just a gut feeling. I can't be 100%, but I'd still bet on it. Maybe that's not enough, but...God, she's just got this positive energy about her, I can just forget all the shit for a minute and actually enjoy myself when I'm around her. Sinead, I really don't think she's the one we need to worry about." Just thinking about her had put a soft smile on his face: the dancing, the sex, the way she had held his hand in the shop, the kiss they had shared. So much had happened that day, but with all the conflict that followed Syd hadn't really let it sink in properly. To him, it had been nothing short of perfect.

Interactions
Misty Gray Sinead
Bellz Roxie (mentioned)

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue​

Although he'd intended to sit in the front passenger seat, Ryan was a little surprised that Emery was interested in speaking at length with him, since they weren't especially familiar. Seeing it as a chance to gauge how the Callahans had been over the last decade, he made himself comfortable in the back seat. Emery wasted little time, and brought up the Christmas that Ryan had spent in Dublin.

"Hmm..." he murmured, his thoughts drifting back to that night, "If I remember correctly, you thought I was Santa. But yes, there had certainly been better Christmases..."

Ryan shift his unfocused gaze to passing houses, remembering the ambush that occurred later that evening, as it marked the beginning of yet another dark time in his life. The gunshot scar on leg itched slightly, but was largely ignored as dredged up images passed before his eyes. Of Thomas Dempsey, the man he pulled out of their bullet riddled vehicle, only to be killed a few weeks later during a meeting with the IWU. The truck of moonshine they had been told to protect, engulfed in flames. The surprised face of the IWU goon, Marcell, that he would brutally stab to death. Even then, the cracks of gunfire through the frozen air wasn't a new experience, and his mind tried to move onto his time in the service, as those memories weren't nearly as faded as the names on his arm.

"...I've had worse though. Better to focus on the good parts," he lightly chided.

Smiling weakly, Ryan skipped over why he'd been absent in his friend's lives, and on to why he was visiting James despite the connection between the two subjects, "Sorry to burst your bubble, kid, but I'm retired," he affirmed, more to himself than to the girl, "I just have some personal business here in New York, so I'm paying a visit to your aunt and uncle while I'm here. Maybe see if they will help as well."

Emery's mischievous smirk and offhanded mention of violence reminded him a bit of the late Arlene, but hearing that she had witnessed the bloodshed only reinforced why he wanted out. "Sorry to hear that happened, but you shouldn't needlessly go looking trouble. New York can be a very ugly place," he warned before trying to change the subject, "How have your ma and pops been doing? Your siblings, Savannah and... uh... what's your brother's name again? Guess I'm getting old," Ryan chuckled, making a jab at himself to try and alleviate his serious tone.


Misty Gray [Emery]