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

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter
~ Alistair Sawyer ~

Although he hated to hear her in such distress, Syd latched onto the sound of his mother's voice as she called out to him, screaming for him not to listen to Alistair's cruel words. He was feeling far too unstable and vulnerable to fight them off on his own. Just like Alistair accused him, he did feel weak and he did feel ashamed, and like he had brought shame upon his family by being the way he was. By now his mind was all but lost, unsure of how to interpret all the noise around him. He couldn't see for the tears that sprang from his eyes and he only just managed to stifle a sob before Ethan yanked his hair back so that he was staring up at the ceiling. His breathing became suddenly way too fast as the feeling of sharp metal touching the taught skin of his neck threw him into a panic. Ethan's threat of slaughtering him like a pig confused him and he squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to shut out part of the sensory overload and alleviate the sudden terror that he was experiencing. It wasn't enough, however, as Ethan then went on to announce that Arlene had been killed that way; instantly he thought of her sitting in his place, in this exact position, and he let out an unrestrained sob as her death became suddenly real and all too vivid. Having fallen out with his parents on the day of her murder, Syd had never properly got the chance to help avenge her, be there for her daughter Olivia or even to mourn her. It hadn't properly hit him that she was really gone until now.

Too upset to think of Arlene being slaughtered, he felt no relief when Ethan decided not to kill him in the same way. His head fell forward when the man released him and he grimaced, trying his best to choke back the tears. Even though he was already crying, sweating and shivering, he still wanted to be strong for his mother and aunt. They were in pain, too, and he hated that he wasn't doing anything to help them. However, before he could gain anything close to composure, Ethan grabbed onto the collar of his shirt and pulled down on it harshly, causing his body to jolt to one side. His collarbone and chest were partially exposed and Syd didn't even manage to register the man's words before his aunt began to scream. A delayed, searing pain tore across his collarbone as Ethan sank his butcher's knife into Syd's shoulder and then dragged it towards the centre of his upper chest. His breath was held suspended his in lungs for several seconds as he failed to process what was happening to him. When the man let go, Syd felt the warm blood pulsate from his chest as it rose up and down, his breathing rapid from the panic. The nausea returned and his vision went spotty and he fell forward again, this time aiming blindly between his knees. He coughed a few times and then retched, but nothing came up. The sound of his aunt suffering what he could only assume to be a similar treatment was distant, but he could still hear it. It was all too much.

There came a loud crash as Lucy's chair skidded back, throwing her face first onto the concrete floor. Syd heard her tell the men that they would never break their family and that their decision to torture them would only bring about their downfall. Alistair allowed himself to grin at the sight of her. He had enjoyed watching the three of them in silence as they each suffered through Ethan and Ammon's inflicted pain and torment. "Oh, you are precious," he taunted her. "I can see why James is so fond of you. Swear all you like, my dear, but it means nothing coming from someone who doesn't even know who they are against." His eyes shone with confidence and again he approached her, this time stopping just beside her face and looking down at her from above. "Keep up that optimism. You're going to need it."

"What if..." A small voice croaked, and Alistair turned to face Syd, stepping away from Lucy slightly. "Wh-what if you k-keep me here and just let them g-" A hand grabbed him by the face and forced him to look up. The ferocity in Alistair's eyes as he loomed over him made him feel smaller than ever.

"B-because you don't g-get to make the rules," Alistair mocked him, cracking a cold smile as he relished in the weakness of Porter's supposed heir. He had never known a mobster to cry at what he considered to be nothing more than some light torture.

"You can do whatever you w-want to me," Syd begged, fresh tears streaming from his bloodshot eyes. "Y-you can kill me, p-please, just please let them go free - don't hurt them!"

Alistair moved his hand to the man's throat and gave it a light squeeze, just enough to stop him from speaking. "I don't need to kill anyone to get my point across," he growled. He leaned in close and lowered his voice further. "Don't try to negotiate with me." With that, he released his grip, casting Syd's head violently to the side as he stepped back. Glancing to Ethan and Ammon, he then asked, "Are we done, boys?" - but it was less of a question than an announcement that the torture was, by his command, now over. He moved over to the door and opened it to the masked men that had been waiting on the other side. "They're ready," he told them, and the men set about untying them one by one and leading them back to the Chevrolet truck they had arrived in. As they did, Alistair looked to Lucy and said, "I'll arrange for you to be picked up and taken home to your loved ones."

Leaving behind the mess that he had created for his clean up crew to deal with, Alistair left to move into a room on the floor above. He removed his gloves and placed them neatly beside the telephone before picking up the receiver and dialling the number he had learned would connect him to James' business line. "Am I speaking to Mr. James Porter?" he asked. His voice was unemotional and, in contrast to his words, lacked urgency. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but your wife, your son and your sister-in-law have met a terrible fate tonight. They are waiting for you behind the warehouse on East 93rd Street. Don't waste any time, James...You never know how much you have left." Not interested in any questions the mob boss may have, Alistair hung up the receiver and smiled to himself in the quiet of the room as he imagined the distress he had undoubtedly stirred in his enemy. With his job now done, Alistair switched the radio on and relaxed into his office chair as Brahm's violin concerto overrode any distant cries that may come from down below.

Interactions
Misty Gray James, Sinead, Ethan
Bellz Lucy, Ammon

 

[Misty Gray]

Spoiler: Trigger Warning

WARNING: the material you are about to read mentions suicide; also depicts violence, abuse and/or otherwise very real situations. This could be uncomfortable for some readers and we please ask you to proceed with caution.

Sinead Callahan and Ethan Turner​

Sinead almost choked on her own breath when Ammon suddenly yanked her head back and growled at her to be quiet. She bit down on her bottom lip as she tried to stop herself from making more noise by sobbing. It upset her that someone could be so careless and cruel towards another human-being, especially one who had never personally wronged him. It made it even worse that Ammon seemed to take pleasure from hurting others. It wasn't so much business nor was it even person - he simply seemed to enjoy causing others to suffer.

Sinead felt the sudden pain as the knife blade was dragged down fer forearm to her wrist. She let out a loud scream and tightly closed her eyes in a useless attempt to try block out the pain. No matter how much she tensed up, she couldn't escape the strong, painful, stringing sensation the deep cut in her harm caused her. She was scared to open her eyes again. She didn't want to see what she imagined to be her arm pouring with blood. Nor did she want to look if he decided to keep hurting her. "Why? How could you do this?" she asked Ammon, her voice in a feeble whisper. It was hard to ignore the pulsating pain in her arm as the red liquid rushed to the surface, running down her skin before dripping onto the floor below her.

The torture ended soon after and Sinead managed to take the smallest pinch of relief when Alistair told Lucy he'd arrange for them to be picked up by their loved ones. She was in pain and shocked at what had happened to them, but she found some hope in knowing there was a chance she would return home to her husband and kids. The ordeal was threatening to rip her mind apart, so all she could do was force herself to think of being able to see her loved ones' faces again.

After being thrown back into the van and driven away from the scene of the torture, Sinead, Lucy and Syd were practically dragged out of the van before being dumped at the back of an old warehouse. With her hands tied in front of her, Sinead found herself pressing her bleeding wrist against her abdomen in a barely successful attempt to stem the blood. As she glanced down at her bleeding arm and bloodstained dress, she felt her legs weakening beneath her. She leaned against the building and used the wall to break her fall as she lowered herself down into a seated position on the concrete floor. After retching at the sight of her injured arm, she looked away and let her eyes seek Lucy and Syd. Her heart was racing in her chest; she felt weak and dizzy from the ordeal. She wasn't sure if it was the blood-loss or the shock of having to face one of her phobias, but she knew she was struggling to control her breathing. "Luce... Syd..." she weakly spoke their names. She wanted to reassure them, but was struggling to even calm herself. "Stay close," she eventually suggested. She hoped Alistair hadn't been lying and had called their loved ones.


Pyroclast (Syd, Alistair) Bellz (Lucy, Ammon)

James Porter and Sinead Callahan​

James listened as Aliana spoke out about innocent people being killed and tortured by their enemies. He nodded his head in agreement as he gave the woman time to say what she was thinking. He noted that she was willing to to assist the mob if it meant preventing her from losing more people she cared about. Rebel followed up by informing them she had contacts in Harlem who they could use. Peter voiced his concerns to Rebel but her response seemed strong enough to suggest her connections would be trustworthy. The information was something James intended to make use of.

Peter spoke directly to James, stating they should only go into Harlem with enough information beforehand. "I think we need to make use of Rebel's connections. Luke Holland is a starting point and a lead we need to make use of. I want to know as much as we can about him. Who he hangs around with, his work schedule, where he lives. Whether it's in his home or we take advantage of him working somewhere as open as a hotel, I want him on his own and in a position where we can drag information from him." James paused as he thought back to their lives in Dublin and the trouble the IWU brought their way. "I don't want to give these rats time to grow stronger. Things are going to get tough and protection strict on those we care about, because I want every fucker responsible for attacking--"

James was interrupted by the sound of the telephone ringing. Given he was expecting a lot of calls from his employees and informants, he wasn't willing to miss any calls. "Hold that thought," he calmly told the three before going up to answer the phone. "Yes, this is James Porter," he curiously responded. Usually when someone called his apartment they knew who they were speaking with. As the man on the other end of the line informed him of his loved ones being harmed, James gazed towards those seated in his apartment. He was told where to find them and he already had a good idea of where the warehouse was. "Who is this? You need--" James was cut off when the call ended. He slowly placed the receiver down and took a moment to keep himself calm before informing the others. He was worried for his wife, son and sister-in-law, but he knew he couldn't show it or let it get the better of his judgement.

James returned to the seating area but remained standing as he retrieved his handgun from the coffee table and checked it was fully loaded. "I need you all to arm yourself and we have to leave now. Ali, you ride with me in my car. Rebel and Pete, you go together in another. We need to get to the warehouse on East 93rd Street. Immediately," he instructed them. He intentionally gave them the instructions before telling them why. He wanted them to hear the plan with clear heads before telling them why and risking only emotional reactions. He'd had to learn to hold in his emotions some time ago and only allow them to consume him when behind closed doors. He suspected Peter might not react the same way. "I've received a call telling me Lucy, Syd and Sinead have all been harmed in some way. This could be a trap and we should be vigilant, but I'm not willing to risk their lives by hesitating. We have to go now," he firmly told them.

*****​

Sinead could hear the cars pulling up by the warehouse. She trembled in anticipation, worried it could be another enemy yet hopeful it was her family. She was in pain and felt weak. All she could do was sit with tears trickling from her eyes as she prayed to herself for them all to be saved. "Petey..." she desperately mumbled.

James pulled up the handbrake of the car once stopped but didn't take the keys out or even switch the headlights off. Instead, he rushed straight out of the vehicle. "Luce? Syd?" he shouted out. As soon as he saw the three exhausted and bloodied family members, he sprinted over to them. "Oh fuck. Luce?" he said, shocked to see the state the three were in. "What the hell happened?" As he asked his question, he quickly set about untying his wife's hand, asking Aliana to help Syd get out of his restraints. James tossed the rope onto the floor and gently held Lucy's hands as he looked to her wrists that had been injured during her attempts to get out of the restraints. He then wrapped his arms around Lucy's shoulders and pulled her in close for a tight hug. "Thank God..." he told her. Whilst he was aware they were physically and mentally injured, he was just grateful they were all alive. He soon broke away and looked to Syd. He saw he was bleeding from around the shoulder area so placed his hand on Syd's upper arm rather than risking causing pain by hugging him like he wanted to. He quickly removed his suit jacket and hastily folded it before handing it to Syd, instructing him to keep it pressed against his bleeding wound. "We need to get you all back to the apartment and have Finn look at you. Can all three of you make it that far?" he asked, casting a concerned glance between Syd and Sinead.


Bellz (Lucy, Peter, Rebel) Pyroclast (Syd) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Pyroclast]

Danny Vaughan

Savannah's short, uncertain laugh gave Danny the impression that she was slightly nervous at the idea of doing drugs. It didn't surprise him, but he was interested to see what she really thought about it beyond her initial reaction. He watched patiently as she appeared to process his suggestion, hoping that she would take him up on it. When she finally admitted to never having smoked anything before, Danny gave her a warm smile to try to allay her embarrassment. Ultimately, he was pleased that she was willing to give it a go. After a brief glance around the club to see which guards were on duty, Danny decided on an exit and stood up, stashing the joint back in his pocket for the time being. "Come this way," he quietly suggested. Weaving through a thin crowd of people, he eventually lead her through a door that read 'PRIVATE'. It took them down a short corridor and then to a door that opened out onto the staff parking lot. At the bottom of the lot was an elevated metal gazebo overhanging a public bench, surrounded by some neglected shrubbery. More often than not, Danny would smoke as he walked home from work, simply avoiding anyone who looked like a cop. However, when he did want to sit down for it, this is where he would come.

Despite being unable to get away from traffic noise, Danny felt that the two were in a sheltered enough spot for Savannah not to become paranoid - but with 10 years of experience behind him, it was rare that he struggled to relax. "Just watch what I do, okay?" he calmly suggested. "Takes some getting used to, but there's not much to it. Just don't inhale too much at once." While she may not have known Danny well, Savannah was in good hands. His first experience of taking drugs had come quite early on in his life compared to most, too young to even know what to be cautious of. He had trusted the judgement of his parents, who had guided him through it, and therefore had gone into it feeling relaxed and had ended up enjoying himself. Now, he wanted to create the same relaxed environment for Savannah. If this didn't go well, she might not want to hang out with him again. Shaking off the pressure, Danny lit up and took a few slow drags, blowing the smoke away from her face.

"So you like movies?" he casually asked her, hoping to distract her from any anxiety she may be feeling. Looking down to the table with a somewhat coy smile on his face, he couldn't help but imagine taking her on a date to the movie theatre. There was a lot in life that he loved to do, but sharing it with other people was always far more fun. Even sitting under a gazebo in the warm evening air sharing a joint - something he would usually do on his own - felt intimate to him. Slowly exhaling a breath of smoke, he handed the joint to her and sent her an encouraging smile. "What kind of movies are you into?"

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah

 

[Misty Gray]

Rachel Harris
~ Conor Sullivan ~​

It came as no surprise to Rachel that Conor had made Mitch's job difficult at the start. She grinned upon hearing the lawyer earned his trust and was able to 'work his magic'. She smiled and nodded at the positive assessment of her boss. "Yeah, I think his heart's always in the right place," she pointed out. Even when he did lash out and show his aggression, Rachel believed Conor only did so because he was standing up for his beliefs rather than being violent for the sake of violence. "He seems different to the man who went into jail. I wouldn't swear my brother's life on it or anything, but there's something in his eyes. Like his time there has aged him - not physically, but emotionally. Either that, or he's just exhausted with the world - perfectly reasonable, to be honest with ya," she said, lightening up the conversation with a small laugh.

Not sooner had they stopped mentioning him did Conor approach Rachel and Mitch. He'd just been visited by one of James' employees who had been told to pass a message to Conor. The pub owner placed his paperwork on the bar in front of Rachel. "I have to rush off. Could you put this away for me? All looks spot on ," he told her. He was clearly worried about something and Rachel sent him a pressing stare for an explanation. "I have to get to James' place. My sisters and nephew have been harmed in some way. I need to go see them," he explained, his voice lowered so only Mitch and Rachel could hear. "Be careful and vigilant, both of you. And if Ryan shows up, tell him I couldn't wait," he quickly added before rushing out of the pub.

Rachel briefly stared in the direction Conor had left in. Things seemed to be heating up around the city and she was more than aware of how serious things could get. She cleared her throat and looked back to Mitch, relaxing her features. "My brother used to work for Liam Sullivan and he got me a job at one of the old boss' bars. After Liam died and the Porters took over, Conor opened this place up and gave me a job working for him. I've stuck around since. Even though it's work, it kinda feels like home here, y'know?" she asked.

"How about you, Mitch? How did you end up on the Porters' payroll. If you're permitted to disclose such information, of course..."


RayPurchase (Mitch)

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Stefano Carriveau​

Roxie looked out the window of the limousine that had been sent her apartment to pick her up. The city was passing her by as she gazed up at all the tall buildings that made up Manhattan. The tallest of the bunch was the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center which was just about finished with construction. Her Uncle's business resided in the North tower and stood high about the rest of the city. Roxie was relieved to be passing it by, as she really didn't think she could stomach going up to such heights in her current state.

Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, the brunette moved to grab her purse from beside her. Reaching into the pocket, she pulled some compact powder opening it up to reveal a small mirror in which she could look into. Green really wasn't her color and her face color a slight tint of it. She felt like she hadn't eaten in days because everything just kept coming back up.

The limo began to slowly come to a stop in front of a very familiar building in to Roxie. It was a smaller more modest apartment complex but her parent's top floor penthouse was anything but that. Roxie shut her compact mirror and threw it back into her purse before shifting to move out of the car. The limo driver beat her to opening the door and she slowly got out before nodding at the man, "Thank you," She murmured with an uneasy smile. Her palms began to sweat as she walked towards the double doors where a doorman was holding open the door for her.

She wasn't sure how many times she said thank you before she finally got up to her father's floor but the elevator door revealed a very elegant floor plan consisting of white marble floors walls and a ceiling painted like that of the Vatican, Roxie knew she was back in Hell. "Papa? Mama? " The brunette called out as she passed two broad men standing beside the elevator, one on either side. She twisted around, walking backwards as she looked at the two men. They were new to her..."What happened to Victor and Luis?" She asked curiously to which the guards just stare at her.

Rolling her eyes, the woman continued to walk backwards until she hit something with the back of her foot, stumbling back, she felt something tumble over off one of the many pillars of ancient pottery that her mother loved tot collect. Gasping out, she turned back around as quickly as she could but to no avail, the pottery fell and shattered to the floor.

"Fuck!" Roxie cried out to which she heard a male's voice, that rolled and growled like thunder. "Language, Roxanne! He scolded to which the brunette scowled, "Sorry." She huffed before straightening out her dress. "How are you, Papa?" She asked softly as she walked towards him. He said nothing as he stared at her walking towards him, making her heart start to race as she wondered if he already knew what she was at the apartment for...how could he?

"Dinner is ready." He stated before holding his arm out to his daughter.

*******************************​

The noise of utensils clanging against fine china was beginning to drive Roxie mad, they had exchanged short pleasantries but now her parents were saying nothing. Biting her lip as she shuffled around some food on her plate with her fork, Roxie let out a long sigh causing her father to look up from his plate. "Something the matter, Roxanne?" His deep voice rumbled. Roxie looked up from her own plate and shook her head but Stefano didn't seem too convinced.

"Looks like you've hardly eaten a thing...the chef worked hard on this meal, its ungrateful to not eat any you know? Children are starving in Africa." Roxie wanted to roll her eyes but instead she forced herself to take another breath. Stefano's eyes looked as though he knew what she was going to say and Roxie was afraid of that..."Papa? Mama?" Roxie said gently as both of her parents looked towards her silently.

Roxie hesitated as she looked between the two of them. What the hell was she doing? Was she crazy for wanting to tell them...she needed guidance on this and unfortunately her parents were her parents. Swallow hard, Roxie stared them both in the eye, "I'm pregnant."

Silence. They both stared at her. 1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10..."I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right, Roxanne. Please tell me I'm mistaken, Did you say you were pregnant?" Stefano's voice was dangerously slow and Roxie's heart skipped a beat. Looking to her mother, the older woman simply chose to look away from her, causing Roxie to feel sick in that moment. "You are not mistaken." Roxie whispered, wondering if her father would hear her all the way from his end of the table.

Stefano placed his fork down and lifted his cloth napkin from his lap, bringing it to his mouth. Stefano shook his head once before dropping the napkin on his empty plate. His hand waved and one of the servants took away the plate immediately. His gaze never left Roxie as he reached for his glass of scotch.

"Who is he?" Stefano asked gruffly before he took a long drink from his glass. Roxie stiffened at the question, she wasn't expecting for him to ask that. "Uh..." Roxie wasn't sure what to say. "His name is Syd Porter...Savannah's cousin actually." The brunette didn't miss the look of disgust on her father's face and that struck fear into her soul, now she felt like she was about to be sick again. "Do you remember what your studies in Bible school taught you, my daughter?" His words now came out like a hiss, threatening and clearly angry beneath that stoic glare. "Have we as parents taught you nothing." He continued, "This will not do, not to my family, not to my only daughter." Roxie scoffed, "What are you going to do, Stefano? I'm 26 years old, you can't tell me what to do anymore." This caused her father to sneer at her and he stood up from his seat as he slammed his glass down hard on the table, the quick action causing Roxie to flinch harshly, her chair scraping against the marble as she too shakily stood up.

"We will arrange for you to get rid of it, quickly. Maybe you can redeem yourself in the eyes of the lord if you repel yourself of that vermin's child. You should be ashamed Roxanne, you aren't married to this man!" Roxie's jaw tightened as she moved away from her spot at the table. "He is not vermin! You don't even know him!" As she said this, somewhere deep inside herself she was reminded that she didn't know Syd either. "Look this is not 1671 Papa, times have changed, women are having children without getting married and without having a husband! I wanted to tell you to guide me in the right direction but now I see coming here was a mistake." Scoffing, Roxie crossed her arms around her chest and moved towards the elevator, snatching her bag off the couch she quickly pressed the down button on the wall and held back tears as the doors open and she stepped inside.

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright

Hearing James take both sides into consideration and figuring out a plan for them gave Ali some sort of comfort. Again, she was up for doing anything to take down the people that wronged her family and would dare continue to do so. Listening to more of Rebel's words, she downed the last of the brown liquid sitting in her cup. She was starting to like this woman, a brief thought of inviting her to the restaurant for a drink crossing her mind. Whatever favors it was her informants owed her, she wanted to know more about. How did someone come to owe her favors and what did she do besides shoot people? Besides that curiosity, it was always nice to get to know new faces. Despite the circumstances, getting to know someone who wasn't related to the family by blood or marriage was like a breath of fresh air.

As they continue talking about the plans to get revenge, the phone rang and James went to answer it. She took this opportunity to excuse herself and head to the bathroom. The liquor was hitting her bladder faster than she expected it would. A few minutes later and she would walk back into the room, feeling something shift in the air. She was fixing her jacket when she saw James walk over to the coffee table, picking up his gun. Her expression changed to one of concern while he gave them instructions. The woman looked at the worried look on his face, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. But, she did as she was instructed. If the theater shooting taught her anything it was that her carrying around a gun where ever she went was a good thing. The next words out of his mouth informed them they needed to be at an address, one that was not familiar to here. When he told them why she sort of just froze. Lucy? Syd? Sinead? Something... Happened? Her brain was processing things slower than normal and she didn't know how to react. That was until she finally snapped out of it and sprung into action.

Arriving at the warehouse, Aliana didn't even wait for James to fully stop the car before she bolted out of it. While Peter tended to Sinead, James to Lucy, Ali instinctively ran to Syd. Maybe it was this new maternal instinct inside of her but whatever the reason, she wanted to tend to him. After removing his restraints, she gently pulled him into an embrace, holding the back of his head and stroking his hair. "...It's okay, we're here now." Taking a moment to assess him, she noticed his red eyes and the blood. For a moment, James came over to check on his son and give his jacket to press against the wound. Ali held it for Syd, not knowing if he would actually be able to do so for himself. To say she was pissed was an understatement. How many times in the past few weeks did these pricks have the upper hand? They had the audacity to pull something like this while they were planning something and thought they were going to get away with it? Fuck no. But for the moment, she couldn't express this while her family was hurting. For now, she would subconsciously rub her thumb across Syd's previously tied wrists while keeping the pressure on his wounds.
​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Offering his life in exchange for the others' safe release had been a long shot, especially after his mother had attempted the same thing, so it didn't surprise him when Alistair rejected it. It was just all he could think of to do. Sinead's agonised screams indicated that she was being badly hurt but Syd didn't want to watch. With the last of his mental strength now expended, Syd let his head hang down with exhaustion, tears dripping off his chin and into his open wound. His mind grew blank as the hopelessness set in for good and his eyes glazed over, once again disassociating from his surroundings. He had no fight left in him, and so when he was unbound from his chair and his hands tied together in front of him, he put up no kind of struggle. Syd had no idea what was going on anymore, having tuned out entirely when Alistair had told them they were to be picked up. Getting thrown into the back of the truck again just reiterated his earlier feeling of being trapped in a vicious cycle; here they were, back where it had all started, and that could very well mean that there was more pain around the corner. But Syd just accepted it. He lay down on the floor of truck, not even trying to communicate this time. His gaze fell on a splinter of light that shone from a small crack beneath the truck's door frame and that's where it stayed for the rest of the short journey.

Eventually the three were heaved from the truck and dumped onto the dirty ground. It was only after they had driven away that Syd's mind began to slowly piece itself together again, able to return to his surroundings once he could believe that the three of them were no longer under the control of the enemy - whoever that enemy was. Syd's shirt was saturated with blood and sweat and he felt the breeze cut through him as he pushed himself up onto his knees and looked for Sinead and Lucy. His aunt was sitting against a wall, cradling her arm tightly against her abdomen in a desperate attempt to stem the heavy flow of blood from her forearm. He heard her instruct them to stay close, and that's when Syd realised that he had no idea where they were. It was public, and looked like some kind of empty car park. There were roads nearby, but not many people around; in a more sound state of mind, Syd would probably have recognised the open space at the bottom of the road to be the drop down to the East River and been able to work out that they were in Manhattan, not far from the family's shared apartment on the Upper East Side. However, as it were, Syd was much too occupied by the pain in his shoulder and chest and the distress shared between his injured aunt and mother to concentrate on figuring out where they were. He sat himself down on the ground near the others, bringing his tied up wrists up towards the gushing wound and resting his head on his knees. He was suddenly exhausted - all he wanted to do was sleep, but hadn't the energy to think of how to get to a place where he could.

The sound of a car screeching to a halt close by made him sit up in a panic. People began rushing towards them and he scrambled to get away, in fear that the enemy had returned to take them somewhere else. But he knew the voice that called out his name and before he could get off the ground, a woman reached his side and began working on freeing him from his restraints. Frozen with terror, his eyes eventually focused on the woman before him and he realised that it was Aliana. She pulled him into a secure embrace and simply held him for a moment, running a comforting hand through his hair. With each second that passed, Syd gradually came to understand that he was being rescued, that he was safe. Tears flowed from his wide eyes and he couldn't stop shivering, but at last he began to sink into her, raising an arm to hold onto her tight. "Ali..." was all he could manage, before an uncontainable sob escaped him and cut him off.

When Aliana pulled away from him, James came into view and placed a hand on Syd's arm. Relieved to see his father, Syd reached up to grab onto him, but the action of moving his arm upwards only opened up the wound. He felt a fresh surge of blood leak out onto him and he groaned, shuddering against the throbbing pain. James passed him his jacket which he had folded into a tight wad; ignoring his father's instructions, Syd only feebly dabbed it against his shoulder to see how much blood was coming out. Aliana soon took it from him and used it to apply pressure as James had told him to. Syd twisted round to see where his mother and aunt were, but again the wound tore open, restricting his movement. Not wanting to make it worse, he instead lay his head on Aliana's shoulder and let his gaze fall to the ground ahead of them. When asked if he could make it to the apartment, Syd thought about it for a moment before slowly lifting a hand to his head and digging the heel of his palm into his red raw eyes. "Haven't fed the dogs," he explained miserably, eyes sagging as though it were the biggest issue at hand. Whenever he was having a breakdown - which, at this severity, was rare these days - he found his dogs to be the greatest source of comfort. He thought of them being at home without him and his heart ached knowing the practiced response they would have upon seeing him in this state.

Interaction
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana
Misty Gray James, Sinead
Bellz Lucy

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Peter Callahan​

Alistair seemed to keep true to what he said because they were all thrown into the back of a van and disposed of at the back of an old warehouse. Lucy had been eerily silent now that they were left alone and once again, she struggled with her restraints as she tried to set herself free. Anger burned deep inside her chest as she focused all of her energy trying to undo the rope that bound her. Shuffling on her feet, she walked in a circle before she heard someone moving down the wall behind her. Lucy turned so sharply it made her dizzy but she ignored her own body's reluctance to move and walked towards her sister and son.

Sinead retched and Lucy flinched but continued to walk towards her sister before standing over her, "They're coming Sinny, its going to be okay...its over." Once again, she twisted her wrists around no longer able to feel the sting of rope against flesh for she had gone numb. She nodded her head slowly as Sinead suggested to stay close, closing her eyes a moment as she let herself give into the shock of what just happened.

Lucy heard the cars pulling up and her eyes snapped open. Peering down at her sister again, she could see that she was trembling. Lucy shushed her quietly, trying to be as comforting as she could be without being able to use her arms tot hold her. Hearing her name, Lucy turned to see her husband running towards them. Tears welled in her eyes at the sight of him and she let out a sob as he reached to untie her hands. The rope was almost black from where her wrists had been rubbing against it, she didn't dare look to see the damage, only grateful she couldn't feel anything yet and to be with her husband again with her family at least alive.

Peter rushed past the two of them and headed directly for his wife who was sitting on the ground near the wall. "Sinny!" He said to her as he knelt down on the ground beside her, "I'm here, its okay." He murmured to her as he made quick work of the ropes, being as careful as he could to not hurt her. The man looked to her bloodied arm and Peter paused, "Who did this to you?" He asked in an almost venomous voice. He didn't push her further though as he slowly helped her to her feet. Not bothering to let her stand on her own, the man scooped her legs from beneath her and cradled her close to his chest.

"I've got you." He whispered into her ear lightly before planting a kiss to her temple. Peter walked by Syd and Aliana, seeing the state he was in worried the hell out of him as he passed. Peter tried to hide the concern from his features as he walked towards James and Lucy wanting to know more about what happened.

"...these guys crashed into my car and before we knew it they rushed at us! Right in the middle of the day!" Lucy said, looking more than furious again as she cuddled close to James. "Somehow they know about Vinnie, somehow they know about how he tortured us years ago, James. This was some sick and twisted way to break me as the man who took us thinks it will break our family." The blonde growled out before wincing as she moved her bloodied wrists around. Her chest was heaving with labored breaths and Peter couldn't remember the last time he'd ever seen Lucy so mad.

Peter looked tot Sin before James asked if they could make it that far. Seeing the state his wife was in made him worried that she would need more than just physically fixing up, he turned his head to look back at Syd before looking towards James again, "Getting them back to the apartment seems best for them right now."
with: Pyroclast Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter
​

After a brief assessment of the three who had been tortured, James made the decision to get everyone back to the apartment and have Finn brought over immediately. James had driven with his wife in the passenger seat whilst Aliana was seated in the back with Syd. Meanwhile, Rebel was asked to drive the car with Peter and Sinead inside. During the drive home, James had remained relatively quiet, wanting to wait until Lucy and Syd had been patched up before pressing for details about what had happened. It was upsetting to see his loved ones in such a bad state and to know that once again he remained untouched. When he put all of the recent attacks together in his head, it appeared there was a theme. He could have easily have been killed or injured at the theatre, but he never felt like his own life was being threatened that night. All he could take from it all was that he was intentionally being left alone whilst having to see his loved ones being hurt around him. His family were one of his biggest strengths but that also meant they were a significant weakness too - his enemies could and indeed were using them to get to him.

The other thoughts that were going around in his head during the drive were around what Lucy had said. These people knew about their past in Chicago. They were aware of the night Vinnie had tortured them. Lucy made it clear her abductor wanted to break the family. It was a logical assumption and made perfect sense they would try to break the family; knowing it would cause weakness in the mob if its members were chipped away at and broken apart from each other.

Once back at the Upper Eastside apartment, James brought out various bottles of alcohol in case anyone felt they needed it. He remained standing by patiently as he watched Finn treating the family's most recent casualties. He knew he needed to figure out how he was going to respond to their attackers, but he needed to know exactly what had happened first. When he was satisfied Syd, Sinead and Lucy were all going to be physically okay, at least, he headed to his office, asking Lucy and Syd to join him. He dragged his chair from behind the desk, bringing it to the front so there was no barrier between him and the others. He took a moment to focus on Lucy and Syd, feeling a huge sense of relief that they'd made it home alive. "What happened? What did they do?" he asked them. "Did they give any clues as to who they were and what they want?"

Sinead Callahan and Conor Sullivan​

When she saw Peter rushing towards her, Sinead opened her mouth to say something but found herself speechless and unable to get any words out if she tried. He knelt next to her and rushed to free her hands from the ropes. When he asked her who had hurt her, she sniffled and let out a brief, distressed cry. In her head, she could see the heartless faces of Alistair and Ethan, but at the front of her mind was the psychotic smiling face of Ammon. She couldn't say anything positive. There were no words to excuse the three men and no good in them to cling onto. She hated them and nothing could redeem them enough to avoid her from wishing for them to suffer. She didn't like violence and had spent much of her life wishing for peace, so it shocked her to admit that she wished death on those three evil creatures.

Feeling weak and dizzy from both the blood-loss and shock, Sinead was relieved that Peter had cradled her close to his chest. She kept her bleeding arm pressed against her but wrapped her good arm around her husband's shoulder. "Peter..." she forced a whisper to him. She tightly closed her eyes and practically sank into her husband. She was trying to focus on the warmth of his chest and take some security from it. Although she didn't show it, she was glad to hear they were going to be taken back to the Porters' apartment, where she would feel less exposed and vulnerable. Sitting close to Peter in the back of the car, Sinead didn't speak throughout the journey. She was still in shock and afraid to look at her own arm, especially while the wound was still exposed and bleeding.

Conor had been waiting inside the apartment for everyone to get back. When the door was finally opened, he'd stopped pacing the lounge area and looked to see those entering. He was shocked to see his sisters and nephew all injured and bloody. He helped the others escort the three to the sofas. As his eyes fell upon his family the sight of each person seemed to shock him more as he went along. Lucy's injured wrists from the ropes; Syd's bleeding chest; and then Sinead's slashed arm. They all looked traumatised and exhausted. "Who would do this?" he lowly asked. "No. This is not on. They can't get away with this." Seeing his sisters hurt and upset had never been something he had patience for - it never had been. In the past, he'd hospitalised men for looking the wrong way at or speaking wrongly of his sisters. That wasn't about to change now they were older and had husbands to defend them. He'd promised his father he'd always look out for his sisters and as far as making the late Emmet Sullivan proud went, Conor was constantly evaluating how much catching up he had to do on that front. Knowing his anger would only stir emotions up further, he walked away to the kitchen area and retrieved some clean hand towels and wet cloths, handing them to the others so they could help manage the wounds until Finn arrived. Soon after, the doctor in question got to the apartment to tend to his family's wounds.

Sinead sat on the sofa with her healthy arm firmly around Peter's waist. She always loved and appreciated the calming presence Finn had on her, but even her sweet cousin wasn't doing much to reassure her on this occasion. Keeping her bleeding arm held out where he could tend to the wound, Sinead buried her face in Peter's chest, closing her eyes tightly to block out the pain as her cousin cleaned the wound and set about stitching her arm back together. Only when it was fully stitched and bandaged could she stop tensing her body. She brought her face back into view once it was over with. Her skin appeared paler than normal and she still couldn't stop shaking as her ordeal kept replaying in her head. She looked to Peter, her troubled-eyes wide open. "They knew about our past. About Vinnie torturing our family all those years ago. Even about what I did and that Angel killed my daidi," she told Peter. "They tried to make Lucy choose and then they just hurt of all us anyway." Sinead paused to catch her breath back "Petey, I'm scared. I wish... They need to be punished for this. I know it makes me bad for wishing it, but all three of them are evil. They don't deserve any kindness."

Conor had seated himself on the sofa beside Aliana as he watched Finn tend to everyone. He could feel something bubbling beneath the surface. Although it wasn't the familiar aggressive, knee-jerk urge to go out and beat the living shit out of those responsible, his inner thoughts would still have similar outcomes. He wanted the attackers to suffer, but he found himself not wanting to jump hastily into the situation ready for a fight, but he wanted to do it in a calculated way. With patience and planning like James would; to avoid getting thrown straight back into prison. He wanted the men responsible to suffer more than just a beating.

When James, Lucy and Syd retreated to the office, Conor turned to Aliana and let out a deep sigh. He glanced to Sinead and Peter, acknowledging how difficult it was seeing her in such a condition. Whilst it was bad enough seeing Lucy and Syd hurt, it was even worse when it was those who never had or wanted any part in the mob. First Savannah and now Sinead. "Ali. Are you okay?" he softly asked her, knowing it was hard for her too, seeing her friends and family hurt again. Conor loved his wife and he wanted them to be together again, but the night's events only pushed him further into wanting to support the family business. He couldn't keep sitting back whilst they were getting hurt. It could jeopardise his parole, but it was better than feeling useless. He believed he'd disappointed his family enough and it was now his duty to support James. "There's no longer any doubt about what I have to do, Ali," he told her, his voice low so as not to disturb Sinead and Peter too much. "I love you, but I love our family too. I have to help them fight this. Surely you can understand?" he asked, his eyes pleading with her to see it from his point of view.



Bellz Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

The ride home was quiet but Lucy preferred for it to be that way as the gravity of the situation set in even more. It was hard coming down from the adrenaline rush of hoping to survive and Lucy needed the whole ride to the apartment to calm down. Sneaking glances at Ali and Syd in the back, the blonde worried greatly about her son as she looked over his bloodied shirt. Squeezing her eyes shut, she turned her head away before letting her head hang down. She didn't open her eyes until they were parked outside of the apartment.

Once inside, they were immediately treated by Finn. Lucy allowed Syd and Sinead to be treated before her as she stood by and watched with a look of worry on her face. When she was finally patched up, James asked Syd and her to join him in his office, to which Lucy instantly agreed. The blonde sought out their son and she carefully coaxed him to follow her closely. Placing a hand on his upper back lightly, she led him into the office and shut the door behind them. Leading him to the sofa, Lucy sat down slowly and urged Syd to do the same silently.

For a moment there was silence between the three and Lucy let herself find relief in being together again. When James spoke, she listened intently, but was hesitant as she tried to force her mind back to what had happen. Lucy's mind was working to try and block out those crucial moments that could be helpful to finding out how to stop these monsters.

Swallowing hard, Lucy took a deep breath before saying, "They are copycats, seems like extremists who know too much about our families past enemies and what they did to us." She took a moment to look over Syd, lightly moving her hand to his before continuing. "These men...they killed her. They killed Arlene. The one who cut Syd. They taunted us, telling us it was a game...they even apologized for not doing it exactly like Vinnie." Lucy's eyes water and she shook her head harshly, she bounced her leg up and down as she tried to shut out her anxieties. Losing the details would be detrimental to them ending this quickly and she couldn't go letting her feelings and emotions ruin everything. Letting out a shallow breath, Lucy continued, "Ethan and..." Her head was was now drawing a blank as her mind wondered off without her permission, trying once again to think about something else other than what happened in that basement.

Biting her lip, Lucy shook her head again and this time moved her hand away from Syd's to place her head in both of her hands. Pulling at her hair slightly, the blonde tried to concentrate on what needed to be said. "The leader...the one who seemed to be in charge of the two who had Syd and Sinead, he said he wanted to run our empire to the ground...to realize that we made a mistake in coming to New York. Breaking me was his way of getting to you." She finished letting her head continue to gently rest against her hands, trying not to injure her tightly wrapped wrists any further. After a moment she lifted her head to look to James, tears now falling down her cheeks.

"How long are we going to have to go through this? How many decades James?" She questioned. "I know, it was my fault that my father was killed and you had to take on the job when not even my brother could but this wasn't the life I wanted for us, especially not for Syd!" She was trying her best not to shout but it was hard to keep her voice down.

"They could have killed our sister and our son today, I begged with my life--our son begged with his life! They want us dead James! What if this time it actually happens? How many more lives will be lost?" Lucy stared at him looking for answers now, her legs bouncing up and down as she trembled with anger.

"I can't lose anyone else. I can't lose you. I'm through with the loss, the lack of sleep I get at night over the countless nightmares. I want to go back home, back to Ireland. We can't win this fight, I don't think we will be so lucky this time around."
with: Pyroclast Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Warren Taylor​

Warren watched as Keegan requested another two drinks and was about to decline before quickly stopping himself. He reminded himself he wasn't actually working, even if he was naturally still feeling like he should remain alert. He gave Keegan a grateful nod as he accepted he did need to relax a little and give himself a break for the evening. Warren displayed a soft frown as he listened to the man describe how Arlene was like a sister to him. Warren hadn't known her as well as many had, but he knew she was family and had always energised a room when she was present. He nodded in agreement at mention of the punishment for those responsible. "You're right. It would be too quick for those animals. Here's hoping they face real consequences for their actions." Warren accepted the fresh drink that was handed to him and took a small sip from it. "We will get to bury Arlene soon, I'm sure. Then she can be at peace."

Deciding to lighten the mood a little, Warren thought of what he knew about Keegan's side of the family and snapped his fingers as something came to him. "You've got a fair few brothers and sisters, am I right? Any of them working for James too?" he curiously asked. "James is my half-brother and I didn't see much at all of him whilst growing up," he explained. Until a few years ago, Warren had lived in Italy. Although James had visited to see their mother, it was clear he didn't think much to Warren's Australian father. Warren was sure it was merely a personality clash; that his own father was the complete opposite of James' late father. Whilst Warren's father was encouraging of living a good, honest and hardworking life on the right side of the law, James' father had dragged him into crime from being a boy and often left his two boys to fend for themselves for days on end while he was out on jobs. Warren appreciated how much easier his life in italy had been compared to James' upbringing, but now he wanted to know his brother more and he wanted to support him with the business. "I have another brother and sister. Jordan and Maria live back in italy. They're making honest livings my father can be proud of," he drily remarked.

Warren and Keegan soon heard raised voices coming from a table a short distance away. A group of four men seemed to be arguing with each other in pairs. A barrage of profanity was followed by one man being shoved into a table before stumbling onto the floor, dragging a chair down with him. Whilst sure it was just a drunken scuffle, Warren felt obliged to intervene. At least to keep the bouncers from being distracted from their positions on security. Warren sent Keegan a glance to check if he was up for dealing with the situation. "I could have been a builder, y'know. Or an electrician. But no, I thought that would be too boring..." he lightly grumbled. He knocked back the rest of his drink before getting down from the barstool.


@Bugsy (Keegan)

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti and Maddox Parker​

Maddox had felt Ani's hand gently squeeze his knee and he had to stop himself from looking down to see the gesture. It was reassuring to him as after finding out he was working with Gabriel he wouldn't have blamed her for wanting to reject him completely. He briefly met her gaze, sending her a subtle nod to show he was still very much with her. They had much to discuss once it was just the two of them again. All he knew was that he was struggling to judge her for her association with the East Harlem Gang considering his own affiliations with Alistair and the Morettis.

Gabriel suddenly questioned Ani's absence from Alistair's job that evening and Maddox felt a rare discomfort at the man's abrupt question. He was torn between wanting to defend the woman he cared about and acknowledging Moretti's business was something that benefited his own goal. It was, after all, Maddox who had assisted Alistair in planning the torturing of Porter's loved ones. If only he could thank Conor for being so unintentionally compliant in divulging the information he was unaware the counsellor had been seeking to extract. It was thoughts like that along with no doubt the cruelty that Alistair would be giving out that Maddox was glad Ani wasn't on that job. In Maddox's eyes, she deserved a better life than that.

Ani replied to Gabriel, informing him Alistair hadn't required her services. When she went on to assure him her duties came first, Maddox subtly nodded. Mr. Moretti was an intimidating man and it would be no surprise if Ani wanted out of the whole business, but she was likely too tied into it to attempt escaping it. "Well, all three of us know Alistair," Maddox casually spoke up, hoping to break the tension. "If he wanted Ani there tonight, then she wouldn't be anywhere else but there and I'd be cooking a meal for one," he pointed out, flashing a grin.

Gabriel chuckled at Maddox's words, both amused by the assessment of Alistair's assertive character but also at the counsellor's need to defend Ani. Whilst the crooked smile lingered, his eyes remained cold and serious, reflecting the fact his mind never rested during business meetings. He was always looking for signs those around him tried to hide; be it deception, insecurity or conflict. Right now, Gabriel was simply figuring out Maddox. This had been the first time he'd seen the counsellor appear uncomfortable in his presence. The younger man was always so confident and passionate about their objectives - determined to destroy the Porters. Still, Gabriel remained content. It was clear to him that Maddox had feelings for Ani and his odd behaviour was merely a product of those feelings, that he'd been caught off-guard. It was actually quite amusing to Gabriel to watch the couple squirm and he was sure he'd share the joke with Elvian later. "Well, I'm satisfied with things here," he finally broke the tension. He finished his wine before standing from his seat and motioning for his bodyguard to retrieve his overcoat. "Maddox, I want you to continue as you have been with Syd and Conor until our next planned meeting. Ani, keep up the good work and keep an eye on that great brother of yours. Let's keep those gifts of his focused, so he doesn't become a liability."

Gabriel soon made his exit with care for whether he'd left Ani uncomfortable with his words about Ammon. With all of the unexpected guests out of the apartment, Maddox bolted the door locked behind them, not wanting any more uninvited guests in his apartment. He cleared his head before turning back to face Ani and returning to his seat beside her. "I would like to talk about all of this with you, if you will allow me?" he told Ani, looking her in the eyes to show he was being sincere. "That part of my life; working with Moretti against the Porters. All of it. I will tell you why, if you will listen." He reached out to her hand, hoping she would let him take it. "Whilst I may have omitted to tell you a lot about myself, everything I have told you has been the truth. My feelings for you are very real and you already mean so much to me," he gently assured her.


Bellz (Ani)

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti
~ Moretti Residence, Staten Island ~

Spoiler: Moretti Home

The black 1971 Stutz Blackhawk rolled down the gravel driveway and was pulled to a stop outside the closed garage. Despite having an employed driver in the car next to him, Gabriel had wished to drive the vehicle to Staten Island so he could test it out for himself. He switched off the headlights but left the engine running, even as he opened the driver's door and stepped outside. "Park it in the garage. I think I'll be keeping this one," he informed his employee, flashing a charismatic smile. Leaving the car door wide open for the other man to switch into the driver's side, Gabriel walked up the side path to the front door of his new home. He stopped and took a moment to look up, admiring the old Gothic architecture of the building. He was beyond pleased to finally be living in New York.

With furniture and personal belongings having still being delivered throughout the day, Gabriel knew the place would be an unorganised mess when he stepped inside. He'd had Elvian driven there before him, so he could conduct his business in Manhattan on his way there. Not wishing to have too much chaos during his first night in his new home, he'd suggested their daughters and son stayed in a hotel back in Manhattan. After having his fill of fresh air, he finally entered the house and hung his coat on on of the pegs in the hallway. As expected, there were boxes piled up near the wide, central staircase. "Elvian?" he voice boomed through the house. He stepped into the lounge where the furniture had already been placed, but the ornaments and paintings were still wrapped up and boxed. At either side of the dark, marble fireplace were two armchairs and opposite it was a three-seater sofa. The man ran his hand along the burgundy velvet upholstery of the sofa before deciding he was claiming the chair on the right side of the fireplace as his. It had a view of the lounge door whilst also giving a view of the bay window that overlooked both the garden and the front door. He liked to see everything. It was perhaps why he'd also chosen the loft room in the tower of the house as his private study.

The choice of home had also been made with Elvian's wishes in mind. Not only was there a decent sized garden with a shed for his wife to work her gardening magic, but the house also had stylish glass chandeliers and marble counters. She'd been very specific about those things. Seeing as she was't as ecstatic about leaving Miami, Gabriel made sure to compromise. Personally, he was glad to be well away from Miami. He was glad to have left the sunny beaches that he'd never personally cared for. New York was where he'd always wished to live and had been disappointed when that hadn't been where his father had sent him to work all those years ago.

Gabriel removed his suit jacket and very neatly folded it before carefully draping it over his armchair. He then unfastened the top two buttons of his white shirt, finally able to make himself comfortable after a long day of business. When Elvian joined him, he looked up to his wife and sent her a warm smile. "This house is beautiful, isn't it?" he asked her. He then walked towards his wife and placed his hands on her shoulders before kissing her lips. "Although, nothing is quite as exquisite as you are," he complimented her. "Has everything been running smoothly here? Are you liking our new home?" He ran his fingertips over her long hair, savouring the time alone with his wife.

Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian)

 

[RayPurchase]

Mitchell Van Gerwen

​

Mitch joined in with the small burst of laughter, breaking through the seriousness of the subject. However the levity didn’t last long however as Conor came over with news of his family. The gun holstered under his arm suddenly felt even heavier. Things were spiralling and fast. An attack at the theatre on all of the family, now not even a week later this. The way Conor spoke about them being harmed, it was clear that this wasn’t some sort of accident they’d been caught up in. He took a swig of beer, attempting to bolster himself with some Duch courage, he gave Conor a nod.


“And you stay safe, and for the love of god keep yourself out of trouble. If you end up back in jail you won’t be helping anyone,”


Not to mention the fact that he’d be beyond Mitch’s help. He was good, but no one was good enough to get a guy jailed during probation back out anytime soon. Conor was a good guy, and putting aside the amount of work that would have been wasted getting him out , Mitch didn’t want to see him back inside the federal penitentiary, any chance of reconnecting with his family would be gone, and without that he feared what his mental state would be reduced to. He’d seen what had happened to people who no longer had anything waiting for them out in the real world. He took another sip of Guinness, attempting to relax once more with the aid of some Dutch courage. They were fine in the pub surely, guards on the doors, a cohort of regulars who, half of whom were probably packing. He attempted to drop the now deadly serious look from his face, offering Rachel a soft smile as he nodded his head.


“The places we find calling home.... Certainly feels a lot more homely than where I grew up, so I’d say you made a pretty good choice,”


How did he end up with the Porters… now there was a story. He chuckled and rubbed at his chin.


“The same way most people have seemed to, a lack of opportunities up until that point, and a healthy dose of luck. They’d heard of my work and made me an offer I couldn’t possibly refuse. As such I’ve been gainfully employed for about a year now, tying up the legal loose ends and generally trying to help make sure that to the wider world and in the eyes of the law, that there is nothing of note or of interest here,”


Of course that was only counting the last 2 years. Go back 8 and he’d been on the straight and narrow. Well as much as you can be working in a big law firm who’s main clients are politicians and businesses with just as many skeletons in their closets as the Porters. Looking back now, he probably would have been quite happy along that route, or at least more comfortable, probably settled down in a house outside of Manhattan, a wife and 2 kids, making noises to become a senior partner if things had his way. All closed off to him now of course, and all down to his own making, the insidious bug within him that had derailed all of that and at the time nearly cost him his life, in debt to people who if you valued your teeth you did not remain in debt to. The favours they’d called in and the work they’d had him do had closed off the prim and proper career paths, leading him into the shadowy underbelly of the law, exploiting and teasing it, using his knowledge of it to actively subvert and bend around it. If only his law professor could see him now, the old coot would probably pass out with shame and indignant fury. He chuckled again at the thought, and carried on.


“And as you can most likely imagine, they do a very good job of getting their moneys worth out of me,”

(Interactions: Misty Gray Conor, Rachel)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright

Feeling Syd's arm around her, hearing him sob in her arms, it was enough to make her an emotional wreck. She was currently struggling to keep herself together and she had to keep reminding herself that now was not the time. As Syd tried to move around, she kept trying to make him sit still. It was difficult to force him to stop moving and preventing him from making his wounds worse. Eventually, he would realize this and stop himself by laying his head on her shoulder. With one hand applying pressure and the other stroking his head again, Ali's mind raced. She had never before been in this predicament where her loved ones were returned alive to her. Of course, she was more than grateful but she was still unsure of what to think or feel. When James informed them of the reason they were rushing out of their meeting, she was expecting the worst. It was a shock to her when they arrived and the three of them were alive; she had been holding her breath the entire time and let that breath out.

Ali was thankful when they all got into the car, heading back to the apartment. She felt as if the people who did this to the three of them were watching all of this occur, some sick way to get their rocks off or something. In the car, it was silent as expected. Aliana did her best to support Syd while the two of them sat in the back seat. She was looking out the window, getting lost in her own thoughts and her own plans. Trying to control all of her emotions at the moment was mentally taxing, but she knew for them she would have to keep it all together. Arriving at the apartment, Ali was shocked to see Conor already there waiting for them. She didn't know how to react to seeing him after the theatre but now wasn't the time. Once Finn arrived, she went to the bathroom to wash her hands of all the blood she'd gotten smeared on her. Taking care of Syd, the majority of his blood was now on her shirt, jacket, her skin. As the blood and water drained down the sink, she was looking at herself in the mirror. Even just looking at herself, she didn't know how to process her thoughts and emotions. It was like she was currently on auto-pilot walking out of the bathroom, leaning against the table.

Watching Finn finish up his work, James called both Lucy and Syd in the office to try and figure out what went on. Her eyes drifted towards Sinead and Peter, who she hadn't had a chance to check in on. It wasn't until she heard Conor ask if she were okay that she was finally back in the pilot's seat of her own mind and body. Wanting to give Peter and Sinead their own moment, she nodded her head towards the kitchen to getaway. Once they got into the kitchen, she turned her back to the counter and leaned her hands against them, facing her estranged husband. "...Conor I'm not okay." She said, voice breaking. More innocent people were getting hurt while those who deserved it wasn't. Shockingly, she managed to keep the tears in as she momentarily raised her hand to her eyes to make sure she didn't cry. She couldn't, as she had convinced herself she had no right to do so. Listening to him speak, she already knew where the conversation was about to go. The crazy part of it was the fact that she was thinking about this, intently. Hearing him say the very thing she was already thinking about making it that much more clear that it was inevitable; Conor was going to eventually end up back in this life.

Not knowing the future of what could happen from here, not knowing if Conor would be able to keep himself composed this time and out of trouble. It was all troubling to her and she couldn't fathom it. What if Conor was in prison forever? What, was she supposed to be a prison wife that continuously took her kid to visit his father? Leo, Aliana and the Charlie's were his family now and he had to be there for them. But, Aliana was not the type of person to make someone turn their backs on family. "I know, Conor, baby I know.." It was something of a soft whisper as she looked at him, nothing but pain in her eyes as she did. It wasn't just the pain of the issues in their marriage, but the whole damn day. She would wait before filling him in on things, but one thing she did want to address now. "I want mom to take Leo away from here... For a while, at least."
​

 

[RayPurchase]

Tony Harris

Harris Residence - Brooklyn

Spoiler: Harris Residence

​

Even at this time in the evening it was warm. Too bloody warm for Tony’s liking, his apartment seemed to just constantly absorb the heat and as such the air felt almost heavy and oppressive. Combined with the TV blaring next door through the paper thin walls and the incessant car horns outside (made worse by the fact that the window was near constantly open to deal with the heat), it would be enough to drive anyone mad. The building was hardly great either, from the exterior it was near identical to the other rows of brick tenement style apartment buildings, whatever the original brick colour had been was now long since covered by soot and grime. Inside the one room apartment, things were hardly much better. It was a studio apartment, and a small one at that, measuring perhaps a 100 square feet. The walls were devoid of paint, revealing the bare brickwork beneath. Against one wall was a sofa, which doubled as the bed but was at this point folded away, a rather dull grey looking thing, which looked like it had seen far better days. This was pretty much the only place to sit aside from the floor, with their being no other room for a dining table or additional chairs. There were two internal doors, one leading to a rather small toilet and shower room, and the other serving as a wardrobe. The kitchen was tucked into the corner by the window, consisting of a small gas stove and oven, and an equally small fridge with two cupboards of storage, and a sink. At this moment in time Tony was hunched over said stove, poking at a couple of sausages in a frying pan, small splatters of oil flying out of the pan. The room looked even smaller than it was with his large frame, appearing almost comical. Wearing a white wife beater and a pair of grey jogging bottoms, Tony had a frown plastered on his face. He didn’t care about the decoration (or the lack there of) or even the lack of room, hell compared to the places he had lived in the East End this place was a palace, indoor toilet, working plumbing and the sofa was comfier than it looked. The thing that was wearing him down though was the heat. Yeah Miami had been hot, but at least there had been a cool ocean breeze to help deal with it. Today was just muggy and humid, the wet heat causing his clothes to stick to him, and combined with the hot pan in front of him, his nerves were starting to frazzle, the incessant background noise starting to get to him. The noise of traffic he just had to deal with, it was either that or close the window and boil to death. But that fucking TV next door, every single day volume turned up loud, and tuned into some shitty game show. He didn’t even know which one it was, he couldn’t make out all the words, and that somehow made it worse, half garbled and muffled. He scratched at his ear, trying to take a few deep breaths. He knew what the easiest way of solving that problem would be… He shook his head as the plan formed in his mind.

“Fuckin’ hell Tony, you’ve been here less than a week, just keep it calm keep it civil. No need to causin’ a palava…”

The sausages continued to spit, flecks of oil stinging his uncovered arms, the heat continued to waft into his face, and the noise of the TV continued, accompanied by the muffled laughter of the neighbour. This trifecta of irritation continued to chip away at Tony for perhaps 3 minutes before he slammed his hand against the kitchen counter.

“Right!”

He exclaimed to no one in particular, flinging the spatula and kitchen towel he was holding onto the floor, and he stalked his way out of the doorway and into the dimly lit corridor, the lack of windows and scarcity of lightbulbs giving it a dingy feel. He stood outside the neighbouring apartment door and knocked his fist against the door, the dinner plate like hands causing the door to shake slightly. He stood there waiting, his foot tapping impatiently against the frayed carpet in the hall. Finally after what felt like an age, the door swung open, revealing a portly main perhaps in his late 40s. He wasn’t a looker that was for sure, what was left of his black hair was greasy and combed over in a desperate attempt to try and hide his bald peak, his skin was pallid and pale and he had a gut protruding from beneath the stained t-shirt he was wearing. Tony attempted a friendly grin, but it came across more psychotic than friendly, the smile not quite reaching his seemingly permanently crazy blue eyes.

“Evenin’ mate. Name’s Tony, and I have the pleasure of bein’ your new neighbour,”

He jerked his head in the direction of his apartment.

“Just poppin’ my head round to do my neighbourly duties and say hello, and to ever so kindly request if you could turn that TV just a couple of notches for me. It would be very much appreciated on my part,”

The man’s chins wobbled as he scoffed at Tony in a thick Brooklyn accent.

“Would it now, well I happen to like it like that way, so why don’t you take a hike you limey fuck,”

And with that he slammed the door in Tony’s face. Tony stood there for a few moments, the grin still on his face. Motionless aside from right hand which was slowly opening and closing, forming and releasing a fist. He let out a long deep sigh, as the grin slowly slipped away. Well he’d tried friendly, he’d given the bloke a good chance to do the good thing and come out of this right. Not Tony’s fault if he chose not to accept that path. He hammered his fist against the door once more. This time it opened after just a few seconds.

“I thought I told you to get lo..”

The man never managed to finish his sentence as Tony headbutted him square in the face, an audible crunch emanating from the man as his nose broke, and the sudden blow levelled him with a solid thump. Tony stood over him as he lay groaning on the floor, clutching at his bloodied nose, he jabbed a finger at him.

“I fucking asked nicely, and if you hadn’t have been such an inconsiderate twat, there really wouldn’t have been any need for this, would there? WELL WOULD THERE?!”

He yelled the last part due to the lack of response to his first question, a few specks of saliva flying from his top lip onto his new neighbour who could still do little more than groan pitifully. Tony stepped over the man, and stood in front of the TV, it was even louder here, but he could finally identify the show now. Jeopardy, the theme tune warming up as the opening graphics appeared

"And here's the star of Jeopardy!, Art Fleming."

Unfortunately for Art, he never made it onto this screen as Tony’s fist broke through the glass, fragments flying onto the carpet. He then grabbed the set and wrenched it off the stand, the plug flying out of the wall with it, and he threw it against the opposite wall. Whilst the wall held up well, the television did not, and yet more pieces broke off in a rather pleasant shower of plastic and metal. Dusting his hands off he tutted as he noticed a few bloody scratches on the knuckles of his right hand. He walked into the bathroom and grabbed a towel, wiping away the few drops of blood as he stepped back over the still prone resident and into the hallway. He looked down at his once more and dropped the towel onto his chest.

“Get yourself cleaned up and keep it down from now on… oh and of course it goes without sayin’. Tell anyone about our little conversation here, and you’ll realise I let you off lightly. Enjoy the rest of your day mate,”

He walked back into his own apartment whistling to himself as he entered the now significantly quieter environment, even the traffic sounded like it had died down a little. Picking up the spatula he prodded at the still frying sausages, giving them a flip.

“Shouldn’t be much longer at all…”

He muttered to himself. Sooner he could get himself out of this apartment the better, if there's one thing he couldn't stand, it was being cooped up.

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Elvian Moretti

The day Gabriel Moretti told his wife they were moving from Miami was a very dramatic day. Elvian Moretti had gotten used to being on the beach every day, enjoying all of the sun, her impressive set of rose bushes, and of course her home. For a few hours, there was nothing but curse words in her own Romanian tongue, something only a few people in the home understood. Glasses were being broken as she threw cups against the wall in the kitchen. It wasn't long before she had nothing left of no value to throw and break. At one point, she eyeballed the china case in the thought of just breaking those but she decided against it. "Why would we move?! Our life is great here! We know everyone, we have a routine, life is great, I'm happy." But when he explained it all to her, it all made sense. Her family was getting revenge on those who had wronged them and it was about time. When she realized she had thrown a tantrum, she apologized to him. "Don't worry, I'll replace them in our new house in New York!" Taking care of the move was something of a headache. She knew she wouldn't be able to take a lot of their stuff with them, so she made it a point to get rid of old things. In the long run, it would help with adjusting to their new city life. On the last day, she really didn't want to part from their home. One she had known for almost all of her life, raised her children in, helped her husband plot in, and now she was saying goodbye to all of it.

The journey up seemed to take forever and she wasn't sure if it were due to excitement or the fact her driver actually obeyed the rules of the road. Once she finally got into the state, she was wide awake and taking in all the scenery. There was so much green, trees, and absolutely no beaches which was going to drive her completely insane. With her sunglasses on, she rubbed her temples in dramatic annoyance. Why the hell did she agree to this again? It all turned around when they finally pulled up to their new home and she fell in love again. She had told her husband there were a few things she needed in order to be able to fully accept the move. Of course, he came through with every single one of the things she asked for. It was part of the reason she loved him; he always found a way to make her smile despite not truly wanting to. While he continued to attend to business, she set to attending to business of her own; getting her new home all made up.

Throughout the home, you could hear her voice giving instructions. There wasn't much for the sound to bounce off of so her voice echoed. "Now, to the left. Oh, pentru dumnezeu! MY left." Once they finally understood where she wanted the placement of her living room chairs and couches, they left her alone to put the room together with small decorations. She wouldn't hang anything up just yet, saving it for last. She moved from room to room to place the furniture first, planning to come back later to add everything else. Doing it this way would get those idiotic movers out of her new home and they would leave her alone. The first things she wanted to unpack was her wardrobe. The thought of having to dig through boxes for her clothes was sickening, so she decided to start there. While folding and hanging and placing her shoes accordingly, she heard her name being called out. After she finished hanging up the dress in her hands, she made her way downstairs to where she heard him. She smiled at him, giving him a kiss back before listening to him speak about the home. With a shrug, she gave a playful frown. "It's not as good as our old home but it'll do, I guess." Walking over to one of their bars, she poured her husband a glass of his favorite drink before handing it off to him. "I had to explain that pentru dumnezeu means for fuck's sake to one of the movers. He liked the way it sounded. Anyway, how was business?"

​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Teddy Wycliff

Teddy was there that day when Elvie was throwing shit around the house. He was sure he was going to walk into the Moretti home and possibly get some Romanian style Italian cooking or something. Instead, he was almost hit in the head with a glass cup. Deciding that was not something he wanted to deal with, he immediately left when he heard the Romanian woman cursing in her native tongue. Since he knew they were leaving, he made it a point to get things with his businesses in order. Granted he would occasionally come back to check on things, but he wouldn't be able to just up and leave whenever he wanted. Gabriel would more than likely need him to handle things whenever a situation arrived, so he made it a point to always be available. He understood the move back to New York, happy about it even. The more important of his businesses were there and they needed more of his attention than the ones in Miami. Plus, he missed the noisy streets of Manhattan and nightlife. Miami had a fun nightlife, but they had nothing on New York.

On the day before they were to go back to New York, Teddy had to say goodbye to all of his girlfriends and employees. He made sure those he left in charge were competent and would make sure to stay on top of all business matters. He made plans and already set dates in which he would come back down but knew those weren't dates that were solidified. His people didn't know that. The drive up to New York was a long one and quite boring. To be honest, the drive down to Miami when he first came was just as boring. It shouldn't have been a surprise to him that it was boring this time around. Watching Elvian practically die over this move was entertaining enough, a small smirk on his lips every time he heard her curse. Closer to their destination, she picked up on this and told him to piss off.

After he was sure the missus was fine, he left for his own apartment he had gotten on their journey to check the area out. He'd fallen in love with the view of the place for sure, not even really caring about everything else. Teddy had his own unfortunate unpacking to do. Sure, he could have hired people to come take care of it for him, but he actually liked this part; putting his place together. A lot of the things, like furniture, were the only things that he bought. He kept his place in Miami for when he would visit but took a good majority of things like trinkets, clothes, and sentiments. Basically, anything he thought could be stolen he took with him. When he was finally done, he decided to pay Tony a visit. He too had gotten his own apartment, despite Teddy offering to be his roommate at the Hayworth. He hadn't found a new car yet, so he decided to hail a taxi to his friend's place.

To say Teddy wasn't use to such... Areas would be the understatement of the year. He was beginning to slightly regret coming down here in the first place, but he wanted to see his friend and talk about their business here in New York. It was all about getting rid of the Porter's and to be quite honest, he was pretty excited about all of it. Walking up the stairs until he reached Tony's, he knocked on his door. "Tony! Open up, you psycho."

​

 

[Fletchawk]

Owen Yu
Oakland Gardens, Queens​

Having already second guessed himself on the way over, his body struggled to stay still as reasons to disappear were rapidly filling his head, and time seemingly stretched beyond the brief moments it took for the door to be answered. But when the whitewashed entrance gave way, the switch flicked on in his head, and China's signature crooked smile flashed across his face.

Farrid. While he'd met the olive-skinned man twice before, Owen wasn't in a state to be particularly observant the first time around. As for the second, the three of them had been more interested in enjoying the ambiance of The Lomax than mingling, although Farrid and Bailey's relationship had been made obvious through the latter. However, the man from his memories didn't exactly match up visually to the one that stood in the doorway. By no means could Farrid's overall appearance to be considered lacking, but his rougher image was noticeable as he greeted Owen.

A small chuckle hid the awkwardness of being reminded of his run in with ESH gang, "Nah, just happened to be in the neighborhood, and I thought I might check in for a check up. Like I said before, I like keeping my face pretty for the ladies. Getting kicked around ain't really my style, ya dig?" he said, his business facade grinning away as he stepped inside.

Having not been directed anywhere, Owen meandered around the room as the man he'd imposed himself on graciously fetched some drinks. A cabinet of bottles was the first of thing that examined, but quickly lost interest as questioned whether he'd be able to pronounce the words that labelled each of them. Since his first visit could be counted among the few times he'd been around medical equipment, most of it was foreign to him, and he kept his thumbs firmly tucked in his back pockets as continued to wander. What seemed to be a soldier's helmet, something he'd seen in passing on his roommate's television, caught his gaze for a moment, and an old memory of his mother giving him a short, and rather vague explanation of who his father had been started surface, but was interrupted by Farrid returning with a couple of bottles.

"Seems like I came after hours. If you want, I can come back another time..."


Inb4Cloaker [Farrid]

((Sorry about the wait, I mismanaged my data plan, despite my usual vigilance. Thank you for your patience.))

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan​

When Danny got up for her to follow him, Savannah sent a brief glance towards the bar where she saw Warren and Keegan were both distracted enough. In her current frame of mind, she was sure she'd have gone either way and argued it out with the men if needed. She walked with Danny outside, all the while being vigilant around them should there be anyone suspicious nearby. Once they reached the gazebo, she felt more comfortable. Less exposed.

The blonde sat next to Danny and followed his instructions, watching him as he showed and explained to her how to smoke. When he took slow drags of the joint and then blew the smoke away from her she shyly smiled, partly as she'd picked up on his consideration towards her. Her eyes were constantly focused on his hand that held the joint so she wouldn't miss anything he was showing her. When he asked about her interest in movies, she was able to divert her eyes onto his face. "Yes, I love them," she confirmed, with an enthusiastic nod of her head.

Soon enough, Danny handed the joint to her and Savannah accepted it with her right hand, holding the tip between her thumb and index finger. For a moment, she just looked at the small white stick in her hand. When asked what movies she was into, Savannah looked up again. Snapped out of her gaze, she also held the joint between her lips and quickly inhaled as she took her first drag. She moved it away from her mouth as she was hit will a short coughing fit. Once she composed herself, she looked to Danny as her cheeks turned a deep red with embarrassment. "So, that was dumb," she remarked. Not put off, she tried again. This time, she took two slower, more relaxed drags, inhaling and blowing the smoke away from Danny. She then handed the joint back to him.

"I like musicals and..." she began to answer his question. She'd paused as she took a moment to compose herself as she felt a little light-headed. "I love musicals and - don't laugh - but I'm really into Disney films," she admitted. "I don't like horror films, but secretly... I kind of enjoy the James Bond ones," she say, letting out a short laugh. She'd pretended to hate action films and westerns when she was younger, but that was because members of her family seemed to always have them playing on the television when she wanted to watch other shows. Savannah sat back a little, feeling relaxed now her tension was lifting. "Do you go to the movies?" she curiously asked. "I haven't been for so many weeks now. Rehearsals took up most of my time but now..." she began, acknowledging the free time she did have. "I wonder if..." she began, giggling again as she thought of the film she was about to mention. "I wonder if the Willy Wonka film is still showing. Do you know it? The one with the Chocolate Factory," she said, with a wide smile. She'd read 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' with Emery a few years back. Knowing the film was a musical had her even more interested.

Pyroclast (Danny)

 

[RayPurchase]

Tony Harris

​

Tony was sat on the sofa, his feet resting on the coffee table and a newspaper in hand, an empty plate was on the table in front of him, just a few crumbs left from his lunch. With a pen in his hand his focus was solely on the newspaper, he tapped the pen top against his teeth as his eyes narrowed in concentration. With the noticeable absence of next door’s television he’d been able to relax a little. Having popped on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt he had popped down to the shop and picked up one of the last few copies of the Racing Post, and was now busily picking out a number of horses, carefully circling potential contenders out for tomorrow's races. He’d always had a weakness for the horses, if he was honest with himself his losses far outweighed any winnings he had earned. But then again he was doing it to make money, he did it for the thrill of the chase, he spent the same amount each month, no more no less. It may have been a vice, but it was one that he was sure wasn’t going to end up controlling him. The tranquility of the apartment was shattered however with the pounding at the door, his hand tensed and the pen tore through the sheet of paper. He grumbled for a moment, wondering if it was the bloke next door coming over for round 2, but he immediately recognised the voice that followed the knocking.

“Hold your horses Teddy you posh sod,”

He yelled back. Teddy was one of the few people that Tony tolerated, or hell even respected (aside from the boss of course). The pair were real chalk and cheese, whereas Tony was chiseled from granite and had all the poise and manners of a rabid dog, Teddy was a smooth talking ladies man, sort of face that broke a lot of hearts. It’s probably what helped them get on to be honest, stick 2 Tonys together and they’d be throttling each other within a day. He pushed himself up from the sofa and swung the door open for Teddy. Even as the door was fully opened he had already turned and was heading towards the kitchen. He wasn’t much of one for showing open affection, if he’d hugged Teddy he probably would have thought something was seriously wrong.

“Surprised you could bring yourself down here from your ivory throne Teddy. I didn’t think you could show your face anywhere where the rent is less than $600 dollars a month,”

After a moment he chuckled, a rather dark and gravelly noise. He filled up the kettle and stuck it on the stove.

“Settled into your place without any problems?”

(Interaction: Melanin-Gxdess Teddy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor followed Aliana to the kitchen, taking one last glance to his traumatised younger sister along the way. He briefly massaged his forehead to fend off the tension headache that was threatening to break through. One thing he was sure of was that Dr. Parker would be earning his counselling fees at the next session, given all of the troubles he would have to listen to Conor offloading.

Standing opposite Aliana, the tall man frowned when she told him she wasn't okay. it wasn't that he expected her to feel any other way, but the fact she wasn't keeping it to herself showed him how much everything was getting to his wife. "I know..." he sadly agreed, taking a step closer to her in hopes his closer proximity would provide some reassurance. When he'd told her his intentions to put himself back into the business, something he had no other choice in, he wasn't expecting her to take it so well. He didn't move away, ready to take any angry reaction, be it verbal or physical. Instead, Aliana told him she knew. Her voice was a soft whisper and he could only think she understood that it was something he had to do. It always had been. Conor reached out and put his arms around his wife's shoulders, pulling her into him for a close embrace. He gently rubbed her back to attempt to reassure her. He wasn't sure what the world had in store for either of them, but he hoped they could go through it together.

When Aliana mentioned taking Leo away, Conor broke away from the embrace and took a step back so he could look at her face. His hands remained on her shoulders as he processed her words. He'd only just started to get used to seeing his son again without prison guards hovering over him and with the freedom to go where they wanted. He didn't want to lose even more crucial time with his growing kid. However, it didn't take long for him to see how much safer it would be. Their enemies clearly had no limits when it came to who they harmed, so he doubted even children were safe from it all. "Yeah, I..." he began, struggling to form a response. "I know it's for the best. It's just... I just got out and..." Conor let out a frustrated groan. He moved one of his hands from Aliana's shoulder and used it to rub his eyes with the back of his hand. He then gave a firm nod. "You're right though. We have to make sure he's safe. You know, Mam is always wanting to see her grandkids. I know it's London, but it's not this shit-hole, is it?" he reasoned. "Besides, I'm sure Mam and Seana can enjoy catching up and doing whatever it is women their age do for fun..." he trailed off. "And what about us, Ali? I mean... Do I have your support in all of this?"

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

Jason emitted a small sigh when the director called cut, but his reaction was nothing compared to Gwen's, who seemed irritated already. He wondered briefly if her impatience was due to him or if it was something more - perhaps to do with the drugs. Ever since he had learned of her addiction, he had been unable to shake it from his mind. Of course, he hadn't told a soul about it. If he did and she found out somehow, he was sure she would try to murder him. As the director berated the two of them for their apparent lack of chemistry, Jason took a step back and folded his arms. For some reason her comparing him to a toad put an amused grin on his face. There had been an unmissable strain on the kiss; it seemed Gwen was truly repulsed by him. She was turning out to be a wonderful actress, but her disdain towards him was a hurdle she was clearly struggling to get over. The way she groaned and reluctantly moved back over to the vanity dresser when the director ordered them to restart the scene drew a quiet laugh from Jason and he shook his head at her. He couldn't wait to see her after the rehearsal and hear what her problem was this time.

The scene soon started again, and Gwen's frown was instantly replaced by Sally Bowles' flirtatious smile. This time, however, Jason was struggling to get into character. Although delivering his lines correctly required little effort, his mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of Gwen. He wanted to be able to read her, to understand what was bothering her, but it was impossible while she was pretending to be someone else. It was lucky that Cliff was supposed to be stiff and awkward, because that's exactly how he felt. The way she swung her hips as she walked across the stage, it was like she was dancing towards him. Her brown eyes shone under the soft stage lighting and he noticed this time that she was biting her lip, adding to her overall seductive aura. Once she was close enough, she brought her arms up around his neck and slowly released her lip. He couldn't help but notice how plump they looked, how soft and voluptuous. Then, she kissed him. And it felt just as forced as before.

Her lips lingered on his for several seconds and Jason grew more and more uncomfortable until eventually somebody cleared their throat and the two parted gratefully. Jason raked a hand through his hair, now a little bothered himself. He did well to hide the extent of his disappointment when the director told them to do the scene again and as Gwen returned to the vanity, he put his hands together as though praying to get through it quickly.

This time when Gwen moved in towards him, Jason took a small step forward to meet her as the director had suggested; the moment his hands met her waist he felt a spark and his expression softened into Cliff's characteristic coy smile with ease. It felt different this time, now that he had loosened up. Sliding his fingers down to her hips, he drew her into him so that their bodies connected and as soon as she placed her lips to his, he gave up on his impression of Cliff's awkwardness and kissed her with purpose. No matter how she went into it, it would look more believable now. In fact, as it went on, he began to believe in it himself. The stage fell away, the director and all the other cast and crew in the wings and the auditorium ceased to exist; for just a few magical seconds, Jason let himself be fully transported by the kiss. It was just him and Gwen, like it always used to be. Once upon a time, she had been all he had, the only thing that mattered to him - the only person who gave his life any meaning.

The sound of someone clapping drew him out of his spell and he turned to see the director standing at the edge of the stage, her script wedged beneath her arms as she applauded them. "Wow," she exclaimed, smiling to the pair of them with a look of awe in her eyes that Jason had seldom seen before. "Now that's what I call a kiss! Remember, though, this is just a New Year's Eve. It's only supposed to lay the ground for the increasing chemistry between them. I saw no awkwardness that time, thank God - but next time just tone it down a little. They're not about to have sex, for God's sake!" The director gave a sharp laugh that resonated throughout the theatre. Checking her watch, she then added, "Okay, we'll leave it there for now. But I want you both back here in an hour for Act One Scene Six, so don't go far! Alright then, Scene Eight - Kost, Schneider, where are you?"

As the other actors began to make their way up to the stage, Jason glanced to Gwen. The taste of her lips still lingered on his and he ran his tongue over them once he had turned his back on her. Making his way to the green room, he almost hoped that she wouldn't follow him in case she somehow hadn't felt the same spark that he had. His curiosity surrounding her earlier bad mood had now been replaced by a desire to kiss her and touch her again - for now, he would rather sit alone and think about her than listen to her current reason to hate him.

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Teddy Wycliff

Teddy's attention was momentarily grabbed but a cute looking girl passing by. She looked far too beautiful to be in a place like this and all he wanted to do was rescue from it. Unfortunately, his concentration was broken by the sound of Tony's voice and the sound of footsteps coming to the door. The girl seemed spooked to hear the voice and quickly made her disappear into her own apartment. This made Teddy's face scrunch up in wonderment at why she ran away so quickly. The two of them had shared a nice little moment of looks and smiles and she didn't even offer her number. No matter, he thought to himself, there would always be an opportunity to sleep his way through New York. Watching the door swing open, a grin appeared on his face. "Posh? No, I think the term is actually refined." He replied, stepping into the man's apartment. The place suited his friend, he would admit, with its rugged appearance and seemingly very little care for anything else. He chuckled at Tony's remark on his taste on apartments. It was true, to be honest, but really he just loved places with an incredible view. Granted, there were buildings still being built but that meant nothing at the moment. "All jokes, huh? If you must know I have more refined tastes than you. You're comfortable in more... Lowkey places and I like the ones with a view. So sue me." He gave a shrug of his shoulders, placing his hands in his pockets. "But, I'd always give the throne a break to come to poke around."

Taking a seat on the arm of his couch, he laced his fingers together and touched his thumbs to one another. "Ah, it was alright. Already broken the place in with a few fun girls." He shot him a wink before asking him how he was settling in. Once he responded and the two were done with idle chatter, he moved on to more serious matters. Even though there was no doubt they would have fun here in New York, they were here with a purpose. The Porter and Sullivan family names have caused his boss' family, one which he came to have a fondness for, a lot of losses. The fact they thought they were dead was a good thing; now they had the element of surprise up their sleeves. "How do you suppose things are going to go down here?" He asked, a thoughtful look on his face. He wanted to hear his friend's perspective about all of this, mostly the move. There was a feeling that they would have been better off doing the shadow work from Miami than actually being here, but the boss had other thoughts. Teddy knew not to question the man so head-on, therefore, he wouldn't.
​

Tony ( RayPurchase )

 

[RayPurchase]

Tony Harris

As the kettle came to a boil Tony grabbed a mug and popped a tea bag in it before filling it up, he didn’t even both offering Teddy one, how the man failed to like either tea or coffee did astound him sometimes. With just a dash of milk he took a sip of the builders brew and leant against the wall opposite Teddy.

“You know me mate, always the comedian whilst you’re the unrepentant playboy, we’ve each got our roles,”

The grin slipped from his face as he blew gently on the rolling streams of steam emanating from the mug. With the usual banter and back and forth out of the way, the conversation was already turning towards the new circumstances that they found themselves in. Tony had been pretty happy in Miami to be honest, he knew its streets and back alleys, what coppers could be trusted and which were problematic, it had been their turf. Now however they were into the unknown, alien streets and people. Whilst there was still the old Moretti connection, and they had some friends with the East Harlem Gang, this was still a Porter/Sullivan stronghold and it would be idiotic to arrogant to think that they weren’t going to fight back. They’d clearly scored a few early hits through the Harlem gang, the theatre hit a week ago, and another attack that he understood was being carried out today, however the Irish would quickly recover and respond against Harlem and the Morettis. In fact Tony was not only counting on it, he was hoping for it too.

“Well we’ve woken the sleepin’ giant now haven’t we. This is their town and we’ve come to take it back. It’s going to be messy and it’s going to be a right slog.”

He paused for a moment and took a sip of his tea before shrugging his shoulders.

“They’ve been sloppy though haven’t they. The Harlem boys have struck twice, bloodied their noses and put the cat amongst the pigeons. But now they’ve got the professionals in, no more tiptoeing about with all this bloody cloak and dagger shit or pickin’ up scraps in Miami, we’re in the first division now,”

The smile came back now. This is what Tony had been promised. Miami had been a nice sideshow, but the Moretti was already well set up there by the time Tony had arrived. This was open season though. The East Harlem Gang had done some good work, but in Tony’s eyes it hadn’t gone far enough, if it had been him who had picked up the 3 targets today, they would have had to have been returned to the Porters in a bucket. Moretti was a savvy bloke who Tony had the utmost respect and loyalty towards, if he said jump Tony would say how high. He knew the time was coming where Mr Moretti would finally slip him off the leash.

(Interaction: Melanin-Gxdess
Mention: Misty Gray Mr Moretti)