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

[Bugsy]

KEEGAN LYNCH
​

It was clear that Luke Holland was no fool, that they would have to work hard to get the information that they wanted. In some aspects, it was refreshing to have someone who was not going to bowl over so easily and yet so infuriating when they didn’t. He had slipped back into being partially covered by the shadows as if to let Peter take back control; though they were sharing the spotlight, Peter had all the reason to be angry.

Keegan was stalking a perimeter around Luke, not only to play games with the man’s head (if that even could be achieved) once he stood behind him for a moment but also to get a look to why the man was so cocky; did he have a hidden weapon on him? Though in a swift moment, Keegan stepped quickly out of the way as the chair fell, not intending on catching it and allowing the pain from the broken wrist to be felt.

Besides, there was only so many times you could hurt a broken wrist before it went numb.

The suggestion that they needed to show him any kindness made Keegan snort ever so lightly. Of course there was no way they were going to let Luke Holland scurry back to wherever the man had come from only to disappear and for them to have wasted their efforts.

The chair had been uprighted.

The chair was no longer upright as gunshots filled the air.

Keegan was rounding on Peter, knowing that the anger that was on display would have grown into an uncontrollable inferno and they might as well put a bullet between Luke’s eyes if they were going down the path. He was not here to play good cop, but just this once, he placed himself between him, the pistol and Luke. ”A bullet to the gut is too good for him.” His blue eyes remained on Peter - and not the barrel of the pistol. ”Get me something to patch leg up with.”

No, Keegan wasn’t being kind.

He was delaying the agony.

Keegan waited for the barrel to be lowered, almost certain that Peter wouldn’t shoot him - not in front of James. He turned on his heel, now his focus on Luke. He didn’t show his displeasure of having spared this man any more time on the Earth but they needed answers. They needed to know who was behind the attack at the theater. ”I don’t like people, especially idiots with big mouths who’ve harmed family. My family.” There was a cold seethe to his tone, as he spoke of his family. Kevin. His brother. Harmed by perhaps one of the same thugs working for Moretti.

If Luke stopped responding for a moment, Keegan slapped the side of the man’s cheek to keep him in the present. ”Now, play the game and I might just be more accomodating. We might even get that wound of yours looked at.” His thumb hovered dangerously above it, as if to give the illusion that should the man not respond accordingly, the thumb would apply pressure to the bloodied wound.

”Your choice.”

To further his point, Keegan gave the man a little taste of what was in store as he pressed down - not hard - on the wound, enough to illicit a response. He had yet to break a sweat, cool and collected as he kept his eyes locked onto Luke’s. ”I have nowhere else better to be.”

Misty Gray (James + Luke), Bellz (Peter)

 

[Misty Gray]

Luke Holland​

Luke was soon pulled upright again and looked forward to see Peter aiming his gun towards him. Pressing the gun against Luke's head, Callahan demanded he cooperated. The question of who he was working for was asked again and Luke tightened his jaw, hissing slightly as this intensified the pain he was already feeling from the various blows that had been inflicted upon him. He moved his head forward, making Peter's gun press deeper into his skin. Though it could be played off as unintentional, Luke had intended to lean into the gun.

Peter shouted at him and then used the gun to hit Luke across the face. He let out another pained groan right before his chair was tipped onto its side again. Luke gritted his teeth and took rapid, deep breaths as he tried to keep in control of his own head. It might have been debatable as to whether he was sane or not, but Luke felt like he was in control of his own mind. "Do it!" he loudly hissed as Peter threatened to blow his head off. He was then shot twice in the leg, forcing him to uncontrollably cry out in pain. He was then commanded to talk, else he'd be shot in the gut.

Luke had been about to speak up when Keegan intervened and mentioned patching his leg up. This evoked a desperate, almost crazy-sounding chuckle from Luke. He liked seeing the two men wanting to take differing actions. Perhaps the Porters couldn't even agree on how to punish their hostage. Keegan once again commanded him to stop playing games. He wanted answers and he was willing to tend to his wound in exchange for it. Even with the pain and blood-loss he was suffering, Luke maintained his beliefs. He was fucked if he talked and fucked if he didn't. When it came down to it, the only power he had in the moment was the power to remain loyal to those who had given him a purpose when he felt he had none.

Keegan pressed on the gunshot wound on Luke's leg, causing him to flinch and struggle to contain a pained reaction. "Okay. I'll talk!" he cried out. He took a moment to catch his breath and spit out more blood before sharing his gaze between Keegan and Peter. "The people to blame for all of this are dangerous..." he began, clearing his throat. "The ones you should be directing your anger at are yourselves - the fucking Irish Mob." He chuckled as he glanced to James. "My only regret is not shooting your daughter in the head when I had the chance," he said, now looking Peter in the eyes. "There's always next time..."

Bellz (Peter) Bugsy (Keegan)

 

[RayPurchase]

Tony Harris

By the time Conor and Finn approached, Tony was hacking at the steak that had been brought his way, the serrated steak knife slicing through the seared outer flesh with ease, blood and juices from the cut of meat mingling on the plate in a red brown pool. He only had a chance to pop the first mouthful in when Teddy alerted him with a hushed word and a smile.


"Bloody hell could at least have let me had a bit more of my meal, selfish bastards…"


He muttered through a mouthful of steak, wiping his mouth with a napkin. He eyed the pair of them as they walked up. Conor brimming with self assuredness, a hint of cockiness too, the sort of man who felt like he had nothing to fear in confronting Tony and Teddy. Tony was going to enjoy making him realise the consequences of his pride. Finn, on the other hand, was clearly uncomfortable. Made sense really, the man was a doctor, no sign of any real affiliation to the mob aside from the familial side, clearly out of his depth in a situation like this. His left eyelid flickered at Conor's comment clearly snide remark. Under the table Tony's left hand tensed into a fist, the knuckles going white. His right meanwhile thudded loudly against the table, causing a few patrons to glance round. Those who didn't look at first were soon looking as Tony erupted in loud peals of laughter, his face turning redder as if it was the funniest joke he'd heard. This continued for a few long and uncomfortable seconds before he stopped as soon as he had started.


"Oh that's a good one mate, heard it before bit still your execution was fucking on point. A natural comedian you are,"


He grinned as Teddy went into his bit. Christ the man was good, as slippery as an eel, but he had the gift of the gab. Could weasel his words in such a way that Tony could only dream of. A different skillset from his own but one he respected at times like this when it came to play.


"Crying shame Teddy, clearly she's playin' hard to get, just got to try a bit harder, maybe I'll even give you a hand,"


He turned back to face Conor and Finn, glancing between the pair of them. The smile on his face was still in place, but there was something unnatural about it, like the smile of a China doll, fragile and ready to crumble away with only the slightest pressure.


"And afraid unless your sweet sister has spoken about us, you won't know us Chum. Relatively new in town and enjoying the sights, sounds and...experiences. Funny story actually, thing I always heard about New York, and you'll have to stop me if you've heard it before. You're always 5 feet away from a rat ain't you? City is infested with the little blighters. Same with the Irish too I here, scuttlin' in and settin' themselves up in the shadows and the filth, and just like the rats you're never more than 5 feet away. Weird coincidence, am I right Teddy?,"


He leaned back in his chair, sawing off another piece of his steak, and popped it in his mouth, chewing loudly and with his mouth open, that crocodile grin still in place.

( Melanin-Gxdess Teddy, Misty Gray Conor, Bellz Finn)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor was aware his cousin had followed him and he briefly turned to look at Finn so he could send the man a reassuring nod. The other man took on an assertive posture and also addressed the two who had been staring at them. Conor appreciated his cousin standing by him, but it concerned him more than anything. He didn't want the doctor getting into any trouble because of him. Finn was a decent and respectable man, with another good one waiting for him at home without any concerns of there being trouble. It was his respect for Finn, along with the number of witnesses sitting in the restaurant, that further motivated Conor to do anything but react in a physically aggressive manner. Having spend years in prison surrounded by antagonising arseholes and with nowhere to escape, he knew it was possible to stay calm.

Conor looked to Teddy as the man answered him. There was a smug smirk on the man's face as he spoke, the kind he often associated with slimy bastards, which gave Conor an immediate impression of Teddy's character. Still, he maintained an amicable expression as the man spoke on. As he said he recognised him, Conor shrugged his shoulders. It might have been a big city, but Conor was known around it, be it through his mob ties or his energetic presence around the businesses he owned. It was why he thought it more than likely the two seated men were enemies of the mob, especially given the attitude that was coming off of them. However, Teddy clarified he wasn't familiar from out in public and mentioned a picture. With the question as to whether he was Aliana's brother, Conor looked to Finn to see if the man was hearing the same words. His head then snapped back to Teddy as he mentioned sharing a bed with the woman in question.

Conor cleared his throat and gazed down towards the cutlery in front of Teddy, not immediately responding as he processed the information he'd been given. He took a deep breath as he started hearing Maddox's voice in his head. The counsellor's voice was chirping on about him taking a moment to think and to assess situations. Rather than lashing out, he was meant to stand objectively and weigh everything up. His actions always had consequences and how would breaking the guy's nose or stabbing him with the steak knife fix anything? "My sister?" he rhetorically asked, quickly shaking his head. It was all just to buy a little more time as he thought about things logically. He trusted Aliana and he was sure if she had slept with someone, she would have admitted it to him. If she wanted their marriage to be over, he believed she was decisive enough to tell him. Tony's aggravating presence wasn't helping him believe the story. The guy had to be lying, to try get a rise out of him. But... the more Conor looked at Teddy, the more he seemed to fit the type Tommy would have fallen into. Minus the smugness, which Tommy had never shown, there was just something about his attractive, clean and 'pretty-boy' kind of looks that reminded him of his old friend. The man Aliana had loved before him.

"Let me give you a piece of advice..." Conor began, his face now deadly serious and his voice low as he rested one hand on the corner of the table close to Teddy. "If you sleep with a woman, one of the last people who wants to hear the details of the affair is her brother. Seriously, that's bad form," he informed him. Conor was doubting the man's claims, feeling more inclined to pass them of as an attempt to bait him. And if he did believe it, he knew the sensible thing would be to talk to Aliana first, not only to avoid hitting the guy in front of him but also to show respect towards his wife. "I'm sorry she didn't give you a call. How about you give me your name and address, then if she does remember you we'll know where to find you." His focus then shifted to Tony, sending the man a piercing stare as he hadn't missed his disrespectful words about giving Teddy a hand with Aliana.

Tony's mere presence was enough to irritate Conor. The way he was sat and the forced smile on his face seemed to naturally grate on Conor, like there was just something in the air that meant the two hot-heads were wired to clash with each other.

...Count down from five...

As Tony spoke about being new in New York, Conor quickly nodded his head to reflect more interest than was needed. He looked to Finn to see how his cousin was doing and was about to cut Tony off in favour of returning to their own table to eat. But then the Cockney began comparing the Irish to rats, which caused Conor's attention to return back to the man speaking. Now he was sure the guys knew more than they'd been letting on. Conor finally removed his hand from the table and brought it up to his face to rub his chin. "I wouldn't call us rats, but you're certainly right about the Irish being all over the city. Friends all over the place, too. So, I suggest you and Teddy over here fuck off back to where you came from. I know the weather in London is shite, but you'll probably feel more comfortable without so many rats." Conor wanted so much to punch the guy, but he had too much to lose by lashing out and Finn didn't deserve to be dragged into that. Even if the exchange ended there and then, Conor would remember their faces and Teddy's name, so it would be far from over. "Just be careful who you pick your battles with," he suggested to Tony and Teddy. He then placed his hand on Finn's shoulder and motioned towards their table, gauging if he wanted to return tot heir meal or just leave the place...


Bellz (Finn) Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy) RayPurchase (Tony)

 

[Pyroclast]

Alistair Sawyer

The more the men talked, the more a plan to manipulate Roxie and Syd's relationship seemed to come together. As excited as he was at the prospect of drawing more information from the young man through Stefano's daughter, Alistair remained composed, simply taking a sip of his drink as he listened on. Stefano appeared sceptical at Gabriel's advice that he should repair his relationship with Roxie and gain her trust, but he didn't refuse. "Think of your lineage, Stefano," Alistair weighed in. "I don't have an heir myself, but it's worth knowing that there are people to follow in your footsteps. You're not doing this for Roxanne, you're doing it for yourself. It's essentially an investment."

"My father was the director of an asylum in Michigan," Alistair reminded the two men. "Trust me, it is not easy to get out of those places. Harder than prison, I would say. The thing about mental patients is that they don't get better if the doctor doesn't want them to. Even if the mob does manage to break him out, I can almost assure you that he'll be worse than he was when he was admitted. Then, he'll either be an even bigger burden on the family or he'll wind up being put away again. The only issue with it of course, is that if his brain no longer functioned well enough, he may not be able to retain information about the family that we would want Roxanne to transfer to us. What's more, he'd probably fall out of the loop with the family business if they thought that hearing about it would make him worse. We'd need to have some control from within, if it was to work in our favour." He turned to Gabriel and gave the man a small nod. "Similarly with Maddox - he needs to be certain that pushing Syd to the edge wouldn't lead to a premature death. Getting rid of him wouldn't be the worst thing, but we would be losing a valuable and easy source of information if he killed himself before we were done with him."

Gabriel's instruction to lay low since revealing his face to Lucy, Sinead and Syd was easy to accept, and Alistair acknowledged it with a firm nod. "I'm sure Turner will have no problem taking a backseat for a little while," he agreed. "It's in his best interest, after all." His eyes glimmered at the thought of finally exposing their identities. As fun as it was to taunt and torment them, he knew that business would be more interesting once it became a fair fight. If this was a fight that could be fair, that is. He was intrigued to see what powers the mob would exert to get themselves out of the situation that the other gangs had lead them into.

Hearing that Gabriel was on his way to introducing himself to the mob pleased Alistair greatly. "Well, you can trust I will be here operating as usual. If there is anything you require of me while you're settling in, I'll be ready to answer your call." Alistair drained the remaining bourbon from his glass, smiling to himself. "I'm picturing the family's reaction when they find out you're in New York. It's going to shake them to their very core. Obviously you'll update us both as everything unfolds - I wouldn't want to spoil anything..."

Even though Alistair was typically good at keeping a straight face, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when Gabriel informed him that Maddox and Ani had become romantically involved. "I wasn't aware they were close, no," he replied, quietly. His eyes narrowed as he processed the information. "Not a pairing I'd have ever considered, but I suppose if it doesn't affect business then I won't consider it any of mine. That being said, I will keep an eye on her. We can't afford distractions at this time."

Interactions
Misty Gray Gabriel
Bellz Stefano

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti​

Although he wasn't quite so heavily religious himself, Gabriel could see where Stefano was coming from in his condemnation for Roxanne's sexual activity outside of marriage. He silently nodded his head, choosing not to talk the man down as he was permitted to preach in this case, if it made him feel better about his daughter's disappointing behaviour with the enemy. Gabriel hoped his daughters would marry those they intended to share a bed with, but that already seemed impossible where Tatiana was concerned. He had a feeling Valentina might have already committed the same "sin" as Roxanne had, with Calvin, who he took great pleasure in disposing of. As it stood, he wanted no confirmation on that aspect of his daughter's life and would rather avoid thinking about it. Besides, the whole topic only served to remind him of how much of a hypocrite he was in that sense. For example, brothels were a profitable and powerful part of the business...

Alistair spoke to back up Moretti's words, reminding Stefano to consider his lineage. It was true, the unborn child could be an investment for the future, especially after Syd had been dealt with for good. "I believe an asylum will be the best place for Syd to end up, once Maddox has extracted all we need from him. I'm sure once he's been given the push, we might have to look elsewhere for the information we need as it's highly likely he'll become useless to us once locked up. Probably useless to anyone."

Gabriel couldn't help but chuckle as Alistair spoke of how he was picturing the Porter family's reactions when they found out the truth. "I'll be sure to describe it all in great detail to you. You will both be kept updated throughout. Depending on how the said meeting goes, there are multiple routes we could be taking along the way. Some messier than others," he remarked, figuring that was a field the East Harlem Gang would enjoy.

When Alistair assured him he would keep an eye on Ani, Gabriel nodded his head in appreciation. "And I will do the same with Maddox," he confirmed. Stefano reacted as expected, which threatened to draw a laugh from Gabriel as he heard the grumbles about them being sinners too. "I'm sure they are," he drily remarked as he got up to his feet. "I won't keep you good gentlemen any longer. We'll meet again soon and in the meantime I will work on plans for my meeting with Mr. Porter." He gave each man a handshake before walking them to the door to see them out.

*****​

The journey back to Staten Island had taken longer than expected, with Gabriel having his driver detour to the cemetery where many of his family's gravestones rested. He hadn't been able to attend any funeral or memorial services for his loved ones, instead been forced to hide out in Miami from the moment he learned of their deaths. Despite spending some time seated in the graveyard, he found no peace from it. He paid his respects to his deceased family members, but it didn't change the hatred and anger that was buried deep within him. He believed he wouldn't be able to let go of such feelings until he knew their killers had suffered the same.

Gabriel couldn't deny that all of the talk of family during his meeting topped with the thoughts of his late parents and siblings made him think about those waiting for him back at his house. So, when the car was eventually parked up in the driveway, he didn't go straight into the house from the passenger seat. Instead, he rounded the trunk and retrieved a couple of bags. Once inside the house, he set the bags down on the nearby cabinet so he could remove his overcoat and hang it up on the hook. He then lifted one of the bags, which made a loud enough clattering sound as the eight glass bottles gently touched each other. He walked into the main living room where his wife and kids looked to be relaxing without him. It wasn't much of a surprise to him and it didn't bother him as he was fully aware of how his commanding presence tended to affect the atmosphere. "Good evening. How is everyone? Is there some papanași still going for this old man?" he curiously asked, flashing Tatiana a smile as he knew it would be her baking. He placed the bag down on the nearby coffee table and pointed towards it. "I figured our drinks cabinet was lacking. Whoever puts the bottles away get to choose which once gets opened now."

Gabriel then reached his hand out to take Elvian's and then cocked his head towards the door leading to the hallway. "I've got you a gift. Come see, darling," he charmingly invited her. He led her to where he'd left the second paper bag and soon tore down the front of it to reveal a tray of half a dozen rose plants. "I bought you flowers," he told her. "I almost bought you a bunch of roses to put in a vase, but I hoped you'd appreciate these more. The front row are fuchsia and the rest red. They can help you with starting off that beautiful new garden outside," he suggested. Having seen withered roses in front of gravestones in the cemetery, he'd been put off the idea of a gift that would soon die off. The flowers to be planted in Elvian's garden would be able to grow and live for much longer.

Mentions: Bellz (Stefano) Pyroclast (Alistair)
Disrupted: Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian) RayPurchase (Marcus) Pyroclast (Tatiana)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan ​

Peter was just about to fire when Keegan stepped in front of him. He let out a snarl like sound and stared the man down, he kept his gun raised for a second longer as he was asked to get something to stop the bleeding before lowering his gun slowly. Still he didn't do as Keegan asked, the man walked over to Luke.

Staying where he was, Peter tried to control his own breathing. He was getting too caught up in himself and he knew it. He felt nothing but rage for the man lying on the ground and if they wanted answers he would need to pull himself together, have some restraint.

Finally, Luke cried out that he would talk and Peter regained focus on the situation around him. Staring intensely at the man, Luke spit out a mouthful of blood before speaking. He thought he was some kind of jokester because he told them that the danger was themselves.

The next thing he said made Peter see red and suddenly his gun was lifted and he fired 4 shots into the man's skull, avoiding Keegan in the process. Peter's ears rang from both the rage he felt and the gun firing. "FUCKING PIG!" The man shouted out before turning around to face James with wild eyes, hoping his brother in law understood what had to be done.

"He wasn't going to give us anything. He was a fucking psycho." Peter spat out before shaking his head and moving one hand to run it down his face. "Let's get the fuck out of here." He ground out. The adrenaline from what he had just done made him shake and his heart felt like it was just about to jump right out of his chest.

Looking to Keegan, Peter sighed heavily, "It had to be done. We'll find out who killers are on our own. He had nothing useful to offer but his head scattered all over this floor."
with: James Misty Gray ; Keegan Bugsy

 

[Misty Gray]

Ethan Turner​

Ethan sat alone in the dimly lit lounge as he waited for Alistair to arrive for their meeting. He sat back in the armchair, smoking a cigarette as the sound of classical music played out from the record player in the corner of the room. He was more for rock and roll music, but Rose had taught him to appreciate classical pieces, which worked out well considering it was mostly all he could find in Alistair's collection. It had been 14 years since Arlene had killed Ethan's wife and the possibility of any kind of love had died with her. When the urge kicked in, he'd bring some woman back to his apartment, but he wasted no time in ushering them out once he was done with them. He briefly ran his fingertips over his right shoulder, feeling where the gunshot wound had resided since that night the only woman he'd ever been able to love was killed. Arlene had failed to make the bullet for him a fatal one, which in turn had resulted in her losing her own life. It had been 14 years, but only recently was he finally seeing the Sullivans and Porters suffer for their actions. Killing Arlene along with watching Lucy, Sinead and Syd suffer had almost made the wait worthwhile. He was eager to learn how else the Irish Mob would pay and suffer for their many crimes. Considering Alistair had been in a meeting with Moretti and Stefano, he expected there to be more work to do. He was looking forward to it.

The man took a final, long drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out in the ashtray that was balanced on the chair arm. He put his feet up on the stool and sat back in the seat. He had his own concerns to raise with Alistair and was sure it would cause some ruffled feathers, but it had to be done. Ammon hadn't shown his face for a couple of days and around the same time Ethan had noticed some of his tools missing from his butchers shop. The man might have been gifted in what he did, but he was also unhinged and a potential liability. Ethan didn't want to lose his apprentice, but there couldn't be any risks. Ammon needed controlling before he became too much of a liability for Alistair or Moretti to tolerate.


Bellz (Ammon, Ani) Pyroclast (Alistair)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

Lucy and Sinead had noticed her behavior and the way she was acting, but she knew that they would. These were two women who knew her better than the men did and it would completely foolish of her to think they wouldn't. As much as she appreciated her two sister-in-laws encouraging and caring words, they weren't going to help her feel any better about her current situation. She wasn't going to become a burden on them with the issues she had in her own life. Ali thought it to be incredibly selfish to do so. "I know, Sin but everyone has their own shit going on right now. My shit is just too much to add to the fray..." Her last sentence she whispered while fidgetting with a loose strand on her shirt. Listening to Lucy speak up first, she tried her best to concentrate. A lot of Lucy's own issues were coming from Syd, something she had seen first hand when they were first attacked. Even Ali could agree that Syd needed a break; the poor kid was going through a lot and he always was. Hell, they all need a damn break. Lucy's comment about the life and how there was no way out of it was something she lingered on. One of her main issues with Conor is that he wouldn't leave the criminal life behind. Now, now she understands that once you're in, you're in for life. It scared her to think this would be Leo's future; dodging bullets and people who wanted nothing more than to see you dead.

It wasn't until she mentioned the part about Syd finding someone that she briefly scrunched her face up, paying more attention to their conversation. Had she and James still not gotten over the whole Roxie thing? Even though she had only seen them together for a brief moment Ali thought the two kids had something. The way Syd stood up for her, she had never seen him do for anyone before. She understood why Lucy and James were so hesitant and suspicious of the girl, but they couldn't keep putting their past experiences on Syd. If anything, she felt it was the pushing force that was driving him away from his parents. Ali would wait for a moment, letting Lucy finish up her words before saying her piece. It wasn't until she brought up Conor that she realized the two of them were something of the same men. Neither wanted to let the family done and wanted to make sure they were doing their family justice. Both were currently being held back, but for different reasons; Syd because he needed to give himself time to heal and Conor because Aliana was being unfair and unwilling to accept it. Well, after today's conversation with the girls she definitely needed to talk to her estranged husband.

When Sinead stopped talking, Ali took a deep sigh before slouching in her seat, throwing her legs over the side of her seat. "The two of them are... Quite annoying to be honest, since they won't do what we ask." She rubbed her index finger over her lip in thought. "But maybe that's what we need to wake up and realize. They're never going to give this life up like you said Sin. We just need to accept it once and for all. The only thing we can do, in the end, is be there for them to pick up the pieces." With a slight shrug of her shoulders, she turned her attention to Lucy. "You know, Syd did find someone, love. Roxie. Now I don't know much about the girl but I have never seen Syd look at anyone the way he did Roxie that night of the explosion. The only time he has was when he was with Skye and we all knew how she felt about him. You need to let him make his own mistakes and his own choices or you'll continue pushing him away. If it blows up in his face, we're all here to put him back together again."

​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Elvian Moretti

There was something about watching her children interact and smile and laugh that did something to her. This is what she worked so hard for and she loved it. The only thing was she had raised a bunch of criminals. If she had the opportunity to change things, that would be the only thing. Of course, she had long come to terms with the direction her life was headed and the direction her children were. The only thing she could do was be supportive of any and everything they chose to do. Except for Tatiana at the moment, eating without something to catch her messy treat. She frowned at her before slapping her arm and cursing in her native tongue. "Ai crescut sa fii porc?"* She asked, forcing her to use a plate. "The answer to that question is no, I didn't raise you to be a pig." There were still times where momma Ellie had to come out of hiding and be strict, especially when it came to manners and etiquette. Even though they were adults, she was still going to hit them and yell at them for the sake of parenting. Sitting back in her chair, she crossed her legs and smiled again at her children's teasing of one another. It would only ever be something they could do to each other, the teasing. If someone on the outside dared, well. Let's just say Elvian wouldn't chastise them for whatever happens.

At the mention of their new home being haunted, she was nothing but intrigued. "Oh, is that so?" Linking her fingers together, she cradled her knee with a smile. "That sounds very exciting. I just hope whatever ghosts reside in this house don't ruin my garden or anything else for that matter." With a slight shrug, she reached for her glass to take a sip before setting it down again. "The dog I can agree with but no cats. They're evil little creature and scratch up your furniture and have your home smelling like some zoo!" She rambled before clearing her throat. "You all know how I feel about the monsters so we'll stick to a dog. Gomez is sure to object, but I'll squeeze out a few tears until he says yes." She joked, knowing full well there were times he was not afraid to tell her no at all. She was about to make another joke when she heard the door opening, craning her neck to see her husband walk through the door.

It was strange, but she could feel the air shift a little. It was something that always seemed to happen when her husband came about. The man carried a certain air about him and while it was something she loved and something that attracted her to him, it sucked at times like this. She wanted to bond more with her children without their sudden change of behavior but she understood it. Watching her husband walk into the room, she stood up and kissed both his cheeks. "Mmm there should be. Tati always makes so much." When he mentioned her following him, she gave him a skeptical yet trusting look. "Oookay..." Glancing back at her children she winked at them and followed Gabriel. Once she laid her eyes on the flowers, her smile grew wider. She knew just the place to put them and couldn't wait to get started. "Oh, sweetheart, you shouldn't have!" Wrapping her arms around his shoulders she pressed her lips against his briefly before pulling away. "You know, I'm going to need some sort of guard to help me keep pests away... I think a dog from the local shelter will do..."


​

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan ​

Finn was winked at and his cheeks were set ablaze. Crossing his arms even tighter, he felt a bit insecure in that moment. He was talking about Ali in an appalling way and Finn felt defensive for the woman. Then the haggard looking fellow joined in on what clearly was some sort of taunting, going on about giving Teddy a hand. Finn took an unexpected step forward, shocking himself.

"Conor, we should go." Finn told his cousin, taking a small step back as he did. He was getting himself into a mess he wouldn't be able to get out. But he couldn't help it, they were talking inappropriately and they were trying to egg Conor on.

Finn listened to Tony's little speech about rats and the Doctor shook his head slowly, things grew tense as Conor moved his hand from the table and rubbed his chin. Finn backed up even further, wondering if there was going to be a fight. He was ready to grab Conor and steer him in the other direction. These men were the rats, surely. With Teddy giving him a wink like some sleaze to Tony chewing on his steak with his mouth open, these two were the lowest of the low. Nothing about them was good, and he could only smell trouble. Or maybe it was one of these assholes cheap cologne.

Conor told them off before placing a hand on Finn's shoulder to which the man immediately turned, ready to head out without their meal. "I'm ready to leave." He told Conor as he made sure the man was beginning to follow him.

Finn looked behind them a moment, pausing in his haste having only taken a few steps forward. He wanted to make sure the jerks wouldn't try anything. Oddly enough, he was ready for a fight and the fact that they weren't in one right now felt very odd to him. "You did great."He told his cousin.
with: Tony RayPurchase ; Teddy Melanin-Gxdess ; Conor Misty Gray
(its a shit post, I'm having a really hard time writing Finn)

 

[Bellz]

Ani Sarraf
Ammon Sarraf ​

Ani pulled her brother along roughly as they made their way towards the building that belonged to EH. It was a base of sorts with offices up top and a massive storage room down below. "Owwww! You're hurting me, you bitch!" Ammon cried out and Ani rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Quit whining Ammon." She huffed. He was lucky enough to have her and she knew it, after tossing that body into the Atlantic she was sure Ammon would stay under the radar.

The house was clean, spotless actually and the smell was being aired out by some open windows. Her heart was pounding in her chest as they walked up the stairs towards offices. Opening the door, Ani didn't dare do anything to draw attention to them but it seemed like her brother had other ideas.

"Well well well, its been a good two days since I've been here. Did you miss me?" He asked, though the room was empty.

Ammon shoved her hand off of him before walking to sit in one of the rolling chairs, choosing the one furtherest away from the door. "You dumped that lady in the lake eh?"Ammon suddenly said, causing Ani to shush him loudly.

There was no one around, but the walls had ears, she was sure of it. "Do you understand that you could get us both killed?" The woman hissed, furious at her brother now. "Keep your head on right and shut it. " Ammon spun in the chair and chuckled loudly, looking up at the ceiling as he did so. Letting the chair slowly come to a stop for him, once it did stop, he slowly got up from his seat. With his back to his sister, his laughter died down as he turned to look her in the eyes. The cheshire like grin slowly fading into stoic almost hollow like frown.

"They won't find out. Because if they do I'll sli-" Ani heard footsteps and rushed over to her brother, clamping her hand over his mouth as a guard walked through the hallway, heading for the doors on the opposite end of the building.

Ammon growled and shoved Ani off of him once more, causing her to stumble back. "Keep your mouth shut." Ani warned, she swore she could hear footsteps again....

Alistair couldn't know about Ammon's killing spree because it could get them both killed, her brother had no sense of what that meant because he mentally didn't have the capacity to understand. Ani understood what death was because it was forever, and there was so much she hadn't done, so much she wanted to do with her life. She thought about Maddox suddenly, wondering if her time with him would be cut short due to her brother's actions...
uh ohhhhhh: Pyroclast ; Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Syd turned into the warmth of Roxie's hands when she cupped his face. He could feel her trembling, could hear it on her breath. Her kiss was soft and comforting and he opened his eyes just in time to see her smile at her. "You don't have to," he quietly said, pulling away to sit upright. "You and Skye aren't the same person...and we've only known each other a few weeks. Having a baby doesn't mean we have to get married or anything." He frowned to himself then, suddenly wondering if they would be expected to get married. It was certainly the case in Ireland. But he soon reminded himself that his family weren't exactly bound by the same societal rules as most people. He had never cared much about fitting in, nor was he afraid of the consequences of not adhering to rules set by people he didn't respect. So if he and Roxie didn't want to get married it was unlikely that they would.

With the atmosphere having settled into something calmer, Syd's distress and misery had begun to subside, his mind now working at a much steadier pace. Drawing a deep breath, he found himself gazing at Roxie's stomach and consciously looked back up to meet her eye. "When did you find out about this?" He quietly asked. Having been there throughout his mother's pregnancy with Thomas, Syd knew that at this stage the baby would be a mere embryo, too small to feel. Yet it was there all the same, demanding his love even in its earliest form.

Imagining the situation that his cousin would be left in as a result of Roxie's moving in with Syd drew a small, pensive sigh from him. "Savannah doesn't have to worry about rent, I can assure you," he told her, placing a hand on her thigh. "I'll cover the difference until she finds a new roommate. It depends what she wants to do." His eyes found hers and a small, slightly apprehensive smile began to form on his lips. He almost didn't want to ask the question. "So does this mean... you've changed your mind?" His heart was racing and he now felt strangely energised after listening to her make plans to accommodate the situation. There was a pause, and for a second he stopped breathing altogether. "Roxie, are we having a baby?"

Interactions
Bellz Roxie

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah studied Danny's face closely as he tried to assure her she was more than just a method of passing time She nervously bit her lip as he told her she was funny. The word "pretty" cropped up again and caused her heart to thump in her chest as the word seemed to trigger an automatic sense of anxiety, the word a constant reminder of the night she was violently abducted. She forced herself to push passed it, knowing Danny wasn't anything like Steve. He intended no offence or fear to her. She caught up to his words, feeling somewhat flattered that he called her the most interesting person he'd met. It meant a lot to be told that, having spent so much time feeling like she was boring and blended into the wallpaper.

Danny acknowledged that her parents might accept him, but he spoke up to say her cousin wouldn't. She stared at him with something on a nonplussed expression before it eventually hit her that he was referring to Syd. Of course she knew Danny worked for Syd, but it had been difficult to piece together why her cousin would have issue. She and Syd were good friends, not to mention the fact she'd shown nothing but support for his relationship with Roxie. Why would he have issue with her being happy too?

Danny soon revealed he worked for the family business, as opposed to being a regular employee at Syd's club. Savannah's mind automatically jumped to visions of him carrying a gun around, risking his life as many in her family did. Her thoughts were soon wiped away when he instead revealed he was a drug dealer for the family. "So, when you let me smoke that joint last week. Was that genuine or just a taster before you talked me into becoming a regular customer?" she asked. Immediately after her words, she covered her face with her hand and shook her head. She regretted saying it, especially as she didn't believe in it. She just felt defensive, like he was going to talk her out of a relationship or even that her family would, if the truth got out. She wished she could find someone who genuinely liked her and who her family would like in return. She really liked Danny.

She moved her hand away from her face and looked wide-eyed to Danny, taking in his words that he didn't want to stop seeing her. He was afraid of her family, especially Syd, finding out about them being out together. She wasn't particularly one for going out of her way to go against her family's wishes, but it annoyed her that the business continued to affect her life, now threatening to prevent her from dating someone she liked. "I do want to keep seeing you..." she began, looking down to her hands as she looked to her nail polish. "I understand your apprehension around Syd and my family," she said, looking up to meet his eyes. "So, how about we keep dating in secret and see how we get along? But, if this becomes more than dates and we keep on seeing each other more, then we tell my parents and I'll make them promise to tell Syd to back off. I hope you don't think I'm crazy clingy thinking so far ahead, but if I end up falling for you I don't want to keep hiding it from my family." She let out a sigh as she expected he'd likely want to run a mile with her talking the way she was after one date.


Pyroclast (Danny)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter ​

Lucy understood that it was just in the men's nature to carry on with the business, but it was hard to accept. After years and years of constantly being on guard, attacked and picked off one by one, Lucy guessed the only thing one could do was to become numb to the surroundings. It was all that really helped anymore anyway.

"Be that as it may," Lucy spoke up when Sinead said Syd was old enough to make his own decisions, "I know my son, and when I see that he is spiraling, I have to step in." She understood that it may have been natural for Syd to want to help, but he was far too invested in the business and the safety of his family rather than being invested in himself and his own health. Lucy felt like what she was doing was right for him even if he was old enough to make the decisions himself. Conor...now that was someone she had no control over, despite him being unable to run the business back in Chicago he still wanted to support the family...even though he had a chance of normalcy after everything that happened.

Aliana spoke to her now and Lucy gave her sister in law all of her attention. Her jaw set slightly at the mention of Roxie but she didn't say anything as Ali explained that Syd never looked at someone the way he had Roxie. This made Lucy's protective stance shift slightly. She remembered when he was so happy and she desperately wished for him to find that again...how could she have missed it? Maybe he was finally moving on. Reaching for her mug, she grabbed it with both hands before bringing it close to her chest. She stared down at the coffee table as she let both of her sisters words sink in. It wasn't the first time she'd been told to let Syd make his own decisions, it wasn't the first time that she was told she'd push him away if she didn't stop...

Her goal as a mother was to ensure that her children grew up to have the best life possible, because in the life they were living she never knew what could happen to James or herself and now, she had to worry about what happened to her children. How many more generations would have to endure this life? Would there ever be an end or peace for their family? Nothing lasted forever, of course...but that also scared her.
"I just don't want him going back to that dark place again." Lucy whispered, "I don't want to push him away but I'm afraid for him... of him. If Roxie breaks his heart, I'm not sure if he could handle that."

Clearing her throat, she looked to a few pictures on the wall, letting her eyes settle on a picture of a much younger Syd and it caused her to smile slightly. His own smile was so bright there, so alive and happy. Lucy couldn't help but smile back at it lightly. He had a lust for life. Completely different from how things were now. "I'll back off, but I still want background on this woman. Doesn't hurt to know what family you are dealing with." She shrugged before sighing.

"Enough of that though," Lucy's blue eyes flickered to the clock sitting on the table besides the sofa. "James and Peter should be home soon. And didn't Conor go out with Finn? Do you want to stay for dinner Ali? We would love to have you, you too Sin? Could invite the kids over. Otherwise it'll just be James and I with the little ones."
with: Sinead Misty Gray ; Aliana Melanin-Gxdess
mentions: Syxie Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau ​

Roxie watched as Syd's eyes looked down to her stomach and she tilted her head slightly to the side curiously. Before she could ask him what was up, his eyes locked with hers and he asked when she had found out.

Then he reassured her that Savvy would be okay and the woman nodded absentmindedly. Almost nervous, Roxie's gaze broke from his and she looked down at his hand on her thigh. Moving her hands to it, she toyed with his fingers lightly as she took a moment to process her words before she said them.

Syd asked her if she'd changed her mind and once again found herself having to think about her answer. Were they having a baby? Roxie's mind seemed to almost be made up for her. Though he wasn't doing it intentionally, Syd was pressuring her...
Roxie didn't want him to break down, didn't want him to hurt himself.

"Its been a couple of weeks now, I found out right before that night at the theatre.." She murmured, returning to the first question he asked. "And no, I didn't intentionally mean to put myself or the baby in danger but I wasn't about to let you just storm off to rescue my best friend without me." There was a hint of stubbornness in her tone as she said this.

Biting her lip, Roxie's eyes moved back up to look into Syd's. They had only been going out for a few weeks but it seemed like this was the man she was going to be spending the rest of her life with, even if they didn't get married or ended up being together. She would always be connected to him in the fact that they had a kid together.

"We are." She whispered softly, forcing her own smile to appear on her face as to reassure him that this was her final decision. After years of resisting, she was unfamiliar with this new person she had become in a matter of moments...someone who simply gave, someone who was afraid to fight. And right now, she was terrified.
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Alistair Sawyer

It was easy to conduct business when the three men leading the operations were in agreement with each other. Even though the two couples had been unexpected, there hadn't been any set backs. In fact, it had only given way to more ideas and plans to be used against the mob. Knowledge was power, after all. Alistair felt almost smug as he made his way back to the office, thinking of the power that he, Gabriel and Stefano held over the Porters. There was only one small thing he had to discuss with Ethan, but he was sure there would be no issues there. He trusted the man enough to act appropriately even when he wasn't under orders. Ammon, on the other hand, he felt the need to keep on a tighter leash. The fact that he hadn't seen the man for a few days put him slightly on edge, but he was sure that he would get to the bottom of it once he set about searching for the man.

The building was quiet when Alistair arrived, aside from the faint sound of classical music coming from upstairs. He followed the source of the music until he reached the designated lounge area, and there he found Ethan sitting alone with his feet up, looking rather pensive. "Ethan," he greeted the man, moving over the to record player. Of course, he didn't need to read it to know that it was Grieg's piano concerto. "Glad to see you appreciating my collection. This is a favourite of mine," he quietly remarked, looking down at the record as it turned. He only had to wait a few seconds before the end of the movement, and only then did he lift the needle, allowing silence to fall over the room. "I hope that doesn't derail any important train of thought, but there are some things I'd like to share with you from my meeting with Moretti and Carriveau."

Taking a seat opposite Ethan, Alistair looked across at the man with a serious look in his eye. "I have had many competent men do work for this business, and I have seen several jobs carried out to perfection. But none as consistently as you. I trust you, Ethan, to do your job professionally and without drawing attention to yourself, but I need to also trust that you would admit your mistakes to me and inform me when something feels off." There was an unmissable haze of smoke in the air, and Alistair glanced to the freshly-stubbed cigarette in the ashtray between them before looking back to Ethan. He hoped that it had come from habit or boredom, rather than stress. "The Porter family know our faces, now, so if you haven't been staying away from your butchers shop I would heavily advise you to do so until I say otherwise. If things are to go to plan, we must be very careful to avoid risks. Be on high alert and report any strange encounters. Do you understand?"

Alistair took a moment to scan the room. It wasn't often bustling with people, but the quiet reminded him of Ammon's absence. It unnerved him when the man went too long without checking in. "Speaking of risks," he added. "You haven't seen Ammon, have you? I'd like to remind him of this, too. It's easy to trust you Ethan, but he's a little less...well, you know how he is. And I need to have a word with Ani, too, if you can tell me where she is." While knowing of her relationship with Maddox was enough, he wanted to remind her to put business before her love life. He didn't tend to get deeply involved with his workers outside of business so he didn't know a great deal of the woman's personal life aside from her occupation at the hospital. It left him unable to trust her in her newfound romance with Maddox Parker and he was unsure if there would be any changes in her work ethic as a result of it. He didn't like to live in uncertainty, so believed it was a point worth raising with her.

Interactions
Misty Gray Ethan

Bellz Ammon, Ani (mentioned)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Teddy

As Teddy sat and watched the interaction, he looked for anything that could tell him Conor was getting agitated. He quite obviously seemed perplexed at the idea that his wife would be bedding another man; the gaze Conor sent him being evidence of this. Could it be he was trying to deduct what the possibility of Aliana cheating on him would be? Perhaps. If he had determined that possibility to be high then getting him there wouldn't be that difficult. If it were low, then that meant he would need to step up his game just a tad bit more. Conor's comment of Teddy talking about his night spent with Ali made him give a thoughtful nod and look. He tapped his finger on the table before shaking it at him. "You know what, you're right. I guess it just got me excited again, you know. I mean, you have to know how that is, right?" He sent a brief glance Tony's way while listening to him speak. Tony speaking about the man's wife seemed to receive a different reaction than himself speaking about her and it was interesting, to say the least. Could it be that Tony was more rugged than Tony and they saw him unworthy to speak about a member of their family? Could they be thinking the same about him? Either way, they didn't like it one bit and it was something Teddy predicted. "Listen, I didn't mean any disrespect to you or your sister." He gave him a sympathetic look and raised his hands defensively. If Conor were to hit him here and now, the witnesses would see he wasn't at all a threat. "I just thought I could get you to pass on my message."

For the moment while Teddy ate more of steak and sipped more of his drink, Tony began talking and comparing them to rats. There was a split second where Teddy was worried his companion would give something away by accident, but he reeled it back in. "Rats are very easy to get rid of though, buddy." He looked to Tony before looking back at Finn and Conor, the former visibly upset and uncomfortable about the whole situation. He took a mental note about this Finn guy; how he would be easy to break and use and manipulate. Information to take back to the boss. Conor's idle threat about their being Irish men in the city who they should basically be afraid of made the man laugh on the inside. The poor fool had no clue about what was coming and Teddy sure as hell wasn't going to say anything to him. Knowing that the Porter family were so clueless that all of this was going on gave him a certain kind of joy. Being able to blindside someone was a wonderful thing.

Noticing the two were leaving. He cleared his throat, threw on his best apologetic face, and started up again. "Ah, look, Mr. Cartwright," he said, knowing full well his last name and true relationship with Ali, "I didn't mean for things to get so ugly around here. Any disrespect towards your sister was unintended; my heart is just broken. Don't worry about my info. If I see her again, then it's meant to be, right? As for my friend here," he nodded his head at Tony, giving him a quick glance. "Well, he just hates the Irish and goes off on tangents sometimes..." Picking up his glass to take a sip, he sat and inspected the air that now filled it. "It was nice meeting you. Oh, and will you tell Leo and the Charlies I said hello?"
​

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

Everything seemed to be going smoothly between them yet it still didn't feel quite real. Jason had to keep reminding himself that although he and Gwen had had a lot of arguments in the weeks since they had come back into each other's lives, they had also had a lot of moments that had made him feel warm towards her. It shouldn't surprise him that they had arrived here; as far as he was concerned, the universe had watched them grow close again and drawn them into the same enclosed space for a reason. At that moment, with Gwen on his arm, it seemed to Jason like those 11 years spent apart had never happened.

I stand at your gate and the song that I sing is of moonlight.
I stand and I wait for the touch of your hand in the June night.
The roses are sighing a moonlight serenade.

The stars are aglow and tonight how their light sets me dreaming.
My love, do you know that your eyes are like stars brightly beaming?
I bring you and sing you a moonlight serenade.​

Jason made brief eye contact with the singer on the stage before sweeping Gwen into a closed hold, taking her delicate hand into his. The two swayed in time to the gentle rhythm of the music and Jason let himself relax into the dance, all the while conscious of what he was doing and where he was. He sang along softly, the lyrics becoming imbued with a new meaning as he held Gwen in his arms. When they had dated previously, every song they listened to together would go on to remind him of her. Many a song had been ruined that way, but perhaps now he would be able to listen to them again... In fact, he was sure he could compile a whole album of songs that seemed to sing about her.

He was broken from his trance when Gwen told him that she wanted to apologise to him. "What for?" he asked her. It didn't exactly puzzle him - the two hadn't always treated each other kindly, but he believed that his wrong-doings heavily outweighed hers, that he had hurt her more than she had hurt him. He searched her troubled eyes, giving her time to find the words. When she confessed that it was for her behaviour, Jason broke eye contact to look to the stage ahead. He sighed softly as their recent arguments flashed through his head. At first, he had acted immaturely, reacting defensively to her whenever she rose her voice against him. However, now that he knew she was burdened by a drug addiction, he was able to step back and put her mood swings into context.

"Ah, now," he softly spoke. "Don't be worrying about me, Gwen. I understand better now. I know I can be infuriating and I won't always say the right thing even when I try." He paused, raising his arm to spin her so that she might not worry about killing the mood. "The day that was in it, you know, it does be makin' sense t'me now. If ye need to be forgiven then call it done, but I wasn't lookin' for any apology." When she turned into him, he brought her into a close embrace so that their bodies were fully touching, and he rested his cheek lightly against her head. "I'm gonna help ye through this, Gwen. Whatever ye need, I'll do my best."

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Warren Taylor​

James had watched on as Keegan suggested wrapping Luke's leg to stop the bleeding and prolong the asshole's suffering in the process. The mob boss wasn't sure if it was going to help get any answers out of the guy, but it was certainly worth a shot. There was nothing to lose in pressing further, except for time and patience. However, When Luke finally spoke up, patience seemed to rapidly fizzle out of the room. Luke made a remark about the Porters needing to blame themselves. James rolled his eyes at the man's comment. What followed next brought on more than exasperation.. Luke spoke directly to Peter in what was clearly a taunt towards him, practically willing him to put a bullet in his head and no doubt free him of the torture. Peter took the bait, firing a series of bullets in the man's head.

Peter had turned to James and defended his decision, pointing out Luke wasn't going to tell them anything. James silently nodded his head before approaching Luke's lifeless body and briefly observing he growing pool of blood on the floor surrounding the man's head. "I know, Pete. The prick wasn't going to say a damn word," he calmly replied. Having heard the way Luke had spoken about his niece, James understood why Peter did what he did. Had he been taking the lead on the interrogation, he knew he would have done the same. The man had been screwing with them and not only had he previously hurt Savannah, but he showed no remorse and instead seemed to threaten there being a next time where he'd hurt the young woman. "You don't need my approval on this one, but for what it's worth, I would have done the same."

After instrucing the men on standy to clean up "the mess", James walked with Peter and Keegan back to the car Warren was waiting inside. Warren drove all of them back to the Porters' Mansion, knowing each of their own cars were parked up there so they could go out in the unregistered vehicle together. As he and Peter got out of the car, James stopped by the driver's side window and got his brother's attention. "Warren, we need to arrange for you to come for dinner soon. We haven't caught up much lately and Mam will kill me if she thinks I'm neglecting the Golden Boy," he teased, always winding his younger brother up about being Rayna's favourite.

"Yeah, we'll sort it," Warren replied, knowing he'd been spending more time working than actually getting family time in. Once James and Peter had headed into the house, Warren got Keegan's attention. "I'm heading back towards the city. Do you need a lift?" he asked, pointing to the now empty front passenger seat. Having chatted with him in the Lomax the previous week, Warren was interested to hear more about how Keegan had been doing since.

Bugsy (Keegan)

*********

Sinead Callahan and James Porter
​

When Aliana made her comment about Conor and Syd both being annoying, Sinead let out a scoff which turned into a dry laugh. "I'm sure I did warn you about Conor. I've known that annoying fool my whole life," she said, though her tone and soft expression showed her comment about her brother was meant to be taken in a fond, loving way. She couldn't resist picking up on part of Aliana's words. "Do you think you'll be there for Conor to pick up those pieces?" she curiously asked. Whilst she always supported the two of them individually and equally on the matter, it was no secret she wanted Aliana and Conor to get back together. She wanted them to be happy again.

With more from Aliana, Lucy seemed to become more open to the idea of letting Syd and Roxie be together. A small smile appeared on the redhead's face as she saw hope for her nephew's relationship to be accepted by the family. "I think you're doing the right thing, Luce. And, of course you should get some background on Roxie, but I'm sure Syd will appreciate having yours and James' blessings in the meantime."

When Lucy invited her to stay for dinner, Sinead was about to rush in and accept the offer, but she was reminded of Peter's present whereabouts. She wasn't sure how the evening was going down for her husband and that meant she couldn't be sure what kind of mood he'd be in when he returned. Perhaps he would just want to go home and spend some time calming down alone in his man cave. "Aww, thank you, Luce. I'd love to, but I should wait and see how Petey feels about it before I decide for him," she said, awkwardly biting her lip as she hoped her words weren't taken the wrong way.

Soon enough James and Peter entered the house. James wasted no time in entering the lounge and greeting Lucy with a kiss on the lips. Even if she hadn't been worrying, he was just pleased to see her after yet another frustrating day. He sat on the sofa beside his wife and placed his arm around her shoulder. He was clearly unimpressed with the lack of information they'd been able to drag out of Luke, but he was just glad everyone who mattered had returned home from the job in one piece. "Ali, are you alright?" he asked her, knowing she wasn't having the best of times either.

Whilst glad to see James was okay, Sinead rushed passed him to greet Peter. She approached her husband and despite his recent distance from her, she still wrapped her arms around him to give him a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're okay," she told him, her voice full of relief. "What happened?" she asked, knowing one of Savannah's kidnappers had been the victim of the interrogation.


Bellz (Peter, Lucy) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Misty Gray]

Ethan Turner​

Ethan heard Alistair's footsteps approaching the room before the man walked into view. "Evening," he replied when his boss greeted him. He watched as the other man approached the record player, though he expected Alistair would allow the piece of music to finish playing rather than bringing it to a premature end. "I can see why. It's growing on me," he informed the man as he learned the song in question was one of Alistair's favourites. Once the music came to a natural end, Ethan took his feet off of the stool and sat up straight in the armchair, ready to hear some update on what had come to light following the meeting with Moretti and Carriveau.

As Alistair praised him on his consitency and proffesionalism, Ethan nodded. He took his work very seriously and his loyalty to Alistair was unwavering. When there was mention of him trusting he would admit to his mistakes, Ethan raised an interested eyebrow. As far as he was aware, he had made no mistakes to confess to. With the reminder the Porters knew their faces, Ethan didn't feel personally worried by the fact. However, he understood it could threaten the work the East Harlem Gang had been doing with Moretti. It was made clear he needed to keep his distance from the shop and report any concerns he had. "I understand," he confirmed, showing no emotional reaction to the man's advice. "I can put the lads in charge of the place whilst I'm away. And you can trust that I will report anything suspicious..."

Ethan had his concerns about Ammon to raise, but he was holding off until he was sure Alistair had finished with his updates. Interestingly, Alistair then steered the conversation onto the subject of Ethan's apprentice. "I actually intended on speaking with you about Ammon. The guy's not shown his face for the last couple of days... around about the same time some of my tools went missing from the shop. I'm very precise with managing my inventory and I'm no detective, but my money's on Ammon being the culprit." He was used to not seeing Ani as often as her brother, but he realised he hadn't seen her in the last couple of days either. "I haven't seen Ani, but if I had, I'd be telling her to put a tighter leash on that brother of hers. I appreciate Ammon's work and I see his value, but he needs reining back in before he becomes a messy liability."


Pyroclast (Alistair) Bellz (Psycho, Sexy)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

Ali couldn't help but chuckle at Sinead's comment about her warning. She did indeed warn her years ago about her crazy brother, but for some reason, she still married him. Not to say it was something she regretted because she didn't. The only thing she regretted was the way things were going at the moment. They weren't the happy couple they used to be and at the moment, she just wanted to get back to that. Unfortunately, it wasn't something that was just going to happen overnight and they needed their conversation before it was even plausible. Sinead's sudden question on whether or not she would be there to pick up the pieces startled her. It was something she expected the woman to ask her, but she knew the answer to that question. "Of course... At least, I'll certainly try my best. Despite our current situation, I would never turn my back on him. I still love him and he's still the father of my child. Nothing will ever change that much." She stared off into space fore a few moments while listening to Sinead agree with her on Syd.

Lucy was doing what she knew how and Ali understood that. When Leo got older, she would no doubt be over-protective of him as well. Even now with him being so young she was protective which is why she was sending him to California. It seemed like Lucy was understanding where she was coming from and she was grateful. She wanted the three of them, James, Syd, and Lucy, to get rid of the tension they were all holding. "Trust me love, if she breaks his heart I'll have to break her. I've been vouching for her, after all." She gave a dry chuckle even though she was dead serious. "But background checks are super necessary. I do them on my employees all the time, even if I do trust them. Can never be too careful."

The conversation was then turned to something lighter, dinner. As much as Ali wanted to protest, she couldn't keep avoiding people for too much longer. Instead, she nodded her head and agreed. Her attention was grabbed by the sound of Warren, James, and Peter entering the house and making their way to the lounge. Nothing seemed to be amiss with the men, other than their disappointing aura, but other than that they seemed to be just fine. She answered James' question with a small nod. "As good as I'll ever be, Jimmy."

​

 

[Pyroclast]

Spoiler: Translations

Romanian: Doamne = God ; Ai grijă = Watch it, Be careful

Tatiana Moretti

Tatiana raised an eyebrow when Marcus bragged about the compliments he had received over his beard, calling it edgy. Of course, she had only been teasing him; while it had taken her some time at first to get used to her little brother looking more like a man, she could see how handsome he was becoming. She loved him and would be there to pick him up if he ever got down or grew unsure of himself. But it didn't sound like he needed to hear any such reassurance from her for the time being, so instead she would continue to tease him.

Biting absent-mindedly into the soft papanaşi, Tatiana was taken aback when her mother slapped her on the arm and she almost lost her grip on the doughnut altogether, causing cheese and jam to drip onto her top. "Doamne, mama! Ai grijă!" she exclaimed, her mouth still full. "I'm not a pig!" Her annoyance was only momentary as she quickly noticed the irony of it and a mischievous grin appeared on her face, using a finger to scoop up the spilled sauce and proceeding to lick it off. Once she had accepted the plate that Elvian passed to her, Tatiana returned her attention to her siblings and laughed out loud when she saw Valentina flip their brother off.

"Drunk? What do you take me for, Tina?" She tutted. "A pet's not a bad idea - we'll find out for sure what ghosts and ghouls are lurking under your bed if we have an animal about. I've heard they can detect all sorts of things that humans can't." After placing her empty plate on the coffee table, Tatiana reclined in her seat, bringing her feet up with her to get more comfortable. "Marcus is right, we ought to get a guard dog, at least. Having armed guards on the door is secure enough, but as I said, a dog will often pick up on things before a person will - even someone trained to be on alert."

At the sound of her father returning home, Tatiana put her feet back on the floor and straightened up, dabbing at the stains that the papanași had left on her clothes. Despite her genuine interest in the business and her suitable personality traits, one of the reasons she dedicated herself to the job was to ensure a positive rapport between herself and the man who had raised her. She remembered clear as day the disappointment on his face when she confirmed that the rumours of her sexuality were true, and it affected her to this day. It was something she was constantly aware of, that he always carried an underlying feeling of shame towards her; she was fairly certain that if they didn't have the business to bond over then she would have let their differences come between them by now. As it stood, however, she felt a pressing need to put in an extra effort to please him, as though it might negate the shame she was so sure he felt over her. It was unlikely that he would expect her to look professional while at home, but if the meeting had somehow put him in a serious mood, she didn't want to give him any reason to tell her off.

"Welcome home." The smile he sent to her when he asked about the papanași elicited a warm smile from her and she instantly relaxed, sensing that he was in a good mood after all. "Of course there's enough for you. They're called papa-nași for a reason," she joked. It seemed, in fact, that he was in particularly high spirits, and Tatiana found herself wondering if something good had come the family's way. Placing a heavy bag of bottles onto the coffee table, he offered the first choice of drink to whoever helped to put the bottles away. Tatiana leaned forward in her seat to peer into the bag. She pulled out the one of her fancy, an expensive bottle of particularly strong vodka, and passed it to Valentina. "Spike my lemonade while I put these away," she lightly commanded. "Be generous with it."

Her father then took her mother by the hand and lead her into the kitchen with the promise of a gift. It pleased Tatiana to see him treat her with such warmth and affection. Many of her friends in Miami hadn't been so lucky, their parents trapped in unhappy marriages and some even getting divorced. Some were married themselves, and even at their young age there wasn't as much romance between them than there was between Gabriel and Elvian. Their family was strong, of that she was sure. But it pained her to know that she may never be able to raise her own - especially one that her father would want anything to do with. She was 26 years old and still knew she wouldn't be allowed to bring home girlfriends. Marriage was off the cards completely, let alone the prospect of children. Sometimes it almost seemed cruel of her father to flaunt his privilege around her. He was a hypocrite in that sense and part of her despised him for it. Nevertheless, she had to remind herself that he was simply being a good husband, showing Elvian the devotion and respect that she deserved.

Interactions
Misty Gray Papa, Valentina
RayPurchase Marcus
Melanin-Gxdess Mama

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan ​

Peter gave James a firm nod when he confirmed that Luke wasn't going to say anything to them. He didn't say anything else as the men came to clean up the mess Peter had left, leaving the waste of a human behind as the three headed towards the car.

The car ride home was just as silent as it had been coming into the city but this time Peter was feeling a strong sense of accomplishment. He may have acted out of instinct but he was relieved that finally, it had lead him in the right direction. He had done what he needed to do, his daughter and wife along with the rest of his family had one less psychopath to worry about.

Once stopped outside the Porter's Mansion, Peter took his time opening the door. Unlike most of his business partners, Peter had a bit of a difficult time dealing with killing someone else. Even if that person was a threat to his precious girls, he could never get over the guilt or the nightmares that were sure to follow him over the next couple of nights. He was ready to speak with Dr. Parker again and hoped his appointment date would come quickly...

For now, Peter kept his guilt to himself, continuing to remind himself why he had to do what he did. He was so caught up in himself that he didn't see Sinead rushing towards him once inside the house. He caught her quickly however and all the guilt he was feeling instantly melted away as he saw the bandage that was still on her arm.

He was tense but feeling her warm embrace caused him to relax a bit. Looking her over, he knew he was just being overly cautious seeing as she had been with her sisters the whole time. "I'm just fine." He reassured his wife with a warm tone before squeezing her a little tightly. He allowed them to stay like that a moment as the question of what happened hung in the air.

"He's dead. We got nothing out of him." Peter murmured, "I couldn't let that fucker live another second, he was only trying to buy himself some time with his answers. " With the realization of this information, something arose in Peter. A feeling that had been unfamiliar to him for a long time...Looking down at Sinead, he stared at her for a long moment before saying with a almost lustful look in his eyes, "Let's get you home."

Turning to look at James, Lucy and Ali, his cheeks turned slightly pink as he said, "Okay, we are gonna take off now. Gotta get home."
with: Misty Gray Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Bryant ​

Gwen felt insecure about her apology, wondering that was enough to be forgiven. Jason had changed, matured in ways that she didn't expect. Spinning slowly, she turned into him and was held in a close embrace. His body warmed her own and she felt that she could stay held by him forever. But she knew that with the command of the music, she would have to turn back out. He rested his cheek against her head and she leaned back into him with a soft smile on her lips.

Gwen missed every moment of it but when he told her that he was going to help her through offering to help with anything she needed, she felt apprehensive. His words were reassuring, sounding convincing that he would stay this time around but what had she done to deserve such kindness? Here was a man she thought she'd never see again and yet here they were, reliving the first night they met...

Things were undeniably the same right now but she had to remember that outside the dreamy lustful atmosphere of the club, everything was different. "I'm not the same woman I was before..." She murmured, finally turning back out from him, reaching for his hand again as she placed the other on his shoulder. She pulled him close so that they were touching, unable to bring herself to be any further from him in that moment.

It was a simple reminder and yet it wasn't, Gwen had enough self awareness to understand that she came with a lot of baggage, and that had been something he'd run from before. She wasn't sure if she could handle another heartbreak. "I'm damaged. Not the young spirit I use to be and if that's what you are looking for then I'm sorry, she's gone." Gwen felt like she needed to warn him, he needed to know that what he was getting into with her again came with much more than herself.

"I have Lorelei." She murmured, "I may not be much of a mother but I have to remember to take her feelings into consideration and that might mean we have to take things a little slower when she's with me...which hasn't been a lot as of recently." She made a sad face before moving to lean her head against his shoulder. Sighing softly, the music slowly came to a close but the pair stayed where they were, letting the next song start up. It was faster paced but they continued to move slowly as a few couples joined the dance floor.

"I want to get through this." She admitted to Jason after a moment, lifting her head again tot show how serious she was. "He got me hooked and its been years since I've been completely clean...i try so hard but..." She shook her head, at a loss for words trying to describe the hold drugs had on her life.
with: Jason Pyroclast