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

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Elvian Moretti & Teddy

The thoughts going through Elvian's head were enough to make her crazy. She was so worried about her daughter's health both physically and mentally, nothing else mattered. Watching her daughter breakdown had broken her heart, several times, as she wished she could take all the pain away from her. "It's okay, draga mea, it's okay." As softly as she could and without disrupting the wires in her wrists, she got into the hospital bed next to her, holding her gently against her chest. For as long as Valentina wanted, she would let her cry. Feeling the wet droplets hit her skin and shirt she just rubbed her head in comfort. Teddy sat back in his seat, fingers interlocked while he thought about the next moves to take. One of their own? That couldn't be and whoever it was was definitely going to feel the wrath of the Moretti family. Not before getting answers, of course, but there would definitely be repercussions.

With the door swinging open, both Elvian and Teddy were ready for another arguing match before realizing who it was. Marcus had stepped through the room, much to their surprise, looking upset. After making sure her daughter was okay, she gave her head one last kiss before sliding out of her bed and making her way to hug her son. This ordeal had shaken the whole family, no doubt about it. It made her worry for the safety of her other two children, her husband and Teddy. Seeing her son made her heavy heart a bit lighter. He seemed upset, but before she or anyone else got the chance to say anything to him as Gabriel walked into the room.

Elvian had been distant towards her husband lately, no longer because she was angry with him but because she was angry with herself. She knew it wasn't his fault and that he couldn't do anything to prevent what had happened. But the way she acted presented her from doing what was right. Apologizing to others was easy; apologizing to her husband when she acted a fool? Harder. But she wasn't going to get that chance as Valentina had started to lay into her father.

Watching her daughter stand up for herself was pleasing as far as she went, but it was hard to watch as far as her husband went. He just wanted to protect them, which is something every one standing in the room understood. Elvian herself understood why her husband was acting the way he was, but also knew he had to pull back a little on the reigns. But, she wouldn't need to tell him this because Val was already doing it.

If anyone was shocked at the sound of Val giving it Gabe it was Teddy. His head had perked up at the sound of Tin cussing not only at Gabe but in front of Elvian. He knew as well as anyone that neither of them liked it but it seemed at this point their daughter didn't care. Listening to her talk and watching the reaction of his boss was slightly amusing and would have been even more so having she not been laid up in the hospital bed with injuries. But she was getting her point across to him the best way she knew how which was apparently by telling him to shut up and listen to her speak. Her last words, however, threw Teddy and more than likely everyone else in the room, for a loop. "I'm sorry what?" He looked at Val, Marcus, Elvian, and landed on Gabriel. Elvian herself looked shocked, considering she enjoyed his company as they were both from Romania. Elvian placed her hand on her chest, trying to find words to say but couldn't find them. Instead, she made her way to her daughter and stroked her hair some more, seeing her get upset again. "She's sure, soarele meu," she said to only her husband. In time, she would apologize but right now there were much more pressing matters to discuss. "He'll pay for what he has done to you. Your father and brother and Teddy and everyone else will see to it," she paused before looking at the men in the room, "Won't you?"
​

 

[Bellz]

Ani Sarraf ​

Ani more than appreciated Finn's help and when it was time to leave, the pair hugged each other tightly. "Don't worry, love. I'm sure I'll be seeing you again real soon." Finn murmured to her and Ani smiled slightly, hoping he was right that his cousin would do the right thing. "I'll take care of your pup for you, don't worry about him, okay?" Ani nodded her head gently and looked to James Porter once more, "Thank you." Was all she could say, not wanting to give him any more trouble as some guards reached the lounge to take her away. The ride was long and silent for the most part which left Ani with her thoughts, unfortunately. The scene she had left Alistair in was replaying in her head over and over again, how close she had been to take another person's life. It frightened her that she had that in her, a little piece of madness from her brother no doubt. Although she wondered if leaving the man alive had been the best choice, Ani knew that for her sake, it had been.

The apartment building they parked in front of was rough looking, but Ani knew what to expect from what Mr. Porter had said. She was willing to brave any condition in order to see Maddox again, so she didn't mind as they headed up four flights of stairs. When they reached the right floor, Ani's heart started to race, seeing two guards outside of Apartment 36. One of the guards thought it was funny to make a joke about her love being with another woman and Ani narrowed her eyes at the fool before Simone told her that she could go inside. Opening the door warily, she stepped inside before the door was pulled shut behind her.

Maddox didn't look up immediately from a book he had been reading, most likely expecting whoever was visiting to be someone who clearly could wait for him to be done. Shifting from foot to foot, Ani cleared her throat softly before the man looked up. At first, he didn't seem to register that she was really in the room but after a moment, he shot up from the couch and immediately closed the space between them, wrapping his arms around her lovingly. Ani's tears couldn't be held back any longer as she squeezed him tightly. "I know." She murmured on account of him saying he'd thought he would never see her again. She'd thought the same for a while as well. He stepped back to look at her and the woman blushed under his gaze. The smile on her face faded as he asked what she was doing there, reminding her that it wasn't safe.

"I know it's not but...I came back to the city to find you." She murmured before reaching her hands up to cup his cheeks. "You won't believe the hell I've been through to find you." She said, scoffing lightly as she then looked down at their feet. "I ran over Alistair with my car and my dog, which, I got a dog...tore his fucking arm off. I didn't finish what I had set out to do, which was kill him but I wouldn't be surprised if he died before the ambulance made it." She revealed before tears poured down her cheeks. "I just couldn't kill him, even after everything, I couldn't finish the job because that's not who I am." She sobbed before moving to lean into his shoulder, face pressing against his shirt.

After a brief moment, Ani sniffed and moved her head up to face him once more, "Finn...Finn brought me to James Porter and I begged him to take me to you. Thanks to Finn's kind words about the two of us, I'm here with you now and I'm not leaving your side ever again. I love you."
with: Maddox Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Tatiana Moretti

The way that Rebel recoiled at her touch and looked away from her cast doubt in Tatiana’s mind. Perhaps she had read all the signs wrong, or the move had finally tipped the balance and made the woman realise she was making a grave mistake. However, her words suggested that she was still open to it and so Tatiana remained quiet as she watched the cogs turn in Rebel’s mind, waiting for her to make her mind up. When she suggested that she could murder her in her sleep, Tatiana’s gaze softened and a flirtatious smile appeared on her lips. “Well, that depends on how much sleep we end up getting...”

In the end, she came to the exact decision that Tatiana was hoping for. Her heart gave a sudden lurch and she wasn’t sure whether it was from the excitement of their clandestine sexual escapade or the conflict it stirred within her. At that very moment, Valentina lay in a hospital bed and as much as she wished to explore her connection with Rebel, she knew the promise she had made to her father held a great deal of sense. The timing of her weekend away had unfortunately made Rebel her easiest source from whom to extract information about Valentina’s attack, and in the midst of a violent feud, she understood that now wasn’t an appropriate time for abandoning responsibility.

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door, which Rebel got up to answer. Tatiana gave the waiter the cold shoulder upon catching the curious look on his face and as soon as he left, Rebel’s comment clearly indicated that it had bothered her, too. “Men always see what they want to see,” she sighed. “For all he knew, we could have been friends or cousins or something. Not like we’re lounging around in lingerie...though it wouldn’t surprise me if that image crossed his mind.” She got up to meet Rebel at the table, standing close beside her as she went to uncover the plates. “A little taste of home,” she answered with a smile. By offering some harmless insight into her personal life, she might be able to establish some level of trust and Rebel might believe her guard was lowered. “After growing up in Sicily, there’s no way I could live far from the sea. It’s the progenitor of desire, curiosity, ambition, love. You’ve seen that famous painting of the birth of Aphrodite, where she appears standing naked on a giant shell?” Tatiana chuckled softly as she reached forward to pick up an oyster from the tray. “Well, when you eat the fruits of the sea, it makes you believe that really happened.” She flashed her eyes at Rebel before closing them and tipping her head back to swallow the oyster.

The taste invigorated her from head to toe and she gave a little hum of pleasure before placing the oyster shell face down on the pile of ice. Closing the gap between herself and Rebel, Tatiana tenderly stroked her hand down the woman’s arm until she finally reached her hand, which she then raised. The touch already felt intimate, but was intensified further when she unfurled Rebel’s fingers and placed a fresh oyster in her hand. “I always eat the first one naked,” she said, with a teasing smile. “Then, we can get a little saucy.” She was, of course, referring to the lemon juice and cocktail sauce the restaurant had provided, but she could resist the double entendre.

Her heart was thumping in her chest, still undecided of what to do with Rebel. It wasn't difficult to hide her conflict behind a layer of flirting, however, when her desire for the woman was all too real.

Interactions
Bellz Rebel

 

[Enzyme]

Amato Castello​

After the quick succession of gunfire, that lit the place up like Time Square on the Fourth of July, the few patrons in the room who had been repeatedly ordered not to scream, had no choice but to stifle their frightened whimper. Amato's unfazed expression moved to Tony as the bodies collapsed to the wood, who was deliberately dousing the place in gasoline. "You and I both, Tommy. I bet we're doin' this block a favor." Amato kicked down on a glass bottle, propelling it across the room until it collided with a cluster of quailing civilians. "I'd say this is more than what we needed, so let's get outta' this dump." An implicit sigh of relief could be heard throughout the crowd at those words, but little did they know what that actually meant.

"Alright, everyone on the ground, get da' fuck up now!" Amato ordered, firing three rounds into the crumbling ceiling. He didn't need to ask twice before everyone clambered to their feet. It was as if they had come into the club with feral dogs and emerged with obedient hounds, as they were now able to command the once reluctant crowd with ease. "I want you to grab a canister and dump it on every piece of wood, furniture - anything that will burn up. Anyone standing around, twiddling their thumbs, with nuffin' in their hands will be dealt wit' like the rest," Amato threatened, waving the gun around the cowering masses. "Let's go!" Amato barked. With that, the room's energy quickly swayed as the crowd of young adults fought desperately over the limited canisters. As ordered, every speck of floor untouched was soon drenched with gasoline. The way they saw it, the faster they dumped the canisters, the faster they'd be home free and away from the three shooters. The men, however, had something else in mind.

Another sporadic ring of gunfire burst out, halting everyone in their tracks. "Get the fuck back on the ground!" As before, they did what they were told instantaneously, to where a pile of shaking bodies encircled the three men. Amato's feet swept over the broken glass and empty shells as he slowly walked around to survey the club. With the submachine gun raised by his head, his masked stare moved to the cowering individuals below him. His cold facial expressions remained impartial, with not a single glimpse of remorse in his eyes. "I bet you think this is it - it's over," Amato trailed, shifting on his feet back to the room. "Well, I wouldn't count on it." Amato's mouth finally curved, exposing his golden canine tooth in a sickening smile. "You guys ain't goin' nowhere."

Amato stepped menacingly over the occupied floor to the bar. "I suggest you find a safe place to hide until the flames die out, cuz if I see any of you make a run for it," Amato snapped back towards the men and women on the ground, "I'll cut you down before you can make it past the cab stand." Amato grabbed a hold of one of the stools, balancing the weight in his hands. "And if you guys think I don't have enough ammunition to slaughter every single one of you, I'd be more than happy to prove yous' wrong." With that, Amato launched the stool through the front window, exploding the glass on contact, and sending shards onto the sidewalk. "Let's get the fuck out of here!" Amato shouted to his two accomplices, before climbing through the smashed out window.

Pyroclast (Steve) RayPurchase (Tony) Misty Gray (Kerry)

 

[Misty Gray]

Riccardo Biancardi​

Ricky watched as Roxie seemed unsurprisingly uncomfortable when Gabriel Moretti's name was mentioned. "I don't know. You might get away with not having to meet the guy. All I know for sure is that my dad is stuck in the middle of this big mess between the Morettis and Porters... Sullivans now? Uncle Stefano seemed to be pretty tightly in alliance with Gabriel and very much against Syd's lot. As much as I enjoy entertainment, I don't want to be stuck in the middle of this war that's going down. And all offence intended, but my dad's a nicer guy than Stefano was," he said, acknowledging Roxie and Angelica might have mixed feelings on the deceased man.

Roxie expressed her concerns about how Syd would feel about her meeting with Gabriel, Ricky nodded along. "Okay. Your mum and I are staying in the city for a few days. My dad's already around on business. What if you, me and my dad all talk about this tomorrow? I think he'd like to meet Jane and Jeanie too." With mention of the will, Ricky fell silent for a short time to consider it. "If you don't feel comfortable keeping the money, your cousin Ricky will happily blow it all in the casino to relieve you of the burden... Or, at least just give it to some charity. Who could possibly feel guilty about donating money to the sick and needy? They wouldn't give a shit where it came from. I can tell you that much!" he firmly assured her.

"The three of us, tomorrow. We'll talk about Gabriel tomorrow. My dad wants me to meet the guy either way. Our family can't ignore him. Have you ever seen that really old black and white movie... 'King Kong'? Nobody could ignore that fucking thing when it was stamping through New York either." He let out a small chuckle as his mind briefly switched to thinking of monster movies. "Nor can we ignore the Irish Godzilla... That Conor guy is huge, right?" He flashed Roxie a smile, figuring it was time to change the subject before Syd walked in and got the wrong idea.

Bellz (Roxie, Angelica)
Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Pyroclast]

Danny Vaughan

The tears that fell from Savannah’s eyes made Danny laugh, but not to make fun of her. He was just relieved to see how happy his profession of love had made her. From the way she then got out of her seat and pulled him up by the hand, Danny had a strong feeling that she was about to say it back and his heart started to race. He returned her beaming smile when the pair locked eyes and when she finally said the words he had been hoping to hear, he felt like the luckiest person in the world. Her kiss struck him like lightning and the passion it sparked commanded him to hold her tight.

The couple stood locked in an embrace, their newly-declared love for each other keeping them warm against the breeze. In a soft, muffled voice, Savannah told him that she didn’t want him to leave that night. Danny was so caught up in the moment that time had seemed to lose its significance, and so leaving was something he hadn’t even considered. Still, her suggestion brought a smile to his lips as he couldn’t come up with a single reason why he shouldn’t just stay. She looked up to him then, turning it into an offer of a ‘dorky sleepover’ and he had to laugh. “You mean the kind where we build a blanket fort and tell ghost stories?!” he playfully asked, with the enthusiasm of a child. “Girl, you know me so well.”

Breaking away from her embrace, Danny stooped to pick up a blanket before shaking it out and draping it around Savannah’s shoulders to keep her warm. “You got me as long as you want me, not a second less,” he promised. “Your brother ain’t gonna beat me up or somethin’ if I stay over, right?” Braden didn’t scare him, but even if he didn’t always come across as friendly, Danny believed he had Savannah’s best interests at heart - that either meant respecting her choices and allowing her the freedom to explore her feelings, or striving to protect them by chasing away potential threats before any damage could be done to her. He hoped that by now he had earned Braden’s trust. It had been six months since they had first started dating, and although they had kept it a secret for a long time, Danny didn’t think he had earned any kind of bad impression. Even after one particular date in an arcade had led to a deeply traumatic situation in which Savannah had murdered a man, her parents didn’t blame Danny for putting her in danger. And Syd clearly hadn’t let his grudge against him get in the way, either. All in all, it seemed that he and Savannah were on a positive track. Now, when he found himself wondering about his future, he always saw her there.

Instead of returning to his side of the table, Danny picked up his chair and repositioned it to be next to Savannah’s. Once they were both seated, he topped up their wine glasses and wrapped a second blanket around their shoulders to cuddle beneath. His brief thought about the future had led him to think of her large family and their rank in the criminal world. So often in the time that he had known her, he had witnessed the dangers that she was in, or the paranoia and post-traumatic symptoms that she displayed as a result of them. While she had made the decision to rise above it and continue to live her life fully, it still didn’t take away the threat, nor her family’s desire - and his own, of course - for her to be safe. As he lightly rubbed her arm to keep her warm, his eyes drifted over the edge of the rooftop, out onto the broad horizons of the cityscape. “Sav, do you feel like you have a lot of freedom in your life?” he asked light-heartedly. “I mean, like...if you had a dream, or a desire to do something, do you feel like you could just go out and do it?” He turned his attention back on her and smiled almost bashfully. “Basically, I wanna know how similar our bucket lists are, if you got one. And I hope India is on there somewhere, ‘cause I know my family are all dyin’ to meet you. Come on, this is a classic sleepover question - what do you wanna do before you leave this planet?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah

 

[RayPurchase]

Marcus Moretti


​

The walk up to Val's room was a long one, he could hear his father's footsteps behind him the whole way. No words were spoken however as he had surged ahead, the footsteps slowly dying behind him. Admittedly it had gone about as well as he had honestly expected. For years he had toed the family line, and he had been under no illusion that overstepping wasn't going to be met with open arms and understanding. It was part of what had made his father the success that he was, that unwillingness to compromise, that iron rod he had for a spine. As much as he could appreciate it however, it didn't make it any easier to deal with right now. As the lift ascended he breathed deeply, he could still feel the heat radiating from his cheeks. He didn't want to worry his mother or sister anymore, right now Val was the one who needed them. Gabe and himself could just do some more yelling when they got home.

Evidently however the attempt to pass off the car park altercation hadn't gone that well, from his mother's reaction as she entered. As much as he wanted to ease her off him and declare that all was fine, that simple hug went a long way. He could have remained embraced there for an age, a child again and that hug somehow whipping away all the troubles of the world that plagued him. However the voice that piped up from the hospital bed was even more comforting than a hug. For the first time in far too long Marcus broke into a smile as his sister awoke. He quickly swept past his mother with a squeeze of her shoulder and made a beeline for Val's bed.

"Middle sibling syndrome Val, I've got to do something to try and steal the limelight," He gently squeezed her hand, it felt small and delicate under his own. Seeing her hooked up to a plethora of tubes and wires was hard, but seeing her awake meant everything. "And I'm glad you're alright, had us all a bit worried for a while sis,"

The sibling reunion was cut short however as Gabe stepped into the room. He straightened up, allowing his father a path to Val. Marcus wasn't that petty after all. Even as the gaze that met Gabe's was by no means friendly. At least it appeared that some of what he had said had filtered through to his father as he began laying out Val's return to Miami. This was no place for her, the events of the last week had proven that. Her response though had taken him by surprise. If he had expected any resistance to getting people back to Miami, Val was nowhere near the top of the list. In fact the profanity laden outburst was almost ignored. Marcus shot a glare at the back of his father's head, as if he was somehow responsible for this series of events that was quickly resulting in Valentina declaring that she would be remaining here. Thankfully for Gabe and everyone else in the room who wanted to avoid a verbal and very nearly escalating to physical confrontation, a new source for everyone's frustration and anger arose.

"Isac, that no good for nothing piece of shit," Marcus growled. He began pacing the crowded hospital room like a caged tiger, the movement keeping him from punching a wall or lashing out in some other way. His eyes flicked up to his mother, the smile that had greeted Val's awakening was gone now, Marcus' face had paled to a corpse like grey, those eyes that had lit up now reduced to flint like chips. "I promise right here and now I'm going to put that two timing rat in the ground myself, Teddy and Papa can help if they want, but I swear Val he's going to pay a heavy price for the stunt he's pulled against this family,"

(Interaction: Misty Gray Gabe, Valentina, Melanin-Gxdess Teddy, Elvian)

 

[Misty Gray]

Ethan Turner​

Breathing through one nostril of his injured nose whilst sprinting wasn't ideal for Ethan, but the man was relentlessly focused on catching the rat that was running away in front of him. If anything, his irritation at being made to run was only motivating him to keep going and, if anything, try do it faster. As they exited one alley to enter another, Ethan was aware the were proceeding deeper into Irish territory, but as long as they stayed in the shadows, he remained indifferent to the fact. The streets were busy enough on a Saturday night, not to mention he was sure the mob had enough on their plates protecting their businesses to be hanging around in back alleys on off-chance of catching someone up to no good. If Ethan had his timing right, he imagined the goings on in Upper East Side that night would be everyone's bigger concern.

As Mitch continued to lead the chase, it became apparent he was leading himself into a dead end. Ethan glanced to Jed and the men widened the distance between each other so they could surround the lawyer when they caught up with him. Practically running into a brick wall, Mitch soon founded himself with nowhere to go. Buildings either side of him, a wall in front, and two hostile men blocking the way he'd gone in, he was apparently out of options. Ethan stared Mitch down, his menacing smile and the bruising around his broken nose only serving to make the East Harlem member look all the more deranged.

"You're going to regret making me run," Ethan grumbled at the lawyer. He raised him arm so he could wipe his running nose against the sleeve of his coat, only then bringing into view the gun he was clutching in his raised hand. He lowered his arm and used his pistol to point at the briefcase Mitch was clutching. "Give that to him," he said, cocking his head in Jed's direction, "and I won't break your wrists prising it from your filthy hands." He glared at the lawyer and shook his head. "Come on. I've had enough of you bastards for one week, so don't test my patience," he chillingly warned Mitch.

RayPurchase (Mitch)

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel and Valentina Moretti​

When it registered in Gabriel's mind that Valentina was completely certain Isac was one of the two men who had attacked her, he quickly nodded his head. He stood up straight and stepped aside to let Elvian return to their daughter's bedside to comfort the young woman. He stared at the opposite wall as he recalled how long Isac had been in the family's employment. Starting in Miami and being one of the first men to relocate to New York to pave the way for the family's move to the city. Hell, the bastard had even been in the family home; sharing stories with Elvian and sitting in the same lounge his children occupied.

Seeing Marcus pacing the room on increased Gabriel's frustration, though not because he was annoyed with his son, but because the younger man's movements reflected his own agitation that he was trying to contain. Elvian assured Valentina the three men in the room would make Isac pay. This was followed by Marcus also vowing revenge on her attacker. Gabriel quickly nodded his head. Though he assumed it was obvious making the man suffer was at the top of his agenda, he felt like it needed stating clearly. "Of course he will pay. That traitorous piece of shit will die for what he has done to Valentina," he firmly assured everyone in the room.

Valentina nodded along as those around her promised Isac would be punished for what he had done. "Okay..." she tiredly began, pausing before forcing her eyes to open wider. She took a deep breath before deciding to add something. "I want you to kill him, but... I want him to suffer before you do it. He deserves to feel every ounce of pain and fear I felt," she told those around her. Valentina was sure she'd live with the memories of her attack for the rest of her life, so Isac didn't deserve a quick and easy death.

For all the reminders and evidence of his daughter being an adult, it was still a little unsettling hearing her talk in such a way. Considering what she had been through, Gabriel knew she was well within her right to say such a thing. Whether he liked it or not, he was realising all three of his children were grown adults and capable of making their own decisions. "I promise you, Isac will not be gifted an easy death. Your brother, me... and Teddy," he said, accepting the man wished to be involved too, "we will all see to it." Gabriel caught Elvian's eyes for a short time, before snapping out of his gaze and walking out of the room with intent. If Marcus and Teddy followed him, he wouldn't argue, though for the time-being they would all remain at the hospital.

From outside the door, Gabriel beckoned the trusted guard over who had been keeping watch from the corridor. The fact that Isac was out in Manhattan, still going on with his duties as usual that night, told Gabriel the man wrongly believed he'd gotten away with his betrayal. Gabriel spoke in a lowered voice informing the guard that Isac was a traitor. "Be it through deceit or force, I want you to get him to the basement of your base in Tribeca. Just make sure he's able to still think and talk for himself when we come along." The guard sent a knowing glance before agreeing and heading off to follow his orders.

When Gabriel returned to the room, he remained near the door and sat himself down in one of the chairs. Having had unsavoury words exchanged with both Elvian and Marcus, he figured it was best he sat aside and didn't sour the atmosphere any more than it already was, for his daughter's sake. Although, it didn't seem like they'd need to tiptoe around Valentina for too long as she was fighting to try stay awake for her visitors. Be it from having to talk to the police and explain things to the family, or just the physiological effects, it felt like she'd used up all of her energy for the time-being. Trying to fight returning another deep sleep, she attempted to speak, but all that really escaped her mouth was some incoherent - almost amusing - mumbles before her eyes fully closed and she was soon fast asleep again.

Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian, Teddy)
RayPurchase (Marcus)

 

[Pyroclast]

Spoiler: Trigger Warning

Sexual threats

Steve Kelly

Steve let out a dirty laugh at Tony’s comment about taking Kerry with them. “Don’tchu worry, brother, I’m sure we can make her last three rounds,” he replied with a wink. Then, in a volume only loud enough for Kerry to hear, he added, ”But I’m going first.”

Having made up his mind about Kerry, Steve opted to stay at his position while the other two doused the place in kerosene so that he could keep her under his control. He thought it was obvious as to what was about to happen given the lack of mercy he and his colleagues had shown so far, but Kerry still felt the need to ask for reassurance of everyone’s safety. Squeezing his arm around her stomach to hinder her breathing, Steve pressed his head against hers and spoke directly into her ear. “Listen here, sweetheart,” he uttered. “You’re a smart girl. You done everythin’ we asked, just like that guard said. So, here’s how it’s gonna go down: these people in here -” A blast of rapid gunfire briefly interrupted him. “- they got a job to do, alright? Their job is to help us set this shithole on fire. You, Kerry, you’re the lucky one - your only job is to stay here with me, do what I say, and shut your motherfuckin’ whore mouth.”

The expanding pool of blood at their feet now had an extra shine from the splashes of kerosene that floated on top of it. His mask couldn’t block out the stench and as soon as Amato and Tony had dished out their last threats upon the hostages and the window was smashed open, Steve didn’t hesitate to make his exit. He released his arm from around Kerry when they got to the window and instead grabbed hold of her collar and jabbed the muzzle of his gun into her spine so that she wouldn’t run away. “Hey Rooster, catch her for me,” he commanded, before shoving her through the hole in the glass. Despite all the threats, the hostages left behind were crying with much less restraint now. They knew they had no chance at all of surviving, and they knew they were about to die an agonising death. Their wailing was a chorus to him, and so Steve let it play him out like the epilogue of an illustrious tale. That was two Porter establishments burned down in one day and dozens of their employees killed in the process, and whilst of course there was much more to do, Steve counted that as an enormous success. He couldn’t wait for Alistair to hear about it.

The frame of broken glass tore a couple of holes in his mask when he followed Kerry through, leaving him with a few minor scratches, but he didn’t care. As soon as he was on the ground, he grabbed Kerry again, this time by the throat. “Light it up, Tone,” he said to Tony, once the man was out. As much as he would have loved to bask in the heat of the flames that would bring down the Callahan’s club and all the victims inside it, Steve knew they couldn't hang around. Instead, he marched Kerry back to the Chevrolet that was parked up in the shady alleyway. He opened the boot of the car and, taking no heed of her protests, he struck the side of her head with his HK MP5 and threw her inside. Of course, he would have preferred to have kept her in the backseat with him, but since they weren’t in the truck this time, she wouldn’t have been as easily concealed to any on-lookers. As soon as he was in the car, Steve pulled the itchy mask off with an exhale of relief and rubbed at his face. Then, the second the others had closed the doors, the adrenaline caught up to him in one big hit. “YEAH, BOYS, WE DID IT!” he yelled, slamming his hands onto the passenger seat in front of him and giving it an enthusiastic shake. “And we even got ourselves a little reward for after!” Steve wagged his tongue, a devilish grin on his face at the thought of what he could do with Kerry. “I’m goin’ first ‘cause I’m the one what found her, but I’ll let you guys finish her off. She was gonna die anyway, if we didn’t pull her outta’ that dump.”

Interactions
RayPurchase Tony
Enzyme Amato
Misty Gray Kerry

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau ​

Roxie nodded her head at Ricky's words about giving the money to him, he had the exact same idea in mind that she was starting to form, that essentially the money should go to charity. "I think giving it all to charity would be the best choice, Ricky, given your gambling skills you'd lose the whole fortune in one go." Roxie teased before looking over both of her babies once, seeing if they were okay. Looking towards the kitchen where Syd was, Roxie was glad that her cousin seemed to be on the same page with her in making their discussion as quickly as possible.

"I haven't seen your father in like 6 months." Roxie murmured thinking of her beloved Uncle with a smile on her face. The fun-loving guy she knew was only part of the image that he seemed to carry with the rest of New York. While she wanted to hate her family for keeping her in the dark of what they did for a living, she understands that they knew she was different from the rest. Thinking of Syd, she wondered what he would think of taking Jeanie and Jane on a small trip to the city...she knew it was going to be quite the conversation.

"I wish we could just ignore him." Roxie grumbled as Ricky compared Gabriel to 'King Kong.' It was fitting even though Roxie had never met the man herself. He was causing problems left and right and it seemed like her family was taking on the difficult job of taking care of the feud between the Sullivans and Morettis Roxie snorted as Ricky compared Conor to Godzilla. "Monster movies on the brain?" She questioned before nodding her head at his question, "I would not want to cross him in a fight, makes the skyscrapers look miniature." She exaggerated before gently easing the bottle from Jeanie's mouth as she realized it was empty. The little baby didn't seem to mind one bit as her eyes continued to flutter for a moment before they shut completely.

"I just don't understand why our family has to be in the middle of it all. I mean, once we entangle ourselves in this mess...which I guess I've already helped to do that..." She paused for a moment, looking to her mother as she held Jane before sighing, "Once we entangle ourselves in this mess, there is definitely no way out of it. But I know that you and Uncle Gio have most likely made up your minds by now, and I certainly have no business telling you how to run your business." Despite herself already being caught in the middle of two families, imagining being caught in the middle of three was just as daunting, especially after hearing she needed to about the Morettis.
with: Ricky Misty Gray
mentions: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

Maddox Parker​

Maddox smiled softly as Ani cupped his cheeks, telling him she'd returned to New York to find him. After months of being locked away and maintaining the lie that Ani had basically dumped him, he'd resigned to believe he really wouldn't see her again. One way or another, he'd started to figure he would likely spend the rest of his days on his own, in a way how his life had been going until Ani had walked into it and changed his whole outlook. Here she was again, bringing him fresh hope and the courage to dream again that he could have a normal life. Although the Porter guards could have made his life much harder over the last few months and he knew if the Moretti had caught him he would have truly suffered, it had still been difficult. The cutting comments from the less friendly of Conor's employees had at times threatened to break through even the counsellor's strong resolve, almost enough to install self-doubt.

Ani's words about going through Hell captured Maddox's full attention as he began to wonder what she'd had to go through. When she mentioned running Alistair over and letting her dog rip the man's arm off, Maddox's eyes widened at the thought. There was no sympathy for the East Harlem boss, only regret that Ani had been pushed to go that far and all on her own. "Heyyy..." he calmly murmured. This time he cupped her face in his hands, gently brushing away her tears with his thumbs. When she broke out into sobs, he moved his hands away from her face and let her lean in to press against him. He put his arms around her and gently rubbed her back. "It's okay, Ani. You're a good person and murder isn't something you're capable of. Even so, that animal deserved everything he got and even if you had killed him, it would have been justified. You would still be the same, good person."

Maddox loosened his arms so she could look up to his face. He listened as she told him about how Finn had helped her get James bring her to him. He smiled when she mentioned how Finn was the one to thank for their reunion. "I guess we owe the guy a lot. Though I'm still surprised James went along with it," he admitted. "The man hasn't stepped foot in here, but some of the guards take any opportunity to tell me James wants me dead... I hope he wasn't nasty to you, Ani," he said, even though he knew there was nothing he could do about it either way.

"I love you too, my beautiful. Whatever happens, and however selfish this is, I'm happy to spend what is left of my life with you by side." He placed his arms around her waist and leaned in so he could gently but passionately kiss the woman. Kissing her had become nothing more than fond memories, but now it was a reality once again.

Bellz (Ani)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

To say that Syd was grateful for Roxie's response would be a gross understatement. With his awkward, nervous behaviour, his confession to having a violent sleep disorder and the evidence of it on Roxie's bruised face, he felt like he had disgraced himself in more ways than one. He knew he wasn't the easiest person to live with and even though Roxie had always done well to handle him, it still surprised him every time she showed such understanding towards him. He always expected her to one day have had enough of him, but so far that day hadn’t come. The way she held him, stroked the dark rings beneath his bloodshot eyes, spoke to him in her soft, soothing voice, it all worked to slow his racing heart and eventually he felt his anxiety simmer down. "Okay," he whispered, stroking her hair as she pulled away from the embrace to look up at him. "Thank you…"

Her smile soothed him further, but there was still some residual uncertainty. He trusted that Roxie would never intentionally bring harm to him or his family, but it was a lot harder for him to trust her judgement of her family. They were still strangers to him. She had been tricked before, by her father, just as Dr. Maddox Parker had tricked him, so he knew how easy it could be to fall for somebody’s facade. There had been absolutely no clues or warning signs that he could think of to suggest that Maddox would turn out to have ulterior motives. If Roxie wasn’t going to see it in her own mother and cousin, Syd felt that it was his duty to keep his eye out.

The most important thing was that they loved the babies - he supposed that if they didn’t, they simply wouldn’t speak to Roxie again. That would devastate her, and him too, knowing that their lack of acceptance would most likely be because of him. Syd knew first hand how that felt, after his own parents took their pregnancy announcement so badly that it led to a devastating fight and contributed to his mental deterioration. Not being on speaking terms with his family had broken his heart, and if at least behaving warmly to Roxie’s family would prevent damage to her relationship with them, he knew it was worth trying to keep his suspicions concealed as best he could. After all, their love for the twins wasn’t the only important thing - if Syd didn’t manage to win their hearts, they might choose to believe he had hit Roxie on purpose and take the twins away from him. Roxie reminded him that the attack had been an accident and planted a kiss on his lips. “I wish I could forgive myself that easily,” he muttered, leaning back against the counter. She returned with the brochure for their favourite pizza place in her hand and a sweet smile on her face, and told him to breathe. His first genuine smile came when she suggested how much of a lightweight she would be by now, having not had a drink in seven long months. So much had happened to test her self-restraint during that time, and because she had remained faithfully sober during her pregnancy - at least, as far as he knew - Syd was looking forward to seeing her relax with a glass of wine in her hand.

“I really love you, Roxie,” he quietly told her, taking her hand in his and swinging it gently. Her reference to Stefano stung, as much as it always did; he spoke no further, though his silence on the subject was deafening even to him. His eyes dropped to the floor and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze as an acknowledgement. Thankfully, Roxie set the two of them back in motion, making his job easier by telling him what to order. He gratefully accepted her kiss and smiled at her as she left. He still couldn’t understand how he had ended up with such a wonderful, compassionate woman at his side. Her strength appeared to know no bounds.

Syd didn’t waste any time in placing the order; as exhausting as it sounded to spend an evening socialising with people he didn’t know, he didn’t want to be out of the room for too long in case they started talking about him behind his back. Once David had been sent to collect the order, Syd made his way back towards the room where the guests were. The name ‘Gabriel’ jumped out at him and he stopped in his tracks. The next thing he picked out was ‘King Kong’, and then something about his Uncle Conor. Syd found himself creeping down the corridor as stealthily as he could, as he strained to hear what they were talking about. The words he heard from Roxie were concerning, and he only hoped that the lack of context made it sound worse that it really was. Because to him, hearing her say she had to some extent contributed to ‘entangling’ the family in some kind of ‘mess’ - and that the power apparently lay in her Uncle Gio’s hands - definitely sounded like something to worry about. He could have listened on, but he felt that he had the right to be present for a discussion that concerned Roxie’s safety.

“Pizza’s on its way,” he announced as he stepped into the room, deliberately interrupting their conversation. He did his best to hide his unease behind a smile as he looked between the three of them, before making his way over to Roxie and reaching around to delicately stroke Jeanie’s face. An urge came over him to take Jane from Angelica’s arms, but he reminded himself that he had an impression to make. Instead, he draped an arm around Roxie’s waist and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. “What'd I miss? What are you all talking about?” Since Angelica seemed to speak no English, Syd's expectant eyes hovered on Ricky as he wondered what lies he would come up with.

Interactions
Bellz Roxie, Angelica
Misty Gray Ricky

 

[Bellz]

Rebel Holt ​

Rebel had never really had much seafood before beside cheap fish like salmon, so she wasn't sure what to make of the oysters. Tati revealed that it was a little taste of home for her and Rebel glanced at her, clearly intrigued. As she listened to Tati talk about something that was personal to her, Rebel wondered if this was all just a ploy to let her guard down. In order to win one's trust in most business settings, it was a familiar tactic to wine and dine them. Watching as the woman swallow what was in the shell, Rebel had a sense that she was going to have a hard time keeping her guard up.

Not moving her head, Rebel's eyes traveled with Tati's hand as she ran it down her arm before grabbing Rebel's hand rather boldly before placing the oyster between her fingers. Shocked slightly, Rebel just stared at the oyster blankly. She knew how to eat it after watching Tati, but she was almost sure that she wasn't going to like the taste. Oddly enough, she wasn't wanting to spoil the tension between them with her being sick, even though she didn't want to let her guard down for a second. But, nothing was more vulnerable than puking...

What the hell did she mean by eating the first one naked? Rebel was puzzled by the whole thing. Knowing that she had to do something, the woman cleared her throat and shook her head slightly before counting back from three in her head as she moved the oyster towards her lips. Letting the slimy meat of the oyster slip past her lips, she swallowed it and was surprised that she hadn't puked it up immediately, given the texture. The taste wasn't horrible either and she found herself wanting another. "I've a...never had one of those before." She revealed to Tati and smiled softly as she flicked the shell onto the ice. "Most exotic thing I've ever eaten would be Mexican food, what the hell are those things called again? A burrito?" Rebel laughed at herself lightly and shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm very uncultured when it comes to food."

Peering down at the oysters once more, looking over at the cocktail sauce, Rebel raised an eyebrow, "Is this getting a little saucy?" She smirked, clearly amused with Tati's words as she pulled out a chair and moved to take a seat at the table, relaxing back into it as she stared at the woman. "As fun as this is...I have to tell you I know what you are doing, this whole wining and dining stuff. And I'm here to tell you I'm not going to let my guard down. We can have whatever it is we have, but my guard will continue to be up the entire time."
with: Tatiana Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Ani Sarraf

Maddox's reassurance that she was a good person still helped soothe her a bit, but as she had always done, Ani had her doubts even when someone told her it wasn't so. At the mention of owing Finn a lot, Ani nodded her head, "He's getting married, I'm so happy for him. If we do get out of here we'll have to send him a wedding gift." Hearing that he loved her as well was a relief to her, it had been so long that she almost thought that he had forgotten about her despite her not living a moment where she didn't think about him. He pulled her into a passionate kiss and Ani happily returned it. Even though they were stuck in this apartment, there was no place she'd rather be. If the last moments of her life were to be with him trapped in this place, then so be it. They would make them memorable regardless.

When they finally pulled away from one another, Ani moved to sit on the couch as she thought about what was to become of them. "I know you have bad blood with them, but I really think the Porters and Sullivans are good people. Even though it isn't James Porters' place to say what happens to you, he still allowed me to come here. He, of course, had something to say about my choice in a life partner and even offered one last time to let me walk out the door but completely wicked people wouldn't allow such a request of love." She'd never met Conor Sullivan but if the pair were related to one another, she couldn't imagine he would kill off herself and Maddox.

"There might be a chance that Conor will let us go...I'm not holding onto it but, I don't think he's from the same breed as Moretti and Alistair. " Ani knew what the Porters' had done to Maddox and his family but she had a sense that things were different now. "I did tell James that you were not the kind of person to do what you did to Syd, that you have regrets. Not sure how he took it but I'm here now."

Looking around the room, Ani knew that there wasn't anything else to do other than wait now. She let the silence fill the room for a long time before turning to look at Maddox. "Where do you want to go if we get out of here? I am renting this cabin in the middle of nowhere currently but I'm afraid that I am missing the city life a little too much."
with: Maddox Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Tatiana Moretti

Rebel’s hesitation after Tatiana placed the oyster in her hand made it clear the woman had never eaten one before. She did her best to suppress a smile as she waited silently for the verdict. To her surprise, she took it well, and even smiled when she admitted it was her first time eating oysters. “You don’t say,” she softly replied, subtly turning Rebel’s discarded shell upside down. Hearing that she didn’t have particularly broad tastes drew a laugh from her, and she moved around to examine the bottle of complimentary wine the waiter had brought them. “Exactly,” she answered. “It’s really what we call it. Naked oysters are without the sauce - you always eat the first one naked to get the taste, then after that you can put a drop of cocktail sauce and lemon juice to mix up the flavour a little. See, now you’re an oyster connoisseur!” She sent the woman a wink from across the table as she took a small taste of the wine. At least Rebel would know then that she hadn’t poisoned it somehow.

“Come on, Rebel, let your guard down just a little bit,” she playfully begged, now deciding to pour it into two glasses. “I can’t make you trust me, but let’s at least have a little fun, yeah? We didn’t come here just to glare at each other from a distance. Wining and dining is no more risky than inviting a Moretti girl on a weekend away with you. If you’re gonna stab me in the back, why not just get it over with?”

Finally she rounded the table and took a seat beside Rebel, passing her the wine. “Or, alternatively,” she went on. “We could just do what we fucking want to, for once.” Tatiana kept her eyes on Rebel’s as she brushed her foot up against the woman’s shin. She never let her gaze fall even for a second. “You do like me, don’t you?”

Interactions
Bellz Rebel

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

As they walked across the landing, Gwen slowed to a halt, and when Jason turned to face her, it wasn’t hard to work out what was wrong. All throughout rehabilitation, she had had to come to terms with the devastating effects of her heroin addiction and confront the trauma surrounding it. Now, for the first time, she was setting foot in a place that was tainted with painful memories. Jason was just about to reassure her when Lorelei emerged with the drawing she had made. The drawings themselves were endearing, but what Jason loved the most was seeing the happy tears form in Gwen’s eyes. He placed a hand on her shoulder while she knelt down to her daughter’s level, which ended up resting on the small of her back when she stood up to show him. “I’m sure Ruben will be made up when I tell him,” he smiled, before breaking into a laugh at Gwen’s teasing remark. “Aye, ye do set the standards high, lass,” he commented on the drawing of him, smoothing his hair back. “Don’t I have a lot to live up to, now!”

Gwen sent the girl to show her drawings to Lucy, and Jason got the impression that she needed a moment to collect herself. He awaited the conversation that would follow, and so when she continued to express her apprehension about going back into her bedroom he wasn’t the least bit surprised. Jason cupped her face in one hand and kissed her on the forehead. “I know, baby,” he told her. “It’s alright. I can do your room over for you, will that help, d’ye think? Give it a fresh lick of paint, some new curtains, rearrange the furniture? I can make it look brand new, sure. Only happy memories from here on.” He smiled at her and raised her chin up to place a kiss on her lips. “I’m proud of you, love.”

Jason let her lead him back downstairs so that she could find James, but when she reached the man’s door, he hung back. “Ah, you go ahead - I won’t stand in the way. You two need an honest catch up.” After giving her hand a quick squeeze, he let her walk ahead. There seemed to be some sort of commotion going on in one of the rooms, with which he had no intention to interfere. Instead, he explored the corridor, all the portraits on the walls. Some photographed, others painted - and as he admired them, he found himself thinking of his old business partner, Pierre. Through a combination of the young art student’s forgery skills and Jason’s acting skills, the pair had accrued a large fortune by exploiting the upper classes. A fortune which saw Jason incarcerated and Pierre extradited back to France, thereby putting a wedge in their friendship forever. A smile came to his face as he admired the portraits in the Porter mansion. Here he was once again, rubbing shoulders with the rich - except this time, he had formed a genuine attachment to the family. He had been a wild young man in those days, willing to wear a fake name and put on a Dutch accent to be invited to all the grandest parties in town. It couldn’t slip even when he was lavishly drunk on their fancy cocktails, and of course he began to prefer living as Lars Van Voorst than Jason Costello. Life was far more fun that way. Of course, all the friends he had had back then were as fake as his accent. Now, however, he could simply be himself. It had taken a good while, but Gwen’s family appeared to have accepted him as he was. Everyone had their dark sides, his being alcoholism, and so despite his class status, they didn’t seem to see him as bad news.

His trip down memory lane ended the moment Gwen emerged from James’ office. They both smiled at each other, and he slid a hand around her back when she reached up to kiss him on the cheek. “‘Course he is, for you,” he said of James’ soft nature. They seemed to have what he imagined a good sibling relationship to have: love, support and respect. Everything he lacked for his own sisters. “I suppose I do. And I’d love for you to help me warm the place up. You say goodbye to Lorelei while I call us a taxi to my place, okay?”


Jason’s apartment didn’t stir up such negative feelings for him as Gwen’s room apparently did for her. Ruben was lounging in the courtyard; he seemed perfectly content where he was, but still didn’t protest when Jason scooped him up and carried him up the steps. His elderly neighbours and landowners, Gladys and Bert, were home when he knocked. Bert went to fetch his front door key while Gladys gave them each a hug. “Oh! And I mustn’t forget -” the old woman exclaimed, rushing to the back of the room. When she returned, she held a pot plant in her hands and a rather fond smile on her face. “Your spider plant has been staying with me while you were away. It’ll leave quite an empty space on the mantelpiece, it’s been so lovely to look at - Bert, we’ll have to put another one there in its place!”

“Ah, don’t you worry, Mrs. Coleman - keep it, as my way of saying thank you. I owe you both a hell of a lot…”

“Don’t be silly, dear,” she laughed, holding the plant out for Gwen to take, since Jason’s arms were already carrying luggage and a fat Scottish fold. “We own a whole plant shop downstairs!”

Bert came out to open Jason’s front door for them, dropping the keys inside. “There it is, kids,” he said. “Welcome home.” Not being a man of many words, Bert didn’t hang around to catch up, instead shuffling back to his own apartment.

Jason set his duffle bag down near the bedroom door, but didn’t hurry to unpack anything. Instead, cradling a very sleepy Ruben in his arms, he wandered around the small open-plan apartment, as if admiring it for the first time. It looked cleaner than he remembered leaving it - no doubt the work of Gladys. “It is a nice place, this,” he said to Gwen, looking out of the window down to the courtyard below. “Shame about the size of it. I know I said I’d do up your room for you back at the big house, but...I mean, if we picked up some more jobs, started earning some…” He looked from Ruben to Gwen, tapping his feet rhythmically on the wooden floorboards. “Would we be well to get our own place someday, d’ye think?”

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah giggled when Danny played along, suggesting building blanket forts and telling ghost stories. She could never have said such a thing to her previous boyfriends and perhaps not up to many of her friends. A lot of the people she knew took life too seriously, so obsessed with their image and popularity that they would never just let their hair down to dare to be silly once in a while. She loved that she didn't always have to be 'mature' and 'perfect' with Danny. Together, they could switch off from their jobs and the serious parts of their lives, to truly relax in each others' presence. "And knowing you so well is why I like you so much," she happily told him, her bright smile practically reaching her eyes.

As Danny placed the blanket over her shoulders, Savannah sent him a soft smile, not just feeling the physical warmth from the blanket but also a warmth in her heart at his sweet gesture. "I've got you as long as I want you, have I? I guess having you stay here willingly is easier than my original plot of making you my prisoner," she teased. She quickly shook her head at the mention of Braden beating him up. "No way! If he respects me enough, then he wouldn't dream of doing such a thing. My family all like you, Danny," she assured him. Granted, Braden could be moody and there was a chance he might not like her having Danny stay over, but as far as she was concerned, she was old enough to make her own decisions and there was no reason for her brother to butt in. She was finally happy and she hoped everyone else would respect that.

The couple sat down next to each other with a couple of blankets draped around them. Savannah shuffled herself close to Danny so she could lean into him, resting her head on his shoulder as she took in the newfound warmth. With her cheeks catching the chill of the air, she had briefly questioned if she was crazy for staying outside in the dropping temperature, but the doubt faded as she snuggled up next to Danny. When asked if she had a lot of freedom in her life, she tilted her head so she could see Danny's face. When he elaborated to speak of bucket lists and what she wanted to do before she died, she stayed silent for a short time as she collected her thoughts. There was so much she wanted to do and she found curve balls were always being thrown in her way, but even then she felt she had better opportunities than many people did. Of course, she was exposed to many dangers, but she also came from a wealthy family and as unfair as it might seem, money did help. It meant she knew she if she needed to buy glamorous clothes for an audition or travel for work, she was financially equipped for it. "I think I have plenty of freedom, but at the same time, I can feel trapped because of my family's business. Having bodyguards drive me around the city and always looking over my shoulder for bad guys... Sometimes that makes me feel trapped and suffocated," she admitted. "But then I think all of the opportunities I've had and how I'm growing in my career. I feel so lucky to have all of this."

She softly smiled when Danny said his parents wanted to meet her. "Oh, India is definitely on my list. I would love to go there with you to see your parents - I was kinda jealous when you were hanging out in Bombay," she told him. Thinking of what she did want to do before she left the planet, she scoffed before speaking up. "I guess the ultimate dream would be Broadway or London's West End... maybe even be in the movies," she said, blushing in case he thought it was a too big of a dream. "If not movies, I'd even like to get into television. I watch shows like Bewitched and The Brady Bunch, and I always think how I would love to be in those shows," she said, with a short laugh. She fell silent for a time as she thought about her mother. She knew Sinead had big aspirations when she was around the same age - before she became pregnant. Although Savannah didn't believe her mother had any resentment and the blonde knew it was in no way her own fault, she did believe she was the reason Sinead had stop pursuing her dreams. That, and how dangerous their lives were. Savannah wanted to break the cycle and prove her family could do something normal, without being held back by fear. She gazed out over the city and flashed another smile. "I'd like to secure my career first, but one day I want to have children. I love children and I'm so excited to get to know the twins, so I just know I want to have my own family in the future too."

Realising how much she'd rambled on, she let out a chuckle amongst a shiver, moving closer to Danny and resting her hand on his warm chest. "Ergh, enough about me! How about you, Danny? Tell me all about your bucket list!" she enthused as she looked eagerly to him.


Pyroclast (Danny)

 

[Bellz]

Rebel Holt ​

Tatiana playfully begged for Rebel to let her guard down and Rebel's face softened slightly as she scrunched her nose. "I guess you are right." She murmured gently as Tati poured two glasses of wine before she sat beside her. Feeling Tati's foot graze her bare shin, Rebel tried her best not to jump as she moved the wine to her lips to cover her surprise.

After a long deliberate drink, she pulled the glass away from her lips and swirled it gently. "I do. There was something about you..is something about you." She said as her cheeks turned red. Rebel chuckled and shook her head, "I just can't get over the fact that we are actually here doing this, that you actually showed up. That I fucking spent most of my savings on this all because of your pretty face." Rebel clamped her mouth shut then, not wanting to say anything more embarrassing as she moved to take another long drink from her wine glass.

The music in the background continued to be romantic as ever and Rebel could feel Tati's warmth right beside her. Despite having said she was going to keep her guard up, Rebel visibly relaxed further into her chair as the wine began to hit her. "It's been a long time since I've been able to do whatever the fuck I wanted to, you know?" She said as she turned her head lazily to look at Tati. "It's been years since I've taken time to myself as well. Work has just taken up every part of my existence, as I knew it would when I signed on but...having to always watch your back is the most exhausting part about the whole thing." Rebel didn't have to say that she was watching her back in the current situation she was in, but she didn't want to allow herself to relax completely, especially with the current company she was in.

She wanted to know what Tati wished to gain from this, there had to be more than just wanting to do what she wanted. There had to be some business motive because Rebel had identical motives. "So, I've always wondered and...you really don't have to answer. What have you been told about the Porters? Because if there is one thing I've come to learn during my time here on earth is that perspective is everything. I've always known that I was only hearing one half of a story but somehow, that seems to justify what the Porters and Sullivans are doing against your family."
with: Tati Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Bryant ​

After saying bye to Lorelei, Gwen left with Jason back to his place, relieved to actually be out of her brother's house despite having missed her daughter so much. On the car ride over, Gwen wondered if Jason's place would stir up similar feelings for her as it came into view. Once they'd stepped out of the cab, Gwen took a deep breath as she stared at the building for a moment. Seeing fat and fluffy Ruben lounging in the courtyard put a smile on her face and offered her some relief from her nerves as Jason went and scooped the cat into his arms. Walking towards Gladys and Bert's place, Jason knocked and Gwen smiled even further as the pair opened the door together. Gladys gave her a hug which Gwen gratefully accepted as Bert went to grab Jason's keys. Gladys remembered the plant that had been in Jason's place and brought it over, smiling fondly at it.

Jason insisted that she keep it but the woman was already shoving it towards Gwen so she reached out to take it delicately. "That is very true!" Gwen said in response to the woman before looking to Jason, "Plus, I love this little thing, makes your white walls pop." She said as Bert came to open the front door for them. "Thank you." Gwen murmured to the man before allowing Jason to step in first before stepping in and shutting the door gently behind her.

Seeing as she had successfully stepped into the apartment without feeling like she was going to have a major breakdown, Gwen knew she didn't have a problem with the place. It was a little depressing, knowing that she was going to have to go home at some point to be with Lorelei but she was sure she wouldn't be able to sleep in that room with her. Gwen silently looked around the small apartment and noticed it was cleaner than usual. A smile formed on her lips as she thought about how lucky Jason was to have such kind and loving neighbors. He spoke up and she turned to look at him, nodding her head as she watched him look out the window. He mentioned the size before referring back to the conversation they had earlier, about fixing up her room.

Hearing him ask her about getting a place together was music to her ears and her whole face lit up, nodding her head dramatically. "I hope it's a lot sooner than someday, actually." Gwen said almost bashfully. "I talked to James about working at the Jazz Club again and he assured me that Sinead would like that...even after what happened." Blocking out the terrible memory was the best she could do at that moment, not wanting to break down on him while having such a light conversation. "I know it's not Broadway, but I'm sure I could pull some strings and get you a job too." Stepping closer to him, she rubbed Ruben's fat tummy for a moment, looking intently at the cat before moving her eyes back up to look at Jason.

"I did talk about wanting to move out with him...I've been invading his space for a long time now. I owe him the luxury of me getting out of his nonexistent hair." Gwen chuckled lightly. "Even if you were to fix it up, the room I mean, I just don't think I would be able to handle it. For now, I think I will move into one of the guest rooms and come spend the night here with you some nights. Lorelei is going to be confused but she's smart, so I'll just explain that the room gives me bad feelings."
with: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau ​

Roxie had been starting to wonder where Syd was but she had this funny feeling that he could be in the hallway. Part of her wondered if he was listening in, she had wanted to keep the information about her Uncle away from him until after her family left, but once again a feeling was telling her that wasn't going to happen. Before Roxie could say anything more about what she thought of her family's business, Syd interrupted them by announcing that pizza was on the way. He wore a smile on his face, but Roxie, who had been living with him for many months now, saw right through him. Her eyes narrowed only slightly as to not draw too much attention to Syd as he came to sit beside her. Watching him stroke Jeanie's face was reassuring but then he went on to ask what he'd missed before looking directly at Ricky. Roxie stared at the man with wide eyes as Syd was busy looking at him and after a long moment of silence, she finally cleared her throat.

"Well, we were just discussing an arrangement to meet with my Uncle who personally wanted to see to it that I get my father's inheritance." Stefano was always going to be a touchy subject, but bringing up the fact that he'd wanted Roxie to have everything was just another blow. "For some reason, he had decided to give me everything, his company, his house, all the money...but I think I'm going to be straight with my Uncle and tell him I don't want anything to do with that man anymore." Roxie looked to Syd, wondering what he thought of her turning down the inheritance. It wasn't like they were hurting for money given he was also part of a high profile mob family but from what Roxie could tell, it was a lot of money to just dismiss. "Mother insists that I take it too, but she's already heard my opposition on the matter." Roxie looked to her mother then, but the woman didn't look up as she continued to coo at Jane in her arms. Her mother clearly didn't want anything to do with the money either and she would be just fine without it.

"My Uncle is actually going to meet Gabriel Moretti at some point with Ricardo. They have some...business matters to work out with him." Roxie could already predict how that sounded to Syd so she held up a hand to him to explain further. "No, they are not siding with him...at least from what Ricky has said. My father worked closely with the Moretti's so I think this meeting is to determine where they stand now." Roxie was just as confused by this whole thing as Syd was at this point so she ended up looking to Ricky once more for help with the explanation.

Once it was explained a little clearer, Roxie continued on, "Ricky and I discussed meeting with my Uncle tomorrow to discuss everything, this is of course just as much your house as it is mine, more so in fact...would you object to him coming by? I know this is a lot for you right now and please don't feel like you can't say no because you can. But I know he'd like to see the girls."
with: Syd Pyroclast ; Ricky Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Jasmine Carpenter​

Jasmine was quite intrigued to hear Chase had also known Liam. Granted, they both knew James and Conor now, but it was different. She liked the shared nostalgia about a man who had died seven years earlier. It had been the start of her career with the Irish Mob when she first met Liam and she'd been through so much since then that it felt like a lifetime ago. "You got along with Liam then?" she said, with a nod. "I only officially met him a year before he died. My dad introduced us both and arranged an interview of sorts. From then, I did a lot of undercover work for Liam; posing as waitresses, hotel employees, that kind of thing. Back then I usually did show up to work in a dress... it was easier to blend in that way," she said with a playful laugh. Her face turned seriously again as she recalled the months that followed. "It wasn't long after that my dad got himself locked up. I suppose Liam appreciated his loyalty as he often checked in to make sure I was getting by with my dad around. That was short-lived, though, as Liam died not long after," she recalled.

Soon enough, Chase suggested they started paying attention to the restaurant again so they weren't distracted from anything suspicious around them. She grinned at his slip-up before nodding along. Truth be told, she would hate for them to be kept apart on future jobs as she was very fond of his company. "Oh, of course. Nothing is going to get past us in this fine restaurant," she agreed.

Jasmine followed Chase's eye-line towards the newcomer in the dark coat. She kept one hand in view whilst resting her other on her knee, ready to retrieve the pistol that was strapped to her thigh if she needed it. It wasn't wrong before they could rest easy, realising it was Darragh who had entered the establishment. She flashed him a smile as he approached to address Chase. When he pulled up a chair, it was clear he wasn't just there to catch up with Chase and he began to address both of them. He was catching his breath back, which told Jasmine something had happened to warrant him rushing to the restaurant.

Hearing the expected attacks had started, Jasmine wasted no time in removing her gun from the strap around her thigh, but she kept her hand under the table for now to keep the weapon out of sight. "Good to see you too, Darragh," she said, her face now serious and her voice holding more assertiveness to it. Darragh didn't waste much time before he rushed off back outside to warn the next business. "Well, I guess it's time we did some work," she commented to Chase.

Jasmine got up from her seat, keeping her gun-holding left arm to her side, the weapon camouflaged by her the fabric of her black dress. She approached the bar and got the attention of the smartly-dressed manager. "We've got to shut the place down for the night. It's not safe," she knowingly informed him. The man looked blankly at her, clearly the first thoughts in his head were about wanting to keep his customers happy and in turn he was concerned about the profits. "Mr. Sullivan's orders," she sternly pointed out. Conor hadn't specifically asked for that restaurant to be closed for the night, but the instructions about protecting any business from an attack were clear. Preventing casualties and destruction meant the restaurant had to close. The manager seemed to understand, but Jasmine gave him a helping hand by calling out to address the club over the light music and chatty voices. "May I have your attention! Due to unforeseen circumstances, we're going to have to close for the night," she called out, the music suddenly cutting out and the voices falling silent only further highlighted the fact the powerful yet feminine voice was coming from Jasmine herself. Consciously holding the gun out of view, nobody would be able to see it in her hand. "Don't worry about your bill - it's on the house. Just take your belongings and calmly vacate the premises," she said, holding her empty hand out in the direction of the exit where the bouncers were now stationed.

Jasmine watched closely as the customers started gathering their belongings and making their way out of the building. Some were grumbling and huffing at the inconvenience, but Jasmine didn't much care. She was sure they'd be more upset if the place was on fire or someone's brains had been blown out onto their steak. As she observed the crowd, looking out for anything suspicious, her eyes briefly met Chase's and she sent him a small smile.

Pyroclast (Chase)

 

[Misty Gray]

Riccardo Biancardi​

When Syd entered the room and mentioned pizza, Ricky looked up with a short-lived smile on his face. "Great. I'm starved," he casually told him. Still, it was clear Syd was at the very least suspicious about the conversation that had only just been happening. When Syd asked what they'd been talking about, Ricky saw the way his eyes landed on him in anticipation of an answer. Ricky glanced down to the floor as he placed his hands into the side pockets of his trousers. He'd been told in the past he had a knack for making people react defensively even though he wasn't intentionally an aggressive man himself, so the act of putting his hands in his pockets was a subconscious action to disable his own hands and in turn remove any signs he may wish to overpower Syd in his own home.

Roxie spoke up before Ricky collected his words, which was a relief as it felt like quite a task trying to appease Syd. Roxie spoke of the inheritance and the difficult decision of what to do with it. Then she spoke of the meeting that was planned with Gabriel Moretti. Ricky looked to Syd to gauge the man's reaction to the sensitive subject, wondering if it were possible to read the man's mind based on his expressions alone. Not that he needed to be a mind reader as he was pretty sure anything relating to Moretti was going to go down like a lead balloon. Roxie said all she could before looking to Ricky, leaving him little choice but to speak up too.

"We're not taking sides on this," Ricky echoed his cousin's words. "My father has met Gabriel before, but I've managed to get away with not meeting him... until now. With my uncle dead, I've got no choice but to step up. I can assure you, I'm not looking forward to it in the slightest." He let out a breath before shaking his head. "Stefano was tied pretty closely with Moretti and I'm sure you understand how this works yourself, given your role in the mob. Stefano's death doesn't automatically put an end to my family's business with the Morettis. So my father and I need to meet with the Morettis to determine where we stand now. The fact that Stefano gave the company to Roxie, means she has to be involved in these talks. Unfortunately, that could mean either she attends the meeting with Gabriel or she signs over the decision-making to my father." Ricky removed his hands from his pockets and instead folded his arms at his chest, looking to Syd. "I'd rather my family's company was neutral from this war your family has got going on with Morettis. Fact is, this affects us even if my uncle hadn't gone into business with the Morettis. We've always been here in New York and I think I speak for many other companies when I say this war is making a mess of the city. Unlike those other businesses, my family doesn't have the luxury of being able to just shake our heads and judge you all from a safe distance. We're tangled in this too and we need to clear up exactly where we stand." He couldn't say it outright while things were in the air and he had yet to hear the fellow Italian's side, but Ricky's gut told him he'd rather pick the side of the Irish if he had any choice in the matter.

Pyroclast (Syd)
Bellz (Roxie, Angelica)

 

[Misty Gray]

Maddox Parker​

Maddox smiled when Ani told him Finn was getting married. Even when he was working against the Porters, Maddox couldn't deny how good a man the doctor was. In fact, it had been difficult to dislike or act against Finn at all. "That's wonderful news. If anyone deserves to be happy, it's Dr. Sullivan," he told her. "I'd definitely be up for getting him a wedding gift, though I suspect my name might not be welcome on the tag," he pointed out.

Maddox moved to sit next to Ani on the couch and he listened as she spoke about the Irish family being good people. "I don't think I can ever forget what James did to my family, not with the knowledge of the many others he has killed since," he admitted. "But I understand he's not the evil man believed him to be. We've worked with or shared affiliations with far worse, haven't we?" he asked, his mind shifting more to the East Harlem men than even Gabriel. At least with Gabriel, Maddox understood the man's motivations, no matter how cruel his acts of revenge were. But there was no reasoning or excuse for the East Harlem men. They were the kind of psychopaths those in Maddox's own profession would have a field day studying. "You're right. James Porter can't be all bad if he let you come here at all," he reasoned.

The evaluation of Conor not being like Moretti or Alistair caused Maddox to nod without hesitation. He had started counselling Conor when the man was at it his worst during his prison sentence. Cocky and short-tempered, in and out of solitary confinement for his aggressive behaviour. Even then, Maddox saw some good in Conor. For the most part, the man only acted aggressively for self-defence or when he truly believed the recipient of his attacks deserved it. He believed Conor was nothing like the likes of Alistair or Gabriel. In fact, he believed him to be better than James, who he deemed to be more calculating. "I agree with you about Conor. If there's any hope of getting out of here, it's in his hands. I saw a lot of good in him during our more recent sessions and that's partly why I couldn't keep moving forward with Gabriel's plan. I'd rather the power was in Conor's hands than Gabriel's, Alistair's, or even James'." He slowly nodded at the thought of what he did to Syd. "That's the reason I can't complain about this," he said, referring to his ongoing confinement the run-down apartment. "This is a luxury compared to what I deserve for my actions, especially the ones towards Syd. I've spent my career helping people overcome their past traumas and find ways of dealing with the flashbacks plaguing their thoughts. Ironic that I can't help myself. I often see Syd's face and I vividly remember what I did to him that day. Pushing him to the edge was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do and I don't think I can ever forget that. I don't think I should be allowed to forget," he admitted. He put his arm around Ani and gazed towards the bare wall ahead of them. "I know I should appreciate every day I have and if Conor does decide to kill me, then I know it's justified. I just hope he will show his kindness to you. And I hope he and Adam aren't pissed off with me for lying to them about you. I assured them you'd dumped me on account of my sick actions. I couldn't risk anyone thinking they could use you against me."

Despite his acceptance of possibly never leaving the apartment, he dared to indulge Ani's next question. "I'm not sure, love. I do know I want to get the Hell away from New York and perhaps even America itself. I can't return to Ireland either... We had that Canada idea, didn't we? Or maybe even England." He gently rested his head against Ani's. "As long as I'm with you and we have a garden, I'd be the luckiest man still alive..."

Bellz (Ani)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Elvian Moretti

It was heartwarming to see almost all her family members together, surrounding Valentina at this moment. She was slightly upset about Tatiana not being here and hoped she would have a good reason. Regardless, as she stood with her hand over her chest, she was unable to fully enjoy the moment. She still owed her husband an apology and this was going to be the moment when she did. However, Gabriel had stepped out of the room with Teddy, leaving Marcus and Valentina alone in the room. Unaware of what they were up to, Elvian made her way over to Marcus to give him a hug. She hadn't talked to him since the event, slightly feeling guilty and blaming herself. While her words may have been harsh, she meant everything she said. "You are aware that I am proud of everything you've accomplished and everything you will accomplish?" She asked him, going in for a hug. "I meant everything I said to you, but I do apologize if it hurt you in any way, my baietel." Something in Elvian's heart was troubled, from having upset her son, to her husband, to Valentina being hurt. It wasn't what she expected to happen, slightly upset that it had. Ever since coming to New York, it's been a mess and a part of her wished they had never come. It only made her feel worse as she knew their presence here was very necessary.

Hearing the door open and her husband return, she pulled away from her son. Elvian Montanari was a strong woman alone; Elvian Moretti was a strong woman for everyone, including her husband. This was a major blow to their family, as well as her husband's ego. If anything, he needed her to continue being his rock and not leaving him on an island all alone. It wasn't fair for him to be receiving this treatment from her, considering this wasn't his fault. It was actually Isac's, a man whom she had a soft spot for considering where he had been born. It was nice to have a bit of Romanian home with her, being able to talk fully in the language without having to find the Italian or English word. But now that she had found out it was he who attacked her daughter, he meant nothing to her. The camaraderie she felt before was long gone now replaced with annoyance and anger. In the meantime, she made her way over to where her husband was sitting and managed to squat in front of him, taking a deep sigh.

"Obviously this has been hard for everyone but I hadn't taken into account how heavy it would be for you as well and for that, I apologize." She had started to realize how much apologizing she was doing and was glad she didn't have to apologize to anyone else. It was a lot to do, but she was going to do it when she was wrong, no matter how much it embarrassed her. Placing her hands on his knees, she gave him a smile and spoke softly so only he could hear. "It's not your fault. You are doing the best you can under these circumstances to protect your family. Everyone is just on edge, but that doesn't give us the right to take it out on you so," she paused to take his hands after looking back at her husband. "She needs to rest. We can leave Teddy and Marcus here, go home, and you can release whatever anger you have, whatever you have built up because I want you to be level-headed moving forward." Elvian wanted to make up for lacking in her wifely duties, therefore she was going to do anything she could to make up for it. Whether that be staying out of the way or being more involved she was determined.


​