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

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti and Riccardo Biancardi​

Gabriel had been in many meetings during his life and had met many people who he knew didn't want to be in his presence. Even without such experience, he was sure he'd still be able to tell that Roxie would rather be anywhere else in that moment. Given everything that had gone on over the last year, from his alliance to Stefano to his war on Syd's family, it came as no surprise to him that the young woman would not be comfortable in his presence. Rightly so, in his opinion. She'd got herself romantically involved with James Porter's son - with the family that had most of the Morettis slaughtered. Of course she should feel uncomfortable. Regardless, the woman shook his hand and Gabriel reminded himself the meeting was about business, so he would push aside personal matters for as long as they remained irrelevant.

Gabriel sat in the centre of his sofa, facing Giovanni and Roxie directly. Ricky opted to sit to the side on the corner sofa his family were on, giving him a view of Gabriel as well as his father and cousin. Ricky reached forward to pour himself a brandy. In all honesty, he didn't care which spirit it was that he'd poured into the glass tumbler, as long as it took some of the edge off. This was a difficult situation, especially for his dear cousin, Roxie.

When Giovanni spoke up to vocalise his observations about him shaking up the city, Gabriel remained stern-faced, albeit internally amused by the comment. He'd caught the attention of the Biancardis; them added to the list of politicians, police chiefs and numerous wealthy investors he'd been schmoozing with. Along with the Sullivans being attacked on the streets at a physically destructive level, this would all strengthen his bid to take the Irish down once and for all.

Eventually, Giovanni got to the point as he claimed the city was in turmoil. Unlike Stefano, Giovanni was uncomfortable at witnessing the war before the Morettis and the Sullivans. New York's foundations had always been built on corruption and deceit, but it seemed Giovanni wasn't happy with the more hands-on approach. Rightly so, as the corruption was all good and well when kept in the shadows, but now the usually ignorant citizens of the city were seeing the true filth that lined their streets.

Giovanni made it clear he was looking to make some kind of a trade-off, to help Gabriel reach his goals if he compromised in return. He raised a curious eyebrow at the offer of helping get rid of the Sullivans in exchange for peace. Gabriel sat up straight and cleared his throat, casually clasping both hands around his glass of brandy as he did. "A war has always been inevitable. Things may have appeared to run smoothly in the hands of Jack and Liam Sullivan, along with James Porter's early days. However, their mere position invites challenge, as ours does too. The Irish in New York have always been fuelled by greed; refusing to share the power and wealth with any others. Beating down anyone else who dared to make a name for themselves and to have a piece of this beautiful city."

Gabriel took a moment to study the faces of the Biacardis across from him. "Let's not forget what happened the first time a real challenger showed his face. The Irish had my brother and almost my entire family wiped out in one cowardly explosion. That is what put our beautiful city into turmoil and that is why there is no compromise. My family and Conor Sullivan's family cannot co-exist in the same city. One way or another, I want them all out of here." Gabriel quickly shook his head. "Twice I have tried to compromise. With James Porter and then Conor Sullivan, I offered to buy their assets in New York in exchange for them all leaving the city. My generous offers were met with arrogance and moronic profanity. I have already explored the peaceful way, but they're too stubborn, too proud, to see they've already lost." He paused before allowing a thin smile to grace his lips. "This city will be both beautiful and peaceful again, Giovanni. However, the Sullivans have chosen to do things the hard way. They will fall, but from the mess and destruction, a beautiful city can be rebuilt."

"Ah, messy like Godzilla," Ricky inaudibly muttered under his breath. He sent his relatives a glance before speaking up to Gabriel. "What if we can help you get rid of the Irish without bringing more death and destruction to the city? Sure, it won't take long to build a classy cocktail bar in the place of what is now burnt out rubble of a former jazz club. But it would have been quicker and easier to have it refurbished and renamed. Anything that goes in that spot now will be tainted with stories of how dozens of people perished in the building which previously stood there. You know... There's a takeout over in Queens that does an amazing Margherita, but I recently learned the joint used to be some seedy and all kinds of messed up brothel. Now their Margheritas just don't taste the same since I found out." Seeing Gabriel's dismayed expression being sent directly at him, Ricky straightened up. "What if we can all work out a way to take this city without more innocent lives being lost and without having to piece it back together when we're done?"

"I already tried compromise. Conor Sullivan knew what was at stake and he chose the messy route. Unless you have something up your sleeve, GIovanni?" Aware there was a very quiet party seated among them, he looked directly to Roxie. "What are your thoughts, Roxanne? You live with Syd Porter, the father of your two children. I can assure you that being stuck directly in the middle of this is a unenviable position. What happens when that family is removed from New York?"

Bellz (Giovanni, Roxie)

 

[Misty Gray]

Arturo and Bogdan ​

Arturo and Bogdan had been tied up in the basement since the night before. Having been taken by force and beaten along the way, their abductors had been able to securely restrain them to the chairs they were now tied to. Like anywhere, gossip was passed among Moretti employees, so both of them had already heard that Isac had been named as one of Valentina's attackers. The fact he had being dragged off a few days ago made it clear they wouldn't be seeing him again. Both Arturo and Bogdan had assured each other that neither had helped Isac attack their boss' daughter. Though they were both in separate locations to each other the night Valentina was attacked, they seemed to believe each other.

Now they were sitting alongside each other with Moretti's own son and also one of East Harlem's finest psychos. The odds were stacked against them, leading the Italian to keep his head down as he whispered a prayer for God to have mercy on him and let him walk free from his dire situation. Steve's voice snapped him out of the prayer, reminding him he was sitting across from a man whose reputation didn't know mercy. He kept his eyes closed, trying to cling on to his perceived connection to God. Though he hadn't seen what Marcus was capable of, the fact he was there to find justice for his sister meant he wasn't likely to hold back either.

Arturo's hair was grabbed and his head yanked up, prompting him to open his eyes and stare directly at Steve. The man began to describe how Isac had occupied the same chair when he met a gruelling end. "Whatever that sicko did to Morett's daughter, I had nothing to do with it. I don't hurt defenceless women," he desperately told Steve. Meanwhile, the attention being brought to Bogdan caused the Romanian to quickly shake his head, keeping silent as he hoped to keep the heat off of himself. Even though Bogdan was the biggest man in the room, he wasn't ignorant to the fact he was in a vulnerable position whilst tied up.

Steve harshly let go of Arturo's head, causing the Italian's head to jolt forward, the action making him to wince as it tugged at a ligament in the back of his neck. He closed his eyes again as he heard the sound of Steve sharpening the knife, dreading to think what he was going to do with it. Arturo wasn't sure if or how he could get out of the dire situation. He didn't know how to make the men believe he hadn't had anything to do with Valentina's attack. He slowly opened his eyes when Steve appeared before him again, speaking of Jesus. He lightly shook his head, not to deny his love of Jesus but to protest against the blasphemy in Steve's teasing. He practically froze when Steve put the blade of the knife in his mouth, worried in case one wrong move would injure himself. Whilst trying to move his tongue as little as possible and not to move his lips, he attempted a muffled plead of innocence. "I didn't do anything. I swear," his only just decipherable words left his mouth.

The Romanian Marcus had in his clutches was too hefty to match the description Valentina had given of her attacker's build. Whilst that meant he wasn't a suspect as far as performing the attack was concerned, his friendship with Isac meant he wasn't completely off the hook given the possibility he had information about the attack and potentially who Isac's accomplice was. "Marcus, I had nothing to do with it. I've worked for your family for some time and I wouldn't hurt them. Your father was always good to me," he firmly assured Marcus. He glanced to Arturo as the man sat in a dangerous position with the knife in his mouth. "I can give you an alibi. Give me chance and I'll find someone who can back me up," he asked Marcus. "I didn't touch your sister. If I'd known Isac was going to do that shit, I'd have told you straight away." The big man knew he had to do what he could to save himself and from that, the next words practically left his mouth before he had chance to stop them. "Isac never told me much lately. I wasn't as close to him as he was," he said briefly eyeing a shocked-looking Arturo. "I ain't got a clue where Isac or Arturo were that night. None of our crew knew, come to think of it..."

RayPurchase (Marcus)
Pyroclast (Steve)

 

[Misty Gray]

Ethan Turner​

Ethan listened on as Mitch started picking apart the comparison between a lawyer and a pig. As he went on, Ethan couldn't help but let out a long, low and exaggerated chuckle. "You're right. Weasel sounds more apt, especially if you make any effort to weasel your way out of this one." In a split second, any humour was stripped from his face and the butcher turned deadly serious as he listened to the man going on about not having his wallet and his need to honour client confidentiality. The defiance didn't land well with Ethan. With a large increase in responsibilities since Alistair's hospitalisation, Ethan had neither time nor patience to take the lawyer's time-wasting.

As Mitch continued to waffle on, predicting how the remaining time together was going to go down, Ethan turned away and retrieved a spare metal chair which he proceeded to position directly opposite the lawyer. He motioned for one of the armed guards to get rid of the wooden table along with the pig's head. Ethan sat down and maintained a prolonged silence as he mulled over Mitch's words - mostly the part where he was confident his lips were sealed. "Lately, not a day goes by where I'm not wrist-deep in blood. Nothing out of the ordinary for a butcher, it comes with the job and I enjoy it. But it's not the blood of livestock that I enjoy dealing with the most. Last night I killed two siblings; young adults just about ready to leave their teens. Despite having to listen to them cry and whine for days on end, I have to admin they put up a real fight. They begged for their lives with such determination it made it all the more satisfying knowing it was falling on deaf ears. I learned nothing from it and in the end they were quick kills." He stretched to the side and grasped the hunters knife from the counter before sitting straight again as he held the weapon up to his eyes to observe the dull silver blade. "They hadn't even done anything wrong, the poor fools. Their father is the one who crossed my employer and he failed to repay us. Those innocent kids died because he was too stubborn to give up what was asked of him. However long he lives from now on, it will be with their deaths on his conscience."

Ethan lowered the knife and leaned forward. Without warning, he slashed the knife blade across the front of both of Ethan's legs below the knees, tearing through the skin to immediately draw blood. "I can keep doing that and getting satisfaction from your discomfort, but this isn't about my enjoyment. It's about results. What I'm saying is that you might not value your own life enough to defend it, but are you willing to let other people suffer for your lips remaining sealed?" He let out a chuckle and looked to one of his armed guards. "What breed of dog was it again?" he called out, to which the man described Rex. "Yeah, that's it. That busty barmaid who works over at The Emerald Pub has inherited a dog. She takes it on a nice little route when she walks it." He paused and flashed his familiar unsettling smile. "Do you think she's a fighter? I wonder how much she can take and how long she'll last before your silence kills her."

RayPurchase (Mitch)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

If she's in the mood, no need to break it
I got the chance and I oughta take it
If she can dance, we can make it
C'mon queenie, let's shake it
Go, go, go, little queenie
Go, go, go, little queenie...

"...Go, go, go, little Jeanie," Syd sang as he finished fastening a fresh nappy around his little girl's legs. She met his smile with a curious gaze, and when he hooked his thumbs around her tiny feet and made them dance in the air, she reached up to pat his hands. Syd couldn’t help but beam down at her, love pouring from his eyes. “Come on, rockstar, up we come!” With a soft whoosh sound, he scooped the baby into his arms and cradled her against his bare chest, feeling the warmth of her delicate skin against his.

As exhausting as they were, the twins were a comfort to him amid growing tensions between him and Roxie. Her vague answers to his questions about the business meeting she had had with Ricky and Giovanni made it clear to him that she had something to hide, and just like that a slight rift had formed between them. It reminded him of when they had first met, how his parents had strongly suspected that she and her family were secretly working against them, and how he had always defended her. It brought Stefano’s hideous crimes to mind and the ties the man had had with the mob’s most powerful enemy. The fact that Roxie was now rather obviously keeping secrets from him made him wonder if killing Stefano hadn’t entirely brought an end to her family’s involvement with Moretti and East Harlem after all. It would be a worst case scenario, of course, but Syd’s mind often went to those first. He had always been wary of strangers, but ever since the severe mental trauma he had suffered from his counsellor’s betrayal, he had had a lot of difficulty in trusting almost anyone. Sometimes all it took was a slight slip of the tongue and his mind would be sent spiralling. There was no giving anyone the benefit of the doubt anymore. As much as he loved and cared for Roxie, he would have thought that she would know not to keep secrets from him. That only left him to assume that whatever she wasn’t telling him was deeply serious, and for Roxie, a very deliberate decision to keep it under wraps.

Even though he had been struggling to look Roxie in the eye for the last few days, Syd made an effort to keep the atmosphere warm and loving when around the twins. They were still tiny and weak, but he knew that bonding was extremely important at this stage and so would often carry them around the house just to get them used to his touch and scent. Devoting his time to them made him feel somewhat better about the tension in his and Roxie’s relationship, as they gave them something beautiful in common and filled the awkward silences with their demanding cries. With them, he didn’t feel so helpless.

The sound of the doorbell and the ensuing barks reminded him of the time. Syd carried Jeanie away from the quiet rock music and back into the living room where he could place her back in her cradle next to Jane. Roxie was already at the front door, and Syd quickly pulled on a t-shirt from a pile of freshly-ironed laundry before joining to greet his mother. After kissing her on the cheek, he didn’t miss the way she looked at the pair of them, obviously sensing that something wasn't quite right. Nothing ever escaped her. Thankfully, before she could ask any questions, Roxie invited her to see the twins, leaving her and Syd alone in the entrance hall. Already feeling uncomfortable, Syd was about to follow Lucy - but to his surprise, Roxie moved in to embrace him, resting her head against her chest like Jeanie had done. His heart stirred as a feeling of guilt crept in. He hated feeling distant from her. He just didn’t believe that she was only going out to sort through her father’s old belongings, not after the vague explanations and secretive behaviour. He wanted to believe her more than anything, but he didn’t. Whether that was his problem or hers he wasn’t sure, but for now, he knew he wouldn’t get anything useful out of her if he dared to ask again. So he gave in to his feelings for a moment and wrapped his arms around her. The fact that her kiss came as a surprise to him was a little depressing, but her words of concern made him smile at least. “You three are always on my mind when I’m out there,” he assured her, reaching up to tuck some stray strands of hair behind her ear. “It’s changed me, this little family of ours. I value my life because I value yours.” Syd gave her a kiss on the forehead before a car horn sounded from outside, prompting her to gather her things. The idea of her going out to do something dangerous behind his back returned to him and he was hit by a small rush of anxiety. “I love you,” he hurriedly added, suddenly realising that he hadn’t said it back. And then she was gone.

* * * * *​

The job that night was not expected to be dangerous. An employee at All That Jazz and the sole survivor of the massacre had recently turned up at the police station, and it was his duty, alongside Conor and Aliana, to go and talk to her and see what information she could give them. Syd had to mentally prepare himself for it as he had no doubt that she would be deeply traumatised by her experience and wanted to make sure he went in with a frame of mind as open and compassionate as he could. On top of that, he didn’t like the idea of entering a police station - as far as he was concerned, it counted as enemy territory. His uncle did his best to dispel any discomfort by asking him about Roxie and the twins. Despite everything, his first instinct was to smile. “Oh yeah, everything’s grand,” he told him. Part of that was true, at least. “You guys should come over for dinner some time. Jane and Jeanie are just...I mean, you’re both parents, you know babies are loud, tiresome shit machines, right? But they bring so much life into the house. I live for those little girls. Love ‘em with all my heart.”

The tender smile was still on his face when the detective arrived, and he had to quickly clear his expression and return to the task at hand. The description of how Kerry had been found was unsettling to hear, and when they finally saw her, her trauma was undisguisable. Syd hung back as Aliana entered the room first and began speaking to her, not wanting to crowd the young woman in case she got overwhelmed. Only when Conor demanded that the detective took them to a more private and more comfortable room did he step inside.

“Kerry?” he spoke up, in a gentle yet confident voice. “My name’s Syd Porter, I’m Sinead’s nephew. We’re gonna move to a different room so we can chat without the pigs here nosing around. That sound alright?” He sent her a friendly wink before holding his arm out to let Aliana and Kerry through the door. Detective Randall begrudgingly did as Conor had asked - he may not have believed that the mob deserved power, but he still wasn’t foolish enough to deny them their simple request.

The room they were supplied with didn’t beat the last by much on the comfort scale, but at least the only company they had was a single security camera above the door. The chairs were also cushioned and the ceiling light less abrasive on the eye, so it would do. Closing the door behind him once the group was inside, Syd took a seat and laced his fingers together on the table. Having recently been through a number of deeply traumatic events himself, it felt unusual to be on the questioning side for once. Although he didn’t know the gruesome details of what Kerry had endured, his own trauma brought out a significant level of empathy towards her. If he didn’t think it would intimidate her, he would have wanted to give her a hug. “First off, Kerry, um...I just wanna say that I’m sorry for what you went through,” he began. “I know it’s all very raw for you, so we’re gonna be as sensitive as we can here. If at any point you think we’re being arseholes, you can - well, you can slap me, okay? I’ll take the hit for these guys, too.” He sent her a smile. “Upsetting you isn’t our intention, but we do need your help. We wanna find out who did this, so we can take control of the situation from here. Bring justice to you and all the other, uh…” Unexpectedly, the words caught in his throat and he had to clear it. “The other victims of the attack. So, is there anything you can tell us? Maybe let's start with something easy - how many people are responsible for this, that you saw?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Kerry, Conor, Det. Randall
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana

(mentioned) Bellz Roxie, Lucy

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan and Kerry Patrick​

Kerry had been left alone in the room whilst the Detective had left to greet the Sullivans. The doctor had already given her some painkillers for the discomfort of her injuries but also to try ease the headache caused by her dehydration. She took small sips of the coffee that she'd been handed, along with a bottle of water she'd been given. Although she hadn't eaten in a week, her lack of appetite meant she'd practically had to force down the food she'd been served a short time ago. She was exhausted and defeated. The bright light in the interview room seemed more than excessive to her having spent days locked away in the dark. At times, she wasn't sure if she was really there at all, the dizziness only adding to the surreal atmosphere. She'd caught a glimpse of herself in the two way mirror to the side but had refused to look again so she couldn't get confirmation of how pale and deathly she really looked.

Although she knew she wouldn't be alone for long, the door being opened still caused her to practically jump in her skin which restarted the rapid heartbeat in her chest. Until being freed from the shipping container, every time a door had been opened in the last week, it had be followed by something deeply unpleasant. Torture, beatings, threats... She tried to shake off the memories, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. She was somewhere safe now, she hoped.

The first person to enter the room was a familiar woman, one who she recalled had checked in on the club during a couple of her shifts. Aliana got down to her level and took hold of her hands to reassure her. Kerry had to question in her head if it was real and not some kind of hallucination. The warmth from the woman's hands was a kindness she'd doubted she'd ever feel again but it felt too real to be her mind playing tricks on her. She quickly nodded her head when Aliana asked if she remembered her. "We met and spoke during my second shift," she confirmed to her. A man then entered the room and introduced himself as Sinead's nephew, Syd. This was followed by Conor introducing himself as Sinead's brother. She'd heard about them and seen him around by the club before. The fact they were all relatives of her sweet boss, Sinead, seemed to make her feel safe in their presence. When told they were moving to a different room, Kerry nodded her head and didn't hesitate to comply. Even though Syd had asked her if she was okay to move, she had no intention of refusing to. She stood up and secured the blanket that was draped over her shoulders to keep her warm. She picked up the bottle of water and clutched it in both of her trembling hands.

The room they'd moved to felt a little warmer and the lights were less blinding. Kerry sat in the chair that was pointed out to her, next the the seat Aliana took. Directly opposite her at the rectangular table, Syd was positioned, with Conor alongside his nephew. There were no two-way mirrors on the wall and no police officers around. Kerry was relatively new to New York, both naïve and idealistic prior to her ordeal. Even so, she'd already been made aware of the Irish Mob and along with that the idea that the criminal organisations in the city were supposedly a law above even the police. There was information she'd withheld from the cops out of fear of breaking the apparent code the mob enforced. Thankfully, she was now in a secure room where only the three people around her were privy to anything she spoke of.

Although she was aware Conor was the man in charge, it was Syd who spoke first and that made her feel a little more at ease. Conor had done nothing to make her feel uncomfortable so far, but the fact he practically towered over her unfortunately made him seem automatically intimidating in her fragile state. Syd seemed to be more on her level and the way he spoke to her made her feel at ease. He seemed to understand, rather than putting on bravado or giving off a domineering aura like the Detective had. Syd assured her he wanted to take care of the situation and get justice for everyone who had been killed in the club. Though the night of the attack seemed like an eternity ago to Kerry, the feelings were still as raw and painful as her wounds. Syd started off with the first questions.

"There were three men. One tall, one short, one average. They kept their masks on all the time they were in the club," she told Syd, her eyes lowering to fix on the half-empty bottle of water in front of her. She'd never seen Tony's face, but the monstrous features belonging to Steve and Amato had become familiar over the days she was kept prisoner. For a time she felt silent, her eyes fixed towards the bottle as she got lost in those thoughts. Tears began to escape the corners of her eyes before she snapped herself out of the trance and looked to Aliana for reassurance.

"You're safe with us, Kerry. You'll never have to see any of those men again," Conor gently reassured her. Kerry reached her hand down to seek out Aliana's, hoping to feel that warmth again. The troubled young woman confirmed she was ready to keep answering their questions, prompting Conor to speak up. "Was there anyone else with those three?" Conor asked, aware just three attackers would surely have been outnumbered.

"It was just those three. It all happened so fast. One was firing his gun at the bar and telling everyone to get down. He shot at the band members," she said, pausing to catch her breath back. She'd answered these same questions already, to the cops. "They locked us all in the club and held the security guards at gunpoint. One of them took me as his hostage to threaten people with. Nobody could stop them," she desperately told them. "We all did everything they told us to do, but none of it even mattered. Scott did as they asked and opened up the safe, but they still killed him. They killed the guards." She struggled to speak as the memories choked her up. She tried desperately to hold back the tears and keep speaking. After enough encouragement, she got herself under control again. "And the worst thing is... they were the lucky ones. The three men set the club on fire and made sure nobody could escape it. They took me out of there with them as a hostage."

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Elvian Moretti

Elvian had had a lot of excitement in her years but none of those moments compared to playing cupid. She was task with bringing news to her husband, which hadn't been an easy task. Going into the conversation with her husband, she was prepared for him to completely dismiss it. With everything that happened with their family the past few weeks, it made it easier to get him to understand. He may not have outright agreed, but that wasn't her purpose. It was more so to prepare him for the relationship if things worked the way she hoped. She didn't want him to be blindsided, especially if she knew and didn't tell him. The call of business couldn't come soon enough seeing as he would be out of the house when she worked a way for Teddy to come over.

She had spent most of the day at her store getting rid of any leftover Valentines Day effects. Instead of throwing them away like most, she took inventory and moved them all to storage. It was a long and grueling process, but nothing she wasn't used to. When she was done taking care of her business, she immediately went home to come up with a way to get Teddy over. Something as simple as moving something wasn't going to be convincing, so perhaps something along the lines of checking on him would work. But, there was the possibility that he would be far too busy to stop by today so something else would have to work. She didn't want to outright tell Teddy what she was doing, for fear and scaring him off. The two of them hadn't talked about his feelings for her daughter, so she wasn't quite sure if he 100% reciprocated them. It was all based of what she had seen when Valentina was in the hospital. She hadn't expected him to be around the way he was and knew that he wouldn't be if he didn't feel some type of way towards her.

When she came home, she greeted her daughter and checked on her before moving to take care of her household. Her children didn't often stay at home which gave her less to do. With Valentina now home, it wasn't a lot to do but being Elvian she did a lot. Cooking more breakfast, another room to clean and more clothes to wash. She wasn't complaining about any of it as she loved having more people to take care of. "Val, I'm home!" She shouted, walking straight for the kitchen. There was still a little time before Teddy was to show up, so she would be able to make something small for them to eat in the meantime.

"How's the work coming? Are you hungry?" Regardless if she said yes or no, she set out to get the ingredients out for pasta and her Papanași. It was apart of her routine to cook something when she came home and it felt weird not to. She was very excited for the things to come, hoping to see her daughter with someone like Teddy. Granted, his past was utterly disgusting and no parent in their right mind would ever recommend their daughter to date him. However, ever since his kidnapping and the traumatic events she felt he was becoming a different person even if he hadn't seen it. For starters, he was growing a beard after years of saying he would never. Something in him changed which was the only reason she reconsidered it.



​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Sullivan

With Kerry stating she remembered her, she nodded her head and smiled. "Yep, that's me." She stood up slowly when they were ready to move to a different room, staying close to her for comfort reasons. Ali honestly hated police stations, the cages they held, and the bright rooms. This was the place her father had been taken from her, then her husband. She'd rather be walking in the cold than in this place but she understood the circumstances. Once they were taken to a different room, she made sure to sit next to Kerry. Before they got started, she asked for a ginger ale as her 'morning sickness' was turning into 'forever sickness'. It was more nausea than anything, but it was also annoying to deal with. Syd spoke to her officially first, reassuring her that they were going to handle things delicately. He told her if they were being assholes she was more than welcome to hit them, to which Aliana added on. "Don't worry I'll keep them in check." She winked at her nephew and husband before turning her attention back to the young woman.

Syd began to ask questions, making sure they were as delicate as possible. She watched him talk and every so often would look to Kerry to watch her reactions. The moment she felt it would be too much for her, she would tell them to stop. So far, things were fine. She seemed to recall information she knew Conor would need in order to get the men back for this. Not just because it was his sister's business had been burned to the ground, but also because Kerry had been traumatized. She was under the Sullivan umbrella, which meant protecting her from their enemies. The fact that she hadn't been broke her heart, listening to her recount the men she saw. It wasn't until the room grew quiet that Ali looked at her and raised her hand slowly to her face as not to alarm her. She used her thumb to softly rub away her tears, offering her another smile. "It's okay now. Take your time." She reassured her, holding onto her hand.

She went back to answering questions, Conor speaking next. Her eyes connected with his as she spoke, making sure he kept his tone soft. There were times, without meaning to, she found her husband to be too rough during certain situations. But, she knew he was being genuine about it before she looked down at her hand. She was holding onto Kerry's hand who was shaking. Subconsciously she rubbed her thumb against the back of hers trying to keep her calm. She started to walk them through the events of that night, starting to choke up. She raised her hand to Syd and Conor, signaling them to hold for a moment while she comforted Kerry. "Hey, it's okay. This is tough to talk about, I get it, but it's for a good reason I promise. The people who did this to you? They are going to pay a thousand times over."

Her words seemed to get her back into things as she continued her recollection of the night to the end. Syd and Conor seemed to have taken a pause on the questions for a moment. Ali helped the girl wipe her tears and get comfortable again before hesitating to ask a question of her own. Even though they had asked the important questions, it yielded little to no results. Whoever had done this was careful not to be found out. Taking a deep breath, she looked down at their hands then back to the younger woman. "You don't have to answer now and I hate to even bring it up but... What about where they took you? Do you remember anything about that? And remember you don't have to answer right away or even at all, okay?"

​

 

[Pyroclast]

Chase Zegarra

When Adam told him to pull over, Chase felt a serious conversation coming on. He had been unable to think of anything but Jasmine for the last three days and even though he had done his best to keep any verbalised feelings to a minimum, he was struggling to not let his concern show in other ways. This wasn’t the first time he had been on an emotionally testing mission - he would never forget the haunting sight of Roxie when they had found her on Liberty Island, or the mess of blood and guts that coated the interior of the boat they went home in, or how he had had to take Garrett’s body home and deliver the news to his family. Some jobs were more dismal than others, but none of them ever affected him too badly. Sometimes Chase wondered if something was wrong with him, if maybe it all ought to disturb him more than it did. It was jobs like this, however, that reminded him he wasn’t all tough. To him, rescuing Jasmine didn’t even feel like a job. He wasn’t doing this for the mob’s sake, he was doing it for her. He was doing it because ever since he had left her locked in the restroom back in The Lomax, his heart had been aching with guilt and worry.

Without even thinking of arguing, Chase pulled into the empty parking space and got out to switch seats. Though the engine was still running, he didn’t put his lap belt back on, having anticipated that Adam wanted to address his concerns. Instead, he leaned his elbow against the window frame, one hand anxiously resting over his mouth, and waited to hear what his friend had to say.

For anyone seeking comfort, Adam wasn’t an obvious choice. He may have had a way with women, but he wasn’t exactly well-known for being warm or particularly sensitive. However, Chase could trust him to always be straight with him, and in that moment, pushed to the edge of exhaustion and potentially tears, he appreciated having someone like Adam to keep him grounded. It helped to hear the facts all laid out, thankfully none of which Chase himself could dispute, and it reassured him even more to learn that Adam hadn’t been able to think of a better alternative to the agreement he had made with the enemy. “You’re right...I didn’t choose this,” he uttered. “Taking her to somewhere else was never part of the deal.” Chase’s gaze was drawn back to the streets once again and the hand supporting him moved up to massage his forehead as he wondered where that ‘somewhere else’ might be.

A heat instantly spread across his face at hearing Adam bring up his feelings for Jasmine. Chase had been under the impression that as long as he didn’t admit it to anybody, nobody would know. Now, he felt all too transparent. Rather sheepishly, he turned his head to meet Adam’s eye just in time to see him smile. A short silence passed between them as Chase struggled through the embarrassment of being found out. Then, with a sigh, he shook his head and looked down to his lap. “No, she has no idea,” he admitted, naively sticking to his previous logic. Now that it was out in the open, his feelings for her suddenly felt ten times stronger, adding to the weight in his chest. Chase unzipped his many jackets and dug around to retrieve a pack of Embassy Gold cigarettes, which he held out to Adam after lighting one up for himself. “God, I wonder if she knows why she was taken,” he lamented, winding down the window just enough to let the smoke escape. “Como dijiste...she understands the risks. She’s been in this business a lot longer than me and she can handle herself always. She’s tough like that.” Still massaging his head, Chase drew an unsteady inhale of his cigarette. “But now, I don’t know where she is, I don’t know what they’ve done to her. Maybe you’re right and she agrees that it was the best thing to do, but I can’t expect her to feel the same way about me after this. So please, just forget about it.” Despite the fresh, cold breeze hitting his face, his eyelids were beginning to grow heavy and he had a feeling if they didn’t keep going he would end up falling asleep right there in the passenger seat. “Dios, la cabeza me va a estallar…” he winced, before gesturing to the road. “Can we drive?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Adam

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy​

Blake smirked when Jackson told Natasha to go easy on her, his hand sliding across the table to take hers. She squeezed his hand gently as he talked about how they made his life so much easier, asking what kind of family would drop everything to spend time with him. "To be fair, we were bored as hell. Weren't we little one?" She asked Natasha who nodded her head at both of her parents before moving to draw an X in one of the squares her father made. "Your turn!" She announced as she handed him her crayon.

Hearing that they would be heading home soon, Blake's smile widened at the thought of finally getting out of this mess in New York. Natasha was clearly distracted but Jackson looked Blake's way and he shrugged, seeming as if he hadn't given it much thought. Honestly, Blake hadn't given it much thought either, she never liked to get herself excited for something that might not happen as soon as she wished but now that he mentioned it, she allowed herself to wonder about what they would do when they got home. "Well I know Natasha will be mighty excited to see her friends again, though I think she's grown very attached to all the kids here." Looking to her daughter for a long moment, she figured out that the girl was in her own little world so Blake felt she could talk with Jackson about something more serious.

"Conor is confident he won't need you anymore? I mean my days in the mob are long gone, but I can tell how tense things have gotten here just by word of mouth. I don't want to tear you away from him if you are still needed, love." She murmured to him, once again squeezing his hand.

The thought of finally going home filled her heart with a lot of joy, but she also knew she would miss the Porters and Sullivans here. "I miss home. New York is alright in small amounts but as they say, this city never sleeps and I'm growing pretty restless. Plus I miss just having you all to myself," Blake made a pouty face right up until a waitress came to take their order.

Still not feeling too well, Blake ordered herself a tea and some soup, opting out of anything too flavorful for the moment. Knowing Jackson was going to be concerned, Blake looked to her husband after the waitress left and smiled reassuringly. "I think I caught a bug. This cold weather is doing nothing to help that." She explained, hoping that would be enough to quell concerns for the moment.

"Anyway, what is the first thing you want to do when you get back home? You definitely deserve some time off after all the work you've put in here. Maybe we can go on a trip somewhere?" Natasha obviously heard that park because she bounced in her seat excitedly. "I want to go somewhere!" She said gleefully.
with: Jackson Enzyme

 

[Misty Gray]

Jasmine Carpenter​

Since Ethan had left the old police station, things had been relatively quiet. Jasmine had been listening carefully to the conversations between the men in the reception area at the far end of the dark corridor. Though the content of what was being said was mostly useless, she was confident in the fact only two men were present in the building. She'd had plenty of time to think and get a handle on her captors habits since being locked up in the police station. She just had to choose the right moment. Soon enough, footsteps were heard down the corridor as Shane approached her cell. The man hadn't turned the corridor lights on, which Jasmine figured was another of his attempts to intimidate her. Regardless, the distant light from the reception and the moonlight coming into her cell gave enough illumination for them to see each other. "Do you need some company in there, love?" he mockingly asked. He stood close to the cell bars and held up a plastic cup of water for her to take from him.

Jasmine approached the cell, glancing down to see Shane's gun was still holstered and the switchblade handle sticking out of his front trouser pocket. She reached out to accept the cup of water but didn't move it from its position between the gaps in the bars. "I'd have to be really desperate to want to spend time with a dickless fuck like you," she spoke lowly to him. She then tipped the cup over, causing the water to spill out over the front of Shane's clothes.

"Fucking bitch!" Shane loudly snapped. He stuck his arm through a gap in the bars and grabbed her by the collar of her jacket so he could pull her towards him, slamming the side of her face against the bars. A distant voice called out asking if he needed any help. "Nah mate. I'm just going to teach this bitch a lesson. I won't be long," he shouted back through gritted teeth. He let go of Jasmine and moved to unlock the cell door, fumbling with his keys as he did. Unknown to him, Jasmine had swiped the knife from his pocket whilst he'd had hold of her. She made a point of doubling over, clutching at her throbbing face with one hand to make out he'd hurt her more than he actually had. "Ethan said you'd get lippy. You need to learn to keep your damn mouth shut!" Shane threatened her as he slid the door open enough to fit through and dragged it shut again behind himself.

Jasmine didn't give Shane time to do anything, instead lunging at him and lashing out the hand that was clutching on the knife and slashing the man across the neck. His jugular and surrounding veins were severed, causing the blood to spill out of his throat. He yell out a muffled yell before clutching at his throat, but the sound hadn't travelled far enough to be heard by his friend in the reception. Jasmine pressed her weight against the man's body and placed her hand across his mouth to try silence any other sounds he could muster. Feeling the man convulsing against her, she released her hand and slowly backed away, letting his body slump down onto the floor. The blood pooled on the ground around him as he struggled to take any last breaths. Jasmine bent over him and removed his gun from the holster at his waist. She used the water from one of the buckets in her cell to rinse the blood from her hands but didn't have time to deal with the red splatter that had sprayed on her face and down her front.

Clutching at the Smith & Wesson in her right hand, she stepped over Shane's lifeless body to slide open the cell door. Holding the gun out ready to fire, she walked down the corridor with a slight limp, still recovering from the stab wound in her leg three days earlier. As she approached the reception, the lighting on the corridor improved. Before she even reached the doorway, she could see the old desk the remaining goon was slouched back in his chair at. More focused on the apple he was eating, the man started to speak before even looking up. "What's the dumb bitch--" As soon as he looked up and registered Shane wasn't the person standing in the doorway, a bullet ripped into his forehead, the blood immediately rushing out of the hole between his eyes.

Jasmine froze as she took in deep breaths to try control the adrenaline bubbling inside of her. She slowly approached the desk the man was now slumped face-down on. She used a nearby cloth to wiped the wet blood for her face, leaving smudges behind on her skin but making it less noticeable from a distance. The fact all of her clothes were black meant she wasn't concerned above the bloodstains on her top and leather jacket. She took the pistol he'd been too slow to reach for and made her way to the exit, cautiously peering through the windows to make sure there were no further guards to get past.

*****

Adam Harper​

Adam could see straight away he'd touched a nerve and Chase's body language confirmed once and for all his friend had feelings for Jasmine. Chase spoke up to admit Jasmine didn't know how he felt about her, causing Adam to nod in understanding. "Still, there's gotta be something there. She don't look at or talk to the rest of us like she does you, that's for sure. Not that I'm an expert on romance and all that - it's the come to bed eyes I'm the expert at detecting," he drily remarked. Adam took the offered cigarette from Chase and lit it up. "There's no use wondering what she does and doesn't know, mate. Thinking about shit like that can drive you mad. Let's focus on the here and now," he suggested.

Chase seemed to accept that Jasmine was experienced enough to handle herself and to have known from the start what she was getting herself into. Still, the Cuban was concerned, letting it eat away at him wondering what she thought and how she wouldn't be able to return his feelings after this. He wanted to move away from the subject and Adam reluctantly nodded his head. He just hoped they'd find something soon, to stop Chase being driven mad with worry.

With the cigarette balancing in his mouth, Adam pulled out of the parking space and set off driving through East Harlem again. They'd been driving for fifteen minutes before they passed the old rundown police station at the other side of the road. In the distance, the figure of a female could be seen walking fast, with a slight limp. Adam slowed down so they could take a better look and as soon as they were sure the woman was Jasmine, Adam swerved the car across the road, causing oncoming traffic to slam the breaks on. Not concerned for the boundaries between the road and the sidewalk, he mounted the kerb and brought the car to a controlled stop on the pavement.

As she heard the car coming up behind her, Jasmine looked around the open area, realising there were no walls or shop doorways to take cover behind. She sure she couldn't outrun the vehicle. She immediately resigned to the possibility things could get messy again. She quickly turned to face the car, with a pistol in each hand, she aimed both of them directly at the front windscreen. After focusing on the figures in the vehicle, she was relieved to recognise Chase and Adam. Remaining still on the spot, she slowly lowered the weapons and caught her breath back.

Pyroclast (Chase)

 

[Misty Gray]

Valentina Moretti​

Valentina had heard the front door close but it was only when Elvian announced her presence that she sat up on the sofa. She caught a glimpse of her mother in the hallway, passing by the lounge to make a beeline straight to the kitchen. No doubt her mother was cooking up some special meal just for the two of them to eat fresh. Valentina carefully stood up and made her way to the kitchen. The pain her body had been in a week ago was dying down, but every so often a quick movement caused a muscle to tighten or a pain to intensity in her ribs.

Once in the kitchen, she rested her back against the doorframe and folded her arms to cradle her bandaged wrist. "Work isn't coming along at all. I tried, but it was a lost cause. There's just so much already occupying my thoughts that there isn't room for more information. I'll try again tomorrow," she assured her mother. She didn't want to give up, nor did she want her family - especially Gabriel - to think she was a quitter. "I'm starving, but you don't need to make anything special." Despite her words, Elvian set about getting some ingredients together. "We could just order a takeaway..." she suggested, though each word got quieter as she anticipated the idea would fall on deaf ears.

"What have you been doing today?" she asked. She couldn't help but feel envious of everyone else being out and about as usual, especially knowing most of her family would be doing something for the business. She hated feeling so useless.

Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian, Teddy)

 

[Pyroclast]

Chase Zegarra

Once they were back on the road, Chase was able to stop himself from spiralling by returning his focus to their surroundings. The streets rolled past, a reel of shallow alleyways and dark windows that he could barely see into. He was looking past the people occupying the streets, not expecting to find her among them, but when the crowd thinned out, a woman walking alone caught his attention. It was too dark to make out many details, but he could see that she was limping - the same leg where Jasmine had been stabbed. “She’s not walking right,” he pointed out, leaning forward with narrowed eyes. “That woman, there - Adam, that’s her!”

Without hesitation, Adam swung the car across the road. The weight of the six-cylinder rear engine sent the car fishtailing from one side to the other, threatening to lose control and run over a group of pedestrians waiting to cross at the lights. Admittedly, the Corvair wasn’t the best choice of cars for going out on jobs, being neither easy nor safe to drive, but Chase had got a good deal for it when he had first arrived in the city so he had just resigned to being careful. Even as they narrowly missed colliding with the oncoming traffic, however, his eyes remained fixed on Jasmine. “Okay, it’s definitely her - turn the lights off.” Adam regained control of the vehicle and rolled to a stop. Naturally, she was on high alert - she looked at them like a deer in the headlights, and pointed two pistols in their direction. Chase immediately threw his hands towards the front windshield to show her that they weren’t the enemy, that they weren’t armed. After a second, she lowered her weapons.

Though the pounding of his heart was urging him to run, the last thing he wanted was to draw attention to her. How she had got there he had no idea, but given that she had been prepared to shoot them just a moment ago, he had a strong feeling the enemy was on her trail. She didn’t move from the spot as he walked over to her, each step controlled to appear casual. The streaks of blood on her face started to show up the closer he got, but still he said nothing. His tongue was tied. In a slow and gentle manner, he reached up and delicately cupped her face in his hand, sweeping her disheveled hair from her eyes with his thumb. Feeling a burning sensation begin to prick at his eyes, he slid his arms around her and closed the gap between them, holding her close against him so that she couldn’t see his face. He knew it was unwise to wait around too long, but he was so overwhelmed with relief at having found her that, for a moment, taking her in his arms was the only thing he could think to do.

With a deep breath, Chase finally pulled away from her. “Let’s get out of here, okay?” Taking the pistols from her hands, he kept one arm against her back in case she needed the support and guided her back to the car. He climbed into the backseat with her, quickly using his sleeve to rub the seats and ceiling down where the coffee had splashed. “Excuse me for the mess in here,” he sheepishly mumbled, then instantly felt stupid for apologising for something so trivial. He didn’t feel he needed to tell Adam to drive. After a moment of silence, Chase turned to look Jasmine over, still struggling to believe that she was really there. “Are you hurt?” he asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Where’s the blood coming from?” There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but he didn’t believe she would want to hear any of it before he had given her a full apology. “Jasmine, I - I don’t know what to say,” he stammered, his face burning as tears finally started to form in his eyes. “I-I’m so sorry - I had to hand you over to them so they wouldn’t kill everybody in the club, but then they didn’t let me go back to you and...I didn’t think they would take you away, but I should have thought about it, and...I’m sorry...I never wanted to see you get hurt like this.” Chase had to take a deep breath to rein his emotions in. With her sitting beside him, it was hard not to let them take over, but this wasn't about him or his guilt - it was about making sure Jasmine was okay and getting her away from the streets. “We’re gonna take you to somewhere safe now, wherever you want," he assured her. "You are welcome at my place if you don’t want to go home.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Jasmine, Adam

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Giovanni Biancardi​

Giovanni was aware that Gabriel had tried multiple times to do things smoothly with the Irish and he was also aware that it seemed to be in the Irish's nature to want to fight to the bitter end. Things were definitely complicated. Giovanni let the man speak as he reminded him of what happened to his family, Roxie listened intently, never having heard this side of things before. Of course, she wouldn't have, only getting the Porters side of the story. It was clear that Gabriel wanted them gone and in all honesty, Roxie wanted to leave New York as quickly as possible. Her and Syd never talked about it before but she would be sure to bring it up after this conversation was over and she was home...if she could do it in a way that wouldn't raise questions with him.

Her Uncle was about to speak when Ricky muttered something about Godzilla underneath his breath and started to speak to Gabriel. Roxie listened to her cousin and was impressed by what he had to say. Once again though, Gabriel looked to Giovanni, asking if he had something up his sleeve. Roxie was about to zone out before the mob boss zeroed in on her, making her grasp the cushions of the seat she was in harshly. Why did he want to know what she thought? Sure, she was stuck in the middle of this whole thing but she had no clue what she was doing. Swallowing harshly, Roxie cleared her throat as she thought about what she was going to do when they did leave. With the way things were going with Syd now, she wasn't so sure that they would last the rest of the year...would she really move with him to Ireland when they were outcasted from New York. It wasn't any of Gabriel's business to know what she would do but she couldn't tell him that.

"I'll leave with them." She told Gabriel. "New York isn't home to me anymore and from what I'm starting to understand about the Sullivan's it's not feeling that way to them anymore either." Roxie prayed that what she was saying wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass. "Some of them are already starting to head back to Ireland, as far as I know. And although they haven't agreed to your terms I don't think they will hold on to what they have left for much longer." Giovanni looked at his niece for a moment before nodding his head, the information was new to him but he could certainly use it.

"It seems all they need now is a nudge in the right direction. Maybe they don't want to deal with you directly, as you know, the Irish are a prideful bunch. But that's where we come in. My family is very neutral in this war as it stands right now and all we are looking for is peace." Roxie looked to Giovanni, "I'm sure they would be far more open to dealing with my Uncle. Perhaps he could be a safety net for them, the way I see it, they aren't going to be staying here much longer. My family acts of a middle man and will make a deal to take whatever they are willing to give to him when the Sullivan's do leave." Gio nodded his head. "And then we will give you what you desire in return for some territories that we want in return. It takes care of your rat problem while giving you what you want and a little more. I even lay out my territories in California for you out on the table to take parts of. A lot of the families here don't have west coast territories, as you know having coast to coast power puts you in a pretty good position. "

There was a pause as Giovanni tried to gauge how Gabriel was feeling about this. Roxie looked at Ricky for a moment, her eyes widening for a second, showing him how much she wanted to get the fuck out of there.
with: Ricky & Gabriel Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan and Kerry Patrick​

Kerry kept hold of Aliana's hand for as long as the kind woman would allow her to. She was grateful the three of them were giving her time and not pressurising her to answer. The Detective had been less considerate and in a way made Kerry feel like she was being interrogated, like she was the one in the wrong. After she had explained how the men had taken her out of the club with them, knocking her out and bundling her into the car, Aliana asked more questions. What had happened after she'd been dragged out of the club was where she'd been vague with the cops, going as far to saying she never saw her abductors' faces nor did she have any clues to give about their identities. The truth was, she saw the faces of the two men who tortured her, but she feared those men more than she did the police. In all honestly, she feared them more than she did the Irish Mob. Despite their reputation in the city, Kerry wasn't sure if even the Sullivans could protect her. She was terrified the hideous men would find her and capture her again.

"I don't know where they took me. It was cold and damp... and dark. They beat me and threatened me. For days, they tortured me. Those men are monsters - I could see it plastered all over their faces that they were enjoying it. I was made to feel more worthless than the rats that shared that tiny room with me. You three are the first people to treat me like a human since I was taken," she said, gazing towards Syd and Conor as her eyes filled with tears.

"Hey, we're not going to hurt you, love. You're safe with us," Conor gently reassured her. He took a deep breath and when he was sure she wanted to continue, he picked up on something she'd said. "You said you saw on their faces they were enjoying hurting you. Can you describe them to us? Did you catch either of their names or anything?"

Kerry bit her lip before quickly nodding. She went on to describe Amato, who Conor didn't doubt was the short-arsed prick he'd encountered in the parking lot on the night of the auction. When she described Steve, there were plenty of details though too much time may have passed for Syd to link him back to the evening the man abducted Savannah. "One was called Amato. The other Stevie... Steve?" she recalled. She took a moment to collect her feelings before continuing. It felt like she was having to live through it all again, so she wanted to get it all over with as fast as she could. "They, um... They had these two other men come to look at me. They were planning on selling me off to some sick fuck. Some fucking creep," she said, the disgust clear in her bitter words. Bringing her free hand up to her face, she used her sleeve to wipe away her tears. "They were about to finalise their deal when two other men showed up. Gabriel? Mr. Moretti?" she said, recalling the names the various men involved had addressed him by. "He seemed to be in charge of them all. He told them the deal was off and the other smartly dressed man who arrived with him said I was important. I think because I worked for Mrs. Callahan. They said because I'm employed by the Porters, that I would be useful. They moved me to that shipping container and it seemed like they were going to use me to make some kind of a bargain with." She nervously bit her lip. "It was always as if I wasn't even there or like I really was just an animal for slaughter. I heard them talking outside the door a lot, about things I really don't think I should know. I know how this city works, that I can't even tell the cops all of this, nor the things I overheard them discussing," she said. Her trembling intensified at the thought of how dangerous her abductors were.


Pyroclast (Syd)
Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Perhaps it was because he had just become a father, but Syd couldn’t help but feel protective of Kerry as he listened to her recount her harrowing experience. He didn’t offer her any of the physical comfort he would have given to his own family, figuring the touch of a man was the last thing she wanted, but he was glad that she was responding well to Aliana’s reassuring presence. If he weren’t so familiar with the horrific nature of the enemy himself, her story would have been hard to believe, but there was no doubt in his mind that everything she was telling them was true. Not wanting to write down the information in case it made the whole thing feel too similar to a police interrogation, Syd instead made mental notes of the details she shared and hoped his impaired memory wouldn’t fail him.

Already as she was speaking, Syd could identify gaps in her story. It wasn’t her fault, of course - he imagined her memory was hazy, her head likely wasn’t totally clear, or perhaps she had already started to block some details out altogether - and he was impressed at how much she was able to give them. Even so, everything she said stirred up new questions, and he had to weigh up whether it was worth the risk of overwhelming her by probing her for more information. He thought back to the faces etched in his own memory. Her physical descriptions didn’t match any of those who had tortured him, his mother and Sinead. One of them he supposed fitted the description of Savannah’s kidnappers - a sadist with handsome features who enjoyed tormenting his subjects - but considering the general ethic of the gangs they were up against, that may well have described a number of other members.

“They were going to sell you?” he repeated, failing to hide his disgust as he shook his head. “Christ…” Just as he was wondering who on earth had managed to stop the sale from happening, she mentioned the name Gabriel Moretti. His suspicions instantly rose - not because it meant he was likely behind the attack, but because from as much as he understood about the Italian boss, rescuing Sullivan affiliates from unpleasant fates was not typically on his agenda. What she told them next confirmed his fears that Gabriel was going to use Kerry to bring further harm to the Irish Mob. Just like he had done with Maddox Parker.

“Kerry, listen to me,” he said, as calmly as he could. “When those men were talking outside the shipping container...did you catch anything they said? Could you identify their accents, or the accents of the men in the club?” His own concerns aside, he could tell that it was taking a lot of courage for Kerry to talk to them. The young woman was barely holding it together and as important as it was to use this opportunity to get information out of her, he didn’t want to see her be pushed beyond her limit. Exhaling a small sigh, he allowed his expression to soften. “Like Conor said, you’re under our protection now. Nothing you tell us in here will get out, not unless there’s someone you want us to talk to. We just need you to do your best, okay? And, you know, you’re welcome to ask us any questions, too, if you have any.” Taking a brief pause to give her a chance to collect herself, Syd gave her an encouraging nod before he went on. “Kerry, do you have any idea of what Gabriel Moretti was planning on using you for?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Kerry, Conor
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana

 

[Misty Gray]

Jasmine Carpenter and Adam Harper​

"Woah, steady on!" Adam grumbled inside the car as Jasmine pointed two guns at the vehicle. He kept still to give her chance to register who they were and then allowed a small smirk to creep onto his face when she did realise. Adam stepped out of the car but didn't approach Jasmine, instead allowing Chase to walk over to their friend whilst he kept an eye out for any potential hostiles. Although the woman had blood on her, she didn't seem desperately injured, if at all. The moment he saw Chase touch Jasmine's face, Adam instantly diverted his attention anywhere but on the two of them before things got weird.

Jasmine was relieved it had been her friends who had pulled up in the car. Not feeling out of the woods yet, she kept hold of the two guns as Chase walked towards her. When he got to her he reached up to cup her face in his hand and pushed some loose hair from her face. She hadn't been expecting such a gesture, but no part of her wanted to resist it. Instead, she flashed a weary smile before the man pulled her in close. It didn't happen often, but in that moment she was lost for words. Despite the potential danger of the enemy chasing her down, she chose to embrace him in return and take in his warmth. It was very rare she received any comfort and she thought she never needed it. Yet, whether it was due to the uncertainty of the last few days or the fact it was Chase, she realised how much she really needed him in that moment.

Once the embrace ended, the two of them got into the back of the car whilst Adam climbed back into the driver's seat. All the while, he managed to maintain a straight face and keep quiet so as not to betray Chase's trust by making some kind of teasing remark that would usually come naturally to him. Jasmine watched as Chase made a quick effort to wipe the seats with his sleeve. "I hope you two don't treat your homes like this," she drily remarked, but her expression assured Chase she didn't really care about the mess.

Once Adam had set off driving, Chase proceeded to check up on Jasmine. Or was he fretting? "No, I'm not hurt. It's not my blood." Although the left side of her face was reddened and would likely bruise from having it smacked against the cell bars, it was a pain she could easily try to ignore. "I killed them. Two of them. That's where the blood is from," she reassured him. She briefly glanced to the back of Adam's head as he praised her for killing the two men. Before she could give any kind of response, Chase regained her attention as he started to apologise to her. She slowly nodded her head and gazed towards her lap as he explained why he'd handed her over to the enemy. She looked up to him and quickly shook her head. "No, I get it. You don't have to apologise. You did what had to be done to protect all of those people. Innocent people, like the people in Sinead's club had been. I'm glad you didn't risk their lives to spare me - I don't think I'd like knowing so many people had died instead of me," she admitted. "That Ethan Turner prick was the one who locked me up in the station. He made it pretty clear I wasn't going to get out alive and that he wanted you to suffer for breaking his nose. That's why I couldn't just sit back and wait."

Jasmine was aware of Adam sat in front, which made her reluctant to address the feelings that were playing on her mind. She took hold of Chase's hand and gently squeezed it, sending him a warm smile. "I'll probably need to swing by my place to get a fresh change of clothing first," she said, in response to his offer for her to stay at his place. "But I'd really like some company," she said, her eyes meeting with his and lingering for a short time.

Almost allowing herself to get lost in the moment, something suddenly snapped back into her thoughts. "Wait. Did you find the lawyer yet?" she suddenly asked.

Pyroclast (Chase)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Elvian Moretti

As Elvian moved about in the kitchen, she noticed her daughter standing in the doorway. She looked up and smiled at her before looking back down at what she was doing. While she had things for her pasta cooking, she started on making the dessert and listened as her daughter spoke about her day. Hearing she had a lot on her mind, she couldn't help but think the situation with Teddy was one of them. Well, after tonight you'll have less to stress about... She thought to herself, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. "I'm sorry to hear that, my love. Hopefully, I can help in some sort of way." She then mentioned how she was starving, which was all the more reason for Elvian to keep cooking. If she were to be honest, she loved cooking and it didn't matter if people were hungry or not. 'We could always have it for later,' would often be her excuse for doing so. She waved her hand at her daughter when she mentioned just ordering take out. It was very rare that she ever did such a thing, preferring to know that her food was prepared properly with ingredients that were fresh and not played with. The only times she would order take out is when she simply had no time to make anything, such as when Valentina was in the hospital. Much of her time had been spent there, so there was no opportunity for her to cook.

Elvian was multi-tasking between making fresh pasta to rolling out the dough for dessert. She made it look easy, but that was because of years full of practice. It was all second nature to her. "Oh, my day was very busy as it often is after holidays. Have I ever told you how much I despise Valentine's Day? Despite me being such a romantic, it's a god awful holiday. Last-minute gifts, cliche cards, and hearts and ick." She gave an exaggerated shudder as she popped both dishes into the oven and started cleaning her mess. "But I digress. It's a money-making day for the shop so..." Setting the timer, she finally walked over to her daughter and squeezed her shoulders with her hands. "Are you truly alright darling? You can tell me if you aren't." Though Marcus and Teddy had taken care of Isac, it didn't settle the worry she felt in the pit of her stomach. They could burn the city down because of him for all she cared, but knowing the pain her child had gone through still hurt her. It was her job, as a mother, to keep her children safe and knowing that she hadn't been able to she often felt like a failure.

Theodore Wycliff

Over the next few days, Teddy had kept himself buried in his work. There were just too many things going through his head he didn't want to think about. They had dealt with Isac, which was a good thing, but it yielded none of the actual results he wanted. He had gotten one of the two men who had attacked Val, which was better than zero, but not better than both. The main thing that was bothering him was his behavior. Theodore had prided himself on not getting his hands messy, something he thought was beneath him. His words were enough, he thought, but when he truly needed to get them dirty he would. He could count the number of people he used his fists against on his right hand, seeing as his left was missing two fingers. Usually, he would feel bad about it going into the room. With Isac? He felt nothing but boiling hot anger and the man brought it out in him. The mention of Valentina's name making it even worse.

He often wondered if Gabe or Marcus picked up on how aggressive he had been when her name was said. Perhaps they brushed it off as being a very loyal servant to the Moretti family. He'd prefer that, if he were to be honest, as he couldn't have them assuming he had feelings for her. Granted he did but he didn't want anyone else to know until he was able to talk to the young woman himself. That was another topic he was struggling with, trying to decide how to go about it. Should he tell Gabe first or Val? What if she didn't even feel the same way and he had just told his boss he wanted his daughter for nothing? Eventually, he would tell her but when he felt the time was right.

Elvian's invite to dinner wasn't as unexpected as most people may think. She normally did whenever she wanted to thank him or when she hadn't seen him in such a long time. However, this time around, he couldn't help but feel as if there was a hidden reason to dinner this time around. The only things she had told him was to come over in casual clothes for dinner, but she had never told him how to dress before. But then again, Elvian was always a strange woman so he just went along with it. When he arrived and walked through the door, he called out for her. "El?" He asked, closing the door behind him. Something smelled good as he stood in the foyer, hands in his grey sweatpants as he smiled at the older woman walking around the corner. She gave him a hug and pretended to look at her watch. "A bit late there aren't you?" She asked with her eyebrow raised. He just looked off to the side sheepishly.

"Traffic?" She rolled her eyes at him while leading him to the kitchen where Valentina stood. "Teddy's joining us for dinner, Valentina, since your other family members are too busy for me." Teddy looked at the younger woman, then Elvian, then back at Valentina with a smile on his face. "Valentina, how are you feeling today?" As soon as Elvian started talking, he could tell she was up to something very fishy.




​

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan and Kerry Patrick​

Conor was aware of the seedier aspects of the city, with brothels and prostitution lurking in the darker corners of the city and admittedly bringing profits into his own businesses. Still, it was something that was permitted to happen and as long as there was a belief it was consensual on all parts, Conor accepted it had to continue. However, what Kerry had almost been dragged into was against her will and he dreaded to think how many others had not managed to escape such a fate. It was surprising to hear that Gabriel had got in the way of what the mongrels had been planning for Kerry. Though there were significantly more reasons to be disgusted with Moretti, this was at least one good thing to come from the Italian. Just when it seemed there was some redeeming quality, Kerry made it clear she had merely been saved by Gabriel from one terrible fate to potentially face something else unpleasant.

Kerry looked to Syd as he asked her if she'd caught any of the conversations of the shipping container. She tensed up before quickly nodding her head when also asked about the men's accents. "Um, yeah." Kerry's grandparents had been Northern Irish, with Kerry speaking the same accent as them. But having lived in Boston for the last ten years of her life, she could mostly recognise the difference in the way New Yorkers spoke. "The two men who tortured me, I think they both come from here, in New York. The other man who was at the club, the tall one, he had an English accent. Not like the Queen, more... rough?"

"Like a Cockney piece of shit?" Conor asked, figuring the man she was describing was Tony. Kerry quickly nodded her head, figuring the Sullivan boss already knew the man. He then nodded encouragingly as Syd assured the young woman she was safe. "He's right. You won't see any of those mongrels again. You're safe with us." Conor looked to Aliana, grateful his wife had come along to give the girl some physical comfort.

"I don't know what Mr. Moretti was going to use me for. I'm just glad the police found me when they did," she answered Syd's question. She looked down towards her lap as she thought back to what she knew that she could tell Syd and the others of. "I don't know if any of it will make sense to you," she said, looking up to Syd. "I heard men outside talking about some lawyer who they were looking forward to... to killing," she said, hating to think that someone else was suffering at the hands of those monsters. But when asked, she confirmed she didn't know anything else about the lawyer in question nor his whereabouts. "I also heard them talking about dumping a load of their resources into some new facility... does that make sense?" she asked, briefly chewing her bottom lip. When Conor nodded and urged her to continue, she slowly nodded before rubbing her forehead with her free hand. "They said it was being built on some old rundown train station."

"Did they say where the train station is?" Conor asked. Not only did she provide hope that Mitch wasn't dead yet, but her words about some new facility belonging to the Morettis was particularly interesting. He had a good idea of the station in question, but figured confirmation would be even more helpful.

"No. I'm sorry," she said, quickly shaking her head. "But they did say Mr. Moretti hadn't been there yet. Said they didn't have a lot of time to get it ready for when Mr. Moretti and the heads of the family were coming to inspect the facility." When pressed for a date, Kerry froze as she tried to think. She was becoming more exhausted as time went on. All she wanted to do was get out of the room into the fresh air. She took a deep breath before recalling the answer to Conor's question. "They said this week. On Friday," she confirmed. She then quickly shook her head. "I don't know what else to tell you. I don't want to think about any of those men again. I wish I'd never come to this city," she cried.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

]

Jackson smiled as Blake admitted that she and Natasha had been bored back at home. From the very first day he met Blake, really met her, he knew she wasn't one for materialistic things. All the things he bought her, dresses and jewelry, he mineaswell have gifted her socks. The night he found Blake looking like a 007 girl, he assumed that's just who she was. Once he got to know her, however, he knew it must've been the IWU who had put her in that getup. Now that they had a beautiful estate on the coast with a tennis court, a pool, and even their own golf course, she was still too bored to stay home. That's how he knew he had the perfect partner because he would've felt the same way. Those things, stuff, they didn't matter. This right here. All three of them eating together. This is what mattered. Jackson was pulled from his thoughts as Natasha prodded the crayon in his direction. "Hey! The centers supposed to be my spot!" Jackson pouted before delicately taking the crayon from her and marking the corner.

When she asked if Conor wouldn't need him anymore, Jackson looked up from Natasha's menu with a crooked smile. "Blake, it's Conor. He's always gonna need me," he said with a soft shrug. "And when he needs me, I'll be there for him like I always am. You know he's the same way," He chuckled, placing the crayon back in Natasha's hand. "But you guys will forever be first in line. When he moves back to Ireland, we'll be at each other's beckoning call. Until then, you guys are stuck wit' me," he gave her a confident nod, as he meant every word. Jackson's relationship with Conor wasn't complicated in the slightest. Conor was like the brother he never had. With that, he knew he could go anywhere in the world with Blake and Natasha, and Conor would never question it. The two of them shared many qualities, and one of the most prominent was putting family before work, always.

As the waitress arrived, Jackson's eyes didn't bother to look at the menu. Whenever he had time before a job and needed a place to fill up, Carney's was always his go-to. The simplicity of the food was what he'd grown up on, and in a city that was plagued with complexity, the food was a calm reminder of home. "You know what you want, buttercup?" he asked, Natasha. Of course she did. Why did he even bother?

When it was his turn he ordered his usual, a BLTA with a Pepsi. Could it get any simpler? Blake's order was rather peculiar and enough to cock Jackson's eyebrow. "Soup? You come to Carney's and order soup?" Blake felt the need to defend herself and was quick to blame it on the cold weather. "Ah, the weather's got you all bugged up. Want me to go outside a punch a few snowflakes for ya'?" He asked, pointing his thumb back towards the door.

The family began discussing what'd they want to do when they got home, and while Jackson had put the thought off, he felt the antsiness swell back to him. "You know where we should go?" Jackson sat up in his seat, looking to the two with wide eyes. "Australia," he said proudly, jabbing his finger towards the table. "I know that might sound a bit random, but I've been talking to this bloke who lives out by Sydney. They rent out this beautiful cottage right on the water every year, and right now it's summer for them." The idea was a bit out there, and after being gone for so long, he wouldn't blame them for wanting to stay within Ireland. "I know it's a bit far, but we could get some color on the beach; sweat New York right out."

Bellz (Blake/Natasha)

 

[RayPurchase]

Mitchell Van Gerwen


​

So his host was a butcher in every sense of the word. Mitch could feel his glee as he recounted the most recent deaths at his hand. People who didn't even deserve it, children dying for the sins of their fathers, everything Mitch had stood against these years, fighting for those without a voice. Or at least that's how it had all started, working out of that pokey office, had the money changed everything? Had he lost that virtuism he always told himself was there, maybe, but it was too late to lament on past mistakes now. At least the pigs head was gone, as unsettling as it was clearly 'The Butcher' hadn't been too happy with Mitch's response to it, the smell still lingered of warm and congealing blood and flesh on the turn, he wondered how long it would take him to get used to it. He would rather not die gagging on that god awful smell, he'd rather not die at all, but that ship had appeared to have set sail.

Mitch shook his head. "Is that supposed to impress me? Scare me even more? If you want to send a message by killing my parents you can fire away, you'll have to remind them who I am mind you,"

The response wasn't one that he expected. Mitch saw the light gleam against the knife in Ethan's hands, saw it flash before him, and his legs erupted into pain, 2 white hot lines drawn across them just below his knees. He let out a roar of pain, a few days of them going easy on him, now it was beginning again. He struggled involuntarily against the bonds of the chair, but they held tight, his muscles straining. It was what Ethan started saying next however which caused him to stop and to go deathly quiet, the colour draining from his face. He didn't know whether Ethan was bluffing or not, but the literal bloody on the man's hands made him think he wasn't.

"You fucking bastard! If you lay a finger on her I'll tear your throat out you here!?" Spit flew from his lips towards Ethan as Mitch strained against the chair, the muscles in his neck bulging as his face flushed a crimson red. Despite the small rational part of him knowing that he wasn't exactly in a position to back up any threats, that was pushed aside as he struggled, the pain in his legs filtering away. Not Rachel, not her. Or Rex, his goddamn dog being threatened. They were both innocent in this, just like those two kids he supposed. "Conor will tear anyone you send after her to shreds, fucking shreds you hear me. Why don't you go yourself, get a bullet for your trouble eh?"

(Interaction: Misty Gray Ethan)

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti and Riccardo Biancardi​

Gabriel sat back as Roxie spoke, keeping his face as neutral as he could despite her place in all of this - her relationship with Syd. Still, he couldn't help but let the curiosity reflect in his eyes when she said she would leave with the Sullivans and go to Dublin. She said New York wasn't home for her and she suspected that was the case for the Irish Mob. Hearing that brought some satisfaction to Gabriel. If she was indeed telling the truth, then hearing the enemy was finally being beaten down was a good sign and further cemented his belief he was close to winning the war. Despite liking what he was being told, Roxie's affiliation with Syd Porter meant he reserved judgement and couldn't take what she was saying as gospel. Although it would be crudely obvious, there was always some chance the Biancardis were trying to deceive him. "The sooner they all vacate the city, the better."

With mention of giving them a nudge in the right direction, Gabriel flashed a crooked smile before nodding his head. "Oh, of course. I have plenty more nudges up my sleeve to help encourage them." When Roxie put Giovanni forward as a middleman or mediator, Gabriel sat back and thought over the idea. "If you can get them to agree to my offer and leave this city, then I will be open to discuss sharing territories with yourselves," Gabriel told Giovanni. Whilst he would prefer to have everything, he was open to negotiations with the right people. Where there was no way in Hell he would operate in the same city as the Irish, he was willing to work with the Biancardis. He had some some contacts in California but the offer of sharing territories on the West coast was certainly appealing to Gabriel and further sold Giovanni's ideas to him.

"I like what you are offering and I believe the terms would be quite beneficial to both of us. The issue is getting the Irish to compromise. They are too proud for their own good and have trouble stepping away from a battle they can't even win. If you can get them to agree to my terms, then I will keep my end of the bargain. I will pay them reasonably for their assets and allow them enough time to vacate New York." Gabriel wasn't overly confident anyone could change Conor's mind, but he would allow them another opportunity to accept what he believed was a very generous offer, considering what they had done to his family. In the meantime, he intended to continue reminding them of the consequences of their pride. The lost lives in the jazz club was only a small part of what he was willing to do to. One way or another, he intended to eradicate their presence in New York.

Ricky caught the look Roxie sent him and he wondered if the two older men would spare her by ending the meeting soon. Still, he keep looking to his cousin. "What are the chances of Conor accepting a meeting with my old man and me? Would you be comfortable helping make that happen?" he asked her. Of course, he expected she wouldn't want to be present if it meant Syd finding out she'd been in a meeting with Gabriel.

Bellz (Giovanni, Roxie)

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy ​

Blake was intrigued to hear where Jackson wanted to go during his time off and when he mentioned Australia, Blake's eyes went wide. He told her how he knew this man who rented out a cottage right on the water every year and that it was summer for them right now. "They have those grey teddy bears!" Natasha said gleefully and Blake smiled at the girl. "Yes love, those are Koalas." She said to her daughter who then gave her a weird look. "Cool-allas?" She tried to pronounce and Blake giggled. "Those are the ones!" She murmured, not bothering trying to correct her because it was a hard word to say.

"Don't they also have huge spiders?" Blake asked Jackson, physically shivering just imagining the size of the spiders they could have there. "Regardless of that, I hear Australia is a beautiful place and the people are quite lovely. Descendants of criminals...we'd fit right in!" Blake teased her husband. While she would entertain the thought of going to Australia for now, she wasn't sure how practical it would be for her to fly on a plane in a few months. Since they were leaving in a few weeks, the idea of getting on a plane to go back to Ireland was already making her woozy.

"I think going to the land down under would be a great place to go for a family vacation, love." She told Jackson as her eyes looked out to the window watching the small snowflakes fall by the millions. "I would give anything to get out of this bitter cold right now, and the Australian sun seems like it will warm us right up."

After being in New York, Blake was certainly warming up to the idea of sweating off the film it left behind on her. It was dirty, busy, and smelly in some parts of the city. Nothing like the fresh air she was used to in Ireland. "As long as Sydney doesn't feel like this place, I'm all for it." She said before looking back to Jackson. She noted that she sounded a bit unhappy so she squeezed his hand gently and smiled widely. "It's not that I don't like it here...but this city is just...on a whole other wavelength that I don't think I can be on. Certainly not a place for our little girl here, I'm afraid I'll lose her no matter where I walk to."

The waitress came by with waters and Blake moved to take a hearty sip of hers, feeling unusually parched and still a bit ill. "So babe, what would you like to do in Australia? Travel to the Outback? Learn how to surf? I would certainly like to see you try to stand up on a board!" She said, a teasing look in her eyes.
with: Jackson Enzyme

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Giovanni Biancardi ​

Gabriel said he had plenty more nudges up his sleeve to help encourage the Sullivans and Roxie did not like the sound of that. He agreed to be open with her family if they could get the Irish to agree to his offer. Having spent some time with Syd's family, she has come to know just how stubborn they could be. She hadn't spoken with Conor directly since Thanksgiving, but just basing her evaluation of him off of Lucy, she knew that he must be as stubborn as she as they were brother and sister. Her Uncle offered up some territories of his in California which she had no idea that he had. Roxie had been to California quite a few times with her family for vacations. She was starting to wonder if it was for more than that now.

Giovanni was nodding his head quietly but smiled widely when Gabriel agreed to what he had to offer. "Well I can assure you, we can get the Irish to agree. It might take a bit of persistence, as you already know, but I'm sure we will have them right where we want them in the end. I have no doubts about it." Roxie looked to her Uncle, breaking her cousin's stare a moment, wanting to pull a disgusted look at him. What was she even a part of right now? Right in front of her was a man who was willing to wipe out her boyfriend's entire family, him included and now her family was schmoozing up to him. Roxie felt sick.

Looking back to Ricky, he then asked what the chances were of getting Conor to accept a meeting with him and her Uncle, asking her if she would be comfortable making that happen. How the hell was she supposed to make that happen without Syd not knowing what she was up to. "That's a lot to ask of me, Ricky." She started before she caught a look from her Uncle. Who was making it clear that it was better to say she could make it happen in Gabriel's presence and then have doubts later. "He might not be reasonable with you, Gabriel but I'm sure he would be open to talking to my Uncle since they haven't really done anything to anger him." In all honesty, she had no idea what Conor Sullivan would say to her, and more importantly, if what she had to say and ask of him would be kept from Syd.

"Lucky for us, Roxie is willing to be a bit of a mediator of our own. The Sullivans trust her and I'm sure they will be very open to hear her out." Giovanni put his arm around Roxie and smiled at her proudly. Again, Roxie wanted to be sick. She definitely didn't agree to be the middle man between her family and the Sullivans and if they weren't in the presence of a soon to be ally Roxie would have turned on her Uncle and cousin almost immediately. Instead, she took a deep breath and smiled lightly. Her Uncle then stood and Roxie immediately did the same. "Well, Gabriel, it was a pleasure seeing you again and I am so glad we could work something out. I will hopefully be discussing things with Conor Sullivan soon and I will be sure to give you a call once we get the answer we want. Thank you for hearing us out."
with: Ricky & Gabriel Misty Gray
[end scene]

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Sullivan

Hearing Kerry recount what was done to her made Ali sick to her stomach. Not just metaphorically, but physically as well. She had already been nauseous all day but now she felt she could really puke this time. She quickly took a sip of her ginger ale to calm it, trying not to show any signs she was feeling sick. At the moment, she didn't want to leave Kerry alone. It seemed like her presence was keeping her calm, reassuring her she was safe; she needed her more than Ali needed to puke. Conor had caught her distress before she did, his voice calm as he reminded her that they were on her side. She looked at the girl and saw the tears welling up again, laying her hand gently on the girl's arm softly going over it with her thumb. Ali listened intently as she started going through the list of men's names she could hear. Granted, she didn't know who any of them were, no matter how familiar the names sounded. They had come up in conversations she had overheard, but as far as anything else she had nothing.

The most shocking thing about Kerry's rundown had to be the part where they were going to sell her. Ali's face turned into one of bewilderment as she subtly tilted her head to the side. Her eyebrows were furrowed, having a hard time believing there were truly monsters out there like this. Granted, she had always known that there were. Girls and guys alike were always being kidnapped and sold underground against their will, but it was different coming out of Kerry's mouth. The fact that it was almost a fate she had to succumb to was enough to choke her up. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to talk anytime soon, fear of her voice breaking entering her mind. She watched as she wiped tears with her sleeve, continuing on with her story. She had been saved from being sold, by the Moretti boss himself which didn't come as big of a shock as she thought it would. From what she heard, he had two daughters of his own right? Surely he had felt some sort of compassion for the girl and realized how wrong that would be. But, she couldn't assume that was the reason he saved her. She confirmed it as she was still going to be used as some sort of bargaining chip for future business. Ali should've known better than to think her family's enemy would show any ounce of compassion; they had hurt innocent people for crying out loud.

Syd's disgust matched her own as well as his shock when he repeated her statement as a question. She looked off to the side again, containing herself before turning to Kerry. She explained their accents, Conor immediately picking up on some of them and identifying the men who had done this. The men who had been present throughout the whole ordeal. Her eyes connected with her husband before she closed them in thought. The whole thing was stressful, but she was going to be strong because there were people who needed her right then; mostly this young innocent woman next to her. Her mind began to wander to a place it shouldn't have, her hand subconsciously touching her stomach. For a split second, she was thinking about her growing, unborn child and decided she didn't want a girl, for fear of something like this happening. It wasn't until she heard the word 'lawyer' that she opened her eyes and looked to Kerry. "A lawyer?" She repeated, looking between Syd and Conor. Her voice had cracked just as she thought it would, but she played it off by drinking her ginger ale as if she had a dry throat. Ali had been aware Mitch had been taken, but she assumed they killed him already. Hearing that he was still alive worried that now they may be too late getting to him.

The more she was pressed for more information, she could see she was about to start spiraling. It was clear the girl had no more to offer them so she raised her hand at her husband and nephew. "...I think she's done and told us everything. We shouldn't press her any further." She turned to her and offered a sad, but warm smile before pushing her hair back. "She needs to rest." Once she started crying, Ali instinctively pulled her in close and hugged her, letting her use her shoulder if she needed it. If she were, to be honest, she didn't even want to let her go. Despite having only met a few times and knowing very little, there was something about Kerry that caused her to start being protective. There were a number of things, her hormones, motherly instinct or the situation, but whatever the reason she couldn't help it. "It's okay, I- we're going to take care of you now. You did well."

​

 

[Pyroclast]

Chase Zegarra

Jasmine quickly made it clear to him that she understood why he had done what he had done and that she held no feelings of resentment towards him. Realising that he had let himself get emotional, Chase hoped that she didn’t take his deep concern for her safety as patronising. Every time they were together he learned a little more of just how strong she was. When he thought about it, it wasn’t hard to believe that she had managed to get herself out of the situation on her own, nor that she had killed two people in order to do it. That was simply yet another testament of her fortitude and skill. What did catch him off guard, however, was hearing that it had partly been a threat on him that had provoked her to escape. Though he didn’t doubt she would have done the same for any of her colleagues, it didn’t sound like a purely professional decision. Chase looked away as his guilty expression transformed into something of a smile.

Of course he remembered Ethan Turner, and after what they had done to him it didn’t surprise him that the man had held a grudge. “There’s a lot more of him that we could break if he wants another go,” he lightly joked. “But if he can’t take a hit from me, there’s no way he could take you on. I’m just happy that you got out of there before he had a chance to try.”

Suddenly Chase felt a hand slide into his and his gaze dropped to the space between them where they connected. It seemed Adam was right after all - Jasmine did have feelings for him. Her touch was gentle, her fingers delicate, but she was anything but pristine. Having spent his whole life working laborious, hands-on jobs, Chase appreciated Jasmine for not being afraid to get her hands dirty. However, he knew he would have to become more comfortable with her being in dangerous situations if he were to take things further with her. It took courage to fall in love with somebody who was qualified for war, but it wouldn’t be fair to force her to give it up just for his own peace of mind. Besides, they were a team.

Chase’s tender smile mirrored her own, his heart set fluttering when she asked him to keep her company. “I’ll stay with you as long as you want,” he declared. The enchanting gaze she held on him sucked the strength out of his voice and for a second he was lost, in blissful ignorance of their surroundings. It all came flooding back to him, however, when Jasmine eventually broke the spell. “Van Gerwen?” he asked, though he knew exactly who she meant. “No, we’ve had no sign of him at all. We’ve checked out all the places we could think of, we’ve been exploring enemy territory for days and we’ve gotten nowhere. We will find him, but...I don’t know, Jasmine. It doesn't look good.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Jasmine, Adam
RayPurchase Mitch (mentioned)