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

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

When Jackson slid the kiwi daiquiri towards him, Conor looked at his friend as if he'd just said something highly offensive about his dear mother. After maintaining a dumbfounded stare for a brief time, Conor gave in and took a sip of the drink. "Ah, fuck that, mate. This is the kind of shit Tink's always drinking. Take it back," he complained. As he slid the glass back towards Jackson, Conor couldn't hide the grin from his face. He was sure it was a lovely drink, but it wasn't to his own taste. Conor proceeded to order a pint of beer to wash down the fancy drink Jackson had talked him into trying.

It wasn't long before it was time to get the party started. Conor finished up his drink before approaching the stage with Jackson and Peter. Conor hopped up onto the stage as his friend took to the microphone to address everyone in the club. In a delayed reaction, the drummer beat down on the head of the drum a few times. Conor marched towards the man and snatched the drumsticks out of his hand before using one of them to point into the corner where to drummer proceeded to scurry over to. Conor turned back to the confused-looking crowd, stopping alongside Jackson as he addressed them down the microphone.

When Jackson finished his speech, Conor proudly patted the man on the back, but seeing the security approaching the stage, Conor stepped aside to allow Jackson to whack the bloke with the microphone stand. "GET YOUR COWARDLY ARSE OVER HERE, CORLEONE!" Conor shouted, his voice echoing throughout the large room.

As the patrons began throwing things on stage, Conor couldn't help but laugh at the situation. He allowed his grin to drop when one of the security guards climbed up onto the side of the stage and charged towards him. Still clutching the wooden drumsticks in one hand, Conor swung his arm out to the side, the tips of the sticks managing to practically dent the side of the man's skull. Conor tossed the sticks aside before a second security guard grabbed his arms from behind. The man who had personally met the drumsticks regained his composure and lunged at Conor, reaching up and punching the Irishman in the mouth while he was restrained. Conor was quick to retaliate, slamming the base of his shoe hard against the man's crotch, causing him to double over and stumble backwards towards the drum-kit. Conor struggled a little before breaking away from the second man's grip and turning to headbutt him, smacking his head down hard against the bridge of the man's nose before lunging at him to push him backwards off the front of the stage.

Conor turned his attention back to the other security guard. He grabbed him by the shoulder with one hand and slammed a heavy fist into the man's gut. Gripping the enemy by the throat, his lifted his arm until the man was forced onto his tiptoes, but then threw him down on top of the drum-kit. The musical instrument collapsed and dispersed on the floor around the down Corleone employee. Conor crouched down as the man scrambled to sit up, his clumsy hand ripping throw the centre of the drum. Grabbing one of the cymbals from the floor, Conor hit the man across the side of the face with the metal disc. "Stay the fuck down!" he growled at him. Conor kept old of the cymbal in one hand and wiped the small amount of blood from his bust lip with the back of his other hand. He turned around to assess the situation around him and see who was next to deal with. "Pete. Are you gonna get that?!" he shouted out, seeing a burly bald security guard rushing towards his brother-in-law.

Bellz (Peter)
Enzyme (Jackson)

 

[Pyroclast]

Spoiler: Trigger Warning

Brief sexual harassment

Steve Kelly

The room was learning fast: all they had had to do was slaughter the band and their power and lack of mercy was known to everyone in the establishment. Their second lesson came when two chancers tried their luck at escaping and were consequently blown apart by Amato’s submachine gun; after that, Steve was confident that no one else would try to escape. A smug grin smeared across his face as he watched the hostages trip over each other trying to block the doors at Amato’s command before he might open fire again. Their unpredictability had everyone in a panic, knowing that at any moment they could meet their end. Steve held his gun on them while Amato exerted control, and when the man withdrew a bag and started to load it with bottles from behind the bar he took the opportunity to move things forward.

“Guards, bouncers, doormen,” he called out, like they were on a register. “Think I don’t know who you are? Get your hands where I can see ‘em, all of you. I want you all on the floor, right there in the center.” The Porter employees hesitated to move. “CLEAR A SPACE OR I’LL CLEAR ONE MYSELF!” he roared at the audience, letting off a round into the ceiling to jump-start them into action. There were cries and whimpers coming from all directions now, but he didn’t mind. Nothing could distract him from what he was doing - in fact, their suffering only reminded him of the power he held. “Yeah, on your knees. Motherfuckin’ tramps.”

“Alright, I need a volunteer,” he demanded, once all the guards were rounded up in the center of the room. He already knew who he wanted, but he scanned the room slowly anyway, making eye contact with as many of their hostages as he could. When he had had enough, he fixed his eyes on his target and held them on her for several seconds. “Yes, you.” The girl was sheltering by the bar, being cradled by an older man. From where he stood, it looked like she had a black apron tied around her waist, suggesting she worked as a waitress. As for the man, he had no idea - but he was dying to tear her from his arms. He angled his gun at Scott, cocking his head in warning. “Don’t be a hero, man. You know I’ll kill both of you if you get in the way.”

Once Kerry realised she had no choice but to do as he said, Steve beckoned her over, still keeping his gun locked on Scott. “I ain’t gonna hurt you, doll. That’s it, that’s right. Come on over here and stand with me. Good girl. You got a name?” He smiled at her, and when she reached his side, he looked to the audience and said, “Ain’t she pretty?” It wasn’t often that Steve had total control of a room. Ever since he, Tony and Amato had made their presence known in the jazz club, everyone had been under their command. He couldn’t help but make it theatrical. “Alright sweetheart, I want you to take this sack right here -” he handed her a black pillow case. “- and I want you to go to those guards and fuckin’ rob their asses. Easy, got it? Wallets in the bag, then you bring the bag to me.” After handing the pillow case to her, he slapped her firmly on the backside to hurry her along.

As fun as it was to watch the guards take orders from a quivering young woman, it only took seconds for Steve to grow bored. Conscious of time, he was eager to get to the drama that he had in store and started to bounce on his heels with anticipation. “GIVE HER YOUR FUCKIN’ WALLETS!” he bellowed, his venomous spittle spraying through the hazy stage lights. It pleased him to see the audience jump, but he switched back to a gentle tone when the girl returned with the bag. “Good girl,” he smiled, taking it from her and dropping it between his feet. Then he grabbed her firmly on the elbow and yanked her towards him until he could wrap his arm tightly around her, trapping her arms against her sides. “No, no, you stay here. I’m not done with you.” He set his HK MP5 on the group of guards. “Yeah, you know what I’m gonna do next, don’t you, Kerry?” he murmured in her ear. “And you know what I’m gonna ask you to do for me, don’t you, Kerry?” The build up was all part of the game, but the suspense was maddening. Steve loved fast destruction - like the explosion down at the factory only minutes ago - but when he had time for a bit of foreplay, the climax was always more satisfying.

“Go on, then. You tell me which one dies first.” He squeezed her a little tighter. “Refuse, and I’ll start killing off random civilians. Starting with your cuddle buddy over there. So on the count of 5, here we go - 5...4...”

Interactions
Misty Gray Kerry, Scott
Enzyme Amato
RayPurchase Tony​

 

[Misty Gray]

Kerry Patrick & Scott Masters​

After a couple of shifts in such a fun and friendly atmosphere, Kerry could never have imagined her third night working at the jazz club would have turned out as terrifying as the nightmare she now found herself in. She was trying her hardest to remain silent as one of the gunmen had commanded, but the stressful situation had triggered an anxiety like she'd never experienced before. With Scott holding her close and doing everything he could to get her to calm down, she closed her eyes tightly in hopes she could somehow block everything out until it just went away. Despite making sure she couldn't see any more bloodshed and horrors around her, she could still hear what was going on and that was enough to create a pretty accurate image of what was happening. The security employees were all being commanded to get down on the floor in the centre of the area in front of the stage. Kerry could only imagine the worst fate for the poor men she'd only known for hours or even minutes since she started her new job.

Hearing the masked man call from the stage for a volunteer, Kerry found herself feeling sorry for whoever would have to step forward. With her eyes closed and unable to see the gunmen, it built a brief false sense of security that they couldn't see her either. Somehow, as the uncomfortable silence filled the room, Kerry was sure she could feel the predatory eyes fall and rest upon her. This was backed up when she felt Scott's muscles practically tense up and he shifted uncomfortably. She reluctantly opened her eyes and turned to see Steve indeed was looking directly at her. She let out a gasp, almost choking on her own breath as a giant lump formed in her throat.

Scott had been about to speak up and volunteer in Kerry's place, but it was clear the matter wasn't up for debate. That was made even clearer when Steve aimed his gun at him and told him not to be a hero. Scott loosened his hold on Kerry before reluctantly removing his arms from around her at all. "You just have to do what they tell you," he quietly told her. He wasn't optimistic for anyone caught up in the situation, but he figured cooperating was the only way she could improve her chances

Kerry's natural response was to make a plea to the masked gunman, but the gun he was now aiming at Scott made it clear doing so would endanger his life as well as her own. She climbed to her feet, grabbing on to the edge of the bar to steady herself, before she nervously walked towards the man who was beckoning her over. She kept her head down but her glossy eyeballs remained fixed on him. She folded her arms tightly around her waist once she stopped alongside Steve. "Kerry," she quietly answered his request for her name. Her earlier panicked breathing had slowed dramatically since her manager's reassurances, but it was now replaced with an overwhelming numbness, the fear making her practically freeze on the spot. In her stunned frame of mind, she unintentionally seemed to block out some of the words Steve had been saying to her, only snapped back to reality as she saw him holding the pillowcase out to her. She took it from him before listening to him instruct her to take the guards' wallets. She quickly nodded her head. As crude as it was, she was sure they'd rather hands over their belongings than be killed.

The disgusting slap on her backside forced her to move quickly as she descended the stage and approached the three men. She held out the pillowcase towards them, ensuring it was held open wide enough for them to drop their wallets in without missing the target or being too slow. She couldn't help but adopt an apologetic expression, even though everyone knew it wasn't her fault. There was an awkward silence and time seemed to slow as Kerry anxiously waited for all of the guards to comply. Steve had clearly lost patience and his shouting caused Kerry to visibly flinch as he caught her by surprise. The men were then quicker to hand over their wallets. Without hesitation, Kerry rushed back to Steve's side once she'd collected everything.

She was about to step away and edge back in the direction of where she'd left Scott, but Steve grabbed her and pulled her in. His arm wrapped tightly around her, trapping her arms so she couldn't struggle away even if she tried. From the corners of her eyes, she saw the gun as her captor aimed it towards the guards who had just handed over their wallets. "No. Don't..." she quietly pleaded with Steve, even before he spoke again. As he started whispering in her ear saying he was going to ask something more of her, she couldn't hold back the tears that streamed down her cheeks. Then it was spelled out to her, with him telling her to choose which of the men would die first. "No!" she cried, quickly shaking her head and struggling in his grasp before he painfully tightened his hold. When she was told Scott and the innocent civilians would be killed if she refused, she couldn't help the heartbroken sob that escaped her. She knew the guards were employed by the mob and by that logic were less innocent than the others in the club, but it didn't make it easier. Though at first glance intimidating, the security men had been nothing but friendly to her since she started her new job. She didn't know much about them yet; if any were married and if any had children. Yet, now she was being forced to decide the brutal fate of one of them. As cruel as it was, all she could do was choose a man at random. "The first... first on the left," she dejectedly told Steve. She looked down to the floor, unable to look any of the men in the eyes, let along watch one of them die. "You don't have to do this." she whispered above her tears.

Pyroclast (Steve)
Mentions: Enzyme (Amato) RayPurchase (Tony)

 

[Enzyme]

Amato Castello​

With a twisted, malicious chuckle, Amato skipped down the shelving, plucking expensive Irish liquor and stuffing them in the bag. As he reached the end of the shelves, a peculiar stare twinked in his eyes as his gaze locked on a side door. He didn't remember seeing a second door while they crept up in the alley, so it must've been a room. Amidst the commotion Steve had caused, Amato hopped down from the shelf and moved to inspect the wooden door. He curiously tried the round doorknob, but it twisted to no avail. Someone in that club must've had the key, but before he even cranked his neck, he scrunched his face. Fuck it. Grabbing both the side of the bar and a nearby cabinet, Amato launched his foot into the wood, just beside the knob. His foot stopped dead in its track, unable to budge the door. With another quick boot, similar results were shown, with the added sound of cracking wood.

Amato stepped back from the door, his frustration prevalent through his flaring nostrils. In three rapid steps, he launched his shoulder into the door, to which he subsequently bounced off like a spring. His feet quickly scrambled to the ground to catch himself before he tumbled over. "Come on, you mudda' fucka'," Amato grumbled, patting his shoulder as if he were prepping a steel ram. As he threw himself into the door again, the wooden frame slammed open, sending splinters of wood throughout the room. Light quickly beamed into the office, illuminating the empty space through shrouds of darkness. "Lookie here..." Amato chuckled to himself, lowering his submachine gun slowly at the sight of its vacancy.

He quickly got to work trashing the office; ripping out cupboards, tossing pictures, and posters. He wasn't just tearing apart the office for destruction's sake, however. He was looking for something, anything. So far, this had been the only locked office in a Mafia-owned club, if they were hiding anything, it'd be in this office. After pulling apart the bookcase, he found exactly what he was looking for. Behind a stack of spreadsheets and a copy of Fahrenheit 451, laid a locked safe, embedded in the wall. His gloved finger scanned the thick metal, tracing over a four-number combination. He pondered to himself silently, until he could overhear the sounds of Steve counting down.

Amato quickly stepped outside of the broken-in door, waving his submachine gun in the air, just as Kelly pointed out who to execute first. "Hold it! Hold it!" Amato shouted to Steve, letting the M12 fall in his grip just below his hip. "They gotta' safe in here!" Amato spit, looking to the guards huddled on the stage. "One of those assholes has the combination," Amato jumped to the conclusion, unaware that the man most-likely with the combination was huddling by the bar, right beside him.

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

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Teddy

As Teddy handed Valentina her cup of water, he listened to her speak intently. It was hard for him to accept the words that were coming out of her mouth, but it wasn't his place to ask her if she were sure. The way she was reacting to even confiding in him showed him that she was very sure of this accusation. If this was a true statement then he had an issue on his hands. Gabe himself had an issue on his hands. There was a traitor in their midst and he didn't know what their end goal was. Not only was Gabe probably going to be upset with the fact one of his own men attacked his daughter, but for once it wasn't the Porter's doing something dirty. They had done a lot of things from killing Gabe's entire extended family to torturing and taking two of Teddy's fingers, but they hadn't been the ones to attack Valentina. As much as he wanted to tell her they should keep the information to themselves, he knew it wasn't the right thing to do. A wat was imminent, that much was sure, but this was going to be a nasty one if he didn't tell Gabe. With a deep sigh, he shook his head. "Hate to ask this but... I need to know his name if you remember it and other details that'll help me get to him." He was dead serious when he told her he was going to help get the people who did this to her. Even if he didn't have feelings for her, he would still do so because they were family after all.

It was tough watching the tears fall from her eyes, but he still wiped them away from her. It was understandable that she didn't want things happening because of her. If the wrong people were killed in his name, he wasn't sure he would be able to live with himself either. Her feelings were valid and he was going to make sure she knew that. "I get it, okay? I'm sure if you tell your mother and father that then they will listen and if they don't, use your voice and make them." He knew how hard it was sometimes to talk to both him, but he was going to be supportive. "What do you want then, Tin?"

She wasn't blaming him for what happened to her, explaining to him that it wasn't something predictable. He knew this, but he couldn't help but feel he could've done more. "Okay. I won't dwell on it any longer if you say so." He smiled at her and took his hand back once more, sticking it in his pocket.

He was hesitant to open the door and let the cops back in, trusting she knew what it was she was doing. Even Elvian had a look of bewilderment on her face when she heard Teddy telling her it was okay to come in. Elvian reached her daughter's side before the cops, sending her a look asking if she were sure about doing this without her father. The older woman had the upmost trust in her children to do the right things and believed in their decisions but they also scared her. What if Gabe didn't agree? What if he determined that it was something stupid and they had to be punished; what would the punishment be? These were thoughts that ran through her mind but she kept them to herself. "You have five minutes with my daughter and not a minute more."

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Spoiler: Violence, Fear

Post contains descriptions of nasty violence, psychological trauma and fear.

Post contains descriptions of violence, psychological trauma and fear.

Valentina Moretti​

Valentina had been about to give Teddy the details he'd asked for about her attacker, but she stopped herself. As much as she appreciated Teddy's help and concern, she knew her father wouldn't like her going over his head and telling Teddy before she told him. "Thank you, but... Papa wouldn't like it if I told you before telling him. I don't want him to be annoyed with either of us." She didn't want to put Teddy in any danger, with Gabriel or those he might run into if he went for her attackers himself. The fact was, the ordeal had opened her eyes up to the fact she didn't need to be controlled like a child and she should have fought harder against it from the start. She had no choice in what happened to her a few nights ago, but she was damned if she would surrender control, in whatever aspect of her life. Regardless of his motives of wanting to care for and protect her, Valentina felt it was long overdue for Gabriel to stop being so strict over his kids - who weren't actually children anymore.

She was grateful that Teddy didn't argue when she asked him to let the cops in. The sooner she talked to them, the sooner they would be gone and taking the extra burden of their presence with them. When Elvian entered the room, Valentina fixed her eyes on her mother, watching her move straight to her bedside. "It's okay," she quietly told her mother, hoping she would trust her to deal with the police.

The two officers stopped at the foot of the hospital bed. "I'm Officer Hargreaves and this is Officer Green," the middle-aged man introduced them whilst his 30-something year old partner held onto his jotter and sent a brief, friendly smiled to Valentina. "I'm sure this won't take long," Officer Hargreaves said, sending Elvian a stare as his words were in response to her demanding they only had five minutes. He was quite aware of who the Morettis were from their notoriety in Miami, so the wealthy businessman persona of Gabriel Moretti in New York didn't fool the ageing law enforcer. However, such matters were far beyond his jurisdiction and he had to remind himself the man's daughter was a victim of an attack, so any urge for scrutiny would need to be stifled. "Miss Moretti, can you tell us what happened three nights ago?" he invited her to speak.

"I'll try, though a lot of it is just..." she began, bringing her hand to her bandaged head to strengthen her point that her memories were hazy. In reality, there was little she was unsure of and she would have to fill her parents in on the details after. The cop encouraged her to tell them what she did remember. After glancing between Elvian and Teddy, Valentina set about telling the cops a watered down account. "I finished up in the university library at six and got changed in the bathroom before going outside to walk across to my friend's dorm. I only remember walking for a couple of minutes before feeling something hit the back of my head. I recall it felt heavy but I blacked out before I could process it." Her dry throat prompted her to take a sip from the cup she was still clinging onto.

"What time would you say that was? Was there anyone else around?"

"I don't remember. It didn't take me long to get changed... 6.30? It was quite dark but I don't think I saw anyone else." Once prompted, she went on to speak of what she remembered happened next. "When I woke up, I felt the intense throbbing at the back of my head. I was in the back of a van and I could hear two muffled voices talking outside before the back doors were swung open." Valentina remembered the men had assumed she was still out cold, which was when she caught sight of one of their faces before he pulled the ski mask back on over his head. It wasn't until they dragged her out of the van that she fully opened her eyes and screamed, to which the presumed leader - the man whose face she hadn't seen - hit her across the face to silence her. "There were two men - both dressed in black and wearing masks. They dragged me out of the van and I remember it seemed secluded; quiet. Trees and some old junkyard. I think they must have realised I didn't have any valuables so one of them took it out on me."

"Do you believe this was an attempted robbery? Did you see either of their faces? What else do you remember?" the lead officer probed.

"Designer clothes and bag... yes, I believe that," she lied, hoping to pass it off as a random attack. "They were wearing ski masks, so how would I see their faces?!" Valentina felt herself becoming agitated, not so much by the questions, but by the clear memories she had of the attack. "I don't remember much other than being hit and kicked on the ground." In reality, Valentina remembered it all too clearly and she wished she didn't. Being punched in the ribs and kicked on the ground. She remembered being dragged to her feet and pushed back against the entrance to the back of the van. The images returned to her head as she pictured the moment she lashed out, her nails digging into the lead attacker's forearm and tearing through the skin down towards with hand, until her fingers were stopped by the black-leather strap of the man's silver-edged wristwatch. Her actions had resulted in him retaliating by forcefully smashing her arm against the side of the van door, breaking her wrist in the process. As the full extent of the attack replayed in her head, Valentina seemed to zone out of the room. The cup she'd been loosely holding had slipped from her grasp and spilled what water remained onto the bed cover.

"Miss Moretti?" Officer Hargreaves repeated himself. The young woman was clearly upset and traumatised by her ordeal, so he was sure his presence in the room would soon come to an abrupt end. Whether she was being honest or not, he knew he wouldn't be getting much detail out of her. He was just grateful he'd been able to catch her without Gabriel Moretti in the room to try commanding the interview.

"Everything is blurry and muddled. I just blacked out again and didn't wake up until I was in this bed," she told them. The last thing she remembered of the ordeal was her head being slammed against the inside of the van to knock her out for a second time. "That's all. Please, just go now. Please!" she demanded, her bottom lip shaking as she struggled to hold herself together. As soon as the cops had been ushered out of the room, Valentina broke down in tears, not even registering the pain the rapid chest convulsions caused her. "They didn't want to rob me," she suddenly admitted to Elvian and Teddy. "They wanted to hurt me... to hurt us." She looked desperately to her mother. Thoughts of how Elvian would take her lying to the police were long gone, replaced by the simple yearning for her motherly reassurance.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy, Elvian)

 

[Pyroclast]

Steve Kelly

“3…”

Steve cast an impish glare towards Scott, priming himself to pull the trigger. The crowd were sinking into the floor in fear - they knew somebody was about to get killed, and they knew there was nothing they could do to stop it. The only choice they had was whether or not to watch.

“2…”

In a trembling voice, the girl in his arms finally chose the first victim. All of the guards beside him shifted, agitated at the prospect of losing one of their colleagues. The one in question, however, was still, almost unmoved. “Don’t even know his name, huh?” Steve tutted, shifting his predatory gaze onto the man. “That’s gotta sting.”

“Can you please tell us what the point of all this is?!” one of the other guards bellowed. “What do you want, man? Huh?”

“At least let everyone else go first, come on!” another begged. “They don’t need to see this!”

Steve scoffed and rolled his eyes, a wide grin growing beneath his mask. “You think I’m that stupid? You wanna be next, pal?” It was fun to watch the Porters squirm and so he allowed himself some time to revel in their pathetic pleas for mercy. Especially since he knew for a fact that none of their words would have an affect on his actions. His target remained stoic, clearly feeling for the young woman. “You just did what he told ya, kid,” that man muttered. “You did good.”

Steve squeezed Kerry tighter against him and thrust his gun forwards, drawing a terrified gasp from the room. “Alright, enough of this -”

Just as he was about to put a hole in the man’s skull, Amato called out for him to stop. Steve’s head snapped up and he released a frustrated breath. So caught up in his twisted little game, he hadn’t been paying attention to what his colleague had been doing behind the scenes. He announced that he had found a safe and suggested that the staff were better off alive if they could unlock it for them. Steve paused, needing a couple of seconds to readjust his plan after working himself up to killing the guards. But after a moment he lowered his gun to his waist and sighed.

“Fuck,” he grumbled. When he scanned his chain of victims, his glare turned more vicious. “Alright. Someone here’s got the code. Tell me what it is and I’ll spare you all.”

Something changed in the guards then: their anger and desperation ceased and they seemed almost to square up to him, facing him with pure determination. Nobody said a word. “You gonna die a martyr for what this shithole’s worth? Really?” Despite the serious atmosphere, Steve couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head at Amato in disbelief. “These motherfuckers...You’re dumb as shit. Dumb as all fuckin’ shit.” His mocking tone snapped back into one of fire and impatience, losing all its mocking playfulness. He stepped back to pull Kerry off balance and instead jabbed the barrel of his gun into her temple.

“This change your mind?” He grinned beneath his mask, clutching Kerry so tight he could feel a friction burn between them as she squirmed. He was breathing heavily himself by this point, and leaned in towards her. “I know I said I wouldn’t hurt you, doll, but I never said I was a man of my word.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Kerry, Scott
Enzyme Amato
RayPurchase Tony

 

[Misty Gray]

Kerry Patrick & Scott Masters​

Scott had watched on helplessly as Kerry was made to collect the guards' wallets. As scary as the whole situation was for her, he was at least relieved the task Steve had forced her to do wasn't horrific. Material possessions and a bits of cash in wallets weren't important in the grand scheme of things, so he was certain the guards would go along with it, if only to spare the poor young woman from further turmoil. However, once the pillowcase had been handed back to Steve, the man made it clear he wasn't finished with Kerry yet. Scott was sure any sane person would struggle with what was then asked of her. Even with the threat of himself and the innocent civilians being killed if she didn't condemn one of the guards to death, Scott still couldn't have blamed her if she was unable to answer. He could urge her not to choose and would suffer the consequences himself to spare her from making the decision, but the masked man had included the civilians in the same threat on Scott's life. He knew each of the guards well and it would break him to have to pick one, but knowing most of the customers inside the club were innocent and had no part in the mob, he knew he would have to choose one of the Porter employees to die - one of his friends. Kerry soon chose one of the guards and though it would be crude to say she had made the right decision, Scott believed she had made the least cruel.

The expected gunshot and slaughter of the first guard never came, as Amato stepped back into the room putting the cruel game on hold. As soon as he mentioned the safe, Scott tightened his jaw as he looked at the guards, knowing none of them would know the code. The masked animals were fuelled by blood and money. The reason he'd always refused any part in the mob was because he didn't want to be dragged to that kind of level. Unfortunately, the reason he'd stuck around at the club after he was shot the previous year was because he didn't want to let Sinead down. He saw a woman striving for peace and humanity, which made him naturally want to support her and her vision for the club. Despite his distaste for violence, he turned his head to observe Amato and he found himself assessing the man. Were they fair circumstances, he had no doubt he could beat the short-arse in any kind of physical fight. But these weren't fair circumstances and such foolish actions could get himself killed as well as many other innocent people.

Kerry had let out a deep, relieved breath as Amato's interruption spared the guard. Her heart had practically stopped in anticipation of Steve opening fire on the poor guard, but now it was playing catch-up, rapidly thumping in her chest with relief. She looked to the guards as the masked men demanded the code to the safe. None of them seemed to be budging. She couldn't tell if they were acting defiantly in the face of death or if they really didn't know the code. Suddenly, she was pulled back, causing her to let out a yelp, before feeling the barrel of the gun being pressed into the side of her head. "Please don't..." she cried as Steve confirmed he hadn't meant it when he'd earlier said he wouldn't hurt her.

"They don't know the code!" Scott called out as he remained sat on the floor with his back against the bar. He looked up at Amato and held his open palms out in front, showing he wasn't trying anything. It never entered his head to be stupid enough to touch the gun he had concealed on himself. It was useless in this situation. "I'm the only one who knows it." He briefly glanced over to Kerry and Steve. "Don't hurt her," he pleaded, slowly shaking her head. "It's three - seven-" as he called out the code, he turned his focus from Steve and onto Amato, "-five - one."

Enzyme (Amato)
Pyroclast (Steve)
RayPurchase (Tony)

 

[Misty Gray]

Jasmine Carpenter​

Jasmine couldn't help but laugh when Chase suggested she'd been on a date before showing up for her shift. She failed to stop her cheeks from reddening at the comment about her supposed date finding her concealed guns. She ran her index finger over her bottom lip before quickly shaking her head. "It's too much, isn't it?" she suddenly asked, briefly glancing down to her dress. "I wasn't on a date. Hell, I think this profession I'm in is enough to deter men," she admitted, now showing a straight face. "I figured if we needed to blend in to this place tonight, I'd take the opportunity to make an effort," she told him. Her eyes lingered on his for a short time as she knew deep down she'd been hoping to be paired up with Chase that evening. A smirk then formed on her face before she spoke again. "Besides, you go spend two days in the company of the Callahan ladies and tell me you won't come out of it wanting to get dressed up. I can just see it now... you showing up for work in heels," she teased.

Jasmine sent Chase a warm smile as he told her Finn had checked him over. "Of course not, you can still work with a sore throat. My dad used to say if I was well enough to complain, I was well enough to get my arse out of bed and work," she remarked. "Still, don't overdo it, yeah? Let's keep that good brain of yours up and running. I like working with you," she said with concern.

She slowly nodded her head when Chase asked to clarify that she had then been referring to what Ethan had said when trying to bait him into a fight. She stayed quiet to let him speak, getting the feeling he didn't often talk about something so personal. Whilst part of her was tempted to backtrack and tell him they didn't need to talk about it, she decided to let him keep talking. If he didn't want to talk, she was sure he wouldn't, and perhaps it would be good for him to offload. She sent him a soft, encouraging look at he told her about when his father was killed. Picking up on the way he then looked around the restaurant and him then softly apologising, she decided against risking the man's discomfort. "It's okay.. If you ever need to talk about things, I'm happy to listen. In this job, it's easy to get lost in work and detached from ourselves. We're all still human, though." She then softly smiled. "Or just tell me to butt out if I ask too many questions. I won't take it personally!" she lightly added. Her face straightened as she thought about how the fight had started. "The tosser doesn't have a clue - he was doing it to get a reaction out of you. Yes, it worked, but nobody could blame you for punching him. If anything, he got off better than he deserved. And don't apologise for this," she said pointing to the bruise. "You're not to blame. I knew what I was I was getting myself into. Even sat here now, I know there's a risk, but maybe I'll just never learn," she joked.

When asked if she'd been fighting for long, Jasmine lightly nodded. "I've been training pretty much since I could walk. My dad always wanted a son, but he ended up stuck with me. Luckily for him, I wanted to learn to fight anyway. He worked for Jack Sullivan and then Liam, so with all of that risk he wanted me to be able to defend myself. God damn, it was rough and he's never been a sympathetic man, but I can appreciate it now. I can't imagine doing anything else and I certainly wouldn't want to feel vulnerable in this city!" Jasmine took a moment to look around the restaurant to confirm things were still running smoothly before looking back to Chase. Realising she'd spoken of her father in past-tense, she quickly went on to clarify. "He's in prison now, for abducting and murdering a guy who was working against the Sullivans. He won't ever get out of jail... Still, he manages to give me shit when I call or visit," she said, with a bittersweet laugh.

Pyroclast (Chase)

 

[Bellz]

Rebel Holt ​

Rebel smirked slightly as Tati asked if she had earned her name. Shrugging her shoulders lightly, Rebel watched the woman closely for a moment before say, "I'd like to think I have over the years." Tati moved to sit by the window and Rebel was briefly distracted by the moonlight reflecting off the beautiful lake. Both women seemed to only look briefly before turning back to one another and Tati asked if this was the most rebellious thing Rebel had ever done. A smile actually appeared on the woman's face as she once again shrugged her shoulders. Tati went on to explain that she was half expecting Rebel not to show up and that made the woman laugh lightly, "Hey, I won the place remember? I was more expecting you not to show up and I was going to finally have a weekend to myself." Realizing that she might have sounded rude, Rebel cleared her throat and shifted from foot to foot. "Don't get me wrong, it's fine that you are here..." Tati mentioned their bosses and Rebel did her best not to cringe. Conor was a pretty easy going man, Rebel had just been honest with him for the most part about wanting to spend a weekend alone...minus the actually being alone part, she wasn't far off from the truth.

Breaking the eye contact from Tati, Rebel moved over to her the first two drawers in the dresser to grab her clothes. Mindfully, she only grabbed the first two pieces of clothing she could find, not wanting to disturb the gun that laid beneath her clothing at the bottom of the drawer. Listening to Tati as she asked about ordering room service and getting comfortable, Rebel nodded her head and turned to offer the woman another rare smile. "Surprise me, I'm sure you know what's good at a place as fancy as this. It's all pretty foreign to me anyway." Rebel had never stayed in a place as nice as this unless it was work-related, so ordering room service and getting comfortable was something that she'd never really had the opportunity of doing before.

Excusing herself quietly for a second, she moved back into the bathroom to change her clothes before heading back into the main room changed into a comfortable pair of gym shorts and a longer t-shirt. "There, feel less overdressed now?" She said in a slightly teasing tone before moving to sit in the chair beside the window. Pulling her legs up so she sat in a ball, Rebel watched Tatiana for a moment before asking, "What are you looking to gain here? I mean, surely you knew the risks in coming...yet, here you are? I know why I'm here, either way, I was going to get some much needed time off but were you looking for the same? Or are you just looking for an opportunity to gain some information, because if you are, I just want to say good luck right now."
with: Tati Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Just the simple touch of Roxie’s hand sliding into his came as a huge comfort to Syd. She tried to add to it with a light-hearted reference to how she had hit him when they had first met and at first Syd held his breath, expecting it to lower Ricky and Angelica’s opinion of him even further. In the end, however, her mother only laughed and Roxie gave him a smile that he assumed he was to take as an affirmation that things were going well. But he couldn’t quite believe it, as Ricky didn’t seem as ready to accept his explanation.

The way he questioned him sounded somewhat accusatory - or at least, Syd took it that way. His mention of a sleep laboratory opening up at Stanford University reminded him of his talk with Finn during the night, after he had had to call him over to redo Roxie’s stitches. The injuries to her face and body were a wake-up call to Syd; he wanted more than anything to be able to sleep next to her at night without putting her in danger, and he was determined to do whatever it took. “Stanford?” he repeated faintly. “That’s, uh...far away.” Syd didn’t actually know where Stanford University was, but he knew that it wasn’t in New York and that meant he would have to leave his family if he were to seek their help. On the other hand, it did cross his mind that Ricky may have just been trying to get him away from Roxie. Whatever the man’s intentions, Syd remained guarded against them. He hated to give out private information about himself now, especially regarding something he was already deeply ashamed of, and so the fact he had had to bring it up within the first five minutes of meeting Ricky and Angelica had put him on edge. They may have been family to Roxie, but after what Stefano did to her, Syd knew that wasn’t enough to earn his trust. If only to be polite, he acknowledged Ricky’s suggestion with another uneasy, “Yeah.”

When Roxie moved from his side to tend to Jeanie, Syd folded his arms and stepped back slightly, observing the way Ricky and Angelica handled their baby daughters. Everybody seemed comfortable and relaxed besides himself - even the twins, despite their light stirring, didn’t seem at all upset by the new faces. His face flushed slightly when Roxie joked about his low tolerance for alcohol, though her cheerful mood was definitely helping him to relax a bit. Ricky directed a new question at him then and he did his best to ease the tension in his expression. “That’s right, yeah,” he said, his eyes landing on Jeanie rather than the man himself. “Nothing brings people to your door faster than newborn twins...”

Forgetting about the coffee for the time being, Syd cleared his throat and took a step towards the door. “Roxie, can you come help me in the kitchen for a sec’?” He managed to flash a smile at Angelica and Ricky before turning on his heel and heading for the kitchen.

The empty room was like a refuge. He leaned over the sink, closed his eyes and took a deep breath to slow the anxiety charging through him. “Shit,” he muttered, dragging a hand down his face as he turned around to face Roxie. “God…” He wore an apologetic expression, half expecting her to be mad at him for his behaviour. At first he had no idea what to say or where to start, and simply shook his head at her. “Today of all days...They take one look at you, a-and -” He shook his head and drew another deep breath. “How am I supposed to get them to like me now? Please, you gotta help me, Roxie, I wasn’t prepared for this. I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do. You know I don’t usually give a shit what people I don’t know think of me, but they’re your family.”

With all the medication he had been on for the last ten years, Syd wasn’t used to running on no sleep. Even if a night terror woke him up he was usually able to get back to sleep without much difficulty. This time, however, the guilt of hurting Roxie had unsettled him too much to even want to go back to bed. Now, the intense fatigue and anxiety seemed to be battling against one another, making him feel ill. Of course, as long as they had guests, he wouldn’t dare go to sleep. It was yet another reason for him to want them to leave. “I’m gonna send David out to get a few pizzas for us,” he announced, referring to one of his guards. “I know I said I’d cook tonight, but if I’m ever gonna get them to like me, it’s not gonna be through my cooking.”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie, Angelica
Misty Gray Ricky

 

[Bellz]

Ani Sarraf ​

The engine grew somewhat quiet as Ani let her foot off the gas. Watching carefully, Alistair had been talking with someone before he turned and noticed her. The excitement in his eyes was terrifying but Ani had to remind herself that she was the one in the driver seat. Revving the car a few times, before the man could possibly think the worse was about to come, Ani hit the gas and launched towards Alistair, hitting him straight on and sending him flying back towards the concrete wall behind him. Hesitating only once, Ani moved the car forward until Alistair's legs were securely caught between the wall and the car, she pressed into the gas further as she wanted to make sure he wouldn't have any ability to move. Once he was pinned, Ani undid her seat belt and moved to unlock the passenger door behind her. Ralphie was already snarling and drooling with anticipation, ready to grab onto the man as Ani turned away from Alistair for a split second and opened the passenger back door from the inside. Once Ralphie was free, he leaped and grabbed Alistair's arm and tugging it with a death grip as if it was one of his favorite chew toys. Ani stayed in the car regardless of the screams that could be heard. Her heart was racing in her chest as the realization of what she was about to do in the next few minutes was finally hitting her all at once.

Gripping the steering wheel, Ani thought over what she needed to do one last time before moving and slowly opening her driver's side door. Ralphie had already torn a giant piece from Alistair's good arm, so she knew if he had a gun on him, he'd resort to using his other arm which he'd most likely miss but Ani wanted to act fast. Reaching for her shotgun that laid in the backseat, Ani kicked open her door harshly and stepped out of the car, cocking the gun once before aiming it from a slight distance at Alistair's head.

Waiting for him to say anything, Ani lost her patience and interrupted him just as he started to speak. "Surprised?" She asked, "Good." Letting out a low whistle, Ralphie immediately let go of Alistair and backed away to sit beside Ani. "Those tables sure know how to turn, don't they?" She hissed out. "Did you really think I would just leave you alone after you killed my other half? Did you really think I would hide forever from you? I know you did because you are arrogant but of course, you only love yourself so you know that." Alistair seemed ready to open his fat mouth and Ani moved the shotgun down to just above his exposed thigh before firing a round into it. "SHUT UP!" She screamed.

"Enough of your ridiculous theatrics, Alistair! I'm not here to listen to your pathetic monologue, I'm here to end your miserable existence! But you are going to answer one simple fucking question before I blow your head to bits, where the fuck is Maddox?" Unloading the gun, she watched the thick casing bounce out before she loaded another full casing with a satisfying click. "I'm not like you, answer my question, I'll make it quick. Beat around the bush and I'll make sure your death is more slow and painful then you could ever imagine, even for someone as sick as you. I'll keep saving you until I want you completely gone. I swear on my life, you will live for weeks until I'm finally satisfied that you feel exactly how my brother felt, exactly how your enemies felt." Ralphie whined and Ani shushed him softly before looking back at Alistair.

"The biggest mistake you made was letting me watch what you did to all of those innocent people because even though you probably didn't realize it, I learned a lot. I will make sure you suffer, Alistair, so spit it out! Where the fuck is my boyfriend?!"
with: Alistair Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Danny Vaughan

Danny couldn’t keep the smile from his face at seeing Savannah in such high spirits, and broke into a laugh when she addressed him as ‘Sir’. “He sure would,” he played along, sliding his wine glass towards her. The view over the edge of the rooftop was surely stunning, but in that moment Danny had eyes only for Savannah. Although it had only been a few days, it felt like far longer since they had last seen each other. Her absence was felt deeper with each day that passed, and made seeing her again all the sweeter. In only a matter of seconds, however, his tender smile stretched into a grimace as he cringed at her attempt to open the bottle of wine with her fingernails. “Give it here,” he chuckled. He took out his Zippo lighter and held it beneath the cork, watching as it crowned the bottle’s opening and continued to slowly rise up. “It’ll only take a minute…”

Suddenly the cork was launched into the air, chased by a small geyser of wine. Danny was still grinning at the satisfying 'pop' by the time the cork had landed on the ground a few feet away, and passed the bottle back to Savannah in exchange for one of the sandwiches she offered. Picturing her with black hair took some imagination, and he cocked his head to one side as he poured his eyes over her long blonde waves. “Savannah, you could be the Evil Queen in her hag form and I’d still lo-” He cut himself off sharply, before clearing his throat. “I’d still think you were the most precious thing in this world.”

Danny had no time to make sense of the little part of his subconscious that had just surfaced as his attention was immediately taken up by Savannah’s comparison of her experiences in the theatre. Still, the tingling blush on his cheeks made sure he was well aware of it. Her bright smile drew one from him in return. “You can bet I’ll be there.” There was a brief lull in the conversation as he reflected on what she had overcome in the last several months. “Sav, y’know…” He reached under the table to take her hand. “I just want you to know how much I admire you for doin’ this. You’ve taken more knocks than most people ever will and yet, you just get back up on your feet and you keep goin’.” Looking deeply into her eyes, he wrapped his hands around hers and gave them a gentle squeeze. “I think of what you’ve been through and I believe when the time comes, you’re gonna take the bull by the horns and show the world how strong you are. And if I’m wrong and you can’t face it at the end, then that’s okay, too - ‘cause the point is, you keep trying.” A fresh smile spread across his face and Danny leaned back to take a sip of his wine, with the warmth of alcohol and deep romantic feelings protecting him from the chill in the evening air.

“It’s beautiful,” he said of the view - but when she looked out over the city, his eyes remained on her. The fact that she could still see beauty in a place that had done her and her family so much harm was telling of her soulful heart. She seemed to hold a rare passion for life, her dreams unbreakable by even the purest evils capable of man. Every thought he had of her made his heart glow, and when he gathered it all together, every dream, every touch, every kiss, the feeling he had could only be put to one name. It was love. With every fibre of his being, he was in love with her.

Everything he had seen, read or heard of falling in love described waves of doubt and nerves, but for him the realisation filled him instead with a sense of security. Savannah described their present moment together as perfect, and if he was reading the signs correctly, his understanding was that she felt the same way about him - or was at least heading that way. By this point he was blushing as much as she was, and when she asked him what he had been up to all that came out at first was a soft laugh. “Um...you know, the usual mayhem - slingin’ dope, goin’ to freaky parties, running from cops. All that sorta’ thing. Nothing special to report.” He cleared his throat just as she had, but his smile never wavered. With her hand in his, he looked down to it and began gently toying with her fingers, admiring every detail he could make out in the low light. “Except...these thoughts I’ve been having, I guess,” he shrugged. “Well, it’s actually more of a realisation I just had a minute ago.” He felt so connected to her in that moment that regardless of the nervous fluttering in his chest, he knew he could trust her with his confession. It was like sharing a secret with a best friend at a sleepover, except that his heart felt like it was about to explode. “I, uh…” Only a few more seconds passed of gently playing with her hand before he realised he had no reason to hesitate. Raising his eyes to meet hers, he allowed a tender smile to spread across his face. “I love you, Sav.” A breath of laughter escaped him the moment the words fell from his lips. “I’ve never been in love before, but I know this is it. There can’t be anything more powerful than the way I feel about you. I think about you every damn second of the day, and when we’re together, it’s like...it’s like the best high I’ve ever had. And I’ve done a lot of drugs in my lifetime.” He laughed again, less so of nerves than of pure happiness. “I don’t need you to say it back, you know - I’m not expecting that. I just didn’t see the point of keeping this to myself when I know I can trust you with anything.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau ​

Roxie could sense Syd's tension so she wasn't surprised when he asked her to help him in the kitchen. Nodding her head, she looked to her cousin and mother for a moment, "I'll be right back, both my babies better be here when I get back! Get your own!" She teased playfully before quickly ducking her head as she made a beeline for the kitchen. Seeing Syd with his head down over the sink wasn't shocking to Roxie, she knew he was living on zero sleep the same as she and his anxiety tended to get worse without it. "Hey..." Roxie murmured softly as he looked at her apologetically. She wasn't mad in the slightest and she took a few steps towards him before wrapping her arms around his waist. "I know I know, my family has a problem with showing up unannounced." Holding him tightly for a few moments, she let him finish speaking before pulling away to look up at him. Reaching a hand up, she traced the dark circles under his eyes with her fingertips. "We'll make this as quick as possible. I'm not gonna leave you alone with them, I can make the girls some formula and we are going to get through this okay?" Hearing that Syd was gonna send David out for pizzas made Roxie smile, "Well you don't have to worry about my family disliking you once they realize what we are having for dinner. In fact, you really have nothing to worry about. My mother is a stone-cold bitch and right now, she's all smiles. Ricky might be doubting our story but my mother will always, believe me, don't worry about Ricky okay? He can be a jackass sometimes but unfortunately, that just comes with the Biancardi DNA." Roxie rolled her eyes before chuckling.

"As long as we don't feed them your cooking, I'd say you are in the clear. And they love the girls, which is the most important thing here, right? Because if they didn't, I would kick their asses out of this house so quickly. Once the bruise is gone I'm sure they will forget all about this accident because that's exactly what it was, an accident." Reaching up on her tiptoes, Roxie planted a kiss on Syd's mouth before moving towards one of the drawers in search of the number to a pizza place that Roxie had grown fond of during her pregnancy. After finding it, she handed it to Syd with a smile on her face before taking a deep breath, "Just breathe. I'll make sure they only stay for an hour and a half at the latest and then we'll drag our butts upstairs and get some sleep. I have a feeling once I have even a sip of the wine Ricky brought I'm going to be out cold." Roxie laughed softly for a moment before seriously looking at Syd again, "I love you, remember that? And that's really all that matters and if I love you, my family will grow to accept you, I promise. On the bright side, my mother won't even mention my dad so that's one awkward discussion that we won't have to have with her." While Roxie was relieved about not having to have the conversation with her mother, she still felt odd about what had happened and knew that Syd and she had yet to talk about it. Her mother, being the strong woman she is, will just pretend like her husband never even existed and despite that being a good thing, for now, Roxie knew that she didn't accept that behavior deep down.

Blinking a few times as she snapped out of her deep thinking, Roxie placed a smile on her face for Syd and took his hand. "You get David to grab the pizzas, I'll give you a moment to take a second to yourself and when you are ready, I will be in the other room, with your two baby girls who love you so much!" Moving to grab two already full bottles from the fridge, she removed the lids and placed them in the microwave for a few seconds before taking them out. After testing to see if the formula was warm enough, Roxie walked towards Syd and beckoned him closer before reaching up and kissing him tenderly again. "Make sure you order extra pepperoni but light sauce. My family might hate me for it but hell I'll take the fall. I'm starving." With that, she headed back into the living room with the biggest smile on her face.

"I think these girls need to be fed before they start screaming, they are cute when they are quiet and docile but I could definitely do without the screaming." Roxie teased about her babies before moving to take Jeanie from Ricky. Handing a bottle to her mother, who she knew was more than capable of properly feeding Jane, Roxie placed the bottle in Jeanie's mouth and watched her for a few quiet moments. After Jeanie started to close her eyes, Roxie looked up at her mother and Ricky. "Syd's ordering pizza from this place I fell in love with when pregnant. It might not be Tony's on the corner in the city, but I feel like in certain ways it's better."
with: Syd Pyroclast ; Ricky Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Peter wasn't going to dare to keep up with Jackson and Conor on the number of drinks they were having, they were big enough blokes to be able to handle that kind of shit but Peter considered himself more of a lightweight. After his second drink, Peter could feel himself getting warm to the point where he had to loosen his tie just a tad. When Jackson told them both to finish up their drinks, Peter left the rest of his third drink halfway full before following behind Jackson with Conor as quickly as he could. Before he could get to the stage, someone grabbed his hand and spun him around, and a beautiful woman, ironically a redhead pressed her chest against him drunkenly. "Jesus Christ, woman! Ever hear of personal space?" He hissed as he tried to gently pull away from the woman's grip. Jackson's voice quieted down the whole crowd and Peter looked with wide eyes as he called out for Mr. Corleone...apparently wanting him to do things that Peter would rather not imagine at the moment. The woman shoved herself closer to him and Peter growled with irritation, "Get off!" He hissed, shoving her so roughly that she tumbled with what was probably her tenth drink to the floor. Hearing a man's voice call out her name, which supposedly was Sarah, Peter quickly spun and hopped up onto the stage. Jackson and Conor were already taking care of the guards so Peter looked around him for a moment. Luckily, Conor had his back and warned him of a huge guard tumbling towards him.

The man who had been holding the saxophone left his instrument out in the open, so Peter grabbed it and positioned it like a bat before taking a huge swing at the guard, hearing a sickening crunch with the impact. Not daring to look at the damage, the man fell to the floor with ease before Peter worriedly looked at the instrument in his hands. Such a pretty piece, it was a shame to ruin it. Seeing more guards rush through the crowd, Peter could spot a few of them with guns in their hands. "I think it's time to face the music, boys!" Peter called out to Jackson and Conor before tossing the saxophone into the crowd to separate the guests from the armed guards. Reaching into both of his coat pockets, Peter pulled out his handguns before aiming it at the people in the crowd, who immediately started trampling over one another looking for the nearest exit, no longer throwing their shitty drinks at them.

Before the first of the guards could get to the stage, Peter hopped down and met them with gunfire, hitting the man closest to him in the leg before charging him. Even the man was bigger than he was, because of his injury Peter was able to bring him to the ground with ease, whipping him with the butt of his handgun before watching the man's eyes roll into the back of his head. Someone pulled his hair so hard that he was sure some had actually come out but before he could counter-attack, he was thrown a few feet away from where he'd just been and landed so hard that the air was pushed out of him.

Gasping, Peter rolled onto his back and fired two rounds into the stomach of the guard who was walking towards him, watching him fall before scrambling to get on his feet. "A little help!" Peter shouted at Jackson and Conor before he turned towards the next guard below the stage, grabbing a full drink that had been left on a table. "Drinks are on you!" He shouted before tossing the whole glass into the man's face and tackling his torso from the front.
with: Jackson Enzyme ; Conor Misty Gray
(I had to post this gif, it cracks me up lol)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

After disabling two guards with the microphone stand, the weapon itself had become more useful as a staff than as an instrument's accessory. Proving the point further, Jackson caught a guard storming the stage out of the corner of his eye, targeting Conor as he was slamming another man down on the drumkit. Jackson quickly swung the metal stand around like a bat, connecting with the legs of the guard and sweeping him right off of his feet. In one fluid motion, the stand rotated around Jackson's back and slammed down onto the skull of the guard before he could muster the energy to situp. The base of the microphone stand wouldn't be described as light, and with the force the guard was hit with, it wasn't far fetched that the single hit alone instantly killed him, as a puddle of blood soon coated the stage.

While Jackson was moving to his feet, another guard promptly rushed him with a brandished baton. Jackson quickly bobbed his head down, feeling the full force of the wind blow past him as the thick wood barely missed his cheek. He didn't waste any time acknowledging the near hit and instead used his momentum to rock the guard in the head with a left hook. He then redirected his hands to the baton and ripped the weapon away from the stunned guard's grip. He proceeded to beat the man with the baton as if his head was a pinata, with some ill-confirmed illusion that if he hit it enough, some sort of prize would spill out. The prize was matted-hair and bits of brain matter, so Jackson redirected his attention to a rather bulky guard, bolting his way. From a wooden club to a throwing knife, Jackson chucked the baton at the guard like a tomahawk. The handle of the blunt object connected with the guard's nose, instantly splitting it open and sending the man onto his backed, sprawled. Jackson had no time to rest as yet another man, a patron this time, attempted to climb the stage. Jackson didn't hold any hesitation to switch onto his back foot and slam his boot into the man's sternum - propelling him off the stage like a cannonball onto the tables below.

Jackson had never felt his old age more and was finding it harder to bounce back, through his short, staggered breath. Through a blurry serve of the stage, they were everywhere, swarming Conor and Peter below. He had no time to recuperate and as he staggered to his feet, he was met with a harsh hit to the side of the head, that instantly split open the skin beside his eye. Contrary to what a hit to the head was meant to achieve, it only envigorated his adrenaline, and before the guard could connect again, Jackson bobbed down and rammed his knuckles into the man's diaphragm, causing the guard's breathing to skip a beat. As the man crumbled, Jackson rose, belting his head with a left cross and putting him to the ground. It was either the thought of keeping the man down or the incessant rage boiling through Jackson that had him instinctively stomp his foot down on the incapacitated guard. Either way, it did its job and was followed by a sickening crack that could only be emitted from the guard's fragile temple.

With the quick, rapid shots from Peter's gun, the playing field was changed entirely, similar to when Syd had discharged his firearm back on a Drogheda job so many years ago. This was no longer just a brawl. With the yelp for help from Peter, Jackson had no reason to keep his Walther PPK in his waistband any longer. As Peter whipped the drink at the guard and tackled the man, the strong guard was quick to force Peter onto his back, just below Jackson. Before the man could so much as clench a fist, Jackson pushed the barrel of his handgun to the back of the man's skull and fired. With the angle Jackson had fired, the bullet ripped from the man's skull and dug into the floor, rather than Peter, only leaving his friend covered in the man's blood, instead of sharing the bullet.

Boots clambered on the floor as more men rushed in. Jackson quickly shifted up onto his knee in a shooter's position and fired three shots into the group of guards that had materialized from the ballroom entrance. Before Jackson could fire another round, a guard that had crept on the side of the stage lunged at him and wrestled the gun away. Jackson's hand quickly plunged into his pocket and fitted on the brass knuckle. As the guard attempted to get ahold of the firearm and use Jackson's own PPK on him, Jackson belted the brass down onto his skull, emitting a distinct dink sound and sending him spiraling to the sleek wood.

The room had been strewed with bodies, both dead and unconscious, but a few determined stragglers remained. Two of which, rushed Peter as he laid on the ground with the deceased guard beside him. The first quickly spun around Peter's arms, locking them in his grip and exposing his head and chest, while the other attempted to attack his exposed body with a baton.

Conor was the bigger man and acquired a bit more attention. Three guards focused him on the stage, encircling him like hyenas, trying to find the perfect time to strike. One made the brash choice to attack first, lunging at Conor with a telescopic stick.

Misty Gray (Conor) Bellz (Peter)

 

[Misty Gray]

Ethan Turner​

From the outside of the entrance door, Lyle heard the gunshot from inside the building and nodded to Jed to confirm their cue to enter had been heard. When they stepped inside, Ethan was in the act of slotting his gun back inside his coat. The concierge was no longer in sight, having collapsed onto the tiled floor into a lifeless heap behind the reception desk. "Quickly!" Ethan called out as he rushed off to sprint up the stairs. Lyle bolted the entrance door to lock it from the inside, before he followed after Ethan and Jed, being careful not to step in the blood that was pooling across the floor from underneath the desk. Their driver remained parked up in the car, watching the front of the building like a hawk.

Having allowed the concierge to make the call to Mitch, Ethan had gained confirmation the lawyer was still inside his office. Once he reached the floor in question, Ethan pulled his gun back out and his sprint slowed to a stop as he arrived outside of Mitch's office. He glanced to the lawyer's name plaque on the door as he tried the handle. The door had been locked and judging by the movement he could still hear from inside the room, it had been locked from the inside. As Jed and Lyle caught up to him, Ethan stepped back and aimed his gun towards the closed door. "Get it open," he commanded Jed; the bulkier of the three men.

Jed had only slammed his foot against the door three times before Ethan started losing patience with the wait. Luckily, the fifth heavy boot to the edge of the door caused the wooden frame to splinter off around the handle and the door swung open. Ethan kept his gun aimed straight ahead as he slipped past his two colleagues to be the first into the room. The lawyer was not in sight, but Ethan knew he had been there no more than a minute ago. A quick scan of the room told him there weren't any hiding places inside, but as the blinds rattled in the breeze coming through the opened window, it was clear to see how Mitch had made his exit. Ethan slowly lowered his gun to his side, briefly acknowledging the paperwork strewn around the desk, Ethan quickly turned to Lyle. "You've got five minutes in here. Go through what's left and take anything relating to the Porter businesses, the get out." Ethan looked out of the window and noticed the figured descending the fire escape stairs. He slotted his gun inside his coat before climbing out of the window. "Jed, you're with me. Looks like we've got ourselves a rat to catch," he darkly ordered.

Ethan set about rushing down the steps, acknowledging the wobbly metal structure but feeling no apprehension about it in his steely determination. He made sure to keep his eyes on Mitch, seeing the direction the man had gone in once he'd reached the ground. As soon as his own feet were down on the paved sidewalk, Ethan sprinted across the quiet road and down the backstreet he'd seen the lawyer turned off onto. Jed wasn't far behind and soon caught up with Ethan as both men kept the distant figure of Mitch firmly in their sights. "The preference is to keep him alive enough to talk," Ethan reminded Jed between breaths. "We also need that briefcase."

"Gotcha. Him still walking is optional, though?" Jed remarked, with a smirk. He was fit enough to still hold a conversation whilst running, but his partner in crime never struck him as the chatty type, so Jed held his tongue and focused on the chase...

RayPurchase (Mitch)

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Bryant​

To be met with such an excited outburst from her daughter meant more to Gwen then little Lorelei would ever be able to know. Looking up towards the staircase, Gwen thought about her last session with her addiction counselor and the discussion they had about triggers. Despite having lived in the house for a time after her overdose, Gwen had dreaded coming home to face seeing her bedroom again. With each step towards the top, she felt her smile fading away and her heart began to race. Squeezing Jason’s hand tightly, they made it to the top and Gwen saw Lorelei pass the door into the room. Jason stepped forward but Gwen stopped dead in her tracks and released his hand suddenly. Stepping from foot to foot, she wiped her hands which were beginning to sweat against her pants. ”I...I can’t go in there.” Gwen murmured defeatedly just as Lorelei bounded out of the room with a few things in her small hands. ”Look look! I drew a picture of all of us!” The girl exclaimed excitedly and Gwen forced a smile on her face before kneeling down to take the picture from her.

Loving the distraction from her moment of weakness, Gwen took in the drawing for a moment and realized that these new drawings of hers looked different from what she gave Gwen before. Though her daughter didn’t look much older, it was becoming clear that she was with her skill set. No longer was she drawing random squiggles or stick figures to depict herself or Gwen, now she actually drew human like figures, with full features as well as a 7 year old could draw. It was a stark difference from the drawings she had received only a few months ago. ”Do you like it?” Lorelei asked eagerly and Gwen’s eyes watered. The hardest part about being in rehab had been the time she had to spend away from her daughter, as she was afraid that she was going to miss something with her and she had been right. It was only minor, just a change in artistic abilities but she’d still missed the process, something no mother wants to miss.

”It’s beautiful! And look, you even have Ruben in there!” Gwen said with a genuine smile before standing up straight to show Jason. ”I’d say you look even better in a drawing.” She teased before taking his hand once again and looking to her daughter. ”I have to go say hi to Uncle Jimbo, did you show these drawings to Aunt Lucy? I’m sure she would love to see them!” Gwen just wanted to get away from the bedroom altogether and she was relieved when Lorelei agreed to show Lucy the drawings and give her a moment to speak with James. After heading back down the stairs, Lorelei bounded off to find Lucy and after watching her go a moment, she sighed and turned to Jason. ”I just couldn’t go in there, Jase.” Gwen murmured, biting her bottom lip nervously. ”I know I’d been in there after my overdose but I feel like if I go back in there, I’m going to feel like I had before...and I don’t ever want to feel that way again.” After a moment, she cleared her throat and shook her head. ”I’ve got to see my brother...do you want to come with me? I’m sure he’ll be just as happy to see you.” She murmured before taking his hand again and moving towards her brother’s study.

Knocking on the door, Gwen opened it and peeked her head through. ”James?”
With: Jason Pyroclast ; Jimbo Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter
~Olivia Sullivan ~​

James sat back in his leather chair at the desk that had previously been the centre of many business calls and meetings. In his retirement, it had become more of a study or hideout for him when things got too loud in the main house. Tonight, however, James was sat at his desk due to the business he had only months ago retired from. With Conor, Jackson and Peter out of the state on important business, James had stepped up to hold the fort back home. Conor had already put in place increased security measures across the city, with the goings on the night of the auction bound to intensify the war with the Morettis. Anyone with half a brain knew the Morettis would retaliate, but the question still remained how and when.

The call that did come through wasn't quite what James had been expecting. Attacks on the Irish businesses was inevitable, especially after Gabriel had for a second time had his offer refused. So when the call was from Mitch and about unwelcome guests at the law firm, James was briefly stunned. However, the gravity of the situation soon hit him and he encouraged the lawyer to take what he could but make sure he got to a safe location fast. Unsurprisingly, the first place to come to mind for Mitch had been The Emerald, be it for the heavy security in the place or the attractive lady who was running the pub these days. After Mitch had ended the call, James was straight on the phone to the safe house in Hell's Kitchen. His mansion was far too out of the city to react in any kind of useful time, but employees were based throughout Manhattan. The former boss had opted to contact the base in Hell's Kitchen as he knew Adam was on standby there and wasn't the kind to dither or hesitate in taking action. Once that had been taken care of, James resigned himself to the fact he'd be staying in his office for no doubt all night as he awaited more phone calls... expected more chaos.

It hadn't been long before Olivia knocked on the door to ask if she and Bruno, the not so small puppy, could hang out in the office. James allowed her into his office on the condition she had to leave if the telephone rang. Still seated at his desk, James poured himself a drink of whisky and watched on from his desk as Olivia sat on the nearby sofa teaching Bruno some tricks. According to the child, Bruno didn't need to be a guard dog anymore, not since James had retired, so she was still pushing for a transfer ownership of the dog from James to herself.

"So where are you going to get all of the money from to feed him?" James asked, unable to hide the subtle smile from his face.

"Yeah, nice try. I'm seven and you're the grown-up around here, so you'll just have to increase my pocket money. Mum used to say... you can't bullshit a bullshiiter--" Olivia told James in a matter of fact tone.

James hadn't decided whether he was going to laugh or berate her for the language before there was a knock on the door. Olivia stood up, figuring it was her cue to leave James in peace. When Gwen opened the door, Olivia sent her a smile. "Welcome back!" she said, before slipping past her to leave the room with Bruno close behind.

James stood up and rounded the desk so he could approach his sister. "Look who it is," he said, opening out his arms to greet Gwen with a hug. "Are you doing good?" he asked her as he let go. Whilst she looked well in herself, he wanted to be sure she hadn't been rushed home too early. "They didn't get sick of you, did they?" he asked with a light chuckle.

Bellz (Gwen)
Pyroclast (Jason) - left it open in case Jason joins Gwen
Mention: RayPurchase (Mitch)

 

[Pyroclast]

Alistair Sawyer

This wasn’t at all what Alistair had envisioned when he thought of seeing Ani again. For all the twisted plans he had made for her, all his ideas of how he would punish her for betraying him and running away, not one of them suited this scenario. In fact, what he wanted most at that moment was not to hurt her, but rather to sit down with her and make her talk. So much time had passed since she had left that he was curious as to what she had been doing and where she had ended up - more still, what had brought her back. There didn’t seem to be anyone in the car with her holding a gun to her head, which led him to the conclusion that she had come of her own accord. It made sense that she would hesitate to switch off the engine and confront him, so he stood patiently, their eyes locked in an unbreakable stare.

The seconds ticked by as Alistair willed her to get out of the car and talk to him. “Come out, come out, you little whore,” he urged under his breath, still smiling at her. But his smile dropped when her car suddenly kicked into gear. Standing beside his own, he had nowhere to run as it charged towards him. As if expecting to be able to block it, Alistair slammed his hands down against the bonnet - but he was flung back as the grill pinned his legs against the wall. His attempt to suppress a scream turned into a deep, agonised growl as he felt all the bones in his legs be crushed and ground into the concrete. The pain was so great he had to fight to pay attention to his surroundings, knowing that there was more to come. Ani had him where she wanted him, but what she wanted him for in the first place he dreaded to find out.

The shock seared through him and without a thought he tried in vain to create a gap to free himself, pushing desperately against the hood of the car. Before he realised he was wasting his energy, something leapt up at him, knocking him back against the wall. The beast pierced its fangs through his arm, tearing away chunks of flesh and coating its muzzle in blood. Alistair’s screams echoed from all corners of the car park as he twisted away from the savage animal. Watching himself be torn apart was so surreal and horrific that for a moment he lost awareness of himself. Unable to keep up with the present, Alistair slipped back through the past, into the darkest realms of his mind. Each dagger in his arm was another memory regurgitated: his victims slashed; his mother beaten; his father’s belt; the smell of gas; his professor in a dark room; the branding iron pressed against his back. The memories flashed before his eyes, each one closer to his own suffering.

Alistair roared above it all, determined not to let anything break him. He reached to his hip and, after some struggling, gripped his fingers around the handle of his knife and jabbed it aimlessly at the dog. It was moving fast, pulling him off balance, but eventually he managed to strike the beast in the back. How deep it went, he wasn’t sure - the dog let go and his knife fell from his grip into the gap between the nose of the bonnet and the wall against which he was pinned. The energy drained from him before he even noticed that the attack was over, and he slumped against the hood of the car, each breath laboured with pain. When he finally looked up, the dog was sitting some feet away, thick threads of blood dangling from its jowls. There at his side was Ani. She had a shotgun pointed at him and he stared at the barrel for a few seconds before raising his eyes to meet hers.

“Ani,” he grunted. That was all he could get out before he was silenced by a shockwave of pain. His suit was saturated with blood from his collar to his shoes and when he pushed himself up to assess his arm, his breathing turned panicked. It was unrecognisable, a mangled limb of dripping flesh, skin flayed to expose the bones right down into his palm. A large chunk of his hand was missing and his morbid curiosity drew his eyes to the floor ahead in search of its remains. All he could make out was a haze of red as his vision blurred, as if to protect him from the sight. He gave in and closed his eyes. It had been over twenty years since he had been tortured; he had withstood burns, acid, knives and whips, and every day since then the scars on his body reminded him of his strength. He owed the world nothing. The man who had primed him for that endurance, his father, was long dead and now he had only himself to credit for his accomplishments. For all that he had achieved, he had a strong feeling that he had reached his end.

Tuning into Ani’s voice, Alistair opened his eyes weakly. His eyelashes broke a shield of tears as they parted and they crashed down his face in neat, orderly streams. He was losing blood rapidly, but he held on, determined to hear what she had to say. With some effort, he managed to direct his eyes over to her. “You coward,” he spat, between ragged breaths. A crack of gunfire blinded him with shock, and he screamed before he could register what had happened. Even the fresh source of pain throbbing from the hole in his leg didn’t detract from his other injuries; in fact, it seemed to intensify them tenfold. His composure slipped and couldn’t rein in the agonised groans that arose from the depths of his stomach. Whatever Ani was saying, he couldn’t focus on it, too busy fighting the darkness that threatened to pull him under. The first word he made out was ‘Maddox’, the next of slow, agonising death. He pieced the two together to work out what she wanted.

“That...rat you call your boyfriend...is no...no longer my concern,” he growled. The words bubbled out of him, bringing the sour taste of vomit to the back of his tongue. His eyelashes were sticky with tears and sweat but he persevered to look at her. "Ani…" By now he sounded weak, and she wouldn't have to listen too closely to detect the desperation in his voice. He forced out a laugh, as one last attempt to protect his pride, but it only sounded sad. "I'm...bleeding out," he muttered. "Wherever you take me, I w...won't make it. Not unless you want to operate here." A dark smile flickered across his face before he seized up in agony, and he exhaled a sharp breath that turned into a single sob. It took him a few seconds to breath through it enough to speak again. “You have me right where you want me, Ani. Torture me to the end if that’s what you want. I have a few minutes. One last limb for your animal.” He picked up his good hand and wiggled his fingers. Despite the strain in his voice, he spoke with conviction; after all, he knew more than most how long it took to kill someone. “I can’t tell you where he is - I haven’t heard anything of him for months. Finding him is your business, not mine. If you thought you could have got it out of me, you shouldn’t have shot me in the fucking leg.”

Interactions
Bellz Ani

 

[Bellz]

Ani Sarraf ​

The only reason she was here was that she was almost 100% sure either Gabriel or Alistair had Maddox and when Alistair admitted to her that he hadn't heard anything of him in months, Ani oddly enough believed him. Looking down at his wounds, her stomach clenched at the sight of them, at what she had done to him. He was bleeding out and she only had a few minutes to do whatever it was she was going to do to him. A part of her was extremely satisfied that she had gotten this far, urging her in low murmurs to finish him off just like he had her brother. Shaking her head to herself, the woman let out a horribly strained sob as the more rational and compassionate side of her, her true form, begged her not to kill Alistair. What would she gain from any of this? He had no idea where Maddox was...and while she wanted revenge for her brother she was starting to acknowledge in her state of panic that she was doing exactly what he would do. Alistair's face was sickly white and Ani knew she had to act fast. Lifting her gun to his head, her finger hesitated over the trigger, shaking wildly. Even if she dared to shoot, she was sure she would miss as her body continued to tremble violently. Gasping as if she was the one in agonizing pain, the woman pulled her finger away from the trigger and lowered her gun before tossing it towards the ground carefully.

Almost on autopilot, she quickly moved towards the driver seat of her car and backed up the car slowly so that Alistair wasn't pinned against the wall anymore. Watching him fall to the floor, Ani tuned out his cries of pain before grabbing her medical bag from the back seat. Though he was no longer on earth, in her state of paranoia, Ani could hear her brother screaming at her to finish the job. Ignoring the voices in her head, Ani quickly walked towards Alistair and knelt beside him. Without a word, she moved him onto his back as gently as she could and got to work to stop the bleeding as much as she could before working to sew up the wounds. Her hands shook clumsily compared to the normal steady hands she normally had. Being this close to a man who swore to kill her, who killed her brother was unnerving and wrong, yet she knew what she was doing was the right thing.

Her work was quick yet affective and soon all there was left to do was wipe the blood clean. "This might sting." She mumbled before pouring the hydrogen peroxide directly on his wounds. Watching as the blood surrounding the wounds bubbled up and hissed violently, Ani ignored his cries as much as she could before pushing herself off of the floor. Watching him for a few moments, it took everything in her to be able to muster up the strength to speak to him in a calm manner. "You'll live, luckily enough. Your life will never be the same but I think now we are even. I came here to end your life and I ended up saving it because I know what it would do to me if I killed you. Despite what I said before, I'm nothing like you. I don't kill, I save. I'm nothing like you, or my brother or anyone who's ever been affiliated with EH and I would like to keep it that way." Ani's voice was weak as she started to back away towards her car. "An ambulance should be here in about 5 minutes once I make the call from my car. "

Whistling to Ralphie, she opened the back passenger door and let him in before shutting it and moving towards the driver's side door. "I suggest you find a new profession, Alistair. I hope you live long enough to realize your mistakes if you ever do. Like my adopted mother use to tell my brother, I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice." With that, Ani sat down in the driver's seat and slammed her door before slowly backing up out of the parking garage. With the adrenaline hitting her hard, she fought the tremors as she made it out onto the main road. She wasn't in complete control of what she was doing and where she was going but she knew exactly where she would end up and when the familiar house of Finn and George Sullivan came into view, she sobbed with relief, knowing that she would be in the arms of good friends until she could once again wrap her head around how she was going to find Maddox if he was even still alive.

Parking outside of their gate, she spoke to one of the guards urgently who seemed to have a soft spoke for a damsel in distress. After calling Finn's number, the man got approval to let her in and the door opened before she was even at the first step of stairs leading up to the house. "What on earth are you-?" Finn squinted with a friendly smile on his face but as she got closer, his mouth hung open. "Are you hurt?" He immediately asked and despite knowing the emotional trauma was going to hurt her more than anything, Ani shook her head and tried to muster the best smile she could. "Can I come in?" She asked politely to which Finn nodded his head almost immediately. Motioning for Ralphie to stay outside, Ani walked through the doors of the familiar house and collapsed with relief, Finn catching her just in time before she hit the ground. "Georgie! Can you get my medical bag and some water?" Finn called out before leading Ani to the couch in the main lounge.
was with: Alistair Pyroclast
now with: Finn @me; Georgie Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

George and Finn had been sat in the lounge for a couple of hours going through ideas and colour schemes for the wedding. Even though it was taking place at the Porters mansion, the place was still going to be decorated and apparently quite extravagantly. George rested his head on Finn's shoulder as he closed the brochure they'd picked up from the florist. "You know, I'm starting to wonder if we were too hasty in turning down the offer of help - slash - surrendering all control to the ladies. Lucy and Sinead would have had all of this sorted by now, wouldn't they?" he joked. "I never realised I was so indecisive. I don't even have a favourite colour, which I'm sure would be a big help right now." George looked to Finn and playfully quirked his eyebrows. "You decide, Dr Sullivan. What colour is your favourite tie? We could go with that and work around it!" George wondered if it was that he was indecisive, or simply that he was just too laid back and unassuming about it all. When he was slogging through his ten year prison sentence, he'd never expected to have a decent enough life once back on the outside. Everything since meeting Finn had seemed like a gift and he was grateful for it all. So to be picky about the colour of flowers felt like he was getting greedy or even pushing his luck. He knew they would all benefit from a fun wedding and a big party, but he'd be just as happy marrying Finn in a sack in someone's back yard. The point was that he was marrying the love of his life, so everything else was a bonus.

It wasn't long before a call came through and George sat up straight whilst Finn answered it. Once it was known they had a visitor, George stood up and walked behind Finn to greet Ani. He'd met his fiance's colleague a number of times already and they were on friendly terms. George looked on to see the blood on Ani and that she appeared to be distressed. He stepped aside as Finn led Ani inside. The woman collapsed but was immediately caught by Finn. "I'll get the... medical bag..." George spoke at the same time Finn requested it. Either he was telepathically connected to Finn or by now he simply knew the drill!

George was quick to return with the medical bag and water, setting them down on the coffee table within Finn's reach. "I should consider a career as a medical assistant," George lightly commented, though he doubted there was much he could say to lighten the atmosphere. He rested back against the arm of armchair as he watched Finn and Ani on the couch. "The circumstances don't seem ideal, but I'm glad to see you again after so long... What happened?" he softly asked her.


Bellz (Finn, Ani)

 

[Bellz]

Ani Sarraf
Finn Sullivan ​

Finn helped lead Ani to the couch in the lounge before positioning her as gently as he could. When George returned with his bag, the Doctor sent his fiancé a wide smile at his comment. "I may just have to put you on the payroll, love." Finn murmured before turning his attention to Ani once more. "Anything I need to look over?" Finn asked, noticing the amount of blood that covered her. The woman shook her head silently, her teeth chattering too much to be able to answer at first. Finn reached for the water and handed it to her, "Drink this, it'll help you calm down." He murmured softly and Ani did as he asked. Once she was sure she had regained some control of herself, she set the water down on one of the coasters before offering George a small smile. "It's lovely to see you too, George." She said softly before sighing at his question as to what happened. "Well, at the time, I knew I wasn't able to tell anyone where I was going a few months ago but I think now that I've returned in such a major way, I've already put myself at risk...so..." She took a deep breath before looking at Finn.

"I wanted to stay in New York and continue to work with you and the rest of our colleagues but as you know, I am very much romantically involved with Maddox Parker." Pausing, Ani bit her lip and she wondered if that was even a current statement anymore, Alistair had confirmed that he hadn't heard anything about Maddox in months and if Alistair hadn't heard anything then she was sure Gabriel Moretti didn't have him. If Finn couldn't confirm that the Porter's had him, then she would assume the absolute worst.

"I left for Vermont a few months back because I was working for the East Harlem Gang who is in partnership with Moretti whom I knew was an enemy of your family, Finn." The confession hurt her to hear out loud, especially since she considered herself good friends with Finn, she hoped he wouldn't turn her away now.

"Anyways, I didn't want to live that life anymore but Maddox and I knew that we were both targets so we decided to split up. I made it to Vermont and for the first few weeks we kept in contact, but after that, the phone calls stopped. I came back to confront Alistair, my former boss for EH about where he was but after running into him with my car, shooting him in the leg and even having my dog attack him...I couldn't bring myself to kill him as I had originally planned on doing."

Finn listened patiently and his heart broke for Ani, she was caught in the middle of the worst of the war just like his family was and although there wasn't much he could do to help her, he felt the most important thing he could do was listen. But as she talked about Maddox going missing, Finn instantly understood why she had come to his house. "My cousin has him locked up, An." Finn said after a brief pause between Ani ending her sentence. Ani's dull almost hollowed expression lit up like a firework and Finn smiled brightly at her, excited to see that he could put a smile on her face. "I don't think they've done anything with him yet...but he's been locked up for months so I'm sure that's why he hasn't called you."

Despite hearing that Maddox had been taken by the Porters, the news that Finn had just given her was absolutely life-changing. A sob escaped her as she was relieved that after all these months with no contact, that he was alive and that he was at least safer than he had been on his own. It was strange being oddly comforted by the fact that he was in the hands of one enemy over the other. It certainly helped her because she was so close with Finn but would that be enough to persuade the Porters to let him go? She had no clue.

"You have to take me to him, Finn, I beg of you." Ani took the Doctor's hands in hers and squeezed them tightly. "Ani, wherever they are keeping him, I assure you that is not where you want to be." Ani shook her head stubbornly, "Of course it is, Finn. As I'm sure you would feel the same way about dear George over here if you were in my shoes. Wherever he goes, I go. Whatever I have to face to see him again, I will do it, I just need to see him again. Please." Finn looked the woman in the eyes before looking over to George, wondering what he was thinking about all this. What Ani said was true, he would follow Georgie anywhere and although Maddox had done horrible, horrible things to poor Syd, Finn couldn't deny Ani from the chance of seeing her love again.

"Okay, let me make a phone call. But once you are in my cousin's hands I'm afraid I won't be able to help you any further...I can certainly try but I cannot guarantee he will listen after what Maddox did to Syd." Ani nodded her head eagerly, "Whatever he decides to do with me, it won't matter once I see Maddox again, I'll be okay, Finn." Finn nodded his head reluctantly before standing to move towards the phone. Knowing that Conor was on a mission, he knew the next person he could go to for something like this would be James but he didn't want to call the man directly for fear of holding up the line if something dire came along so he called the main house line. Lucy picked up and Finn explained the situation to her. The woman was not pleased in the slightest and even questioned why the should give Ani any ounce of compassion, luckily, Finn was able to make her see past the grudges and she invited them over, making it clear that not a word of this was to make it to Syd.

Hating lying to anyone, Finn hung up the phone before turning to his fiancé and Ani. "I can't promise you James will even allow you to see him, but we can at least give it a shot." He told Ani before looking to George, "I don't think Conor is going to be pleased with me, let's make sure to make him his favorite dessert." He noted with a slightly nervous chuckle.
with: George Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

George kept a straight face when Ani mentioned Maddox Parker, having in the back of his mind the things he'd heard about what the counsellor did to Syd. He wondered if the man's relationship with Ani had been genuine or if he'd manipulated her the way he had his mob-affiliated patients. However, as bad as it might sound, when Ani went on to explain she'd been working for the East Harlem Gang, George realised she probably knew everything about Maddox and their relationship no doubt was genuine. Considering the Harlem lot and the Morettis had been making life Hell for Finn's family, George was glad to hear Ani say she didn't want to live that life anymore. Having spent time in prison with criminals of all kinds, he knew first hand that even those who had committed the worst of crimes still had potential to change for the better. He believed Ani wanted to move on too.

Hearing what Ani had done to Alistair was quite a shock to George as she seemed too nice to be capable of that. Still, the way she spoke of her actions and her inability to finish the monster off showed the good inside her had likely stopped her. The revelation to Ani that Maddox was alive and being held by the Porters brought relief to her. Ani's response confirmed to George that her feelings for the counsellor were genuine. He couldn't help but smile as he fed off of Ani's relief. This could be a light at the end of the tunnel for her.

As talk turned to arranging for Ani to see Maddox, George sat back and listened on. After what the counsellor had done to Syd and Conor, he wasn't sure how things would go down. Whilst Conor came across as a more forgiving man, he was out of the state, which left James in charge. The very man whose son had been driven to attempted suicide by Maddox. Once Finn had called the Porters, it seemed more hopeful, with Lucy agreeing for them to head over the house to see James. If she could see past what had been done to Syd, perhaps James might too.

"Ah, I'm sure some cake and a pint will soften Conor up for you," he lightly remarked, sending a reassuring smile to Ani. "Does James like desserts too?" he mischievously suggested "Want me to come along with you both? I could talk the kids into taking our side."

Bellz (Finn, Ani)

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah had been about to laugh when Danny started mentioning her being the Evil Queen, but she was instead distracted when he seemed to slip up. She was trying to work out which words started with 'lo' other than the obvious one, which was love. But she was cut off from seemingly overthinking when he referred to her as being precious. "Oh, Danny, that's so sweet," she softly told him. She then fanned her hand in front of her face as her cheeks warmed up. "You're making me blush," she playfully told him.

With Danny telling her how he admired her strength after everything that had happened to her recently, she briefly felt herself getting choked up at the thought of how supportive he had been. Danny and her family had been so patient and encouraging to her that she felt indebted to them for it. She returned Danny's gaze into her eyes, taking in the feeling of his hands around hers. "I'm trying my hardest... and I'm going to keep trying," she firmly assured him. "This is what I've wanted to do since I can remember and I don't want some rotten, nasty scumbags stopping me from doing it."

Savannah took a small drink from her wine glass before plucking a strawberry out from the bowl and popping it into her mouth. She couldn't help but grin as he told her he'd been up to the usual. "Freaky parties?" she asked as soon as she'd swallowed the fruit. "Halloween freaky or underground New York freaky?" she curiously asked. When he changed the tone to mention the thoughts he'd been having and a sudden realisation, Savannah looked down to the hand of hers which he was holding. With all of the encouraging words about her strength and how sensitive he was being towards her, her mind began to race. She felt a lump in her throat as the insecure part of of her crept into her thoughts to tell her Danny was building up to breaking up with her. The mentions of mayhem and freaky parties reminded her of how her two previous boyfriends had told her she was boring. Danny had something of a colourful lifestyle, so was he getting bored of her now, too?

As he stumbled to get his words out, Savannah looked away and slowly nodded her head. "It's okay, if you want to..." she quietly began, stopping as she lightly bit down on her bottom lip. She looked to him in time for their eyes to meet and noticed the tender smile on his face. Surely that wasn't the same kind of smile belonging to someone who was about to let her down gently. Then when he came out and said he loved her, Savannah's big eyes opened even wider and her heart seemed to skip a beat. She opened her mouth about to repeat in a heartbeat that she felt the same about him. No words came out as she was stunned. She listened on as he told her how he felt and how he thought about her so often. She smiled and quickly nodded her head, a couple of stray, happy tears escaping from her eyes. Her previous relationships might have lasted longer than she'd currently been with Danny, but neither of those guys had said they loved her. If anything, they'd often managed to make her feel bad about herself.

Still holding his hand, Savannah stood up and pulled him towards her so he would also stand. Gently squeezing his hand, she looked up into his eyes and smiled bright;y to him. "I love you too, Danny. I don't think I could keep that to myself even if I tried." She let go of his hand and instead placed her arms around his shoulders as she leaned in to softly kiss his lips. When they ended the kiss, she moved her arms to wrap around his waist and she rested the side of her face on his chest, taking in the warmth of his body. "I don't want you to leave tonight," she told him, her voice slightly muffled. She twisted her neck slightly so she could speak more clearly. "We could totally have a dorky sleepover!" she lightly added, in case she came across as clingy. Truth be told, she wanted to fall asleep beside him and not wake up alone the next morning.

Pyroclast (Danny)