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

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Hearing Steve scream and watching him writhe around in pain was surprisingly satisfying to Teddy. He had never been one for torture, his own being to blame for the distaste of it but today was a special occasion. He had disrespected the family long enough, caused them more than enough problems during his employment. The man was a psycho and he wanted to be rid of him for good. Feeling the spit land in his eye, he could feel his rage begin to boil over as he raised his head to wipe it away. "You little fuck." With his fist still full of the man's hair, he cocked his fist back to punch him as hard as he could across the face. It was one of the most disrespectful things you could do to a man, spitting in their face. He was going to make sure he paid for not only being disrespectful but for what was done to his current girlfriend. "As long as the pain you've inflicted is felt, I could care less." He said, kicking his chair back to watch him fall to the hard floor.

Once he had turned around, he saw the handle of the gun being pointed at him. Teddy couldn't help but hesitate, staring at Marcus and listening to his words. He had almost forgotten that he was dealing with the eldest brother of the woman he was with. There were bound to be a lot of over-protective actions in the future, but it had slipped his mind completely. Truthfully he always had plans to speak with Marcus, knowing that Val's past with men would be the reason he would be watched so closely. With the fun now resting in the palm of his hand, there was a slight hesitation. The man was basically telling him this was his right of passage, that if he did this for Valentina that perhaps he would have his blessing to be dating his sister. It wasn't that he didn't want to do this for her, but it was the amount of pressure he was feeling. Granted he wasn't going to disappoint, but this would be the second time he had to kill someone. It was for a good reason but the fact still remained that he was now a murderer and sinking deeper and deeper into the Moretti family business.

He was still staring at the gun in his hand when he heard Marcus' voice again, soon followed by Gabe. His boss was basically giving him an order, one he knew he was in no position to decline. Every day he woke up he knew how lucky he was to be alive, to be allowed to do his job, to be able to be with the woman he cared for. He was on thin ice and he didn't know how long it would be until he wasn't. He glanced at his boss before the gun the back to Steve. It was like just seeing the man's smug little face pissed him off again, causing him to raise the gun level to Steve's chest. Shooting him in the head would end everything too quickly, so he opted for something he would be able to feel. With a determined look on his face, he shot him twice in the chest without a single word said to the man, wasting words on a piece of trash wasn't something he wanted to do. He wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and quickly set the gun down on the table, desperate to get the heavy weapon out of his hands. He was glad Val's request to tag along was declined, considering how messy it had been but it was well worth it.


​

 

[Misty Gray]

Jasmine Carpenter​

Jasmine's apartment was decorated in neutral colours and had various framed photographs of the city skyline hanging on the walls. Admittedly, the decorations came with the place, with Jasmine having little time to consider replacing them with a more personal touch. Despite the lack of input on the woman's behalf, the place still had a warm, homely feel to it. It was clean and tidy, fully furnished and stocked with the necessities. Jasmine couldn't ask for more than that.

Right on time, there was a knock on the front door, prompting Jasmine to stand up and walk towards it, smoothing out her red lace dress along the way. She peered through the spyhole and wasted no time in unlocking the door once she saw who was standing at the other side. She hadn't seen Chase since the night at the train station, so a soft smile reflected the man's own. As the man leaned down to kiss her, she moved towards him to make it easier for him. As her cheek was graced with the touch of his lips, her cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink. Upon stepping back, she was then offered the flower as Chase told her it was a peace lily. "Thank you, it's beautiful," she warmly told him. She invited the man deeper into her apartment, stopping when she reached the kitchen counter so she could carefully set the flower down for the time-being. "Would you like something to drink?" she offered him.

Jasmine then motioned to the couch so they could sit next to each other. "I'm glad you came to see me," she echoed his words, turning to face him. "I'm sorry I haven't been in touch. With all of the funeral arrangements, my mother overstaying her welcome, and Conor giving me some time off... It was just easy to get lost in things back here." She quickly nodded her head. "I'm okay. It was hard at first, but I think it was more about the way he died and knowing those bastards had arranged it." She let out a small sigh. "But now that initial shock is gone, I suppose I've been prepared for this for a while. It hurts and I wish he was still alive so I can talk to him, but it was always a matter of time. My father was never getting out of jail and he made no secret about having enemies in there." She lightly shrugged her shoulders.

Jasmine looked up to Chase, gazing into his eyes before eventually looking away and resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I couldn't be at the funerals with you and Adam," she apologised, figuring the men would have attended those that had already taken place. "I'm feeling better now, though. I'm ready to go back to work, perhaps even tomorrow. Anything to stop me going crazy stuck inside this apartment."

She lifted her head from Chase's shoulder so she could look to him. "Speaking of which. What happened to Kerry in the end? Adam looked ready to kill her that night. Did you go with him?" she curiously asked.

Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Steve Kelly
May he rot in hell...

The lights went out for a few seconds before the initial shock of the punch wore off. Steve made an effort to laugh at Teddy’s retaliation, but he couldn’t muster much spirit before he was kicked down to the floor again. The jolt sent a stabbing pain through his two broken arms, eliciting a loud cry that he couldn’t hold back. Lying on his back with his ankles tied to the chair legs above him, he suddenly felt all too exposed. With the way he approached his work, it wasn’t rare for Steve to throw himself into vulnerable positions - leaning out of the window of a moving car to fire his gun, placing himself in the firing line with the confidence of drawing first, kidnapping someone in broad daylight - but in all of those situations, the decision to take the risk was his and his alone. This kind of vulnerability, on the other hand, made him uncomfortable, and so he craned his neck to see what was going on. Seeing a gun was such a relief that he actually smiled to himself - maybe they were already so sick of him that they had decided to end it quickly after all.

“That’s a lotta’ pressure, Teddy,” he goaded, after Marcus issued his warning. “You get your hands on this girl, that’s it - there ain’t no backin’ out. One wrong move and it’ll be you in this chair.” Despite the agony searing through his body, a strained chuckle escaped him and he cast a wink in the man’s direction. If he could rile him up just a fraction more, he reckoned it would be enough for him to pull the trigger and spare him any further pain. “Listen, I gotta level with ya’, man to man...I know you want the same thing any guy wants, Teddy, but you gotta watch yourself with princesses like her.” The effort it took to speak above the pain and dizziness was draining his energy, but to him it was worth it just to prove that he wasn’t willing to surrender. “You get as close as I got, you’ll see she ain’t so fuckin’ pure.”

The sound of a blowtorch firing up steered his attention away from Teddy and he twisted his head round further to try to see what was going on. His face paled at the sight of the pliers, turning almost as white as the metal as it soaked up the heat of the flame. A tingling sense of discomfort swarmed through his body as Marcus spoke, anticipating further torture but not knowing what exactly was going to happen. It hurt to move but he couldn’t stop himself from squirming in pain, and with his arm now drenched in blood it took more effort to keep his focus where he wanted it. “I don’t care what you fuckin’ got to say to me,” he growled, trying to block out Marcus’ threats. “I don’t run with you greasy Italian fucks and I ain’t gonna listen to your shit -” Whatever else he intended to say was robbed from him when Marcus shoved his hand against his mouth, wrenching his jaw open. Of course Steve recoiled - his wide eyes were glued to the glowing pliers, and even though he was stuck to the floor, he still tried with all his might to twist away from them. But it was inevitable. He screamed before they even entered his mouth, and when they finally clamped down on his tongue, he lost all control of himself, left with no option but to surrender to the pain. Smoke billowed down his throat, carrying with it the nauseating taste of his own burning flesh, choking him as he screamed and writhed violently against his restraints.

The sizzling finally came to an end, punctuated by the clatter of metal landing on the ground. The thick smoke in his throat was replaced by blood, drowning his cries until they came out as nothing but gurgling retches. Now free from Marcus’ grip, Steve twisted his head into the floor and vomited a deluge of blood, more flooding from his mouth with each convulsion. His bleary eyes hung open and, from down on the floor, he finally caught sight of the hole beneath the counter where the rats had escaped. As the blood surged out of him with every breath, Steve stared longingly into the hole, wishing he could escape with them, wondering how far they had got. That’s where his mind was when two bullets ripped through his chest. His whole body tripped up, and he felt himself fall into a darkness so deep he would never return.

Interactions
RayPurchase Marcus
Melanin-Gxdess Teddy
Misty Gray Gabriel

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti​

Even as Teddy lifted his arm and aimed the gun at Steve, Gabriel still wasn't convinced the man would go ahead and pull the trigger. The Italian boss stood silently with his eyes fixed intently on his view of both Teddy and Steve. Then, it suddenly happened. The two gunshot sounds not startling Gabriel, but certainly snapping an energy into the man that seemed to lift a dark cloud away in the process. He tilted his head to one side as he watched Steve closely as the life drained from his body with the pooling blood. Despite knowing the effects of the animal's actions would be lasting ones on Valentina as well as those around her, it was still satisfying to watch the man die. Another unruly liability snuffed out from the dying breed that was the East Harlem Crew.

After a silence that Gabriel was perfectly comfortable with but the others in the room likely weren't, the man suddenly turned to his two armed guards and pointed to the top of the basement stairs. "Get the car ready and wait outside," he commanded the two men who didn't hesitate to comply, no doubt itching to get some air after the show they'd just witnessed. Once the only living people left in the room were himself and Teddy, Gabriel turned to the man in question and looked him over. Although Steve had been trying to get a rise out of Teddy, it had still been uncomfortable hearing the man talk about Valentina the way he had. It was also difficult to ignore the warning Teddy had been given about the dangers of getting involved with the boss' daughter at all. Gabriel didn't like thinking about what his daughters got up to behind closed doors, but he assumed no father would and it wasn't just his own conservative nature to blame. What he couldn't brush off was the idea that Teddy would let her down, even if unintentionally, through having only looked at a relationship with Valentina through idealistic and naive eyes.

Maintaining the silence, Gabriel reached into his pocket and retrieved his leather gloves, which he proceeded to put on over his hands. The man then stepped over to the table and retrieved the gun Teddy had used to kill Steve with. Gripping it in one hand, Gabriel looked over the weapon as if studying its details. Swiftly, he then turned to face Teddy directly and flashed a brief smirk. With just the two of them standing in a basement, Gabriel holding a gun, and some of Steve's last words to Teddy, the younger man could be forgiven if he found the moment unsettling. "That freak's words weren't all nonsense, were they?" Gabriel reached out to the table with his free hand and grabbed a nearby cloth, still holding the gun in his other. "This is the last chance for you to back out of dating Valentina." Gabriel tore his eyes from Teddy and focused back on the gun as he set about wiping it with the cloth, evidently removing any trace of fingerprints from the various hands that had held the weapon that evening. Carefully placing the cleaned firearm back on the table, he slowly turned back to Teddy. "If you have any doubts, then I advise you step away from the relationship now. It won't affect your employment and I'll defend your decision to the rest of my family."

Gabriel folded his arms at his chest and looked the other man head on. "I've already said I can't stop you from dating my daughter and I trust you have the best of intentions. Some relationships end through no fault and that's acceptable. All I'm doing is asking you to make sure this is what you want and if you have doubts, then now is a good opportunity to avoid messing my daughter about." Gabriel put the cloth down on the table before taking a step closer to Teddy. "I now believe Valentina knows what she wants. But what do you want, Theodore?"

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)
Mentions: Pyroclast (Steve) RayPurchase (Marcus)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James stood with his hands in his front trouser pockets as he spoke with Aliana. He solemnly nodded as the woman spoke of it being difficult knowing Jackson was gone. He agreed about how hard it was being back in Dublin. It wasn't that he didn't want to be back as with everything going on it was preferable to New York. It was just strange being back without business being on his mind to distract him from his personal feelings. Along with facing the loss of Jackson, Ireland also reminded him of what had been lost and fought for back in the 60s, against the unhinged IWU. Thankfully they were a thing of the past, but it didn't mean the wounds they inflicted could ever disappear. Just like the physical scars that remained on his body from the battles fought back then, the losses would always be etched in his memory.

"I know what you mean," he agreed with Aliana. "Luce and me? Yeah, we're managing. It hits harder when we're alone, if I'm being honest. We're just trying to be there for Syd and Blake, knowing how hard they've been affected by this." James wasn't oblivious to his sister-in-law's inability to look him in the eyes, but he chose not to confront her on it and for a moment gazed to the distance, briefly taking in the pictures hanging on the McCarthys' wall.

When Aliana spoke again, she mentioned her brother and Tommy, which instantly brought James' focus and eyes back onto the woman. The two men had been killed during the war with the IWU and both of their deaths had always had an effect on James. He'd been sitting next to Tommy the night the young man was gunned down. It had taken James some time to get over the fact it should have been him who had died that night, just like Warren had died in his place a few months ago. Although he knew he couldn't live blaming himself for not being in their places, it was still a feeling he would always hold, that he should have been killed and not them. Despite holding onto the belief that Aliana's brother had been old enough to make his own decisions and work for him, James knew if he'd refused to let Leo join the mob, the young man would not have been murdered by the IWU. Tommy, Leo, Warren and Jackson. As much as all four had been old enough to make their own choices when it came to working for the mob, it didn't mean James could absolve himself of any guilt for their deaths.

"That's understandable. I blamed myself too," James admitted, keeping his focus on Aliana now. "I assume you still do," he pointed out, not oblivious to her looking away even if he wasn't the best at picking up on subtle emotional cues.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Pyroclast]

Tatiana Moretti

Tatiana listened attentively while Valentina explained how she felt about waiting for Steve to be confirmed dead. Her eyes were drawn to the bandage on her wrist as Valentina began to idly fiddle with it, but she said nothing. The whole ordeal seemed to have consumed her; ever since the attack, all she could see when she looked at her sister was the torment channeling through her vacant gaze, the driving force behind every word she spoke. Tatiana refused to get used to it, not wanting to believe that it would be like this forever. She knew her sister to be a strong and determined person. She had seen her pick herself again after the traumatic situation with her abusive ex-boyfriend Calvin and knew that, in time, she would manage to push through this, too.

It made sense to her that at this stage she would take it out on their father more than anyone else. Gabriel had a knack for frustrating not just Valentina but Tatiana, too. While they worked well together as a family business, the actual family side of it had always been harder to navigate. “You can say that again,” Tatiana sighed as she took a sip of her wine. “Trying to reason with papa, you might as well be talking to a wall. Even if he looks like he’s listening to you, you know he’s going to stick to his guns.” Their father might have been an obvious source of tension within the family, but Tatiana knew she hadn’t been the perfect sister, either. Whether she meant to or not, Valentina’s words had stirred up some recent guilt in Tatiana. After hearing about the attack, she had managed to twist the purpose of her weekend away with Rebel in Montauk from a clandestine romantic escapade to something less selfish and more with her family in mind. But it hadn’t turned out well for anything - she didn’t get the kind of answer she was looking for from Rebel, and in the process had ruined any chance she might have had with her. Essentially, she had wasted a weekend that she could have spent at Valentina’s side. She had left her sister at a time when she needed her the most, when she had needed someone to really listen to her. That was why times like this were so important - it was a chance to sit down and be fully present. Not thinking of Rebel, not thinking of work, just being there with her sister.

Not realising she had hung her head slightly, Tatiana looked up to Valentina to see a slight smile on her face, and automatically mirrored it with one of her own. At first she didn’t understand what could have brought it on, but as soon as Teddy was mentioned her smile grew and she cocked an eyebrow at Valentina. “God help him if he ever steps out of line,” she remarked, though her voice was free of any bitterness. She thought about their father for a moment, his general opinion on letting them date. There was pressure on Marcus to find somebody respectable to have children with, though that mostly came from their mother. Tatiana had broached the subject of dating before, but Gabriel had made it clear that he had no desire to even discuss the notion of her dating if it wasn’t going to be with a man. With Valentina, however, he was more protective when he came to that area of her life. It wasn’t just that she was the youngest, but also because she had been abused by a previous boyfriend. The fact that he was letting her date Teddy - an employee on the violent side of their business who had once severely broken Gabriel’s trust - was almost unbelievable. “Honestly, I have no clue how papa’s mind works half the time,” she said, shaking her head. “But I do know that he would never let you get close with somebody he didn’t trust. So I guess it’s progress for Teddy, too.”

She quickly glanced at the oven to check on the pizzas before turning back to Valentina with a warm smile. It had been a long time since she had last seen her sister blush about a man. “So you really think he’s the one, huh?” she asked gently. “I mean, I imagine you’ve gotta be as sure as Teddy is, right? Plus, if you’re gonna marry anyone, better a guy with a few years on you - men mature much slower than women, you know.” She sent Valentina a playful wink, rolling the base of her wine glass around on the table before taking another sip. “Come on, open up to me. I want the dirty details!”

Interactions
Misty Gray Valentina

RayPurchase Marcus is welcome to join if he's coming home !

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Once the snake had been taken care of, Teddy couldn't tear his eyes away from him. 'One wrong move and it’ll be you in this chair.' As much as he hated to admit it, Steve was right. As if he wasn't already second-guessing himself, the prick had gone and made it worse. Teddy knew from the very beginning what it would mean should he pursue Valentina and he had accepted that fact. There was a lot for the man to prove and there were a lot of people he needed to prove his worth to. It was something he thought about day and night, keeping it all to himself. He didn't need anyone going and reminding him of that fact and he damn sure didn't want the person to remind him to be Steve. Thankfully he wouldn't have to listen to him speak ever again, but he was afraid he wasn't getting those words out of his head for a long time.

Gabriel was paying attention to what Steve had said; he knew it to be true. When he told the other men in the room to leave them, Teddy couldn't help but feel a bit fearful. Theodore Wycliff was in no way afraid of his boss, Gabriel Moretti; he was afraid of his girlfriend's father, Gabriel Moretti. There was a difference and he would sit and make sure you understood that if ever given the chance to do so. He knew that while Gabe's work was important to him, his family took precedence. Valentina especially, considering everything she had gone through in the past and recently. It made sense that Gabe wanted to make sure he was up for it, but it was really messing with his confidence at the moment. It seemed like he was about to be in an endless loop of proving himself to his girlfriend, her family, his boss, himself; it was bound to stress anyone out. Watching as his boss moved to clean the gun, his eyes were fixated on him and his movements, listening to him speak. It was clear he knew Steve's words weren't just words and they held some truth to them. It was his next statement that caught him off guard, basically absolving him from being in a relationship with Valentina at all. To be quite honest it rubbed him the wrong way, thinking he didn't have any faith in him. It wasn't like it was misplaced distrust since he technically was a traitor but he would've hoped to receive the benefit of the doubt from him.

"You still don't trust me, and that's completely understandable." He stated, crossing his arms in front of his chest. The frustration was clear on his face of not only taking care of Steve but of the situation as a whole. He knew better to assume that the trust he had built up with Gabriel would just come back, but it was strange. Knowing that the man in front of him barely trusted him practically broke his heart and he didn't know if it were because he had worked hard to get to where he was or something else. Shaking his head, he took a deep sigh and readied himself to make his case. "I'm not in this to mess around on Tin or break her heart because I genuinely care about her. I've seen the things she's gone through and, despite my own past, I would never put her through that." He was more than serious when saying this, trying to get his point across. Smiling to himself, he spoke silently thinking he would be the only one who heard it. "She deserves the world and I plan to give it to her..." After a quick beat and realizing he was still talking to his boss, he cleared his throat. He was asking him what he wanted, now knowing what Valentina wanted and he shrugged his shoulders, a proud smile on his face.

"I want your daughter and whatever she wants."


​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Hearing James mention how hard Syd was taking Jackson's death made her feel awful. In comforting Blake, Natasha, and Conor she had missed her nephew and forgot to see how he was taking his godfather's death. With Jackson having saved him from committing suicide, there were bound to be moments where Syd definitely needed someone to be there for him. She made a mental note to check up on him later, wanting to make sure he understood she was there for him too and she wasn't neglecting him. If she were being honest, it was all a lot to deal with at the moment and she really was doing her best. Granted, taking care of others while ignoring her own grief was always something she had done. This time around was going to be no different unless Conor or someone else had called her out on it.

There was a brief moment before she responded to him. Of course he had blamed himself; he was in charge and that meant he was responsible for people's lives. Maybe it was because her own husband was in the same predicament that she finally realized how heavy that weight had been. She couldn't imagine what James had been through and what he blamed himself for, but she did know he didn't deserve the blame she had been secretly giving him for years now. Both men had known how dangerous working for the Porter family would be, making that decision on their own. When it came to Tommy, it was like another good thing had been taken away from her. Tommy was the one who made her want to be better and open herself to the possibility of loving anyone, to begin with. She truly believed that without him coming into her life when he did, she and Conor wouldn't be where they are. "No, I don't. There was never a reason for me to blame you, to begin with." Finally, she looked at him and offered a small smile. "I always thought it was your fault he was taken from me; that you robbed me of a future that could have been much different than this, but you didn't. Fate did. It was never in the stars for me to end up with him and I realize that now more than ever." Her eyes started to tear up as she continued, doing her best to contain her emotions.

"Leo, on the other hand, looked up to you and I think one of the main reasons I didn't want him to work for you was because I was jealous. 'He may be breaking the law, but he's doing something, Al.' Despite really knowing you, you were his favorite and I was pissed." She let out a small laugh before shaking her head. "How could the little shit like you more than me and you didn't even know him outside of him dating your daughter? At the end of the day, I'm glad he was able to do what he wanted. Basically, what I'm saying is, you were not to blame for any of their deaths or anyone else's. Plus, this family is very big on revenge and it's very comforting to know that there are people who would risk their lives to avenge someone. This is a dangerous life to live and tomorrow is never guaranteed. We signed up for it." Once she realized she was letting the somber mood take her over she laughed. "Jesus, that's depressing and I didn't even say what I need to. James, I'm sorry for placing that blame on you whether you knew I did or didn't. You did the best for your family and if no one tells you, I will. Thank you."





​

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti​

When Teddy spoke up and commented that he still didn't trust him, there was a brief moment where Gabriel considered intervening to clarify. Instead, he chose not to, appreciating that his words had affected the younger man. The Boss had long since learned not to trust anyone completely, so Teddy wasn't special on that front. However, since the man had betrayed his trust, he had taken steps to make up for it over the last few months. The most recent been putting two bullets in Steve's chest minutes ago. As far as Gabriel was concerned, the man had redeemed himself and proved his loyalty once again. It helped that Teddy had been close to the family for quite some time. This conversation, however, was not about business, it was extremely personal. It would take some time for Gabriel to trust any man with his daughter, especially after what had happened to her. In Teddy's favour, he was known to the family and Gabriel knew he'd be an idiot to intentionally hurt Valentina. Working against him was his reputation with women and the fact he had to prove he was capable of a serious relationship.

Hearing Teddy assure him that he genuinely cared for Valentina, Gabriel believed the man was being honest. The older man also couldn't deny that Teddy had seen the young woman in her worst state and even knowing the road ahead could be difficult, he still wanted to date her. Gabriel raised a curious eyebrow upon hearing Teddy say he planned to give the world to Valentina. As his own features began to soften, Gabriel was grateful for the sound of Teddy clearing his throat and knocking sense back into himself so his expression returned to a neutral one. Still, it was hard not to acknowledge Teddy's proud smile with the briefest one of his own.

"Then I support the relationship between you and Valentina. You seem to make her happy, even in these dark times, and I couldn't possible deny either of you of that," he admitted. In the rarest of flips, Gabriel reached out and briefly patted Teddy's shoulder as a sign of acceptance. "Be good to her," he softly added as he walked towards the door to leave. The switch seemed to flick once again as the man turned back to briefly regard Steve's lifeless corpse. Gabriel's face and tone returned to the more familiar commanding one. "Theodore. You've done enough by now to repay me for what you gave away to the Irish rats," he informed him.

*****​

After leaving the base, Teddy returned to his own place and Gabriel had his driver stop by his office apartment so he could put on a fresh change of clothing. Once done, he was taken to his wife's flower shop where he knew she was working late. Leaving his driver and bodyguard in the car, Gabriel entered the shop alone and headed straight towards Elvian. "Which flowers would you recommend for the centrepiece on our dining room table? I'm thinking a family dinner is overdue," he told her.

Gabriel took Elvian's hand in his and leaned in to place a kiss on her lips before taking a step back to look at her. It had been a rough evening, hearing the poisonous words Steve had spoken about Valentina. Still, Gabriel managed to keep his expression undisturbed. "The sick freak is dead and gone. The mongrel suffered for what he did," he informed her, knowing she wanted Steve to be punished for attacking their daughter. "Marcus and Theodore did us all proud," he admitted to her.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy, Elvian)

 

[RayPurchase]

Marcus Moretti


​

Marcus ended up making the journey back home on the foot. On a Saturday afternoon like this the streets were busy, but by cutting through the various alleyways he avoided the worst of it. He needed to be out in the cool air, filling his lungs with deep breaths, it washing over him. He could still smell the seared flesh, he wasn't sure if it clung to his nostrils, his clothes and skin, or was just a figment of his imagination. Whatever it was that stench lingered with him as he walked the New York streets. Hanging heavy over him like a cloud. Steve was dead. Marcus may not have seen it happen, but even if Teddy had pulled the shot and tried to shirk out (not that this was particularly likely) then he knew his father would have finished the job. The deed was done, vengeance was theirs. But at what cost? Marcus knew Valentina would be at home, with questions perhaps, but what answers would truely fix those wounds, not the physical ones, the ones that lay that much deeper, ones that lay in all of them. As much as he had wanted to kill Steve for what he had wrought, as Marcus had stood in that basement he knew that it was just putting a bandaid over a gunshot wound. It may hide it and make you feel better, but it didn't do anything to fix the pain. That would take longer, and maybe it would linger for a whole lot longer yet.

Marcus stood outside the Moretti homestead, staring up at it, his hands in his pockets. It almost felt surreal, standing here in the daylight. For weeks he had been leaving at dawn and returning long after dusk, running away from his failures in there. Running from Val. Left battered and bruised whilst he had wined and dined at that hotel, the name and function already having drifted from his mind. Trivial stuff. It all had been trivial, Football, Miami, everything before now. It was the people in this building who were important to him. Family was all they could rely on now, even his father. Things were rocky there, that was for sure, their relationship forever changed, just as Marcus was. He let out a deep breath Steve was dead now though, and all of them in there, they were safe now. Walking down the path to the door he inserted his key and paused for a moment, the sound of his sisters' laughter and conversation filtered through an open window towards him. The noise of normality. It may not last forever, chances are it wouldn't, but best enjoy it whilst they could.

Marcus stepped through the doorway, closing the door behind him with enough force to at least announce his arrival back at the homestead. He turned the corner, a smile appearing on his face as he saw Val and Tati, the first genuine smile he'd worn in what felt like far too long. Appearing behind Val he leaned in from behind, pulling her back in a hug.

"Not interrupting anything too important I hope?" He glanced towards the wine glass that Tati was holding in her hand. "Now there's a great idea, don't suppose I could persuade you to get me a large glass of the same, I can not stress the large part of that." Marcus paused for a moment, and sniffed loudly. "And seems like I made it back just in time for dinner as well, I always had the best timings didn't I?"

And with that he vaulted over the back of one of the sofas, and sprawled out over it. The gruesome work of that afternoon and the madness of the past months slipping away for the time being.

(Interaction: Pyroclast Tatiana, Misty Gray Valentina)

 

[Misty Gray]

Valentina Moretti​

Valentina nervously chewed her bottom lip as a brief wave of uncertainty came over her upon hearing Tatiana vocalise there'd be hell to pay for Teddy if he stepped out of line. She trusted him and didn't believe he would do anything to break that trust. What had her concerned was that her family would scare him off, be it intentional or not. She appreciated their love and concern, but she could only imagine how much pressure Teddy was under as a result of their protectiveness. She was sure most guys would have run a mile from her before now. "Well, I hope Papa does trust him, because I want Teddy and me to have a chance. If he, or anyone else, scares him off already, I'll never trust them again. Haven't I had enough free will taken from me by now?" she remarked, not just in reference to being attacked but regarding her suffocating childhood as a whole.

The conversation took a lighter, more casual, turn when Tatiana spoke to her in a way she knew sisters in normal families would talk about romantic relationships. Valentina blushed and managed a shy laugh when her sister pressed her for details about her feelings for Teddy. "Well, Teddy being older than me is what attracted me to him in the first place. He's confident and charming - always looks good in a suit. I know he's got a reputation, but I genuinely believe he's moved on from that now, that he wants to have a proper relationship." She grabbed her glass and took a long sip of her wine, trying to wash away the negative thoughts that still plagued her even when she was having a pleasant conversation. "I've liked him for a while, you know. I just never did anything about it because I never thought he couldn't possibly feel the same about me. But here we are now," she said, wanting to move on to the fact the feeling was mutual. "Most guys would have steered well clear of me in that hospital, but Teddy was right there by my side the whole time. I think he could be the one."

Hearing the door close, Valentina cleared her throat and sat up straight, anticipating which family member had returned home. She'd tried not to dwell on it, but her thoughts had been growing restless waiting for news on the situation with Steve. She hoped whoever was home was going to provide confirmation. Seeing Marcus approaching, Valentina returned his smile and then allowed him to move in to hug her. He seemed positive, she was sure.

When asked if he was interrupting something, she lightly shook her head, not sure he'd be up for the conversation they'd just been having about Teddy. "I made pizza for Tati and me," she informed him when he mentioned the smell. She had every intention of sharing it with their brother too, but she wanted confirmation first. When Marcus moved onto one of the sofa, Valentina stood up and folded her arms. "Is he dead then?" she bluntly asked Marcus. She didn't intend on pressing for every other piece of information, feeling she would save him from having to give all of the details. Right now, she just needed to know Steve was gone.

Regardless of the depth of his answer, Valentina was sure Marcus wanted to unwind after the evening he'd had so she decided to let it drop and press for more information another day. "I think there's enough pizza for the three of us. You're invited to Pizza Club,," she informed Marcus, trying to keep the atmosphere upbeat for her two siblings.

Pyroclast (Tatiana) RayPurchase (Marcus)

 

[Pyroclast]

Tatiana Moretti

Tatiana offered her sister a sympathetic smile when she argued that she deserved to exercise her free will when it came to dating Teddy. It was true that the family, made up of strong and stubborn characters, had enforced plenty of rules upon her. Safety measures, most of them, but all the same, Tatiana understood why she was frustrated. She had had freedoms taken from her too, but at least she was taken more seriously when it came to joining in with the family business. She felt she must have proven herself to Gabriel, since he let her participate in the darker, more dangerous jobs. But perhaps her being the eldest played a part in that, too. Valentina may have always had a better chance at introducing partners to their parents than Tatiana did - even after Calvin - but Tatiana seemed to have an advantage on her when it came to the business. Like she had said to Valentina moments ago, she didn’t really understand how their father’s mind worked or how he justified his decisions. Maybe being a parent had something to do with it - and that wasn’t something Tatiana ever saw in her own future.

Valentina’s giggling when pressed for details about her relationship with Teddy made Tatiana smile. Given everything she had been through, it was refreshing to see her little displays of happiness shine through the gloom. But what was more rare even than her precious smile was something Tatiana hadn’t seen in her sister for a long, long time. The way her eyes sparkled while talking about him, the little blush upon her cheeks - “You’re in love with him,” she concluded, with her own soft smile. “And it sounds like he’s in love with you, too. Listen, sis, I’m not going to get between you two. The thing is, nobody has to threaten Teddy. He’s made his mistakes in the past but if he wasn’t a smart guy, he wouldn’t be working for our family in the first place. He was lucky enough to be given a second chance, but he knows exactly what dad is capable of. He’s making this choice knowing what will happen if he breaks your heart. I have faith in dad’s ability to tear him apart, same for mine and Marcus’. And if Teddy has that same faith - which I guarantee he does - then he must be 100 per cent sure about his feelings for you. So, you go ahead and love that man, sis’. He’s one of the good ones.”

Just as soon as she reached out and gave her sister’s hand an affirming squeeze, they heard somebody coming through the front door. No doubt letting his nose lead the way, Marcus soon appeared in the kitchen doorway and gave Valentina a hug. Tatiana raised an eyebrow at her brother as he hurdled the sofa, and shook her head with a smirk. It was just like the men in the family to expect to be served. Normally, Tatiana would call him an entitled brat and tell him to get it himself, but on this one occasion she understood that the day she had had couldn’t compare to his. When Valentina wasn’t in the room, she hoped to hear from Marcus about how it had gone down, how exactly Steve’s fate had taken its course. For now, she was willing to assume that it had been heavy enough to warrant a drink and a few pizza slices at his request. “Only because you’ve been through it today,” she told him, standing over the sofa to hold out the almost-overflowing glass of wine. Once he had taken it, she brushed a hand through his hair and made her way over to the oven.

The burning smell was soon replaced by the rich scent of pizza and Tatiana drew a deep inhale as she placed them on the counter. “Mmm, ho l’acquolina in bocca,” she smiled, her shoulders dancing with delight. “Val, mia cara sorellina, you are a true chef!” After dividing the pizzas into equal thirds and serving them out to her brother and sister, Tatiana shifted her chair to open up the space between the three of them. She watched Valentina from the corner of her eye, half-expecting some sort of emotional release from the day’s events. Tatiana herself felt lighter just knowing that Steve was gone. And if he continued to haunt Valentina, she was prepared to devote her time towards helping her through it. From now on, she was going to be there for her - there would be no woman who could take her from her side. “Well, the world just became a better place, how about that?” she carefully commented, before taking a bite of the pizza. “Val, I want to make it clear that I think you should get to call the shots on where we go from here. You know, whatever you want, you just let me know, okay?” She leaned over to top up Valentina’s glass of wine before refilling her own. “In the meantime,” she added with a broad smile, raising her glass in a toast. “I’ll be waiting for your signal to throw a big motherfucking party. Here’s to my dear brother and sister, and to brighter days ahead for us all!” Throwing Valentina a playful wink, Tatiana tossed her hair behind her shoulders and took a hearty swig of wine.

Interactions
Misty Gray Valentina
RayPurchase Marcus

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Steve being captured and locked away like the animal he was was the equivalent to winning the lottery for Elvian. While she hated the idea of anyone being killed or tortured, this particular person deserved it. She knew that nothing would compare, but so long as he suffered for what did to her family she would feel better. It took a lot to calm her daughter down and make her see reason as to why she wouldn't be allowed to accompany Gabe, Teddy, and Marcus. Sure, it may have been therapeutic but that would have only last for a few minutes, right? Then he would have said something out of pocket and in turn send her down yet another spiral. Teddy had been doing good at keep her balanced, being there for her when she needed him to be and she was grateful for it, but it would take a lot longer for things to return to normal. Although she vouched for Teddy in so many different ways and believed he would make good on his promise, that didn't mean she still wasn't watching him and his patience.

As much as she wanted to put of working for two more weeks, she knew she wouldn't be able to do such a thing. March was the beginning of her peak floral season, which meant more flowers and more people coming in to buy them. The manager she had in place was doing as well as she could as far as the business side of things went, but Elvian felt bad for leaving her alone. When she entered her office there were files and papers everywhere that she would have to go through and organize. She internally groaned, listening as her manager profusely apologized. It wasn't her fault, seeing as Elvian was responsible for a lot of this too but she also expected the other woman to be able to hold her own.

By the end of the day she was able to get receipts and accounts organized. She was alone at the front desk, tallying up that days receipts when she heard the jingle of the door opening. "Scuze, but we're closed." Even though her voice was soft, it was also slightly annoyed and exhausted. When she heard the voice of her husband, she looked up over her reading glasses at him, a small smile appearing on her face as she looked back down. "A family dinner, you say? It's quite some time since we had one of those. I'm going to assume you miss having us all together." She teased. Once he made his way over, she placed her pen down and returned his kiss in kind before examining him, trying to find some sign that the job had been done. Her husband had always been difficult for her to read and right now seemed to be of no exception. She wouldn't need to try and decipher his expression as he went on the explain Marcus and Teddy had taken care of Steve and that he was gone for good. It felt like a weight was lifted at the thought, causing her to smile. "In that case, lilacs would be great for the centerpiece. And chrysanthemums. They mean rebirth and progress towards the future, which I believe is a good thing, no?"





​

 

[Pyroclast]

Chase Zegarra

Chase didn’t give himself time to consider Jasmine’s offer of a drink before politely declining. As much as he liked her, it wasn’t in his nature to make himself at home so soon. Instead, he followed her to the sofa and took a seat beside her, observing the way she behaved around him. It didn’t seem like she held any ill feelings towards him for putting her father in a dangerous position - as far as she was concerned, being in prison was always going to be a dangerous place for him with all the enemies that he had there. Chase listened to her in silence. Even though he had also lost his father to the enemy, he was finding it hard to come up with anything useful to say. In his memory, his reaction had been quite different; while he and his father had willingly entered what they knew to be a dangerous business, they were both fairly naive to the extent of the danger and so his death had been entirely unexpected. He had done his best to face up to the grief, but it had taken a long time to be able to talk about it as steadily as Jasmine was talking now. Still, the very fact that she had had to prepare herself for his death for a long time was grim enough.

“I’m not trying to flatter you, but you are the bravest person I think I have ever met,” he told her, nothing but the deepest sincerity in his eyes. “But you know, if you ever don’t feel so brave, you can always come and find me. As somebody who has also had a father taken by the enemy, I think I will understand what you feel.” Jasmine held her eyes on him for a moment before slinking down and nestling against his shoulder, to which he opened out his arm and draped it around her.

Her apology for not attending the other funerals didn’t surprise him - it was awful timing that her father had happened to be killed at around the same time as the train station ambush, but it was understandable that his death had taken priority. Especially since she would have had to spend time sorting through his affairs. “I understand, Jasmine, you don’t have to apologise,” he softly assured her, caressing her arm with his thumb. “Besides, it’s never too late to say goodbye to them, if that’s what you want.” As they spoke of all the funerals, his thoughts briefly turned to Adam. With Jasmine, Conor, Syd and many others taking time to grieve, Chase had spent a great deal of time with him, bringing him even closer to the man than before. While neither of them were particularly expressive of their emotions, Chase could tell easily enough when Adam wasn’t at his best. The two had attended too many funerals in a short space of time such that he was now dangerously close to associating bars with wakes. Having been in the business for several years, it wouldn’t have been the first time Adam had been present for a mass shooting, but it was rare to get caught in one on such a large scale, and especially one unexpected. Chase had seen his fair share of bloodshed by now, too, even buried friends and coworkers whose brutal deaths he had witnessed at close range. Yet, from what he had heard about that night in the train station, it was worse than anything he had ever experienced. From time to time he had dreams that threw him back into the hardest, most chilling moments in his career and he would wake up feeling like it happened just the day before. He didn’t ask what Adam dreamt about at night, but since Conor and Syd had taken time off to process it all, he was keeping a close eye on his friend. They may have experience behind them, but this time, the loss was so extensive there was no way to escape thinking about it and it cast a heavy shadow over the pair that no amount of alcohol could clear. In all honesty, he reckoned Adam was glad that Jasmine hadn’t been there to watch him deal with it.

His train of thought came to a halt when Jasmine shifted in his arms, and he looked down to meet her gaze. “Did I go with him?” he repeated, taking a moment to recalibrate his mind. “Yeah...well, everything was very in the air, I think. He definitely looked like he wanted to kill her, but you know...it was a very emotional night. But he didn’t kill her, Kerry is still alive. I was the one who spoke to her, actually. I think what I said hurt her enough.” Chase let out a sigh as he remembered how upset the young woman was. He didn’t regret the way he had dealt with her, but he still couldn’t help feeling sorry for the situation she had found herself in. “Like I said, it was an emotional night. But she’s young and practically a civilian, so I think the punishment will skip her. It was Moretti who was behind it of course - when she was kidnapped, they threatened her to lead us into an ambush - so making her suffer for it feels like a waste of time.” The heaviness returned to his chest when he thought about the mob planning another attack on Moretti. There was no point in going after Kerry when they could go after the Italian kingpin himself, but even the idea of it was draining. He thought of Conor and Syd and Adam, and wondered how long it would be until the mob got back on their feet again. “We took a big hit this time, Jasmine," he muttered, naturally reaching up to sweep her hair from her face. He sent her a soft, weary smile. "I don't know what will happen after this, but from where I'm standing it looks like we are all just ready for this war to end. It might not go the way we want, but if it means the attacks and ambushes stop, then..." As a loyal employee who had taken his oath to the mob, Chase couldn't quite bring himself to admit that to lose the war would be a relief. It would no doubt result in a huge upheaval and loss of power, but inside, he knew the gang would benefit from a break from the constant grief and terrorism that they had suffered. Looking at her with a tenderness in his eyes, Chase lifted Jasmine's fingers to his lips and kissed them. "Maybe then we'll finally get our date.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Jasmine

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead and Savannah Callahan​

Despite the problems the family had in Dublin back in the early 1960s, Sinead felt at ease being back there now, even though the family's return was for unhappy circumstances. It was heartbreaking seeing Blake and Natasha grieving for Jackson, only made more devastating knowing the man died without ever knowing his unborn child. Knowing how much the people around her had been there for her whenever she had needed them, Sinead had been trying her hardest to remain strong and available for others to come to if they needed a shoulder to cry on. And were it not for Finn's upcoming wedding, Sinead would have stayed in Dublin after the funeral when everyone else returned to New York so she could be around for Blake and Natasha. Soon enough, however, the Callahans would be back in Dublin and there for the McCarthys whenever they were needed.

Except for one Callahan, of course. When Sinead had first told Savannah they were moving back to Dublin, she had been upset when her daughter said she wouldn't be joining them and would instead stay in New York. Even now Savannah's plans had changed and she was moving to London, which was much closer, the redhead was still going to miss having her daughter living in the same city. The two women had taken some time away from the middle of the gathering, mostly so Sinead could appease her hunger and cravings without looking disrespectful. Sinead had pulled up a chair to sit on so she could rest her swollen ankles. "You and Brady were no trouble. Made it so easy," Sinead complained as she slumped back in the chair. She handed her shoulder bag to Savannah so the blonde could root through it for one of the chocolate bars she'd packed. "My ankles were fine. Back was fine. But this one is making Mamma work hard, just like Emmy did." As soon as Savannah handed her the chocolate, Sinead ripped the wrapper open and wasted not time in breaking off pieces to devour. "I wish you were moving here too. Why would you want to move to London? There's so many... English people. You'll hate it," she grumbled as she continued to eat.

Savannah laughed at her mother as she sat down beside her. "Now you're just being silly," she softly replied. She knew her mother was anxious about a lot of things and she was certain her moving to London wasn't really that high of her list of worries. "If this little one is going to be like Emmy, then you don't even need to worry. They'll be tough as nails," she commented. "Everything's going to be okay, Mum..." she began to reassure her.

Hearing someone else enter the kitchen, Sinead placed the last square piece of chocolate in her mouth and stuffed the empty wrapper back into her bag before turning to see Syd had joined them. She quickly chewed and swallowed the chocolate before standing up along with Savannah. She could see he'd been crying, but it was no surprise given how close he was to Jackson. "Hey honey. I was just having a rest," she told him. She stepped towards her nephew and pulled him in for a quick hug. Although she could smell the cigarette smoke on him, she chose not to pull him up on it. She stepped back from the hug and reached out to briefly stroke his cheek. "How are you holding up, love?" she sweetly asked him.

"She says 'resting', but I say stuffing her face with chocolate," Savannah teased her mother to try cheer Syd up. "Jackson's having a beautiful send off. He'll be really proud of you," she assured her cousin.

Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti​

Gabriel nodded his head when Elvian spoke of it being a while since the last family dinner. "What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment," he sarcastically joked when she assumed he missed having everyone together. "Perhaps we can arrange it for Tuesday and I will clear my diary," he suggested. Business was always busy, but what good was it being in charge if he didn't make use of the fact he was the boss and could do whatever he wanted to.

The man smiled at his wife's suggestions for centrepiece flowers, especially when she justified them as reflecting rebirth and progress to the future. "Then they are perfect, darling," he agreed with her. "We'll be needing lots more of them again soon, I expect. Once the Irish have been sent packing and the last of East Harlem wiped out, the future will belong to us."

Gabriel glanced to his watch, figuring Marcus would have made it home by now and he expected would have updated his sisters on the Steve situation. Although he intended to talk to Valentina himself before the night was out, he felt compelled to give his three kids a little more time without their parents around. Hopefully the eldest two would be able to engage with Valentina better than he had been able to over the last few weeks. Gabriel reached out and softly rubbed Elvian's back as he briefly observed the inside of the flower shop. "When I entered the shop, you sounded irritated. I thought the point of having a manager here was to relax your own workload. If she's not pulling her weight, then what good is she? But, you know me. I have no time for weak links and time wasters," he added. Owning a flower shop or controlling a city, Gabriel was pretty single-minded with his views on management.

Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

With all the grief weighing him down, Syd’s brain was working a little slower than usual, and so didn’t manage to give his aunt a verbal response before she came in to give him one of her famously warm hugs. The moment he felt her loving arms around him his heart rate picked up, threatening to draw his raw emotions to the surface once again. As tempting as it was to just fall apart in her arms, Syd was drained enough already and preferred to suppress the grief purely to give himself a break. Thankfully, the two broke apart before anything could happen, with Sinead reaching up to stroke his cheek. Syd took a deep breath and smiled, folding his arms across his chest as though to physically hold himself together. “Oh, you know,” he answered vaguely, when she asked how he was doing. The real answer was far too big, and even grazing the surface of it would no doubt set him crying again. “Just trying to stay away from all the alcohol so I don't do something stupid. Maybe it’ll be easier if I sit with you for a while.”

Savannah’s teasing about her mother bingeing on chocolate drew a soft chuckle from him. “Don’t let me stop you,” he told her, in a voice soft and distant. When his cousin then told him Jackson would be proud of him he let his gaze fall to the floor and had to make an effort to swallow the lump in his throat. “Thank you...” he whispered, then cleared his throat. “I don’t intend to let him down. I mean, he’s a lot to live up to, but all the best people are, right?”

With sluggish footsteps, Syd moved to sit down. “On Monday, it’ll be ten years…” he said, loosening his tie slightly to help him relax. “And I’ve been thinking about the way the grief affected me when I lost her, you know, it was really...really bad. Until I adopted Arrow. And all of a sudden I had this new reason to get up in the morning. She gave me a purpose, and it made me want to keep going. And this time, it’s like, all the pain is still there, but I’m not even thinking about giving up because I have all these responsibilities. Not just my own daughters, but..." His voice tailed off as he went over Jackson's last words, the image of him in his arms pulling at his aching heart. “It was one of the last things he said to me, actually,” he continued, with a faint smile. “He asked me to look after Blake and Natasha, that he trusted me to do it. So that’s what I’m going to do. I mean, I do have to go back to New York, but I know that if it were me who’d been killed, Jackson would do everything he could to take care of Roxie and the girls. Blake and Natasha are never going to be without protection or somebody to turn to. They’re never going to be alone or feel unloved. I made a promise to him to support them and I’m going to keep it for as long as I live.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Sinead, Savannah

 

[RayPurchase]

Marcus Moretti

​

Marcus grinned up at Tati as she came bearing a full glass of wine. He had expected an earful from her, rightfully so to be honest, but she knew, she knew what had gone down and want it meant.

"You're a star Tati. Pizza and Wine, what an arrival back home,"

Val was bound to ask. Standing there before him as he lay on the sofa. She had a right to no, it was her life that had been affected the most, it wasn't just emotional injury for her, it was a chapter that she wanted closing. Marcus simply nodded his head, his eyes meeting hers.

"He's gone, he isn't going to be plaguing anyone any more, we all saw to that. If you want to know more, I'd say your boyfriend is the best one to go to,"

Marcus hadn't pulled that final trigger, and he really hoped that Teddy had been man enough to. It had been down to him and him alone. Especially in their father's eyes Teddy had been walking on thin ice ever since he had squealed to save his life. Marcus was a bit more understanding, he himself had never been in that position, you never knew what you would do to live until you experienced it. But either way Teddy had ground to make up, and if Teddy was going to be accepted as Val's partner then Teddy would have to lay that final blow on Steve. If only his father walked through the doors of the familial home, then that relationship was already dead. And with everything that had happened since returning to New York, Marcus would be backing his father in this instance.

Thankfully the answer seemed to satisfy Val, and she didn't probe any deeper, a mild mercy. "Well thank goodness for that, otherwise one of you two would have to go hungry, I know you'd take one for the team though Val,"

Thankfully Tati soon arrived with the Pizzas, the smell had been wafting over tantalizingly from the kitchen. He took a deep breath of the plate that Tati handed him, the smell of molten mozzarella filling his lungs, the stink of Steve beginning to fade, being replaced by something far more palatable. Taking a deep bite of the pizza, Marcus' eyes widen as the cheese and the near boiling sauce hit his tongue. Taking a hurried sip of wine, he raised a thumb, conveying what his burning mouth could not about the flavour. He raised his glass again at Tati's toast, flushing the last of mouthful of pizza down.

"I think a party is needed, or even just several bottles of wine, us and nothing planned for the morning. It's reached the point where I'm really not that fussy anymore. We've gone through hell, but look at us. All still sitting here together and sharing a glass,"

For the first time in months things felt normal. Or at close to normal as the 3 of them ever got, they could almost be sitting back on the porch in Miami, carefree and young. Marcus didn't know how long this evening would last, but it was nice to experience this feeling again.

(interaction: Misty Gray Val, Pyroclast Tati)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

It was nice seeing her husband so... Relaxed. It had been a long time since she had seen it and she honestly didn’t want the moment to end. The family’s recent victories were to thank for it, so she just prayed everything else would continue to run smoothly. It hurt her seeing him as his lowest point after Valentina’s attack and she knew he wasn’t going to rest until he had gotten those who were responsible; now that he had, he would be able to. “Tuesday will actually work. I have maintenance coming in to install a new freezer for me so the store will be closed the entire day. Is there anything specific you’d like on the menu?” She moved to pull out her schedule book, taking note of the things she would have to get prepared for Tuesday. Having her entire family together again was something she was definitely looking forward to and wanted to make sure it all went without a hitch.

“Lilacs and chrysanthemums it is. I do have to mention, Mr. Moretti, that they are currently out of season and will cost you extra.” She teased. “Especially if you want me to keep them around as a sign of our good fortune. I may be able to cut you a deal but it all depends on what you’re willing to give for them?” Her husband’s good mood seemed to be gravitating towards her as she forgot momentarily of the amount of paperwork she had. Granted, she only had a few things to look over, but it helped that he was there to make things better with his presence.

At the mention of her tone, she shook her head and gestured to the counter. “Ah, she is supposed to make my life easy, although I can’t blame her entirely. I hadn’t meant to leave her alone for as long as I had, but then again she should be able to handle it. I may have to take a page out of your book, lubirea mea, and let her go. Ah, but not before finding someone else.” She tapped her finger on the counter before getting lost in thought of what to do. A part of her didn’t want o fire the woman, so perhaps she could find somewhere else to stick her? There was also the matter of pay and such, but she was sure she could figure that out at a different time. “I don’t want to talk business. This may be my only chance to have you to myself for a while.” She gave him a smile before putting her hands in his and kissing his cheek. “You, my love, are an amazing husband and father, you know. I don’t think I say it enough to you either, how grateful I am that it was you who saved me from the slime all all those years ago. I love you.”




​

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James was relieved to hear Aliana didn't blame him for Tommy's and Leo's deaths. It lifted a weight from his shoulders knowing she didn't hold it against him, especially after so long, as he imagined it would be a difficult burden for her to carry ill feelings towards someone she couldn't even avoid. It was certainly a relief to him. The wounds caused by Warren's death and the fact James' step-father explicitly blamed him for the young man's death were still very much real and fresh. Thankfully, his step-father lived in Italy, which made it easier for James to push it to the back of his mind.

It was always interesting to wonder what could have been. What Aliana's life would have been like with Tommy if he hadn't been killed. However, he agreed that fate had intended otherwise and a life with Conor instead. "Tommy was a good lad and we all wish he'd never been taken. But it seems that this was your path. Leo and your baby. This must be what fate intended." He reached out and briefly rubbed her arm as he could see the woman tearing up.

"Leo might have looked up to me and been drawn in to the business, but there's no way he would have favoured me over you, Ali. Your brother loved you, he just wanted a part in the business too," he reasoned. A soft smile crept onto James' face when Aliana said he wasn't to blame for her brother's death. Her words and reassurances that he'd done his best for the family were comforting. "It's alright, Ali." He pulled the woman in for a firm hug and when he stepped back he looked her in the eyes. "I know I've retired, but I'm still around, alright? If you or Conor need me for any advice, I'll be here. If Conor doesn't even think he needs help, I'm still here. Don't forget that."

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 20: The Truce
Wednesday 15th March 1972
...4 days later…
Mid-Morning - Sunny, Clear Skies, Mild
******************************

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42nd Tower Block
~ Midtown, Manhattan ~
​

Riccardo Biancardi

The Biancardis had reached out to both the Morettis and the Sullivans in recent months to try ease the tensions and all try to come to some kind of an agreement for the sake of the city. Gabriel had shown willingness to make a deal, but of course, on the provisions of his own terms and requirements, as expected. Conor, however, had very clearly and vocally refused what had been offered when Giovanni and Ricky last met with him. Although it was frustrating, a part of Ricky could understand why the Irishman had refused. Not only was it pride coming into play, but they would essentially be selling off the empire the family had built over many years to the enemy and leaving the city they'd called home for years. Unfortunately, that was the sentimental side of Ricky. The realistic part of him knew the Sullivans were losing the war and Moretti's offer was surprisingly fair. Granted, the Italian's gains would only continue to grow once he took over the empire, but the Sullivans would be spared more bloodshed and given the opportunity to expand their businesses in Ireland and its surrounding territories.

When they received contact from Conor just days ago, Ricky was relieved to hear the Sullivans were finally willing to see reason and agree to Gabriel's offer. It wasn't all selfless, of course. The Biancardis had already discussed with Gabriel how they would divide the New York territories once the Irish were gone. Essentially, Ricky knew the cost of peace in New York and the Biancardis being able to continue their own profitable business in the city wouldn't come without compromise. That compromise being that they would continue to act as the mediator between the Morettis and the Sullivans. The relationship the Sullivans had built up with the Cubans wasn't one that could be broken and if either the Morettis or the Biancardis wished to conduct business with the Cubans, they would have to do it through the Sullivans. Just thinking of being stuck in the middle was already giving Ricky a headache, but the chaos in New York City was a much bigger and bloodier problem as things stood.

Conor and Gabriel had both agreed to meet in order to settle things peacefully. Productively. Although it was the best outcome for all involved, Ricky was still dreading the meeting and sitting between two men who had intensely ill feelings towards each other. The Biancardis had been tasked with choosing the venue, to make it not only neutral but peaceful too. The conference room was booked out in a tower block in the middle of Manhattan. Taking place in the room next door was a day long training and team building session for some of NYPD's finest new recruits. With cops and their superiors swanning around the 14th floor like they were on a field trip, Ricky's point was sure to be made. Whether Gabriel had the local police departments eating out of his hand or not, even he would be foolish to try anything with so many civilian and law enforcement witnesses around. Ricky was confident no blood would be spilled today.

That only left the matter of no doubt having to listen to verbal bullets being fired from both sides. As he sat next to Giovanni at the round meeting table in the centre of the room, Ricky massaged his temples before looking to the wall clock and letting out an exaggerated groan as he realised the two mob bosses would be arriving soon. Despite Conor practically telling them to piss off the last time they met and Ricky having a so far frosty relationship with Syd, the young Biancardi favoured the Sullivans as far as human beings went. Gabriel carried with him the kind of imposing and commanding presence of male authority that Ricky didn't much like. For business, however, Ricky saw the importance of keeping the Morettis on side and he would be the smart, professional Ricky he was expected to be.

"So, I was thinking. I could go get us all coffee, from somewhere really, really far away. Meanwhile, you can hold the fort here until sometime after the end of the meeting, yeah?" he drily joked. Knowing he wasn't going anywhere, he cleared his throat and talked more seriously with his father. "Do you think they'll both go through with this and not just end up throttling each other? We've met Gabriel and Conor. 'Stubborn' doesn't even touch the surface..." he trailed off.

Bellz (Giovanni)

*************​

Gabriel Moretti

It had been agreed that only two men from each family would attend the meeting. Whilst the kind of business being conducted would usually attract the likes of Rhys or Teddy, on this occasion it was Marcus who Gabriel had decided would accompany him. One day, a very long time away, Gabriel hoped, it would be Marcus filling the role as the Moretti Boss and so it was only fitting he was present at such a crucial meeting. Besides, Rhys as well as Gabriel's lawyers had seen the contracts many times before, so it didn't seem appropriate to waste their time today. It was more important for his heir to be present.

Gabriel had felt an improvement in the atmosphere at home over the last few days, since Steve had been taken care of. Valentina had wanted to know the truth and that the man had suffered, so Gabriel had been open with her about how Steve had been dealt with. Despite the unsavoury details, it seemed to put his daughter at ease. It also served to fix the tensions between Gabriel and Valentina. Following the conversation he had with Teddy, he was also inclined to step back and give his daughter her own space in her relationship with his employee. When Valentina informed the family she was going to spend some time at Teddy's place, it was only logical for Gabriel to offer her a ride there today as he and Marcus were heading in the same direction on their way into Manhattan.

Once Valentina was out of the car, it left Gabriel and Marcus alone in the back of the vehicle with the driver and bodyguard occupying the front seats. It wasn't long before they arrived at the tower block in question. The men remained in the vehicle as nearby employees scoured their surroundings to check there weren't any surprises awaiting them. Once it was confirmed secure, Gabriel stepped out of the car and waited for Marcus to join him. As they walked alongside each other, Gabriel looked to his son. "This should be straightforward, but with the Irish rats involved, we must remain on guard," he reminded him. "The Biancardis are invested in this succeeding, so I doubt they would be foolish enough to cause any problems. We just have to hope Mr. Sullivan and Young Mr. Porter haven't lost more braincells overnight. Who would have thought either of them would make it this far," he remarked.

As they approached the opened elevator carriage, Gabriel caught a glimpse of two familiar Irishmen already inside. Not one to show cowardice or discomfort, Gabriel quickened his pace so he and Marcus could step into the elevator Conor and Syd were already inside of. "It would appear we're all heading up to the fourteenth floor," he said, flashing a brief smile.

Conor Sullivan

It had been hard saying goodbye to Jackson. Conor wasn't sure if and when he would stop feeling the hole his friend's death had left in his heart. Some clarity did come out of his time in Dublin, from speaking with his family and friends, as well as reconnecting with the city he held dear to him. There was no disputing that Dublin was his home and whilst there would be losses to signing over the New York empire, Conor knew he and his loved ones had everything to gain where it counted. It was clear most of them were unhappy in New York and moving all of their assets to Dublin was the best decision, if only for everyone's well-being. The punch in the gut was that it meant the Morettis would get what they wanted. Conor had spent many sleepless nights planning ways to get back at them. The most efficient way of putting a bullet in Gabriel's head or stabbing him in the throat and getting away with it. But there was no support nor encouragement for it from those around him. Those he was closest to were ready to leave the cold and soulless city, so he knew it would be another reckless act on his long list of reckless acts were he to fuck it up for his family now. The Morettis would be paying a fair price for the Sullivan-owned empire in New York and their trade with the Cubans would remain dependent on Conor's approval. All Conor had to do was swallow his pride and sign the contracts.

With Syd's interest in the family business, Conor had wished to bring him along to the meeting. Although they both had wounds caused by Moretti, he expected his nephew would manage to deal with the situation and given the nature of the meeting, there was no danger expected. Still, the two of them hadn't stepped foot in the building until some of his own employees had scoured the place looking out for any danger or suspicious activity. They also had men stationed at all sides of the office tower block to keep an eye out from all angles. As they approached the elevator, Conor briefly gripped his nephew's shoulder and looked to him. "You good, mate?" he asked him. "This is going to be fucking painful, but we just have to grin and bear it. Think of how much better things are going to be back in Dublin. No bastard will stand a chance against us back home." He then flashed him a smile. "Besides, the quicker we get out of here, the sooner we can get back to the wedding!"

The elevator doors opened and Conor stepped into the empty carriage. He pushed the button for the 14th floor but the doors were too slow to close. Had they been quicker, the two men approaching the lift wouldn't have made it in time. Conor looked to Syd as the Morettis approached, practically holding in a disapproving grunt.

"It would appear we're all heading up to the fourteenth floor," the strong Italian accent belonging to Gabriel was heard.

"What are the chances of that, huh?" Conor replied, practically through gritted teeth. He then relaxed and flashed a broad smile to the two Morettis. "Do you know if refreshments are being provided?" he asked with a chuckle. On the inside, Conor hated being stuck in a tin box with two men who were behind his family's misery. The men to blame for Jackson's death. Any thoughts of smashing their skulls in before the elevator reached the floor in question had to stay firmly in his own mind. Far too many witnesses had seen them enter the building for him to make a bloody mess of the walls.

RayPurchase (Marcus) Pyroclast (Syd)

Teddy's Apartment
~ Manhattan ~
​

Valentina Moretti

Though the nightmares remained, Valentina had found it much easier to actually fall asleep since having confirmation of Steve's death. She was sure it wasn't the moral thing to do to wish harm on others, but after what she'd been through and considering who her family were, what did any of that matter anymore? Steve's end was bloody and painful, for which Valentina felt no shame for being glad about. Her broken arm was still healing, but even when the bandages were removed and the physical scars faded, she doubted the memories and mental wounds would ever completely leave her.

With her father set to achieve the goal he'd been working towards for many years, Valentina had decided to look to the future herself. She'd spent too much time locked away at home keeping the outside world at a distance. She needed to step out into the city, whether her father was running the it or not. The fact Teddy had invited her to his place was all the more reason for her to get back with the living. She was looking forward to spending some time with Teddy and without any of her family nearby. It was a date, she had no doubts about it. Even though he'd seen her at her worst and still wanted to be with her, she still wanted to make an effort. It had been weeks since she'd styled her hair properly and worn something nice, so she picked out a long dress and due to her injured arm she enlisted in her sister's help to fix up her hair.

Gabriel and Marcus had dropped her off at Teddy's place. She wasn't oblivious to the fact there was a guard sat in a nearby parked car keeping watch over the apartment building. As long as he stayed in the car and away from her date, she didn't care.

Despite knowing Teddy and already having shared their feelings for each other, this was basically the first time they'd spent time together since and without others around. As such, Valentina felt a little nervous as she approached the door to his apartment. It was the good kind of nervous, though, the one accompanied by the fluttering of butterflies in her chest. She smoothed out her small black jacket before delicately knocking on the door to get his attention. When the door was pulled open, she couldn't hold back a natural smile, nor could she prevent herself from blushing. "Hi..." she said, brushing some loose hair behind her ear as she took a moment to compose herself. She then looked back to Teddy and couldn't help but smile. "I heard there was free food and drink here. Did I get the right place?" she teased.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Pyroclast @Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess RayPurchase
​

 

[Bellz]

Chapter 20: The Truce
Wednesday 15th March 1972
...4 days later…
Mid-Morning - Sunny, Clear Skies, Mild

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Lucy Porter
Finn Sullivan​

Lucy swore she was aging by the minute. Finn and George were an adorable couple and she loved them to death but she wanted to shake them both until they went still. George was so easygoing that he left everything up to Finn and Finn, even though he was a brilliant doctor couldn't make a wedding decision to save his life except that he wanted to marry George in the first place. She had been up since the crack of dawn trying to make sure everything was going to plan and so far, everything was doing the exact opposite. "What the hell do you mean they fell off the truck?" Lucy almost shouted into the phone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thomas bounce into the room only to stop dead in his tracks at hearing his mother's screech. Slowly, he backed up out of the room, going to search for his father to complain about the getup his mother was forcing him to wear to the wedding, figuring there would be less chance he would be grounded by him if he complained. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Lucy shook her head. "No, the colors are yellow, powder blue, blue, and green. Pink is not the color we want!" She looked around quickly to see if her sister Sinead was around because she was sure if she was somewhere near, she would come waddling in protesting otherwise. "So you have nothing else in those colors? And you call yourselves the best florists in New York City? HA!" Lucy said angrily, the poor woman on the other line stuttered as she mentioned getting their money back and Lucy nodded although the woman couldn't see her. "I want it back in FULL." After listening to the woman stumble through how they would give Lucy her money back, Lucy said her thanks before slamming the phone down on the receiver.

"Oh boy, what happened?" Finn's deep-voice echoed behind her. Lucy spun around and quickly plastered a smile on her face. "Oh nothing you need to worry about, love. I just want you to relax and enjoy your time with George before the ceremony. Both of your suits should be here soon enough and I don't want to see a single crease in them, you here, no roughhousing with Conor when he gets back from his meeting. Or I will have both of your heads." Finn chuckled lightly and moved to give his cousin a hug. "Breathe Luce, Breathe. Everything will work out for the best even if it isn't perfect." Lucy sighed into his shoulder.

"But you deserve a perfect day, nothing less. And whether you like it or not I am going to make sure you get it. So no arguing with me, I may look stressed out but it's good stress. I just have to work around a few barriers that's all." Lucy stepped back and placed her hands on Finn's cheeks. "I know we haven't talked about them in ages, but your parents would be really proud of you if they were here. I am really glad you patched things up with my mother. It wasn't written that the two of you hadn't talked in so long. I am glad things have worked out for the best on that front." Finn blushed under Lucy's hands and nodded his head. "I'm sure they would be too. I just wish my sister could be here." He said with a sad tone of voice to which Lucy frowned. That was the only thing missing. "Let's try to make this day special without her, okay?" Finn nodded his head and Lucy patted his cheeks gently.

"Alright, now scram...I have some things to figure out and very little time to do it." She said and Finn chuckled before turning and leaving the room. Most of the guests who were going to be at the ceremony were already starting to arrive. Sinead and Peter were somewhere and Roxie was upstairs tending to the twins who would hopefully get a good nap in before the ceremony so they wouldn't be too cranky during it.

Aliana was also somewhere around the house, probably near Sinead she was sure. After taking a moment to herself, Lucy huffed and moved to find her sisters. "Sin? Ali? I have some annoying news." Once she found them, Lucy scrunched her nose clearly irritated. "The fresh centerpiece that was supposed to arrive in an hour apparently fell off the truck and the florist didn't have any other flowers in those colors we wanted. Now I know it might be cutting it close but I have a lot of the same flowers in the garden. I know I don't like the dogs or kids messing them up but I'm willing to use them for Finn and George's wedding. Like I told him in the other room, he deserves a special and perfect day, they both do."
with: George/Sinead / James??? (does he exist in this plane) Misty Gray ; Aliana Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Pyroclast]

Chapter 20: The Truce
Wednesday 15th March 1972
...4 days later…
Mid-Morning - Sunny, Clear Skies, Mild

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Alistair's Penthouse
~ East Harlem ~​

Alistair Sawyer

It turned out to take a lot longer than Alistair expected for the hospital to discharge him. In fact, complications with the surgery arose not long after Steve left, causing the East Harlem boss to suffer a minor heart attack. On top of that, he was also held for psychiatric evaluation as part of the standard procedure following traumatic amputation. Despite his violent upbringing and sadistic ways, Alistair had always had a sturdy mental disposition. Even when he felt tensions rise among his enemies and allies, there wasn’t much he doubted he could handle without really losing his nerve. Once he made sense of something, he could usually compartmentalise it, and instead of worrying he would scheme his way out of a problem. The attack from Ani, while unexpected, at least made sense to him; she wanted to claim freedom and take revenge on her brother’s killer. Alistair had accepted that he didn’t want to go after her, and had also decided that being caught off guard in a brutal attack wasn’t a reflection of weakness on his part. What disturbed him was the suddenness of the loss, having to watch his limbs be crushed and ripped apart by a savage dog.

Confined from the outside world, business became unexpectedly irrelevant. It was hard to process Ethan’s death or even feel his absence when the man didn’t belong in the hospital anyway. His health issues became too demanding to ruminate over all the problems that existed beyond his hospital bed, and with all the treatment, evaluations and mandatory rest keeping him from receiving visitors, it was a few days before he even heard the news that Steve had disappeared. Alistair did wonder if he had wound up dead somewhere, but he would have expected Gabriel to get in touch with him if something had happened. In fact, he found it suspicious that Moretti hadn’t contacted him at all. Given what he had allowed Steve to do with his daughter, it wasn’t unlikely that he had ended up in Gabriel’s hands. Sooner or later, Alistair knew the man would come for him, too.

“How about you fix us a drink instead?” he suggested, taking her hands and gently guiding them away from his chest. “I’ve got to get used to doing things on my own.”

“No alcohol for you,” the nurse reminded him as she stood up from his side, leaving him to do up the buttons of his shirt with one hand. “Not until you’ve finished your course, remember?”

Alistair grunted in response, not used to taking orders even from doctors. “A cigar, then,” he said. “Light one up for me, would you?”

“What happened to ‘doing things on my own’?” she teased with a smile.

“I want to watch you do it.”

The nurse raised her eyebrows at him in mock-disapproval, but she only saw Alistair’s patient, weary gaze staring back at her from his wheelchair and felt no desire to argue. She crossed the open-plan floor of his penthouse, the light of the morning sun shimmering across the skin of her back. While there were plenty of business-related problems for Alistair to mull over, it was hard to focus when he had care workers with him at all times to monitor his health and help him adjust to life in a wheelchair. It hadn't been long since his return but he had barely made any progress on tracking down Steve or sorting out Ethan’s affairs. Instead he was at home, receiving unorthodox examinations from a scantily clad nurse, completely off the books.

When she turned back around, there was a lit cigar in her mouth and she leaned back against the island counter to blow a cloud of smoke into the air above her head. Posing in her lingerie in the dimly lit room, she didn’t really look like a nurse at all - more like a movie star. Her sultry eyes eventually returned to his and she slowly drew herself back towards him to crouch at his side. Too tired to play any more games, Alistair gave no comment, only opening his mouth to accept the cigar as she leaned in and placed it between his teeth.

Interactions
@Enzyme Amato
RayPurchase Tony

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Teddy Wycliff

Steve’s inevitable death brought relief and satisfaction to a lot of people, one of them bing Teddy. Being able to show Gabriel how serious he was not only about his daughter, but about his position and gaining his trust back was like a weight lifted. He could now focus on his relationship with Valentina and helping her through the scars Steve had left behind. What better way to do that than to have an official date? He wasn’t too sure how she would do in public places just yet, so his apartment would have to suffice as far as lunch went. Hopefully she would be up for the other things he had planned for later. Elvian had given him tips and recipes so their date would go off without a hitch. He was actually very nervous too, seeing as this would be his first date where he was being serious about the relationship.

While he was out getting recipes and groceries, he had a maid scrubbing every inch of his apartment. Granted the place hadn’t been a mess whatsoever, but he wanted to make sure things were absolutely perfect. While he was an okay cook, he was nowhere near as good as fancy chefs or Elvian. The woman had offered many times to cook everything for him and all he would have to do was heat it up, but he constantly refused. If he were going to turn over a new leaf, he wanted to do everything properly and do it himself. Even if it meant setting off the fire alarm again from the bread he forgot was toasting. He had gone to change his clothes since he knew Val was on her way over, running out of the bathroom with his shirt half buttoned. At the same time, there was someone at the door and he had to pause for a moment. He was flustered and moving too fast, which was out of the norm for him. There was no reason to be nervous, he reminded, as he finished buttoning his top and opening the curtains. The current view of the sun over the city had provided an excellent backdrop through the ceiling to floor windows. Once he got himself together he opened the door and smiled down at the woman. “Well don’t you look beautiful?” He stated, stepping to the side to allow her to walk in. “Free food? Sure. Edible? I’ll let you be the judge of that.” He joked before starting for the kitchen again.

His current task was fixing the bread he had burnt by throwing it out and starting over, but this time paying attention to it. He wouldn’t be able to make their eggs benedict without it. “Come have a seat and make me nervous about my cooking.” His head nodded to the space he had cleared for her to sit on the opposite side of the counter. There was a book open and he was doing his best to follow along, mumbling to himself as he went. Once he started chopping tomatoes he was able to look at her. “Anything in particular you would like to do today? I have plans but if there’s something else you’d rather do you let me know and I’ll take care of it.”



​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

As much as he despised the Morettis - not to mention his festering distrust of Roxie’s family - Syd recognised the honour in being at Conor’s side when the treaty between the two rival gangs would be signed. Syd didn’t like to admit defeat as much as the next man, and during the feud with Moretti, he had felt defeated too many times - but, he knew it had taken a lot for his uncle to swallow his pride and hand over the rights to their territory. He also didn’t like to be uprooted. After so many years of living in the same city, even Syd felt he had established himself fairly well, and for someone as paranoid as him, it took a long time to know where to go and who to rely on. Moving back to Ireland would mean he would have to start all over again. On the other hand, the thought of leaving New York brought on some relief. Perhaps it was the same part of him that had been relieved to leave Dublin back in 1965 - he was just ready to get away from the war and see his family at peace. Besides, Dublin was where Blake and Natasha lived, and he wanted to be close by to support them through their loss.

As he and Conor got closer to the meeting room that Ricky had set up for them, Syd could feel the tension in the air thicken, and had to make increasing effort to ease his anxious mind. He didn’t expect anything to happen since Gabriel would be getting what he wanted and there were NYPD officers training on the same floor, but he still felt the same restlessness in his heart as if he were anticipating a mass shootout. “There’s cops fucking everywhere, man,” he grumbled, reaching up to adjust his collar as they made their way towards the elevator. “Trust Ricky to pick a place like this…”

Syd glanced to Conor when the man put a firm hand on his shoulder and asked if he was alright. “Just nervous, I guess,” he admitted under his breath. He hoped that the fact he had agreed to come along was enough to assure Conor that he wasn’t going to lose his composure when face to face with Gabriel. Not a second had gone by since the ambush that Syd hadn’t stopped thinking about his Godfather, and all sorts of homicidal desires had passed through his mind as he tried to decide who was most to blame for his death. Ethan wasn’t a useful target since he was as dead as Jackson, and while Kerry could technically have prevented it, Syd knew deep down that it wasn’t her fault. In the end, the blame fell on the same man as always: Gabriel Moretti. Syd’s active imagination had gone through dozens of different scenarios in which the Italian boss wound up dead, as he was sure Conor’s also had, so the thought of sitting down with him for a civil meeting was a real test of his self-control. He knew this would be tough for his uncle, too, so he was aiming to be on his best behaviour. Conor’s words did something to reassure him, at least, and when he mentioned the wedding Syd was able to take a deep breath, smiling fondly at the thought of Finn and George finally getting married. "Aye, that's true," he said, already sounding less uneasy. "I do believe in what we're doing here, Uncle Conor. I think being back in Dublin will feel good, you know, after everything that's happened. You're making the right choice."

Just as Conor pressed the button in the lift, they spotted Gabriel and Marcus approaching them in the corridor. Syd noticed the way Gabriel quickened his pace. “Oh, fuckin’ hell…” he muttered, before backing up to create some distance between himself and the two Moretti men. It paid to be civil, Syd knew that - but he wasn’t going to offer them any fake smiles. While his uncle managed to converse with the pair, Syd swiftly jammed a cigarette between his lips and let it dangle there unlit, leaning against the back wall as he flicked his Zippo at his side impatiently. Their presence made the elevator feel claustrophobic, but despite his anxiety he knew better than to smoke out the small space and risk affecting Gabriel’s mood.

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Misty Gray Conor, Gabriel
RayPurchase Marcus