Realistic or Modern Family Ties: 1980s Gangs - IC (Ended)

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Royal Taphouse
~Bethnal Green, London~
Erik Snowden

At the mention of settling down, Erik just grinned at his friend. Little did the man know it was him he wanted to settle with but he couldn't tell him that just yet. "Why would I? I wouldn't be able to do have the things I do nor half the people." He joked. "Shit, you caught me. If you go out and get a girlfriend or something who the hell am I going to bother? Besides, you'll get a curfew and things of that nature and I'd never see you." Erik thought about it from time to time - what would happen if Billy went and started dating someone. He didn't appreciate the thoughts but he did recognize that it could be a possibility one day. It honestly stung a bit to think about him with someone else. He hadn't been the jealous type in the past but things could be different.

Erik would have to be blind not to see the look Billy was giving him. Apparently, his eidetic memory had been an impressive skill; so impressive that Billy looked at him in awe. It was enough to make Erik a bit nervous and unsure of what to do next. He suddenly became self-conscious about what to do with his hands and kept fidgeting with them. "Ah, what can I say? I'm a jack of all trades." There were plenty of things Erik was willing to share with the man - his favorite places to go, favorite movies, and the like - but the only things he wouldn't share would be his life in New York. In the past two years, he had managed not to tell Billy or anyone else much about his past. All anyone really knew was that he was from New York and his cousin was married to Marcus Moretti. In his opinion, it was all they really needed to know. At the mention of Mary, he chuckled. "I'm sure she'd prefer to have with the both of us. You saw the way she stared." He gave him a playful nudge before shaking his head.

"I wouldn't say you gotta watch your back, but just remembered that you offered." At the mention of his hands, he remembered that he was still soaking wet. His clothes started drying but just barely. "Oh, and why the hell do you think that is? Making me walk in the rain in this jacket while you're all prepared." He frowned at him as he felt the annoyance growing once more. It wasn't Billy he was upset with, but mother nature. Billy offered to take him home and give him some dry clothes to which Erik agreed. The night was still young and he wasn't ready to go home just yet.

Arriving at Spencer's home, Erik was relieved. He wouldn't have to be in these wet clothes for too much longer. He punched Billy's shoulder lightly when he called Erik an idiot. "Wasn't my fault the weathermen are scammers. Piece of shit said light rain, not heavy as fuck." He said giving her a smile. "You are a saint Shona!" As much as he wanted to hug her he knew to do so would probably end badly for him - seeing as she was nice and dry and he was not. Erik hadn't even noticed Shona's friend, seeing as he was focused on his wet clothes again. Hearing Billy address her he craned his neck to see who he was talking to before giving her a little wave as he was ushered from the room and upstairs.

Feeling Billy begin to dry off his hair he started swatting his hands away. "You're going to ruin the pattern, you little shit!" He stated, combing his fingers through his curls. "There's an order, alright?" He paused playing in his hair to finally peel off the wet clothes from his skin. The moment he had he felt his body warming up as he patted his torse dry. The moment Billy handed him the shirt, he reached out for it and made sure to have their fingers meet. It may have been subtle, nothing to write home about, but Erik couldn't fight the urge to touch him. He moved on to the pants trying to figure out if they would fit or not. Erik just shrugged his shoulders before removing his own wet jeans. He stood for a moment in only his underwear while he worked to dry off his entire body. Just as he was about to put on his shirt, Billy began to tease him and whip the towel at him. Erik stood with his arms crossed while shaking his head. "If you wanted to see me in only my boxers we could've gone to my place." His tone was teasing, knowing it would take Billy off-guard as that was the point.

Billy ( Pyroclast )​

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter

Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Lucy let out a small laugh as Sinead said that maybe she needed to slap Thomas in the face and tell him to treat her with love and respect. "If only it were that simple, Sin." Lucy said before she shrugged her shoulders as her sister asked why all the men in the family were so moody. "You know, I don't know...I don't remember daddy ever being so moody." She said. When her sister asked if Thomas was seeing a counselor, Lucy once again shrugged her shoulders. "I know he was seeing one at the VA hospital back in the States, but I haven't been able to get anything out of him to know if he made arrangements to see someone here." Lucy told Sinead honestly, "As for someone besides me or his siblings, Thomas isn't much of a talker like he used to be...I doubt he's been able to confide in someone recently since moving." The blonde nodded her head in agreement when her sister said that her son couldn't be like this forever with her and that he needed to focus on getting his head back together. "That's why I'm just taking a step back for a while...I'm not going to try and force anything, I learned very well from the last time I tried to do that."

Lucy pursed her lips together in thought as Sinead suggested that James must have known what he was doing when he beat up the prison officer. Her brows furrowed as she thought about what he was trying to get out of. She knew just as well as anyone else how much power Gabriel had within those prison walls...perhaps spending time in the hole was an escape for her husband. It made her sad to think that the only way he could get away from torment was to be placed in solitary confinement. Sinead reassured her that James would be okay and Lucy silently nodded her head in agreement even though the wheels were already turning faster than she could control.

The blonde was snapped from her thoughts as Sinead mentioned telling Liam to say a little prayer for her, confusion written all over her face. She had heard about the boy having to spend detention at the church, but Liam wasn't into religion from what Lucy understood. "I wonder what changed." Lucy murmured curiously, "He's lucky to have you as a mamma, Sin. I couldn't bring myself to step into such a place outside of obligational events like funerals or weddings." Organized religion wasn't something she was into as much as she had been before she got married. After her wedding had literally gotten blown to pieces, Lucy had lost faith.

"I'm glad he's finding some solace in praying." Lucy said with a small smile as well. God knows we could all use a little peace of mind right now." She murmured as she looked towards where the girls had run off to. "Jeanie, Jane, and JJ have been so upset about losing Mr. Moore but on top of it all, both of their parents are out of town...JJ was just telling me today that he was starting to feel abandoned. I think I'm gonna have to talk with Syd and Roxie at some point." Lucy sighed and turned to look at her sister. "I know they don't mean it, business is business, but they need to pay attention to their children now more than ever. Losing someone at this age really shapes what they will be like when they are adults, it'll really take a toll on their emotions if they are not properly looked after."

*****​

JJ was surprised to hear that Liam had been going to church for a few weeks but honestly, it felt like he had been stuck in his own little world since the time Matthew died. He hadn't really felt like he could handle hearing about how other people's lives were moving on just the same as if nothing happened. Liam explained that he hadn't just decided to go to church. When asked about knowing Daryl, JJ nodded his head once. He knew exactly who he was referring to. JJ remembered hearing about the fight but didn't really ask Liam at the time because he had enough emotional sense to understand it would be a sore subject.

Hearing that Liam thought Father Healy was alright was interesting to JJ because at least from his mother's point of view, the man was creepy and not to be trusted. Matthew always had nice things to say about the man and would reassure Roxie and the kids that Father Healy was a nice man with a good reputation, but JJ was left conflicted on whose judgment to trust. Hearing Liam praise the man, JJ was more inclined to give the man a chance. "I'd like to come sometime, see for myself.." JJ said, returning the smile Liam gave him.

Looking out into the rain, JJ listened as Liam answered his question. Hearing the boy wish that his father and brother would stop doing jobs wasn't surprising until he mentioned them going to hell. JJ's brows raised as he watched Liam trail off. Liam then returned the question and JJ sighed, "Yea...I'm worried about him and my mom. They are both gone so we are with Grandma Lucy at my dad's house. It wouldn't be so weird to have him gone if we haven't been staying with him for so many weeks now...because when he's gone on business we are normally at home with my mom." JJ shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, "Honestly, I just wonder what it's like to have two parents living in the same house together. Not having to go back and forth all the time. You are super lucky to have two parents who love each other. "
with: Sinead + Liam Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Residential Area
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King​

Feeling the blood trickling down his cheek from the wound on his face, Spencer wiped the liquid with the towel before reapplying pressure to the deep cut. As he did, he could see Ozzy becoming increasingly agitated. The clenching of the jaw and the tight grip on the steering wheel were giveaway signs. "Oz, man..." Spencer addressed the man as he studied his face. When the man finally did reply, Spencer raised a curious eyebrow. A natural fighter who didn't much like underhand tactics and cheating in a brawl, he could be forgiven for looking at the situation with the Sullivans as being a simple fight between two sides. However, Ozzy questioned why he was thinking of his issue with the Irish as needing to be a fair fight.

Spencer didn't immediately respond, instead turning to look out of the window as he battled to block out the adrenaline from being beaten up, so he could properly focus his mind on how to deal with the Irish. Before he could ask his cousin for details of what ideas were going around in his head, Ozzy spoke again. From his mouth fell venomous words about killing Savannah; shooting her in the head in retaliation for her family attacking him. Perhaps surprising to Ozzy, who would be more used to Spencer using fighting talk and following through on threats, there was a strong hesitance as he was clearly caught off-guard by the suggestion. He liked to make his enemies and those who cross him suffer. Though he didn't advertise the fact, some men had been killed for fucking with him. He was never afraid to get his own hands dirty in doing so. But Savannah?

Loosening the pressure of the towel against his face, he was able to free up the movement in his jaw again to talk properly. "I get where you're coming from, but not Sav. She's innocent in all of this - at times nauseatingly so! Sav doesn't have anything to do with the Sullivan business and I get the impression she wishes her family weren't into all that either. Hell, as pissed as I am with her for buggering off to Dublin every two minutes, it wasn't her fault that she and Alex split up. My brother just can't keep his dick in his pants," he reminded Ozzy. "I can't kill Sav. I had some time with my mum, but the others had to grow up without her - Harper never even met her. Callum doesn't deserve to grow up without a mum too." He let out a deep sigh and lightly shook his head. "Not to mention Shona and the others would be furious with us..." He cleared his throat. "But those others Irish bastards who are involved with the Mob. I want them to pay for this and none of them will keep that kid away from us!"

High5ives

 

[Pyroclast]

Danny Vaughan​

Danny watched Savannah closely as she talked about Matthew’s death and how hard it had been for Roxie. She didn’t speak at length, but he could tell by the weariness in her voice that it had taken a toll on her, too. Knowing better than to press her about such a sensitive matter, he let her move on to talk about London. It sounded to Danny like Savannah was juggling a lot of challenging situations, from consoling her grieving best friend to handling harassment from the Kings.

“You think they’re gonna hurt him?” he asked. He knew the mob were powerful and that it wasn’t his place to challenge their plans, but Danny wasn’t a violent man himself and he wondered if a lot of their violent actions could be replaced by something more civil. “I mean, I don’t know the guy personally, but it sounds like he just has the wrong idea. He thinks you were trying to take Callum away from him and Alex to deliberately deprive them of time with him, but what this is actually about is you wanting more of a balance for your son, so he doesn’t grow up without his Irish family. Right?” As a third party member, Danny recognised that there would be context he wasn’t seeing - Spencer and Alex’s temperaments, for instance - but to him, it really didn’t seem too complicated an issue. “If someone just explained that to him without using violence, do you reckon you’d be able to come to some arrangement where Callum gets more time in Ireland than he used to, while still spending plenty of time in London?”

“Come on, Sav,” he softly chuckled when she apologised for venting. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t care. I like hearing about what’s going on with you.” As Savannah told him about auditions and searching for jobs in Ireland, Danny settled back in his seat with a proud smile on his face. Thinking about how pleased he was to hear that her career was continuing to flourish and was due to take her back to her home country, he had begun to blush even before she admitted to looking forward to spending more time around him again. Danny wasn’t foolish to understand that the warmth that unfolded in his chest when he spoke to her was due to old, unresolved feelings. He wasn’t afraid of them. Even if their newly rekindled friendship never developed into what they used to have when they were younger, he was happy just to have her in his life again. It was an honour to be allowed to care about her, spend time with her in intimate settings such as this. He was starting to get the impression, however, that she had some resurfacing feelings for him, too.

“I’d like that,” he replied, looking over at her with a soft gaze. Her lustrous, golden hair appeared to glow by the light of the nearby fire, adding to her natural radiance. Once she had been a beautiful girl; now, a beautiful woman. During the thirteen years they had spent apart, Danny had wished he could have grown up alongside her, but he wasn’t one to dwell on the past. Instead, he focused on the fact that he had a chance to get to know her again. There was so much he had yet to learn about her, all the ways in which she had changed since they had been close. Since she seemed keen to spend more time with him, he believed there was an opportunity for them to become close again - even if just as friends. “I’m really happy to see you achieving your dreams,” he commented. “I remember back when you were first starting out, you worked so hard, had to power through so much bullshit. But you never gave up and now, thirteen years later, you’re telling me about auditions and jobs...well, I’m just proud of you for pushing through.”

When she asked him how he had been, Danny took a deep breath to stir his memory. “I’ve been good, really good,” he answered, briefly chuckling at her concern about people giving him grief. “What would my job be without a bit of grief?” he joked. “Nah, but I really can’t complain. I’m managing some alright folk right now - when there’s trouble, it just adds some excitement to the job, keeps me on my toes. I think I need that at my age!”

“Youse aren’t just in here for a chat, now, are youse?”

Danny looked up to see a middle-aged, rosy-cheeked waitress approach their table and he sat up in his seat. He offered the woman a smile before turning his head to Savannah. “What do you want to drink? On me,” he offered. Once she had given her order, Danny ordered himself a pint of guinness. “For the warmth,” he justified with a smile.

After the waitress left, Danny fell into a brief silence as he pondered the woman across from him and the thirteen years of mystery she had gained. Given what had happened between her and Alex and the complications she now faced having split apart from them, Danny wondered whether she would prefer to be on her own for a while or if she was open to future relationships. “So, tell me about this delightful family you’re tied into,” he said, leaning forward to prop himself up on one elbow. “So far, we got Alex, the fool who broke your heart, and Spencer, the bossy one who has to get his own way. What’re the rest of them like? That’s a whole part of your life and Callum’s that I don’t really know at all.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah

 

[BloodLightning27]

~London: Shirley Kwon - A Peaceful Evening Part II~

Pregnancy Tracker

Pregnancy Progression: 34.4/42 Weeks

Countdown to Labor & Delivery: 241/294 Days

Weight Gain: 66/71 Kg

Shona seemed excited when Shirley said that she was on the home stretch and was due in two weeks. Nonetheless, Shirley found it heartwarming that the other woman showed excitement to meet her twins, she was also just as excited and happy, especially with the future playdates that were in mind once Shona and Spencer welcomed their child. Of course, since pregnancy was different for each individual woman, it was hard to tell who between them was going to go into Labor and Delivery before the other, especially given how close their pregnancies were together, as they both often went to the Hospital on the same day even before they had became friends. As the thought crossed her mind, she began wondering what it was going to be like when she brings her twins home.

"Shirley, I want you to call me if you ever need anything, yeah?"
"Moving around is getting harder for me now, but I'm surrounded by big strong boys who can pick up supplies for you, give you lifts and that. They won't mind - not if I ask them. They'd do anything for me."

Given that they hadn't been friends only a little under a month, Shirley was a little surprised to hear Shona tell her that if she needed anything to give her a call. While moving around was getting harder, Shirley could absolutely relate to, Shona mentioned her family could help her out too, whether it was getting supplies, give her rides...and how they would not mind. Shirley wasn't sure how to feel about that. Sure, they may do anything for Shona, but how would they feel about picking things up for a complete stranger, or giving a stranger a ride. Would it cost anything like a Cab/Taxi? Not that money was too much of a problem for her. As long as it wasn't super costly or anything, Shirley figured that she'd be fine if there were any fees she had to deal with.

What made Shirley even more happy was Shona voicing her readiness to become a Mother and how she's always wanted to be. Sadly, Shirley didn't share that mutual feeling. Given how young she was, there had been times where she felt unready and unconfident, but nothing was more fierce then a Mother's Love...Right? At the mention of a nursery, she smiled. "Oh, I'd love to go see it-" She was then disrupted by a loud clunk on the front door, prompting her to flinch.

The front door then flew open, prompting her to look over to see a man drenched in rainwater. Upon getting a better look at his face, her heart stopped. He was handsome...very handsome. Not even the gallons upon gallons of rainwater ruined that at all.

"Oh, are you the friend Shona's been telling us all about?"

"This is Shirley, yeah."
"Shirley, this is my brother-in-law, Billy."

"Pleasure to finally meet you, Shirley."
"I'd come and shake your hand but I don't wanna drip on you, so I'll stay back for now. I'll come and say hi properly once I'm all dried off!"

Shirley simply smiled when the drenched man was taken into the home and Shona directed both men upstairs. Shirley rubbed her belly to soothe her unborn twins, as they had started kicking due to the sudden loud noises that had greeted them both a few minutes ago. If anything, Shirley thought it had made them a bit antsy. As they kicked the palm of her hand, she looked down, with a frown. "I'm sorry, you two. Auntie Shona just had some unexpected guests." She mused, straightening out her dress.

Given how often she's hung out around Shona, Shirley hoped that both of her babies were familiar with Shona's voice. As her stomach let out a silent grumble, she grabbed another biscuit and went back to enjoying the tea.

Interactions: Shona King, Billy King Pyroclast Erik Snowden (Nearby?) Melanin-Gxdess​

 

[Pyroclast]

Chase Zegarra
Michael Zegarra​

Catching the concern in his mother’s voice, Michael suddenly felt like he shouldn’t have spoken up. His eyes lingered on hers for a second before looking down to his lap with a shrug. “It’s making me think about things I haven’t thought about before,” he admitted, lightly wringing his hands. “But that’s a good thing. I want to make sure I only do good things. I want to be a good person who doesn’t hurt anybody.”

Chase’s heart ached slightly as he watched his son fidget with his hands, one of the ways he displayed anxiety. “You are a good person, Michael. Surely you don’t need the Bible to tell you that?”

Michael shrugged again. He was silent for a moment, then looked back up to his father. “So, you’ve never killed someone?”

“No, Mig,” he assured the boy, though the lie sent an uncomfortable heat to his face.

“But you have guns like that,” Michael protested, pointing at the gangsters on the television screen. “Like the man who shot Mr. Moore…”

Holding back a deep sigh, Chase glanced at his wife with deep concern in his eyes before turning to his son. “Look at me,” he instructed, gently tapping Michael on the shoulder. “Life is not black and white like it’s shown in the Bible. You can try to divide everything into ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ but there’s a lot of issues that fall in between. That’s the grey area, between the black and white. Sometimes you have to focus on the outcome of your actions more than the action itself.”

Michael’s brows furrowed and his gaze drifted past his parents as he tried to understand what his father was telling him. It cast his mind back to what Father Healy had told them about what to do in the face of a moral dilemma, and the example that Liam had given relating to their families’ business. “Like...killing someone to save someone else?”

“Put it this way,” Chase said. “If someone hit your sister, the most good thing to do would be to use words and tell them to stop. But if that didn’t work and they continued to hit her, what would the next best thing be? If they’re not going to stop, what do you do then?”

Michael hesitated. “Get an adult?”

“Well, you can’t always rely on someone else for help - maybe the nearest adult is too far away. You want them to stop hitting your sister right now. So?”

“So...you pull them away from her?”

Chase let his eyes fall on the television for a moment, wondering how to keep the conversation as short as possible. “Sometimes you’re left with no choice but to fight,” he reasoned, still struggling to maintain eye contact with his son. “It doesn’t make you a bad person, even when you do things the Bible doesn’t like you to do.”

There was another silence while Michael processed what he was hearing. “No one else’s dad at school does what you do.”

“Okay.” Chase leaned forward and grabbed the remote from the coffee table, promptly switching off the television. “I don’t think this movie was a good idea. Michael, you’re too young to be worrying about what I do for a living. I know what happened to Mr. Moore was upsetting, but -”

“But if you just quit your job you wouldn’t have to do bad things like carry guns in case you have to kill someone! And then you wouldn’t go to Hell!”

“Michael, that’s enough,” he warned the boy. “You’re going to wake your sisters. If you want to keep talking about this, you have to keep your voice down, okay?”

With the television now turned off, the room was flung into an uncomfortable silence as Michael appeared to withdraw into a sulk. Chase could almost hear his son’s mind overworking itself. “Mr. Moore was a very good man,” he uttered, once again gently stroking Michael’s shoulder. “Part of what I do is protect people from the bad guys, like the man who killed him. Now, I can’t always be there at the right time, but if somebody had been there to get that man first, then Mr. Moore might have been saved. That’s why I’m not going to quit my job, Miguelito.”

The tension in his son’s shoulders seemed to relax slightly, but he was still fidgeting anxiously with his hands. After a few seconds, Michael looked up at his father. “Then, will you come to church and repent?”

“What?”

“Father Healy said that even if you kill someone to save someone’s life, you’re still a sinner and if you don’t come to church and repent then you’ll go to Hell.”

Chase couldn’t hold back a sigh this time. It had been so many years since he had drifted away from his Catholic background and he had had no intention of ever returning to it. “I’m not a killer, Mig.” The boy kept his eyes locked on his father’s, not satisfied with the answer. Eventually, Chase sighed again. “Fine. If I do something bad at work, I will go to church and repent. Does that make you feel better?”

Thankfully, Michael smiled. “Okay.”

“Right. Go brush your teeth.”

As soon as Michael left the room, Chase sat forward and put his head in his hands. “Dio’ mio’,” he groaned. “Jas, how are we going to keep this kid on our side? I’m worried we’re going to lose him to religion…”

Interactions
Misty Gray Jasmine

 

[Pyroclast]

Billy and Shona King​

Billy didn’t miss the way Erik’s biceps contracted when he pulled his wet t-shirt over his head, nor the way his abdominal muscles flexed when he brought his arms back to his sides. If he were being honest, he hadn’t expected Erik to actually get undressed in front of him, but in a way it pleased him that his friend felt comfortable enough in his presence not to demand privacy. It was true the two had grown closer recently - Billy supposed he had Trevor to thank for that, at least partly. They had been through something together, and even though they didn’t really feel a need to talk about it, Erik was still the only person who had been there, and therefore the only one to whom he could relate. On top of that, their drunken nights out had broken a physical boundary of some sort. He was now familiar with the firm squeeze of Erik’s hands on his shoulders, the scent of his aftershave, even the stubborn curl that was always the first to fall out of place when he danced.

Still, as familiar as he was becoming with the man, he was a bit alarmed to see him standing in just his underwear, rubbing his body down with the towel. The wet clothes that he had tossed aside needed hanging up to dry, but he was reluctant to go over and pick them up when Erik was standing so close, and so naked. So, rather than just stand there and wait, Billy did his very best to annoy him, laughing as he whipped him with the towel.

It was harder to wind Erik up than he had hoped, but it was still funny to him to see him standing with his arms folded as he got beaten. Then he made a teasing remark about taking him back to his place if he wanted to watch him stand in his underwear. Suddenly Billy felt caught out. Stepping back, he slung the towel over his shoulder and folded his arms. His laughter had all but died and the bright amusement on his face was replaced by a frown. “Alright, you queer, no need to make this weird,” he snapped, a deep blush spreading across his face. Dropping all eye contact, Billy stooped to snatch up Erik’s wet clothes. “Get dressed. Spencer’ll be home soon.”

Without giving the man another look, Billy strode out of the room, shutting the door behind him. For a few seconds he just stood there, clutching Erik’s clothes in his hands. He hadn’t meant to be so short with his best friend, but the idea of him thinking he was gay was mortifying to him. His cheeks burned with embarrassment and without thinking he brought Erik’s damp t-shirt up to his face to cool himself down, breathing in the familiar scent. Suddenly realising what he was doing, he pulled the shirt down and made his way toward the utility room where he could hang everything up to dry.

Listening to the murmur of Shona and Shirley chatting a few rooms away calmed him down. He wondered about Shirley. She was an attractive woman - mysterious, and extremely pregnant, but attractive enough to be a believable object of his affection. It had been a long time since he had last tried to go on a date with a woman. At 28, Billy knew he wasn’t getting any younger. His brothers were both ahead of him in that department - even Alex had managed to land himself a beautiful, kind girlfriend and had a child with her, despite not managing to keep their relationship up. Then Spencer had found himself a wife and now had a baby on the way. Billy imagined everyone would be expecting him to find someone next.

After briefly checking his hair in the hallway mirror, Billy entered the living room where Shona and Shirley sat and sank into the armchair next to them. “Thanks, Shona,” he said with a smile. “He’ll be down in a minute...” He was about to make a joke about him spending too much time fixing his hair, but worried that painting his friend as vain could put ideas about his sexuality in people’s minds.

Directing his attention to Shirley, Billy sent her a sweet smile. She was pretty, but that was as much as his brain would come up with. “I like your dress,” he complimented. As soon as the words left his lips he felt like an idiot. Of course he had gone straight for a fashion-related compliment - exactly the kind of comment he associated with gay men. He needed to turn it around somehow. “And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t know a thing about fashion,” he was quick to defend. “But it looks really nice on you, especially with your hair.”

The blush had returned to his cheeks already but he kept up the smile, so it wouldn’t look like he was just embarrassed. “So what’s your story, Shirley?” he asked her, reaching for a biscuit. “Shona talks about you a lot -”

“Billy!”

“- but she doesn’t really tell us much, only how lovely you are. And I can already see what she means.”

Reading the boyish smile on his face and the blush on his cheeks, Shona narrowed her eyes at him. “Before we get settled,” she interrupted. “Billy, could you help me set up some drinks in the kitchen?”

“Oh, I can do that, don’t get up,” he offered, getting to his feet. “How do you take your tea, Shirley?”

“No, no, it’s okay. I want to come.”

Shona shot Billy a hard stare that he wasn’t quite sure how to interpret. “Okay, sure…”

“We won’t be a minute, love,” Shona said to Shirley, pushing herself up off the sofa and following Billy into the kitchen.

* * * * *​

Once she had closed the door behind her, Shona put her hands on her hips and glared at her brother-in-law.

“What? What’ve I done?”

“You,” she growled. “I do not want you fucking this up for me. Shirley’s a good friend of mine.”

“I honestly don’t have a clue what -”

“Come on, Billy. She’s pregnant with twins, for God’s sake. Her emotions are up to here, she doesn’t need some boy hitting on her on top of it all!”

Billy was stunned. Not exactly at her accusation, but more the fact that he had managed to make his flirting clear. It made him feel better about Erik’s comment, since it was obvious enough to Shona that he was straight. Now he just needed to remind Erik of the fact.

“Well, I’m sorry for being nice,” he said. “And even if I was flirting with her, is that such a bad thing?”

“It’s a mistake,” Shona warned him. “I want you to be nice to her, but don’t you dare lead her on. Her due date is only a few weeks away. Think about that.”

“Okay, okay,” he relented, raising his arms in the air. “Let’s just make a pot and bring it through. I promise I’ll behave.”

A few minutes later, the pair returned with a tray of cups and saucers, a jug of milk, a pot of tea and a bowl of sugar. Once everyone was seated, Billy dared to speak again. “So, you were going to tell me about you, Shirley,” he said as he began pouring drinks. “What do you do, what are you into? And more importantly, how do you take your tea?”

Interactions
BloodLightning27 Shirley
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter​

While Peter took his turn in handling Spencer, Syd leaned his wrist against the open back door of the Land Rover and watched. Having done as much as he thought he could get away with, he was now itching to get away from the scene. He was happy to do this kind of job for Conor as well as for Savannah’s sake and Peter’s, but he didn’t like being away from home - especially at a time when his children needed him more than ever.

With no idea of how far Peter wanted to go with Spencer, Syd was grateful when the man only delivered a short yet heavy lecture to him. The two soon piled into the back of the car, shortly followed by their accompanying enforcers. When the car launched into motion, leaving Spencer to pick himself up from the cold, wet ground, Syd closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. He opened them again at the sound of his uncle’s voice, in time to see the man smile. He didn’t smile back, only giving a nod in response as he went about pulling off his now bloodied brass knuckles. “He got a free handkerchief out of it,” he said with a shrug.

Peter then expressed his gratitude for Syd’s help and told him he wouldn’t want to be the man who messed with his daughters. Syd wasn’t often able to stabilise his mood after letting his emotions run away with him, so his blood was still hot after dealing with Spencer. However, his uncle’s comment drew the smallest of smirks from him. “Trust me, uncle, if I could get my hands on the man who killed Mr. Moore in front of my kids, I’d rip out his fucking spine.”

Now that the job was done, all the hours between then and the next time he would see his children seemed infuriatingly long. “Hey, Uncle Peter, you got a smoke?” he asked as calmly as he could, his leg bouncing up and down. “Arv, you got a smoke?”

One of the enforcers, Arvin, fished a hand-rolled cigarette out of his pocket and passed it to Syd, along with a worn Zippo lighter that looked like it had been found in the gutter. Used to the expensive brands, Syd fought back a verbal reaction to the state of the cigarette he had been given, managing to only flash the man a quizzical look. “Remind me to up your pay,” he muttered. Still, he took the cigarette and scrambled to light it up. After hurrying to draw his first breath, he pointed his exhale up at the ceiling.

“I want to go home,” he demanded. “Where’s Braden? I don’t want to stay here a second longer than necessary in King territory after what we did. Spencer’s probably on his way to call his fucking English goons on us already and I want to be on a plane to Dublin when they come out."

Interactions
Bellz Peter

Misty Gray Spencer (mentioned)

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter
Bodyworks Gym
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~ ​

Thomas was avoiding the flirting fest that was happening between Adam and Blake like the plague as he turned towards the mirrored wall behind all the dumbbells. Grabbing two 15 kg weights, he walked over to sit at a bench to do some seated bicep curls. He just continued to look ahead at the mirror to watch his form, getting through one rep on his right arm before he saw another familiar face enter the gym. His eyes lit up and a small smile formed on his lips as Elena immediately walked his way. Placing the dumbbell he had been using on the ground in front of him with the other one, Thomas turned to greet the woman but she had beat him to it.

Seeing her in the mirror was one thing, but as he faced her completely, Thomas found himself once again in a trance as he took in her full appearance. He blushed as she said his name and a boyish smile graced his face as he nodded his head to answer her question. "Of course I remember you." He said fondly. How the hell could he forget her? She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on. She asked how he was doing and Thomas was momentarily stunted on how to answer her question. He hadn't been doing well at all in terms of his relationship with his family but he had been able to at least reserve his mood when he was out on the job with Adam.

He glanced over Adam's way briefly before clearing his throat, "I'm doing alright. But you've just made my day ten times brighter." He causally flirted, giving the woman another boyish smile before rubbing the back of his neck with slight embarrassment. It had been so long since he'd last flirted with a pretty woman and hearing his own words, he felt like he sounded like a bit of a tool. "How about you?" He quickly asked, "How's work going? I'm sorry I haven't been by in a few weeks, I'm just not much of a drinker anymore and I have been so busy with work and family that I haven't had time to walk into the pub." He, of course, had heard that she had gotten into the swing of things from Adam's point of view, but Thomas wanted to hear it from Elena. He knew that many people were good at hiding exactly how they felt on the inside, as he was one of them. His mother always berates him for being exactly like his father in that aspect, James was sorta famous for it in the family.

Thomas's thoughts briefly went to his father, wondering how he was doing now. His mother had informed him that the last time she saw him, he punched a prison guard in the face. Thomas hadn't talked to his father in a long time even when he was in the States. Lucy had also berated him about at least calling James, but Thomas just couldn't bring himself to do it. There were far too many emotions involved now and James wasn't exactly the most emotional man. Realizing that his thoughts were going off in many different tangents, Thomas focused back on Elena, awaiting her answer.
with: Elena Pyroclast
mentions: Adam Misty Gray

 

[BloodLightning27]

~New York City: Harmony Ryu - Ink Up!~

Harmony continued to relax as the effects of alcohol started settling in her system. That one shot alone got her to calm down considerably. If she had any more alcohol, she'd be turning into a crying mess. She was for sure an emotional drunk...and since she did not know Ava well enough, Harmony was absolutely NOT ready for her to see that side. From what she remembered, she'd start crying after the fourth or fifth shot and start talking about how much she missed her Father and her Brother. As the thought of her immediate family crossed her mind, Harmony continued to keep a straight face once Ava started drawing on her chest. Her heart sank at the mention of a thousand dollars, but then it was eight-hundred since she was a new customer. Newbie discount? Well, given how expensive tattoos are in general, Harmony wasn't going to say no and she most definitely was not going to take it for granted. Wait, was it eight-hundred an hour!? Or eight-hundred outright? Though to be fair, she did ask for something pretty big and it was going to take up a lot of resources. With how much she got paid protecting the Wycliff Family, it was fine either way and she shouldn't worry. But one thing was for sure, this was better then the Tattoo Artists she went to while living in Los Angeles! When warned that it was going to hurt, Harmony smiled. "I think I'll be fine. This isn't my first Tattoo and it won't be my last. I have a lot of canvas left." Soon a Mirror was in her hand, and she kept a tight grip on it...then pouted when Ava said something about her being tiny. "If it becomes too much, I'll let you know. The last thing I need is to be in a Hospital Bed because I couldn't swallow my pride."

Once Ava patted her thigh, she felt the goosebumps on her arm, now hidden by a tattoo. Once the process fully began, Harmony was mostly relaxed and didn't think too much of the pain, as her pain receptors weren't entirely responding, though by now that alcohol effects were starting to wear off. It was probably her body knowing that she was getting another tattoo. If Harmony remembered right, this was going to be her fourth (fifth if the butterfly on her throat was going to be its own separate entity), as she had gotten a Tattoo on her back and one on each arm prior to coming to New York.

"So, tell me 'bout yourself. How'd ya end up working for Mr. Moretti?"

The conversation was off to a good start. Naturally, Ava was probably curious. How an Asian-American Woman like Harmony, came all the way to New York...and was now working for the Mob. "Well, my story isn't the happiest one. I'm just a girl from Los Angeles." She said, wanting to shy away from that part altogether until she could trust the other woman, but her demeanor softened significantly when she was asked about how she ended up working for Don Moretti. "One of his other employees...I think his name was...Q? He referred me to Mr. Moretti and I had a job interview, said I had experience in Security. So he had me going to all sorts of places, protecting Q and his little Brother, protect this VIP, protect that VIP. Been working for him since at least last year. But its not like I'm really cut out to do anything else. More recently, he has me on protection detail for the Wycliff Family." She smiled, thinking about how kind they were to her. "They're very wonderful and kind people." She commented, fondly remembering the trip to Florida within her first week of being their Bodyguard. "What about you? I'd like to get to know you as well."

Interactions: Ava Moretti Melanin-Gxdess
Mentions: Wycliff Family

 

[Misty Gray]

The Funky Cat
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Benjamin Reznik​

Benjamin smiled and nodded when Lorelei said it must have been nice to visit his father in New York. "It was great. The prison itself I'm not overly fond of, but once I saw my dad, none of that mattered much anyway," he told her. Then Lorelei told him she hadn't heard much from her uncle. Whilst it was quite sad that she didn't get to see James much, he figured it wasn't as difficult for her as it would be if she was missing a parent. Then again, he didn't have any aunts or uncles he knew, so he was only going on assumptions. "I did see him, and I believe I saw your aunt too. A blonde-haired lady," he confirmed. Lorelei had asked if James looked okay and Benjamin nodded before his thoughts caught up with him. He had noted at the time that the man had marks on his face that were no doubt wounds from fighting. Given the fact the man was in prison, he'd determined it was nothing he needed to concern Lorelei about as it was likely relatively normal in such a place. "He looked pretty tough, to be honest," he pointed out. "They must have a good gym in that place," he added, playfully lifting his arm as if to gesture to his biceps. "From what I understand, your uncle is top dog in that place, so I don't think you need to worry so much," he tried to reassure her. "And he's got my dad to hang out with now."

The young man's smile grew again when thinking about his visit with Kurt. "It was so good seeing him and I might be able to go out to visit more often. Your uncle said arrangements can be made for me to accompany Conor's employees when they head to New York on business. So that's really exciting," he enthused.

Benjamin also remembered speaking to Kurt about Lorelei. His father had encouraged him to follow up on his attraction to her and as Benjamin was certain he wouldn't do anything to upset Lorelei, thus not really risking James' wrath, he had convinced himself it was okay to approach her. "Hey, Lorelei..." Benjamin began, briefly looking to the stage to check he wasn't missing any good photo opportunities, before focusing back on the beautiful redhead. "This is, um... I suppose kind of unprofessional and I already gave off the impression I'm clumsy," he began, referring back to his early stumble. "But would you like to go out for drinks or dinner with me? I mean, not right now, but another evening? As in, on a date?" he asked. Usually a natural flirt, he found himself oddly nervous asking Lorelei on a date. Whether it was his genuine attraction to her or the pressure of her familial ties, he could feel his heart racing in his chest as he anticipated her response. "I'm totally not usually this awkward," he assured her, with a small laugh.

Bellz (Lorelei)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Oak Tree Restaurant
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor remained tight-lipped when Aliana pointed out that he used to cook more. He then returned her mischievous smile with a grin of his own. "You're right there, love. My plan had been to keep all of those other blokes away. Obviously, you kept that smoking figure, so clearly the men just weren't up to the challenge of competing with my hot self," he remarked, with a wink. Though fully aware his comments were likely to embarrass at least his eldest two, he had no intention of keeping such comments quiet. In reality, he loved winding up the kids.

Listening to Leo and Rhiannon lightly bicker over sweets, Conor diverted his attention to the colouring in that Sydney was doing, though he kept quiet so as not to disturb her from her concentration. He then looked up to Aliana when she addressed him about their daughters' creative interests. "Oh, there isn't room for another one with those kinds of interests. You're just going to have to stay uncultured and proud, like me," he told Leo. "Sullivans leave it to the women to be all fancy and creative."

When Sydney spoke up and said she enjoyed spending time with Sinead, Conor flashed a fond smile. Of course his youngest would like being in his younger sister's presence; they both shared bright personalities and musical interests. He nodded in agreement when Aliana said to remind her to schedule a time with Sinead.

As the others deliberated over holiday destinations, it seemed like Bora Bora was off the table but Switzerland was a possibility. "So no sunny holiday for us? I guess I'm getting too old to be worrying about my tan anyway..." he playfully grumbled at Aliana. Seeing Sydney's pout, he softly rubbed the girl's back. "We'll take you to Vienna one day soon, Sunshine. In the meantime, maybe we could pay Auntie Sinny to give you piano lessons?" he suggested to his youngest. He then cleared his throat before he addressed the others across the table. "Switzerland it is, then!" he confirmed.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Leo, Rhiannon, Sydney)

 

[Misty Gray]

Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Sinead and Liam Callahan​

Sinead closed her eyes when Lucy said she didn't remember their own father been as moody as the men in their family were now. Sinead had always been close to her father, and though his death was a long time ago, she still missed Emmet. She opened her eyes again, with a faint smile on her face as she looked to Lucy. "Oh, not at all. Daidi might have been serious and intimidating with business, but he was never that moody at home. He was an easy-going man," she recalled. "Then again, he didn't need to be moody with us lot. Mam was the stubborn, bossy and grumpy one in our home, at least, she was with me," she said, letting out a small laugh.

Sinead let out an exasperated sigh when Lucy explained Thomas wasn't much of a talker these days. "Well, we all know where he gets that from, Luce. Old Man Jimbo was never much of a talker either, especially not until he met you. When he was stuck chauffeuring me around to the jazz clubs, back before you both got together, it was like drawing blood out of a stone getting him to chat with me. I'm sorry, but it seems like Thomas has inherited the Porter-variant of the moody gene."

With conversation on Liam's newfound interest in religion, Sinead lightly shrugged when Lucy mentioned not being able to step into churches unless she had to. "Well, I'm not really sure it's my thing, to be honest. I mean, after everything I've been through and the un-Catholic things I've done," she began, mostly referring to getting pregnant out of wedlock, "I think it's too late for me to expect God to think about my well-being. But Liam is a good boy and if he wants to spend his free time in church, then I guess I should be grateful. Given what our family does, he could very easily be out causing trouble instead."

Sinead's heart ached when she heard how upset Syd's children were about Matthew's death, as well as them feeling abandoned at the moment. "Yes, I think you should talk to Syd and Roxie. They need to find a better way of working together so the little ones feel secure. They can't put business first, especially not after they've just lost Mr. Moore."

*****​

Liam smiled when JJ said he'd like to come to church sometime. "That would be so cool. Father Healy will be welcoming to you. It's not like the times in school when everything is boring and he's talking to the whole class. He's interested in what's going on with us and he was Mr. Moore's friend, so he'll understand how you're feeling. And there's a lady there called Patience. I mean, she seemed pretty relaxed and chilled out, even for a grown up," he explained.

Listening to how worried JJ was about his parents, he frowned sympathetically. "Maybe they just couldn't help being away. I'm sure they'll be home soon," he tried to reassure his cousin. Still, if Syd was away doing the same as Peter and Braden, then Liam figured JJ had every right to be concerned. When JJ then pointed out how lucky he was to have two parents who loved each other, Liam slowly nodded. "Yeah, I know. I know I've had it easier than my brother and sisters, too. I've always had Mum and Dad at home, together, but the others had to grow up during the times my dad was in prison," he explained. "Maybe you should tell your parents how you feel. I'm sure they love you and want you to be happy, but sometimes the grown-ups get distracted by their work that they don't realise how sad we are."

Bellz (Lucy, JJ)

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Burger Joint
~ Broadway + W. 76th NY, NY ~ ​

While Roxie appreciated Ricky having her back, hearing him confirm that she had helped murderers and rapists walk free was like a stab to the chest, so much so that she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. If this were being said to any other person, Roxie would have tried to defend her integrity as she was someone with a strong moral compass, however, she knew that defending herself would do no good in this conversation. Gabriel needed to hear that Roxie was willing to go against her own morals and while her conscience had and continues to suffer greatly, she had already gone against almost everything she believed in.

Roxie's attention turned to Teddy as he spoke, nodding her head once to acknowledge his words. He explained what he felt would happen, that she would go from not wanting to step on toes to walking on eggshells. What he didn't know was that she had already been walking on eggshells for years with the Sullivans, at least in some aspects. He brought up the point that she would favor them without even knowing and Roxie dove deeper into that mindset for a moment, placing herself in Moretti's shoes. To him, it was clear as day that she was ready to favor the Sullivans. Sure he didn't know her well enough to make that assumption, but he did know who father well who couldn't keep his mouth shut about her. Roxie couldn't help but assume that Stefano talked about how stubborn she was, that she would always put up a fight.

So of course, Gabriel and his family had every right to worry about whether she would be loyal to them because for more than a decade since she left Syd, every decision she'd made she basically surrendered to. She went to law school to change people's lives for the better and instead, she was letting criminals that should be in jail free to inflict more pain on the innocent. When she left Syd she had been persuaded into staying in Ireland despite feeling strongly about going back to the States. Hell even when Matthew was alive, she had been persuaded into having the wedding in a church! Roxie's eyes had moved towards the table without her realizing so when Teddy continued, she forced herself to make eye contact once more. He said that they could end up putting her in precarious situations...but the fact of the matter was that little by little they already had.

Before Roxie could attempt to ease Teddy's conscience, Gabriel spoke up to agree with the man. He said that he trusted Roxie's intentions to remain impartial but he hoped he could stick to it. He stated that the Sullivans could bring her children into it and Roxie had to wonder if Syd would ever allow that to happen. Seeing what they had seen the night Matthew died, Roxie didn't want them to be exposed to anything like that again. Having to deal with separated parents was already traumatic enough, having to place them in the middle of a war that wasn't meant to be theirs to fight was a whole other more intense trauma. If Roxie knew Syd as she had all those years ago, she knew he wouldn't want that. But...they hadn't spoken for more than a few minutes in years and she had come to realize with the help of therapy that really...she didn't know him at all. While they achieved what many couples who had been together for years achieved...they had only been together for a little more than a year. That became crystal clear after he lied to her.

Roxie's eyes met Gabriel's as the man attempted to use logic about whether she could have saved Matthew's life and she couldn't help but feel that Gabriel really reminded her of her father. Perhaps that was why the two had gotten along so well. Both seemed to shy away from an emotional woman. Roxie turned to look at Reina as she spoke and a small smile graced her lips as her bodyguard stated that her Uncle left her in charge for a reason and that she just needed a moment to prove herself. It was nice to have at least one person believe that she was up for the task.

The brunette was unsure what Gabriel would think of her purchasing a townhome in New York but she was relieved to hear that he thought it was promising that she was taking the steps to secure a more frequent presence. Hearing that he would give her time to settle into the position was also very relieving to her. Roxie smiled gratefully at the man and nodded her head as he made a point that he would reserve judgment. "Of course, like with most things I hope to fall into the swing of things with the position swiftly so I do not disturb the natural order." He then looked at her with a serious expression and her smile quickly faded as she grew serious as well. He said that there would be no hiding it if she was struggling and Roxie stayed silent. All eyes were on her from here on out and she would have to plan her every move carefully. Gabriel then asked about Ricky and Roxie looked to her cousin once more. "Ricky will continue his second in command position from here on out, however, like our Uncle was to him, Ricky will be a trusted mentor. I believe it would be foolish to make decisions without his council so we have arranged for him to mentor me until everyone feels comfortable. I am not keen on accidentally starting a gang civil war. All of us at this table understand just how devastating that can be."
with: Gabriel + Ricky Misty Gray ; Teddy + Reina Melanin-Gxdess
mentions: Syd Pyroclast :'(

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
Bodyworks Gym
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~ ​

Blake let out a small giggle as Adam said that she would need to do some push-ups and squats as a warm-up first. She smiled mischievously his way as he winked at her before Adam's attention was captured by someone else. Blake turned her head towards the entrance and saw Elena walk in looking a little out of place much like Blake probably looked when she walked in. Raising a brow, she watched as the woman approached Thomas and smiled as Adam playfully commented on it.

Sure enough, Thomas turned to the woman and immediately smiled at her and Blake smiled before turning to look towards Adam again. "It's so refreshing to see him smile like that, his mother didn't believe me when I told her just how much he had been smiling at the pub. Might have to get a camera sometime and catch him in the act." She said teasingly. Adam then seemed to turn a little serious and Blake's smile faded ever so slightly as he said that he needed to come clean about something.

Hearing that he wasn't at the gym to work out or help his employees was a little surprising but then he continued to say that he was doing a job for Conor and everything made perfect sense. Hearing that he was expecting a package, Blake raised both of her brows wondering what he could have been expecting. She knew not to ask and he soon explained that it was probably best that he didn't tell her anything more than what he'd said already so she would leave it alone for now. Having worked for the Sullivan/Porter family in the past, Blake could probably make an educated guess as to what he was expecting anyway.

He reassured her that the exchange was nothing dangerous but he felt like he needed to warn her in case he disappeared for a short while. Blake smiled gently and waved her hand at him lightly, "Don't worry about it, babe. Just do what you need to do, I'm patient. I don't want to be the one to blame for you getting in trouble with old man Conor." She said jokingly. "Though if he were to yell at you he'd be getting a stern talking-to from me shortly afterward." Blake said truthfully before tilting her head to the side. "After your job is done, are you free for the rest of the day? Or do you have to do something else? I assume since we are getting drinks you are going to be free...but I just want to make sure."
with: Adam Misty Gray
mentions: Elena Pyroclast

 

[BloodLightning27]

~Ricker's Island: Bradley Beckett & James Edwards~

James could not quite tell if Porter was amused or agitated when he said that they were next-door neighbors, but mostly left it alone as the man continued to speak. So far, so good too, but it wasn't like either of the new Riker's Island newcomers were there to cause any trouble, let alone with the Top Dog of all inmates.

"Listen, if the kid got beat up on his first day, then that wasn't under my orders. I guess they saw an opportunity and an easy target, so took it. I can't say it won't happen again, but that shit won't happen under my watch."

Both Bradley and James were rather relieved to hear that. While James could look after himself, it was Bradley's safety and well-being that was his primary concern. Naturally, Porter stated that he wasn't going to make promises he couldn't keep (at least from Edwards' perspective), he did state that it was not going to happen under his watch. And since it was apparent that he was the Top Dog, Edwards heavily doubted that the other inmates would make a move with him watching. At the mention of Ramsey, Porter did seem rather surprised and immediately warned the duo to not trust him.

"Whilst I'm not putting my own character into question, I would warn you against trusting Ramsey. If he does something for you, there's every chance it's for his own benefit."

Edwards had been weary of Ramsey since they've met, but with Porter warning them now to not trust the man, Bradley silently agreed. To be fair, the guy seemed pretty shady. He had talked with James about it when they were in their cell, and the Ex-Navy SEAL agreed. There was something off about Ramsey, but Edwards couldn't exactly put his finger on it. But he decided to take Porter's word for it. Because he probably wasn't wrong, given that he looked like he has been at Riker's for some time now.

"Well, it's not a rule that you have to tell other inmates what you're in for and I tend not to ask unless I need to know. Besides, there's a lot of ways we can find out what a man is in here for. So, as long as you're not in here for harming kids, then you'll be fine. Though I'm also not keen on those who abuse women."

"I'm glad to hear you're not here to cause trouble. Listen... I'm not exactly sure what it is you want from me? I mean, I might have the odd jobs for you both and I can put word out to lay off the kid."

"But making friends in here isn't a fast process, especially in my position."

Both Edwards and Bradley looked at each other. Neither of them were in currently in prison for harming women or children thankfully. As far as Edwards was concerned, people who harm children deserved everything that they got when it came to consequences. Abusing women? Edwards did not condone violence against women at all, but if they were actively attempting to hurt or kill him, he was going to fight back in some capacity, but often preferred to talk things out rather then resort to violence in any way, even if he was trained for it. But violence, in any capacity should be only considered as a last resort, if other options are exhausted. He proceeded to brush these thoughts away and once more looked directly at Porter.

"Tell me more about yourselves. What did you both do for work on the outside? Any family?"

"Friends of yours?"

James stopped paying any more mind to the loitering gang members nearby. Hopefully they weren't stupid enough try anything. But if they wanted to get their asses kicked again, Edwards wouldn't mind. As a former Soldier, he was always ready for a fight and if he was having a bad day, even punch someone for just looking at him wrong. Even then, he picked his battles correctly for the most part, if they weren't chosen for him. He then proceeded to continue the conversation that was currently ongoing with Porter. "Not really, they're the ones that jumped Bradley here thirty minutes after the Guards dropped him off." He answered concerning the loitering gang members. "Before I ended up here, I was in the US Navy for sixteen years, fifteen of which I spent as a Sniper for the SEALs. After I got out of the Navy, I wanted to get a change of scenery from Texas, so I moved out to New York, hoping for a fresh start. Got mixed in with the wrong crowd and now I'm in for Armed Robbery, so I'm gonna be here for the next fifteen years. No one in my Family knows that I'm here because none of them are in New York. Parents are still in Texas, but as far as the rest of my Family...God knows, I guess."

Bradley scratched the back of his head, before taking his chance. "Before ending up here, I was attending the University of New York on a Scholarship. First year didn't go as well as I would have liked. Didn't make the cut for any of the Sports Teams. You know, like...Football, Basketball and Soccer. So I decided to take a year off, think about why I'm going to University, like what I wanna study, do with my life. Then one bad night, I stole a car and went for a joy-ride. Cops found cocaine and guns in the trunk. Cocaine straight from Columbia...and AK's right out of Russia. So I got nailed for Car Theft. Drugs and Weapons charges were dropped because I took a plea deal with the District Attorney...and Investigators couldn't prove that the Coke and the Guns were mine... Hell, I think its a good thing my parents don't know that I'm here. They'd be really disappointed. But...Its a good thing they're in Arizona now, then seeing what I'm doing with my life." He frowned, thinking about what his Mother would say...if she were to speak with him right now.

While James thought what Bradley did to land in jail was a bit too good to be true, he couldn't help but wonder if the car he stole belonged to gang members. "So who'd you rob?" He asked bluntly.

James immediately went silent, as he thought about that fateful day. He saw the terrified look on an Elderly Man's face as he pointed a gun at his heart. While his fellow robbers stole a bunch of jewelry and cash, he kept an eye on the poor man to make sure the silent alarm wasn't activated...and then a woman pressed another alarm before one of his fellow robbers fired a shotgun in her direction, only making a vase shatter and missing her outright. NYPD were quick to respond. And everyone ran out back...James had accepted his fate, ejecting the magazine from his handgun and then getting down on his knees, his hands interlocked behind his head, looking down at the gun in shame. "I robbed a Jewelry Store." He said, looking at his younger friend, before looking back at Porter. "So, Mr. Porter...You mentioned closer to the beginning of this conversation, to not trust Ramsey. And you didn't seem too happy when he came by earlier to talk to you. Not that its any of my business, but... Dare I ask why?"

Kurt Lee Reznik Pyroclast James Porter, Nicholas Ramsey (Mentioned) Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Scallion's Pub
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah froze for a time when Danny asked if she thought her family were going to hurt Spencer. She then slowly nodded her head as there was no denying all she could imagine they would do was hurt the man. Knowing what her family was capable of and that Conor would want to send a clear message rather than act passively, it was all she could assume. "I think they are. My uncle... I don't think he's as reasonable as he once was and he's all about putting potential threats 'back in their place'," she explained. She lightly nodded in agreement when Danny reasoned that Spencer had the wrong idea about her intentions. "Spencer is quite stubborn and aggressive himself, so if my father and the others go at him all confrontational he'll be unreasonable in return," she said, letting out a sigh. "I think if we all sat down and talked then maybe he'd see reason. He can just come across so bossy and imposing, that it... I just wish I hadn't said anything to my family about Spencer now. It's going to look like I sent them to London to fight my battles, but I don't want London to be a battleground. Even if I stay here in Dublin, Callum still needs time with the Kings and I need to feel comfortable taking him there."

Savannah softly smiled when Danny reminisced about when she was first starting out in New York. "Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to be on stage or on TV. Singing, dancing, acting. It was something I could focus on away from my family's dramas and it always just made me happy. I dreamed about it so many nights, so I was determined to make it real," she fondly told him. "And thirteen years ago, you helped me a lot. With all the terrible things that were happening, you were a breath of fresh air and you helped me through some of the darker days," she gratefully told him. "You were so sweet. Are you still a breath of fresh air, Danny-boy?" she playfully asked him.

When the waitress approached them, Savannah sent the woman a warm smile. She then extended a bigger smile to Danny when he offered to buy her drink. "I'll have a Lemonade Martini, please," she requested. When the waitress had gone, there was a short silence. Savannah looked to Danny, studying him for a time. Despite being apart for so many years, it felt like she still knew him so well. His boyish good looks were replaced by more mature, handsome features. Though the man on the inside was so familiar to her, the physical attraction to him felt refreshed and in a way, new to her.

Danny broke the silence by bringing the conversation back to the Kings. He asked about the other family members, as he'd heard plenty about Spencer and Alex already. She let out a small, somewhat exasperated laugh as he referred to Alex as a fool and Spencer as bossy. "Okay. Well, first there's their Uncle Bruce - the head of the family. He pretty much adopted Alex and the others after their father abandoned them and their mother died. Bruce is actually a pretty nice guy - he's always been good to me, even after what happened with Alex. Then there's Alex's younger brother, Billy. He's a sweet guy, definitely the kindest and most easy-going of the brothers. And there's Harper, the youngest sibling and I think she wants to be involved in her family's business, but they don't involve her in things." She paused as she thought about how Harper would probably be unhappy with her now. "I guess I'm closest to Shona, though. She's Spencer's wife and a friend of mine... Or at least, before today she was? She's nearly due to give birth and I'd planned to be around to help her out with the baby, where I could." Savannah fell silent as she felt her emotions catching up with her. She ran her fingers through her hair and looked around the pub in an attempt to distract herself from how she was feeling. She looked back to Danny and cleared her throat. "I guess if my father and the others have hurt Spencer, then none of them will want to know me anymore, nevermind still consider me a friend!"

The waitress arrived with their drinks and Savannah soon took the glass so she could take a drink from it. "I know you have to work with my family so you probably don't need to know this, but I'm going pretty annoyed with them if they've gone too far." She took a deep breath before looking Danny in the eyes. "Not that I'm not enjoying having more opportunity to spend time with you," she assured Danny, flashing a small grin. "Even when I'm in a mood with half of my family, you still make me want to chill out and just smile," she admitted.

Pyroclast (Danny)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Braden Callahan ​

Peter noticed how serious Syd was as soon as he had gotten in the car. The older man attempted to draw a smile from his nephew but all he got was a small smirk as Peter joked about Syd protecting his own daughters. Hearing that his nephew would inflict such horrible violence on the man who exposed his kids to such trauma wasn't surprising. Peter felt the same when his children were exposed to such shit. Syd asked if he had a smoke and Peter shook his head lightly, "Had to quit that shit a while back." He said simply. Arvin luckily had a smoke and Peter watched as Syd lit it up and took a drag.

Peter turned to look out towards the front to see the road as they were flying down it when Syd spoke up, demanding that he wanted to go home. He asked where Braden was, insisting that he didn't want to stay in London a second longer than necessary in case Spencer sent people after them. "Braden's holding down the fort at Savvy's just in case Spencer's men were quick to retaliate. We'll grab our shit and get the fuck out of here." Peter told his nephew.

*****
Savannah Callahan's House
~ Islington, London ~​

Braden smiled widely as Kerry accepted his invitation to come inside and once she was through the door, Braden made sure to look up and down the hallway before closing the door behind him. He had mentioned his father and Syd and Braden immediately notice a change in Kerry's demeanor. Raising an eyebrow as they walked further into the house, Kerry weakly joked about things being on the TV more interesting than the news before she said that she could help him finish the drinks. Her smile that she returned was weak and Braden tilted his head in concern, opening his mouth to address her nervous behavior when she seemed to beat him to it.

Her apprehension about others in his family being forgiving was justified but he wasn't so worried about his father as she said this. Syd was messed up after Jackson was killed and furious that Kerry had been let off the hook. Braden wasn't so sure how the man would react seeing her. He had collected himself over the years, and Braden was proud of him, but he knew his cousin well enough to know that anything could set him off if he was in a bad mood. Especially seeing the person who, in his eyes, was responsible for Jackson's death. Braden reached up to scratch the back of his head nervously as well and tried his best to offer Kerry a reassuring smile. "Ah...my old man isn't someone you need to worry about. Syd...he's just...complicated and emotional. I feel like if he and other's in my family had the ability to look at what happened from an outside perspective like I've been able to...they would see while yes, your actions led to a death in our family...it's not entirely your fault, Kerry." Braden knew that he could never say this to Syd or to his Uncle even. But from a rational non-emotional point of view, Braden knew he was right. Kerry was just as much the victim in the situation as Jackson was.

Before he could say more and get the drinks he had mentioned, his father burst through the door with Syd following behind him. Peter paused the minute he saw Kerry and looked to Braden with raised eyebrows. "Uh, hey Pops...Syd, how did it go?" Braden asked before inching forward to step in front of Kerry slightly, hoping to take their eyes off her so they could focus on him. "As well as to be expected." Peter said hesitantly, his eyebrows raising even higher as he watched his son block Kerry from their view. Peter turned his head to look at his nephew, moving a hand to place it on his shoulder before giving it a small squeeze.

"We are leaving. Gotta get home to your mother and Syd's gotta get home to his kids. I'm sure little Miss Hattie is missing you something fierce. Have everything ready to go?" Peter asked Braden to which the man nodded his head.

"Yes, all the bags are in the living room." Braden said before he turned to Kerry. "Thank you for coming to check on my sister. I'll make sure to have her call you."

with: Syd Pyroclast + Kerry Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Spencer and Shona King's Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King​

When Ozzy pulled the car up outside and stopped the engine, Spencer looked to the house and let out a groan as he saw the place lit up inside. There seemed to be more rooms with their lights on than needed for just Shona and Shirley, which he figured meant there were more than two people in the house. He was intending on slipping straight by the lounge and up to bathroom to clean himself up before his wife could see. The last thing he wanted was to cause her stress and concern. it was far from the first time he'd returned after a fight, but this time wasn't exactly a fight and he certainly hadn't been the winner tonight. She was bound to be upset and he was dreading it.

Once they were out of the car, Spencer asked Ozzy to carry in the bags of takeaway food. Given that he'd been holding the blood-soaked towel for the journey home, he didn't want to get blood on the bags and put everyone off from eating. As they walked into the house, Spencer timed it so Ozzy was blocking the open doorway to the lounge whilst he slipped past and down the hallway. "Food's here!" he called out to who he believed to be just Shona and Shirley.

It was only when he caught his reflection in the hallway mirror that he realised his face looked worse than he'd expected. Moving the towel away from his bleeding cheek, he studied the wound in the mirror and realised he wasn't going to be able to just clean his face, patch up the wound, then return to tell everyone it was nothing. Having been in his fair share of fights and helped out his own injured friends, he knew this particular wound was going to need stitches. Not only was he frustrated about being attacked, but he was frustrated with the timing. For weeks, he'd kept the business running in London and he'd ensured the family were all taken care of. Now, just days before his uncle was due home from business, there was no way he could hide what had just happened. Everything had been running perfectly smoothly until now.

Hearing voices from in the lounge, he recognised Billy's and realised they had guests. Before anyone could catch him in the hallway, he slipped into the kitchen where Ozzy was setting the bags of food down on the worktops. Spencer disposed of the bloodied towel in the bin so as not to scare anyone if they saw it. It was inevitable he wasn't going to get upstairs before anyone caught up with him, so he instead turned to the sink and ran the water so he could scrub his hands clean. It was only now he was in the comfort and warmth of his own home that the pain in his back and face began to catch up with him. His aching body was made worse as he struggled out of his coat, tossing it into the corner on the floor as he didn't have the motivation to hang it up properly. Aware of the fact his face needed medical attention, he began to think about which of his contacts could help. He cleared his throat, still getting the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He reached for the nearest tea towel, first using it to dry his hands, but then keeping hold of it for his his bleeding face.

"Don't freak out," he began, having heard Billy and Shona join him in the kitchen. "I'm sure we've all seen worse, but I'm going to need one of you to call Paul and get him to come over here," he explained, referring to one of the gang members who'd provided medical assistance in the past. He turned around to face his family and pulled the cloth away from his face, revealing his black eye, bust nose, and the deep cut on his face. "I brought lots of food back," he told Shona, flashing her a smile to try ease her concern. His expression then stiffened to something more serious. "We're done with those Irish bastards," he said, glancing to Billy. His exhaustion and thirst catching up to him, he paused as he caught his breath back. "Sav ran off home crying the poor tale to daddy, because I'd told her not to mess us about with Callum."

Pyroclast (Shona, Billy)
BloodLightning27 (Dr. Shirley)
Melanin-Gxdess (Erik, maybe Alex)
Bellz (Maybe Harper)
High5ives (Ozzy... tagging but it appears you've gone?)

 

[Pyroclast]

Shona and Billy King​

Hearing the front door open, Shona gasped with excitement at Spencer’s announcement of food. “Ooooh, perfect!” she exclaimed, pushing herself up and out of her seat. “I’ll go grab some plates and stuff, we can dish out in here where the comfy seats are -” Turning to leave the room, she saw her cousin-in-law with the bags of food, filling the doorway with his broad frame. “Oh, Ozzy! Why’ve I not seen you around lately? Come ‘ere!” Shona leaned a hand on his arm to steady herself as she stood on tiptoes to reach up and kiss his cheek. “Go on, you start putting the food out on the table - and Billy, you go and get Erik, I’m sure there’s enough food to go around! Shirley, this is Spencer’s cousin Ozzy; Ozzy, this is my good friend Shirley…”

Briefly leaving her friend to mingle with her family, Shona hopped into the kitchen, a big smile on her face at the full house that they had. “We might have to bring some chairs in from…” Never had her smile fallen so fast - at the sight of her husband, Shona’s heart dropped into her stomach and she froze on the spot, one hand flying to her mouth. “Spencer,” she softly uttered, her eyes stinging with tears.

“Oh my god, Spence, what happened to you?” came Billy’s voice from behind her. Spencer had told them not to freak out but Shona couldn’t help the reaction she was having. It was obvious when he removed the towel from his face that he had suffered a nasty beating, but it still sent a sick feeling through her when he requested medical assistance. “On it,” she heard Billy say, as he moved towards the kitchen telephone. All Shona could see was her husband, the fresh blood trickling over his stained, swollen face. He made a light-hearted comment about bringing food home, but she wasn’t hungry anymore. His smile only brought tears to her eyes and she flew to his side, reaching up to delicately examine his injuries. “Who did this?” she demanded. “Who did this to you? We’ll send someone after them today.”

Upon hearing that it was the Irish, Shona frowned. They had had their disagreements in the past but she had never got the impression that they were a direct danger to her family. Her eyes narrowed slightly when Spencer spoke bitterly of Savannah, practically blaming her for overreacting to his requests for Callum to spend more time in London. Of course, she herself couldn’t get enough of her sweet nephew and wished he could be in London all the time, but she understood Savannah’s perspective as a mother so she was suspicious of what Spencer might have said to her to upset her so much. Still, she wasn’t ready to pick him apart yet - her priority was her husband’s health. With a small sniff, she quickly dried her eyes and hooked her arm around Spencer’s waist. “Come sit down, baby,” she gently offered. “I’ll speak to Savvy later. I’ll bet anything she didn’t mean for this to happen, we both know she’s a sweet soul despite your disagreements. Just come and sit, okay? I’ll send everyone home…”

Once she led Spencer into the living room and helped him sit down on the sofa, she shot an apologetic look at Shirley. “I’m so sorry, Shirley, love, we’re gonna have to hang out another time. Take whatever food you want with you -”

“Well, Paul ain’t picking up,” Billy interrupted as he entered the room, his eyes immediately falling on his brother with a mild expression of concern. “There anyone else still in the area we can call?" Thinking of the guests they had, he was less concerned about Erik than he was about the pregnant woman in the room. They were still making first impressions on her and he didn't want to put her off ever coming round to their house again. "Shirley, shall I give you a ride home?" he offered. "Sorry you had to see this...”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer
BloodLightning27 Shirley
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

High5ives Ozzy (if you're still with us)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Erik Snowden
Alex King

The moment the words left Erik's mouth he regretted them. The light and playful atmosphere had suddenly shifted into one with an uncomfortable tension. Billy adverted his gaze from Erik, causing the man to take a deep breath. Just as he was about to try and loosen his friend up he went and called him a queer, abruptly leaving the room. His reaction to Erik's teasing was unexpected, to say the least. Ever since they first met Erik had been jokingly flirtatious towards him and even more so recently. Never had the man reacted that way so why was he doing so now? Erik stood there in confusion and didn't even know how to react to the situation. What he did know was that it didn't sound like Billy was angry with him, nor disgusted but more like he was embarrassed. As if the thought of being gay was just so horrendous. It actually started to piss Erik off as he shoved his legs into the pants that had been laid out for him.

Erik thought more of Billy, figured the man would be a bit more open-minded and understanding that the world was changing. If Erik ever had a thought of proudly coming out to the man, it had been destroyed. Picking up the shirt, he paused as he thought about every interaction they had after the strangling situation. Was he just imagining how affectionate and intimate Billy had been with him? Maybe because he desired Billy so much he had created the illusion that the man desired him right back. Or could the guy still be closeted? Either way, he was feeling dejected and didn't care for the feeling. Forgetting he had changed his clothes for the moment Erik dug into the pockets only to find them empty. "Fuck..." He muttered under his breath. All he needed - wanted really - was that powdery substance that would make him forget this feeling. And Billy had already taken his damn clothes somewhere.

He could hear the door opening and closing downstairs followed by the sound of more voices. After he cleaned his mess he made his way downstairs. He planned to just slip out of the house without saying much of anything when he heard the commotion in the kitchen. "We're done with those Irish bastards," he heard Spencer say. Despite his better judgment telling him to just get updated later, Erik went into the kitchen where he saw Spencer's face. He noticed Billy by the phone and ignored him while watching Shona examine her husband. Hearing the Irish had roughed up Spencer because of the kid was honestly a shock. He knew things between the two families were rough but he didn't think it was this bad. He remained quiet as they all made their way into the living room, the Shirley woman from early still sitting. He was about to offer to take her home and let the King family be together when Billy beat him to the punch. Erik just raised his eyebrows to himself before shaking his head and turning to Spencer. "So, exactly which Sullivan did thi-," his sentence was cut short by someone else entering the house.

Alex was going to make his presence known the moment he returned home from Ibiza, loudly announcing himself. "Guess who's baaaack!" He closed the door and set his bags to the side, looking from the kitchen to the stairs before finally settling on the living room. The moment he stepped in full view he glanced around the room. "Why is everyone's faces so gloomy?" His eyes landed on Spencer's face taking note of the damage as he let out a grimace. "Fucksake, Spence, who'd you piss off this time?" Alex wasn't adept at reading the room as he just assumed his brother had gotten into a fight. He let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. "You know, Darcey may be able to help you learn to keep your hands up."



Billy ( Pyroclast )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Maverick's
~Queens, New York~
Ava Moretti

Ava was always curious about the kind of people who found themselves tied into the Moretti web. Some had the unfortunate pleasure of working for him while others actively sought him out. Harmony seemed like a nice enough girl so Ava herself wanted to know why and how she ended up here. It was a straightforward answer - nothing too revealing but just enough to pique interest. "A girl from the West Coast, huh? I traveled that way once. My uncle sent me out there to see if it was worth setting up a new base. Too open, in my opinion." She had been accustomed to the tall buildings where they would be able to hide from the law a lot easier. Plus, she was a creature of habit, and moving to a new place just wasn't something she knew she'd never be open to. New York was her home and she was going to die in New York. At the mention of Val, Teddy, and the kids, she perked up a little with a small smile on her face. It had been a while since she spent time with them, though Elvian organizing family dinners and lunches helped. Her sister-in-law had been the ones to help her ease into this new life she found herself growing in the day she met Marcus. Whenever she needed advice about how to deal with Gabe and Elvian, they were the ones she turned to instead of her husband. "The kids are so cute, aren't they? Especially that little troublemaker, Paolo. You're lucky to get such an easy-going job."

When she asked how she knew the Moretti's, Ava took a pause to laugh. It wasn't every day that someone asked her that question and she would have to explain. They always tensed up when she told them her connections and she had a feeling Harmony was going to do the same. She dabbed her needle into the ink before pressing it against the girl's skin to resume her work. "Ah, well. My family is a prominent biker gang, the Maverick's - which is where my bar gets its name. I have the bittersweet honor of knowing Mr. Moretti through my husband Marcus. His son." She paused for a moment as she glanced up at her face. "Bittersweet as in I love my husband more than anything but his parents scare the hell out of me," she looked back down with a smile on her face and chuckled, "And I don't scare that easily." More people than she thought hadn't been aware she was Marcus' wife, though they did know he was married. It made sense considering they had two completely different backgrounds and no ties whatsoever. Teddy had at least worked for Gabe for years before marrying Valentina. Ava? She was just the niece of a criminal who ran a bar with a sticky floor. Sometimes she still found it amusing that she even crossed paths with Marcus, to begin with. But she was glad she had.


Harmony ( BloodLightning27 )​

 

[Misty Gray]

The Zegarra Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Jasmine Zegarra​

Hearing Michael say he was thinking about things he hadn't before was concerning to Jasmine, despite her son saying it was a good thing. As much as she appreciated that he wanted to do only good, she couldn't help but feel he was getting caught up in deep and serious concerns that a kid his age shouldn't have on his mind. Falling out with friends, failing class, or even being let down by a girl - she could handle all of that. It didn't seem normal for Michael to be so worried about religion, especially as it wasn't something their family put much focus on at all.

Jasmine softly smiled as Chase reassured the boy the he was a good person. She agreed that he didn't need the Bible to tell him that. In her opinion, people were capable of committing atrocities no matter their belief, and many people had done so in the name of their religion. Morals weren't exclusive to Catholics. Michael asking Chase if he'd never killed someone was enough to drag Jasmine out of her thoughts. Just as difficult as it was being asked the question of herself, it was uncomfortable watching her husband being asked the same. Chase assured the boy he hadn't killed anyone, to which Michael pointed out his father owned guns. Jasmine and Chase briefly caught each others' eyes, both clearly not liking the situation.

She watched on as Chase addressed Michael directly, not wanting to interrupt unless her husband needed her to. Her heart ached as the man spoke of there being grey areas. She was certainly of the belief that it was okay to kill or hurt others if it meant protecting herself and those she cared about. Although she had put her days of working for the mob behind her, she wouldn't hesitate to do it even now. Hell, back in her younger days, she would have harmed the enemy simply because it was what she was paid to do, as bad as it felt to admit.

When Chase switched off the television and pointed out the movie was a bad choice, Jasmine sat up straight and studied her husband's face. Her attention suddenly shot to Michael as the boy argued Chase wouldn't have to do bad things if he quit his job. That he wouldn't kill and go to Hell. "Michael!" Jasmine spoke up in surprise. However, she held her tongue as Chase warned the boy and told him to keep his voice down. "This is not an appropriate subject," she calmly added. The conversation continued until Michael asked his father if he'd go to church to repent. Jasmine's jaw dropped slightly as she caught Chase's eye again. Apparently, Father Healy had been preaching at her son about Hell and repentance, which she wasn't sure she was happy about.

Michael eventually relented and was sent to brush his teeth ready for bed. With the boy out of earshot, Jasmine shuffled closer to Chase and looked to him directly. "I don't think I like this," she told him. "It's good that he's not out getting in trouble, but I'm not sure if church is an appropriate substitute. I'm not overly keen on the idea of Father Healy preaching at our kids, especially when it means we then have to lie to our his face because he's asking too many questions. I don't want to lose him to religion, either, but how can we stop him going to church? He seems pretty into it all and I'm not sure how he'd take us stopping him from going there again."

Pyroclast (Chase, Michael)

 

[BloodLightning27]

~London: Shirley Kwon - Part III: A Not-So-Peaceful Evening Anymore~

Pregnancy Tracker

Pregnancy Progression: 34.4/42 Weeks

Countdown to Labor & Delivery: 241/294 Days

Weight Gain: 66/71 Kg

Before their conversation could even get a chance to pick up from where it left off, it wasn't long until the handsome man, whom Shona addressed as 'Billy', entered the room. If she had to guess, he was at least in his mid to late twenties, but no older then thirty. Shirley didn't really mind, even though she was a little nervous due to how good-looking he was. Even then, she shut out any possible thoughts of romance, mainly because she didn't want to put him in an awkward position. The thought of getting into a relationship this late in the pregnancy was just asking for trouble...and asking for a man, whom she had just met, to be with her in the delivery room...the thought of it made her feel awkward. She wasn't a Disney Princess, so what were the chances of that? Would Disney even write a story like that? A woman in the later stages of pregnancy, falling in love and asking a man who she just met to be there with her when she brings her child into the world and then be a part of raising that child as if he or she was one of his own. No, absolutely not! Such a thought was repulsive. And if Disney were to have a movie like that, how would parents react? Not positively, no doubt about that. As these thoughts raced through her mind, Shirley's thoughts were disrupted as Billy joined her and Shona, sitting down in a nearby armchair and mentioning that another gentleman would be joining them shortly. Shirley herself was then suddenly caught off-guard when Billy said that he liked her dress and that it looked really nice on her...and that it went well with her hair. "Oh, thanks. I only dyed my hair a couple of days ago, just had to make sure that it was safe for the babies. And I wasn't sure if this shade of green went with the red hair, but I'm glad you think it works out."

Up next, the conversation started moving a little quicker, as he asked what her story and mentioned that Shona spoke about her a lot, leading her to wonder about what her new friend had said about her. Nothing negative, as she didn't really think Shona was that type of woman. She was very sweet, and didn't tease her whenever her stomach growled, which to this day, she found very embarrassing because the first time it happened, Shona was offering her fresh pastries and they were in public. However, Shona didn't seem too happy with where the conversation was going...and then asked him to help her in the kitchen, so it was not long until she was sitting awkwardly alone in the room as she heard them talking in the kitchen...and Shona sounded very unhappy. Maybe she was getting moody because of the hormones? Shirley definitely understood that one...because it was doubled for her.

"I do not want you fucking this up for me. Shirley’s a good friend of mine.”

“I honestly don’t have a clue what -”

“Come on, Billy. She’s pregnant with twins, for God’s sake. Her emotions are up to here, she doesn’t need some boy hitting on her on top of it all!”

“Well, I’m sorry for being nice,” he said. “And even if I was flirting with her, is that such a bad thing?”

“It’s a mistake. I want you to be nice to her, but don’t you dare lead her on. Her due date is only a few weeks away. Think about that.”

“Okay, okay. Let’s just make a pot and bring it through. I promise I’ll behave.”

As she heard pretty much the entire conversation, Shirley started getting rather uncomfortable. Honestly, if Billy really was flirting with her like how Shona was accusing him of doing, it would most certainly be awkward, especially if things didn't work out. There were a lot of other women that he could possibly flirt with, but why with her? Sure, she was single, but as Shona had stated, Shirley is pregnant with Twins. The more Shirley thought about it, the more awkward and uncomfortable she started to feel. But it was good to know that Shona was taking the necessary measures to ensure that no one would fuck up their friendship, and it was her Brother-in-Law no less. Because of the muffled argument, her babies started kicking as soon as they felt their Mother's touch. Thankfully, it was not long until both Shona and Billy returned to the Living Room with Tea. However, it wasn't long until he went back to asking about her as well as asking about how she liked her tea. "I usually don't add anything to my Tea. I just take it as is. No milk, no sugar, thanks." She responded.

Back to the questions about her, Shirley struggled a little to find an answer. She didn't even know where to start! Talking to another woman with a welcoming aura was one thing, but its been a while since she's been approached by a man. "Well, there's not too much about me. I've only been living in London for the last six months. And since I'm going to be delivering soon, I've been focused on getting ready for the big day. I don't get out much, usually the furthest I go is to the Tea Shop that's a few blocks from my house." Shirley wasn't really ready to tell either Billy or Shona what she did for a living, and for now just put up a front that she was just a Single Mother-To-Be that hasn't been in London for a year yet.

She was about to elaborate further, but then she heard the front door open and Spencer's familiar voice. "Food's here." She heard his voice from the front of the home. This prompted her to look over to see another unfamiliar man standing in the doorway and briefly saw Spencer dashing down the hallway and into a nearby Bathroom. Not long after, she heard stumbling in the kitchen, prompting both Shona and Billy to get up from their seats and go into the Kitchen. Shona then proceeded to introduce her to Spencer's Cousin, Ozzy. The man looked a little scary and intimidating, just by looking at him and she could not help but wonder if she had treated injuries for him in the past. Her heart sank when she heard what sounded like Shona's distraught voice and it was laced not only with sadness, but with anger too. Did Spencer get hurt? Her question was immediately answered when Shona and Billy helped him out of the Kitchen and into the Living Room. Just looking at Spencer's face made her wince a little. If anything, he looked a lot worse then half the men that she's had to give medical assistance in the last three months combined. She was taken aback when Shona said that they'd have to hang out another time, while Billy offered to take her home.

Soon, Shirley made the decision to stay. "It's okay. Its not the first time I've seen a man all beaten up. No offense, but...You look worse then half the men I've had to patch up over the last three months combined." She said, inadvertently dropping a bomb concerning what she did for a living. "He just needs some stitches...and ice for those bruises. Can one of you go get ice and whiskey for him? And for me, if he does what I think he does for a living, a First Aid Kit." She said, looking at the bruised up man. "And I'd like to clarify that the Ice is for his face, not the whiskey."

Once the First Aid Kit was on the table, Shirley quickly got to work. "Okay, just relax. If you move at all, this is going to take longer then it needs to." She said before grabbing a thread and sterilizing the needle with a bit of the Whiskey that was provided.

As she readied the thread and needle, Shirley looked back at the others in the room, before proceeding to treat the rather grim-looking wound on Spencer's face as carefully as she could, not wishing to hurt him too much then he already was. There were a few moments where she had to stop whenever he flinched or groaned. "I know it hurts, but we're almost done." She said as she continued to stitch up the wound.

After what felt like forever, she was finished. After cutting the thread, she put a bandage above it so that it would not get contaminated or infected for the time being. "Take that off after a few days. I just don't want it getting infected while its healing. But other then a fresh scar, you should be good as new. And theses bruises should go away after a couple of days. I may be able to help you now, but if you ever reach the point where you need surgery for these things, I won't be able to help you. Because you'll just need to go to an actual hospital at that point. If its just stab wounds or certain bullet wounds, I can usually help. I'm no stranger to them, because I've had to patch up my Sister in the past too." She sighed, before looking at Shona, Ozzy and Billy. "...Well, now you guys know what I do for a living." She said, frowning as her eyes met Shona's. "Sorry you had to find out this way."

Interactions: Shona King, Billy King Pyroclast Erik Snowden (Nearby?) Melanin-Gxdess Oswald 'Ozzy' Taylor High5ives (Come Back!) Spencer King Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Bodyworks Gym
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Although he had been careful in explaining the situation, Adam wasn't really surprised to find Blake understood and accepted that he was involved in a dodgy deal whilst at his gym. Given that she'd worked for the mob and had been married to Jackson, it made sense that she didn't express disappointment in him. Still, given Jackson had been killed working for the mob and she now had children to look after, he would have forgiven her if her reaction to his task wasn't so accepting. He smiled back at her when she spoke up to tell him to do when he needed to do. Not only that, she told him she didn't want him to get in trouble with the boss because of her. "Ah, you're a top lady, Blake," he assured her. He then laughed along as she spoke about giving Conor a stern talking to if the man yelled at Adam. His smile softened as he tried to maintain his tough-guy composure. "I ain't ever had a woman stick up for me like that, Blake," he admitted. Granted, he'd never stuck around with a woman long enough for her to feel compelled. Regardless, even the likes of his mother had never stuck up for him when he was a kid. He might have caused a lot of trouble back then, but even when he was clearly innocent or clearly in need of his family's support, it was never offered to him. Not wanting to ruin the atmosphere by thinking of the blood-relatives he'd left behind some decades ago, he focused back on Blake and thoughts of the better family and friends he had now. "I would really like to be present should you give Conor a stern talking to," he remarked. "Purely because I'd love to see you assert that authority of yours," he added, with a mischievous wink,

Upon being asked if he was free for the rest of the day, he lightly nodded his head. "Once the job is done I'm free, so I'm all yours,Blake," he confirmed. His attention was drawn to the reception desk as he saw a familiar woman standing on the customer side as the team member beckoned Adam over. "Hold that thought," he told Blake, his demeanour instantly shifting from playful to professional.

When he reached the reception area, he led the mid-twenty year-old brunette to a quiet part of the the gym so they could speak in private. "The drop-off has been postponed. Nothing to be concerned with," the woman assured Adam. "There's been some big crash across from the warehouse and the Gardai have sealed off the street. It's not worth the risk of our guys drawing attention to themselves by asking the pigs to shift the barriers to let them drive out," she explained. "We'll be in touch to rearrange in a few days," she confirmed.

Once finished being updated, Adam returned to Blake and flashed her a smile. "Looks like the job's been cancelled," he informed her. "I think we should reschedule our little training session for another day. The gym on a Saturday evening is no place for two youngsters like us. Pub or my place, it's your choice. Drinks are on me either way," he offered. "Though, not before I finish up some paperwork I need to sign off. Come with me, I won't be long," he told Blake, motioning towards his office.

Before reaching the office, Adam stopped by Thomas and Elena, flashing a wide grin at the two youngsters as he had to force himself to hold back any comments about young romance or something similar. "Bienvenido, Elena! If you're signing up here, tell the staff I've given you a discounted rate. Sullivan-employee benefits," he told her. Adam then nudged Thomas' arm. "The job's been postponed, mate. Your can finish up for the evening and do something fun with the rest of your Saturday," he suggested. "I'll catch you tomorrow," he told the young man. He then looked to Elena and sent her a single nod. "Adios, Elena."

Once he and Blake were in his office, Adam pulled out a bottle of whiskey and offered Blake a glass. He sat on the edge of his desk and motioned for Blake to take a seat in the opposite armchair. "So, what do you want to do this evening?" he asked for her confirmation. As he did, he scanned over some order forms as he signed each one off. Unlike most of what Adam did, this particular task was all legal and above board.

Bellz (Blake, Thomas)
Pyroclast (Elena)