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

[Pyroclast]

Billy King​

It didn’t surprise Billy to hear Alex speak about the Sullivans with such venom, but the talk of going after them guns blazing didn’t sit well with him. It was hard to tell sometimes how much Alex thought through his intentions. The way he saw it, the man was prone to escapism - going on holiday whenever he wanted, cheating on the mother of his child instead of confronting his feelings, generally doing what he wanted. When he said then that he wanted to put a bullet in the men who had attacked Spencer and rhetorically asked if he would actually do it, Billy turned to look at him, nervously awaiting his answer. He let out a subtle breath of relief when Alex concluded that he wouldn’t and let his eyes fall back on the staff room door, going for a long drag of his cigarette. “We’ll come up with something, mate,” he assured him. “Once that meeting is over and we’ve got Moretti’s input, we can put our heads together and figure out the best way to handle this. If it ain’t too late to steer it away from violence, that’d be nice...Just don’t try to sort this on your own, Alex, yeah? We’ve got your back.”

The waitress returned then, handing him a fresh Vesper Martini and the shots that Alex had asked for. “Lovely, thanks,” he said, and without hesitation he poured the shot down his throat. He let his head roll back to gaze up at the ceiling, empty shot glass in one hand, Martini and cigarette in the other. The burning sensation in his throat was tempting him to get drunk, but he knew that wasn’t a good idea while Gabriel Moretti was around. When Alex called him out for being restless, Billy wedged his cigarette between his lips and sat up, answering with a shrug. “Nothin’,” he mumbled. But he couldn’t keep his eyes off the door.

Despite everything, he suddenly wanted to open up to Alex about what he had found in Erik’s pocket. At this point, he couldn’t even deny to himself that he missed his friend - not a minute had gone by since their falling out that he hadn’t thought of him. He hated not being on speaking terms. However, as much as he wanted to open up, he was still sober enough to know that bringing up the pouch of cocaine wasn’t worth the risk of getting Erik in trouble. “You seen Erik about lately?” he casually asked, before he could stop himself. He kept his head down, avoiding eye contact with his brother so as not to let on how much the answer meant to him. “We had a bit of a tiff the other day and he ain’t been talkin’ to me. I didn’t think it was that bad, but I dunno…” Billy shrugged again and took a sip of his martini. “Just wonderin’ if you knew how he was.”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Alex

Misty Gray Kerry
Bellz Harper

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter​

Across the thirteen years that had passed since they had split up, Syd couldn’t remember a single time when he and Roxie had arranged to meet up just the two of them. They spoke as parents of course, but only on doorsteps, in car parks and over the phone. In many ways she felt like a stranger to him. He had found it easiest to keep his distance whilst she had been with Matthew, reassured that she at least wasn’t alone. Ever since his passing, however, Syd’s concern for Roxie had grown. To allow her some time to grieve and sort out her affairs within her new position in the Biancardi family business, Syd had taken more time with the children, focusing his attention on them to help them through their trauma and grief. But he found his mind drifting to Roxie more and more often, wondering who was helping her through hers.

As the day of their meeting drew nearer, Syd’s mood had become increasingly unstable, constantly switching from explosive frustration to unexplainable giddiness, sickening anxiety to sheer hopelessness - the smallest mishaps sending him into an emotional tailspin. Added to his concerns for his children and for Roxie was the anticipation of the Kings’ response to their attack on Spencer the previous week. Every day he awoke expecting to have to deal with some kind of retaliation and it had him constantly watching his back. He had increased protection for his children, his mother and his home and checked in with Conor frequently, not caring about testing his uncle’s patience. It might have been easier to handle everything had he not also had Kerry on his mind. He had managed to avoid questioning Braden about his opinion on her, but he found it relatively easy to avoid his cousin altogether while he had so much already on his plate.

When it came to dressing to meet with Roxie, Syd at first put himself in a nice suit on the basis that it felt like a big deal to be seeing her after so long. Then he looked at himself in the mirror, all pristine, and felt like an idiot. She was the mother of his children and they were only going to get coffee; no matter how much he cared about what she thought of him, that’s not what his suits were for. So, he undid his effort and instead went in the opposite direction, putting on a casual day shirt, a pair of dark jeans and a leather jacket. He hurried out of the house before he could start over-analysing his appearance and, noticing that he was already due to be late, ended up speeding towards the café.

The very second he laid eyes on her, his chest grew suddenly tight. He had deliberately avoided smoking cigarettes that day so as not to draw attention to the fact that he was failing to quit, but that didn’t do much to help his nerves. Considering all she was currently going through, she looked unexpectedly radiant. Syd stopped at the counter briefly to order a coffee to the table, before somewhat tentatively making his way towards her.

“Hi, Roxie,” he said, flashing her a smile. As he took a seat opposite her, he was reminded of the few awkward first dates he had been on in the years since their break up. Since this meeting was totally out of the ordinary for them, it almost felt like he was reintroducing himself to her in a way, and he didn’t know where to begin. “You look nice.”

It was a weak start, but he meant it. In fact, had he not been trying so hard to not complicate his words, he would have liked to say that she looked really beautiful. “Sorry I was late, I was just…” Panicking? Obsessing? He cracked a smile at her, and thankfully the waitress popped by with his coffee then, saving him from having to finish his sentence. He dropped a sugar cube in his coffee and stirred it, watching it dissolve to relax his mind. After lightly tapping the spoon against the side of his mug, he sat back and looked into her eyes. It was then that he finally saw through her strong façade, into a more vulnerable side of her that he used to be familiar with. In a soft voice, he took his mug into his hand and asked, as casually as he could, “How are you doing today, Roxie?”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie

 

[Misty Gray]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Gabriel Moretti and Spencer King​

Spencer didn't force out any small talk in the brief walk to the function room, though he did flash Erik a friendly, albeit curious, smile. He'd been told enough about Gabriel Moretti to know the man was straight to the point and likely wouldn't appreciate forced pleasantries, which luckily suited both of them. When they entered the room, Spencer stepped aside to the cabinet where he'd set out the various bottles and glasses, passing some time whilst his uncle greeted their guests.

Although Gabriel knew Spencer was rough around the edges and something of a brawler, he also couldn't help but pick up on a sense of discipline from the younger man. In his experience, hotheads tended to lack the ability to control their temper and present themselves in an appropriate manner. One such man being the Conor Sullivan he knew back in New York over a decade ago. Whilst the Irishman may have evolved since, he was known to be reckless in his younger years.

When he saw the familiar face of Bruce King, Gabriel displayed a broad smile as he gave the Englishman's hand a firm shake. "A pleasure, as always, Mr. King," he returned the man's greeting. He then took a small step aside to allow Tatiana to be greeted by Bruce. When offered a seat, Gabriel sat on one of the armchairs between the two Tatiana and Erik occupied, allowing him to directly face Bruce and Spencer as they sat on the sofa. When the man was asked to pour the drinks, Spencer checked what everyone was having before opening the relevant bottles, making a point of keeping the bottles sealed until needed. He wanted to leave no doubt in Moretti's mind that the Kings could be trusted, even to the detail that the drinks hadn't been tampered with.

Gabriel thanked Spencer for the brandy and took a small drink from the glass before carefully setting it down on the coffee table. "First, I must thank Erik for making me aware of the troubles you've been experiencing and I'm grateful for the work he's been doing with both of our families. Meanwhile, things are great in New York. There's been a number of minor complications that needed to be dealt with, but nothing that couldn't be smoothed over without much trouble," he answered Bruce. Mostly, the complication had been the matter of Roxie leading the Biancardis, but Gabriel felt he had control over the situation. "As for the family. Everyone is doing great. I'll be sure to bring Elvian to London on a future visit," he told the Kings. "Aside from the most recent troubles, how is the King family?" he returned Bruce's question.

With the pleasantries out of the way, Bruce was quick to shift the conversation onto business and the matter at hand - an action which Gabriel was grateful for. He nodded when asked if he was aware of what had happened. Erik had filled him in on the attack on Spencer, which was what had prompted Gabriel to get to London sooner than planned. The man frowned as he was told about the situation between Alex and Savannah, mentioning how the woman had taken Callum to Dublin without consulting the boy's father. He frowned upon hearing the woman had got her family to attack Spencer. "The Sullivans are animals," he said, his tone sympathetic as he took some time to study Spencer's cuts and bruises.

Spencer shook his head when Bruce said he didn't have to worry about him, but his uncle continued to speak before he could respond to point out he was ambushed and outnumbered. Whilst Spencer was an outspoken and dominant man in almost all other situations, his uncle was one of the only people he'd stay quiet for and not try to overpower during conversation. He respected the man who had adopted him and his siblings, treating them like his own kids, so he wouldn't dream of interrupting him.

Gabriel remained silent as he let Bruce continue speaking and getting everything he needed to out in the open. Once he was asked how he would deal with the situation, given his experience with the Irish Mob, he sat up straight. "First of all, you are correct to not take this lightly. For the Sullivans to come here and attack Spencer in your own territory is a severe act of aggression, not to mention highly disrespectful. Regardless of whether Spencer is a 'tough lad', the unwarranted act of violence was uncalled for and not appropriate for a situation that should have been resolved with words." He lightly shook his head. "I have grandchildren, so I know how important Callum is to you, Mr. King," he told Bruce. "What the Sullivans have done is an act of war, but it is your choice if you choose to retaliate in kind. If you do choose to return the gesture to the Irish, you must understand that you would be confirming your family and the Sullivans are at war."

He studied the faces of the room before continuing. "I have always found the Sullivans to lack discipline, but that doesn't mean you should underestimate them. As you currently stand, you would be greatly outgunned in a war with the Irish and so I would advise against accepting their challenge without increasing your strength. One thing that all of us, including the Irish, have in common, is that we consider family to be of utmost importance. The Irish had most of my family killed after my ill-prepared brother challenged them, so you need to keep in mind that there's no boundary they won't cross if they feel they're being threatened," he explained, briefly glancing to Tatiana.

A smile then crossed Gabriel's face when he thought about how he'd handled the Irish. "When I flushed the Sullivans out of New York, it was through years of patience and planning. Before hitting them with the violence and destruction they're so used to, I weakened their family from the inside. I chipped away at their morale before beating them into submission. I had both time and the element of surprise on my side, but I don't believe you're afforded with the same advantages." He took another drink of brandy as he composed his thoughts. "Did your attackers say anything to you, Spencer? Was the attack a declaration of war?"

Spencer lightly nodded his head. "It was mostly a punishment for supposedly speaking disrespectfully to Sav, but it was also a warning. Syd said if I harassed her again, they'd make sure I regret it."

Gabriel had to supress a smirk as he heard Syd Porter's name mentioned. He remembered how much of a mess the man had been by the time he and Maddox had finished messing with his head. Still, he maintained a serious expression. "So, the Sullivans basically fired a warning shot... It is your choice as to whether to retaliate in kind or try to resolve this in a more peaceful way. In my opinion, the child should be living with his father, not his mother and the rest of the idiots in Dublin. If they won't see reason and let Alex see his son, then find another way to get the boy back." After another sip from his glass, he decisively nodded his head. "I can offer you more security here in London. Whilst my arrangement with the Sullivans and Biancardis means I won't send my men into Dublin, there is nothing in the contracts that prevents my men from being in London. If any of the Irish step foot in your territory, my men can provide you with extra backup here."

Melanin-Gxdess (Erik)
Pyroclast (Bruce, Tatiana)

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter
En Route to The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin~​

Thomas was his quiet usual self as he accompanied his cousin Emery on a debt collecting job with Adam. It was more direct than what he had been doing lately but so far, Thomas had managed to not have any PTSD-induced outburst. He was rather proud of himself, maintaining a job on top of going to therapy on a regular basis. On top of it, he'd managed to see Elena after they ran into each other in the gym. He made fun of his father and Syd for falling so hard for the women in their lives when he was younger but he had to admit (to himself, of course) that he seemed to be falling hard for the Cuban girl. It was a territory that was very new to him, he wasn't much of a ladies' man and never had a girlfriend. He had resided in the fact that after he returned home from Iran, he would never be able to keep a steady relationship but perhaps things were going to change for him.

The one woman in his life that would remain constant, however, he wasn't even talking to. His mother tried hard once again to have a conversation with him but Thomas politely this time around told her that when he was ready to talk, he would. There was a twinge of guilt seeing the sad and defeated look on her face but she needed to realize that things couldn't be fixed on just her time. He needed space and for now, he would have it. Thomas was pulled from his thoughts as Emery made a joke and the man smirked slightly. Adam said the woman had a real way with words, saying it was as if an angel was speaking to him and Thomas actually let out a curt laugh.

Emery insisted that Savvy was the angel of the family but Thomas couldn't help but think that was partially untrue, sure she was sweet and innocent but Thomas remember that the woman had killed someone. He understood just how well that could mess with someone's head. The sarcasm in Emery's tone was something Thomas was also all too familiar with, it was the same tone Thomas used whenever his mother praised Syd. In her eyes, the man could literally do no wrong...or at least it seemed that way sometimes.

Thomas was once again pulled from his thoughts as Adam asked if they had earned a few drinks. The young man's cheeks turned bright red as Adam mentioned Elena and he shook his head in disapproval at Adam's teasing. "God, keep alluding to everyone that I have a crush on her and my gossip Queen of a mother might just hear about it. Once she has that information she won't ever leave me alone. Next thing you know she'll start asking about when she'll get grandchildren." Thomas scoffed. His tone sounded irritated but there was the slightest hint of a smirk on his face as they continued walking towards the pub.

As they all grew silent, Thomas was able to focus on the things around them like he should have been doing the whole time. He had been looking at the people walking on the street when Adam suddenly shoved Emery into him, pushing them both towards the ground. Thomas instinctively moved to cover Emery, whether she liked it or not, he turned her towards the closest wall, his body shielding hers as a blanket of bullets fired at them. "Don't move!" Thomas ordered his cousin before reaching for his gun. The man turned his torso as far as he could from his crouched position and tried to fire in the direction of the red car but he missed it every time as he realized his whole body was trembling with adrenaline. The car sped off around the corner and soon a crash was heard. Thomas jumped up from his crouched position quickly but his trembling legs gave out and he was sent spiraling towards the wall closest to him. Cursing out in frustration, his vision tunneled and narrowed as he blinked fiercely. Adam asked if he was alright and the man nodded his head despite the fact he was clearly going into some sort of panic attack. Thankfully, his vision returned as quickly as it left and Thomas looked to Adam who had just realized he had been shot.

"Shit." Thomas growled before he nodded his head at Adam's orders, he looked to Emery before saying, "Make sure the woman's okay, I'll find the asshole who decided to shoot at us." Thomas's voice was deep and void of emotion. Once Emery had reached the pregnant woman, Thomas took off in a sprint in the direction he'd seen the man and the driver run. His ears rang loudly as he picked up the speed and his heart felt like it was going to leap right out of his throat but he continued to push on.
with: Emery + Adam Misty Gray ; Shinoa BloodThunder27
mentions: Elena Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Peter hadn't felt this tense in a long time. He had agreed wholeheartedly that Spencer King needed a firm talking to...but he wasn't so sure if they had made the right decision in beating the man senselessly as they had. Of course, it wasn't exactly his say in what happened despite Peter being Savannah's father. Conor was the boss and Peter wasn't going to go against his brother-in-law's demands. But Peter had been very jumpy over the last 6 days since the mission, keeping on his toes. He had expected some sort of retaliation quickly but it never came. That was a huge red flag in his head and he was going to be sure to express his worries to Conor when they had a moment to talk alone. Peter had been watching Sinead sit with Sydney at the piano for a little while, smiling to himself as the little girl picked up on learning a few notes rather quickly. His attention was soon drawn to his grandson announce his arrival loudly, running to give his grandpa a big ole hug. Peter gave the boy a tight squeeze before kiss the top of his head. Savvy continued to be very upset about the situation but she hadn't yet properly expressed it, Peter had a feeling that if she was like all the women in her life, they would hear from her sooner rather than later.

Conor caught Peter's attention after Callum had run off with Sydney with little Hattie following quickly behind as Braden was out doing a few things. "Sure, been a while since we caught up." Peter said with a teasing smile, knowing full well what the man wanted to talk about. Once they were in their own room, Conor asked Peter how he was doing. He said that Savvy was very pissed with him and Peter let out a sigh. "I do empathize with her, the situation she's been placed in is rather difficult. Middle ground and all." Peter said softly before Conor asked about Kerry. Peter pressed his lips in a straight line. He hadn't mentioned Kerry to Conor but Syd definitely had. He knew that Kerry being with Braden in Savvy's place hadn't sat right with the lad and while Peter felt like he was obligated by association to feel that way...he hadn't seen Braden look so happy in a long time. Surely, Syd could relate to that?

Before any more could be said about Kerry, Savvy stepped inside, immediately getting angry at Conor. Peter watched his daughter calmly and Conor was also equally as calm as he asked if she wanted to sit down. Peter leaned back in his own seat as Conor explained his reasons. Savvy looked to Peter, seeing if he agreed with what Conor was saying but Peter remained stoic, not agreeing nor disagreeing with what was being said.

Conor asserted that neither she nor Callum were going to go back to London anytime soon and that was something Peter firmly agreed with him on. Savvy looked to him for confirmation that her Uncle was being serious and Peter nodded his head gently but he remained quiet. Conor went on to speak and Peter listened intently, what he said was reasonable but Savannah wasn't having any of it. After it was all said and done, Savannah once again turned to Peter, asking what he thought. Peter looked to Conor and then back to his daughter.

"Now I think everyone in this room knows I'm a fairly reasonable and gentle man, I'm not big on the whole fighting thing, it's always been that way and always will be. Now Conor, I will say that perhaps the way we went about this wasn't the best tactical-wise. I believe we are dancing with the devil now that we've done this...however," Peter paused looking at his daughter intently.

"Savannah, it seems like you are putting all the work in to make sure that Callum gets to see his London family. I mean, you've left your family to be in London to be closer to that jackass...but what have they done for you? Sure they spoil Callum rotten, as they should. But lately, you've complained to both your mother and me that you've felt intimidated and obligated to stay in a country where you have no family. That doesn't sound fair, love. No one should have to be forced to live where they don't want to just for the sake of their children. As much as we love them and want them to live a normal life, tough choices have to be made at the end of the day. If Alex really wants to prove himself to be a father, he'll come to see Callum here. And I can make sure that when he does, no one will mess with him here." Peter looked to Conor to confirm that this could be upheld.

"A lot of people in this family know what it's like to grow up without parents including myself, Callum is extremely lucky to have a mother who wants to make things work with a man who I feel could give a shit less about keeping up his relationship with his son. Your Uncle isn't on a power trip, he is doing this because you deserve so much more than what you are getting. You deserve to live where you want, to raise your son the way you want and you deserve to share custody with a man who will actually travel miles and miles away to see his baby. I love you, darling. But I think you being here, for the time being, is for the best. You deserve to be happy, please grant yourself that happiness."
with: Conor + Savvy Misty Gray

Lucy Porter
JJ Carriveau-Porter
Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Things had become noticeably tense once both Roxie and Syd had returned home. After a long stay with their father, the children had finally returned to Roxie's house and Syd's home had been unsettlingly quiet since. He was on edge given the seriousness of the mission in London. Lucy understood that Conor, Syd, and Peter were all waiting for some sort of retaliation that had yet to happen. Syd had increased security around his home and when anyone left the house. The kids could thankfully live in a bit of ignorance, or as much ignorance as they could with everything they had been through recently but Lucy noticed how many guards were trailing her easily. She, of course, was extremely used to it but sometimes it felt a bit suffocating. She had finally talked to her husband recently and was so relieved and happy to hear his voice. She filled him in on everything happening minus some of the things she felt that could be abused if someone had tapped into the phones. After their chat, Lucy had once again tried to reach out to her youngest son who surprisingly told her politely that he just needed time. Although hurt and sad, Lucy accepted it immediately and offered her son even more space than what she was already being forced to give.

When Syd had mentioned talking to Roxie in a setting other than their usual spots, Lucy was pleasantly surprised. She had so many burning questions but forced herself to reserve them, not wanting to turn him off from the idea. She remembered the last time that the pair had been in the same room together for more than a few minutes and wondered if this talk they were going to have would turn things around for them. Lucy had decided to not say anything to the kids but when she went to pick them up from Roxie's house, the kids flooded into the car with a million questions as to why their parents were meeting each other to talk without them present. Lucy dodged each question but ultimately just told the kids that they were meeting simply because of them. If there was one thing that Syd and Roxie agreed on, it was that their children's safety and well-being always came first.

Once she parked in the driveway of her sister's home, the kids opened the doors and ran inside and Lucy had to take a deep breath for a moment before getting out of the car herself. She forgot how draining 20 questions could really be, especially when Lucy didn't exactly know what the meeting between her son and Roxie was about and what the outcome would be. Things had been peaceful in the Callahan home and Lucy was enjoying her time with everyone. With a margarita that Ali made in hand, she watched as her niece entered the house and greeted everyone. Lucy gave the woman a kiss on the cheek before Savvy excused herself and rushed out of the lounge. Lucy raised her eyebrows before Sinead turned to both Ali and her. She was well aware of her nieces' upset with the men in the family. It wasn't rare that one of the women in the family found themselves irritated with the men. Lucy often found herself in that position when James was boss, but since his retirement and his prison sentence, Lucy stressed about things a little less than she used to.

Letting out a short laugh at her sister's words before shaking her head, "Don't go blaming poor Ali, the men in this family inherently don't make the best decisions. Now just imagine if we women were in charge...I feel like things would have gone a lot smoother." Lucy teased lightly. Knocking back the rest of her drink, Lucy sighed lightly as both of her sisters said they weren't going to get involved in the men's problems anymore. "Well you both know me, I won't leave my boys to flounder about like fish out of water. Though I'm quite proud of Syd, he decided to finally speak with Roxie all on his own. Thomas has also made some improvements, instead of getting mad at me, he told me the other day that he needed some time to figure things out before we talk. I won't say I'm the reason they are both so mature now but...this didn't happen while I wasn't here...is all I'm saying." She joked with a laugh before moving to fill her glass again.
with: Sinead Misty Gray ; Ali Melanin-Gxdess

***​

JJ had felt like he searched everywhere for Liam but when he realized the place he had forgot to check was the boy's room, JJ playfully slapped his forehead. "Gah! Think JJ!" He berated himself before running up the stairs to Liam's room. Knocking on the door lightly, JJ only opened the door when Liam told him he could come in. "Hey, Liam! How's it going? I have been looking absolutely everywhere for you! It's a girl fest down there! I don't know where the men went but I felt like if I stayed down there too much longer my sisters would start braiding my hair." JJ teased before shutting the door and going to sit next to him. "Whatcha doing?"
with: Liam Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
The Split Bean
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~ ​

Roxie had once again looked to the time and wondered if she had been stood up. Was that what she would even call it? It definitely wasn't a date but despite that, it was a little aggravating thinking about him just not showing up. She had a lot going on and adding to the mystery of what he wanted to talk about was just going to be another thing fueling her many continuous sleepless nights. Before she decided that maybe it was time to save herself from embarrassment and leave, Syd walked through the door and her eyes locked with his immediately. The smallest smirk tugged at the edge of her lips as she watched him walk towards the counter to order something. With his back turned to her, she took in his causal appearance. It was rare to see him in anything other than a suit, at least nowadays. She couldn't help but think about how well he seemed to be doing and how good he looked. Sure, they were over but that wouldn't take away the fact that at least on some level he was still attractive to her. Her friends at work had joked that she had a type and Roxie couldn't argue with that.

As he walked towards the table, he flashed her a smile and Roxie did the same. "Hi, stranger." Roxie said, attempting to tease him slightly. She was sure he would find it strange but if he remembered anything about her it was that she tried to make things a little less awkward with a joke or two, something her cousin was notorious for in an in-your-face type manner. Roxie was much more reserved about it, simply wishing to make the person she was talking to comfortable...even if at one point in her life they had basically torn her heart to shreds. Forcing herself to not focus on those negative details, she listened as Syd said that she looked nice. A natural smile graced her face as she let out a small laugh, "Should have seen me a few weeks ago." She once again joked before her smile faded quickly as she practically reminded herself and Syd that she had been to hell and back in a short amount of time.

"You look great too. It's refreshing to see you in something other than a suit and tie." She complimented quickly, trying to keep things positive. Moving to take a sip of her coffee in an effort to hide her face for a moment. When she placed the mug back on the table, he apologized for being late but as he was going to give her a reason for being late he started to hesitate. Instead, he cracked a smile at her and Roxie pulled an amused face before the waitress interrupted them. Roxie looked to the table as the waitress set Syd's coffee in front of him. Once he had finished placing sugar in it, Roxie looked up to see Syd staring at her. Their eyes met and in that simple look, so many memories came flooding back. Never one to look away first, Roxie simply continued to look at him and she was surprised that he held her gaze as well. Casually he asked her how she was doing today and Roxie's shoulder's tensed ever so slightly.

There it was. He'd seen exactly what she'd been trying to hide. She had been kidding herself thinking that he wouldn't see past the appearance she had carefully put together. That one simple question had unexpectedly brought a surge of strong emotions and Roxie had to fight hard to keep herself together. Biting the inside of her cheek, she forced herself to keep any tears at bay. She knew well that Syd like everyone else thought that she wasn't able to handle the position she was given. Mob bosses didn't cry. Or at least that was what she had told herself. Looking at Syd, she was reminded of just how much he went through when they were together, how many times he cried in her arms. Sure, he wasn't in the same position as her but he was just as important in his family's business. But there was pressure on her that he didn't have, especially since she was a woman. Any sign of emotion from a woman was pinned as an automatic weakness or inability to function.

Realizing that she hadn't yet answered his question, Roxie cleared her throat and blinked a few times before forcing herself to smile lightly. "You know, not many people ask me that question nowadays. But, I'm better than I've been in a little while. I think I was lost without having the kids at home...so I'm glad they are back. I feel a little lost not working right now but...I thought given the messy situation with my family at the moment, it was best to take some time off until I figure out what I'm going to do."

Roxie looked at Syd before she leaned forward to place her elbows on the table. "How about you? I came home from New York to Savannah having a cow about how you and Peter went to London to give Spencer King a good ass whipping. Between you and me, it was well deserved." Roxie said with a small smirk. "I had half a mind to fly there myself to give that man and his animal brother a firm talking to." Of course, Roxie seemed like she was joking but Roxie wasn't fond of what she was hearing from her friend. "You must be in heaven having your mom here though, it was nice to see her today, I swear that woman doesn't age."
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

Le Restaurant
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Benjamin Reznik​

Benjamin had been relieved and excited when Lorelei agreed to go on a date with him. After embarrassing himself a little last week, he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd thought he was a bit of a dork. Thankfully, she didn't think that, or if she did, she didn't mind him being that way. Either way, he was glad she had agreed and was looking forward to their date together. Although he made a liveable wage working at Conor's restaurant and doing freelance photography, he wanted to impress Lorelei on their first date. The first two times they had met were in a club, with the second night being while the place was busy. Instead of taking her to a club, he decided a restaurant would be better and would allow them to hear each other speak. The restaurant he'd made a reservation at wasn't exactly cheap, but he decided it was worth it to treat Lorelei and himself on their date.

The taxi he'd booked had been running a little late, which in turn concerned Benjamin that he was going to be late too. With no way to contact her, he had to hope she wouldn't assume he'd stood her up and leave the restaurant. As it happened, he arrived only a couple of minutes later than he'd planned. Once he was out of the taxi, he smoothed out his jacket and checked his hair in the reflection of the nearby window, before stepping towards the entrance of the restaurant.

Benjamin walked past a group of smokers who seemed to be making comments at someone else's expense. It wasn't until he reached for the door that he overheard what the men were saying. Apparently, there was an attractive woman in the waiting area whose body the group of them were lewdly discussing. Being that he was slightly late, he automatically expected it to be Lorelei who the men were talking about. As he reached to push the door open, he paused for a brief moment to take a deep breath and push aside how much the men's attitudes had got to him. Upon pushing the door open, he saw Lorelei in the waiting area. Despite realising she had been the subject of the group's rude comments, his annoyance was washed away with a warmth as he put his full focus onto the young lady he was meeting.

"Wow! You look amazing!" he said, the words naturally escaping his mouth before he could even process them. Given his current incomes, choosing to take Lorelei to the fancy restaurant had been a bit of a bold move on his part. There was something about Lorelei that made him think she deserved better than a greasy diner or a noisy bar for their first date. He wasn't a flashy kind of man, but he believed everyone deserved spoiling once in a while. He reached out his hand to help her up from her seat, once again acknowledging the dress she was wearing. Whilst he was sure he looked good in his suit, he knew it wasn't a designer outfit and those who cared about that sort of thing likely knew that. He just hoped he wasn't cramping Lorelei's style. He didn't know if the dress she was wearing was a designer one, he just knew it looked perfect on her. "I'm sorry for not getting here sooner. The taxi showed up late. The sooner I get my own wheels, the better," he told her.

The hostess soon showed the two to their table, with Benjamin quick to pull Lorelei's seat out for her. Once they were both seated and their drinks ordered, Benjamin briefly glanced over the menu. His eyes soon left the menu so he could look at Lorelei instead. "How have you been since we last met? I've developed all of the photographs ready for us to confirm the brochure layout. On another day, of course..." he said, realising he was once again mixing the lines between business and pleasure. "Did you tell your parents you were on a date tonight? I made the mistake of telling Aidan and he's been trying to give me the worst advise all week," he said, followed with a playful, boyish laugh. It certainly wasn't Benjamin's first ever date, but this was the first where he'd felt nervous and that he wanted to make the best impression.

Benjamin's attention was briefly drawn to the couple at the table next to theirs. The woman appeared to be in her mid-twenties whilst the man seated opposite her appeared in his early forties. They were both well-dressed and judging by the expensive-looking watch the man was wearing, they certainly appeared wealthy. It was nothing out of the ordinary, considering the nice restaurant they were dining in. However, Benjamin had a good view of the woman's face and she didn't look happy to him. He could only see the side of the man's face but it was still enough for Benjamin to make an unashamed judgement that the man seemed like the stern, dominant type. Regardless, he shrugged it off and put it down to it being the typical chip on the shoulder some rich men tended to carry. Benjamin had much more pleasant matters to focus on and he put his full focus back on Lorelei, sending her a smile. "What are you getting to eat?" he curiously asked her.

Bellz (Lorelei)

 

[Misty Gray]

En Route to The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin~

Adam Harper and Emery Callahan​

Spoiler: Streetmap

Emery had kept down whilst Thomas covered her, having been told many times not to let her ego get in the way of ensuring she was safe. As much as she'd protested at first in her role, when Conor ordered her to do as she was told, she accepted the likes of Adam and Thomas were there to protect her, so she didn't make their job more difficult these days. Still, in the aftermath of the gunfire, she was quick to get back to her feet and even quicker to take the gun from Adam. She took a moment to study her cousin, realising he wasn't completely in control, apparently shaken by the attack. Or was it something deeper? She'd been made aware of Thomas' PTSD so it was certainly something that was sitting in the back of her mind. Although her cousin seemed to get a hold of himself, she was still silently skeptical.

"Tom, you need to back off if you run into danger. And if we get separated, the pub is the base," he told him, making sure they knew where to regroup. Thomas had rushed off to try chase down the gunmen, after telling Emery to check on the pregnant woman.

Emery approached Shinoa, discreetly placing the gun in her back pocket so as not to scare the woman more than she already was. "Hey, are you hurt?" she cautiously asked, slowly stepping closer and keeping her voice calm. Delicately crouching down to Shinoa's level, the redhead took a moment to look her over. "Is that bad?" he asked, pointing to the cut on the woman's neck. She knew the teenager could have information they needed, but the priority for the moment was calming her down and making her comfortable enough so she could talk with a clearer head. "We're not going to hurt you. Those guys in that car - they were trying to hurt us too," she reassured her.

Adam caught up to the women but bypassed them completely as he walked towards the smashed up vehicle. The driver's door had been left open, as had the rear passenger door. Adam looked inside the vehicle to check if anything had been left behind that would lead him to the attackers. Not seeing any immediate clues, he stepped away from the car to avoid leaving anything there that would tie him to the vehicle. Adam walked back to Emery and Shinoa, but kept some distance. Looking up and down the street, he noticed it was still quiet, but he didn't want to push their luck. The pain in his arm and neck reminded him he would need to have his wounds tended to, not to mention get away from public view before anyone could stick their nose in. After fastening up up coat and lifting his collar to hide the blood and neck wound, he looked down to Emery. "Em, we need to get inside - to the pub," he quietly reminded her.

"Okay..." Emery kept her eyes on Shinoa. "Hey, come on. Can you stand up? We're going to get you somewhere safe and get that wound seen to," she softly told the woman. Getting up to her feet, she held her hands out, offering to help Shinoa stand up. "Come on," she encouraged her. "My friend here needs treatment too, after he saved me from the bullets those cowards in that car were firing out."

Thomas, meanwhile, would be unable to track down the two men. With so many backstreets and alleyways, they could have gone in any direction once they'd fled the scene...

BloodThunder27 (Shinoa)
Bellz (Thomas)

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~​

The youngest of the King siblings hadn't been as surprised as the rest that the Sullivans had finally stood up for Savvy. Unlike the rest of her siblings, Harper was a woman and could sympathize greatly with the amount of stress Savannah's situation with her little nephew caused. Alex wasn't exactly a gold star father and with Spencer getting more and more irritated and impatient with the Irish woman, it was only a matter of time before her family stepped in to defend her. Despite wanting to shout her opinion of the situation from the rooftops, Harper decided that it was best to keep her relationship with her siblings rather than jeopardize it sticking up for Savannah, who wasn't even in the country at the moment.

Instead, Harper threw herself into her shitty job that she was desperately wanting to leave and her current girlfriend. Unlike her second oldest brother, Harper wasn't someone to sleep around with just anyone, rather, she enjoyed making actual connections with people before the thought of sex even crosses her mind. If someone didn't fit what she wanted, she would politely explain that the relationship just wouldn't work and moved on with her life. She had been single up until a few weeks ago, deciding to give a relationship with Esmeralda a twirl. She was a fiery Spaniard who had originally been just visiting London because she loved to travel, but once she met Harper, she had decided to stay for a while longer as they explored their sensual relationship.

Not aware of her other siblings' plans, Harper had taken Esmeralda to her family-owned club in Bethnal Green. Her girlfriend had some understanding of what her family-owned but Harper liked to keep her significant others in the dark for as long as she could. Both the men and women she dated tended o scare easily once they learned the truth about what her family did for a living. Having snagged a booth in the back, Harper was too busy making out with Esmeralda to notice that her siblings had decided to have a meeting in the club. They didn't see her, she didn't see them and everything was going great until Harper excused herself to go to the restroom to wash the lipstick stains off her face. She had passed a few tables before hearing two familiar voices, coming to a slow walk, Harper curiously looked in the direction of where they were coming from and saw Billy and Alex sitting together, chatting away.

Harper's eyes went a bit wide before she decided to continue towards the restroom, hoping they wouldn't catch sight of her with lipstick markings all over her face. Billy was starting to become a bit homophobic and Harper didn't need to be ridiculed by him for making out with another woman. The club was dimly lit and despite knowing the place like the back of her hand but in her haste, she managed to run straight into one of the pretty waitresses. Drinks were spilled all down the front of her dress and glass crashed to the floor loudly, gathering everyone's attention in the club.

"Shit!" Harper hissed out loud as the waitress uttered her apologies. "No, no. Don't worry about it, love. It was my fault...I got distracted." Harper didn't dare look in her brother's direction but she knew for certain she would be spotted as she moved to help the waitress pick up the broken glass carefully.
with: Billy @Pyrocast ; Alex Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan and Savannah Callahan​

Considering he was employed by Conor, Savannah wasn't exactly surprised when Peter silently nodded his head to confirm Conor was being serious, but she'd still hoped he would sympathise with her on the situation. When her father did speak up, he mentioned how he was reasonable and gentle, which she couldn't deny was true of the man. When he went on to tell Conor that their actions against the Kings hadn't been tactically the best, she was glad to hear he saw her uncle's actions had been inappropriate. "Exactly. We could have approached this peacefully," Savannah pointed out.

Savannah listened as Peter started speaking about how she was putting a lot of work into letting Callum see the Kings. She let out a sigh before taking a seat at the end of the sofa her father was sitting on. She remained quiet as her father pointed out that the Kings hadn't done anything for her, that she'd recently felt intimidated by Spencer. Although he was right that it wasn't fair she was being forced to live somewhere where she wasn't happy, she still struggled with the idea of depriving Callum of spending time with the Kings. "What if Alex doesn't want to come here? After what happened to Spencer, he might not think it's safe for him to be in Dublin," she tried to reason, looking her father in the eyes. "Callum misses them. He's been getting upset because he can't see Alex. He misses his dad, his aunts and his uncles. I can't deprive him of his happiness for my own. I'm his mum, so I'm supposed to make sacrificed to keep him happy. But now I wouldn't just be sacrificing my happiness, but I'd be risking my own safety returning to London."

Conor looked to Savannah and quickly shook his head. "Alex and the Kings are more than welcome to come see Callum here. I promise you and Pete that I won't do anything to mess with them if their purpose in Dublin is to see the little lad. I just don't want you being kept prisoner in London. If they care about Callum, they will make the effort to come here."

Peter continued, telling her that Conor wasn't on a power trip and that she deserved to live where she wanted. She idly played with the end of her ponytail as she tried to hold back the emotions that had built up inside her. Hearing her father finish by saying she deserved to be happy, she briefly hid her eyes behind her hand and let out a conflicted sigh. "I know I do, and Callum deserves to get to know everyone here in Dublin, with Alex coming to see him here..." she moved her hand away from her face and looked across to Conor on the opposite sofa. "But you still shouldn't have attacked Spencer. It hasn't solved anything!"

"I'm not apologising, Sav. Whilst it was bound to happen sooner or later, I won't have him upsetting you. He deserved it," Conor firmly told her.

"Well. You're wrong and I'll never believe otherwise," she firmly told him. Although she'd calmed down from when she first entered the conservatory, she wasn't finished picking bones with Conor. "I also don't appreciate how uncomfortable Kerry was made to feel, last week," she began, looking to Peter for a moment as she knew he'd see her at the house, along with Braden and Syd. "She felt really uncomfortable and now she's worried for her own safety. When I move into my own place here, I'm inviting her to come live with me," he said, turning back to catch Conor's reaction.

"Like fuck she is!" Conor growled, finally getting to his feet. Her uncle's action prompted Savannah to stand up too, not wanting him to think he could stand over her. "When I let her and Dr. Mindfucker go, it was on the assumption I would never have to set eyes on the pair of assholes again. If I see her again, I'll kill her. It's her fault Jackson is dead!"

"No, it's not her fault! She never asked to be dragged into yours and Moretti's war, just like I never wanted to be dragged into it. If you or anyone else hurts her, I'm out of here and I will never speak to you again, Conor!" Savannah momentarily clenched her fists in frustration as she continued to look her uncle in the eyes. "I'm sorry Jackson died. We all cared for him and wish he were still here, but Kerry isn't to blame. Moretti is." She turned so she could look between Conor and Peter. "Do you remember when I was abducted from the theatre, back in New York? I remember it like it was yesterday. I still remember that man's face and how terrified I was that night, as well when he taunted me when I bumped into him for a second time. I don't think I'll ever forget how scared I was. And do you know what I learned? He was one of the men who abducted and tortured Kerry. What they did to her was far worse than what I suffered. I know that if I'd have been in Kerry's position I would have done what she did too. Unlike me, she didn't have the luxury of our family or anyone else she could trust." She folded her arms and looked Conor in the eyes.

"She works at Spencer's pub and she's on Maddox's fucking Christmas card list. Why the fuck would I ever trust her, let alone forgive her?" he argued back.

"Because I believe her. Why is nothing I say ever enough?" she asked, looking from Conor to Peter. "You're all so trapped in this family business that you're never actually living. What's the point in it all?" Apparently Savannah's frustrations were now being directed onto Peter as well as Conor. "You've got Liam, Callum, and Hattie now. Mum is here wanting a normal life with you and the kids. Why would you go back into this miserable life? Beating on Callum's uncle because Conor told you to?" she asked, pointing to her frustrated-looking uncle.

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Bellz]

Lorelei Costello
Le Restaurant
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~ ​

Lorelei was patiently waiting when the entrance door opened. Turning her head, she smiled widely at Benjamin as warmly smiled back at her. He told her that she looked amazing and Lorelei's cheeks turned bright red, her smile becoming more bashful as he moved to help her stand. "You look amazing too, I have to say I could get used to seeing you all dressed up." She said casually. He apologized for being late and Lorelei waved her hand at him in a gesture that showed she didn't mind. "I know very well what it's like to have to wait for taxis, I just got my car last year, if you ever need a ride I would be more than happy to be your chauffeur." Lorelei teased lightly, but the offer was serious.

When they were ready to head to their table, Lorelei followed the hostess and looked around for a moment, noticing just how fancy the place really was now that they were in the dining area. As much as she appreciated being wined and dined, Lorelei hoped that Benjamin wasn't going all out just to impress her. She herself had been a bit tight for money over the last couple of months and knew that going to these types of places were for special occasions only. Despite the appearance she presented, Lorelei wasn't a terribly big spender when it came to her outfits and such. Her mother had an eye for elegant fashion for an affordable price so whatever didn't end up fitting her the right way she would hand it to her daughter. Some were designer while others were just off the rack. Lorelei definitely wasn't picky and would take what she could get.

Lorelei thanked Benjamin for pulling out her seat like a true gentleman before taking a seat at the table, once the drinks were ordered, they both took a moment to look over the menu before he asked how she had been since they last saw one another. Lorelei already decided on her order, so she placed the menu down to give Benjie her full undivided attention. He asked if she had told her parents about the date while informing her that he made the mistake of telling Aidan as the man was trying to give him the worst dating advice all week. Lorelei laughed with him, loving that boyish laugh that came from him. She was all smiles as she answered his questions, "Well, I have been doing well, albeit sad that I couldn't see you at the club. I wanted to try and schedule a little coffee date for sooner but I've been so busy." She said softly before sighing as she thought about how her parents reacted to her going on a date again. "Ah, my mother is over the moon about the whole thing and I think my dad is too to some degree. They are huge romantics. My mom insisted on coming over to help me get ready, which she normally does do...so I'm betting that she thinks this whole date is going to turn into something great. Of course, you are already 10x better than most of the men I've been on a first date with but...I think my mom can kind of jump the gun at times." Lorelei didn't want to say whether she thought this would or wouldn't work out as she was fearful that either way it would turn out to be the wrong thing to say.

"So, what kind of advice was Aidan giving you? Not much of a dater himself?" As she asked the question, she noticed Benjie briefly look at the couple next to them. Lorelei's eyes followed him and noticed the atmosphere around the couple was a pretty negative one. Not wanting to stare, she looked back towards the table just as Benjie looked back to her. He asked her what she was going to get to eat and Lorelei smiled lightly at him. "I know most girls tend to order something light like a salad, but I hate to break it to you I am not one of those girls, because I am definitely not part rabbit." She giggled before pointing to her menu. "I think I'm going to get the grilled chicken breast with the veggies. I may be opposed to just eating a salad but, I will acknowledge that I have to at least eat a few greens." Lorelei smiled wider as she thought about how her mother practically had to force her to eat veggies as a kid. "If I could eat just cookies all day and night and maintain this figure, you bet your ass I would be doing it." She added before looking at his menu curiously. "What about you? You part rabbit?"
with: Benjie Misty Gray
mentions: Gwen (me) ; Jason Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

La Casa
~ Upper East Side, Manhattan ~

Valentina Wycliff​

"I'm a very classy lady, Theodore Wycliff. Why wouldn't I love it here?" Valentina playfully teased her husband. When he put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head, she leaned in closer to him to absorb his warmth. Resting her head on his shoulder, she let out a mischievous laugh as he asked her if she was trying to get into trouble. "Of course I am. Why do you think I distracted our babysitter?" she joked, referring to Harmony. When he whispered into her ear that he was all for it, she turned her head to look to his face. "Well, I had hoped so. I need my partner in crime to make getting into trouble even more fun!" Just as Teddy pulled away, the waiter showed up with their drinks. This prompted Valentina to sit up straight and smooth out her hair which had been pressed against Teddy's shoulder. She thanked the waiter before taking a small drink of her 'Manhattan' cocktail. She didn't continue the conversation about her suggestion of changing the music. As tempting as it might be, her father had a lot of loyal employees in the place who wouldn't hesitate to tell the man, or snitch, if she'd made a drastic change of tone at his fancy bar. She knew her father didn't like rock music, so he'd likely blow a fuse if he heard she'd had it playing out in La Casa.

When Teddy asked her how she'd been feeling lately and if she'd be enjoying her time away, she turned in her seat slightly so she could face the man sitting beside her. "Pretty good, Teddy. The headaches seem to have made a reappearance since Miami, but not as bad as they had been before. Maybe that's just because the kids have been getting along and Paolo is still satisfied enough since Disney World... so he's not pestering as much, for now," she said. She knew it wouldn't be long before the boy's curiosity and need for more fresh entertainment returned. "The time away has been great. Miami was the break we needed and it refreshed my energy." She smiled at Teddy whilst looking into his eyes. "I've really enjoyed the break and I've loved getting to spend more time with you, both with and without the kids around. But I guess every holiday has to end, else nobody would get anything productive done, would they? I need to get myself back to work now and make sure everything is under control at the hotels," she reasoned. "No rest for the wicked, love!"

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Kerry Patrick​

Kerry hadn't felt at all comfortable since the evening she'd bumped into Syd, along with Braden and Peter. Although Braden had been kind and welcoming to her, it was Syd's reaction that had left her feeling unsettled. That, along with later finding out their presence in London had been to attack Spencer, left her feeling on edge. Thankfully, Spencer hadn't tried to force any information out of her, instead just making a snide comment about her being no doubt inclined to take Savannah's side rather than be honest with him. The atmosphere during her shifts at the club could have been much worse or even non-existent if he'd simply fired her. Still, she couldn't help but feel anxious during her shifts, always expecting the Kings to demand more information from her about Savannah, the Sullivans, and their plans for Callum. During her recent telephone call with Savannah, Kerry had made a point of not asking for details about what was going on. That way, she would have nothing to tell the Kings and therefore wouldn't have to lie to them.

Kerry had been to see Maddox and Ani the previous day. The counsellor had told Kerry to quit her job at Spencer's club and maybe even distance herself from the Callahans. At the very least, he'd told her she couldn't keep herself in both worlds, so if she couldn't lose both, she had to choose one. Given the man's experience of being stuck between the Sullivans and the Morettis, she knew he was speaking from experience. Against her better judgement, Kerry had decided to show up for her shift this evening so she could have one final attempt to make an informed decision. She enjoyed working at the club and she liked the friends she'd met through that, including the likes of Harper. But with Spencer in the grumpiest of moods with her since being attacked, she wasn't sure if she could keep working at a job where she felt so uncomfortable.

There was an added tension to this evening's shift. Spencer had briefed his staff at the start, informing them they were not permitted to enter certain areas of the club under any circumstances. He hadn't given much in terms of detail, other than it being a private business meeting. It hadn't been the first time the Kings had conducted private business at the club, but it was the only time Kerry remembered things being kept so quiet and the staff being practically banned from entering half of the building.

Regardless of the secretive meeting going on behind the scenes, Kerry had managed to throw herself into her work as if it was another normal shift. Various conversations between the bar staff had been squeezed in, but none of them knew why the Kings were intent on keeping them out of the back offices and areas. Although Alex and Billy were much more approachable than Spencer was, Kerry knew better to ask them what was going on. She was even aware of Harper's presence in the club, but again, Kerry knew it was safer to remain ignorant of the meeting Bruce and Spencer were conducting.

Kerry's attention was suddenly drawn to the sound of a commotion as one of the waitresses collided with Harper and spilled a tray of drinks onto the floor. A couple of staff members rushed to helped clean up the mess, so Kerry opted to make the same drinks order again, knowing there were a group of customers whose first set of drinks were currently drenching the nearby floor. Having seen who Harper had been spending her evening with, Kerry wondered if the younger woman had been trying to sneak past without Alex and Billy noticing her. "My colleagues have the situation under control," she told the two King brothers. "Are you both still good for drinks?" she asked them, fully able to multi-task on preparing numerous orders at once.

Mentions: Melanin-Gxdess (Alex) Pyroclast (Billy) Bellz (Harper)

 

[Misty Gray]

Le Restaurant
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Benjamin Reznik​

Benjamin lightly blushed when Lorelei told him she would have liked to have had a coffee date sooner, but she had been busy. "Oh, that would have been really nice, but I know how busy you must be running the club, so I'm just glad we could get together now," he told her. He then smiled as he hung on her every word when she explained how her parents had reacted to her going on a date. His smile broadened at the possibility Lorelei's mother thought there was of the date turning into something great. In a way, he hoped so too. He didn't want to get ahead of himself or anything of the sort, but there was just something about Lorelei. He felt like she was different to the women he'd dated in the past, that there was something special about her that in turn made him want to go all out to make sure they had further dates and potentially even something more long-term than he'd had before. "I'm ten times better the most men, huh?" he said, with a playful grin. "Well damn. I was aiming for at least a solid twelve percent!"

When asked about Aidan's advice, Benjamin let out an embarrassed laugh and lightly shook his head as he recalled his guardian's advice. "I've not known him go on too many dates and none that I'm aware of recently. He was with one lady for a few years, but they split up a couple of years ago... So, Aidan's got this weird idea of how people our age are these days," he said, grinning a little. "He's got this idea that we're all hanging around in leather jackets, listening to punk rock, and generally trying to look cool. So he told me to play it cool. As you are well aware from the other night, I'm far from 'cool'," he said, laughing at his own clumsiness. "I just decided I'd do this my own way and not pretend to be something I'm not. Of course, eating at a place like this isn't something I can afford to do every week, but I feel our date warrants a special occasion."

Benjamin was glad to hear that Lorelei didn't feel like she had to order a salad just because most girls tended to. "Hey, there's no arguments from me. You can order whatever you want to order and I'm happy you don't feel like you have to act differently because you're on a date with me. Besides, this place has such a good menu that it would be a waste to order something I could have easily just made for you back in my own kitchen," he reasoned. "Chicken and veg is a great choice. And if you've got a sweet tooth, I'm all for getting a dessert too," he encouraged her. As much as he wanted to tell her she shouldn't be worrying about her figure, he also didn't think she needed his validation on the matter. Whilst everything about her was attractive to him, he doubted changes to her figure would alter how attracted he was to her, but if she wanted to maintain her figure then it wasn't for him to tell her it didn't matter. Having seen the way his mother was abused and deprived of any control over her own life, he didn't believe it was any man's place to tell a woman what to do with her own body.

"Hmm, I do appreciate fruit and veg, so maybe I'm a little bit rabbit," he playfully assured her. "However, I'm a big meat lover, to be honest. And since Adam roped me into joining a training programme, I've been given even more incentive to overdose on meat. I think I'm going to copy you, Lorelei. Chicken and veg it is," he told her. Despite only loosely following his Jewish heritage and having very little interest in religion, there were still foods, such as pork, which he always avoided eating.

As the waiter attended to the table next to theirs, the man's presence blocked Benjamin's view of the woman he'd earlier observed. After hearing the woman order another drink with her dessert, he then heard the man she was with rudely overrule her and order her a glass of water instead. "What's that guys problem?" Benjamin quietly asked Lorelei, cocking his head slightly to the left to indicate who he was referring to. Shortly after, the waiter turned to Benjamin and Lorelei so he could politely take their meal and drink order next. After the waiter had left, Benjamin glanced across to the woman at the next table, seeing how upset and embarrassed she looked. After a light sigh, Benjamin looked to Lorelei and sent her a soft smile. "Where's your favourite place to go on vacation?" he asked her, wanting to try ignore what was going on nearby.

Bellz (Lorelei)

 

[BloodThunder27]

Pregnancy Tracker

Progression: 39.6/40 Weeks

Countdown to Labor & Delivery: 275/280 Days

Weight Gain: 68/68 Kg

~Shinoa Bradford~

Dublin City Center | The Lesser of Two Evils​

For the next few minutes, Shinoa cried her eyes out because she was just absolutely frightened, terrified, even though the worst she got was a small cut on her neck. Slowly, she calmed down as she removed her hand from the fresh wound and there was a bit of blood on her hand. Soon she heard another woman's voice before the crying partially ceased and she saw a rather beautiful and tough-looking woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties. Shinoa proceeded to shake her head when the woman asked if she was hurt. "I think I'll be fine...but I really thought that he was gonna hurt me or hit my stomach and hurt my baby..." She responded, expressing how terrified she was.

She was soon reassured that the people who had come by to check up on her stated that they weren't going to hurt her and that they had been shot at by the men who had crashed into the Road Skip, one of whom threatening to kill her if she talked. Though that probably meant if she spoke with Local Authorities...or so she hoped. As soon as the woman offered to help her up, Shinoa took it almost immediately, because in this stage of pregnancy, it was hard to get up to her feet no matter where or how she was resting. In this instance though, she was sitting on the ground because she was scared and all of her strength got sapped from crying. Once she was back on her feet, Shinoa took a deep breath. As she felt another kick, she breathed a sigh of relief because she was worried that her baby had gotten hurt, but that strong kick was a good sign. "Alright, let's get this wound looked at. And I'll answer any questions you might have. But I need some guarantees that those men won't come after me..."

Interactions: Emery Callahan, Adam Harper Misty Gray ​

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin~

Adam Harper and Emery Callahan​

Spoiler: Streetmap

Adam listened on as Emery reassured the woman. Although he was able to deal with the pain in his arm and neck from his gunshot wounds, he had been shot and stabbed enough times in the past to know he needed to deal with his injuries soon. It didn't matter how tough a man was, the blood loss would eventually get to him. Clutching at the top of his arm where the bullet was lodged in his flesh and potentially muscle, he put as much pressure on the wound as he could. "Em, we need to get out of here," Adam told the woman, trying to keep his voice as gentle as was possible, given the urgency. Hearing Shinoa say she though the attacker was going to hurt her or her baby, Adam kept his attention focused on the streets around them. In the back of his mind, he was surprised the men hadn't just killed her. He could only assume the fact she was pregnant had pulled at whatever conscience they had and stopped them from killing both the witness and her unborn child.

"They're gone now and you're going to be okay, so that's good," Emery reassured Shinoa, quickly nodding her head. Although she wasn't the most sympathetic and gentle of women, Emery had grown up with Sinead for a mother, so she'd observed enough to known how to behave with those needing reassurance. Emery helped Shinoa to her feet and placed a light hand on the woman's hand to gently steer her in the direction they needed to set off walking in. "Awesome, come on," Emery encouraged when Shinoa spoke proactively of getting her wound seen to and answering any questions. "Those men won't come after you, love," Emery assured her. Adam walked behind the two women, keeping them covered as much as he physically could. "Those guys already did the dumbest thing possible, shooting at us, so I doubt they'd dare come back. You're in the safest hands," she told her, including the cops in that sentiment.

When they reached The Sullivans Pub, the security guard outside rushed to open the door for the three. Adam entered the pub ahead of Emery and Shinoa, already unfastening his coat as he led them to the back of the bar. "Fuckin' 'ell! Harper's already pissed off his new missus!" one of the regular customers shouted out at the sight of Adam's blood-soaked shirt and hands. Adam raised a red middle finger in the direction of the familiar man as he kept walking. "Nothing to worry about, though I could do with a glass of water," Adam reassured Elena as he passed her, figuring the sight would be something she hadn't had to witness before now.

Adam pointed into the empty staffroom for Emery and Shinoa to enter. Emery helped Shinoa into one of the four chairs around the square dining table. As she retrieved the small first aid kit from one of the cupboards, Adam spoke quietly to Emery. "Keep her here until Tom gets back. Once she's calmed down, you and Tom need to find out exactly what she saw. We need to know who those two bastards are." Needing a better medical kit than the one Emery had in her hand, Adam left the room to find the one in the office.

Emery sat opposite Shinoa, handing her a wipe and a band aid from the first aid kit. "The cut doesn't look deep enough for stitches. You'll be fine," she told her. "Do you have family we can call. How about baby daddy?" she asked, flashing a smile as she acknowledged the woman's pregnant state. "Oh, and do you want a drink? I'm pretty sure they sell non-alcoholic drinks here - I've seen them add it to cocktails!" Although Emery was a talker, she found herself hoping for Thomas to arrive soon so they could get to business. She was certain the gunman had been firing at her, and judging by the way Adam pushed her aside, she assumed he'd figured the same. Between wanting to cave the attackers' heads in for daring to shoot at them, there was a part of her that was a little shocked at the events. As far as she knew, nobody had tried to kill her before now. Hell, she was sure she'd pissed off enough people to make them want to pull the trigger!

With Emery: Bellz (Thomas) BloodThunder27 (Shinoa)

After fumbling around his pocket and through the bunch of keys, Adam managed to unlock the office door and impatiently kick it open. He retrieved the medical kit and carried it with him into the public restroom. "Get out!" he ordered one of the drunk men who was stumbling around trying to find the exit. Adam stood at the sinks and set about quickly rinsing the bulk of the blood from his hands. He then began taking of his coat, letting out a loud groan as the action meant he had to move his injured arm to drag the clothing off of him. Deciding not to remove his bloodstained t-shirt yet, he instead tugged at the left sleeve, ripping it away from the seam so he could see the wound at the top of his arm. Wiping the blood away with the piece of torn t-shirt he was soon able to confirm the bullet was lodge in his arm. "Motherfucker!" he hissed. He was pretty sure removing a bullet on a normal day wasn't his expertise, let alone when he was feeling weakened and slightly dizzy from the blood loss. He needed one of the mob's medics to get to the pub. Stepping onto the corridor, he saw Elena nearby, presumably with his glass of water. "Hola! Elena. I need you to do me a favour... Necesito ayuda." he gruffly asked her. Despite his physical state, he forced a smile to hopefully prevent the new barmaid from panicking. "Slight problem," he remarked, pointing to his bleeding wounds...

With Adam: Pyroclast (Elena)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~London~
Alexander King

Alex was relieved that despite his actions, his brothers were standing up for him. He had done a lot of crap in the past and even recently, but they were still sticking by him. There was a lot of damage to repair for sure; he just didn't know how he would go about it. He let out a wry chuckle before shaking his head. "While I appreciate you backing me up, I don't think solving this without violence is going to be possible. No way is Spence going to let the Irish rough him up and let it go," he said looking down into his cup. "Things'll get worse before they get better for sure. I just wanna see the kid before it does." He took a sip from his drink before placing it back down on the table, the waitress returning with his shots. The moment she disappeared again he picked up the shot glass and quickly downed it.

When Billy answered his question, Alex narrowed his eyes at him. "Yeah, that's not convincing at all. Out with it. What's the problem?" Billy avoided his gaze causing Alex to sit up in his seat and lean forward. Putting his own issues aside, he focused on his younger brother. Next to his son, his family was super important to him. Since they were kids all they had were each other. It took a moment, but Billy eventually began to talk again. It seemed like he and Erik were having a rough time... Again. They were always fighting and didn't understand why. He had never seen his brother so excited to hang out with someone; he definitely didn't think it would be with such a wildflower like Erik. The two of them together radiated nothing but chaotic energy and Alex didn't see how such a friendship worked. "You're fighting... Again?" He laughed, placing his hand on his chest and throwing his head back. After a few seconds, he stopped and took a deep breath looking at each other. "The two of you fight like an old married couple, I swear." He shook his head before continuing. "To answer your question, no, I haven't seen him. Not until today at least. Do I wanna know why the two of you are-," he stopped talking the moment he heard a commotion.

He looked around for the source and shook his head. Someone had spilled and broken a ton of glasses on the ground. It took him a moment to see that the woman looked familiar and after narrowing his eyes for a better look, he pointed. "Hey Billy, is that-" His attention had been grabbed again, this time by Kerry. The woman approached them reassuring the two of them everything was under control. Alex couldn't help but send a cheeky smile her way. Despite being his ex's best friend, Alex found himself flirting with the woman from time to time. It wasn't that he was necessarily doing it on purpose - he was a natural flirt after all. He didn't, however, start doing this until a few years later and had no intentions of dating her. "Ah, Kerry Patrick. The most attractive woman in this place. I could use another drink and a few more shots to calm Billy down a bit."

Billy ( Pyroclast )
Kerry ( Misty Gray )
Harper ( Bellz )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

La Casa
~Upper East Side, Manhattan~
Theodore 'Teddy' Wycliff

Teddy chuckled at his wife's desire to cause nothing but trouble. Seeing that she was still the mischievous woman he fell for all those years ago was refreshing. Granted that mischievous trait had been passed down to some of his children, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. "You know, we both can't be getting into trouble. Who's going to bail us out and keep Gabe from hearing about it?" He joked. "Then I'd get blamed for being a bad influence." Though he was joking, he knew for sure he'd catch the bad end of it if Valentina got into trouble. He drank from his glass before focusing on her response to his question.

He knew her headaches had returned, but hearing they weren't as severe was a relief. Though she thought it was because the kids had been calmer lately, Teddy couldn't help but think it was something else. Maybe it was all the vacations and time off she had taken. If that were the case then it would only help his case more. Valentina looked so happy talking about all the time they were spending together with each other and their kids. It warmed his heart to see and he only hoped she would take into consideration the things he was about to say. "Well, say hypothetically you didn't go back to work. Or rather, you do less work. You have plenty of amazing people to do the work for you. There's no need to helicopter over them." He took her hand and smiled softly. "You do too much and I'm not trying to sound like Gabe here. Have you thought that maybe your headaches haven't been feeling as bad because you're taking it easier?" He paused for a moment, wanting it to sink in. He didn't want to make it seem like he was ambushing her or sounding like a broken record at this point. Teddy supported his wife in all of her endeavors and made it known every chance he got.

"There's... Also something else." Teddy placed his hands on the table trying to find his words before turning back to Val. "Gabe and I talked a couple of days ago and he wants me to take on more responsibility. Now, before you say anything, me bringing up you stepping back from the hotel has nothing to do with this. I'm not asking you to just be some at-home wife. We both know that's not a part of you," he chuckled in an attempt to make the atmosphere a bit lighter. "I want to take on more responsibility - especially with what's going on now. Before I decide anything I want the two of us to talk about this and come to some sort of conclusion together." Teddy didn't want to make any life-changing decisions without first consulting his wife. Small things like buying expensive gifts and the like were fine without discussion, but he was sure him taking on responsibility from Gabe was going to upset the balance of their home.
Valentina ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter
The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

After rounding many corners and going down a few alleyways, Thomas finally decided to call it quits. There was absolutely no way he was going to be able to find the assholes by himself so as he came to a halt, he turned towards the nearest wall to grab a hold of to try and steady himself. His chest was so tight that it felt like something was slowly squeezing the air from his lungs, his legs, now resting as he stood began to tremble like they had when the shooting first occurred. Despite it being a relatively cool evening, Thomas felt like his skin was on fire as if he'd just ran 10 miles in the mugginess of New York City in the summer. His arm that was holding him upright began to give out and slowly, Thomas moved to press his head against the cool brick, continuing to heave his chest as he tried to get more air and bring his heart rate down.

His eyes burned with the tears and he let out a soft cry in frustration before his legs gave out completely and he fell slowly towards the ground. Positioning himself so that his back leaned against the cool wall, Thomas pulled his knees up to his chest in hopes to regain his normally collected composure. He knew that Adam and Emery would most likely be wondering where he'd gone but as his thoughts desperately told him to get up and start walking back to them, Thomas's body wouldn't allow him to move a muscle. His normal tactics for calming down were failing him and as much as he tried to breathe normally, he found that each breath was starting to get faster, each one more shallow than the last.

Growling in frustration, Thomas moved his hands to claw at his face, dragging his skin down towards his chin before moving to gently slap his cheeks in an attempt to get ahold of himself. The panicked thoughts that ran through his mind were going faster and faster, becoming more desperate and frantic. He couldn't follow a single thought, and what he was trying to do was becoming increasingly harder to remember. Thomas once again brought his hands to his face, digging his nails into his cheeks as he scraped them down towards his chin once more. The pain that ensued was the equivalent of someone throwing a bucket of ice-cold water on him, shocking him out of his catatonic state enough to grasp what he needed to do.

The pain instantly reminded him that he was in fact in Ireland, dealing with something other than war. Looking around him, Thomas was reminded that he wasn't locked up in some basement in Iran and that he was a free man to do what he wanted or needed to survive. He caught a glimpse of one of his hands and saw the blood-stained on his fingertips. The sight followed by the familiar stinging sensation of being scratched and he knew that he once again resorted to self-harm to regain control...to actually feel something.

Thomas's tears fell over his scratched cheeks, causing the wounds to sting enough for him to wince. Carefully wiping at his eyes, Thomas pushed himself up off the ground quickly. Now that he knew he was in control of himself again, Thomas moved with a purpose to get back to Emery and Adam.

Figuring that they had only been a little ways away from the pub, Thomas was able to deduce that they were most likely there already when he didn't find them both where he'd left them. Thomas stepped inside the pub and found the usual crowd, his eyes scanned the room and found Emery with the pregnant lady who had got caught up in the gunfire. "Hey, Em, are you alright?" Thomas asked as he approached her before Thomas looked at Shinoa, "What about you, miss? You alright?" He asked gently, not wanting to startle the woman any further before his eyes looked around the place once more. "Where the hell did Adam go? Do we need to get him a medic?" Thomas knew that his cousin would most likely be wondering about the scratch marks on his face and the blood on his hands so Thomas looked to her before letting out a sigh, "One of the lowlifes I caught up to rather quickly, but he scratched the hell out of my face before attempting to gauge my eyes out. He knocked the gun out of my hand before running off." He was sure the story wouldn't hold out in the future but he wasn't about to explain to anyone what he had done to himself. They would send him to the looney bin like they had his brother and that was the last place Thomas felt he needed to be.
with: Emery + Adam Misty Gray ; Shinoa BloodThunder27
somewhere around: Elena Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Elena Velazco​

“No! What’re ye’ doin’?!”

Elena looked up from the Margarita she was halfway through making to see the elderly customer squinting up at her with a fierce, somewhat glassy-eyed glare. Her heavy make-up had sweated into the creases around her eyes and her lipstick was smudged from reapplying it with the accuracy of someone who had had five too many drinks. The palm of her hand was pressed flat against the countertop, and Elena glanced down to it nervously as though anticipating to be smacked.

“You ask for a Margarita?” she asked.

“That’s not a Margarita, you’ve diluted all the tequila with that sweet mixer shite,” the woman snapped. “Make it again without it.”

“So you want...Tequila and the lime?” Elena showed her a puzzled frown, to which the old woman bared her teeth. Not many people in the pub asked her to make cocktails, but even so, she had grown confident enough to know how to make the essentials. It sounded to her like the customer just wanted a glass of tequila without having to ask for a glass of tequila.

“You want the rocks?”

“No! Christ! Does it look like a warm enough day for ice to you? Just make me what I asked for!”

Elena broke eye contact to focus on restarting the drink in the way the customer wanted it. She wished she could put real rocks in it. Just as she was beginning to pour the tequila into the newly prepared glass, the main door swung open and Adam marched in, instantly capturing her attention. He looked distressed, and when someone called out a teasing remark at him and he raised an arm to make a rude gesture in response, Elena noticed there was blood on him. Her heart dropped and without hesitating, she set aside the half-made "margarita" to focus on Adam. The customer returned to yelling at her, but Elena didn't care enough to listen.

She didn’t hesitate to get Adam his requested glass of water, keeping a concerned eye fixed on him the whole time. He was soon followed by Emery and a young pregnant woman, who was crying and in deep distress. Nobody in the room threw any further jeers, apparently all taken aback by the whole scene.

With a pint of cold water in her hand, Elena abandoned her position behind the bar and made her way towards the mens’ toilets, where she had seen Adam enter. Before she could open the door, however, Adam stepped out, and the sight of him had her hand flying to her mouth in shock. Despite his weak attempt to reassure her with a smile, Elena’s eyes instantly filled with tears. For a second she was frozen to the spot, her hand clamped over her mouth as she took in all the blood that stained her father’s shirt and skin.

After a moment, she ushered him back into the men’s room and locked the door behind her to prevent customers from getting in the way. “Sit,” she muttered through a shaky breath, helping him down to the floor. A wave of nausea washed over her as she watched the blood pulsate from the hole in his arm and she took a second to look away and compose herself. She quickly passed the pint glass of water to Adam for him to drink, hoping it would double as a distraction while she took a few deep breaths. When she turned back to face him, she noticed a sheen of sweat covering his brow and that his face was drained of its usual colour, and she knew then that help couldn’t wait.

Using the sink to pull herself to her feet, Elena hurriedly washed her hands before kneeling back down beside Adam and rifling through the medical kit. It was all familiar equipment to her, but that didn’t ease the sickness swirling around in her gut. “Bien,” she muttered, beginning to properly open up the medical kit so she could get started on cleaning up his arm. She placed a hand on the underside of his bicep to gently raise it for inspection. “I wash you first and then -”

A horrified gasp escaped her and her hand once again flew to her mouth, this time smearing his blood on her cheek without realising. “Es un balazo?!” she cried. Everything she had been taught in nursing school about not panicking in front of a patient fell from her mind - Adam wasn't just any patient, he was her father. Plus, she had never had to put her studies to use in real life before, at least not anywhere near the same level as removing a bullet from somebody’s body. “It is there in your arm, Adam, I - I have to take it!”

A fierce determination came over her as she picked up the surgical forceps from the medical kit, keeping them in a strong grip to minimise her trembling. In a moment of doubt, she then looked into her father's eyes for some last minute reassurance. "Are you okay?" she asked. "I take la bala from your arm, okay?"

The sight of the bullet lodged in the open wound made her stomach lurch and she had to swallow hard to keep its contents where they belonged. "Sing a song to me," she demanded, shuffling closer with the forceps in her hand and forcing herself to fix a steady gaze on the bloody mess. "Or say a story to me, please. And no sleep, okay?"

Interactions
Adam

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin~

Adam Harper​

When Elena approached him, Adam could see her eyes filling with tears. "Okay, no, you can just--" he began. He was going to tell her to go find Martin, the barman on duty, to spare her from the sight of blood. However, before he could make enough of an argument, Elena seemed to fight through her shock and instead usher him into the men's restrooms before he could relieve her of any responsibility. He noticed she locked the door behind them. "Brave girl, locking yourself in the men's grotty toilets," he drily remarked. When the young woman told him to sit, Adam raised a curious eyebrow but nevertheless did as he was instructed. He wasn't in much of a position to argue, even if he was skeptical of what use Elena could be to him in his present state.

With Elena's help, Adam moved down to sit on the floor, his back pressed against the tiled wall to keep himself sitting upright. He noticed the way she had to quickly look away from his arm, prompting him to look down at the bullet hole. Seeing the blood still running from the wound, he subtly shook his head. He grimaced and looked ahead again, as the act of looking down to his arm had caused extra tension on the flesh wound at the side of his neck. "Right, of course..." he mumbled before carefully lifting his injured arm to rest it across the the iron pipe that ran along the wall from the sinks. Having been injured many times before, he knew he needed to elevate his arm as much as he comfortably could, to slow the bleeding from the bullet hole. With the free hand of his uninjured arm, he accepted the glass of water from Elena and took a long, steady drink. Now beginning to feel a shortness of breath and drowsiness catching up to him, he took another sip of water before placing the glass down on the floor beside him, rather than keep hold of it long enough to risk dropping it. It wasn't often at all that he ended up in this state following an injury, but he knew enough to know he was beginning to experience the effects of his blood loss.

Watching Elena wash her hands before rifling through the medical kit, Adam could only assume the anxious young woman didn't have a clue what she was doing. Still, he doubted Martin would have been any better. He managed another weak smile as Elena pressed on, inspecting his wound before a gasp escaped her mouth in response to the blood. She was clearly shocked to find a bullet lodged in his arm. "A bala? Now how did that get there?" he drily asked, trying his best to play it down and keep the girl calm. However, realising she said she had to take it out, Adam's eyes widened in surprise. "Hey, kid. Go find someone to help," he distantly suggested, not wanting her to feel scared or worried. Still she picked out the forceps and he looked curiously to her. He met her gaze, looking back into her eyes as she asked him if he was okay. "Yeah... I am..." he told her. His focus lingered on her face for a short time as he couldn't help but notice there was something familiar about Elena's face and eyes. He couldn't quite pinpoint it, especially not in his drowsy state. "You can try," he told her, when she said she had to remove the bullet from his arm. "Relájate y mantén la calma..." he tried to reassure her.

Whether a medical expert or a barmaid, he was pretty confident someone fishing a bullet out of his arm was going to hurt either way. Keeping his arm elevated across the pipe, he wrapped his fingers around it to keep his arm in place as he anticipated an increase in discomfort. When she told him to sing a song, he let out a low chuckle. "I ain't singing, kid..." he groggily told her. However, she seemed insistent he kept talking in order to prevent himself from falling asleep. He understood that she was trying to ensure he stayed conscious and he would do his best to stay awake rather than cause her further panic. "A story? What story can I tell you..." he trailed off. By 'can' he probably meant 'should. Many of his stories were either illegal or not for a young woman's ears... and some were both.

His breathing was becoming more rapid, but he fought to continue talking through his exhaustion. "Well, I guess this reminds me of back in the sixties. Some guys, would-be business rivals, tried their luck while I was out partying in Havana." With his right arm, he pointed to the left side of his waist. "Knifed me right there before my lot sorted them out." He closed his eyes as the drowsiness threatened to take over. After using the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from his clammy forehead, he opened his eyes again and managed a faint, humoured smile. "The bathrooms in that club were just as bad as these. Y'know, I reckon you're doing well. Chase was a mess trying to patch up my bleeding wound... Of course, we'd both been drinking," he reasoned. "Still, I'm telling him you handled this better," he joked. Feeling a sudden pain as Elena used the forceps to grab the bullet, he let out a pained hiss. "¡Hijo de puta!" he groaned, but stopped himself from swearing any more in front of the young woman. "Ah, Cuba, though..." he trailed off. After a silence, he tried to keep focusing in order to remain awake and not make things harder for Elena. Still, the effects of the blood loss made him unsure of where he was going with his story, or if he'd just been saying words for the sake of it. "Me pareces familiar," he suddenly pointed out to her. "Maybe you remind me of Cuba," he fondly told her.

Pyroclast (Elena)

 

[Bellz]

Julia Avvocata
La Casa (Private Club)
~ Upper East Side, Manhattan ~​

Julia had been unpleasantly shocked to find that Gabriel was going to give Roxie a shot at leading. She was sure that after the dinner she had with Ricky, Elvian, and him, he would smash any hope that the woman had to bits, but apparently, the man was softer than she thought. Despite feeling the way she did about the situation, Julia had made it her goal to not throw it in Ricky's face. Subtlety was her best chance of wiggling her way into his subconscious and as much as she loved him, she knew that what she needed to do was right for not just Ricky but Roxie as well. Ricky had made it clear that he wanted to just lay low for a while to see how things panned out and for now, Julia wasn't going to push him like she had been doing since the whole thing started. She knew that if she went in too quickly that Ricky would get the wrong impression of her intentions and push her away which was the last thing she wanted.

For the time being, Julia simply wanted to enjoy her new relationship with Ricky without feeling like her mission would get in the way so when he had invited her out for a drink along with Damian, Julia was excited. Dressing to the nines, Julia was all doe-eyed as she looked around the lavish club before them. Sure, she had been in such places before but it was mostly for work and definitely not for pleasure. Julia smiled playfully at Ricky as he flirted with her before voicing that he didn't want to be sandwiched between her and Damian tonight. "What a mental image, thank you for that." Julia chuckled before Valentina caught her attention. Smiling kindly to her and Teddy, Julia's eyes looked to Harmony as Val playfully begged for her to be the sane one at the table for the woman's sake. "Ah, don't worry about that, babe. I'll keep both Ricky and Damian in line." She told Val before once again looking to Harmony. "Beautiful name for a beautiful woman, it's a pleasure to meet you, Harmony." Julia murmured before Ricky greeted her as well.

Julia elbowed Ricky lightly as he pointed out that it was impressive Harmony had landed a job with Moretti being a woman and all. "I think Moretti has been proven on more than one occasion that women are just as badass as the common bonehead man." Julia said glaring at him slightly before looking back to Harmony as she answered his question. Hearing that the woman had only been in New York a year was interesting, "How do you like it so far, New York I mean? It can be pretty overwhelming for anyone who wasn't born and raised here. New Yorkers are some of the most irrational, aggressive people in the world. No offense, Ricky."

Julia leaned her head onto his for a moment before sitting up a little straighter as she spotted Damian. She gave the man a small smile as he sat down. Ricky teased him about being a paralytic drunk after the night came to an end and of course, Damian made it clear that he wanted to be able to think clearly. Even after meeting him only a few times, Julia knew that he was a man who wasn't necessarily into huge messy parties.

Julia rolled her eyes as Ricky called him a control freak before the man looked from Harmony to her, asking what they were drinking. "Surprisingly enough, I feel like I'm becoming increasingly poured of my usual huge glass of wine. Think I'll try a martini tonight again." Julia said before looking to Harmony. "Feel free to drink as much or as little as you wish, Harmony. Don't listen to this party animal over here, it's good to always be on your toes, even if it's just a little bit."
with: Harmony BloodThunder27 ; Ricky + Damian Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dulin ~ ​

Peter nodded his head lightly to acknowledge his daughter's feelings about them attacking Spencer. He knew where she was coming from and understood that she was solely upset about that but he also agreed with his brother-in-law not apologizing for what he had done. Peter was sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place and that was the last place he wanted to be. Savannah then went on to say that she hadn't appreciated how uncomfortable Kerry had been made to feel at her place and Peter let out a soft sigh. Braden had gone out of his way to make her feel comfortable it seemed like but Syd had gone and ruined it according to Brady. Peter wasn't sure what his son was trying to do but as much as his family wanted him to tell Braden that any sort of relationship with the woman was forbidden, Peter couldn't tell his grown ass son who he can and can not date or like...or whatever the fuck was going on there.

Peter felt like no one had learned from Porter's similar situation and once again he was stuck in that hard place once more. Peter's eyes went a bit wide as Savvy stated that she was going to invite Kerry to live with her and watched as Conor stood up. Despite knowing that he wouldn't do anything, Peter took two steps towards him instinctively. Both of them made threats at each other before Peter finally took a step between them. "Let's be rational about this, Con." The man told his brother-in-law. "Let's just hear her out for a second, okay?" Peter asked calmly before Savvy went on to speak. Peter took a few steps back to allow them to look each other in the eye.

Although he wouldn't voice it, Peter felt similar to his daughter in who was to blame for Jackson's death. It amazed him how he was able to think with a little less emotion but that was mostly because Conor and he were best buds. Peter was very close to the man as well but nothing could top the bond that those two had. Peter didn't agree or disagree as his daughter looked to him for a moment before looking back to her uncle. Savvy brought up the day she had been taken from the theater and Peter's hands clenched into fists at the memory. Her logic and reasoning were something that Peter felt couldn't be argued but Conor was quick to rebuttal.

Savvy demanded to be trusted with her opinion of Kerry and when she looked to Peter, the man let out another sigh. Her frustrations were then focused not only on her Uncle but also on him and she looked directly at him as she stated that he had Liam, Callum, and Hattie now. She stated that Sinead wanted a normal life with the kids before demanding to know why he wanted to go back to this apparently miserable life. She demanded to know why he beat Callum's uncle because his brother-in-law told him to. Moving a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, Peter shook his head gently. After a long moment, Peter dropped his hand a looked at his daughter with a bit of sadness in his eyes. "Your Uncle James hired me when I was at arguably the lowest point in my life. No one was willing to give me a chance, they were about to send me off to prison at the age of 21 and lock me away forever. This family gave me a chance." Peter said, looking to Conor for a moment before looking to Savvy.

"Without that chance, I would have never met you or your mother. We wouldn't have had Braden, Emery, or Liam and because of that, your son and Hattie wouldn't have been around either. I would have been alone with no future. I don't believe you are spoiled or entitled Savannah but without this life, you, your child, your mother, and your siblings and their children wouldn't have what we have here and now. I don't think you understand what it's like to have absolutely nothing and I am so grateful that you never will." Peter murmured, once again sighing.

"While our actions may have been violent and perhaps in your eyes, unwarranted. I want you to understand that you are extremely lucky to have a family who is willing to risk it all for you because like you said, Kerry has no one. I was in Kerry's shoes up until I met this family, I understand more than most what it's like to have absolutely no one to sit in your corner and encourage you and fight for you. Without the Porters and Sullivans, I could have died without a cent to my name, without anyone attending my funeral...without anyone remember who I am." Peter looked to his daughter seriously, "You won't have that. Ever. And I know you are upset now but you need to think of it this way, Callum will always have family...even if those jackass Kings decide that he's not worth the struggle of coming to Ireland to see him. Your mother and I will always be there for him." Hoping that he was at least getting through to his daughter in some aspect, Peter went on to address the issue with Kerry.

"As someone who understands what Kerry is going through, I think having her stay with you is very generous." Peter then looked to his brother-in-law, hoping the man would understand where he is coming from. "I was given a second chance when I most likely didn't deserve one. Jackson was more than a friend, he was family...but I've never known this family not to give someone a second chance. Hell, even Jackson gave Blake a second chance, and look how that turned out, they were married for more than 10 years and had two beautiful kids together. I feel that Jackson would have encouraged us to give Kerry a second chance. I really do. Perhaps run it by Blake first to see what she thinks, I think we all know that she knew him the best at the end of the day."
with: Savvy + Conor Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Bruce King
Tatiana Moretti​

Having invited Gabriel to speak, Bruce sat patiently and listened as his ally gave his opinion on the matter. The term ‘disrespectful’ hit the nail on the head when describing the Sullivans and what they had done. In fact, every word that Gabriel spoke rang true and validated all of Bruce’s concerns. Although they came from different backgrounds and experiences, the two shared a few things in common, one being the fact that they were both grandfathers, and so Gabriel seemed to understand how desperate the Kings were to keep Callum in the family. Bruce knew it was up to them whether or not to engage in the war that the Sullivans had essentially declared, but with Callum at stake, he still wasn’t sure it was a good idea.

Gabriel added to that concern by pointing out that they would be greatly outnumbered if they chose to enter a war with the Sullivans. The Kings, by comparison, did not have an extensive family who were involved in the business, nor did their number of soldiers come close to that of the Sullivans. Regardless of whether or not they chose to retaliate, Bruce already knew that he needed to recruit more men. He found it to be an extremely difficult and tiresome task; trust, loyalty, skill and commitment were among several qualities he knew to be essential in a member of his business, and the people who carried them were not easy to come by. Nevertheless, as Gabriel suggested, he would have to try harder to increase his strength while tensions rose between the Kings and the Sullivans.

Gabriel’s warning of the Sullivans’ lack of boundaries when it came to combat brought a twitch to Bruce’s eye. His heart was still scarred from the tragic deaths of his wife and young children and the last thing he wanted was a repeat of such loss. Spencer was just building a family of his own - a war with the Sullivans could put them all in danger.

Bruce suspected it was a rare occurrence for Gabriel to discuss the tactics he had used to get rid of the Sullivans during their battle for New York, so it interested him to hear it coming directly from him. With the jurisdiction that the Sullivans had in Dublin and the strength they imposed over neighbouring territories and other gangs, it was difficult to imagine the family in a weakened state like Gabriel was describing. He supposed that was why they had asserted themselves so viciously over the Kings at the first sign of rising tension - anyone beaten down to that extent would have to completely restore their morale in order to reassume any sense of power. Regardless, Gabriel was right - not only could the Kings not match the Sullivans’ strength, but they also lacked the time and the element of surprise that had been essential to Moretti during the war in New York.

After Spencer filled him in on what Syd had told him during the attack, Bruce was glad to hear that Gabriel seemed to favour reasoning with the Sullivans before finding, as he had put it, another way to get Callum back. Bruce believed that trying to reason with them was what had got Spencer attacked in the first place, but perhaps it was worth giving it a go himself. Just as he was considering arranging a meeting with Conor, Gabriel went on to suggest he provide the King family with some of his men for extra security.

Drawing a deep breath, Bruce sat forward, reaching for his glass. “Well, that’s a very kind offer, Mr. Moretti,” he said, before taking a sip and settling back in his seat. “And if I were to take you up on that offer, what is it you’d like from me in return?” He held his eyes on Gabriel as he considered the logistics of such a plan. He would feel more comfortable having extra security around, and he certainly needed an extra source of strength from somewhere - but owing a debt to Gabriel Moretti was a big deal, and he needed to know that he could hold up his end before accepting any favours. “I don’t know exactly how many men you’ve got goin’ spare, but until I've made my move, I can’t tell you how long this whole thing is gonna last,” he pointed out. “I think what would be best is for me to arrange a little sit-down with Sullivan and see how stubborn he is against me - my Spencer’s expecting a baby in a few weeks, see, and I’d like to avoid a war if a verbal negotiation will sort things out instead.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Gabriel, Spencer
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

 

[Misty Gray]

La Casa
~ Upper East Side, Manhattan ~

Valentina Wycliff​

Valentina grinned when Teddy asked who would keep Gabriel from finding out if they both misbehaved. "Um, that's a valid point. I can't see any of them covering up for us," she said, referring to Ricky and the others at the nearby table. "And even if the likes of Damian would, I dread to think what the cost of his silence would be," she remarked, having some idea of the kind of work the man did behind closed doors.

When Teddy spoke hypothetically, of her not returning to work or working fewer hours, she continued to look ahead as if observing the others in the club. She was about to dismiss the idea as silly when he pointed out her tendency to helicopter over her employees. She turned to look at her husband, gently squeezing his hand when he took hold of hers. "Hey, now where do you think I get that from? You might sound like Papa right now, but you do realise it's him I inherited this from? Micro-managing, keep close tabs on employees... that's Moretti blood. You need to stand my father, in front of a mirror, so he can see whose to blame for me helicoptering," she ranted, a mixture of playfulness and seriousness in her words. Despite what she had said, she managed to process Teddy telling her the headaches weren't as bad because she was taking it easier. She shrugged her shoulders before looking away, fixing her eyes on her drink as she remained awkwardly silent. "If I keep taking it easy it'll look like I can't handle the hotels and that Papa was right all along," she eventually voiced her concerns.

When Teddy told her there was something else, she let out a deep breath in expectation of what he was going to say. No doubt he'd been building up to it. He told her that Gabriel wanted him to take on more responsibility, but was quick to reiterate that wasn't why he'd been telling her to step back from the hotels. "Good, because I don't want to be a stay-at-home wife," she stubbornly told him. Although he tried to lighten the atmosphere, she maintained the stern expression she'd picked up from her father over the years. She slowly nodded his head when he said he wanted to take on more responsibility. "Of course. And your work and achievements are more important to the business than mine are, in Papa's eyes. Nothing I ever do will convince him of my worth; that I'm just as capable as Tati and Marcus are." She reached for her drink and knocked back what was left, hoping the waiter wouldn't be too long in bringing out another. "I think we already know the conclusion," she said, turning to Teddy. "You're going to take on more responsibility, because even if you didn't want to, you'd feel like you have to. If Gabriel Moretti tells you to take on more work, then that's what you do. As I'm frequently reminded, my staff are capable of running the hotels without me, so I'm hardly needed there. I should be at home spending more time being a mother and accepting my only responsibility in life should be childcare." She broke off when the waiter approached the table, almost snapping his head off before he could ask if she wanted anything else. "Another of the same," she abruptly told the man, clearly ready to just knock back another drink. She looked to Teddy and lightly shook her head. "You're a Moretti, Teddy. You can decide anything and everything without consulting me. Just like how Papa has always done with this family." She agitatedly ran her fingers through her hair as she felt her face burning up in frustration.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)