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

[BloodLightning27]

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 Sullivans' Pub | A Key Witness​

Once Shinoa was helped to her feet, she slowly calmed down, but was nonetheless still very much shaken up. Her Attackers were long gone and she really hoped that they would not come back for her and her baby. Although this woman's tone was sweet and gentle, Shinoa couldn't help but wonder what she did for a living. She also looked fairly similar to Sinead, the woman that she had spoken with roughly a month ago in a vain attempt to get a job at Nostalgic Notes. Still, she couldn't make assumptions like that after only one interaction with the woman. Even if the two were related, it was none of her business anyway. After what felt like an hour of walking, Shinoa started feeling a fair amount of rather dull pain in her lower back and her feet. Sadly, there wasn't much she can do about it since they were inherent with pregnancy.

It wasn't long until she was led to a bar, where she saw several of the patrons look up as soon as they saw the Mysterious Man, who was addressed as 'Harper'. The name didn't really sound familiar to her, so Shinoa just brushed it off. However, she could feel some of the eyes in the room on her, especially since she looked took young to be in a Bar...and the fact that she was visibly pregnant and could pop any day now. Her due date was in five days for crying out loud! This was honestly the last thing she really needed...Getting jumped and threatened, and now talking to a bunch of strangers, and likely dangerous ones at that, given that she did hear overlapping gunfire and saw bullet holes in the car that crashed. Finally, the Mysterious Woman helped her into one of the chairs once they had gotten to an empty room, which she could assume was a break room for employees...since she saw the 'Employees Only' sign on the door.

This chair was rather uncomfortable, but she'd take it over being on her feet for any longer. Soon, the minor wound was patched up, as she felt the partially dried blood being wiped away followed by the wound being bandaged. When asked if she had any family they could call, and about the baby daddy, Shinoa shook her head as she interlocked her fingers beneath her swollen belly. "No, I don't have any next-of-kin that can be contacted. As bizarre as it sounds, I've been staying at the Hotel a couple of blocks from here...alone." She said, feeling both awkward and embarrassed.

When offered a drink, Shinoa wasn't too keen on the idea until the woman offered Non-Alcoholic Options. "Water's fine, I don't really want to put my baby at risk." She responded, a frown on her face.

Not long after, another man had entered the room. It wasn't the same guy that had come with her and the woman. When he asked if they were okay, Shinoa nodded, frowning as she felt an oncoming contraction in her lower stomach, but was able to keep herself from crying out in pain, only taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm okay. Nothing worse then a cut on my neck." When she looked up, the wounds on his face left her rather appalled.

He had it worse then her! Sure, Shinoa was like five days away from going into the delivery room, but the poor man's face was covered in scratch marks...his hands covered in blood. At that point, Shinoa was outright scared of asking what these two did for a living.

Interactions: Emery Callahan, Adam Harper Misty Gray Thomas Porter Bellz​

Harmony Ryu

New York City | La Casa Nightclub​

So far, Harmony was enjoying the company that she had been left with. After all, it wasn't all that often that Valentina and Theodore got their time together, given the nature of the Moretti Family Business...and their four children, plus the family dog who has yet to warm up to her. Then again, it wasn't like she was around him enough, so she couldn't really complain. As the thought of going to Disney World with the Wycliff Family crossed her mind, Harmony was overall very happy, because it was the first thing she got to do when Don Moretti had put her on Protective Detail for his Daughter and her Family. Well, there was also the first day on the Beach and of course, the simple fact that she got to go to Miami. While she wasn't exactly the closest of friends with Valentina, Harmony was of course hoping to break that barrier because of how kind the woman was. At the same time, she was the Boss' Daughter, and a married woman at that. Married with Children! Her train of thought was soon brought to a halt once Julia spoke up, saying that she'd keep Ricky and Damian in line.

"Beautiful name for a beautiful woman, it's a pleasure to meet you, Harmony."

"Nice to meet you as well, Julia." She smiled a little, feeling welcomed.

Though Julia seemed nice, Harmony did think that Ricky was a little...obnoxious. But he didn't seem like an inherently bad person, so Harmony wasn't about to be overcautious. Having met Damian and Jarrick in the past, however, she was a little weary. Soon she was asked about how she liked New York so far...before Julia added that it can be pretty overwhelming for people who aren't native to the city and then saying that New York natives were among the most irrational and aggressive people, and did smile a little when the remark was aimed at Ricky. "I've only been living here for about a year, but I'm liking it so far. Though sometimes I can't help but feel homesick. I moved all the way out here from Los Angeles. Kinda just needed a change of scenery after my Brother and my Dad passed away. Figured my Mom needed some space, y'know?" Even though she trailed off a little at the end, Harmony didn't realize how dark of a tone she had just set.

This was supposed to be happy night, not a sad one! Briefly, she looked back towards Theodore and Valentina. From what she observed, it seemed like they were unhappy while talking to one another. However, she wasn't about to go up and ask. Whatever they were talking about was none of her business anyway. She was their Bodyguard, not their Therapist. At least not yet...And she has yet to walk into their arguments. "I'll just take it easy and take a Corona. Thanks." She chuckled, especially after she had called one of the boys a Party Animal...probably Ricky.

Riccardo Biancardi, Damian Nicolosi Misty Gray Julia Bellz​

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin~

Emery Callahan​

Emery couldn't help but feel concerned about Adam's state, but she knew he had decades of experience doing his job and getting shot at. If he told her to stay with Shinoa and see what the teenager could tell them, then she had to do as she was told. Even despite her natural urge to do her own thing and question authority, she knew the situation was too serious to be making a point. As much as she got results, she knew Conor wouldn't let her make many mistakes before taking away her responsibilities, especially with Sinead still expressing her dislike for Emery's part in the business.

Hearing Shinoa had no family who could be contacted, Emery lightly nodded. Given her family's history and the types of people in their employment, it wasn't really shocking to hear the teenager had no contactable family. Whether it was losing family through deaths or familial conflicts, or never knowing a family at all, none of it would be a surprise to Emery. "It must get pretty lonely here without knowing anyone," she reasoned. "Which hotel? Jeez, I hope it's not that dump run by Glenn," she remarked. If it wasn't for the fact Glenn helped shift a lot of gear and on some occasions provide a hiding place for the odd gang member, she'd gladly have that slum closed down. Or burned down.

When Thomas entered the room, Emery raised a curious eyebrow as she noticed the scratches on his face. Once he was sat down and asked about Adam, Emery lightly shook her head. "He went off to get himself sorted and said we have to stay here. He's a resourceful man, I'm sure he's got it all in hand," she tried to reassure Thomas, despite itching to find out what the older man was doing. She once again focused on the scratch marks on Thomas' face. "Did you get lost and fall into a pit of tigers?" she remarked. When her cousin explained one of the men had attacked him and inflicted the scratches, she lightly nodded her head. "Did ya get a look at his face? Did he say anything?" she pressed Thomas for answers. She then tapped her fingernails on the first aid kit, in case Thomas wanted to deal with his scratches.

"How about you, love?" Emery asked, turning back to Shinoa. "I need you to tell us exactly what you saw. From before the idiots crashed their car, and right up to when they fled. Did you see their faces? I need to know what they said to you and what they sounded like? Cockney? Italian?" she asked, going through the obvious suspects.

Bellz (Thomas) BloodLightning27 (Shinoa)

 

[Misty Gray]

Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan and Savannah Callahan​

Conor had to assert a great level of self-control over himself when Savannah had threatened to leave and not speak to him again if anyone hurt Kerry. As far as he was concerned, everything he was doing was to protect his family, including his niece. It would have been easy to bring up the things he had done for her in the past, including covering up a crime scene and disposing of the body belonging to the man she had killed in New York. Whilst it had been in self-defence, it was an act that could have ruined Savannah's life, not to mention the career she now had. Whilst it could be argued it was her family's business that led her into such a situation, he knew things were not that black and white.

With Peter standing up, Conor made a point of relaxing his own posture. Whilst he would never physically harm his niece, he wanted to make sure both she and Peter believed that too. He folded his arms as Peter began to speak more reasonably. In turn, Savannah also folded her arms, intentionally, and perhaps stubbornly, mirroring her uncle's body language so he didn't have the upper hand. As she looked to her father, Savannah's features softened, hearing how the Sullivans and Porters had given him a chance when nobody else in the world was willing to. She gazed down towards the floor as he spoke of how that chance had allowed him to meet her and Sinead. She was still a newborn baby when her biological father was killed and she often wondered what her life would have been like if Peter hadn't come along. She couldn't imagine wanting any other man to be her father after how good Peter had always been. He'd always treated her as his own; no different to how he treated Braden, Emery and Liam - his biological children. She looked back to Peter, her sad eyes glistening as she fought back her emotions to keep listening to him.

Savannah lightly nodded her head when Peter pointed out that she would never have to struggle like he and Kerry had, because she always had her family around to fight for her. She also understood that it meant Callum would also have his big Irish family around him, even if the Kings weren't willing to put in the effort. She knew it made sense, but it was still difficult for her. She currently had to deal with Callum being upset and demanding to see Alex. Even if the child wasn't pestering her, there was still a part of her that felt obliged to ensure her son knew both sides of his family. Having never got to meet Angel or find out about the man from his own mouth, she felt an extra motivation for Callum to know about both sides of his heritage. "I understand and I appreciate everything you're saying, Dad. I'm glad Callum has everyone here, because I always wanted him to experience the same love and joy I did growing up with our family. I just want him to know Alex's side of his family too. It's the right thing to do, for him. Isn't it?" she softly asked.

"Sav, I know you're pissed at me for having Spencer put in his place, but you have to understand I'm only doing what I have to do to protect this family. Your Mam used to have the same belief that it was easy to just step away from the business and live a normal life, but it isn't. It has never been an option," he calmly told her. "You were born into this family and the baggage that comes with it. But you're not the only one. Me, your Mam, and Luce, we were all born into this. I'm sure we would all have had very different lives had my dad not be involved in this business back in Chicago, long before any of us were born, but it's too late for any of that to be changed. You and Tink managed to do your own thing; to stay out of this family's business, and I'm really proud you both managed to do that. But people like me, Pete, Jimbo... We never had that choice, Sav. We can't just resign from our duties and follow a new career path. For a long time I wished I could, but this is the job I have to do to keep our family safe. The moment I back down and let mouthy thugs like Spencer gain any control over us is the moment I open this family up to more suffering. What we did might seem harsh, but to do nothing would make us look weak and invite further challenge. I won't have that. You were too young to remember everything the IWU did, but this family was too slow to act and those pricks grew enough strength to hurt the people we care about, as well as damaging the business. I'm sure you at least remember that your Mam almost died when they attempted to kill Jimbo."

Conor listened as Peter tried to reason with him to give Kerry a second chance, explaining how he believed Jackson and the family in general were known to give people second chances. Conor quickly shook his head before sitting back down on the sofa. He closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. After letting out an exaggerated sigh, he looked back to Savannah and Peter. "Sav will have to run it past Blake first," he gave in. "If Blake says it's okay, then it's your choice, Sav. But don't expect me to be welcoming to Kerry and I suspect Syd won't want anything to do with her either."

Exhausted and not wanting to cause her father any more stress, Savannah nodded in agreement. In the back of her mind, she hoped Conor and Syd would come around one day. Having got to know Kerry and what she had suffered through, she didn't believe she deserved to have Conor and Syd be so cold towards her. Hesitantly, Savannah sat back down on the sofa. "What do I do about the Kings?" she asked, looking between Conor and Peter for guidance. "Callum wants to see his dad, but now they all think so badly of me. They think I told you to attack Spencer. Now Shona, Billy and Harper probably hate me too. But most of all, I just don't know how to let Callum have both worlds when I'm afraid of what they might do now."

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Misty Gray]

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


Riccardo Biancardi and Damian Nicolosi​

As often was the case, Ricky's comment about a Harmony managing to get an interview wasn't taken the way he intended. He had no problem with a woman doing the job Harmony was doing. He had been joking at Gabriel's expense as he found it surprising the man even gave her an interview at all. Regardless, he chose not to correct those around him. He'd spent most of his life being misunderstood, so he didn't feel compelled to explain himself on this particular detail. Still, he returned Julia's glare with one of his own, even if it did soon turn into him grinning back at her.

"Ah, the Wycliffs are a good bunch, I'm sure they'll make you feel welcome," Ricky assured Harmony. Teddy always seemed easy to get along with and Valentina seemed to be similarly relaxed, albeit restricted by Gabriel's presence in her life. When Julia spoke of New York and how some of the inhabitants could be, Ricky scoffed back at her comments about the people being irrational and aggressive. "Excuse me, Julia! I am not aggressive," he protested, though intentionally didn't deny the irrational part. "However, I am now offended."


"That's very sensible, Harmony," Ricky said, when the young woman said she was driving so wouldn't be drinking. "Granted, where I'm from, sober drivers are also a problem. Some of the idiots driving on these streets, you've got to question how they were let into a car at all." Being on his best behaviour wasn't Ricky's favourite thing to be doing on a night out. However, they were in one of Moretti's fancy clubs and it was Damian's birthday, so he'd settled with going somewhere classy for the man's benefit. "And what about the potholes on the way here?! I'd thought the lack of drive-by shootings in New York was down to Gabriel's control, but now I think it's merely because nobody could take an accurate shot from a moving vehicle on these streets," he joked.

"I would like to think would-assassins have more class, courage, and intelligence than that. So they would find better ways to commit a murder," Damian suggested, his tone remaining as casual as if he were discussing what was for dinner.

When Harmony spoke of how she'd left Los Angeles following the deaths of her father and brother, Ricky's expression briefly turned more serious. Giovanni's passing had still been very recent, but his own grief had been replaced with anger at his father's apparent betrayal. In a way, it made it easier to hate him than to grieve for him, but that wasn't the case all of the time. "Well, fair play to you for not dwelling on it and taking an active step to move on. Granted, L.A. always looked tonnes better than this place, but I'm sure you'll come to love New York."

Damian was an observant man and as such, he watched as Harmony briefly looked towards the Wycliff couple. He too noticed an unhappy atmosphere around the married couple. Unlike Harmony, who seemed to keep the matter to herself, Damian turned back to those at the table and subtly drew their attention to the Wycliffs. "Trouble in paradise?" he asked, flashing a curious smile.

Ricky glanced to the couple but shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sure they'll figure out whatever it is. Don't you be snitching back to Moretti," Ricky warned Damian. The other man placed his hand on his chest, as it offended at Ricky's comment. "Your boss doesn't need to know everything, especially not about their personal business. It's hard enough trying to unwind in this place without thinking everyone's itching to give Moretti a lowdown on everyone's behaviour tonight," he complained, knowing how it felt to have his whole life judged and observed.

"All I did was point out the couple looked unhappy. Why would I bother Gabriel with such trivial information? I suspect he'd cut me out of future meetings if I wasted his time like that." Damian looked to Julia with a knowing expression. "I notice you brought defensive Ricky out with you tonight."

BloodLightning27 (Jarrick, Harmony)
Bellz (Julia)

 

[Misty Gray]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Gabriel Moretti and Spencer King​

Listening to the Italian speak, Spencer could tell the man had a long history with the Sullivans and that the man's expressed distaste for them was genuine. Of course, that strengthened the legitimacy that the Morettis would favour the Kings over the Sullivans. The Irish Mob had been behind the massacre of the Morettis back in New York, so in a way Spencer couldn't help but distrust Savannah's family even further. They were a ruthless bunch, but Spencer wanted his family to become the stronger of the two. Having someone like Gabriel on side could certainly give them a greater fighting chance, considering the Italians were the most powerful of the three families in question.

Despite all of this, when Bruce began to speak of Gabriel's kind offer and what they would have to give back in return for the Italian's support, Spencer couldn't help but feel defensive. Spencer was a man who held dearly onto his pride. He'd always wanted his family's achievements and growth in power to be a product of their own hard work. The thought of having to owe an outsider for a part of their success wasn't the most appealing of ideas. And the matter of outsiders was another issue. Spencer found it difficult to trust people enough to let them into his family's ranks. The Morettis were literal outsiders - originating in Italy before building their empire in America. What had they ever done for London before now? "We haven't needed anyone's help before now, and I'm not sure we do need it," Spencer spoke up, looking directly to Gabriel. "The Irish might have got one up on me the other night, but that doesn't mean it will happen again. I underestimated how far they'd go, but now I'm aware they have no boundaries, they won't get to me again. We've been running London and King Remedial for some time, Mr. Moretti. One attack ain't enough to make us bow down."

Gabriel quickly nodded his head as he took in what Spencer was saying, wanting to make the younger man feel his opinion was respected. "I understand you are a proud man, Spencer. I actively encourage being proud of one's achievements and beliefs. However, there comes occasions when we cannot let pride blind us to reality. I have already seen the results your family have made in London and the pharmaceuticals business, of which I applaud. However, I do feel you are still underestimating the Sullivans. I am not here to take a share of power within London. I believe there are benefits for me in your business, but only if you manage to keep a firm grip of it. If you're too busy fighting - likely losing - a war with the Irish, then your reputation will be damaged. Along with that, your businesses and profits will also suffer. You need to maintain your power in London and I'm offering you additional men so you can do that. The Sullivans have no right to attack you in your own territory, nor to take your nephew away."

Bruce had asked Gabriel what he wanted in return for his help, so the Italian focused on answering the question. "Your pharmaceuticals business is doing extremely well, in all senses of the business," he began, clearly referring both to the legal aspects of the business and the underground dealings, such as the illegal drugs distribution. "I'm looking to end some of the contracts I have in place with existing suppliers and I believe King Remedial can better serve my business. What I am asking for in return for providing you with extra security in London, is for you to provide me with a favourable deal, Mr. King," he said, sending Bruce an amicable smile. "From our previous meetings, I gained a sense of high efficiency and constant development in your business. Whilst many are set in their ways, King Remedial is always evolving and meeting the change in demand. I'm an old-fashioned man at heart, but even I know it pays to stay ahead of the times where business is concerned." He nodded his head to give further conviction to his words. "Therefore, by protecting your family here, I would be protecting my own investment. Should you choose to agree to my terms and offer me a favourable deal, that is."

Gabriel understood Bruce couldn't put a time on how long the issues with the Sullivans was going to last. "It could be months or even years. I have men to spare for as long as they are needed. Ideally, it would be for the short-term, but some problems can take much longer to resolve and I'm certain the end result will be beneficial to both of us." With the suggestion of having a sit-down with Conor, Gabriel agreed with Bruce. "That is certainly a sensible idea. It's better to explore the reasonable avenues before using more heavy-handed tactics. If only Mr. Sullivan followed the same sentiment. I see no reason why you both shouldn't come to a reasonable arrangement. Callum belongs here just as much as he belongs in Dublin. Albeit, I'm sure he would have greater opportunity to thrive in London, under his father's wing and learning real skills. I expect in Savannah Callahan's demanding line of work, the boy will spend more time being babysat than with his mother," he suggested, expressing further reason as to why Callum would be better placed in London.

Pyroclast (Bruce, Tatiana)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter​

Unable to laugh along when Roxie referred back to the state she had recently been in, Syd only offered her a sympathetic smile. An unexpected blush came over him when she complimented his choice of casual attire. He took a sip of his coffee to stop himself from smiling, relieved that he had changed his clothes in the end. On the subject of her wellbeing, Syd caught a glimpse of her grief surfacing. He knew she had taken on a huge amount of responsibility recently, and hoped that she had been in her right mind when making such a life-changing decision. If she hadn't become such a stranger to him, maybe he could conceptualise her grieving process more accurately, but as it stood he only had himself to compare her to. Of course, he had seen her grieve for her father way back in 1971, but that had been an entirely different scenario and she may well have changed since then. All he knew was that when he was hit by the death of someone close to him, or even just in a state of deep depression, he became incapable of making even the smallest decisions on his own. He wondered how much guidance Roxie had been given, or if she was in a vulnerable enough state to have been manipulated into choosing to go down a path she didn't want to go down.

Of course, if she was anything like the Roxie he had used to know, then he knew better than to tell her what she should and shouldn't do. Syd had always struggled when things fell out of his control - it inspired delusions, paranoia, manic episodes and despair - and his need to be in control had damaged many of his relationships, the worst perhaps being Roxie. From threatening her to not abort their children conceived from a one-night stand when they had first met to growing suspicious enough of her family to compulsively spy on them behind her back, Syd's controlling behaviour had driven her away emotionally and physically. After losing her, he had done his best to leave her be, being there for her only when she wanted him and leaving her to herself when she didn't. Now, however, the decision she was making would directly impact their children, and therefore he felt he had some right to raise his concerns.

Not wanting to pressure her, Syd looked away while she composed herself, only looking back up at her once she was ready to speak. Although slightly concerned by the apparent lack of support she was getting, he was at least glad to hear that she had chosen to take some time off work. It didn't exactly surprise him that she turned the conversation onto him before he could process everything, aware that he hadn't been her choice of person to offload onto for 13 long years. Before long, she was speaking as if they were just having idle chitchat, asking about Lucy and about his trip to London. With a slight frown, Syd took a sip of his coffee as his brain worked to catch up with her. "Well, you know, she's my mam," he shrugged, flashing a small smile. "Everything's better when she's around. I know she misses dad, though, so I try not to make her feel like she has to be here. I think just with the kids going through so much and everything, she doesn't want to go back to New York yet, so I'm just trying to make the most of our time together. I'm glad you get to see her, too."

He sent her another slightly awkward smile, still struggling to figure out the general air between them. "And yeah, Spencer..." he backtracked, giving a small shrug. "I'm not really sure about it, to be honest. I've always been on Savvy's side, so it felt kinda wrong to go against her like that. But, then, you know...the guy needed to be put in his place, like you said - and next time, Alex along with him. Nobody disrespects my family and gets away with it."

After so many years and everything the two had been through, smiling at Roxie from across the table felt unreal to him, like something from a weird dream he would never admit to having. He had expected her to be cold towards him, especially since the meeting had been his idea. Never really knowing what she thought of him or how she talked about him behind his back, Syd had only his guilt-ridden mind to fabricate such ideas for him, and so it surprised him that she was acting so friendly towards him. It still didn't seem quite right, like he hadn't earned the right to be treated so amicably by her, but he tried to get on board with it nonetheless.

"So, you're still at a crossroads, then?" he asked, turning the subject back to her situation. "I thought your decision to become boss had been finalised now?" Conscious of what she might have expected this meeting to be about, Syd wrapped his hands around the warm mug in front of him to try to stop himself from fidgeting. "I didn't come here to tell you what to do, by the way. Just...in case you thought I was going to. Really I just wanted to hear more about it, what it would mean for you, how you feel about it all. And you know...how this change is going to impact the kids."

Syd looked down into his coffee, gently swirling the mug in his hands as he let himself fall into thought. After the shooting, Jeanie, Jane and JJ had stayed with Syd for a while to allow Roxie time to work through her own grief and shock. During that time he had seen how traumatised the three children were, as he did his best to handle their night terrors, fits of crying, despondency and loss of appetite. Even before the attack, Syd suspected there were some underlying mental health conditions between them that doctors had struggled to diagnose, and having dealt with his own health issues for over half his life, Syd was more than familiar with the extreme emotional responses they were showing. However, even with his mother there to help, he still found himself worrying about them whenever he left the house.

"Roxie," he spoke up, leaning forwards and resting his elbows on the table. "This arrangement we have...I think it needs to change." A silence came over him as he worked out how to phrase what he wanted to say. He shifted slightly in his seat and cleared his throat before looking her in the eye. "Listen, I respect the distance you want to maintain between us. You don't have to explain to me why you don't want me in your life - I get it, and I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable or, you know, fuck up and ruin anything else for you. But the kids...they're really struggling. And if you're going to become the boss, on top of everything, I just think, maybe...maybe we should start communicating more. You and I. Make this a more open relationship, so that we can make things a little easier for them, and for us as their parents." Realising his leg was bouncing up and down, Syd took a drink of his coffee so he could blame it on the caffeine. "I would never suggest this to you if I wasn't so worried about them, I swear," he quickly added. "But I would do anything for them. Anything. So...how would you feel about meeting up like this from time to time?"

Interactions
Bellz Roxie

Mentioned:
Misty Gray Spencer, Savvy

 

[Pyroclast]

Billy King​

Already frustrated by Erik's silent treatment, Alex's roar of laughter hit a nerve; Billy glanced at him with a scowl and folded his arms across his chest. "Oh fuck off then, Alex," he sulked, shifting away from his brother as the man continued to laugh and instead looking back over to the staff room door. "I knew you wouldn't get it. What am I even talkin’ to you for? Only mates you got are the women you pay to suck you off…” At first Alex had seemed serious about listening to what was on his mind, but if he would rather make fun of him then Billy wasn't interested in hearing it. He couldn't explain why it meant so much to him to get Erik back by his side. It wasn’t that he couldn’t put it into words, but rather that he didn’t want anyone to hear how much he cared - especially if Alex's reaction was anything to go by.

Seething with frustration, Billy took a drag on his cigarette and tried not to look disappointed when Alex told him that he hadn’t seen Erik about much, either. It would have hurt if Erik had started hanging out with his brother instead of him, but it was worse to know nothing at all. His mind went back to the pouch of cocaine and he felt a tug on his heart, hoping it was nothing more than just an occasional party drug. However, the fact that it had been in his pocket while they had been out on a job suggested that he had a tendency to carry it around, and that didn’t sit well with Billy at all. Especially since he had upset him.

A sudden crash interrupted Alex but Billy was too preoccupied to care enough to look at what had happened. It was only when Alex spoke his name that he turned his head, and that's when he saw Harper picking glass up off the floor. He hadn’t expected to see her here, especially not so dressed up. He wasn’t sure if she’d missed hearing about the meeting going on, but if not he assumed she had at least forgotten, because from the effort she looked to have put into her appearance, Billy could only imagine she was here on a date.

He was still trying to catch Harper’s eye when he heard Kerry’s voice assuring them that the situation was under control before offering them drinks. He rolled his eyes when Alex openly flirted with her and his scowl returned when the man suggested to Kerry that he needed to be calmed down. Tilting his head up to meet Kerry’s eye, Billy forced a smile. “Don’t let him near ya’, luv’, he’s a sleazebag,” he warned her, only half-joking. His gaze naturally drifted back to Harper, wondering what she was doing here.

“Harper!” he suddenly called out from his seat, and waved her over when she looked his way. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when he caught sight of something on her face and upon realising they were lipstick stains, he blushed a little. Still, as she approached their table, he made an effort to neutralise his expression. “Don’t you look nice!” he commented, reaching a hand out to pull up a chair for her. “Who you tryin’ to impress, then? And, uh…” He circled a finger around his face in reference to the multiple shades of lipstick she appeared to be wearing. “What’s goin’ on there?”

Interactions
Bellz Harper
Melanin-Gxdess Alex
Misty Gray Kerry

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

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

Teddy had been prepared for whatever words his wife had for him concerning their current conversation. Valentina was, after all, half Italian and half Romanian; the two most hot-tempered people he had ever come in contact with. Despite her retort being as playful as it sounded, he knew she was more serious than anything else. However, she did have a point. Gabe had been famous for doing as much micro-managing as his daughter was. He had been on the receiving end of it multiple times before. There had even been times where Teddy wanted to outright call the man a hypocrite but decided against it. He let out a slight chuckle before shaking his head. “Okay, fair point. You are your father’s child, but this isn’t Gabe talking to you right now it’s me.” Before the rest of their conversation continued, he wanted to make sure she was separating her husband and her father. He knew from experience the two didn’t have the greatest of relationships – especially after her attack a decade and some ago. It wasn’t like he was repeating words from Gabe’s mouth to be his puppet, but he was truly concerned about her. Picking up his drink he let the silence settle before his wife decided to speak again. Teddy had been no stranger to her current cause in wanting to gain Gabe’s approval. Theodore himself had worked for years to win the man over and keep the approval he had been given.

“No, if you keep taking it easy you'll remain healthy and won't have to worry about those headaches anymore." Teddy lifted his hand to gently stroke her hair, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "As for the hotel, it's more successful than ever because of you. The amount of money you bring in because of your hard work is more than any man can say he’s done since it was built.” He placed his hand softly on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I, for one, am proud of you and I'm sure he is too,” he reassured. Even if Val wasn't his wife, Teddy would still be impressed by how much work she had put in. The place was doing better under her management than it had anyone else. He was lucky to have such a successful woman in his life and tried to make it clear every chance he got.

The man wasn’t an idiot and had been well-versed in picking up cues from his wife. She was pissed. And while he had been expecting this attitude, he wasn’t expecting it on this level. He didn’t interrupt her when she began her tangent – mostly because he didn’t want to get yelled at. It was clear that it wasn’t just him she was upset with, but he still felt like he didn’t deserve it. Nor did the poor waiter who had come back to the table to take their drink orders again. He gave him a silent apology before ordering himself another drink as well. The night had turned sour, and he was going to need all the alcohol he would need. “Alright, first of all,” he started, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I’m not a Moretti. Because if I were, I wouldn’t have even had this conversation with you in the first place." He frowned, finding himself annoyed at her statement. Teddy always conversed before making a life changing decision unlike other members of his family. "I want,” he put emphasis on the word ‘want’, leaning forwards. “To take on more responsibility, but not at the cost of making you sacrifice the things you want to do nor disrupt our household.” He sat back in his seat and paused for dramatics.

“However, I do think we need to have some sort of compromise. I'm not - and haven't been - asking you to stay at home and watch the kids. I'm asking you to have more faith in your employees so you don't have to be gone as much and I'll do the same. If it's a task I don't necessarily have to do myself, then I won't." Once the waiter returned Teddy immediately grabbed his cup and took a sip. Being in the middle of the issues Gabe and Val had was stressful and he could feel that it was going to boil over soon. Though last time he was able to stay neutral, he wasn't so sure he would be able to do it a second time. "Would you at least consider it and not shut it down?"

Valentina ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Pyroclast]

Elena Velazco​

Between the nausea, nerves and fear of her father losing too much blood, Elena’s operating hand was shaking like a leaf as she approached the wound with the forceps. She wished she could better understand what Adam’s story was about, but if she ever had a chance of catching every word of what someone was saying, it wasn’t going to be while she was stricken with nerves. Hearing Havana mentioned brought her some comfort, however - just knowing that her father was familiar with her home made her feel connected to him.

She almost closed her eyes when the forceps grazed the entrance of his wound, feeling the bile creep up her throat at the sight of the foreign object lodged inside him. By now she had completely lost track of Adam’s story, just relieved to hear his voice nattering away next to her. Holding his arm in position, Elena bit her lip to stop herself from crying and, before she could back out, dived in with the forceps. The moment she got hold of the bullet she quickly extracted it - and then she threw it, along with the forceps, across the floor as though it was scalding hot. A trembling hand flew to her mouth when Adam groaned in pain and a few tears leaked from her eyes. Still, the urgency of the wound demanded a calmness from her. “Mantén la calma,” she whispered to herself, repeating Adam’s earlier words. Tears continued to cascade down her face as she took deep breaths, rummaging in the medical kit for the next supplies.

As she was preparing the needle for stitching up the wound, Elena noticed Adam’s voice trail off. “...Adam?” She paused briefly to check on him - his eyes were open, but all the colour had drained from his face and he looked like he could pass out at any second. He met her worried gaze and held it, which came as some relief to her. “You don’t sleep, okay?” she instructed - but rather than answer her, he told her that she looked familiar to him. A surge of anxiety mixed with desire swelled in her chest as she stared back at him, and a stray tear rolled down her cheek. She couldn’t tell him now - not when she had a job to do. Nothing was worth getting distracted over while Adam was losing so much blood.

“I am going to stab you now,” she warned him in a strained voice. “Don’t sleep.” Much like she hoped Adam would, Elena felt herself enter a kind of survival mode. A life of financial instability and her recent journey into a new life in Dublin had seen her enter this state countless times before - she just needed to make it another five seconds, and then another five seconds after that, and then another… After a few rounds of counting, she found her rhythm with the stitching until at last the wound was closed.

Shaking, Elena sat back and took in the mess that surrounded them. Blood was still creeping along the cracks in the floor, pooling beneath her knees. It had soaked Adam’s clothes and stained his arm - and when she brought her hands up to inspect them, they too were red up to her wrists, fresh streaks left down her arms from when she had supported Adam’s arm. Suddenly her vision went spotty and the next thing she knew, she was gripping the edge of a toilet bowl and throwing up. The overwhelming dizziness had made it increasingly hard to stay in control, but her concern for Adam never left, and drove her to return her attention to him. Not even waiting for her vision to fully restore, she crawled back over to Adam and knelt close at his side, looking him over with tearful eyes. With the job now done, the stress all but caught up to her and Elena burst into tears. Unable to stop herself, she buried her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around him to hold him tightly. For several seconds she just cried into him, too shocked to verbalise her emotions. “Adam,” came the eventual muffled voice, barely comprehensible beneath the sobs. “Soy tu hija...”

Interactions
Misty Gray Adam

 

[Bellz]

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

Hearing what Aidan thought people their age were like was quite amusing but she could help but think that stereotype was more accurate for older members of her family. Her adopted father was quite fond of leather jackets but she wasn't entirely sure what his stance on punk rock was. Her cousin Syd was also a fan of leather jackets and considering the club he owned, she knew he was into rock music. "It sounds to me like Aidan has our generation mixed up with the generation before us." Lorelei said with an amused smile on her face. Benjamin called himself far from cool but Lorelei strongly disagreed with that. Hearing that eating at a place like where they were sitting wasn't something he could afford every week, Lorelei's smile grew a little wider in appreciation. "Well, for one, I think you are really cool regardless of your adorable lack of balance." She said teasingly, "And two, I really appreciate you for taking me to such a snazzy place, but I promise you I'm not a girl who dates a man because of what they can spend on me."

The fact that Benjie wasn't put off by her hearty appetite was pleasing and she silently agreed with him that the place had a wonderful menu selection. He then encouraged her that if she had a sweet tooth, he was all for getting dessert. "Ahh don't tempt me, Benjamin, I may just order every dessert on the menu." She was of course 100% kidding. Lorelei let out a giggle as he admitted to being a bit of a rabbit but was happy to hear that he was also a meat lover. "Ah, Adam's got you going to the gym? My cousin Olivia works there now, perhaps I'll pay you both a visit there sometime?" She said, "That is if you don't mind seeing you all sweaty?" She chuckled.

When he decided to order the same thing as her, Lorelei smiled. "Oo, we'll be able to compare the dish. I have always found it interesting when people try the same food and have a completely different opinion on the taste. Everyone's palette is different." The redhead was then distracted as she heard the couple at the other table beside theirs. It seemed Benjamin had also heard the little spat because he commented on it asking what the guys' problem was. Lorelei briefly looked towards the table to see the woman looked really upset and it made her frown deeply, "Seems to be a bit of a control freak to me." Lorelei quietly answered. Before she could say anything more the waiter turned to their own table ready to take their order. Once everything was ordered, Lorelei watched as Benjie glanced at the table beside theirs once more. Lorelei glanced that way briefly before Benjie asked where her favorite place to go on vacation. Turning her head, she saw him smiling softly at her and the frown that was painted on her features soon turned into a small smile as well. "Hmmmm, that's a hard question to answer." Lorelei stated, "I mean, I haven't traveled nearly as much as others have I'm sure but each place I've been too I've loved differently."

Lorelei pursed her lips slightly in thought, "I remember going to Paris with my parents when I was around 13 or 14. It was probably the cleanest place I've ever been to." She said, laughing at the fact. "At the time I was still living in New York and since I had grown up in the city I was surprised to go somewhere that didn't have a mysterious odor." Lorelei had remembered having such a pleasant time on that trip, like most of the trips she went on with her parents during their successful careers. "It was nice to explore such a different way of life. Dublin is like Paris to me in a way, they aren't similar at all but it beats living in New York City. As much as I loved it there, I've really come to love this place." Lorelei smiled widely at Benjamin, secretly admitting that his presence was actually making Dublin more exciting. "What about you? Where's your favorite place to go? And I'll question you even further, where do you want to go in the future?"
with: Benjamin Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

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

Thomas watched the pregnant woman closely for a moment as she said that she was okay. Although he was far from an expert, Thomas understood that stress wasn't good for a woman in her condition. Offering the woman a kind smile that perhaps his own family wished to receive from time to time, Thomas hoped to put her at ease. "Well don't worry, hun. We'll get you fixed up in no time." Despite his off-putting behavior with his family and some of his closest friends, Thomas tended to do a complete 180 around those he didn't know who absolutely needed his help. As someone who had been subjected to more trauma than most people should be exposed to, Thomas had an intimate understanding of just how much it affected people.

Emery was quick to tell him that Adam went to go get himself sorted out, reassuring Thomas that he would be fine but Thomas wasn't sure he trusted her judgment. Thomas had ignored his cousin's teasing remark about falling into a pit of tigers and was glad that she had bought his story for now. When she asked if he had gotten a look at his face or if he had said anything, Thomas shook his head lightly. " I cornered him in a dark alleyway and all he was saying was a slue of curse words as I tried to tackle him to the ground." Looking to her tap at the first aid kit, Thomas moved towards it to grab himself something to stop the bleeding on his face. Pressing a cotton pad against his face, he winced ever so slightly as it stung but his face was wiped clean of any emotion after another millisecond as Emery asked the pregnant woman to tell them exactly what she saw.

"Take your time in answering, love. Don't feel like you have to remember every single detail all at once. You are gonna be here a little while, we want to make sure you are stable enough to get home and we'll make sure someone escorts you there." Thomas reassured the woman before his eyes moved to look around the pub. Having spoken with Elena recently, he knew that she worked almost every night and briefly wondered if she had the night off since he couldn't spot her anywhere. Despite the disappointment he was feeling, Thomas was actually glad that she didn't have to see him or Adam so banged up.

It was hard for someone outside of his family to understand just how dangerous their lives were. Thomas had been debating if he should tell Elena to keep a safe distance, to let her know that he wasn't worth putting her in any sort of danger. Even though he'd never had a girlfriend, Thomas understood well just how hard this lifestyle was for the women in his family and the women that had married into it. His mother, Aunt Sinny, Aunt Ali, and even some of his female cousins had expressed religiously how much they wished to have a different life and Thomas felt that to some degree, the women resented their husbands for it. Although he may be getting way ahead of himself if Elena wanted to level with him on a romantic level...Thomas didn't want her growing to resent him in the end. At least for something that was really out of his control like what his family did for a living. If she were to resent him, he could at least live with her resenting him for his mistakes because at least he had some control over them.

Realizing that he was thinking too much about Elena and not focusing on the pregnant woman relaying what she had seen, Thomas shifted from foot to foot before moving to cross his arms over his chest, making sure to watch the woman closely for any sort of body language that indicated that she could be lying. Thomas didn't have any reason to believe that the woman before him was involved in the shooting more than just being a person who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he wouldn't let his judgment make that call.
with: Emery Misty Gray ; Shinoa BloodLightning27
mentions: Elena Pyroclast ; Adam Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Callahan Residence
- Sutton, Dublin - ​

Peter wasn't surprised to see Conor struggling with the idea of giving Kerry a chance. He knew just how much Jackson's death affected him more than most in the family but when he came to the agreement that Savvy would have to run it by Blake, Peter was pleasantly shocked. "No one is asking you to have a parade upon her arrival, Con. But I think it's fair to say that both you and Syd should just avoid speaking to her at all times. As much as I love you both dearly, you tend to let whatever it is you have to say out without thinking about the consequences. Though I will say, brother that you have gotten extraordinarily better at holding your tongue." Peter's voice remained light and friendly before he turned to his daughter. "I can't guarantee you that Blake will allow this, love. But we all know what a kind and smart woman she is, I believe she sees things a little differently than your Uncle and your cousin do. But I would plan to have a sit down with her soon."

Peter was relieved when Savannah nodded her head in agreement. Once his daughter sat down, Peter felt that he could also take a seat again and when she asked about the Kings, the man let out a weary sigh. "As I stated before, dear, I think for right now it's best that Alex come here to visit Callum. You've uprooted your whole life to work around that jackasses schedule and as tolerable as the rest of his family has been with you, I don't see his priorities changing any time soon. Making the father of your child work to earn your son's affection isn't wrong. In fact, it might just save your son later down the line." Peter was sure Savvy was wondering what he meant by that so Peter felt he could continue on to explain.

"I believe that you use this situation as a test for Alex. If he fails to come to visit his son, it's clear that he's never going to be there for him in the future. Despite my unfortunate circumstances growing up, I consider myself lucky to have at least been in the orphanage than with parents who didn't love or care for me the right way. I believe that if I would have been stuck with deadbeat parents who didn't care to pay me any attention, I would have turned out a lot more messed up than I currently am. It's why children get removed from terrible homes. Sometimes it's just better to place the child in a home where it will be loved and cherished rather than with its own flesh and blood who will use and abuse them or pretend they don't even exist." Peter hoped that his daughter understood what he was saying well enough.

"I know you want Callum to have the best of both worlds, but in some cases, only having one of those worlds is far more stable and rewarding than having two inconsistent ones." Peter looked to Conor to see if he had anything to add before smiling at his daughter lovingly. "You are too sweet for your own good sometimes, love. You get that from your mother and it's not a terrible trait to have. But sometimes you need to make other's work to earn your trust, to earn the right to love a child that you bore. It will be better for both you and Callum if you do it that way."
with: Savvy + Conor Misty Gray
mentions: Syd Pyroclast

 

[BloodLightning27]

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 Sullivans' Pub | Mother's Lament

Shinoa only continued to relax in the chair after getting her wound patched up. Gently, she started massaging her belly as it was starting to hurt. Whether it was just a stomachache or contractions becoming stronger, she just wanted to ease the pain. This pregnancy wasn't easy, especially since she went through it all, completely unsupported, alone and in a foreign country that she could barely navigate through. As her baby kicked, Shinoa only frowned before taking a deep breath, nodding when the woman before her when she said that it must of been lonely not knowing anyone. "Yeah, but I don't get out too much either. I'm seventeen and I'm very pregnant. I don't think very many people would talk to me to begin with." She commented, straightening out her hair as the pain in her stomach persisted. "Oh, and...I'm due in five days."

Once asked about the Hotel she was staying at, Shinoa answered rather swiftly, deciding to be honest, because it would be awkward to just give them a completely different hotel...and they'd see her waddling to another one later on. At the mention of the name 'Glenn', she spoke up. "Um, I think I've heard that name before from the lady in the lobby. But she said it while talking on the telephone. I don't really remember that conversation very well, since it was a little over six months ago when I first started staying there."

The hotel wasn't all that posh or fancy or anything. And Shinoa didn't care all that much for the amenities. The bed was comfortable and that was all that really mattered. Oh and the kitchen worked, so there was that. That hotel may not have been the best place, but it was the best option since flying back to America was no longer an option for her. However, once the little princess arrives, that was when she would need to be worried. Room and board was barely affordable and she could barely cover her daily needs. At least medical care wasn't at nightmarish costs. As her train of thought continued, she listened as her two saviors conversed before at least the woman's attention was turned to her and asked her for information on the person that had threatened her. "Well, thanks to the street light, I was able to get a good look at one of them, the one that threatened me anyway and...I'm pretty sure the tip of his knife was near my belly after he...grazed my neck. But he had a pale face and didn't really look like he took very good care of himself. Like, he looked a little...gaunt, malnourished almost. In terms of age, early to mid thirties if I had to guess. Then he had a goatee. His hair reflected light, so it looked pretty greasy. Like he's never seen a shampoo bottle in his life." The young woman shuttered. "He also smelt pretty bad. Oh and he had his hair tied in a small-ish ponytail."

After taking another deep breath, the pain in her stomach stopped, but then she felt a few strong kicks. While it was irritating, Shinoa took as a sign that she had a strong and healthy baby. "He did have an accent. It didn't really sound Italian or Cockney. If anything, it was definitely Irish." She added, going off of she remembered from her attacker's voice.

Shinoa still could not help but think about how much the woman before her reminded her of Sinead, or at least...her face did. "That's all I have for the guy that threatened me. I didn't really get a good look at his friend. They were too far away for me to make out any...precise details." As she remembered the threat made against her, Shinoa began cradling her belly, hoping to soothe her unborn baby as she began to feel more fidgeting and a few more kicks, granted they were not as strong as the previous ones. "I know it wasn't much, but I hope you have at least some if not most of the information that you needed to find those horrible men." Before she could say anything more though, her stomach growled rather loudly, which...was a tell-tale sign that she was hungry. "I'm so glad we're in here and not out in the dining area. That would have been so much more embarrassing... And I'm sorry you guys had to hear that..." She said, her cheeks turning red because of how loud her stomach growled...though most of her embarrassment stemmed from how big her belly has gotten and how she's gained fifteen kilograms since the pregnancy began.

Interactions: Emery Callahan, Adam Harper Misty Gray Thomas Porter Bellz​

 

[Bellz]

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

Roxie was glad that she was able to deflect the conversation solely being about her with questions about Syd and was appreciative that he allowed it to go in that direction. She had caught the slight frown on his face and could practically see him trying to catch up with her. Being a lawyer had taught her a valuable lesson on how to use conversation to her advantage and although she wasn't fishing for any particular information from Syd, she was still able to work it so that she could take some of the heat off her. She knew that eventually, this idle chat would turn into a more serious conversation about her situation with her family's business but she wasn't quite ready to discuss it yet.

Hearing that Syd thought that everything was better with Lucy around made Roxie smile softly. Towards the end of her mother's life, Roxie was starting to understand what it felt like to be so loved by a parent. Roxie had learned that a lot of her mother's negative behavior towards her was fueled by fear of her father. Although Roxie had been angry at Syd for killing her father at one point in her life, she quietly was grateful that he inadvertently paved the way for her to have a beautiful relationship with her mother. When she passed, Roxie felt almost as sad as she currently felt about Matthew's death but it just wasn't the same. As much as her mother had made it clear she loved Roxie towards the end, there were so many years of feuding and animosity that overpowered any feelings of heavy sadness for her passing. Just by the way Syd talked about his parents as he always had, Roxie knew just how devastating those losses would be for him in the future.

Roxie was curious to know just how long Lucy was planning on staying in New York given that James was still at Rikers but before she could ask, Syd had backtracked to talk about Spencer. Roxie wasn't surprised to hear that Syd felt like it was wrong to go against Savvy as he had, she was sure that Syd had painted himself a whole picture of what Roxie thought of what he'd done to her and how he felt about it but Roxie wasn't going to deny that the man had a conscious. Even though they hadn't talked extensively like this in ages, she knew just by his respect for her wanting to keep a distance that he felt guilty. She'd seen too many guilty faces to count in her career.

There was a silence between them before he asked if she was still at a crossroads before seeming to want to clarify if her new position had been finalized. Roxie raised a brow slightly and before she could say anything, Syd was quick to tell her that he wasn't meeting with her to tell her what to do. Hearing that he'd come to hear more about it and learn what it meant for her and how she felt confused Roxie. As she was sure he expected her to treat him coldly, she was sure that he would resent her in some sort of way. She had, after all, taken his children away when they first broke up and was continuing to only allow him to see them on the weekends. Most fathers that she had talked to in the same situation hated their exes and called them every horrendous name under the sun but here Syd was...worrying about her feelings. Of course, he added that he wanted to know how this change would impact the kids but for some reason the way he said it made Roxie feel like to a degree, it was almost an after-thought.

"I wouldn't say I'm at a crossroads, no. I...uh...am kind of expecting once the word gets out that I'll get my license taken away anyway. I have been telling everyone that I wanted to take some time off for myself to focus on the family business but I'm also wanting to stop working on my own terms...before I'm told I can't be a lawyer any longer, ya know?" She was sure that Syd could relate to wanting to have some sort of control over what happens in her life given that up until this point she's felt like she's had zero control. Of course, she wasn't going to go tell him that because she didn't want word of it getting to Conor. "Everything has been finalized but Ricky is helping me every step of the way, I trust him enough to guide me in the right direction. He's not entirely thrilled as you can imagine but I think my Uncle made the right choice in wanting me to take over because well...you know Ricky."

Despite being able to sit with him and be kind towards him, Roxie didn't feel she could trust Syd with any information that could be used against her in the wrong hands. There was a time where Roxie felt she could trust him with anything including her own life but those days were long gone, she couldn't trust him to keep anything private let alone trust him in a life or death situation...as much as she wanted to believe he wouldn't hurt her or let her be hurt, Roxie had learned a hard lesson from her father's lies years ago.

Once again silence fell between them and Roxie moved to grab her mug, taking a long sip as she looked around the shop a moment. Taking in everything in the room, her eyes bounced from person to person to make sure nothing suspicious was happening. Syd suddenly spoke up and Roxie's eyes darted to look at her ex as the man sat up and leaned forward. Moving to set her mug back down on the table, Roxie listened as he stated that the arrangement between them needed to change. Raising both her brows in surprise, she didn't say anything as she allowed him to sort out what he wanted to say, patiently placing her hands together in front of her on the table. His body language told her that he was anxious as he shifted in his seat before forcing himself to look her in the eye.

Syd stated that he respected the distance she wanted to maintain and that she didn't have to explain to him why she didn't want him in her life. Roxie bit the inside of her cheek slightly to keep herself from interrupting. She was sure that Syd didn't remember much of the arguments they had gotten into together, she was sure he didn't remember the little details after Roxie found out she was pregnant with JJ after they had split. But she had repeatedly told him over and over during her pregnancy that she had never wished for him to not be a part of her life...she had never stopped loving him. She had to leave him because she was afraid that she was going to be used exactly as her father had used her, she left because Syd went behind her back and then lied about it when they both agreed they would be honest with one another. If she couldn't trust him to tell her the truth could she trust him with her safety? With her children's safety? The latter question was answered just as quickly as it had been raised after JJ was born and Roxie felt comfortable letting Syd see the children without her being present but she felt she could never trust him with her safety or wellbeing ever again. She was frustrated that he assumed that she didn't want him in her life but of course how was he to know when she never made that clear after JJ was born.

Roxie's eyes pricked with tears as Syd stated that the kids were struggling. She wasn't completely oblivious to the fact but she wasn't aware of just how bad it was until they came home the other day. When he stated that he thought they should start communicating more, Roxie nodded her head in agreement before reaching up to catch a stray tear that had fallen without her permission. Swallowing hard, Roxie listened as Syd quickly stated that he would never suggest any of this if he wasn't so worried and Roxie couldn't help but smile a little, even if it was a sad one. Hearing that he would do anything for them put her at ease despite her knowing he would. He then asked how she would feel about meeting up from time to time like they were right now and probably much to his surprise, Roxie easily agreed to it by nodding her head. "I think that's a wonderful idea." She murmured softly.

Roxie had tried to push any thoughts about Matthew out of her head for a week now, wanting to try and remain in control of her emotions even in the midst of her grief but she couldn't help but wonder what the hell he would think about all of this. She knew the answer instantly. "You know, I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything. But Matthew had been pushing me to do this for quite some time. I know you weren't a fan of his but he really really loved the kids. He understood them better than I did. You definitely understand them better than I do." Roxie shook her head before bringing her coffee mug up to her towards her chest. "I told you from the get-go, I wasn't cut out to be a mother. I'm just thankful they have so many other more qualified parental figures in their life....which leads me to say..."

Roxie paused to take a small sip of her coffee before placing the mug back down on the table, "Thank you for taking the kids when I couldn't be there for them. I don't think you understand how incredibly guilty I feel not being about to put aside my own anguish at the time to be there for them when they needed me most. I know you and I didn't work out the way either of us wanted...but I have never doubted your ability to be there for our babies. You're a wonderful father, Syd...I mean it."
with: Syd Pyroclast
(excuse me while I go cry and chop off my left-hands finger from cramping so much!)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin~

Adam Harper​

Even in his current state, Adam could see how worried and upset Elena was. It wasn't any surprise, given she was a young woman who had just started working at the pub. She likely had very little knowledge of the mob's activities, let alone would she have been exposed to having to treat someone for messy gunshot wounds. He was sure most people would panic in such a situation. Whilst he wanted to reassure her, his present state had the rare effect of making him less decisive and reassuring than he usually was. "We're doing great," he quietly told her. He caught sight of the tear rolling down her cheek. "It's okay," he groggily added.

When Elena warned him she was going to stab him, Adam closed his eyes as he forced out a tired chuckle. "I have that... effect. On people..." he lightly remarked. Being told again not to sleep, Adam reopened his eyes and tried to focus on Elena as she continued tending to him. As she set about stitching his wounds, Adam was able to focus his mind on keeping still and blocking out the sharp prick of the needle, which in turn managed to keep him very much awake. Soon enough, the young woman had finished closing his wounds. Adam watched on as she assessed the area around them and the blood on herself. His thoughts were too slow to catch up, so before he could try distract her from processing the sight, she'd rushed to the toilet to be sick. He allowed his head to drop back and his injured arm to slump down to his side. He closed his eyes again as he tried his hardest to regain some kind of composure and the strength to get up.

Before he knew it, Elena was back at his side and her crying caught his attention. The next thing he knew, she was burying her face into his chest and wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Hey, El..." he began, not entirely sure what was going on, but certainly aware of their age difference. He then allowed himself to relax. "I get it... Rough day," he reasoned. He figured she was in shock at the whole situation, so was likely seeking some kind of comfort. After what she'd done for him, he figured she'd earned whatever it was she needed to calm herself down. He heard her speak his name, but in that moment he was focusing on taking deep, controlled breaths, wanting to get some control over himself before he could have any chance of succumbing to his blood loss. Beneath her sobs, he heard her say the words 'Soy tu hija'. He opened his eyes to see his vision was still blurred and the room around them still spinning. It was only reasonable that he'd misheard her or his confused state was causing him to imagine things. He vaguely recalled he'd been mentioning Havana to her and then how she looked familiar. Perhaps his foggy reality was making him imagine she'd just told him she was his daughter. "This is some trip..." he remarked, pausing to take a deep breath. "My Spanish must be getting rusty... No entiendo lo que quieres decir..." he told her. Of course he'd misheard. He'd never had any children. At least, not to his knowledge...

"Estoy cansado." He opened his eyes and lifted his uninjured arm to lightly tap Elena's shoulder. "Tell Martin," he began, referring to the bartender. "To get me a big steak, a burger... with lots of veg," he told her, figuring Martin could get it from the diner across the street. "And a sports drink. Martin will have one here..." he requested from her. He was battling to avoid getting in a state where he would need to enter any kind of hospital, so he wanted to replenish as much energy as he could. "You did good, kid. Lo hiciste bien..." he exhaustedly repeated.

In the back of his mind, he was still questioning what he'd heard her say about being his daughter. Given that he was in such a confused and tired state, the only logical explanation was that he'd imagined it.

Pyroclast (Elena)

 

[Misty Gray]

La Casa
~ Upper East Side, Manhattan ~

Valentina Wycliff​

After her rant, Valentina took a deep breath, readying herself for Teddy's response. Given that he'd allowed her to go off without interrupting, she prepared herself to stay quiet whilst giving him a chance to respond. Despite her annoyance, she always believed in giving the other person chance to speak. Having been silenced and talked over during the earlier years of her life, she knew how bad it felt to be interrupted. The way he crossed his arms, she figured she was in for a stern talking to herself. She looked directly to him when he reminded her he wasn't a Moretti. He was definitely annoyed - she could see it in his face. She took a deep breath as she anticipated his next words. He made it clear that he wanted to take on more responsibility - it was his choice, not her father's orders. She awkwardly ran her hand over her hair as he said he didn't want to risk sacrificing what she wanted to do, nor disrupt their home. When Teddy sat back, Valentina remained sat up very straight forward, feeling anxious about their conversation.

"Compromise..." she mouthed the word after Teddy had said it. He reassured her she wasn't going to end up being a stay-at-home mother and that she needed to trust her employees more. When he finished by asking her to at least consider it, she looked away. She reached for her glass and took a long drink of the alcohol before placing it back down on the table. She sat back in the seat with Teddy before turning back to him and eventually nodding her head. "I'm sorry. I'm being unreasonable," she relented. "It means a lot to hear that you're proud of me for what I've done at the hotels. I worked my fingers to the bone getting those places out of the dark ages and bringing in way more profit than before. I guess it offended me to think that my effort isn't recognised, that I'm more useful around the house," she explained. "You're right though. Now it's all running smoothly, my staff can maintain it without me still directing them so much. I guess I just wanted to keep making it better until Papa finally acknowledged my achievement," she admitted. Looking into Teddy's eyes, she sent him a weak smile. "But you recognise it and that's more important to me now. Your appreciation matters more to me than his does," she reasoned. "After what happened to me, I was worried I'd always be seen as a victim and someone who needed you or Papa to do things for me. I just wanted to prove I was capable of looking after myself and running my own business. Everything I've done at the hotels was my own choice and under my control. I just want to be able to keep that. It's my achievement, y'know?" she asked.

Letting out a sigh, she rested her head on Teddy's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she told him. "If you want to take on more responsibility, then I would be a hypocrite to stand in your way. We do need to compromise. Papa trusts and respects you, so I never want that to change. And I want you to achieve as much as you desire." She moved her head from Teddy's shoulder to look to him. "Just promise you'll keep being you, and our children won't lose out on you. I don't want you to be absent on their birthdays, or deciding Thanksgiving is a waste of time because business comes first. I don't want our children to lose out on those kinds of memories, not like I did."

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Le Restaurant
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Benjamin Reznik​

Once again, Benjamin found himself blushing as Lorelei teased him about being cool despite his lack of balance. He smiled back at her as she assured him she didn't date men based on what they could spend on her. "Well, that's a relief," he said, letting out a small laugh. He was glad they were on the same page. Knowing enough about her family's business as well as the professions of her parents, he knew her family were wealthy - certainly by his standards. "You're so different to the other girls I've been on dates with. You're better."

When Lorelei told him her cousin, Olivia, had started working at Adam's gym, his eyes widened with curiosity. "She does?! You should definitely come pay us both a visit and you could introduce us. My dad grew up with Olivia's mum. I never met Olivia, but I've heard lots about Arlene. It would be cool to finally meet your cousin," he explained. "Hmmm, I don't mind you seeing me sweaty, but only if you're into that," he teased. "Maybe I'll have Adam put you through your paces too. Fair's fair!"

The talk of travelling was enough to pull Benjamin's attention away from the couple on the other table. "Paris? I've never been there but it's certainly a city I'd like to visit. I bet there's some amazing photos to take there too, especially of the Eiffel Tower." He laughed as she spoke of New York having a mysterious odour. "I think I know the smell you're referring to," he remarked. "Dublin is a much better place. I hope my dad can come live here soon too, especially as I've told him about it so many times."

Before Benjamin could answer Lorelei's questions, the waiter brought out their food and drinks. After taking the first bite, he nodded his head in approval. Once his mouth was empty, he answered Lorelei's earlier question. "I think my favourite place has been Scotland, or at least, the Scottish Highlands. The landscape and scenery in the highlands is amazing. I don't think I would ever get bored of those views," he told her. He then took another bit of his food. "So far, I've only been to New York, Ireland and the UK. I would love to see more of Europe. Maybe even visit Norway or Iceland so I can see the Northern Lights. I've yet to see that with my own eyes," he enthused.

When his plate was emptied, Benjamin set the cutlery down and waited for Lorelei to finish eating before striking up a new topic. His eyes wandered back to the next table as he heard the man practically hissing at the woman he was with. He observed the man toss some cash on the table to cover the bill, before standing up and harshly grabbing the woman's arm, pulling her to her feet. Despite her quiet protests, the man commanded her to put her coat on. Benjamin looked back to the empty plate in front of him as he tried to tell himself to stay out of it. However, the more he saw how unhappy, and potentially afraid, the woman was, the less he could ignore it. "No, I can't ignore that..." he told Lorelei, with an apologetic look on his face.

Benjamin slid his chair back as he got to his feet. The impatient man stood watching his partner's shaky hands struggling to button up her coat. "You shouldn't treat her like that, you know!" Benjamin firmly told the older, rich guy. The man practically scoffed at Benjamin, telling him to keep his nose out. After another glance to the nervous woman, Benjamin looked at the man and dealt a sudden, heavy right fist into the man's left cheekbone. The man stumbled backwards and managed to knock some of the cutlery onto the floor in his struggle to maintain his upright balance. The woman let out a surprised yelp and soon enough the other diners around them were watching on. "You need to apologise to the lady and stop treating her like crap!" Benjamin firmly ordered the man. He was about to grab the man by the collar so he could repeat himself and hopefully have his words sink in. Instead, he was soon dragged back by one of the heavy-set bouncers. Much to his dismay, the woman rushed to her bullying partner's side to check he was okay after being punched. In that moment, Benjamin looked to Lorelei, realising he'd ruined their date and no doubt embarrassed her in the process.

"I want that thug arrested!" the snooty man ordered the bouncer as he held his hand to his now throbbing cheek.

Bellz (Lorelei)

 

[Misty Gray]

Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Sinead and Liam Callahan​

Sinead took a long, sheepish drink of her margarita as Aliana told her nobody warned her about the Sullivan men getting grumpy in their old age. She grinned and placed the glass down on the table. "I guess not. But I did warn you Conor was a massive dork and he'd be hard work" she pointed out. She lightly nodded when Aliana said she wasn't dealing with the men's crap anymore and would leave them to fix their own problems. Although Sinead worked hard to force herself not to interfere with Peter's and Braden's lives, it was extremely difficult. She'd spent a long time trying to get them to leave the family business and live a safer lifestyle, but she eventually learned it wasn't her choice. Whilst she would offer her advice and recommend alternative behaviours, she knew the men were too stubborn. Emery was stubborn too, as well as having backup from Conor. All she could do was hope they were old and wise enough to make the right decisions.

"Women in charge would definitely be more productive. More straightforward and organised too." She smiled at Lucy when she said she wouldn't leave her boys and pointed out how her input had paid off where Syd was concerned, as well as Thomas' improvements. "Well then, Luce. Maybe you need to focus your efforts on Conor, Petey, and all of the other silly men in this family next. Like... please?" she playfully begged.

Sinead looked to the clock as she couldn't help but wonder if Savannah and the others would be rejoining them soon. She quickly masked her concern when Callum returned to the lounge having had his fill of cookies. He looked around, clearly aware of the absentees, including Savannah. Sinead beckoned her grandson over and invited him to sit on the sofa beside her. Softly smoothing his blonde hair with her fingertips, she turned to look down at the boy. "Promise us you'll not grow up to be silly like the grown-up men around here," she playfully told him.

"Yeah... Okay, I won't be silly," Callum confirmed, in something of a serious manner. That was until Sinead tickled the back of his neck, prompting him to wriggle away from her delicate hand whilst playfully laughing.

********​

As he sat on the end of his bed watching some old James Bond movie on the television, Liam heard a knock on his bedroom door. "Yeah? Come in," he called out. He was surprised to hear JJ's voice, so turned his attention away from the film to smile at his cousin. "I'm alright. You?" he asked. He then let out a small laugh at JJ's comment about it being a girl fest downstairs. "Why do you think I'm up here? I had to escape it, especially in case Mom started hugging me and talking about me to my aunts," he remarked. "It's definitely safer up here, man."

When asked what he was doing, he just nodded to the television screen. "Watching James Bond. This one's 'Goldfinger'. It's way older than us!" he pointed out. "How have you been? With your parents, I mean," he curiously asked, knowing how upsetting it was for JJ having Syd and Roxie separated.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
Bellz (Lucy, JJ)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin~

Emery Callahan​

Shinoa's words only seemed to confirm to Emery that she was staying in Glenn's shithole hotel. It wasn't up to Emery to offer handouts, but she was sure she could get permission from Conor for better arrangements to be made for the pregnant teenager. "Jeez. Six months in that place? I think you'd have had better facilities sleeping under a tree in the park."

When Thomas told Shinoa to take her time with giving the details of what had happened, Emery had to hold back any impatience. She was keen to get as much information as she could whilst it was still fresh in the teenager's mind. She took it very personally that bullets had been fired in her direction, so she didn't want to waste a second in getting the details out of their witness. Still, she couldn't say that out loud and sent a friendly smile to Shinoa as Thomas reassured her they'd look after her. Thankfully, Shinoa didn't hold back any information, so Emery didn't feel the need to be at all pushy in getting it.

Emery jotted the details down on a scrap piece of paper as Shinoa spoke. "Pale and gaunt? Sounds like a vampire," she drily remarked. Regardless of her comment, the description of the man she was given told her he was likely to stand out in a line-up. At least, she hoped there weren't too many skinny vampires hanging around in Dublin. "He sounds like a real looker!" Despite her casual comments made in effort to keep Shinoa relaxed, Emery's eyes widened upon hearing confirmation of the attacker's accent. "He was Irish?!" she asked. Although it wouldn't be far-fetched for the Morettis or Kings to hire an Irish hitman, it was still a curious development. "Sounds like a real scumbag," she grumbled, looking to Thomas to catch his reaction to the description.

"Seventeen and pregnant, huh? Sounds like a bit of a mess," Emery commented. Despite having and adoring plenty of kids in her family, Emery had no intention of having children of her own. She didn't feel very maternal and certainly didn't have the time or interest in focusing her life on looking after a child full-time. "I'm not sure I'm happy with you going back to that hotel and the gunman will have got a good look at your face. My boss will need to know about all of this before we let you leave here, so I'll see what he has to say on the matter. Glenn is a dirt bag and I wouldn't let him anywhere near a baby!"

Hearing Shinoa's stomach rumble, Emery grinned back at her. "Dining area isn't quite the description I'd use. Your meal options are basically stew, pie or chips. Or there's crisps, peanuts, pork scratchings... Basically, alcohol takes a priority here, so you'd need to be drunk before you could enjoy the meals. Would you like some bar snacks?" Emery offered her. "Thomas. Will you get us some snacks, please?" she asked her cousin.

Bellz (Thomas) BloodLightning27 (Shinoa)

 

[Bellz]

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

Julia rolled her eyes lightly as Ricky defended himself saying that he wasn't aggressive but added that he was offended. Julia noted he didn't deny the irrational part which made her smirk ever so slightly as Harmony stated that she wouldn't be drinking because she was driving. Julia offered the woman a smile as Ricky said that her decision was sensible. Ricky stated that sober drivers were also a problem where he was from and Julia let out a laugh, nodding her head in agreement with what he was saying. "I hear they just hand out driver's licenses without even testing them, no one wants to drive in the city which hurts the car business around these parts so perhaps they thought they could persuade people into driving by not testing their skills at all." Of course, Julia was completely joking but the drivers in New York had a reputation for driving like a bunch of jackasses, so she was sure she wasn't too far off from the truth with her statement.

Ricky then brought up the potholes on the way to the club, addressing the lack of drive-by shootings in the city. Julia let out another small snicker at his joke. Damian spoke up saying that he liked to think that would-be-assassins would have more class and such and Julia shrugged her shoulders, "Ah remember Damian, this is New York...unfortunately the class is far and few around these parts." The woman said in a teasing manner.

All jokes aside, Julia was interested to know what made Harmony come to New York in the first place and when she went on to speak about how she was liking New York, she was very interested. Julia could sympathize with Harmony about the losses in her life though she wasn't so sure she understood why she wanted to give her mom space when she most likely needed the opposite of that. Julia briefly looked to Ricky, knowing that the reminder of his father's death didn't exactly bring about grief or sadness any further.

Hearing him say that it was fair play for Harmony to not dwell on the death and move on sounded a bit insensitive to Julia but given his own situation, she understood why he said it as he had. "I'm really sorry for your loss." Julia mentioned quietly before it seemed most of their attention was shifted towards the Wycliff couple. Julia briefly looked and noticed the tense air between them but decided not to dwell on them too long as she would feel uncomfortable if people were staring at Ricky and her having a little spat.

Damian asked if there was trouble in paradise but before Julia could comment Ricky went ahead and shrugged his shoulders before answering. He then told Damian not to be snitching back to Moretti which made Julia raise her eyebrows and look openly at him. Damian feigned offense as Ricky continued to say that Gabriel didn't need to know everything, especially other people's personal business. Ricky was sure that his complaint was coming from a more personal level but nonetheless, she was still surprised by it.

Damian defended himself saying that he wouldn't bother going to Gabe with such trivial information before turning to Julia with a knowing expression that made her feel conflicted. Julia offered Damian a kind smile before elbowing Ricky gently, "I'm sure Damian has more important things to report on than the Wycliffs fights, Ricky. Plus, it's almost his birthday, he should be more concerned with partying his pants on rather than on a little spat between a normally happy couple. He isn't the paparazzi. There's got to be better gossip than that, I'm sure."

Before any more could be said about it, Julia turned to Harmony with a smile. "So, I know this might be a touchy subject but could you tell me more about L.A.? I've always wanted to go to California but unfortunately most of my duties have required me to stay put. What's it like? I've heard people compare it to New York but I've heard people say Californians are way more laid back."
with: Ricky + Damian Misty Gray ; Harmony BloodLightning27
mentions: "The Not So Happy Couple lol" Melanin-Gxdess ; Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

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

Harper thought she was in the clear once Kerry walked up to her brother's table to help distract them but then Billy called out her name and Harper let out a heavy sigh. Knowing that she would most like piss them off if she tried to run off and not wanting to leave her date behind, Harper turned to look at her brothers before placing a small smile on her face. Seeing Billy raise a brow at her, Harper was ready to be ridiculed instantly as she stopped in front of the table next to Kerry. "Thanks for having my back, babe," Harper murmured kindly to Kerry, offering the woman a kind smile before turning to her brother's as Billy told her that she looked nice. Harper wanted to roll her eyes but kept from doing so as he asked her who she was trying to impress. Taking a seat as her brother pulled up a chair for her, she knew she wasn't going to stay for long so she kept herself slightly turned to be able to get up quickly if needed.

Billy then commented on the lipstick all over her face and Harper blushed deeply before moving to open her purse to grab a compact mirror from it. Grabbing one of the extra cloth napkins on the table, she made an effort to clean up her face before deciding to answer his questions. "I'll have you know that I have a life outside of just my family and what's going on with my face is none of your damn business!" Harper said with a bit of attitude. Once the lipstick was wiped clean from her face, she snapped the compact mirror closed before putting it away in her purse. Looking both Billy and Alex in the eye, Harper offered them a smile. "What about you boys? Hanging out with your brother when you could be out dating? What's that about?" It was a jab at them but she was in a defensive mood. The last thing she wanted was her brother's making fun of her and she knew that eventually they would all get over the pleasantries and the teasing would begin so she felt better being the one to throw the first punch.

"I hope you're not making poor Kerry feel uncomfortable, Alex. You already fucked up one of my friendships, let's not go and ruin another one, or you're going to get throat punched." Harper warned her second-eldest brother, glaring at him softly. Turning her head towards the table she had been sitting at with Esmeralda. Harper was desperate to get back to her date but didn't want her brothers to see that she was on a date with a woman. The lipstick was already a dead giveaway but she didn't want them hooting or hollering at her date and making her feeling uncomfortable. She would rather take the brunt of the jokes than subject any other pretty woman to that.

"You just let me know if he's giving you a hard time, love." Harper said to Kerry. "I'll show you how just of a man he is. Which isn't very much." Harper then turned her eyes to Billy, "What about you, where's your boyfriend?" Harper said teasingly, a knowing smile gracing her lips. Billy probably didn't even know what she knew about him which was sad. But Harper had known how she felt about the same-sex so many years ago that she was comfortable in her own skin. She understood her brother more than he understood himself because she had been in his shoes once.
with: Billy Pyroclast ; Alex Melanin-Gxdess ; Kerry Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

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

Lorelei was curiously waiting to hear Benjie's answer when the waiter made a speed reappearance with their food and drinks. Watching him take the first bite of his food and the way he nodded in approval at his dish made the redhead smile widely. Having a taste of her own plate, Lorelei chewed happily as she was very content with her meal choice. Benjie went on to say that his favorite place to visit had been the Scottish Highlands. Lorelei had never been but as he was stating, many people found it beautiful. Hearing that he'd only been to New York, Ireland and the UK wasn't surprising, it was hard for people their age to get out and travel when they needed to focus on building a career and future. Lorelei hadn't been anywhere special since she started her business but she was saving for a big trip in the future. "The Northern Lights are just fascinating, aren't they? I would love to see them too." She commented in return.

They both settled into a comfortable silence for a little while as they finished their plates. Lorelei was a notoriously slow eater, at least in her little family so she was still finishing her chicken while Benjie took a look around. After plopping the second to last piece of chicken into her mouth, she looked up to notice he was once again looking towards the table that had been causing a scene since they arrived. Lorelei watched as she chewed her food as the man harshly grabbed the woman's arm, pulling her to her feet despite her protests. Seeing that behavior was enough to boil Lorelei's blood but she was determined to be on her best behavior, not wanting her date to get stuck in the middle of a battle that wasn't his to fight. She had just taken a drink of her water, officially finishing her plate when Benjie looked at her and told her he couldn't ignore the couple any longer.

"Wait-" Lorelei barely got a single word out when he slid back his chair and stood up. Lorelei quickly shoved her chair back as well, enough to make it fall and crash to the floor. Lorelei looked to the woman immediately as Benjie firmly toward the asshole with her that he shouldn't treat the woman with such force. Of course, the man scoffed and told him to butt out and Lorelei was about to step between the pair when Benjamin punched the man in the face. "Benjie!" Lorelei cried out in shock. Her date told the man that he needed to apologize to the lady, insisting that he stop treating her like crap. Lorelei scrambled to grab Benjie before one of the bouncers got to him, preventing him from doing any further damage to the man.

Unfortunately, Lorelei wasn't the least surprised when the woman went to help the man. Benjamin finally looked to her for the first time since he decided to defend the clearly too far gone woman and Lorelei offered him a sympathetic look. The man ordered that the "thug" be arrested and that was when Lorelei turned on him. "This thug doesn't deserve to be in jail, you do! You clearly have this poor creature wrapped around your grubby fingers but once she gets sick of your shit you'll be the one behind bars." Lorelei growled at the man before looking to the woman, "You have a man coming to your defense and you still help the one who's been clearly putting his hands on you. Think about what you're doing here, first, it's grabbing you roughly, then it's beating you senselessly...then you're dead by his hand and what does he do? Move on to his next piece of ass." Lorelei made sure to make eye contact with the woman. "You deserve more than this prick." She stated.

Looking to the bouncer, Lorelei took a deep breath. "We'll pay and be on our way. No need to get the police involved in this mess, but I expect that your staff pays closer attention to when a lady is in trouble because if something happens to her the blood is just as much on your hands as it is his."
with: Benjie Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Callahan Residence
~Dublin, Ireland~
Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

Aliana nodded in agreement at Sinead's words. Maybe there was something Lucy was doing that they weren't. "Well, if you have any tips and advice you'd like to share I am all ears. Otherwise, you'll be having two more guests staying with you." She half-joked, shaking her head. Ali had always stood by her husband no matter what kind of decision he made. This time around she couldn't bring herself to do that. It was risky to attack Spencer, and not only that but Savannah had been completely upset by it. She was an adult and wanted to deal with it her way - which was understandable. There could have been an easier, less violent way of solving the issue but Conor had gone and resorted to violence before anything else. She had seen firsthand the kind of damage her husband's reckless behavior caused. Lately she had been seeing the old version of him and she didn't like it in the slightest. As much as she wanted to voice her concerns to him, they hadn't been able to have a proper conversation due to how busy he had been.

What worried Ali the most was how it would affect Leo when it came to learning the trade. Leo was already a small hothead just like Conor - she didn't want his decision making skills to mirror as well. All it would do would create enemies and that was something to Sullivan family didn't need anymore of. "I just don't want it to rub off on Leo. He's been really working on his temper as of late. With Conor agreeing to let him in on the business so he can learn more, I don't want him to pick up bad decision making habits." She leaned forward to refill her glass before settling back into her seat. "They're driving me crazy - the both of them! Between Leo not knowing how to recognize when someone likes him and Conor... Being Conor, I need a vacation."

Before she could rant anymore, she watched as Callum came back into the room with Sydney trailing behind him. The young girl was holding a cookie in her hand with a big smile on her face. "Now Syd, how many of those have you had?" Ali asked, watching as her daughter climbed into her lap. "Not that many. Just four." Shrugging her shoulders, Sydney started eating her cookie careful not to drop any crumbs. The two of them listened and watched as Sinead made Callum promise not to end up like the men in their family. It brought a slight smile to Ali's face watching Sinead interact with her grandson, suddenly wanting a grandchild of her own. She did, however, realize how slightly strange it would be at this time considering Sydney was only five years old. "That's still quite a few, kid." Sydney ignored her mother, enjoying her treat and the company.


Sinead( Misty Gray )
Lucy ( Bellz )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

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

The one thing Teddy appreciated when it came to their arguments was respect. Rarely had they talked over each other nor raised their voices, never seeing a need to do so. Being in a public place definitely helped the situation a bit, but he hadn't been expecting things to escalate too far. The moment she repeated the word 'compromise' he pursed his lips together and shook his head. He hadn't used the word in a negative connotation and hoped his wife didn't take it as such. His arms were still crossed in front of him, his leg bouncing in anticipation of her response. The way she drank from her cup made him think she was rearing up to yell at him for saying such a thing until she leaned back into him. He softly exhaled before wrapping one of his arms around her shoulders. She apologized for being unreasonable, to which Teddy just chuckled and kissed the top of her head, listening to her speak. "I'll have you know I've mastered taking care of our home, alright? You'd just mess up my organization if you were at home all day." He joked, smiling at her. He was glad she understood he didn't want her at home all day to begin with. It would be nice for the kids, sure, but he knew it would just drive her crazy in the end.

Teddy nodded his head in understanding of her situation. He'd experienced the same feeling before years ago and still often did. Gabe was a very hard man to please whether you were his child or not. He had just gotten the reassurment from Gabe he had been looking for for years before realizing it wasn't necessary. "Of course I am; the kids are too. Cristina has been raving about you at school so much that she wants to bring you for Career Day." He paused for a moment shaking his head. "Act surprised when she tells you, that was supposed to be a secret. Anyway, no one is going to take your achievements away. And if they try, I'm no stranger to putting bullets in people." Though it was a joke he shifted in his seat. Killing someone was on the very bottom of his list of desires but for his family he would do so.

He was glad that she was working with him on this. The last thing he wanted was for the situation to drag on for too long. It would create a tension their kids were sure to feel and be nothing but stressful. Looking down at her, he smiled and kissed the tip of her nose - his hand rubbing her lower back. "You don't have to worry about me being absent. You know the whole story of my father; so deep in work that he was barely ever around. I don't want that for the kids - especially with Paolo's crazy new behavior." He rolled his eyes before cupping her cheek in his hand, gently caressing with his thumb. "No, we'll always be together for birthdays and holidays... Except for the dumb shit like 'President's Day'. It's not a real holiday." Shaking his head, she smiled and leaned in to press his lips against hers. "Thank you for this. I won't let you down, okay?"
Valentina ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Misty Gray]

Le Restaurant
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Benjamin Reznik​

Benjamin caught the sympathetic look Lorelei sent to him. Still, he wasn't sure what to make of it in that moment. Perhaps she was masking a deep disappointment. All he was certain of was that he'd ruined their date and potentially more. It had been too difficult for him to sit back whilst the man had been acting abusively towards the young woman. He hadn't been able to act when his mother was the one being abused by men and that was enough regret to live with. He felt grateful when Lorelei defended him, telling the man he deserved to be in jail, not Benjamin.

Benjamin tried to shrug off the bouncer's tight grip, but the bigger man wasn't budging. He stopped fighting it as he instead became gripped by Lorelei's words to the woman. It was the kind of wake-up call and honesty that was needed if the woman had any chances of breaking out of a possible abusive cycle. His mother hadn't been able to break away from the hold Francesco Moretti and his goons had over her. Eventually, it did end in her death. "She's right. I've seen this shit before and it doesn't end well for you," Benjamin firmly told the young woman.

Frustratingly, the woman remained blindly by her abusive partner's side, making no attempt to show gratitude or even understanding of the advice she was being given. The attention was then drawn back to Lorelei as she turned her words on the bouncer and how the staff should be paying more attention to a woman in trouble. "Alright, I want you both out of here," the bouncer commanded Benjamin and Lorelei. "Keep your money," he quietly told Benjamin. As he led them out of the restaurant and onto the pavement, the bouncer addressed the pair directly. "I don't blame you. That man is a prick," he levelled with Benjamin. He then looked to Lorelei. "Unfortunately, he's on friendly terms with the owner and his status means I can't do shit if I want to keep this job," he assured them.

Once the bouncer left them, Benjamin looked to Lorelei and let out a defeated sigh. "I'm sorry for ruining the date and acting like a thug. I don't make a habit of being aggressive with anyone, but I couldn't ignore what he was doing. Men like him get away with it and everyone turns a blind eye." He quickly shook his head, realising he was still dwelling on the situation when it was the last thing Lorelei needed in that moment. "I'll, um... I'll walk you back to your car," he told her. His heart was still thumping heavily in his chest as he was slow to calm down from situation.

As they walked, Benjamin heard the sound of a vehicle slowly following them and when he turned to look over his shoulder, the saw the Gardai car pulling up alongside them. Benjamin stopped walking and took a deep breath as he turned to look at the two cops who were getting out of the car. "What's your name?" one of the officers asked.

"Benjamin... Reznik," he nervously replied. He'd seen and heard enough about people he knew getting arrested, but it had never been himself getting in trouble. "Hey, listen... That guy back there is the one you should be talking to--"

"Benjamin Reznik, you're under arrest of suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm..."

Bellz (Lorelei)