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

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~London~
Alexander King

Alex wiped away fake tears from his eyes in an effort to continue being dramatic. The moment mentioned Alex having friends he shook his head in disagreement. "Hey! I don't have to pay anyone to suck me off. All of my lady friends do it willing." He winked at him, throwing his arm over the back of his seat. Now that he sat and thought about it, Alex didn't really have any male friends. He didn't really have friends of any gender to begin with. All of the people he partied with or traveled with had been people he met at the airport or his destinations. When he was home he spent most of his time with his family so really, he didn't have any friends. "Oh, come on Billy quit being so sensitive. Why are the two of you arguing now?" He quickly asked, no longer to think about how sad his life kind of was.

The smile on Alex's face only wideneded when Billy called him a sleazebag. It was true, there was no denying it, but he didn't want people to know that. "I'm more loving than I am a sleazebag though, darling. Don't listen to my brother." He winked at her then watched as Billy beckoned Harper over towards their table. Despite the low lighting of the place Alex could see the red lipstick planted on his sister's face. He wasn't that much of an idiot, but based off her current tone he knew that teasing her about it wouldn't be good for him. Instead, he echoed Billy's compliment and nodded his head. "Very nice. Just make sure you steer clear of the sleazebags Billy was talkin' about earlier." Alex leaned forward in his seat to grab his drink when Harper decided to take a jab at both him and Billy. Raising a brow to his brother, he turned back to her with a cheeky grin on his face. "Dating? Like what you're so clearly doing right now?" He stated, hiding his grin behind his drink as he drank from it.

He leaned back into his seat again placing his right ankle over his left knee. Harper then went on to warn him about Kerry and messing up another friendship - no doubt a reference to his relationship with Savannah. For a moment he was quiet as he hadn't realized their relationship had taken that sort of turn because of his actions. His grin faltered while looking back and forth between Harper and Kerry before he settled on Harper. "Relax. I was just paying her a compliment, yeah?" He noticed her look away and followed her gaze towards another table where another woman sat. Were they here together? Was she the culprit of the red lipstick? Before Alex was able to say anything about it she started in on Billy next. Her calling Erik his boyfriend brought a smile to his lips before he started laughing again. "Who, Erik? He's in the big meeting wit' his boss, but he and Billy here are fighting again!"

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

 

[Misty Gray]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Kerry Patrick​

Kerry managed to draw Alex's and Billy's attention away from Harper, even if only for a brief time. The barmaid caught the cheeky smile Alex sent her way and she was pretty sure she knew what was coming. The man did flirt with her from time to time, despite knowing she was close friends with Savannah. However, being that she was employed by the Kings and didn't want to come across as if taking sides, she tended to let him have his moment rather than berating him for it. As much as flirting and getting off with women tended to be a part of who Alex was, it still surprised her when he chose to flirt with her, given Savannah was his ex. "Well, aren't you a charmer?" she replied to him, flashing a playful smile back at him. "Though that kind of thing is the reason you're always getting into trouble," she commented.

Kerry let out a small laugh when Billy told her Alex was a sleazebag. A similar sentiment was then given by Harper, albeit a little harsher. Harper told Alex not to fuck up another of her friendships, which Kerry immediately knew was in reference to him cheating on Savannah and therefore spoiling the friendship Harper had with the blonde. "Oh, don't you worry about that, Harper. We're all grown-ups, here. I can handle Alex," she reassured her friend. Despite keeping a light tone on account of being in the presence of her employer's three siblings, Kerry didn't like that Alex had cheated on Savannah and didn't seem to see how wrong flirting with his ex's friend was.

With the siblings turning the conversation onto what was presently going on in Billy's and Harper's lives, Kerry took that as a cue to focus back on work while they conversed with each other. "Another drink, and some shots for Billy's nerves, coming right up!" she enthusiastically told Alex before turning away to prepare the drinks.

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

 

[Pyroclast]

Elena Velazco​

Elena knew that crying wasn’t helpful, but she had to allow herself a minute to let her emotions out before she could be of any further use. Growing up in financial instability with a thick-skinned mother, Elena understood a thing or two about fortitude and how to take life’s knocks on the chin, so throughout her hazardous journey from Cuba Elena had never once shed a tear. No matter how dangerous it got, or how scary or how unlikely it all seemed, she always managed to keep her head up and continue pursuing her goal. However, it had of course been tough on her and the shock of seeing her father injured and bleeding profusely had made her realise she needed a release.

Now wasn’t the best time to release it all, of course; aware that Adam still required attention, Elena fought to compose herself enough to unwrap her arms from around her father and sit up, though still keeping close to him. She kept her tearful eyes pointed downwards to avoid his gaze, unsure if he had really understood what she had told her. The gravity of the situation had drawn the confession from her lips before she had managed to think about whether it was a good idea. She was just so worried that she wouldn’t get another opportunity to let him know, that it had just slipped out. Ever since finding out who her father was, she had both fantasised about and dreaded his reaction, fabricating all the scenarios in her head that she could possibly come up with. It made her wish she hadn’t blurted it out, because she knew he wasn’t in a state to fully comprehend it. He made it clear that he was uncertain about what he had heard, and she just kept her head down, not wanting to give him anything more to worry about.

When he lightly tapped her on the shoulder and told her he was tired, she finally raised her head to look at him. He still needed her, and she became as alert and focused as before once he started to request food. She was just relieved he was still awake and wanting to eat. Her eyes once again filled with tears when he praised her for helping him. “I find Martin and bring food for you,” she assured him. Yet, despite his current conscious state, she was hesitant to leave him in case he passed out. Before she went to look for Martin as requested, she reached out to help him lie down. “You rest así, so you do not drop on the floor...Pero no te quedes dormido, okay?” Elena quickly untied her apron before folding it and placing it beneath Adam’s head. ”I come back soon, te lo prometo.”

As soon as Elena entered the main room she saw several heads turn her way and realised she was still covered in Adam’s blood. She was looking for Martin but her eyes found Thomas first. Her immediate urge was to go to him, but she couldn’t yet.

“Elena, what’s goin’ on?” asked Martin, appearing next to her and pulling her attention from Thomas. “Adam alright?”

Elena’s eyes filled with tears but she nodded quickly. “I take out the bala of his arm and close it,” she hurriedly explained. “He needs food - he says, a big steak and a burger with lots of veg’ and...and a sport drink.”

“He’s lost a lot of blood, has he?” Martin said, grabbing a sports drink from the bar and a packet of crisps. Taking in the sight of her, he shook his head. “Elena, you should go home, let me deal with -”

“No! He needs the food now, please! Now, Martín!” she demanded, more aggressively than intended. The urgency in her tone coaxed a small sob from her but she did her best to rein it in before she could lose her composure in front of everyone.

“Alright, Elena, I’ll put an order in across the road and get it to him as soon as possible,” he assured her.

“Now?”

“Now, yes.” Martin passed her the drink and the crisps and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I’m going to close the pub, too, I think we need the other customers out of here. And you should get some sleep, love.”

Elena shook her head, clutching the snacks tightly in her hands. “I stay with him. I don’t leave without him.” Before Martin could argue any further, Elena quickly hurried back to the toilets, terrified of what she might see.

The mess of blood was still shocking, but she was too determined now to let it distract her. “Adam?” she softly spoke, as she went to sit cross-legged next to him. “Martin brings food for you soon. But I have these...please take it.”

A moment later, Martin walked through the door. “Sweet mother of Christ,” he uttered. “You got any blood left in you, Adam?” He stepped a little further into the room, careful not to step into the blood. “Pub’s closed now, anyway. Food’s on its way, too. Is there anyone you want me to call? An ambulance maybe? A medic you trust?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Adam

Nearby:
Bellz Thomas
BloodLightning27 Shinoa
Misty Gray Emery

 

[Bellz]

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

Lucy let out a soft laugh as Sinead and Ali said that maybe she needed to focus her efforts on Conor, Peter, and the rest of the men in the family. Ali insisted that she was all ears if she had any tips or advice and Lucy pursed her lips in thought. "As much as the men in this family tend to make the big decisions when it comes to business, I've learned that they tend not to know what's best for them when it comes to personal matters. Sure, we can't always boss them around telling them what we think is good for them because we all know how that turns out. But, as they say, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink it." Lucy said with a sigh.

Hearing Ali's worries about Conor's behavior rubbing off on Leo, Lucy sympathized with the woman greatly. "At the end of the day, Leo is gonna make his own decisions, right, wrong or otherwise." The blonde said knowingly, "It's the many pitfalls of being a parent, we can teach our children well but all the teaching in the world won't keep them from doing what they want to. But Leo's a good kid and Conor's a good man, they tend to work it out for the better most of the time."

Ali stated that she needed a vacation and Lucy's eyes went a bit wide as she thought of an idea. "Hey, that's a good idea actually. I mean...I'm not entirely sure how comfortable I'd be leaving the men to fend for themselves but perhaps we try to take a girl's trip somewhere? Not too far, of course, but somewhere a few hours away? I don't think we've ever done that before!"

Before much more could be said Callum and Sydney returned to the room. Lucy was all smiles for the little ones as she quietly listened to her sisters tend to the little ones. Lucy laughed as Sinead asked Callum to promise them that he wouldn't grow up to be silly like the rest of the men in the family and his reaction to her made Lucy smile so wide her cheeks hurt. "What a good boy." Lucy said fondly, hearing the conversation between Sydney and Ali as she turned to look at them.

"4 cookies is a small feat compared to what Thomas and Leo ate back in '73, do you remember Al? We made at least 5 dozen cookies for Christmas and by the end of the party, the boys had eaten at least a dozen each! Poor Thomas was so sick that night I don't think he's eaten a sugar cookie since!" Lucy laughed before looking to Sydney. "Just remember not to eat too many! You don't want to spoil cookies for you forever!"
with: Sinead + Callum Misty Gray ; Ali + Sydney Melanin-Gxdess

***​

JJ was instantly intrigued as Liam said he was watching James Bond. He was into older films and tv shows lately, feeling that the older stuff was just more exciting because it wasn't predictable like the stuff he watched nowadays. "Ah cool! Mind if I watch with you?" He asked not waiting for an answer as he made himself comfortable. Liam and he got along well so he was sure the boy wouldn't mind if he hung out with him.

JJ's eyes glanced to the TV as Liam asked how he'd been, specifically asking how he'd been with his parents. Liam bit the inside of his cheek nervously as he tangled his hands together. "Ah, it's been alright, I guess. We are finally back at my mom's house but it's weird being home and not seeing Matthew around. It's even weirder because none of the pictures that had been up at the house before he died are up anymore...at least the ones with him in it." JJ said with a sigh.

"My mom and dad are in some sort of meeting together right now. My sisters and I are really confused as to what they are meeting for since our whole lives they haven't really spent more than a few minutes in the same room together." JJ shook his head, "Makes me feel weird, ya know? I mean...it's stupid to think that maybe this means they'll get back together but...I'm kinda holding out for that" His grandma had told him that it was best not to draw any sort of conclusions from the meeting and that they were just meeting to discuss how to handle things going forward but JJ really wanted it to be more than that.
with: Liam Misty Gray
mentions: Syd Pyroclast ; Roxie (me) (TWO PEOPLE WHO NEED TO THINK ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN'S FEELINGS)

 

[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

When Emery offered food and snacks, even asking her friend, Thomas, to go get them some snacks, Shinoa slowly calmed down, although she was still rather embarrassed and her face was still red from the blushing after her stomach growled. Because they were in a bar, the options for what to eat was rather limited. Even then, none of them sounded unsafe for the baby and she has been very careful to stay away from everything that could be, especially alcohol. At least this room didn't smell like cigarettes or cigars and no one in here was smoking. "Something to eat would be nice, actually. Considering how far we did walk to get here and how much energy we've expended. And I really don't want to hear my stomach growl again." She said before straightening out her dress and her cardigan once more. "Thank you."

Who knew being pregnant was so hard...Of course it was harder then it needed to be, seeing that her horrid excuse of a mother basically kicked her out and sent her to a foreign country, basically leaving her to fend for herself at a very vulnerable time. When her mind went back to how Emery stated that she wasn't sure of how she felt about Shinoa going back to her hotel because of the gunman that attacked them earlier this night, the expectant mother wasn't sure of how to respond, because she didn't exactly have anywhere else to go. Up next, she was going to be practically stuck until Emery's Boss was contacted. "Well, I don't know where else I'm going to be staying after tonight. If the hotel isn't safe for me anymore, then I guess I'll have to pack my bags and check out tomorrow morning. But I can't really stay at the hospital since I haven't had any complications with my pregnancy...well, not yet at least." She then straightened out her hair.

At least Emery showed concern for her safety and well-being. However, that gesture alone made her wonder even more if Emery was related to Sinead. Still, that would be very awkward to ask out of the blue, especially since the two have never met before today and were complete strangers. "So...after you talk to your Boss...What will be next for me...if going back to the hotel isn't an option?" She asked, now suddenly feeling anxious as she started holding her belly again.

In response, her baby started kicking. Though chances were she was hungry and wasn't looking to be a pain to her Mother. Taking another deep breath, Shinoa briefly closed her eyes and began wondering what was going to happen next. Well, aside from something to eat, there was where she was going to go after checking out of the hotel. And was her baby going to arrive on the due date or a few days after, or would the baby go post-term and then her pregnancy drags out longer then it needed to? Aside from having to find another place to stay, there was one other thing that still had her afraid of both childbirth and going into that delivery room: Being alone. But she wasn't about to ask total strangers to go into the delivery room with her just because she was scared of being alone...That was way too far-fetched of an idea. It wasn't like anyone was going to say yes! Worst of all, she also wasn't going to be asking a complete stranger if she could stay their house, not to mention the idea of sleeping on a couch made her back hurt. Unconsciously, she started massaging her belly, mainly because it was starting to hurt again. "And...thanks for being patient with me. I'm honestly feeling really overwhelmed right now..." She said before tears rolled down her cheeks. "Mainly because I almost got killed before my baby had a chance to take her first breath...and I don't know where I can stay and not lose sleep over my safety." Shinoa quickly wiped her eyes and took another deep breath. "Admittedly, I'm only staying at that hotel because of how low the nightly costs are. And it was either that, or going from one homeless shelter to another." Overall, she was scared, but who could blame her? Hopefully Emery and Thomas weren't as cold as she thought, but only the next couple of minutes...or hours...would tell.

Interactions: Emery Callahan Misty Gray
Nearby: Adam Harper | Thomas Porter Bellz | Elena Velazco Pyroclast​

 

[BloodLightning27]

Harmony Ryu & Jarrick Taylor (Second Cameo)New York City | La Casa Nightclub

Overall, Harmony was happy to be surrounded by the company she had. Ricky and Julia were both friendly so far. And Damien was much more...pleasant to be around when he wasn't torturing someone to death. Then there was Jarrick, who was near the front selling cocaine to party-goers. Harmony was a little surprised to see him without Quadir, because they were always seen together. Well, at least ninety-five percent of the time anyway. But this was the first time she saw one Taylor Brother without the other. If she had heard right, Quadir was currently assigned to being a Chauffeur for the Don's wife, Lady Moretti as he was currently out of town. Shrugging it off, her face had perked up a little after a Server came by with a Bottle of Corona, even with a lime in it. Pushing it down with her thumb, she decided to take a quick sip while she hung out with Damien, Julia and Ricky.

"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. 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."

"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."

At the mention of Drive-By Shootings, Harmony felt her blood run ice-cold and she zoned out briefly, thinking about the day that her Brother was gunned down in Chinatown. Her thoughts raced back to that day, where she and her Brother were just walking down the street in Chinatown, spending time together, what siblings do. Then out of nowhere, a Black Sedan with Tinted Windows raced down the street and the windows had rolled down and an arm stuck out with an Uzi and started spraying bullets onto her side of the street...and when she realized it was meant for her and her Brother, it was too late...Hanzo tackled her to the ground, with nine of the bullets going into his back in the process, while another bullet grazed her neck... 'HANZO!!!'

After her Brother's Name echoed through her mined, Harmony stopped zoning out and shook her head before her attention went back to Ricky...and then Harmony realized that she had a hard grip on the Corona Bottle in her hands. '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.' At those insensitive words, Harmony kinda just had that blank look on her face. She then just shrugged it off after remember how casually he spoke about Drive-Bys. However, even though she wanted to punch him for his insensitivity, Harmony knew that she couldn't exactly be mad at him... He didn't know that she pretty much had PTSD from the Drive-By Shooting that claimed Hanzo. Sure, that PTSD fucked her really hard on some days, but that was beside the point. Once more, her train of thought was disrupted when Damien drew the table's attention to the Wycliffs, whom Harmony had a few minutes ago noticed were unhappy. Coupled with the reminder of her Brother's Death, Harmony wanted to cry on the spot, but instead bit her tongue and had a tighter grip on her Corona bottle, which she stared at before drinking out of it, this time taking about half the bottle. Now the piece of lime in it was just floating in what remained and she was now pondering on whether or not she should get another one...hehe...another one...

"Well...I hope not..." She said, breaking her silence and in response to .

Well, honestly that could have gone better. Finally, once she made eye contact with Julia, whom she currently liked the most in their current company, the other woman showed sincerity and sympathy towards the losses that she had suffered. As everyone spoke more on the Wycliffs, Harmony pretty much went back to being quiet, because the fact that she was their bodyguard was now making her feel a little awkward. Thankfully, Julia managed to switch the subject over to the fact that it was almost Damien's Birthday, to which she smiled a little. She then nodded in agreement when Julia said that there's better gossip then the Moretti's favorite couple arguing... Truth be told she really, really hoped there was. There was always something going on in New York's Underworld!

"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."

When Julia had asked more about Los Angeles, Harmony was hesitant to answer. She quickly finished her first Corona. At that moment, a Server came by and asked if she needed a second one. After this one though, she was probably going to switch over to Water so that she can drive the Wycliffs home after everything is over. But with everything that had transpired, she had to hope that they wouldn't start fighting in the car. Thankfully, Harmony had a fairly strong Alcohol Tolerance, otherwise she'd be in deep shit. The last thing Don Moretti would need was his Daughter and Son-in-Law getting hurt because their Bodyguard made an irresponsible decision to drive under the influence and then getting into an accident. Not to mention that was not a conversation she wanted to have with the rest of the Moretti Family...especially...ESPECIALLY not the Wycliff Children. As soon as the second Corona was in her hand, she smiled a little before proceeding to tell Julia about Los Angeles. "Well, its called the City of Angeles, but don't let that fool you. Sure, the beaches are great. Its always sunny, not stupid cold like it is here...and we don't have a bunch of tall-ass skyscrapers blocking the sun, so that's nice. People in California are a little more laid back then some of the people here, sure, but traffic's really bad and the air quality absolutely sucks. But you know, it was home. I kinda miss it, kinda don't. Only thing I really miss is the sunshine and less skyscrapers. Lot more people who smoke weed too, so there's also the smell of weed, but I got over that pretty fast. The only smell that sucks is bleach because its used to cover up the meth labs, but we'll get there when we get there. Other then the Sunshine and open sky, I miss seeing Tattoo Shops. There's almost none of them here and its lame. Aside from the good, there's also the bad. Let's start with the LAPD, they really like to flex their muscle and ever since they got their Special Weapons And Tactics unit, they've been hitting hard against the Gangs over there. So we have it pretty easy here. Honestly, LAPD makes NYPD look like a joke...Take it from someone who knows. First time I was arrested, I got slammed onto the hood of a cop car by a guy twice Ricky's size. And I was like...Nineteen? Shit was crazy." She chuckled at the memory. "Aside from a Trigger-Happy Police Department, there's also the gangs in the Suburbs. Bloods, Crips, Triads, Yakuza, MS-13, Aryan Brotherhood....You name it, chances are L.A has it. Anyway...I didn't mean to so carried away. But...I hope that answers your question. If you really wanna go, I'm more then happy to take you if Don Moretti and the Wycliffs are okay with me taking some time off. I'll show you around the good parts. One thing though, I hope you like Asian Cuisine. I know a lot of places. And...I wouldn't mind showing you around Little Tokyo."

After spending the last several hours selling Coke, Jarrick went ahead to grab a drink, namely a bottle of vodka and even asked for a few shot-glasses. Quietly, he made his way towards the table with Harmony, Julia, Ricky and Damien. While they had initially a bad start, Jarrick and Damien now (probably) got along, considering that they worked together quite a bit over the last few weeks, where he and Quadir had acted as the Muscle for Damien and Tatianna. While Jarrick was mostly put off by the torturing that Damien seemed to enjoy, it was a lot easier to exit the room then bitch about it. "Ey', sorry I'm late, guys. But you know, business calls. Just gotta make sure I got nice, fat cut for Mr. Moretti when he gets home." He said as he straightened out his jacket.

Harmony was put off by the fact that Jarrick was wearing all white...Does he have anything in his wardrobe. Or is it all white everything? If Harmony remembered right...even his guns were white. His Brother wore all white too...Hell...even their goddamn CAR was white. White, white, white. TOO MUCH WHITE! WHY!?!? Either way, Harmony proceeded to smile at her Co-Worker. "Well, I'm glad you can join us, J.T. Thought you were gonna miss all the fun, but you know, I get it. Got a job to do, can't slack." She said before taking another sip out of her second corona and returning her attention to Julia.

"Yeah, good to see you too, Harmony." He responded before pouring Vodka into the shot glasses. "Anyway Damien, Happy Early Birthday. I know we didn't have the best of first impressions, but I still wanted to share a drink wit'chu...if you're up for it." He said before looking over at Ricky. "I don't think we've met yet, I'm Jarrick." He greeted the other man.

Seemed like a pretty cool guy too. But looks can be deceiving. Judging by how he was hanging out with Damien though, surely things would be fine. He then set the bottle on the table after the six shot glasses were filled close to the brim and straightened out his jacket. "So, what's it gonna be, guys?" He asked, a smile on his face.

Interactions: Riccardo Biancardi, Damian Nicolosi Misty Gray Julia Avvocata Bellz​

 

[Misty Gray]

Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan and Savannah Callahan
Sinead and Liam Callahan​

Conor scoffed when Peter told him nobody was asking him to have a parade on Kerry's arrival. He then shook his head when his brother-in-law said it was best both he and Syd avoided speaking to the woman at all. "Well, when it comes to Kerry and Parker, they don't deserve my consideration of the consequences. I gave them both a second chance when I've had people killed for far less. It was done on the expectation I wouldn't have to see either of their lying faces ever again. So you've got to understand that even after thirteen years, I can't just hit reset and treat Kerry as though she'd never betrayed us," he said, looking to Savannah in particular. He the looked back to Peter as he thought of how he'd become better at holding his tongue. "Oh, believe me, it's difficult, at times," he remarked.

Savannah listened as Peter told her there was no guarantee Blake would allow Kerry to move to Dublin, but he believed she would see things differently to how Conor and Syd did. "I'll arrange something as soon as I can," she softly agreed with her father. She couldn't disagree with Peter when he told her it was best for Alex to make the effort to come visit Callum. She knew the man was right. She'd gone out of her way to remain in London and make sure Callum could see Alex whenever the selfish man decided he wanted to see his kid. "I'll speak with the Kings soon and tell them the new arrangement. Hopefully they'll have calmed down by then..." she trailed off. She then looked curiously to Peter as he told her it would save Callum down the line.

Savannah understood where Peter was coming from when he said the situation could be used to test if Alex was going to put in the effort to see Callum and be there for the boy in the future. Her features softened even further when her father explained how he felt lucky to have been in the orphanage rather than with terrible parents. Although his childhood wasn't the most pleasant, Savannah was glad Peter's early life had led him to finding Sinead and becoming a part of her family. She couldn't imagine anyone else being in her life as Peter had always been. "I know you're right, Dad. I just hope Alex doesn't let us down again. Callum doesn't deserve to be let down and heartbroken by him," she said, having personal experience of how that felt.

Savannah blushed when Peter said she was too sweet - a trait she'd inherited from Sinead. She slowly nodded her head. "I get it. I'm so used to just letting others do what they want, just so I can avoid an argument or confrontation. Alex has been a massive jerk and I guess I have been too accommodating. Letting him get whatever he wants and whenever he feels like it."

"I think we're done here, yeah?" Conor asked, looking between Peter and Kerry. "If Alex agrees to come here to see Callum, I won't get in the way or show up to tell him he's a useless piece of shit. Similarly, if Blake agrees for Kerry to come to Dublin, I'll not give Kerry a piece of my mind. I'll instead add a 'fuck you, Kerry' item onto my weekly agenda with Syd." Conor flashed a smirk. "It's the best I can do."

"You do whatever makes you feel happy, as long as you and Syd don't bully an innocent woman," Savannah commented back to her uncle. She then sent him a warmer smile, not wanting to leave the room feeling as angry as she did when she entered it. "I'm going to go see what Callum is up to." She then got up from the sofa and left the conservatory.

Conor took that as his cue to return to the lounge too, figuring he was probably already in Aliana's bad books for something he'd probably done, so best to give her some attention while he had some down time from running the business. "Alright, come on, Pete. I'm sure twinkle toes is missing you," he remarked, in reference to Sinead.

Bellz (Peter)

**********

Sinead and Liam Callahan​

With mention of a vacation, Sinead's eyes widened with interest. "Oooooh. I would love that! We can go to a nice beach, or a peaceful cabin by a lake, or even a big city to go shopping and get pampered!" she enthused, a sudden influx of ideas for all kinds of vacation filling her head. "I really need a holiday. As much as I love having the little ones, and even the bigger ones staying here," she said, referring to Braden and Savannah, "I do need some grown-up girly time too." She let out a thoughtful sigh. "We should hire babysitters. For our husbands, I mean. I think the children can look after themselves," she joked.

Savannah entered the lounge and sat down next to Lucy on one of the sofas. Callum soon jumped down from Sinead's knee so he could climb on Savannah's lap to sit with her. "How did it go?" Sinead asked. She wasn't expecting much detail, especially given Callum was present, but she at least wanted to get a general feel.

"Okay, I think. I told Conor what I thought of his actions, and we all decided where to go from here," she said glancing down to Callum, not wanting to say too much when he was listening. As much as she wanted to say they were going to invite Alex to see Callum in Dublin, she didn't want to do anything that would get the boy's hopes up for nothing.

"The men here are silly," Callum piped up, remembering what Sinead had moments ago said and piecing it together with Savannah now talking about Conor's actions. This drew a humoured laugh from Savannah as she looked to her mother and aunts, wondering what had prompted Callum to call men silly. Her smile soon dropped when the boy spoke ago. "Can we go home, now?" Callum asked, looking up to Savannah.

"Hey..." Savannah softly began. "You know how you have two homes? There's London and there's here. Well, we've spent a lot of time in London, so now it's Dublin's turn to have us. In fact, I'm going to find a house for just you and me to live in. You've got a great room to stay in at this house, but you can have another bedroom in our new home."

"Okay... But it's going to need lots of new toys... Dublin toys," Callum pointed out. "And Dad will need a room too--"

Before Savannah had to shoot down any idea of Alex staying in her house, Conor and Peter returned to the lounge. "I noticed a distinct lack of my favourite cookies. If I find out who ate them..." Conor playfully began, focusing all of his attention on Sydney as he spoke of the cookies. He then sat down on the sofa alongside Aliana. "What have you three ladies been plotting, then?" he asked his wife, referring to her, Lucy, and Sinead.

Sinead looked up to Peter, trying to tell if everything was okay between him and Savannah. "Is everything sorted, love?" she curiously asked, patting the empty spot on the sofa for him to sit with here. "Us ladies were thinking of going on a vacation. Do you boys think you can go a few days alone without burning our houses down?" she asked her husband, though loud enough for everyone to hear.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Sydney)
Bellz (Lucy, Peter)

**********​

Liam smiled back at JJ when he asked if he minded him joining him watching the movie. "You can watch it with me," he assured him, even if it might have even rhetorical. Liam looked away from the TV so he could face JJ as he spoke about how weird it was not having Matthew around. "It's strange not having him teach us, so it's definitely way worse for you at home," he sympathised.

Hearing Syd and Roxie were presently in a meeting made Liam feel optimistic about things. Although Matthew had just died, Liam didn't have personal experience of relationships nor of having parents who are separated. So to him, he didn't have much concept of whether or not it was too soon to expect Roxie and Syd to get back together. "Well, if they're talking now and they're your parents, maybe they will get back together. It's got to be a good thing, right? Why else would they be meeting up with each other?"

Bellz (JJ)

 

[Misty Gray]

La Casa
~ Upper East Side, Manhattan ~

Valentina Wycliff​

Valentina practically sank into Teddy as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. She managed a smile as he joked about her messing up his organisation if she were at home all day. "There you go. If I end up in the house for too long, I'll get bored and rearrange things just to confuse and annoy you!" he playfully warned him.

Hearing Cristina wanted to take her into school for Career Day caused Valentina to raised a sceptical eyebrow. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?" she suspiciously asked. She nodded her head when Teddy told her to act surprised when her daughter told her, as it was meant to be a secret. "Well, I guess she couldn't exactly ask you or Papa to go. You're both dodgy as Hell," she teased her husband. She nodded her head when Teddy said he was no stranger to shooting people. "Yeah, let's hold off firing bullets at idiots, unless absolutely necessary."

Valentina was glad when Teddy reassured her she didn't have to worry about him being absent. He reminded of her of their similar experiences where their father's were concerned. Both had grown up with fathers who were so into their work. Teddy's father had barely been around for him, just as Gabriel had often been away on long business trips and rarely gave second thought to choosing work over birthdays or other festivities. "Yeah, the kids need stability. Paolo is a nightmare at the best of times, but if you're absent too much I know it'll only make him worse. I don't know if he inherited the sexist gene from Papa but he certainly listens to men rather than women, which I'm not impressed with," she sternly pointed out.

When Teddy assured her he'd be around for birthdays and holidays, she gently smiled back to him, hoping he would stick to his promise. It wasn't that she didn't trust her husband to keep his promise, but she wasn't sure how it would play out in reality. If Gabriel wanted his employees or his family to do something, he tended to get his way, no matter how unreasonable his 'request'. As Teddy cupped her cheek, she leaned in to gently kiss his lips. "Okay, don't let me down," she said, confirming she agreed to their compromise. "I'll have to go over the rotas on Monday and make sure everyone knows what they're doing, but I'll cut down work time," she told him.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[Pyroclast]

Bruce King​

It wasn’t just for the fact that Spencer had been the one to suffer the Sullivans’ attack that Bruce allowed him the chance to express his opinion, but also for the overall respect he had for him. Spencer had been a driving force behind King Remedial as well as their expanding drug operations and had long since proven himself to be a reliable and serious member of the business. Without him, Bruce didn’t believe they would have got nearly as far as they had. Had it not been for his high opinion of his nephew, however, he wouldn’t have been so happy to hear such a direct objection to Gabriel’s offer of protection.

“Mr. Moretti is right, Spencer,” he confirmed with a nod. “There is a chance the Sullivans won’t attack a second time - if we back down and let Savannah keep Callum to herself, that is. You tell me now you’re happy to leave it at that, you tell me you believe Alex is gonna let her get her way, then alright, maybe we don’t need to expect more violence from their side. But I for one don’t trust you lot to leave it there, and frankly I don’t want to, either. Callum belongs ‘ere and we’re gonna keep fighting for him. Whether or not we use violence, we can’t predict how the Sullivans will choose to react. A gang that ain’t afraid to cross the line ain’t the kind you wanna underestimate and that’s why we can’t assume nothin’.”

As aware as Bruce was of the danger in flirting with the Sullivans, he knew there were also risks that came from accepting help. Regardless of shared agendas, enemies or targets, Bruce could never fully trust the Morettis, just as he couldn’t fully trust anyone outside of the King family. Being that the Morettis were the stronger gang, accepting their help in exchange for a portion of their business’ profit could draw them into a trap. The last thing Bruce wanted was to find himself under Moretti’s control. However, if the current dispute did evolve into a war, then having Moretti on their side could end up saving their lives.

He continued to listen as Gabriel complimented the success of King Remedial and spoke of the benefits that a business deal could be to him. Bruce narrowed his eyes slightly, weighing up the idea in his mind. The man was being particularly vague, allowing Bruce to set the demands himself. He couldn’t help but feel like by cutting a deal with Moretti in exchange for he was literally putting a price on his family’s safety.

He nodded when Gabriel pointed out that Callum would do better being in London and learning valuable skills from his father, as well as bringing attention to all the time he would end up being babysat while Savannah was out on modelling shoots and performing. “All good points you’ve made there, and ones I’ll be makin’ to Sullivan when I have this meeting with him,” he agreed. “In terms of our arrangement, then - I’d like to make nothing official until I’ve had this chat with Sullivan. For the sake of maintaining control over my own business, I’d also like to keep our deal on a provisional basis. Within a month I’d say, I will know where we stand with the Sullivans. So here’s my deal: you supply me with a percentage of your manpower for the next month, and I’ll match that percentage with a shipment of my finest cocaine. Erik here will be a familiar face, I’m sure he can help ‘em settle in. Then after my meeting with Conor, we can get the finer details sorted between us and put this in writing.” He shot a friendly smile over to Erik before leaning forward to take a sip of his drink.

“That’s a good point, actually, Erik,” he said, responding to thoughts that no one else had heard. “I’d like Mr. Moretti to meet Alex. Would you go out there and fetch him in for us? You can trade places with him now, but don’t go too far in case we need you back. Just stay in the bar, yeah?”

Billy King​

Billy couldn’t help blushing when Kerry made reference to his nerves again and he sighed, wishing he could just be on his own where there was no one to tease him. He had already had enough and if he wasn’t so desperate to catch Erik on his way out of the meeting, Billy would probably have left. Holding his tongue so as not to snap at Kerry, he set his eyes on the staff room door and tried to put it past him. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to wait long.

“Can’t be dating on the job, Harp,” he casually replied, grateful to have an easy excuse. He wasn’t usually at work when that question cropped up, and he always found it difficult to justify why he was single. Billy had tried dating women many times before, and had had a few girlfriends in the past, but he had never been that into any of them. He had always liked the idea of having a girlfriend but when it came to actually having one all they seemed to do was get in the way of his work. He just never managed to care about any of them quite enough to want to sacrifice anything or properly make time for them. So, he just settled for casual sex and one night stands. But in those situations it was the drinking that made it fun and when he woke up in the morning and his loose drunken attitude had worn off, he was only left feeling dirty. So, as much as he wanted someone to settle down with someday, he decided he would wait until the right woman showed up and focus on his work until then.

A wide grin spread across his face when Harper mocked Alex for ruining her friendships and for being less than a man. Even when they were kids, Billy had always got a kick out of seeing Alex being told off, but it was especially satisfying when he had been annoying him. After his brother had laughed at him for having fallen out with Erik, Billy had been looking for something to throw back in his face and so was greatly satisfied that Harper had done it.

His grin didn’t last long however; as soon as Harper turned to him and asked him about his boyfriend, Billy felt his cheeks burn. It only got worse when Alex laughed again and revealed that he and Erik were currently fighting. “No we’re not, Alex!” he argued, giving his brother a hard shove. “There ain’t no love or nothin’ between us so quit tryna’ see somethin’ that ain’t there. God, you two are immature! Just ‘cause we’re mates who like spendin’ time together don’t mean we’re fuckin’ f*gs. A man’s allowed to have mates, alright?” Billy finished off his cigarette and then leaned forward to stab it into the ashtray. “Anyway, we ain't fightin’. He’s just been in a mood all week and ain’t answerin’ the phone, ‘cause I said somethin’ about -” The heat returned to his cheeks when he realised that the fight had been about exactly what Harper and Alex were now teasing him for. “He was just bein’ sensitive about somethin’ and took what I said the wrong way. That’s all. So just keep your noses out of it, alright?” He took a hefty gulp of his Martini, now caring slightly less if he got drunk during Moretti’s visit. “And Harper, if you’re gonna let some woman smear her lipstick all over your face, for God’s sake get a bloody room first, yeah? You give the men in this bar a show like that and they’re gonna start stickin’ their hands down their pants. Not to mention it’s embarrassing. Always keep our business' reputation at the front of your mind.”

Once Kerry returned with their shots, Billy reached for his almost instantly and necked them one by one. The very moment he slammed the last one down on the table, the staff room door opened and Erik stepped out into the bar area. Billy instinctively jumped to his feet, stumbling slightly as the alcohol rushed to his head. Clearing his throat, he tried to cover up his enthusiasm by shifting his chair closer to the table as though he was merely readjusting. He raised a hand to his head to ensure his hair was still neatly set and then smoothed down the front of his shirt. His heart had already started pounding. “Hey, Erik…” he greeted him, as casually as he could.

Interactions
Misty Gray Gabriel, Spencer, Kerry
Melanin-Gxdess Erik, Alex
Bellz Harper

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin~

Adam Harper​

As Elena confirmed she would find Martin and get some food for him, Adam lightly nodded his head, glad she was going to follow his instructions. "Good girl," he reassured her. Although surprised by her next action, Adam didn't resist her as she helped him to lie down. "Alright... I'll just lay here... think 'bout that steak..." he trailed off. When she placed her folded apron under his head, he faintly smiled. "Hope Conor's paying you extra for this, nurse," he gruffly half-joked.

Once Elena had left the bathroom, Adam reached up with his healthy arm so he could wipe the sweat droplets from his clammy forehead. Although the wound hadn't been fatal and he'd probably experienced worse injuries, there was no fighting the effects of significant blood loss, no matter how strong the man who was bleeding out was. The evening's events had taken it out of him. He hadn't yet had the energy or opportunity to think about getting the men responsible, so he hoped Thomas and Emery had things in hand where pressing Shinoa for details was concerned. Oddly, his mind wasn't able to focus on the matter of finding out who was to blame for his injuries, yet his thoughts did find their way back to what Elena had just said. "Jesus, Adam..." he muttered at his own expense. In addition to apparently imagining Elena says she was his daughter, Adam could only hope he hadn't said or done anything too embarrassing in his confused state. Still, in his vulnerable state, it was leading him to once more dwell on what had been cropping up in his thoughts lately. He may have a long list of women he'd got up close and personal with over the years, but when it came down to it, he had achieved nothing from it. He was single and didn't have a family of his own. The Zegarras were the only family he had, but even they weren't his own, not in the sense of having loved ones to return home to each day. Despite his casualness around Blake, along with his respect for her wishes to play it safe, Adam did find himself hoping something serious and worthwhile would develop between them. But for now, he knew he'd be returning to his empty house to rest and tend to his wounds by himself.

Adam had closed his eyes for what only felt like a few seconds, but soon his focus was reawakened when he heard Elena's voice speak his name upon her return. "Hey..." he exhaustedly replied. When Elena sat alongside him, offering a drink and crisps to him, Adam struggled as he pushed himself back up so he could sit with his back against the wall. "Thanks, kid," he told her, taking the sports drink and crisps that were offered to him. With his throat dry, he didn't hesitate to knock back a long drink from the bottle.

Soon after, Martin entered the restroom and expressed his clear shock at the sight. "Figured it needed some more colour in here... but I think I've still got some left in me," he commented, looking at the blood that had messed the white floor tiles. He took another drink from the sports bottle as the barman told him food was on the way and asked in he needed him to call anyone. "No ambulance," Adam quickly protested. He didn't want to end up in the hospital and have to explain what had happened to the police. The mob would have better luck dealing with the culprits than the clueless Gardai. "Tom needs to call the family so they can tell the Boss know what's happened. Get Tom to do that... He'll also be able to get them to send one of the medics over," he said, struggling to recall which of the medics would be around that evening.

Adam took a few controlled breaths as he tried to focus. Looking to Elena, he sent her a quick smile. "You doing okay?" he asked her. "Sorry you got dragged into this, but you held up well. You did a good job. Chica valiente."

Pyroclast (Elena)
Mention: Bellz (Thomas)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Callahan Residence
~Dublin, Ireland~
Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

Ali listened intently to Lucy's words, trying to determine if she would be able to help with her situation. The woman's words held truth to them even if it weren't exactly what she wanted to hear. "True. God, I just wish Leo wanted to do something different with his life but he wants to follow in Conor's footsteps. Just the other day he expressed his desire to take over when Conor stepped down and I nearly broke out in tears. I had a different vision for him and the girls, but I guess you're right," she relented with a heavy sigh. Aliana had long accepted that this was her life and she wouldn't be able to get out of it. The moment Conor broke the news to her she stopped fighting it. However, she didn't want her children to go through similar things she had gone through, especially not her son. But knowing him he was definitely going to do whatever he wanted to do and there was little to nothing she could do to stop him.

The mention of vacation took her mind away from things. She perked up at the thought of it and smiled, nodding her head. "We haven't! Blake and I used to go back before the kids, but never all of us ladies together." She then turned her attention to Sinead, who had begun to list a number of things for them to do. "All of those sound like such a dream; why don't we do them all?" She stated. Her sister then joked about hiring the husbands a babysitter which Ali agreed with. "We'll swap it. The kids will babysit the husbands and make sure they're too busy to go causing trouble." Though it was a joke, the idea did sound semi-plausible.

At the mention of the great cookie debacle, Ali groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, don't remind me." She turned he attention to Sydney with a smile on her face. "Your big brother threw up for hours because he ate so many. He and his cousin thought it would be a great idea and paid the price. Don't be like him, okay?" Sydney stared at the half-eaten cookie in her hands before placing it on Aliana's lap, shaking her head. "I think I'm done now..." She said, folding her hands in her lap. Ali couldn't help but laugh as she moved the cookie to the tray holding the margaritas. "Syd, you could have finished that one." To which she just shook her head. Before Ali was able to say anything more they were joined by Savannah. The poor girl looked more stressed out than Ali had ever seen her and could only feel bad. She informed the group that she had gotten her point across to Conor. The woman couldn't help but give her a thumbs up. "As you should." It was no secret that Ali didn't agree with her husband's choice in dealing with the King family and she wasn't going to keep it as such.

When Conor sat next to Aliana, she got closer to him despite still being slightly upset. Sydney moved from her lap to his and Ali crossed her legs as a result. "I only had three." She pointed to the uneaten cookie on the table. "That one doesn't count." Ali asked her how it didn't count, only to be met with, "Because I didn't finish it." Aliana let out a slight laugh before shaking her head. Sinead mentioned their vacation and asked the men if they would be able to survive without them, to which Ali shook her head. "Oh no, there's no question. You'll have no choice," she joked. "The real question is where we're going and when!"


Sinead( Misty Gray )
Lucy ( Bellz )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~London~
Alexander King

Alex slowly shrugged his shoulders when Kerry mentioned his flirting. He had already been used to getting into trouble because of his flirting and only imagined it would continue. The number of fights he had gotten in still hadn't deterred him from doing so and probably wouldn't. "If I can't have a little fun with my life I may as well die." He stated, leaning back against his seat with his was stretched behind him. The moment she mentioned being able to handle him and his flirting Alex opened his mouth. For a moment he tried to determine if he should say what was on his mind just then but decided against it. The last thing he wanted was to have his siblings berate him again and get on his nerves, so he kept his perverse comment to himself.

Billy then went on to berate Harper for the lipstick on her face and mentioned the family's reputation. "Okay, hey, let the girl have her fun, Billy." Any astute person could tell that Billy was more than likely going off because he had feelings for Erik. Alex, on the other hand, just figured his brother had woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Alex teased Billy all the time and in turn, would have it done back to him. He was sure it had become some sort of routine between the two of them but now here he was being uptight. "When did'ya get so sensitive, Billy. Relax." Alex let out an annoyed sigh, shaking his head. Kelly soon returned with their shots and he watched Billy take one, giving him a skeptical look. His teasing couldn't have made him this upset, right? Or could it be he was more upset about his disagreement with Erik than he let on? Whatever the reason Alex didn't take his eyes off him until he took his own shot. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Erik made his way over with a bored look on his face. "There he is; the man of the hour." Alex grinned, glancing at Billy who had just quickly sat back down.

Erik opened his mouth to speak to Alex, though his attention was grabbed by Billy first. He closed his mouth into a tight-lipped grin and gave him a small wave before turning his attention back to Alex. "Bruce wants you in there," he stated, jerking his thumb back towards the room. Alex stared at him for a moment, tapping his finger against his seat before pushing himself up. "Ah, shit. Here we go." He said before making his way towards the room. He figured he was about to receive more berating from the older gentlemen in the room - Spencer included. His hand gripped the doorknob but he momentarily hesitated before going inside. "Gentlemen. What can I do for you today?"

The moment the door shut, Erik settled into the seat that once belonged to Alex further away from Billy. The man was still partially upset with him for his words a few days ago and it felt strange to see him now. He still hadn't apologized nor - in Erik's eyes - attempted to do so. So until he did, Erik was going to be distant towards him. He sat with his legs open, arms crossed as he bit at his fingernails. The man had been completely sober for days and it was starting to get to him in the worse way possible. He started bouncing his leg, eyes trying to avoid Billy's gaze before settling on the glasses in front of him. "Looks like you're having fun; must be nice."

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

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

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

"No, I'm not," he stated, shaking his head, "She really does. I'm pretty sure the others kids' mothers stay at home or do something boring but not you." He smiled, stroking a stray hair away from her face. "You're conquering giants." He let out a hearty chuckle when she said he was dodgy. It wasn't exactly a lie, considering he never really knew what to tell his kids when asked about what he does. 'Businessman' sounded too broad and he knew his kids for sure would only continue asking what kind of business. It had taken him years to get them to understand he did a lot of different stuff and mostly for their grandpa. That only led them to ask what grandpa did and him saying, "Runs New York City," had been taken a little too serious.

Teddy couldn't remember a time where his father had been in his life consistently. He'd show up during the night and would be gone in the morning off on business. If it weren't for the Moretti's then he would be doing something else involving his own businesses. He would be in multiple cities during the week and gone for so long that he believed the man had a second family or something. His father had just been married to his work more so his family. When Teddy and Valentina had first gotten married he promised her - and himself - that he would be a better husband than him. When they first found out they were pregnant he promised he would be a better father. So far, he liked to think he was doing a good job at both. Had she been alive, he figured his mother would be proud of him too. "Ah, don't worry. He's just in a rebellious phase." He paused for a moment, looking down at her. "Well the first of many, I think. His mother is quite rebellious too and it looks like he just caught onto it a bit earlier." He teased before growing serious. "I'll have a talk with him and see if I can get him to calm down just a little. I worry he'll get worse and then we won't be able to fix it right away."

"That's my girl." He whispered, rubbing her shoulder. "Now how about we celebrate this?" He gently pulled his arm back to get the waiter's attention before ordering them shots and drinks. "It's our date night after all, so what do you say we get into a little bit of trouble tonight?" He winked at her before glancing towards the table where Harmony and the others stood around. A part of him debated joining them if only to steal Julia and Ricky away - another couple he and Valentina got along with. But then again, date nights were uncommon in their household so it may have been nice to have the evening to themselves. "How do you think our Harmony is fairing with the others?"
Valentina ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Bellz]

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

Lorelei once again wasn't surprised when the woman stuck beside her abusive partner, however, it eased the redhead's conscience to know that she had at least tried to warn the woman. The bouncer told them that the man in question was on friendly terms with the owner and his status meant that the man couldn't do anything if he wanted to keep his job. Lorelei sighed in frustration and shook her head but didn't say anymore as they were lead out of the place. Once left alone, Benjie apologized for ruining the date and acting like a thug."[/b] Lorelei quickly shook her head once more, "You weren't acting anything like a thug, Benjamin. That man in there deserved every ounce of what you gave him and more. You did the right thing." She told him honestly. When he told her he would walk her back to her car, Lorelei smiled softly. "See? Thugs don't walk ladies back to their car." She tried to lighten the mood. She knew it would probably be a step too far given they were on the first date, but she moved to take his hand before leaning in to give him a peck on the cheek.

Before either of them could process what she'd just done, Lorelei also heard the sound of a vehicle following them. Benjamin looked behind him but Lorelei already had an uneasy feeling in her stomach as she guessed who was slowly following them. When he came to a stop Lorelei followed suit and she turned reluctantly towards the two cops as they got out of their car. One of them asked for Benjie's name and Lorelei was about to tell him not to answer until they knew why they were bothering them but he replied quickly before she had the chance to say a thing.

Benjie tried to tell the police that they should be talking to the abusive man in the restaurant but the cops interrupted him to tell him he was under arrest. Lorelei's jaw dropped before her face twisted in anger and frustration. "Now just a damn minute!" Lorelei said abruptly, letting go of Benjie's hand before taking two bold steps towards the cops, waving her finger at them angrily. "You have no right to arrest him! There is a man in that restaurant putting his hands on his partner, clearly abusing her! He's the one who needs to be locked up. Not the man who came to the woman's aid!"

She was sure the police were going to tell her to stand down or she would be arrested as well but Lorelei wasn't in any mood to be told what to do and she wasn't going to end this date leaving Benjie to fend for himself at the temp cell in the station. There was a brief moment where she hoped that her mom and dad would forgive her for what she was about to do but there was no going back now. "You arrest him, you arrest me too! But I am warning you, you will be hearing from my Uncle's family! The Sullivan's will rip a new one in your whole scanty department and I will see to it that you two are fired immediately!"
with: Benjie Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter​

With the distance the two had set between themselves for the past thirteen years, Syd had no idea of whether Roxie had enjoyed being a lawyer. He had no idea what leaving her job would mean to her or how hard the transition would be into her new position as head of the Biancardi family - whether it would be met with regret, relief or a combination of the two. What he did understand, however, was her wanting to remain in control. Syd had never been good at stepping down when his health demanded it, as it was often the case that he was too sick to understand how sick he was, but he still understood the difference between giving something up on one’s own terms and having it torn away. Still anxious about how to speak to her in case he said the wrong thing, Syd opted to say nothing and instead gave her an understanding nod.

However, it took a little more effort to maintain a neutral expression and keep his words to himself when Roxie mentioned Ricky. Unfortunately, at the time of Syd and Ricky’s first meeting, Syd had been in a highly anxious and paranoid period and so the two had never got off to a good start. Due to his rude and sarcastic manner, Ricky had put himself in Syd’s bad books - which, once in, was very hard to get out of - and it was partly him that had driven Syd to start his obsessive espionage against Roxie’s family. Even now, thirteen years later, it still worried him slightly to hear that Roxie trusted him to guide her. If Roxie’s judgement could be enough for him then maybe he would understand, but in all honesty he didn’t even know her well anymore, either. There weren’t many people whose judgement he could trust without needing to gather evidence of his own. “As long as Ricky agrees he made the right choice,” he found himself saying, before he could stop himself. The thought of Ricky being jealous of Roxie’s position yet still being the one to guide her came as a red flag to him; if he hadn’t been so firm with himself on his way into the café that he should avoid giving Roxie unwarranted advice then he might have pointed out the risk of trusting a jealous man. In their current circumstances, however, he did not feel it was his place to give his opinion on what was primarily her business.

Since Syd had taken care of the kids for a while following the shooting, he was aware that Roxie would have missed the initial impact that witnessing Matthew’s death had on them. The tear that fell from her eye when he brought them into the conversation revealed how upsetting it had been for her to finally see how their children were suffering. He wondered if she blamed herself. He hoped she didn’t.

It must have been for their sake that Roxie agreed to his proposition, he thought. Syd had expected more hesitancy from her - without questioning her devotion to her children, his surprise was purely down to the fact that the two hadn’t spent one-on-one time together since JJ was born and of course the terms on which they had separated. He had left the ball in her court and even now Syd still didn’t feel that he had the right to make any sort of first move. After the initial surprise came the relief, followed by a wave of confusion at her use of the word ‘wonderful’. Unsure if her enthusiasm was something worth reading into, Syd took a drink of his coffee to quieten his mind before it could get ahead itself.

He looked across the table at her when she began talking about Matthew again and how much he loved the kids. Syd had always been naturally wary of another man raising his children, especially someone he didn’t know, but there was nothing he could do about his consternation that he didn’t think Roxie would find out about. After seeing how hurt she had been over his spying on her family, he had made a rule to leave alone the people in Roxie’s life, particularly those closest to her. If Matthew had ever hurt the kids, of course, he would have tried to kill him, but thankfully he never needed to take such action. He seemed to have had a positive impact on them, especially on JJ, whom Syd knew looked up to the man more than he let on. Despite his suspicion and jealousy of Mr. Perfect, he knew that he was a better choice for Roxie than most men. Clearly better than himself.

Syd shifted awkwardly in his seat when Roxie commented that he understood the kids better than she did. He wondered what she was basing that on, given that she never really saw how he acted around the kids. She didn’t see his mood swings or the breakdowns anymore, and while he did his best to keep it to himself, he often couldn’t control himself well enough to hide it. That being said, it did help him to understand the kids’ own emotional outbursts in a way that Roxie might not - but from the way she was talking, he wasn’t sure she was giving herself enough credit as a mother.

Going into their meeting, Syd knew that the conversation would be a heavy one, but the unexpected compliments on his parenting had him blushing. With a deep breath, he sat back in his seat and let his gaze fall into his lap. He found himself shaking his head, before finally looking back over to her. “I know how hard it is to know when to take time for yourself,” he said. “Letting go of responsibility, letting someone else fill in for you. The guilt and shame of not being able to do what you can normally do...it’s hard. But I’m glad you let yourself have that time, Roxie. Fortunately I’m well experienced in trauma, so they were in good hands.”

He shot her a grin, as if it might lighten the mood. Talking so candidly with Roxie was sending him back to a time in which he knew he no longer belonged; if their arrangement was going to work, he knew would need to figure out how to be with her in a new way. They had only ever been intimately close or painfully distant - everywhere inbetween was totally unfamiliar. They would now be setting foot on brand new ground, with new rules that they had yet to figure out. What scared him was how soft she was acting towards him. Her compliments may have been coming from a place of guilt more than anything else, but he still hadn’t been expecting it. He almost wished she would be mean to him, cold in posture and short with her words. It would at least make it easier to stay in the present, rather than revert back to the past…

“You, uh...you should give yourself some more credit, you know,” he reminded her, clearing his throat as he sat forward to rest his elbows back on the table. “Sure our kids have their issues, but don’t we all? I mean, you say you never doubted me, but I haven’t always been there. Those years I was locked up…” With a small shake of the head, he trailed off, not feeling like he needed to remind her of his time spent in prison and the impact it had on their kids. “Look, you took that time not just because you needed it, but because you knew it was the right thing to do. You agreed to let me take the kids for their sakes just as much as your own. There have been weekends where I probably should have asked you to keep them with you instead but didn’t...because I thought I could handle it, I wanted the company, or I just didn’t want to make things difficult for you, or I didn’t want to admit that I wasn’t doing well. But when you knew you needed time, you put the kids first by sending them to me instead. That makes you a great mam, Roxie. That, and the fact our kids adore you. Especially JJ - who knew we’d end up with a mamma’s boy?”

Letting another smile spread across his face, Syd took a moment to drink some more coffee. He felt a little better now that he had pay her some sort of compliment in return, though the fact that their meeting was going so well still made him nervous. His smile faded as he gazed into the remainder of his coffee, unsure of how to proceed. “Roxie, I, um…” he began, still not meeting her eye. Beneath the table, his leg was jittering again. “This isn’t just about the kids. I wanted to check in with you because...well, I-I just - I wasn’t sure if you...if you had someone to…” The nerves had spread into his chest, making his heartbeat quicken as he struggling to express how much he cared about her without saying it so explicitly. Recognising that he needed to calm down, he gave up on his sentence momentarily in favour of taking a deep breath. Then, in a steady, drawn-out voice, he said, “If you ever want to talk about him, or anything, I’m always ready to listen. I want to make sure you never feel unsupported or alone.”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie

 

[Misty Gray]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Gabriel Moretti and Spencer King​

Gabriel was pleased to hear Bruce tell Spencer he was right. Whilst he respected Spencer's position in the King family, it was only from Bruce himself that he invited challenge or criticism towards his proposals. Not that Gabriel would do anything to indicate such a feeling. He was a guest of the Kings, so far be it for him to put Spencer in his place, especially when Bruce was there to do so. Besides which, he wished to treat the Kings as allies, or at the very least, close business associates, therefore he intended to show them the respect they deserved in this meeting. Many other associates or rivals weren't often graced with his more agreeable side.

Spencer let out a deep breath through his nose when Bruce confirmed Gabriel was right and spoke of the real potential for the Sullivans to attack a second time. He knew it was his own pride that didn't want to accept help from outsiders, especially fancy old-fashioned blokes shipped in from America. But beneath the bravado, Spencer was an intelligent man. He knew his family couldn't beat the Irish in a war, not as their numbers currently stood. The Italians were powerful and had men at their disposal - added to that, they had first-hand experience of defeating the Sullivans. "No, I can't tell you we'd let the Sullivans get their way," he relented at his uncle's words. "I won't stand for Sav keeping Callum in Ireland, and neither will Alex. I'd rather be smacked about again than just back away and let them take the kid. He's our family." He nodded in agreement at Bruce's words about not underestimating the Sullivans.

"I can confirm the Irish are not afraid to cross the line," Gabriel echoed Bruce's words. "Furthermore, I find your family's commitment to Callum admirable."

Bruce went on to discuss the proposed arrangement. The Englishman was hesitant to make things official until after he'd met with Conor Sullivan. It was a wise action to take, Gabriel couldn't deny that. On Bruce's request to keep the deal on a provisional basis, Gabriel thought it over before slowly nodding his head. Although it wasn't the best outcome of the meeting, Gabriel was a patient man and he truthfully believed tensions with the Sullivans would only escalate for the Kings. As Bruce put forward his deal, Gabriel sat back and folded his arms over his chest. The offer was reasonable and Gabriel was sure business between them would continue beyond the proposed month. "A month's trial sounds like a good idea for both of us. I am willing to accept your offer on the provision we revisit the terms in one month's time." Whilst it may be a risk, Gabriel decided the Kings would be foolish to cross him. Being outnumbered by the Sullivans was nothing when compared to making enemies of the Morettis. "Looks like you'll be working overtime," Gabriel lightly teased Erik, although his stern expression made it seem like a serious command more than anything else. "I'll ensure a couple more of my senior men are stationed in London to oversee and organise the manpower I provide." Despite using the word 'men', one of the first people he was considering placing in London was in fact Tatiana.

When Bruce expressed his desire to have Alex and Gabriel meet, Spencer looked curiously to his uncle. He hoped his brother was prepared to meet the stern Italian. By 'prepared', he meant sober, given his siblings had been left out of the meeting to instead hang out drinking in the bar. Still, Spencer didn't speak up or step in to fetch Alex. Given the seriousness and the importance of the meeting, he trusted his brothers were being on their best behaviour. Besides, Spencer didn't want to contradict the instructions Bruce had given for Erik to send Alex in.

"Great idea. I'm keen to meet Alexander," Gabriel told Bruce, before he sent Erik an approving nod. The Italian then took the time out to refill his glass with brandy, taking a small drink from it as he waited for Alex to enter the room. He then stood up from his seat so he was ready to greet a younger member of the King family.

When his brother entered the room, Spencer gave him a serious, but welcoming, pat of the shoulder before closing the door behind them. Still adopting the duty as host, having overseen the setup of the meeting, Spencer stood between his brother and Gabriel to introduce them. "Alex, this is Gabriel Moretti. Gabriel, this is Alex," Spencer introduced the pair. He then motioned to the Italian's daughter. "And this is Gabriel's eldest daughter, Tatiana."

Gabriel outstretched his arm and gave Alex a firm handshake. "I'm pleased to finally meet you, Alexander," the Italian told him. He then sat back in his seat and motioned for Alex to occupy the spot on the sofa beside Bruce, even if it wasn't his room to be commanding. With his brother now occupying his former seat, Spencer sat in the seat Erik had been using. "I've been hearing you're having some trouble with the Sullivans, where your boy is concerned. After what happened to your brother," he said, glancing to Spencer, "I want to assure you that the Sullivans can't keep you from seeing your child." He then looked to Bruce, seeing if the man had other reasons for wishing to introduce him to Alex.

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

 

[Misty Gray]

Le Restaurant
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Benjamin Reznik​

The way Lorelei had assured him that he wasn't acting like a thug and that he'd done the right thing had filled Benjamin with some relief. He wished he could hold on to that reassurance as he was being confronted by the police. He also wished he could get lost in the fact she had held his hand and pecked him on the cheek. The fact she had done those things despite his behaviour made him think he hadn't completely ruined their date, nor the possibly of seeing her in the future. He hoped he would get the chance to sit with her again because he would explain why he had done what he had. She seemed more mature than the girls he'd dated in the past. He felt she deserved an explanation and he already trusted her enough to talk about his mother's suffering which led to her eventual murder. It was the reason he couldn't ignore bullies. It was the reason he was sure that, despite the worry and remorse he was presently feeling, it wouldn't stop him from stepping in again if he saw another man mistreating a woman.

Benjamin felt sick when one of the cops told him he was under arrest. Having visited his father in jail since he was a boy, he'd grown to appreciate his freedom and fear the idea of being locked away in a cell. He swallowed hard as a lump formed in his throat and his heartbeat pounded in his chest. "No, but, I--" he began, silenced as Lorelei spoke up against the officers. "Wait!" he began, reaching out to try stop Lorelei, but freezing on the spot as one of the cops apparently squared up to him. "The guy was hurting that lady in the restaurant. She was scared, I could tell," Benjamin backed up Lorelei's protest.

"Funny. The call I received wasn't from any scared lady, and it was about Reznik here punching a man." When Lorelei told the Gardai to arrest her too, the cop stepped forward to try intimidate Lorelei. "The Sullivans? Yeah, I've heard that one a million times before. Now step aside before I arrest you for obstruction," the officer ordered her.

"No! Leave her out of it," Benjamin protested, stepping forward so he could put himself between the cops and Lorelei. Instead, one of the officer's grabbed Benjamin's arm and twisted it behind his back. He pushed him forward against the police car before forcefully cuffing the young's man hands behind his back. Although Benjamin didn't resist, he was still practically forced into the back seat of the car.

The second cop looked to Lorelei and pointed into the back of the vehicle. "You can give me your name now or back at the station. You're under arrest for obstruction and threatening officers of the law," he told her.

Although it was only a short drive to the station, it seemed to last for hours. Benjamin and Lorelei were immediately locked into one of the holding cells down the corridor before the cops took their names again, lazily filling in some paperwork. After ignoring Benjamin's repeated demands for a phone call, one of the cops eventually took down the names and numbers of the contacts the two detainees wished for the cops to call. Even then, they didn't seem to put it as a priority on their list of jobs to do.

Left alone in the cell together, Benjamin sat on the bolted down iron bench, alongside Lorelei. "Either they're too stupid to realise we're telling the truth about knowing the Sullivans. Or... they just want to make us stew. Either way, I guess they're stupid," he commented. His right foot nervously bounced on the floor as the thought of being locked away filled him with anxiety. He'd given the cop Aidan's number, knowing his guardian had a lot of contact with the Sullivans, and he knew Lorelei's parents had the same contacts. Still, he wasn't convinced the cops were going to make the calls in a hurry. "This place makes me uncomfortable. Like... I don't even like being stuck in my apartment for too long without feeling trapped. And I told my dad I'd keep out of trouble," he disappointedly told Lorelei. He then looked to her and faintly smiled. "I wish you hadn't got yourself arrested too. I mean, I appreciate your company and you standing up for me, but I shouldn't have dragged you into trouble with me." Despite his words, he was sure she knew what she was doing and was tough enough to make her own decisions. "I'm glad you don't think I'm a thug," he told her, remembering what she'd said and how she followed it up with a kiss on his cheek.

Bellz (Lorelei)

 

[Misty Gray]

Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan and Savannah Callahan
Sinead and Liam Callahan​

Conor knew Aliana was upset with him, but it wasn't exactly a rare occurrence. In the past, she'd been upset with him for his reckless, drunken behaviour. For which he would have apologised and gone out of his way to make it up to her for. Nowadays, she was annoyed with him for the decisions and actions he had intentionally taken. His behaviour was now calculated and decided with careful consideration. It was for those reasons that he couldn't always apologise and therefore his wife was likely to be upset with him for longer. He certainly wasn't going to apologise for arranging the attack on Spencer King. The man deserved having the chip knocked off of his shoulder and Conor would do the same again if it meant keeping the Kings in their place. That wasn't to say Conor was perfectly at ease with the man he'd had to become, but he believed it was necessary to protect his family. He would rather have a living wife who was pissed off with him than have his loved ones killed or hurt at the hands of an enemy he'd allowed to evolve.

Conor smiled when Sydney sat on his lap. The ray of sunshine always did make him smile. He looked suspicious as his daughter told him she'd only had three cookies. The uneaten half on the table didn't last for long before Conor grabbed it and stuffed it into his mouth. Once he'd chewed and swallowed the cookie he shrugged his shoulders. "Can't let it go to waste, kiddo... I'm mostly disappointed you couldn't finish all of them. Poor effort," he told Sydney, but let out a playful laugh to show he was joking.

With mention of the women going on a vacation, Conor grinned and nodded towards Peter. "Here that, Pete? A bit of peace and quite for us lads. You ladies go right ahead. Take as looooong as you need..." he teased. "We can turn this place into a party mansion," he continued on. Despite it being exactly what a younger Conor would have done with a big house to himself, the more likely scenario was he'd be bogged down with work and would probably end up eating takeaways every night due to lack of time to prepare a homecooked meal. "

The telephone ringing interrupted the conversation until Sinead leaned over to take the call. After a brief silence as she listened to the man on the other end of the line, she held the phone up. "Conor, it's for you," she announced. "And what am I, your receptionist?" she grumbled.

"Not with an attitude like that, you're not, Tink," Conor muttered back. He lifted Sydney off of his lap before getting up to take the handset from Sinead. After a brief conversation, Conor handed the receiver back to Sinead, who proceeded the roll her eyes at him before placing it back down on the hook.

After feeling in his back pocket for his car keys, Conor leaned into Aliana and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Alright, I need to head out for a bit. Got a problem with the pigs that needs sorting, but I should be back soon." After playfully ruffling Sydney's hair, he made a quick exit to attend to the matter in question.

Savannah glared at Conor as he walked away. She had to force herself to hold back any comments about him rushing off to go beat someone up. Thankfully, having the children around made it easy for her to hold her tongue. Instead, she sat back and allowed Callum to snuggle up against her. "You're not wanting to go to bed already, are you? I thought Batman like staying up late?" she teased, to which the boy quickly sat up straight and protested about how he was very much still wide awake.

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

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin~

Emery Callahan​

Emery had gone out to the bar and grabbed a selection of snacks for Shinoa. Having overheard Elena telling Martin to order good for Adam, Emery caught the barman to ask for food too. When she returned to the staff canteen, she placed the crisps and chocolate down on the table. "Martin's getting some fries for us soon," she told the teenager.

When Shinoa said she wasn't sure where else she could stay if not at the dirty hotel, Emery casually shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't sure if any of her family would be able to offer her a room. She knew her parents' house was already busy with Braden and Savannah crashing there along with the little ones. And she knew Conor wouldn't have any strangers staying on his premises, not considering the secretive nature of his business and the types of visitors he had. But that didn't mean there weren't other options. And if her extended family didn't have capacity, she knew her uncle literally owned hotels and residential accommodations across Dublin. "Ah, don't you worry about that. There's plenty of options, even if it's a hotel room or empty apartment, it'll be better than the shitty one you're living in right now."

Seeing the teenager getting emotional, Emery looked to Thomas, hoping he'd step in. She wasn't good at the whole reassuring and consoling people, especially not strangers. "You're safe now, so try not to dwell on what could have happened, because it didn't. Not that I don't understand how scary and shocking that could be, but... What doesn't kill us, we should use as an experience to make us stronger. I just hope what didn't kill me makes Adam stronger," she remarked. She was almost completely sure the bullets had been intended for her, and despite her light tone, she was concerned about Adam. Nobody had tried to kill her before and it was a strange feeling to witness someone directly take a bullet for her. Pride and bravado aside, she was relieved Adam had been paying attention when he had. "I can't tell you too much, but... With us lot is the safest place you can be, so you need to try relax as much as you can so you don't like, stress the baby and give birth in this grubby pub, yeah?" she said, flashing a smile.

Having just left Elena and Adam, Martin stood in the canteen doorway. "Hey, Thomas. Adam needs to make a call to your family. Ask them to send one of the medics here to check on his wound. There's a lot of blood. The floor's a mess..." Martin pulled an uncomfortable expression, trying not to think too much about the bloody restroom.

"You might be best calling my mum's place. I think they were all having a get together there. Maybe also ask about a place for her to stay," Emery suggested to her cousin. She then looked to Shinoa, feeling bad for referring to her as 'her'. "I'm sorry, I don't think I got your name? With the whole shooting and everything, my mind is bouncing off of the walls," she explained to the teenager.


Bellz (Thomas)
BloodLightning27 (Shinoa)

 

[Bellz]

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

Peter sent his daughter a small smile as she stated that she understood where he was coming from along with having an understanding of what she needed to do from here on out. When Conor stated that they were done with the conversation, Peter let out a heavy sigh, not realizing that he had been holding his breath periodically since the tense conversation began. It finally felt like he could breathe easy again now that everything was said and done.

Conor stated that he wouldn't stand in the way of Alex coming to see his son and added that he wouldn't give Kerry a piece of his mind if Blake agreed to allow the woman to stay in Ireland. Peter smirked to himself as the final words on the topic were exchanged and when Savvy stated that she was going to go check on Callum, Peter and Conor both took that as their cue to return to their wives. Conor stated that he was sure that twinkle toes was missing him and Peter chuckled softly. "Ahh, I'm sure she's been enjoying her time with the ladies, between Braden, Liam, and myself, she's outnumbered most of the time at home anyway. She normally has just little Hattie to hang with. It's nice to have Savvy here to keep her company, I'm glad we've convinced her to stay." Peter murmured before following his brother-in-law out of the conservatory, shutting the door behind him.

***​

Lucy giggled as her sister suggested that they hire babysitters for Conor and Peter but she couldn't help but think if James was out of prison, he would be able to keep the men in check. Ali suggested that the kids would babysit the adults and make sure they were too busy to get into trouble and Lucy briefly smiled before her expression faded. Thinking about James back in New York without her there was always the first thing on her mind ever since she arrived in Ireland. This was the longest she had been away from him since he first ended up at Riker's and Lucy did her best to hide her worries from everyone.

She had mentioned the cookie incident to get her mind off of her husband but it was pretty much useless as she barely heard Ali speaking to her daughter about how Leo also got sick. Lucy was snapped out of her thoughts when Savvy took a seat next to her and the older blonde offered her niece a smile but let her mother speak to her as Lucy just listened quietly. She heard the conversation between Callum and Savvy before Peter and Conor joined them. She was saddened by the fact that Callum couldn't quite understand the situation between his parents much like her own grandchildren struggled to understand the situation between Roxie and Syd. It was something that they were all going to struggle with until they were older teenagers at least.

Once the other men joined them, Lucy finally regained enough of her emotions to smile at her brother and brother-in-law. Conor asked what the ladies were plotting but Lucy left it up to Sinead and Aliana to answer because they were the ones whose husbands would be affected by their trip away. Peter didn't respond to Sinead's question about things being sorted, wanting to make sure they could talk in private later about it but instead responded to the ladies wanting to go on a trip. His brother-in-law grinned at him stating that they would have a bit of peace and quiet. Peter let out a curt laugh before shaking his head. "I think you sorely underestimate just how well these ladies keep the kids in line, Con." Peter stated before he rolled his eyes at Conor stating they would turn his house into a party mansion. "Oh Lord, when is the last time we had a party without the women being involved in the planning? I think it was back when James first took over...remember how trashed your place was?" Peter asked but before any more could be said, the phone rang and Sinead moved to answer it.

With one brow raised as he looked towards his wife, Peter was wondering who could be calling when Sinead held up the phone to Conor. Peter went a little stiff as he watched his brother-in-law take the call, wondering if there was about to be trouble. Peter watched him intently before the man hung up the phone, once it was clear that he didn't need Peter, the blonde man relaxed next to his wife before placing his arm around her shoulder. He silently wondered what the issue with the police was but decided to leave it alone until Conor briefed him later on.

Peter noticed his daughter glaring at her Uncle as he walked away and Peter shook his head silently, hoping that she would try to let it go for the time being. He decided not to say anything to her but instead focused his attention on Callum who looked a little tired. "Even Batman has to get some sleep!" Peter teased as he watched the boy sit up straight before looking at the woman. "Where are you ladies planning on going? I know things are running smoothly right now...but I'm not sure if it's the best idea to travel too far...I have an uneasy feeling about the future." Peter murmured just as Hattie barreled into the room. "Hattie, my angel! What in god's name is all over your sweet face!" Peter asked as he reached out his arms for her to sit on his lap. Hattie giggled and hiccuped, "Chocolate!" Hattie squealed and Peter shook his head, looking to Sinead with a sweet smile. "You expect us boys to be able to take care of these cookie monsters while you're gone?"
with: Sinead + Conor + Savvy + Callum Misty Gray ; Ali + Sydney Melanin-Gxdess

***​

JJ wanted desperately to share the same optimism as Liam about his parents getting back together, but Grandma Lucy had been very clear that the meeting was for other reasons than what JJ had been hoping. Being so young, JJ didn't understand what was appropriate in terms of time spent grieving. He didn't understand that it was perhaps way too soon for anything to happen between his parents. Although he missed Matthew greatly and understood that his mother loved the man very much, his death gave his parents an opportunity that JJ didn't get to see in his younger years, or at least...didn't understand could happen. "Grandma says they are just meeting to discuss us...and mom told us the same thing. I don't really want to get my hopes up, you know?"

JJ went quiet for a long moment before shaking his head, "I just don't understand why they aren't together now. Mom and Dad won't explain to us what happened, they won't tell us anything! I feel like their life together before we were born is just one big secret and it's stupid." JJ clenched his fist together and shook his head again before taking a deep breath to steady himself. Looking at Liam, JJ sighed and tried to smile for Liam's sake. "Sorry...sometimes it just makes me so mad. But...there isn't really anything I can do about it. Which is why I get mad, I guess." JJ said before doing his best to change the subject. "Anyway, how's it been since your older sister has been home?"


with: Liam Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

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

Harper raised a brow as she watched Billy protest dramatically that there was nothing going on between him and Erik. There was a small grin on her face as he made a scene up until he used the word that Harper had berated him for using in the past. Harper's jaw dropped but her shock quickly turned into anger. Before she could get a word out, Billy turned on her and told her to get a room as they had their family's business reputation to worry about. Harper glowered at Billy, "Well excuse me for being the only one who has a good time in this family nowadays! I shouldn't have to worry about our family's homophobic, masculine reputation while I'm out having fun! It's not my job to keep the business's reputation in mind when you sore pricks won't even let me be involved, to begin with!" Harper growled at Billy. Before she could say anything more, Alex told Billy to let her have her fun and Harper nodded her head in agreement, crossing her arms and staring daggers at Billy from across the table.

In any other scenario, if Alex or Spencer would have told her off the way Billy had, Harper would have shrugged it off and continued on with her evening. But Billy and she were so close that Harper took it extremely personally. His words hurt horribly and Harper was hell-bent on making sure Billy knew it at another time and place. But she had her pride and her date to think about at that moment, along with the fact that if she were to make a scene in the club she was sure she'd be kicked out regardless of the fact that her family owned the place. Kerry soon returned to the table with the men's shots and Harper stood up, ready to leave. As she was about to say her goodbyes, Erik showed up at the table and Billy stood up almost immediately. Her brother clearly tried to play off his excitement by sitting back down, acting as if he was readjusting his seat. There was a reason Harper was the actor in the family and Billy just solidified that act with his mediocre performance of hiding his attraction for Erik.

Harper looked to Alex to see if he noticed but she was sure her second eldest brother was just as clueless as the rest of the men in her family were. Hearing that Alex was needed, Harper knew for sure that she would take her leave. Watching Erik sit down, she noticed the air between him and Billy before rolling her eyes at their small talk, scoffing to herself. Erik stated that it looked like Billy was having fun and Harper let out a curt laugh, "By fun you mean sucking the life out of every living being who comes within his reach? Sure, he's having a blast!" Looking to her brother, Harper glared at him further. "I have absolutely no idea what your problem is but next time you tell me off like that you are going to be wearing your drinks instead of ingesting them!" Harper snapped at him before moving to brush her hair behind her shoulder as she sauntered back towards her table with her date. Once seated, Esmeralda had been curious to know where she ended up and Harper let out a sigh, "Just ran into someone I use to know." She said, shrugging her shoulders as her eyes watered ever so slightly.

Esmeralda seemed to be oblivious to the fact that Harper was upset but that was exactly the way the blonde wanted it to be as she flagged down another waitress to order a few more drinks to the table. Her date wanted to kiss some more but Harper gently shoved her away in protest, not in the mood to have any more fun with the beautiful woman sat next to her. Harper's eyes looked around the restaurant really wondering if her actions affected the reputation of her family's business or if Billy was firing homophobic shots at her to deflect his own homosexuality. Either way, it had hurt her and Harper was ready to drown herself in liquor until she couldn't feel anything but her body buzzing along to the music in the club.
with: Alex + Erik Melanin-Gxdess ; Billy Pyroclast ; Kerry Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

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

Given the fact that Thomas hadn't actually caught up with the assholes that shot Adam, Thomas couldn't tell Emery if Shinoa's description of the man who grabbed her was accurate or not but when the pregnant teen said that the man definitely had an Irish accent, Thomas's brows furrowed in confusion. Hearing where the young woman was staying, Emery didn't seem to please with the girl's situation but Thomas wasn't so sure what could be done for her. Before he had much time to think about it, Thomas quickly went to retrieve some snacks like Emery asked for and returned with peanuts and pretzels. "It's not a 5-star meal but it'll hold you over until we can find you some real food." Thomas said with a weak smile.

Thomas was still troubled to hear that the young woman didn't have anywhere else to go if she couldn't stay in the hotel. He actually had an idea of who to ask for help but considering he wasn't on great speaking terms with his mother, he wasn't so sure how to ask. He didn't want her to get her hopes up and think that just because he was asking for a favor that he was ready to talk. When Shinoa asked where she could go next, Thomas bit the inside of his cheek, looking to Emery to see if she would suggest something before he went ahead and pitched his idea.

When his cousin didn't seem to have any idea of what to do and when Shinoa went on to say that she would have to go from one homeless shelter to the next if she couldn't stay in the hotel, Thomas let out a small sigh before clearing his throat. "Well, I don't like the idea of you staying in that shitty hotel either and since you don't have any other place to go..." He paused for a moment to think about if he really wanted to offer his mother's assistance without asking her first. He'd never ever know Lucy to turn away someone in need, adult or child. She was so charitable and good-natured, many people loved that quality about her. Thomas had grown to resent it to an extent, in his childhood, he felt that while yes his mother loved him, she focused a lot of her attention on helping those in need, those who weren't a part of his family. He thought that she focused on others so much that she didn't see just how much Thomas was suffering from it. But if it wasn't for her, Thomas wouldn't have learned that helping others was important, even just a little bit of help went a long way. But in a different aspect, she helped so many people to the point that she didn't have time to help herself, a quality that would hurt her later down the line. Thomas had adopted that to a point, hell, here he was working for his Uncle, helping this woman he didn't even know ignoring his own needs.

"My mother...I've never known her to turn away someone in need. She's somewhat of an Irish Mother Teresa." Thomas said with a smirk, looking to Emery to see if she agreed with him. "We can talk to her and see if she can make arrangements for you to stay under our protection for the time being. I know some people in our family won't be too keen on having a stranger living under one of our roofs but, she is a very persuasive woman...annoyingly so in fact." Thomas said with a small emotionless laugh before shaking his head to himself.

"She's got more than enough experience with children and loves babies. I think she would be the best person to have help you at this point. Emery and I don't want you to go off on your own with those lunatics out on the loose, especially in your condition." Thomas murmured, looking her up and down before his eyes returned to look at her face. Despite feeling extremely awkward about the fact that he was going to have to talk with his mother when he didn't want to, Thomas made sure to smile kindly at the young woman. "Once we are done here, I'll escort you back to the hotel to get your stuff and we can make arrangements to stay with someone in our family effective immediately. How does that sound?" Thomas asked, hoping to quell the woman's concerns.

Just then, Martin came over to tell Thomas to call his family to send a medic. Thomas was tense as he listened to the man relay the condition Adam was in and the mess that was created trying to patch him up. Emery stated that it would be best to call Aunt Sinead's place and Thomas nodded firmly. "I'll ask them about giving the young lady a place to stay, I'm sure my mother will find somewhere for her." Thomas murmured before excusing himself to make the call. He waited only a second before his Aunt picked up the phone. Thomas was calm in instructing her to have a medic sent to the pub, reassuring her and the others around that Adam would be okay and that they were all okay. After that was said in done Thomas asked to speak with his mother.

"Thomas? Are you alright?" Lucy asked clearly worried and Thomas nodded his head despite her not being able to see it. "I'm alright, mom. Listen, we got a heavily pregnant young woman who was unfortunately caught in the middle of the shooting, she's not hurt or anything but Emery, and I don't feel comfortable leaving her alone. She's staying in a shitty hotel and she looks like she's about to pop..." Lucy was silent on the other end as Thomas took a moment to work up the nerve to ask her for a favor. "Do you think....do you think you could help us find her a place to stay? Possibly with someone in the family? I don't feel right leaving her alone in that horrible place." Thomas wasn't surprised as Lucy immediately agreed with him. "Of course, love. Make sure Adam is okay and patched up well and then bring her over to your Aunt's place...Finn and George have plenty of room at their place so I'll make sure to call them when I get off with you." Thomas smiled softly to himself, knowing that there was no way on earth his mother would have denied someone in need of shelter. He was silent and Lucy had to say his name a few times before he replied, "Hmm?'

"I just wanted to make sure you are doing okay...because of the shooting." Lucy said with hesitancy, knowing in the past her youngest son tended to snap at her for asking such a thing. Thomas let out a soft sigh, "I'm okay, mom, really...thank you for asking." He paused for a moment before saying, "And thank you for helping me out...with this...I uh...I love you." It was his mother's turn to go silent and he was sure she was processing what he'd just said. It had been years since he'd told her he loved her. "I love you too, Thomas. I'd do anything for you...you know that." Thomas nodded his head to himself, before awkwardly saying, "Well, I'll see you soon." And with that, he hung up. Thomas took a moment to regain himself, feeling such strong emotions about the conversation he just had that it made his chest extremely tight.

Deciding to go find Adam, Thomas walked around the pub until he found him with Elena looking horribly shaken. Thomas's first instinct was to make sure she was safe but Thomas looked to Adam first, "Well don't you look like shit." He stated, his tone teasing with a smirk on his face. "Medics are on the way." Thomas told him before turning to Elena, "You okay, Elena? Do you need some water or something? You look faint."
with: Emery + Adam Misty Gray ; Shinoa BloodLightning27 ; Elena Pyroclast
mentions: Sinead Misty Gray ; Lucy (me)

 

[Bellz]

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

Roxie wasn't expecting Syd to give her any reassurance or compliments. She wasn't fishing for them because deep down she didn't need them. Roxie understood her flaws as a parent, she had understood them well from the very beginning and had been able to sit with those flaws for a long time. However, she knew how much her children needed her to be a mother who could provide for them in their time of need and she honestly did feel like she had failed. As unfamiliar as they were with each other now, the way they talked to one another felt like it had when they were together, at least before things took a nosedive. Roxie could sense the confusion Syd had and she knew he was expecting her to act differently than she was towards him but...she just didn't have the energy to continue to be cold and stand-offish with him any further. Syd told her that she should give herself more credit but Roxie simply shrugged softly. He then pointed out that their kids had issues but insinuated that everyone did. He reminded her of when he was locked up as if that would change what she had said about her doubts of him being there for the kids. Roxie understood when things were out of someone's control. Was she very angry with him at the time? Of course and she remembered vividly letting him have it before his trial but Roxie understood now at least that what was done was done...things could have gone differently but they hadn't. It was one of the man hardships their children had to face but she tried to reframe it and hoped that it at least made them stronger.

Roxie looked into Syd's eyes as he explained that her taking the time she needed was a good thing. Hearing him admit that there were weekends when he probably should have asked her to keep the kids made her think back to the many times JJ would come home and tell her that he was worried about his father. The girls normally would keep quiet about it, not wanting to risk not seeing Syd on the weekends but JJ's young mind couldn't help but spew everything that happened during his time at his father's out to Roxie. Despite hearing about his breakdowns in front of the children, Roxie never once tried to limit his time with them. Although they had only been together for a little over a year, Roxie had become more than familiar with Syd's emotions, with what he could and could not handle, what really made him tick. JJ was the only one who would tell her exactly how Syd was when the kids were over, the only one who didn't sugarcoat things for her sake. She knew that if she were to limit his time with the kids or altogether just take it away from him...he would break. Roxie didn't want to do that to him or the kids, so despite the stories she heard from her son, Roxie continued to allow the kids to go. She did make it clear to him on a few occasions that she was more than willing to keep them if he needed some time to himself but knowing Syd, he never liked to be alone with his thoughts for too long.

Syd stated that Roxie knew when she needed the time and she put the kids first by sending them to him instead of allowing them to watch her fall apart. A small smile played on her lips as she lifted her coffee with both hands to take a sip. He'd always said she was a great mom, but she had her doubts about her parenting skills as she had in the past. After taking a drink, Roxie lowered her coffee and let out a small laugh as Syd spoke about JJ being a mamma's boy. "Hate to break it to you, Syd. But he got that from you. That boy won't leave my side unless it's to go to school or your house. I have to force him to go interact with people his age instead of watching me file paperwork all day." Roxie's smile grew wider thinking about their son, their little surprise. It had come as a shock to them both that she was pregnant with him after they had separated.

Roxie was at her lowest point when she found out and she had felt she was going to go even further down once she told Syd that she was pregnant. She intended to move back to New York, to get on with her life but her surprise pregnancy caused her to stay. Despite wanting to do everything on her own, carrying JJ had been just as brutal as carrying the twins in terms of sickness and Syd didn't hesitate to help her when she asked. They were both left wondering what would become of them after JJ was born...caught in a tangle of emotions both sad and exciting. Roxie thought she was going to suffocate in the mess but once JJ was born, she knew what she had to do for herself and her children. At the time of his birth, she had contemplated just giving in to Syd, just keeping the relationship alive for the sake of her children having parents who were together. But Roxie knew well what it was like to have parents who lived under the same roof and despised one another, it was a lonely, confusing life that she didn't wish on any of her children. She knew that the girls at least were angry with her for not staying with Syd...but the ironic part was that she did it so they would be happy. So they didn't have to feel caught in the middle of a hollow relationship that was only keeping up appearances for everyone else around them.

Syd smiled at her and Roxie found herself smiling softly back. She knew in her heart if they would have tried to make things work, wasting years of each other's time trying to spark a flame that had been blown out the minute he lied to her...she wouldn't be sitting here allowing him to speak with her. She knew she would treat him less than the ground she walked on if they had done that. Their children may continue to be upset with them...but Roxie understood now that they had made the best decision to keep what they had of their mutual relationship alive. The silence between them felt like an eternity as Syd's smile faded and Roxie wondered what he was thinking. Tilting her head slightly, Syd finally spoke telling her this meeting wasn't just about the kids. Her face remained composed as her heart leaped into her throat, wondering what the hell he meant by that. He slowly said that he wanted to check in with her because he wanted to make sure she had someone to...what? Roxie was dying for him to get whatever he wanted to say out as she shifted in her seat slightly. Despite wanting to tell him to spit it out, she kept her mouth shut as she allowed him to continue to process what he wanted to say.

She could see that he was really getting nervous, his leg shaking the table ever so slightly underneath it. Finally, he took a breath to regain control before stating that if she ever wanted to talk about Matthew or anything, he was always ready to listen. Syd then said he wanted to make sure she never felt unsupported or alone. Roxie's throat seemed to close up as an unexpected emotion seized her in its grasp, threatening to release everything she had ever felt over the last 13 years about their separation out into the open.

Quickly moving to grab her mug again, she downed a bit of coffee to lessen the restricted feeling in her throat, giving herself time to think of a reply before setting the mug back down on the table. Once again, silence fell between them but around them the coffee shop bustled with life. The bell above the entrance alerting those who were entering and leaving sounded off a few times before Roxie daringly reached a hand out to rest it on Syd's softly. She squeezed it ever so slightly, "Hey..." She murmured, her eyes suddenly watering as she smiled at him. "Thank you, really." She told him before moving her hand away to sit in her lap again. "If it wasn't for you and your family...I don't think I'd have anyone else in the world to check on me now that my mother is gone." Roxie said sadly before shaking her head and looking towards the window next to her. After a moment, she turned back to look at Syd having regained control over herself once again offering him a kind smile. "I uh...hope you know that I'm here if you need me as well. I know you don't think I know what you've been going through over the years but...JJ is quite the gossip. He worries about you and to be honest, so do I. I know our separation probably makes it seem like it, Syd but I...I've never stopped caring about your wellbeing, even if we aren't together in a romantic sense...I still care for you as the father of our children and on some level...as a friend." Roxie cleared her throat before sighing, "You've never been cruel to me...well, except that night at your dad's birthday party." She chuckled at the memory.
with: 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

Briefly, Emery had left to go get some snacks for them. During that time, Shinoa felt anxious, but then calmed down as soon as Emery had returned and informed her that someone would be getting fries for them soon, to which she smiled a little...and hoped that her stomach would not growl a second time. Although she had that rough and tough attitude, Shinoa still found being around her to be both calming and comforting, not to mention she was pretty cute. However, this woman was likely much older then her...at least in her mid-twenties minimum. With that being said though, that didn't mean they could not be friends. Well, maybe that's debatable. Given that she and her friend were shot at...and then Shinoa ended up getting a knife to her throat shortly after. Finishing her train of thought, Shinoa proceeded to accept the plate of pretzels and peanuts. She wasn't entirely looking for a full-course meal, just something to snack on and hopefully get the baby to pipe down and not hear her stomach growl again. "Thank you." She said, smiling back before she quietly started munching on the pretzels, making sure not to get crumbs on her dress or the table.

After getting something to eat and calming down, Shinoa relaxed a little once Emery did her best to calm the young mother, before showing some concern about her going into labor. So looks like Emery knew that a stressed Mom meant a stressed baby. Thomas, one of Emery's friends, or so she thought, soon voiced that he wasn't thrilled with her staying at the hotel. As he seemed to wonder on what to do, Emery proceeded to ask her for her name. "Shinoa. But...you can just call me Noah." She responded calmly as she finished munching on the snack that she had received.

Soon after, Thomas spoke about his Mother, whom he never knew to turn away people in need and described her as an Irish Mother Teresa, which left Shinoa a little curious. Sounded like a very kind woman. Regardless, Shinoa, at this point, knew that she was going to be in the right hands and felt safe. Overall, she was happy to be staying with the newer living arrangement, though could not help but feel that it was going to be awkward in some capacity. "If it means me and my baby are safe, I'll take it. I think it is time to move on from that hotel if its really as bad as you guys say it is." She responded, before watching as Thomas left to go make a call. "Truthfully, since I've entered the third trimester, I haven't gotten out too much. Aside from going out for a walk to stretch my legs and not be coped up in a room day in and day out anyway." She added before straightening out her hair.

By this time, Shinoa had finished eating and the plate was pretty much clean, well minus a few crumbs. But she wasn't about to lick the plate in front of Emery. No, that was embarrassing! Not to mention super gross...And Shinoa had manners! Aside from getting food in her system and calming down from such an appalling situation. While waiting for Thomas to come back, Shinoa started thinking about what was going to happen next, particularly checking out of that hotel and grabbing her stuff...which wasn't a lot. All she had was a Backpack, Dufflebag and one Large Suitcase. All of which can fit into the trunk of a car...right? Although she had been staying there for the last six months, Shinoa never really unpacked, knowing that she could leave at any given time, whether it was by choice or by force. "I don't have a whole lot, so I think it'll mostly be a quick grab and go. Then after I give the room key back, we can just...go to wherever you and your friend were going to be taking me...Then I don't know where you will go from there, but...its probably none of my business anyway." She said as she started massaging her belly again, mainly to ease the pain that she currently feeling and to soothe her unborn daughter.

Interactions: Emery Callahan Misty Gray , Thomas Porter Bellz
Nearby: Adam Harper Bellz | Elena Velazco Pyroclast​

 

[Pyroclast]

Elena Velazco​

Knowing that Adam could have taken a turn for the worse after losing so much blood, Elena was grateful to see him able to push himself upright and take a long drink. While she felt confident that there was now less of risk of him passing out, she still couldn’t relax being surrounded by so much blood. Part of her was itching to clean it up, but the idea of swirling it around the tiles and wringing a blood-soaked mop made her want to be sick again. So, for now, she just tried to hold her eyes on Adam instead of the mess that they were sitting in.

Martin entered the room a few moments later, giving Elena something else to focus on besides all the blood. His reaction was free of panic, which she found somewhat comforting, and even though Adam objected to his offer of calling an ambulance, he seemed confident in his decision which she took as a sign of strength. Once he gave his instructions to Martin, the bartender went to find Thomas, leaving Elena alone with Adam once again.

She couldn’t help but continue to watch over him, observing his every move, the way he breathed, the way he sat. Her eyes kept catching the stitches in his arm, hoping that she had done well enough. She wasn’t keen on telling him that she had never given anyone stitches before - the one lesson on stitches she had sat through in nursing school had been a disaster which had ended up with her having to leave the class early to lie down in the nurse’s office.

There was no more blood coming out of his wound, but she still wasn’t sure if she had done it properly - stitching up an open wound was entirely different to stitching up a torn dress, which was about as far as her experience with needles took her. As if reading her mind, Adam asked her if she was okay and complimented her on the job she had done. Her cheeks turned pink when he called her brave; he sounded so fatherly in that instant that for a moment she was able to pretend that he knew who she was to him and that he loved her. A small smile graced her lips as she bowed her head. “I am okay,” she quietly assured him with a quick nod.

Careful not to move too fast, Elena got to her feet and made her way over to a cabinet under the row sinks. She withdrew a cloth and ran it under the tap, before bringing it over to Adam and gently taking hold of his arm. “Can I clean it?” she softly asked, before lightly dabbing the damp cloth over his blood-stained skin. Now that the initial shock was beginning to wear off, Elena began to wonder how she had wound up removing a bullet from Adam’s arm to begin with. “Adam?” she asked, glancing up to meet his eye. “You know who does this to you? What happened?”

Sitting so close to Adam as she tenderly cleaned his arm, she had begun to settle into the quiet intimacy of the moment, and so when the door opened again it made her jump. She found herself gazing up at Thomas, however, and immediately calmed down again, always finding comfort in his presence. “Tomás,” she softly greeted him, willing him to stay with a pleading look. When he offered her a drink, she realised that she hadn’t thought of how to make herself feel better yet, her focus having been purely on Adam. “Oh...a water, yes please,” she accepted, looking up at him with a smile. “I am okay...but I think we sit here for more time. I want to stay with him.” Taking in Thomas’ appearance, her expression suddenly switched to one of concern. “You are okay, too?” Without getting up from Adam’s side, Elena pointed to the scratches on Thomas’ face. “Somebody hurt you?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Adam
Bellz Thomas