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

[Misty Gray]

Wycliffe Family Home
~ Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn ~

Valentina Wycliff and Riccardo Biancardi
Gabriel Moretti​

Ricky listened with interest as Quadir explained he'd started out helping with Gabriel's ever-expanding cocaine business. "All the way to a chauffeur and bodyguard? That's a lot of responsibility, so your Boss must have a lot of faith in you," he assured him. "As for me, my family have been close associates with the Morettis for over a decade now. Following the peace agreement with the Sullivans, I do a lot of work between here and Dublin. By this point I wish there were two of me to share the load," he remarked. "Gabriel and Conor are two very different men. It certainly keeps me on my toes."

When Harmony asked her when Julia would show up, Valentina lightly shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. Ricky said she was hoping to get here by the end of the night, but it may be that she can't make it at all. I won't let her skip the big night out this weekend. I will drag her out with us, if I have to," she enthused.

Valentina was glad she had Harmony and Elvian on board for the plot to ban business talk for the rest of the night. "If I don't get to work overtime at the hotels, then Papa doesn't get to bring his work into my house," she mischievously commented. She then let out a sigh at mention of Ava's absence. "She hasn't arrived here yet. Do you think we need to be concerned?" she asked. She doubted they needed to worry, but she was still surprised her sister-in-law hadn't arrived yet.

Though Teddy's enthusiasm for getting revenge on James was expected, Gabriel was still pleased to hear the man confirm he was in on the plan. "Then we shall discuss it in greater detail tomorrow. After we've dealt with Riccardo and the lawyers over Sullivan's transfer of ownership. Riccardo doesn't need to hear about what we have planned for Porter." Gabriel stubbed out his cigar in the glass ashtray but he was still about to continue discussing business. That was, of course, until the door open and the delicate figure stepped into view.

"Papa. Grandpa," Cristina began, putting her hands on her hips in exasperation. "It's my Mama's birthday party, so you both need to come inside and celebrate. No business-talk allowed," she informed them, clearly having overheard those words before.

"Well, that's me told," Gabriel replied, his cold and ruthless manner from mere seconds ago having expertly switched to a soft and playful one. Getting up from his seat, he approached his granddaughter and reached out to hold her hand so she could accompany him back into the house. Once they were back inside, Gabriel poured himself a brandy before returning to the lounge. "Good evening, Riccardo. I do hope Julia hasn't let you out here on your own to cause trouble."

"Oh, she wouldn't dream of it," Ricky remarked back at him. For a moment, he observed Gabriel as he and Cristina sat on the sofa next to each other. It was an interesting and rare sight to see the Moretti boss for even the shortest of moments switch off from being stern and serious. Instead, it was clear the man had a soft spot for his grandchildren. Catching himself before his curiosity turned into simply rude staring, he returned his focus to Quadir

When she saw Teddy return to the lounge, Valentina beckoned her husband over and leaned in to kiss him on the lips. "All good?" she asked him, hoping her father wasn't being grumpy with him. "I hope so, because business talk is officially banned for the rest of the evening," she happily informed him.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy, Elvian)
BloodThunder27 (Harmony, Quadir)

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Kerry Patrick​

Kerry followed May's cues during the game of poker and wasn't surprised when she lost all of her chips. The man they were playing clearly saw that Kerry was no good at the game and so he put his focus on taking from her. Kerry went all in when May did. By the end, the man was convinced he had won and made a remark about poker being a man's game, prompting Kerry to roll her eyes. "Ah, right you are, so," Kerry said, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "I knew I should have stayed at home tonight, in the kitchen," she drily commented.

Once the man had left, Kerry turned to May and started laughing. "You're unbelievable," she playfully commented. When Laura arrived for her shift, it was May's time to leave. When her friend offered to walk her home, Kerry quickly shook her head. "No, you don't want to do that and neither do I. The Parker's live in Islington and I don't have the energy for that walk home. I'll flag down a taxi and leave you in peace," she told her. "I think we need more time and privacy to talk about Conor Sullivan! But I can tell you he lives in Dublin and is a very prominent figure there. Anyone in Dublin would know of him, on account of his reputation," she assured her as they stepped out of the club so she could get a cab back to the Parkers' residence.

BasDorcha (May) [I figured I needed to wrap up Kerry's part in the scene]

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Erik's Apartment
~Hackney, London~
Erik Snowden​

"Relax," Billy said. Erik paused for a moment to think on the word before he ended up nodding his head slowly. His mind was racing, moving faster than he had anticipated and he was trying to calm all the thoughts speeding through it. Ava wasn't about to just pop up out of nowhere and even if she were on her way it'd take hours for her to get there. Plus, Ava never cared about the state of his apartments in the past so why would she care now? He looked at Billy when he mentioned the fact Erik had met his entire family. Granted, it was because of work but he had even had dinner and drinks with them. "Right. I have, haven't I?" He replied, scratching the back of his head. The more he thought about it, Erik really hadn't shared much of his own life with Billy. While Erik knew everything from his family members to what brand of cigarettes he smoked, Billy only knew what clubs he frequented. If someone were to ask Billy what Erik's favorite color was he was sure the man would get that wrong.

Opening his mouth to speak was probably the hardest part. He knew to do so meant not acknowledging what he had done wrong, but everything else he had said. Erik had admitted to having feelings for Billy - deep ones. Something he hadn't done in years. The two of them made eye contact and Erik realized he couldn't run from it this time. Billy was here, in front of him, and expecting him to be honest. A lump formed in his throat as he tried to keep himself from fidgeting with his clothes. This anxious feeling he was experiencing was exactly why he didn't want to have such a deep conversation. So much for that.

Hearing Billy talk about how they would always be friends no matter what, Erik looked away. Truly he felt like he didn't deserve such a person in his life and he couldn't hold his gaze. He brought up when he saved his life and Erik couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. Not because his friend had almost died mind you, but more so because it had been the first time they shared such an intimate moment. Billy may not have realized it at the time, but he often thought about that moment from time to time. It had become a turning point in their relationship and one Erik would cherish for a long time. He leaned back into the couch, crossing his arms and opening his legs as he got comfortable. "You've gotta let that one go! I wasn't gonna let some prick kill you because he felt like it." He reassured, shaking his head at him.

Billy's hand on his thigh almost made him lose his mind. He tensed up, hand slightly shaking as he raised his drink to his lips to drink from; anything to help him cool off. His hand was so close and in such a terrible spot but when Billy removed his hand, Erik couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Why? He couldn't pinpoint it as his eyes connected with Billy's again. The man across from him spoke again and he couldn't help but tense up. A serious look grew on his face as he listened to Billy speak about his lack of work and how he had to cover for him lately. It hadn't even crossed Erik's mind that this was happening and covered his mouth with his hand. Billy had really been sticking his neck out for him while Erik was just slacking. No, not even slacking he wasn't doing his job at all. Erik looked off to the side and took a deep breath. "Fuck, Billy, I- I'm so sorry. Look I'm going to be better. It was just a little hiccup and it won't happen again." He reassured him. As soon as he did, however, he couldn't help but wonder if that was actually true. Would he really be able to keep it under control?

Erik's heart nearly broke hearing Billy admit he was basically enabling his behavior. The last thing Erik ever wanted was to make Billy feel as if anything he had done himself was his fault when it wasn't. Erik was an adult and made his own decisions, meaning he needed to be held responsible for them. Then he asked him about his past. Erik's eyes grew wide and his eyebrows shot up. "What?" He said, snapping his attention back to Billy. "Is this about... The- The cocaine? Billy I-," he paused. He was about to dance around it, find a way to get out of opening up and telling him the truth but stopped himself. There was no use running anymore, especially when Billy had been the reason he was still here. No, this is exactly what he knew was going to happen and he was prepared for it. His eyes drifted back towards Billy's hand again, sitting back on his thigh before looking back up at him. The hesitation was clear as day on his face as he mentally prepared himself. "I-... Look, Billy, you have to understand somethin' before I say anything, okay?" Taking a deep breath, he started chewing on his nails. "My life wasn't so easy because of me bein', ya know, gay." He paused to see how Billy would react to hearing about his sexuality again. "I mean, there were other things too but... Yeah. Yeah, I'll talk to you. What do you want to know first?"

Billy ( Pyroclast )​

 

[Misty Gray]

Ride to the Sweeneys
~ North Strand, Dublin ~

Phelan Sweeney​

Phelan shook his head when Katsya asked if he needed to be gagged. "No. I ain't into any of that kinky shit," he firmly assured her. He nodded his head when informed Stella wasn't in a pleasant mood. As frustrating as it was, he knew better than to argue against letting them use his car. With Ross and Eoin already dead, he knew not to push his luck, regardless of how angry he was about it.

Soon enough, it was just Katsya and Phelan, having transferred into the woman's pickup and left Stella to deal with Phelan's car. He noticed the woman seemed somewhat more relaxed by that point, causing him to wonder what the deal with her and Stella was. Katsya spoke up, stating she owed him a pair of pants. "Yeah, they were brand new pants," he agreed, lightly nodding. "Could probably still buy another pair down at--" he began, but silenced himself as it might be easier to just going with the flow and not speak yet. He never was good at staying quiet. His mouth was faster than his brain. That, along with his dislike for any kind of authority figure, was why he got in trouble so often.

"An accident?" he repeated, when she suggested he explained why he needed pants. "They'll think I shit mi-self or something. Nah, we need to think of a cooler reason than that." With her apology for Ross' death still on his mind, he looked away and shook his head as he replayed the scene from back in the cabin. "I didn't know he was planning on doing what he did," he said, turning back to the woman. "If I'd known he was planning on attacking the Sullivans, I'd have talked him out of it. I only found out after he'd done it and the only choice I had was to help him hide." He paused for a time before continuing. "Sullivans fit into that authority box that I struggle with. I wouldn't actually fuck them over, but I just enjoy winding 'em up. Plus, last time I parked my car on the roadside, it got keyed. Harper's gym had some prime spots available, so I decided why the hell not!"

Mitheral (Katsya)

Alex's Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King​

Although Alex was teasing him about needing a saint in his life, Spencer kind of agreed. "You're not wrong. I was on a crappy path until I met Shona." He sat back and briefly closed his mind as he thought back on the subject. "After what Letitia did - the way she fucked me over - I told myself I'd never settle down. That I'd just sleep with women and never commit to a single one of them. Kinda like someone I know now..." he said, referring to Alex himself. Letitia had been his first wife and someone he had thought was his first love, but then she dumped him for someone else and he found out she had cheated on him long before that. "You know I've always got your back and I'll always stick up for you, but it ain't a nice feeling, Alex. One thing I can sympathise with Sav on is how it feels to be cheated on. It's a real shitty thing to go through."

Spencer groaned when Alex said he'd prefer not to do the board meetings. "Yeah, Bruce and Darcey can do it," he agreed. "Guess you're going to have to help out with the dirty work, which I'm sure is more up your street anyway!"

Spencer shook his head when Alex said he should tell Shona how he felt about the situation with Shirley. "I think I have to keep my mouth shut on this one, if I want a happy life and wife," he admitted. "However I put it, it'll sound selfish, even though part of it is that I don't want Shona to be taking on too much. Maybe we should rope Harper into helping," he joked, though on brief reflection began actually considering it.

Spencer relaxed in his seat as Alex got up to get them more beers. He subtly smiled as he observed his brother listening out to check if Callum was still asleep. He was proud to see Alex taking things seriously and having gotten closer to Callum over the last couple of weeks. There may have been teething trouble, but by now Alex had a handle on what he had to do to look after the kid and not spoil him. "Cheers, mate," he said, accepting the beer that was handed to him.

When Alex posed questions of Moretti, Spencer lightly shrugged. "I guess we can't be completely sure he won't try screw us over, but for now this is our best chance at building strength and being able to stand up to the Sullivans. We had to take it." he assured him.

Spencer listened on as Alex told him he'd been too busy the last couple of weeks to check in on their younger siblings. "Harper had a lady friend? Nah, that can't be right. She's into blokes," he pointed out. "Bit surprised Billy yelled at her though. Maybe I need to give him a talking to." He then shook his head upon hearing Billy and Erik were fighting again. "Jesus, they're like a married couple them. Maybe they just need to get it out of their system... by fighting it out. We should get them in the ring! I could run a book on it and everything!" he joked.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

 

[BloodThunder27]

~New Yorkers~

~Bradley Beckett~New York City | Riker's Island

Although James didn't seem all that thrilled, Bradley took that over being beaten up again for no reason. However, the young man was put at ease when James showed concern after noting the black eye and the cut on his cheek. "You've been in the wars too, then?" Bradley nodded at the question before looking the older man in the eye. "Yeah...A few days ago I was in the infirmary for a bruised rib and...getting shanked. Lately I've been getting jumped maybe once every other day since we all got thrown into the hole two weeks ago." He said before poking at the prison food with a fork, unsure if he even wanted to eat it anymore.

Moving onto the distrust of Ramsey, Bradley listened as James told him about the Italian Mafia. Sure, he has heard of the Moretti Crime Family when he was younger, as his Father often talked about how Organized Crime often made life difficult for the wealthier families in the state. From Corrupt Cops and Politicians, the Moretti Family had practically full-control of New York City. Even Riker's Island was in their control. How could one family have so much power? Bradley could only wonder, as he wasn't all that familiar with the world of organized crime. Well, at least not until the night he stole a car full of smuggled Russian weapons and Columbian cocaine. But even there, it wasn't like he was in that world at all. After telling him about the Moretti Family, James began to tell him about how he had worked for them while in prison until his family had found their way out of the city. Bradley simply listened, not wanting to interrupt or talk over James. It was certainly a lot of information to process, so the young man did feel overwhelmed to some extent. However, he started questioning on why Ramsey was even still in prison to begin with. If he was a part of the Moretti Family, wouldn't he have pulled some strings to get out by now? "Well, if he's as high up the food chain as I think he is, wouldn't his Boss...I dunno, get him another hearing with the DA or something?"

Bradley's frown didn't leave his face when James took responsibility for how he had been getting jumped almost every day. "I did overhear him say that I can thank you for my suffering two weeks ago when the guards took you away. I know me and James tried to stop them and...if that landed you in hot water...or deep shit, I'm sorry. I tried to stop them because I thought what they were doing was wrong and...well, you saw where that went." Bradley would look around the cafeteria before looking back at James when he asked about Edwards. "No, I don't think Ramsey's gotten to him yet. He knows James won't go down without a fight. But before I was let out of the hole, I overheard one of the Corrections Officers say that the Warden was not happy when they looked into his background and found out he used to be in the Navy SEALs. I also heard that he put like...ten Corrections Officers in the infirmary after they took us away. So I don't think he's leaving the hole anytime soon." He responded, answering James' question about Edwards.

---

Interactions: James Porter Misty Gray

~Moretti Guardians: Harmony Ryu & Quadir Taylor~New York City, New York | Wycliff Household

Quadir very much appreciated the vote of confidence from Ricky, though the bigger gentleman thought that it was sheer luck that brought him this far considering that Elvian had handpicked him to be her Chauffeur and he also doubled as a Bodyguard to keep her safe from harm. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ricky. Its certainly a very nice change of pace." He smiled.

When the man began to explain what he did for Gabriel, Quadir was rather intrigued. Keeping the peace between the Moretti Family and the Irish Mob? That must have been no easy feat. "Must not be easy to keep the peace. I feel that though. Gabriel had me keeping tabs on his numbers for a while. One mess-up and I'm in hot water. But hey, we can talk more about this later. Let's enjoy the party, have a good time. And I'd love to get to know you. 'Cause I think you're a cool dude so far." He smiled as he raised his cup of whiskey. "To a long-long friendship, Ricky." He smiled.

Harmony simply listened as Valentina showed appreciation for not talking about work at the party. Admittedly though, there wasn't much for Harmony to talk about anyway, as she practically had one of the easiest, if not THE outright easiest, job in the entire family. And it certainly helped that the children, particularly Cristina, had taken a liking to the Rainbow-haired Bodyguard. Hopefully Gabriel would loosen up on the old-school ways if not dropping them outright. But a woman can dream. It was not long until Gabriel and Teddy returned from their backyard chat. Hopefully from here, everyone could have a good time, socialize, drink a little and maybe grab something to eat. Another that did boost Harmony's spirits was Elvian saying she looked fabulous. At least the Moretti Matriarch appreciated her Rainbow Hair. Once Teddy whisked Valentina away, Harmony found herself remaining in the company of Elvian, as Gabriel was enjoying a glass of Brandy while spending time with his Granddaughter. It was very much adorable, but that soft and playful façade no longer really fooled Harmony. Because while Gabriel may have been a Ruthless and Cold Mafia Boss, even he would not want to scare away his Grandchildren because of it. "So, where is Ava? I haven't heard from her over the last few days. And I've been meaning to schedule another appointment with her." She said, breaking the silence between her and Elvian.

Quadir smiled a little when Cristina had led her Father and Grandfather back into the party. To see a Ruthless and Cold Boss partially gush over his Granddaughter was very rare. Then again, it wasn't like Cristina and her two Brothers, Francis and Paolo would go visit Grandpa while he's working. Wanting to give Gabriel some privacy and allow him to spend time with his Granddaughter in peace, Quadir went back to socializing with Ricky, a smile still on his face.

---

Interactions: Elvian Moretti Melanin-Gxdess | Riccardo Biancardi, Valentina Wycliff Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Julia Avvocata
Biancardi Family Home
- New York - ​

Things with Ricky had been going as smooth as Julia had hoped...but that was only because she was keeping it that way. After Ricky had disputed to use the upper hand they currently had over the Porters, Julia had grown suspicious. Although her suspicious was growing more and more with each day, Julia had kept her composure and had been successful at keeping her boyfriend in the dark. They had made it very clear in the beginning that there would be no secrets between them especially since Julia was his second in command but Ricky clearly felt that whatever he was hiding...he couldn't trust her with. To say she was hurt didn't even begin to cover the emotions she was feeling. Julia had worked extremely hard to make sure things were going to go Ricky's way in the end and she was falling hard and fast for him. With the secrets he was currently keeping, Julia wasn't sure where they stood relationship-wise now.

Though she would have rather taken the night off to be at the dinner she was supposed to go to with Ricky, Julia needed a break from keeping up the charade that everything was fine and dandy. She had told Ricky that she had forgotten to go over their various business accounts earlier in the week and told him that she would try to get to the dinner before the night was over. An easy thing to lie about given her story was partially true, she had needed to catch up on some paperwork.

Julia had kissed him on his way out but decided to head to the security office within the home that monitored every inch of the building inside and out, instead of taking off to finish the business she had stated she needed to do. Opening the door, Julia was met with the not-so-friendly face of one of the usual security guards, Brody. "I need the room." Julia demanded, her voice cold as ice, raising an eyebrow at the man daring him to argue with her. The man stared her down for a moment before getting out of his chair and walking towards the door. Julia stared ahead at the security screens, keeping her eyes peeled on them as the door closed behind her. Quickly turning to lock it, Julia moved to the closet within the room where all of the monitors were plugged in. Her father had been Giovanni's head of security for nearly 2 decades, Julia had spent many years watching her father do the work that she was eager to do someday. One of those tasks was checking the phone recorder when suspicious phone calls came in. Normally, it was used with the intention of protecting the Boss. To a degree, that was Julia's full intention.

She felt that Ricky whatever he was hiding, was making a mistake in hiding it from her. He knew she could trust her with murder as he had many times before and she would keep it secret but for some reason, this was different for him. Looking towards the door to the room, Julia let out a huff before pressing the big play button to listen to the phone calls that had been made by Ricky before the ones that had been received by him played. Everything within the phone calls were things that she was well aware of and each recording continued on and on to the point where she was starting to doubt her suspicions.

Maybe she was overreacting, or at the least being over-sensitive. Ricky and she had been friends for years, she knew him on a level that most people didn't. With all that in mind, she was beginning to believe she was a fool for jumping to such conclusions that he was lying to her. They were getting very serious after all, he wouldn't want to jeopardize that...

Her finger reached out to stop the recording when she suddenly heard Conor Sullivan's voice mockingly saying Good Morning. Julia's jaw clenched. She hadn't heard anything about Ricky speaking with the Cocky Irishman lately. Conor then went on to ask how the meeting with Moretti went, asking if the Italian was going to consider Ricky's...inspired suggestion. Julia pressed the stop button, staring at it for a long time before someone knocked on the door to the room.

Quickly she regained her composure before walking out of the closet, shutting it gently before moving to unlock the door. Brody looked suspiciously at her, "Why the fuck was the door locked?" He asked, his voice deep and full of accusal. Julia placed a smile on her face, "Now now...curiosity killed the cat, Brody. You know that. Best keep your nose out of places it doesn't belong." Her voice was sickly sweet but the words were laced with perfectly placed venom, a subtle warning. as she started moving out of the room past him. Clearly, the subtly passed over Brody's head as he stated, "I'm gonna have to let Ricky know about this, for security reasons." This made Julia pause on the spot, not bothering to turn around Julia let out a short laugh. "I think you've forgotten that I am head of security. If I find out that you said anything about this to anyone...I'm going to make sure you never even existed, not in this life or the next." Julia reached for her gun in her back pocket, cocking it to make a point and Brody seemed to get the picture. Hearing nothing from him, Julia sauntered back towards the front of the house.

***​

Thanks to actually needing to get work done, Julia had time to get her emotions in check. After getting changed into something more presentable for dinner, she had made her way to the Wycliff's home. She had picked up some flowers for Valentina's birthday along with a bottle of wine and when she arrived on the doorstep she was all smiles as she knocked on the door.

with: Whoever wants to answer lol decided to throw her in! Melanin-Gxdess Misty Gray BloodThunder27

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan's House
~ Dollymount, Dublin ~

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah softly smiled when Roxie reassured her that Callum wouldn't come home hating her, because he loved her. She nodded in firm agreement when her friend echoed her belief that parenting was more than just the fun parts of a child's life. "I hope Alex doesn't let him down. I'm torn between my belief that Callum deserved to know his father but also fearing what will happen if Alex let's him down and breaks his little heart."

Hearing that Jeanie sometimes told Roxie she hated her made Savannah's heart sink. Even though it was more than likely never meant and merely said in the heat of the moment, it still must be a horrible thing to hear from your own child. "I guess it makes sense, though. Maybe I have that to look forward to in a few years, when Callum starts getting older and a little moodier." She smiled when Roxie mentioned Syd was a stand-up dad. Though she sympathised and shared the feelings on being the 'serious' parent, she also found it sweet that her cousin was able to unwind when he was with his children.

When Roxie offered to stay and help her sort out the house, Savannah felt a little of the weight lift from her shoulders. "I would really appreciate that. I'd have asked my family, but I don't want them to start worrying about me. The moment I give my mother any idea I'm struggling, she'll be on my doorstep every day checking up on me and I'm not having her doing that. She's finally in a good place after a lifetime of being on edge." Hearing Roxie was looking for a new place caused Savannah to raise a curious eyebrow. It made sense that she might not be happy staying in the house she'd shared with Matthew. "Ohh, I'd love to help you look. There's some nice places around here..." she hinted, with a wink.

Savannah blushed when her friend said she always knew she'd make a good mother. "There are some tough ladies in my family," she agreed. Although she was confident and outgoing in her career, she was always more introverted in her personal life. Despite her determination and inner fire, she wasn't as expressive about it than her louder, more extraverted relatives. "I don't know how you manage to look after three kids, especially at their current ages!"

Savannah laughed at the mamma boys comment. "What is that even about? Even tough old uncle Conor was always a mummy's boy," she pointed out.

Bellz (Roxie)

 

[Mitheral]

Ride to Sweeney's
~ North Strand, Dublin ~
Katsya Grey​

“Do you know who keyed it? If so, how sure?” Katsya’s mind has gotten stuck on the subject of finding a better story than an accident to explain Phelan’s loss of his pants. “Hold the press. I have an idea.” She swerved over to the side of the road to park briefly. There she started making her upper body do some contortions. It didn’t take very long for the contortions to surprise Phelan as she somehow managed to remove her bra without removing either shirt or vest.

She dangled it out for Phelan to take. “Hang onto that. I think a story about women’s underwear, your pants and a game of strip poker gone wrong will do the trick. Can’t have your mates thinking you shit yourself, now can we.” She glanced down, then back up. “Milk. It does a body good. Let me explain it to them. Don’t worry; I’ll be vague. But they definitely won’t be thinking about anything involving shitting.

“You know those tr-- bikes you were riding the other day? Do you race? Or watch street races? Or go to monster truck rallies? Or demolition derbies? Or drag races? Way more fun than getting wasted all the time.”

Unfortunately it wasn’t that far from the gym to the Sweeney home. Before they arrived she broached one more subject. “Before we get you home, I have one more question: do you want to join me in the clean up and say goodbye to your friends?”

As soon as she drove up she pulled alongside the curb and tapped her horn to get some attention. She smiled sweetly at whomever she got the attention of and began her spiel.

“Would you be a dear? We need someone to run in and grab Phelan a change of pants. It’s a silly story, but it involves pants, marshmallows, 150 proof rum, a campfire … and a game of strip poker. My bad?” She gave a sour look. “Serves him right. He cheats.” She grinned mischievously. “Not that I blame him.” She tried to half-assed reach around him to grab for her bra, but gave up right away. He could come out of this with at least something positive to show for it. The things she did for world peace…

Misty Gray (Phelan)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Wycliff Family Home
~Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn~
Theodore 'Teddy' Wycliff, Elvian Moretti, & Ava Moretti​

It was a given that Teddy should keep his mouth shut about their secret plan. Ricky was against the idea and therefore he didn't need to know about it. "Oh, trust me I know." Teddy did his best to keep his happiness to himself as to not seem too overly excited. Despite the rat he believed him to be, Porter was still a human being. Ever since killing Steve, Teddy had made it a point to stay away from killing anyone else. The blood and the nightmares about killing someone plagued his mind and he didn't want to go through it again. However, when it came to the man who had wronged him, he would make an exception. Just as he was about to say something else, his daughter appeared to tell them to come inside. Her hands were on her hips and she spoke with the same authority as her mother - an exact replica. Teddy chuckled as he stood from his chair and nodded his head at her. "Yes, sweetheart, you have our promise."

Teddy found his way to Valentina unable to hide his smile as he returned her kiss. "Yes, everything is good. Amazing actually." His eyes glanced towards Ricky before settling back on his wife and lowering his voice. "But, I'll have to tell you about it later." Wrapping his arm around her shoulder he nodded his head. "Ah, yes. Your second in command just informed us. You have nothing to worry about from us." After hearing the news from Gabriel, Teddy was more than happy to keep the business talk mute for the rest of the night. It truly could wait until tomorrow and now he had the opportunity to celebrate his wife without being so grumpy.

Realizing he hadn't said anything to Ricky yet, he approached him with a grin on his face and open arms. Sure, he was still a bit indifferent towards him but he understood it wasn't personal. "Ricky, so nice of you to show up on time! How did you manage to pull that off?"

"And without Julia to boot!" Elvian commented teasingly. Teddy looked around for a brief moment, realizing she was indeed missing. "Where is she, anyway?" Elvian filled him in that she was still tending to business, which Teddy nodded his head in understanding. "New York is full of hardworking women, right?" He said, gesturing to both Valentina and Elvian. The latter nodded her head in agreement before turning to Harmony. "Ava? Oh! She's been busy with both the gallery and the bar, I believe. That on top of Marcus being absent. She is, however, supposed to be here." She paused for a moment, having talked to her daughter-in-law just a few hours before. "Maybe I should phone them, just to see if she's still there." Excusing herself she went to look for the phone to try and ring Ava.

The moment Ava ended her phone call with Billy, she rushed to leave her home. She was supposed to have been there a long time ago but knowing Erik was going through something kept her on the phone. Something told her her cousin would be fine, but at the same time, she wanted to check for herself. In any case, it was something to worry about later as she finally pulled up to the Wycliff home. As she approached the door she saw another woman standing outside of it having just knocked. The closer she got the better she could see, but she didn't recognize her.

Just as she was about to speak, Elvian opened the door. "Julia!" She said, looking behind her. "And Ava! I just called your place and got your machine. I was worried something had happened." Ava nodded her head in understanding. "Right, sorry about that." Elvian beckoned the two women inside and Ava followed behind Julia. "I had to call Erik and ended up talking to his friend for a while." Elvian gave both the women a quick hug and led them to the other adults. "That's okay. Have you and Julia met?" Ava looked over at her and smiled, shaking her head. "I don't think so. I'm Ava - Marcus' wife."

Gabriel, Valentina, Ricky ( Misty Gray )
Julia ( Bellz )
Harmony, Quadir ( BloodThunder27 )


​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Alex's Home
~Bethnal Green, London~
Alexander King​

Hearing about his brother's former wife made him think about the way he had treated Savannah. The deep guilty feeling began to settle in the pit of his stomach. Despite everything that had gone on in the past few months, he could never really see her as someone who deserved the treatment he had given her. She reminded him of Spencer in a way, the loyal type that would do anything for the people he loved. She was good to him the entire time - and even now - and he had gone and let the pressure get to him. Really this whole mess their family was in was because he couldn't keep it in his pants, but there was no point in staying in the past. "Yeah, look. I know, alright? I already said I'm tryin' to change so ain't no point. You sound like a broken record." Alex was relieved when Spencer absolved him of having to attend the board meetings. He wouldn't be any good in them anyway considering he was more than likely going to fall asleep during them. "There ya go, that's more my speed! Plus, you really want me in a room where important decisions have to be made?"

"Well, if it comes down to you having no say, I guess I'll lend a hand." He said in a teasing voice. Of course, he would help his brother if he really needed it. Alex wasn't just going to let his brother struggle but he was going to give him shit about it. "Seeing as I'm an expert and all now," he joked before drinking from his bottle again. "Harper sounds like a good option. It'll keep her out of trouble because you know she seems to just find it wherever she is." He rolled his eyes in annoyance at the thought. "Your sister, that one." Their conversation drifted back to Moretti, who Alex was having just a slight issue trusting. There was no real reason behind it other than not truly knowing the man, but he still wanted to question it.

"Hey, I'm just reportin' what I saw." He said putting his hands up defensively. "Could've just been her playin' 'round with her little friends or something, but whatever the case Billy really gave it to her. Somethin' about keeping the family reputation up and not embarrassing us." Alex couldn't help but chuckle at the thought seeing as no one would dare say anything to the King family, even if they did disagree with how they did things. "I agree! You ever hear one of their arguments? I heard one and fuckssake you'd have thought they were a gay couple. The two of them have some pent-up anger and need to get laid." He said, shaking his head. "Oh, a fight sounds like a plan! I know he's our brother, but I'd have to bet all my money on Erik. That's a bloke who knows how to both take and throw a punch!"

Spencer ( Misty Gray )


​

 

[Pyroclast]

Billy King​

Billy's concern for Erik only deepened when the man seemed surprised at the question. Despite all of Billy's visits, the two had never really spoken openly about Erik's current state, but since visiting him so frequently was only something he had done since first catching Erik at a low moment in Victoria Park, he assumed that it was obvious why he was checking in. Yet, when Erik asked him if he was talking about the cocaine, it implied that it hadn't in fact been so obvious. "Part of it, yeah," Billy nodded, the ache in his chest only growing. "But I don't know if it's just that…"

After some hesitation, Erik finally began to explain himself. It was clear by the way he chewed on his fingernails and stumbled over his words that he wasn't sure how to say any of it, but Billy made sure to be patient given that he had put his friend on the spot. The last thing he wanted was to cause him any distress but at the same time he knew that in order to help him he would need to get to the root of his troubles.

When Erik admitted that being gay had made his life challenging, Billy removed his hand from Erik's thigh, trying to be subtle about it in the hopes that Erik wouldn't notice. It wasn't a topic he was particularly comfortable talking about but he knew he had to try. "Alright, um...well, we can start there if you want?" he suggested. "I don't wanna be insensitive or nothin', it's just...I never seen ya' like this until recently. Is it like depression or somethin', is that why you get high? Have you been through this kind of thing before and I've just not noticed? 'Cause if that's the case, Erik, I'm so sorry...and for the record, from now on, you don't have to go through nothin' on your own. You can call me day or night and I'll come get you, yeah? I mean it. I'll be there whenever you want me."

Billy almost reached out and touched his friend again before remembering what Erik had brought up and he quickly stopped himself. He instead took a swig of his beer, hoping to mask the awkward blush that was tingling across his cheeks. "What's it like, then?" he asked, voice lowering even further as if the walls were listening in. "Your experience being...gay. I want to know what you've been through... I'm listening, if you wanna talk about it."

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Savannah Callahan's House
~ Dollymount, Dublin ~
​

Roxie understood than most what Savvy was feeling, torn between allowing her child to see his father but fearing the repercussions of that. That was probably why Roxie had sought out another partner...to try and bring some balance to the messy equation. Her mind briefly went to Matthew as it often did about a thousand times a day since his death. It had gotten easier to allow the thoughts in without breaking down, people had been telling her it would get easier but she wasn't wanting to believe it. Now here she was, letting the thought of him and his wonderful influence on her children come and go without a single tear shedding.

Roxie could see the look on Savvy's face as she mentioned Jeanie telling Roxie she hated her. "Ah, teenage angst is the best...I want to blame Syd for those traits but I'll be the one to admit that I was the angsty one when I was younger...though in my defense I actually had a reason to hate my parents. Jeanie will grow out of it...or at least that's what I keep telling myself." Roxie shrugged as if it wasn't worth the trouble giving what her daughter said a second thought. Savvy had enough to worry about so Roxie didn't want to offload on her at all.

After she offered to stay and help her get the house together, Roxie saw Savvy's tense shoulders relax a little bit. Roxie was all smiles as Savvy stated that she would really appreciate it. Her smile faded slightly as she listened to Savvy fret about worrying her family. She understood not wanting to upset them but Roxie wanted her friend to make sure she was advocating for herself. "I'll let you off the hook for now kid, but promise me when you are having a hard time like this again you reach out to me...I know I've got a lot going on but you know I'd drop everything for you in a heartbeat." Roxie lightly lectured her friend.

Roxie had noticed the raised brow on Savvy's face as she mentioned looking for a new place. But Savvy happily stated she would love to help her look before stating there were some nice places around her place. "Oh yeah? You sure you'd want me near you again? Didn't get enough of me back when we were living in New York together?" She said teasingly before shaking her head. "Anywhere than where I'm currently living will be refreshing...I find myself hardly sleeping at night anymore...the house just isn't the same." Roxie murmured before she had moved the conversation onto Savvy once more.

Anything to get the topic off of her was enough for Roxie at the moment. Roxie let out a laugh as Savvy stated she didn't know she manages to look after three kids, especially at their current ages. Shaking her head once, she took a hearty sip of wine to emphasize that it was stressful. "I honestly couldn't have done it without your family. I mean...I know Syd and I didn't work out but he's been there for everything and I'm very grateful for that. I think I would have cracked if I would have tried to do it all on my own. Matthew was also someone who kept me grounded, he was great at getting the kids out of my hair when I needed it." Roxie murmured. "And God, your mother, and Lucy...I have no idea what I would have done without them."

Roxie chuckled along with her friend as she stated that Conor was even also always a momma's boy. "Oh really??? I didn't know that about him!" Roxie said with a mischievous grin..."I might have to egg him on about that when I meet with him next." She said, her smile turning into one of fondness. "I do think it's kinda nice though...as much as I get annoyed at the fact that JJ is attached to my hip almost 24/7 at home, I know he's going to grow up to respect women. I know his father has his moments, but he never intentionally treated me horribly. It was so hard for me to really understand what your cousin was going through until Matthew died...I haven't been the most stable since then..." The brunette murmured, "It's weird how moments of loss like that can almost bring you closer to the people you least expect it to. I don't know if he told you but we actually sat at a coffee shop a few weeks ago and had a conversation that was more than a few sentences. It was oddly...comforting." Roxie shook her head with a heavy sigh before looking closely at Savannah.

"I hope you don't let this thing with Alex ruin your motivation to get back out into the dating world, you deserve to be happy babe, regardless of what you tell yourself. Oh! I know this guy you might like, he's from my firm...handsome and a real cute personality! He's a big theater nerd! Also weird fact but he makes the best coffee!"
with: Savvy Misty Gray
mentions: Syd Pyroclast ; Dead Saint MMM Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Elena Velazco​

Even though she was dressed now, Elena still felt horribly self-conscious after what she had done. She was about ready to leave altogether, but before she did she wanted to make sure there was really no chance of repairing things with Thomas. He asked her about the men whom she had slept with in the past and felt herself shrink. "All the men I am with before," she told him, voice wavering. "I never know men who don't want sex with me. Sometimes they say, te amo cariña, I love you, I love you, but then I give them sex and they find other girl...and when I have no money or I need help, I have to pay with…" Her breath hitched as she fought back another sob, but couldn't stop more tears crashing down her face.

With a gentle hand, Thomas lifted her chin so that their eyes connected and through her tears she could see something in them she had never seen in a man’s eyes before. He seemed genuine, not like the other fools and deceivers who had ever stood this close to her. Perhaps still conditioned by the forces of previous men, Elena felt a strong urge to kiss him. The only thing that stopped her was Thomas opening his mouth to speak, so instead she found herself listening to him. He explained that his time in the Marines had damaged him, that his relationships with his parents and siblings were all distant and that he was losing most of his friends. As he spoke, she noticed a gradual tension develop in his features and his hand beneath her chin begin to tremble. His voice fell to a weak whisper when he told her that he just didn’t want to hurt her and tears formed in his eyes. Elena felt her heart lurch, and suddenly wished she hadn’t broken down in front of him; if he thought of her as nothing other than strong, he might have less reason to believe she could be hurt by him. “Tomás…” she faintly spoke, a residual tear rolling down her face as she watched him struggle to hold himself together. His words tugged at her heart - even the ones she didn’t know, there was enough emotion in his voice for her to understand what he was telling her.

Elena frowned at hearing that Thomas was trying to protect his family from himself by shutting them out of his life. If he did that because he cared about them, and he was telling the truth about caring about her, too, then that could only mean that he didn’t want her to get too close to him. “Be more selfish, Tomás,” she softly suggested. “You have family who care about you but you don’t take it? You think you are better solo?” Slowly, she sat herself down on the floor opposite Thomas, pulling the skirt of her dress over her knees to restore her modesty. “You have pain, and people want to help you...but when they have pain, you care, yes? Or your friends, when they need help, you want to help them? Because you love them, yes?” She searched his soulful eyes, touched by all the trauma they carried. “But you have no love for you. If I have your same problem, you think, oh no she is too much mess, too much trouble, she will hurt me?” A flicker of a smile came to her face as she realised how much she really cared about the young man sitting before her, cuddling with his service dog. She had been hoping for an intimate moment with him, and even though this wasn’t at all what she had had in mind, it still made her feel closer to him. She was glad now that she hadn’t followed her earlier urge to leave.

“Y adémas…” she continued, letting her gaze fall into her lap. “You hurt me more to tell me to leave. Men always tell me they like me and I believe them sometimes, before now...but now, I know how truth sounds and looks like.” She raised her head then and fixed her eyes once again on Thomas’. “It is in your words, and in your eyes.” Unexpectedly, a lump formed in her throat and her eyes filled with tears again. “So you tell me you like me and then make me go away? No. Because I like you also Tomás, realmente me gustas...and I don’t want to go back to…” Suddenly it all came down on her again, how long she had been in Dublin and what she had managed to accomplish so far. She had come in search of her biological father, and despite finding him a while ago already, she didn’t seem to have got very far with him. She didn’t know how to let him know who she was, partly because she was afraid to lose him if she did tell him, and without much of a plan she was feeling stuck. Instead of time she would like to be spending with Adam or Thomas, she was spending it with Fergus in his apartment.

"The man at the hotel," she eventually uttered, voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes were once again in her lap. "He say I stay too long, and I have to pay more for more stay...but I can't.” Her fingers spontaneously rose to her trembling lips, fresh tears hanging from her eyelashes as she felt herself shrink into herself again. “So I live in his apartamento and give him sex. He wait for me every night after my job in the pub. When I leave here tonight...” A moment of silence fell where she couldn’t speak, and she brought up her hands to cover her face, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to force back the tears. She had gone along with Fergus' offer since it was an alternative to sleeping on the streets, which she had done enough times in the past to never want to do again, and it had taken a lot of convincing and lying to herself to get her through it without breaking down. But now, in the presence of Thomas, she was left to face the reality of what Fergus was doing to her, and it made her feel disgusting. “But I don't like him, Tomás, te prometo,” she implored, through a sob. “I am just...his animal.”

Interactions
Bellz Thomas

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~Bethnal Green, London~
Darcey Hargraves​

For the past few weeks, Darcey Hargraves had been dealing with nothing but nuances. From some of her employees not showing up to the wrong car parts being delivered. Add on the issues Bruce and the kids were having with the Sullivan's and Darcey had become one stressed-out woman. Bruce had informed her of the meeting he had with both the Morettis and the trip he and Alex took to Dublin and she was only slightly offended that he hadn't invited her along. She couldn't be too upset, however, since she hadn't really been making herself available to them so really what was he to do? That was all going to change now that the King family was going through a few changes. Darcey wanted to make sure her family didn't go through any of it alone nor did she want to leave them hanging. After all, she had self-appointed herself as the support system. The only bad thing about it was trusting anyone to take care of her garage and warehouse on days she'd be away and trusting her employees wasn't something she was good at. It's not that they were incompetent - all the time at least - but Darcey always felt like the moment she stepped away things would go wrong. Fortunately for them, Darcey had forced herself to at least put trust in the manager she had hired. Bridget was great at keeping things in order and making sure things got done; even if she did have several personal issues going on at once.

Today she decided to try and give Bridget a chance to take over things while she took the day to focus on other things. She had stopped by Alex's place to visit Callum and spoil him with toys to take back to Dublin with him. Alex had given her a dirty look when he saw that they were the noise-making kind, but she just smiled at him. Darcey didn't like the fact the kid had to return to Dublin with his mother just as much as anyone else, but she did have to admit it was the proper thing to do. Alex was a man-child, this much she and everyone else knew. Until he could grow up and stop thinking his family would handle things for him, Callum should be with his mother. Of course, Alex wasn't trying to hear it so maybe that's why she gave Callum all those toys; to make him realize raising a kid wasn't easy. Sure Darcey didn't have children of her own but she treated the King children like her own and had helped raise them. She knew what she was talking about.

She'd actually ended up spending a lot of time there and before she knew it it was nighttime. Alex needed to put Callum to bed so she left him to tend to his son. Being away from work was so weird since she didn't have anything to do. Usually, around this time, she would be taking stock or reading over the number of customers she had that day but no. No, she was practicing making herself available for when she would be needed at a moment's notice. It was definitely driving her crazy and the only way to make her sane was a drink. She hadn't been by the Mercury in a long time so she figured it would be as good a place as any! Just as she was stepping inside she happened to see May and Kerry and a smile grew on her face. As she got closer to the two of them she heard Kerry mention Conor Sullivan and suddenly grew curious. Why would Kerry be telling May about him? Once Kerry's taxi drove off with her inside of it, Darcey was able to speak up. "There's a gorgeous face I haven't seen in a while."

May ( BasDorcha )

The Sullivan's Pub
~Dublin City Centre, Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan​

It didn't hit Ali that this could be hard for Blake until she mentioned it out loud. Her gaze fell and she stared at the table, listening as her friend explained her feelings. How could she be so insensitive? Of course, Blake would feel this way! Conor and James both had worked so hard and spilled so much blood to keep New York and now here he was just giving it up which gave little to no meaning behind Jackson's death. Ali briefly caught the water welling up in Blake's eyes before she quickly turned away and Ali reached across the table for her giving her a soft smile. Really she didn't know what to say next so she let Conor handle it, only for him to not be helpful, she thought. But what could she say that would be any better? "We'll be able to close that horrible chapter of our lives. I know it hurt losing Jackson and it may feel like his death was for nothing, but you know as well as I do he would've wanted us to have nothing to do with that place. Especially you." It was clear there was nothing more to say and that from here on it would be up to Blake to move on, but she still wanted to give her something to help.

Ali pulled her hand back so she didn't squeeze Blake too tight at the mention of Kerry. She was happy Conor had quickly picked up on Blake's uneasiness and therefore quickly made his decision about it altogether. She wouldn't be coming to Dublin and she damn sure wouldn't be around her family. Before she had a chance to let out a string of unsavory words, Adam and Chase joined their table and she smiled at them. Seeing Adam and Blake together - this time out as a couple - warmed her heart and she hoped he would be able to turn her friend's somber feelings around. "This is a sight we love to see; you all returning in one piece." She said looking between the two men. Conor then spoke to them, asking for a report and she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at him but said nothing. She knew she said she didn't want the night to feel like a birthday celebration but she still wanted his attention! But alas, she just slid her empty cup away and reached for his instead while listening to Adam and Chase. Hearing they had taken care of the gunman after Emery was a relief and knew Sinny would be happy to hear about it later. As if talking her up, Emery appeared at the Pub and Ali quickly waved at her with a smile. She was sure the girl was keeping distance between herself and Conor since she was upset with him so she would greet her properly later.

The moment Conor started teasing Chase she playfully slapped his arm. "Hey, don't act as if you don't have a curfew either. The only reason you've been out as late as you have is that I know it's because of business but even still."

Conor, Adam ( Misty Gray )
Blake ( Bellz )
Chase ( Pyroclast )

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Spoiler: Trigger Warnings!!!

Mentions of drugs, sexual abuse, rape

Erik's Apartment
~Hackney, London~
Erik Snowden​

If Billy were trying to be subtle in moving his hand from Erik's thigh, he failed. As soon as Erik mentioned himself being gay he had prepared for whatever reaction Billy was going to give him. In the world they lived in, homosexuals were always looked down on and sneered at but he had become used to it at this point. Nothing Billy could say or do to him would come close to what his father had. But then again, maybe he moved his hand because he was nervous? Or he didn't want to give Erik the wrong idea? Whatever the case, Erik was doing his best not to be offended or hurt by it. He let out a slight chuckle as Billy tried to get to the root of Erik's drug problem out loud. The easiest thing was probably to suggest depression and while there were times Erik felt down, he couldn't really say it was because of depression. He was a relatively happy guy despite the way people treated homosexuals these days. "No, I um... It's not 'cause of depression." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, struggling to just spit it out. Billy asked him to talk and Erik had agreed so now all he had to do was talk. "But I do 'preciate the offer, Billy." Nodding his head he finally looked up at him and felt his heart lurch. This poor soul sitting across from him just didn't understand how much those words meant to him and he probably would never be able to comprehend just how important it was.

"The drugs are 'cause I'm gay." He sat on the words for a moment before shaking his head, "Ah, wait no. I mean, not exactly. I'm not taking them because I'm hiding the fact that I'm gay 'cause I'm not; I never have." Shrugging his shoulders he leaned back into the couch and brought his beer to his lips. Honestly, he was curious as to how Billy never put all the pieces together as far as his sexuality went. The man frequented nightclubs often, but nine times out of ten they were gay bars for both men and women. Ah, maybe that's what it was. The fact that there were lesbians in these clubs too. The thought made him smirk to himself as he scratched his eyebrow with his thumb. "Anyway, I've got classic daddy issues. He didn't like the fact that he was the biker king and his son was a queer," he scoffed at the memory of the first time his dad tried to 'turn him straight'. "No, that's not right. He suspected and tried to make sure I wasn't." Nodding his head in confirmation at himself, he crossed his arms. "Did all sorts of fucked up stuff. Parade the old ladies around in front of me and hire whores to 'show me a wild time and make sure I was a man'. Lost my virginity when I was 12 to a woman named Darlene." His face turned up into one of disgust as he shifted through memories he thought he had buried deep. According to the scowl on his face they hadn't been buried deep enough.

"Wasn't just him it was plenty of people. Not- Not Ava," he quickly added, making sure Billy understood his cousin was innocent. "Ava's been there for me the best she could." His leg started bouncing the more he spoke, especially when he got closer to sharing the moment his drug habit started. "Pricks who were deep in the closet and ashamed of who they were would try an' beat me up whenever they got caught on their knees with my dick in their mouths." He let out another chuckle at the memory, shaking his head. Realizing he was painting too vivid a picture he bit his lip. "Sorry..." For a moment he sat in silence, forgetting what he was supposed to be doing before looking at Billy. He was trying to gauge how he was feeling about his story - his explanation so far. How would he feel once he finished? How would he look at him?

Then he started to inwardly panic. Fuck, what if Billy didn't want to be around him anymore? Sure he said all that stuff about being there for him and him owing him his life but that was before he started spilling everything. Was this whole thing a mistake? He raised his fingers to his mouth again and bounced his knee up and down. He was fidgety and tried to calm himself down. "Right, so uh-, I guess the drugs helped numb all of that back then..." For a second he debated on telling him even more but decided this would be the only time he would be this open and vulnerable. "I don't know, I guess when I got here all of that shit got dredged up somehow so I started using again. But listen, I'm not an addict." He leaned in closer to Billy, though he was unsure of who he was trying to convince right now - the man across from him or himself. "I just- I have to have it sometimes otherwise I get all weird. It helps me focus and remain level-headed otherwise all those emotions come back and I'm not dealing with that shit." Looking into Billy's eyes he tried to make sure he understood what he was saying before sitting back and crossing his arms again.

Erik had gone and told Billy everything - something he never thought he would do. He opened himself up to being vulnerable and showed the man a very raw version of himself and to be honest, he was shocked. He had never told anyone about his past and had no such desire to do so but here he was letting it all out for Billy. Feeling something wet on his cheek he raised his hand to his cheek and realized he had been tearing up this entire time. When had that started? Why? He quickly wiped it away and hoped Billy wouldn't say anything about it as he let out a soft sniffle. "I'm fine, I swear. So long as I have the coke. Ecstasy and LSD are fun but only when I'm partying and you'll never see me touch heroin." Erik let his words sink in before he said anything, his heart pounding. How was Billy about to react to all of this? There was a shit ton more to talk about - his previous anger issues, all the fights, and how he nearly killed someone as a teen to when he actually did kill someone as a teen. But that's not what Billy asked. No, he asked about the drugs and therefore that's all Erik was about to tell him. "So, yeah. Being gay is fun at night and that's about it," he joked.

Billy ( Pyroclast )​

 

[BasDorcha]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~
Maeve Thatcher

May was pouting when Darcey waked in. She had been hoping to learn about Conor Sullivan. The truth was her mother had been outcaste by the Sullivan’s to the fringes of the family. As a young woman, she had been just as close to the family as the rest, but when she got pregnant young, unmarried, and wouldn’t even name the man who had done it – regardless of the fact she may not have known the name – she was pushed away. The family was nice enough to keep her working at a family pub so she could support herself and her child, but after that she was excluded from all family business. May always suspected there was more to it, but her mother would not speak a word on it

Another part of the story that made her think there was more to it was the way her father just up and disappeared when she was younger. Once or twice while working at the bar with her mom she had over heard snippets about the family that never made sense. Sometimes sit was talking about shady business, sometimes a man would come in to make collections and bring supplies, but they were things that never got used by the business. Over time May just grew to assume someone was doing something shady and she was too busy to get involved – what with keeping her brothers alive and herself out of trouble.

There had been rumors that the Sullivan’s were not to be crossed, and involved in some under the radar stuff, but she figured it was normal criminal activity – nothing crazy. Now she was wondering.

“Darcey!” She grinned and hugged the woman, pulling her back to the bar that May put her bottom on, lifted her legs, and spun, dropping to the other side. “I haven’t seen you lately! Where have you been? Also, Kerry got me to wondering about something, Maybe you can sort it out for me.” With a mission in mind, May fixed them both their drinks of choice – Whiskey and Coke for her and two fingers of Whiskey on the rocks for Darcey. In a flash she was back around the bar, and leading Darcey to a quiet table away from the center of the room, partially blocked by a wall. “Based on what I know about Kerry, the bar, and what I assume I know about the Kings, I probably shouldn’t be loud with this. Especially considering what Kerry said as she left.

As you know I’m from Ireland, Dublin to be exact. What I don’t think you know is my mother’s maiden name is Sullivan. Now Kerry made it sound like I should know the Sullivan’s, but here’s the thing, I didn’t spend a lot of time in town, as we lived just at the edge of town. Mum was not exactly a highlight in our family, due to the fact she got pregnant,” Here May pointed at herself, “under hushed circumstances. To this day she won’t talk about it. The only family I ever met of hers, of that side of the family, is Uncle Conor.” May paused to let this information sink in. She wasn’t certain, but really, how many Conor Sullivan’s could there be in Dublin? She quickly relayed the things she had been recalling when Darcey walked in, with the midnight deliveries, occasional check in from Uncle Conor, and the hushed tone that every kept about them. It may be since her mother had gotten herself cut out of the family will, so to speak, by acting foolish, and her children in turn were kept away as well. Maybe there was more to the whole story. She hadn’t questioned it growing up, but now, she realized that they live in a town with family that never seemed to want anything to do with them. Maybe her mother had done something that caused this apparently infamous family to intentionally keep all talk and business as far away as possible. May’s calculating brain was already counting the cards in her mind, wondering how to find out what her mother did, why she was outcaste, and if in fact this was her family they had been discussing.


Interactions: Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
The Sullivan's Pub
- Dublin City Center, Dublin - ​

Blake nodded her head gently as Conor stated that it would take time for her to come to terms with losing New York. Blake watched as Ali reached out to take her hand and the blonde squeezed her friend's hand gently as Ali stated that giving up New York would be a chapter that they could finally close. Ali went on to say that Jackson would have wanted them to have nothing to do with that city any further which caused Blake to flash her the smallest of smiles. Ali then moved her hand as they all spoke of Kerry. Blake was relieved that she could be completely honest with Conor and Ali about how she felt with Kerry, Blake was so torn on the subject and she knew that Savvy may resent her for it...but she wondered if the girl ever stopped to think about how it would feel if she were in Blake's shoes. She was young...at least younger than Blake so maybe she didn't realize what she was trying to do...but Blake was still hurt by it nonetheless.

Conor was easing her mind a bit, however. She was thankful that he could pick up on her uneasiness without her having to say flat out no to the matter. Motherhood had softened her and these days she tended to be more of a people pleaser than she wanted to be. It was draining. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two men step into the pub and she turned to see Adam waving at the three of them before he smiled sweetly her way. Blake smiled in return, giving a half-wave before he went to go grab himself a drink. Blake turned to her own for a moment and just as she set down the glass, Conor stated that his decision was final in not letting Kerry come to Dublin just as Adam arrived at the table. Blake's face was serious for a long moment as she thought about the repercussions of aiding Conor in that decision before Adam slid into the booth beside her. "Hey you." Blake murmured in greeting before laughing as Adam invited Chase to sit. "Don't you two be playing footsie under the table." She teased lightly.

Adam took a drink from his glass before his hand found her hand. Blake squeezed it gently, another smile gracing her face as she leaned against him ever so slightly. Hearing about the job they had just gone on was a good way to keep Blake from dwelling on her own thoughts, so she listened with great interest as the men filled Conor in. After the rundown was given, Conor was asking how long Chase was going to be able to hang out but by that point, Blake was uncharacteristically distracted by people coming in and out of the pub.

Despite her eyes being distracted, she did hear Adam ask her quietly if she was okay. Turning back to him, Blake tried her best to put on a smile to ease his worries, "Fine, love." She stated, her voice cracking ever so slightly before she cleared her throat. Glancing at Conor and Ali as they spoke with Chase, Blake looked back at Adam and sighed. "I'm not one for tough conversations nowadays." Was all she said before it was her turn to squeeze his hand. "Thank you for coming back in one piece. I want to say that I was worried sick but...I have an incredible amount of faith in you. Hope that doesn't scare you." She said teasingly. "Conor and I talked about you and me...I set him straight, of course, but...don't be surprised if he gets all big brother on you." Blake chuckled quietly with a shake of her head.
with: Adam + Conor Misty Gray ; Ali Melanin-Gxdess ; Chase Pyroclast

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~Bethnal Green, London~
Darcey Hargraves​

Darcey happily returned the young girl's hug before taking a seat. She watched as May made her way to the other side of the bar in an unconventional way, shaking her head. Darcey had always found the girl to be full of energy - almost like a little kid sometimes. She didn't blame her, of course, seeing as she was more than likely acting this way because she didn't have a real childhood. Though Darcey didn't really care about what anyone thought she still understood appearances were important and proceeded to chastise her. "Maeve, you know there's a proper way to get back there, don't you?" She said in a singsong voice, wagging her finger at her. "Let's try walking next time." As May poured her a glass of whiskey she couldn't help but smile. The girl hadn't even asked what she wanted yet here she was already pouring her preferred drink. Either she was predictable or the two of them had been spending a lot of time together. "I've been working and planning and making sure the boys don't give Bruce a heart attack." She rolled her eyes and followed behind May, curious as to where they were going. Then May started talking and explaining it was a private conversation not to be had around others. A part of her was worried about the topic but the other felt as if she knew what it was about to be about.

She listened intently as May started to go into her background - something she didn't realize she knew so little of until now. They had only known each other for a year, but she should have at least known that she was from Dublin. Hearing the name 'Sullivan' again she perked up but kept her face unreadable. Conor's name was brought up and she raised a brow when she called him Uncle. Darcey was aware of Conor's sisters - Lucy and Sinead - but then again if May and her mother really were cast aside then it made sense not to know of them. She took a sip of her drink as she swallowed all this information and tapped the table with her index finger.

"I don't know any other Conor Sullivan besides Savannah's uncle. I mean, there is a possibility of you being related to them considering they breed like rabbits." She scoffed and shook her head before continuing. "If this is something you're truly curious about I've no problem looking into it for you, but May." She looked into the girl's eyes with a serious expression on her face and leaned forwards. "This stays between us. Don't say anythin' about it to anyone else. Things ain't exactly goin' so good with them right now and it's important what you're sayin' is concrete before we go around telling anyone, okay?" She wanted to stress the secrecy part as she was afraid the younger woman may let it slip from her mouth. Darcey knew her family didn't want anything to do with the Sullivans and if they found out one was working for them she wasn't sure how it would play out.

May ( BasDorcha )

[/center]

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello​

Lorelei’s sarcastic reaction was expected, so it didn’t deter Jason from taking the opportunity to talk to Benjamin, nor did he satisfy it with a response. Of course she wasn’t going to appreciate him interrupting their date, but since she still hadn’t introduced him to the boy she was seeing he felt like he had to take it into his own hands. He wouldn’t be so adamant to invade Lorelei’s privacy if he wasn’t concerned about what she might be getting herself mixed up in, but he knew that love could blind a person and compromise their rationality, and how easy it was to get swept up in something when emotions were involved, and if that was happening behind his back then he wouldn’t be able to rest until he had checked Benjamin out for himself.

The young man corrected him on his name which irked Jason slightly, but he respected the man for standing up for himself without being rude. He had shaken his hand, too - if he hadn’t, Jason would have struggled even more to accept him. He was pleased that Benjamin was willing to take time out of his date night to talk with him, though when he jumped to explain his actions and apologise Jason wished the man had at least followed him away from the table, as he knew that Lorelei would interrupt. Sure enough, before Jason had even got a word in edgeways, his daughter got to her feet and began giving him a piece of her mind. With an impatient sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to her arguments. Again, before he could respond, Gwen appeared behind him and he turned to face her with a somehow exasperated look on his face, resting his hands on his hips. It mildly annoyed him that Gwen greeted Benjamin so kindly, but she had given him a reason to get rid of her for a moment. Moving in towards her, he passed her his wallet and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Get yourself a drink," he told her. "I won't be a minute. And I won't do anythin’."

Purposefully blocking out Lorelei and Gwen, Jason turned back to Benjamin. "Alright, Benjamin," he said, hands still on his hips. "Once you all would let me actually speak. All's I wanted was to get myself a look at ye'. It's good for us to know who it is we're dealin' wit’. Me, the boy whose legs I'll sure be breakin' once he hurts my girl; you, the man you'll be havin’ to win over so we can all get along together. Sure I do be wantin’ Rory here to be happy, find herself a good man. But you get yourself in trouble like that again and I'll be seein' right through those innocent eyes of yours." Finally, he turned to Lorelei, his expression softening. "I did serve time in prison, spent too much of my twenties in that shithole. So trust me when I tell youse to stay the hell away from there. Sure I'd be wantin' to put that man in his place, too," he paused, pointing a finger at Benjamin. "But once you're out wit’ my daughter, you put her safety first. Every time. D'ye hear me?" Then he threw a look at Lorelei and pointed a finger at her too. "And you. You learn to keep that big mouth o' yours shut. I won’t be seein’ ye’ be put in gaol for gettin' gobby, alright?"

Once he thought he had made his point, he took a step back and tugged his jacket straight. “Now, as long as that’s clear, I’ll let youse be headin’ on,” he concluded. “I have a table to get back to.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Benjamin
Bellz Lorelei

 

[BasDorcha]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~
Maeve Thatcher

View attachment 919449It was nice to have someone to bounce her ideas off. May had come to trust Darcey, one of the only women she ever had in her life, and it was comforting to talk to her. Reaching across, she grabbed the woman's hand and gave it a light squeeze before swallowing down her a large portion of her drink. "Darcey dear, I 'ave no intention o' makin it known if I am an enemy o' the King family. I don't even know the Sullivan's and they certainly 'ave never treated me like family. Spencer and the rest 'ave given me a good place 'ere." She gave her a gentle smile, sitting back in her seat and swilling her drink around in her cup. Truth was, the Sullivan's were just a name to her, she didn't know anything else about them. They could have been standing next to her and she wouldn't have known.

"Do you think they'll make me leave if they find out? I like it 'ere, I do not want to go back to Dublin, except maybe to visit me brothers. Tom should be gettin' out o' the military 'ere soon, if 'e 'as not already. But I 'ave built me 'ome 'ere, as little o' a life as I 'ave." She laughed lightly, though this time it came out a bit forced. May didn't have many friends, and outside of her job here at the bar, she had a small apartment that was only furnished to the minimum, and rarely did anything other then come to work and go home again. Sure she had days to go to the market, but she didn't trust people on a whole so she neve let anyone close. He mother had taught her young that even those closest to you will turn their backs on you.

Looking at Darcey, she smiled, "The boy's are givin' it a run for their money, huh? Sorry to 'ear it 'as been goin' rough for you too. Someone needs to settle them down, if that is even possible. One day a woman'll come along and wrangle them in." May hadn't met all of the brothers but she had heard about them plenty here. Spencer, she of course knew from the bar, but there was also Alex and Billy, two of which she had never met. Rumor had it Alex was a ladies man, and Billy was a friend of the men. She didn't care either way, though she couldn't help but wonder what they were like.



Interactions: Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter
Thomas's Apartment
-Dublin- ​

Thomas was trying desperately to contain his emotions as Lucky worked just as desperately to calm him down. He grabbed onto her fur and stroked it lightly as Elena spoke to him gently. He couldn't look at her, he didn't want to see the look on her face at the fact that he was crying so openly. He felt absolutely disgusted with himself at that moment. But she stated that he needed to be more selfish. She stated that he was in pain and that people wanted to help him, she pointed out the fact that when his family was in pain he wanted to help them, and of course, that was true. Nowadays he just tended to stay out of everyone's business so that he didn't end up fucking anything up, but she was right, he did care when the ones he loved were hurt or in trouble or just simply needed something. Elena then painfully pointed out an issue that Thomas had been battling for years, that he had no love for himself. There was a bit of a language barrier but Thomas understood what Elena was alluding to.

He had calmed down quite a bit as he listened to her voice. She talked about how men always told her they liked her and she believed them sometimes but now she knew what the truth looked like and sounded like. Thomas's eyes met hers as she stated that the truth was in his words and could be seen in his eyes and the man could feel his cheeks warm as he briefly looked away to look at Lucky, whose fur he continued to pet gently. When he looked back at Elena her eyes were full of tears once more and Thomas sat up straighter as he reached out a hand to place it on her own. Thomas had felt guilty for what he had said and when she stated that she liked him as well there was no time to smile as her emotions took over. She stated that she didn't want to go back to...but her sentence trailed off as she cried. Unexpectedly to both himself and most likely her, Thomas scoot closer to the woman before wrapping a gentle arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

Thomas had been the one comforting people for a very long time. Most of his upbringing had been surrounded by pain and turmoil despite his parents' efforts to keep him from being exposed to it. One of his earliest memories of the seriousness of Syd's mental condition was when Roxie had been taken, Thomas remembered how horrible Syd felt and how much Thomas wanted to make everything better but at 11 he was completely powerless in doing so. Although too young to fully understand the weight of the situation, Thomas had bravely been his older brother's shoulder to cry on. This situation rose more times than he could count once Roxie left him, Thomas did his best to be there for his brother but eventually, Thomas had grown numb to such outbursts. It had made him unable to express any emotions of his own to his parents, his siblings for fear that he would make them into what he had become: hollow. The military didn't help him in that case, he only became more emotionless as time went on but for the first time in a long time, he was expressing empathy. Something he thought he'd lost a long time ago. "Hey, it's okay.." Thomas murmured softly to her before she spoke up.

He knew vaguely that Elena was staying at a less than a luxurious hotel in Dublin. She expressed that the man stated she had stayed too long and that she would have to pay more to stay. Thomas's brows furrowed in confusion, his tears completely dried now as he was about to ask for clarification on the subject. She then explained that she was paying him with sex and Thomas unconsciously squeezed her shoulder a bit harder than he should have out of anger. She stated that he waited every night for her after she left work and alluded to the fact that he would be waiting after she left his place. Thomas understood why she had done what she had now. It was all she knew and it was a desperate attempt to stay at a place where she felt safe. She grew emotional and Thomas moved to wrap his other arm around her, embracing her awkwardly from his position but he hoped that she knew he was trying to be comforting. His jaw was set so painfully tight that he thought his teeth would shatter. It was taking everything in him not to stand up at that very moment and walk out the door with her to find that sick freak and put him out of his misery. But Thomas knew how much trouble he could get into, his dad and Syd were examples that things couldn't always be cleaned up by the mob.

She promised him that she didn't like the man doing those awful things to her, but Thomas already knew that by the way, she spoke about him. Elena stated that she was just his animal and Thomas squeezed her tight as he tried to think of the right thing to say. He knew what he had to do, he knew what he should do, but he didn't want his words to mess up his intentions. "Hey, look at me." Thomas murmured to her gently, moving his arm so that he could place his hand under her chin once more. His hand was steady again, able to hold the weight of her head in it as he gently forced her to look him in the eyes. "You're not going back to that fucking hotel. I have another bedroom...and I know I kinda fucked up tonight but, I promise I will make it up to you. You can stay here. Rent-free. No money, no sex to pay off anything okay??" He asked gently before moving to kneel. "Come on, let me show you the other room." If/when she did get up, Thomas led her towards the spare bedroom and opened the door. "You can do whatever you want to this room, paint the walls, hang things up...honestly go nuts, there is a bathroom in this room too, completely private." Thomas said with a soft smile before looking to her, "You don't have to go back there, please, take my offer. I know Lucky will like having another girl in the house."

This was completely outlandish for Thomas to do but he felt so strongly about the woman before him that it just felt right to him. They didn't know each other well enough to be living together but he wanted to make sure that she didn't have to worry about being taken advantage of any further. He was sure he was going to hear it from his family at some point once they found out but Thomas didn't care, he wanted to help her because he liked her...and they could take things slow. He stood quietly watching for her reaction a smile on his face all the while he was in his head, plotting a way to make sure that asshole at the hotel didn't see the light of day again.
with: Elena Pyroclast
mentions: the attention whore Pyroclast ; Jail bird Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Adam could see how distracted Blake was as they sat in the pub. Although he knew she'd been through a lot, it was still a concerning sight to see her looking troubled. For Adam to even notice, let alone care, was a clear sign of how close he felt to the woman. Usually, he would steer clear of the emotional side of things, never having put himself in a position where he needed to show his concern. He could only assume the conversation he'd caught the back end of what the reason for Blake's distracted state. Talking about the woman who had some part in the attack that killed her husband was bound to drag up uncomfortable feelings.

Blake telling him she was fine wasn't convincing, but Adam stopped himself from saying as much, given their location and company. He nodded his head in understanding when she said she wasn't for tough conversations anymore. "Well, I'm here for when you are," he reassured her.

Adam warmly smiled at Blake when she spoke of him coming back in one piece and her having faith in him on that front. "No, it doesn't scare me. It just gives me more motivation to work hard and get home in time for a pint. Not that I ever need motivating, love. Plenty of energy left in this handsome, albeit ageing, man," he playfully reassured her.

Adam looked curiously to Blake when she said she'd been talking with Conor about them. His sent his boss a brief glance before focusing back on his girlfriend. "You told him I'm an upstanding member of the community, right? Not to mention a true gent," he joked. Hearing that he shouldn't be surprised if Conor acted all big brother about it, he sent another glance Conor's way, but decisively shrugged his shoulders. He had nothing to hide from his boss and when it came down to it, Conor had not right dictating Blake's love life. Whilst he understood his feelings were rooted from loyalty to Jackson, he didn't believe it warranted getting in the way of Blake's happiness and her moving on. "I can handle it. As long as he doesn't demote me to toilet cleaning duty, I'm sure everything will be alright."

Briefly looking to Chase and the others, Adam observed they were in conversation. Turning back to Blake he put his arm around her shoulder and leaned in, prompting a brief glance from Conor who soon diverted his eyes. "I can take you home if you're not feeling up to it in here?" he offered her, thinking back to her comment about not being up for difficult conversations. He hoped she could open up to him more soon, but for now he wanted to offer her an escape from whatever Conor had been discussing with her before his arrival.

Bellz (Blake)
Present: Pyroclast (Chase) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan's House
~ Dollymount, Dublin ~

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah rolled her eyes when Roxie asked if she was sure she wanted to live nearby again. "Um, no! If anything, I didn't get enough of you in New York," she assured her, with an angelic pout. She frowned upon hearing how the house wasn't the same anymore. "I know, Roxie. Matthew was a wonderful and a sweet man. I can't imagine losing someone like that."

Savannah nodded along when Roxie said she couldn't have raised her three kids without help from the Irish family. Whilst she might complain about her family's overbearing protectiveness, Savannah also knew how much she deep down appreciated it and couldn't have survived her roughest patches without them. "Matthew was a teacher - he knew the cheats about keeping kids in line," she lightly joked. "Oh yes, my mother and aunts are always so helpful. It felt so isolating not having any of them there in London with me."

She mischievously grinned when Roxie said she'd tease Conor about being a mummy's boy. "Oh gosh, don't do that! He's a bit more uptight than he used to be, so I'd hate for you to make the joke when my uncle is in grumpy mood," she told her. "Not that my Gran, Shannon, let him be soft around her, even if he was a mummy's boy!" She quickly nodded in agreement as Roxie mentioned JJ's clinginess would at least mean he'd grow up to respect women. After dating men, as well as once being abducted by men, who didn't respect her, Savannah understood how important it was to bring up better sons.

"Syd would never mean to treat you badly. For starters, he'd have a lot of angry family members on his back if he did!" She softly smiled as Roxie told her she'd recently had coffee with Syd and the meeting was comforting. "Oh, that's really good! I want you and Syd to be in a good place together. I love both of you, so it's always sad when you guys aren't getting along."

When Roxie spoke of her not letting Alex ruin her own motivation to date, Savannah looked away and subtly shrugged her shoulders. Savannah had really hoped things with Alex could have worked; that Callum would grow up in a stable household with both parents. She then turned back to her best friend when she mentioned a potential date in the form of a man from her firm. "Handsome AND a theatre nerd?!" she asked, brightly smiling at her friend. She blushed at the thought, but then directed her eyes to the ground as her next thoughts deepened the reddening cheeks. "There is someone here in Dublin who I like," she admitted, looking back to Roxie. "I recently met with Danny again, after years of not seeing him. He was the first guy I fell in love with. When we met a few weeks back, it was just to catch up, and I haven't seen him around much in a while. I guess he's busy. But... I think I'm attracted to him all over again."

Bellz (Roxie)

 

[Misty Gray]

Alex's Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King​

Spencer laughed when Alex asked if he really wanted him in boardroom meetings. "Oh, God no. These people require organisation and punctuality," he teased him. "We'll leave the important decisions to me and my superior judgement. I guess Bruce and Darcey too," he remarked.

"Oh, of course, you're right. You're the expert in the other stuff. Please guide me, o wise one," he sarcastically joked back at his brother.

Alex defensively assured him he was just reporting what he had seen with regards to Harper's recent behaviour with another woman. "Well, playing around or not, she needs to be careful what she does in public. There's people who wouldn't take kindly to seeing two women at it together and I've heard of blokes being beaten up for being caught at it. That's not something Harper wants to be mucking about with," he explained. "And Billy's right. Whilst I'd stick up for our sister no matter what, we don't need people gossiping about our family and reputation. We've enough going on as it is."

Spencer was intrigued to hear Alex talk about the arguments Billy and Erik had. "Married couple? Christ. Maybe they do need to get laid - but not with each other!" he said, quick to confirm what he meant. Thankfully his mind was able to divert to the subject of the guys fighting it out instead. "Yeah, I love our Billy, but my money would be on Erik. Bloke looks like he can give it and take it." He then let out a sigh. "Seriously, though. Them two better not keep fuckin' about. Moretti doesn't seem like he'd let one of his men be over here pissing about wasting time having tiffs with Billy. I like working with Erik, so I'd prefer if he stuck around here."

The two men were soon interrupted by the sound of footsteps descending the stairs. Soon enough, the small boy entered the lounge. "Uncle Spencer!" he excitedly exclaimed. He then turned to Alex before pointing in the direction of the kitchen. "I'm thirsty, Daddy. I need a chocolate milkshake," he informed Alex, sounding pretty serious about his requirement. "And I think some cookies too."

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
The Sullivan's Pub
- Dublin City Center, Dublin - ​

Blake smiled softly as Adam jokingly clarified that she had only told Conor good things about him. "I did." She chuckled, watching as he looked to Conor before shrugging his shoulders. "Ah if he demotes you he and I are gonna have some words, he may seem like the boss around these parts but he knows damn well the women around him are keeping things afloat." She stated with confidence. The blonde moved to polish off her drink as there was a moment of silence in their conversation, Adam and her both seemed to listen to the conversation happening around them. Adam soon placed his arm around her shoulder and leaned in. Blake caught the look Conor gave them before the man looked away and Blake couldn't hide the smirk on her face as Adam mentioned taking her home. As much as she wanted to stay and try to be perky for Ali's birthday, the conversation about Jackson and Kerry kinda dulled the mood that had been set at the beginning of the night.

Looking at her friend for a long moment, she was trying to gauge if the woman would be hurt by Blake leaving. Ali and she had been friends for so long that she knew the woman would be able to read her body language and catch onto the fact that Blake wasn't doing well. "Actually yea, that would be nice. Maybe we can have a drink at my place? The kids are staying at their friend's houses again, I needed a break." She said half-joking. Her kids were very easygoing, more so than most of the other children they grew up beside. Blake really couldn't have asked for better children, but sometimes they would bicker or get a little too clingy and Blake needed an escape. Colin had been expressing his dislike for her being out all the time so Blake had made sure to pay special attention for the last week but the boy seemed to finally have his fill as he asked her earlier today to spend the night at his friends. Natasha followed suit, not wanting to impose on her mother's alone time that she could see she needed.

When there was a break in the conversation, Blake looked to the other three at the table. "Hey, um...Adam's gonna take me home. I don't want to dampen the mood tonight. Ali, love, happy birthday, and when you open your gift give me a call, okay?" Blake then looked to Conor, making sure to give the man a reassuring smile. She hoped he didn't think that her leaving was his fault because while yes, the conversation had illicit feelings she would have rather not dealt with...it needed to be discussed. "Thanks for looking out for me, Con. Really. I appreciate it. Now treat your woman like the Queen she is tonight or you and I are gonna have an issue, ya hear?" She said teasingly. Blake slid out of her side of the booth and moved to grab her purse as she looked to Chase, "Thanks for getting this guy home in one piece, I owe you one, kid." Blake said gently.

After goodbyes were said and done, Blake was quick to walk out of the bar with Adam following a short distance behind. She had made it out of the pub before him and had moved to catch her breath next to the entrance, leaning her hand against the wall as she placed her other hand on her chest. The fresh air was helping aid her in thinking a little more clearly. Not looking at Adam as she moved to claw a hand through her curls, Blake shook her head, "I'm fine. I promise." She stated stubbornly, wanting to maintain the fact that everything was fine with her even though it wasn't.

The conversation had brought a lot of guilty feelings to the surface along with feelings of rage that she had fought to control when Savvy had asked her about Kerry. She hated to feel out of control and it was embarrassing to her when someone else had to witness it. "I thought I could handle that conversation with him...I mean...I got through it but..." Blake shook her head. "I just feel this immense guilt, ya know? Like I'm doing something wrong by moving on? He didn't make me feel that way...but just talking about it with him feels wrong. I still haven't even talked to Syd about us. Jackson and him...they were so close. I just don't know how to talk to him about this. And then Savvy wanted Kerry to come to Dublin, I couldn't tell her no but Conor is going to." Blake rambled as she looked to Adam with wide eyes. "I thought this was gonna be harder on my kids than it is but shit, I'm having to deal with the adults instead."
with: Adam Misty Gray
bye: Conor ; Ali Melanin-Gxdess ; Chase Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Savannah Callahan's House
~ Dollymount, Dublin ~​

"The kids need both of us to step up and put our differences aside. I was not ready for that but...I now realize that I have to do that in order to help them." Roxie murmured in reference to Savvy expressing her happiness over the meeting Roxie had with Syd. When Roxie brought up her friend dating life, she wasn't satisfied when Savvy shrugged her shoulders subtly. She was, however, extremely happy to get a reaction out of Savvy about the man she knew at her firm. "Mmmmhmmm, I know way too much about musical theater because of that guy. Too much, more than I have ever wanted to know in my entire life." Roxie said teasingly. Noticing her friend's ever-growing red cheeks, Roxie raised her brows in curiosity as she said there was someone else in Dublin she liked. "Um! What?! And I was not informed immediately?! I feel hurt Sav." The brunette joked and quieted down as Savvy informed her that she met with Danny again.

Roxie's face was all smiles, the most she'd smiled in a really long time since Matthew's death. Nothing made her happier than seeing the people around her happy. "Ah I remember him, he had the good weed hook up." Roxie said chuckling at the memory before Savvy went on to say that they had just caught up and that she hadn't seen him in a while. This caused Roxie to frown softly. "I mean this place is no New York, you are bound to run into him again sometime soon. Do you know how hard it is to not run into anyone you know here? Really hard." She reassured her friend before the woman went on to say that she was attracted to him all over again, this caused Roxie to wiggle her eyebrows. "Well Jesus, Sav. No reason you shouldn't hop on that." Roxie said matter-o-factly.

"I really liked Danny! I mean sure, he dealt drugs but he was a nice guy, pretty too. He's got total dad vibes. Has he met Callum yet?? He seems like the man who would want to be completely involved in his life. There is nothing more attractive than a man who is willing to parent a child who isn't his, let me tell you. The paternal thing at our age, very attractive." Roxie gushed with a large smile on her face. "You should ask him out again. It's the 80s, no need to wait for him to do it. Alex can go fuck himself, literally." She knew that her feelings towards Alex were aggressive but Roxie didn't take what the man had done to her best friend lightly and after the conversation she had with Syd, she knew his family didn't either. "Best get back out there while your kid is young before he sucks the life out of you with his teenage angst." Roxie said teasingly, finishing off her glass of wine. Scrunching her nose lightly, a light wave of nausea took a hold of her and the woman sighed. "I think my old age is starting to catch up to me, I'm not able to handle drinking like I used to. Don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. My partying days are over, I guess. Now I have to watch out for Jeanie and Jane sneaking into the cellar to drink...I'm getting to that age where eventually I will be living vicariously through them." Roxie said with another sigh. "Could I have some water? I'm feeling sick."
with: Savvy Misty Gray