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

[Pyroclast]

Saint Saviour's Church
~ Beaumont, Dublin ~

Enzo​

Since Sinead had pulled up in her car and got out, Enzo had kept his steely eyes fixed on the door, just waiting for the boy to exit the church. They may have been instructed to keep Callum out of it, so he was somewhat relieved when Sinead had turned up without him. Not that he cared for the young boy, but it was important to him that they stuck to Gabriel’s plan and he couldn’t be completely sure Callum wouldn’t end up getting hurt during the attack.

“We won’t leave empty-handed,” Enzo assured his partner, still staring hard at the church’s heavy wooden door. “Any second now, that kid’s gonna come out, take his mama’s hand, and we’re a-go.” Despite Gabriel’s instructions not to cause too much of a scene, Enzo had still chosen to bring a gun with him. He would keep it in the car for this particular attack, but he wasn’t entirely comfortable being in enemy territory without being properly armed. The pair had been made aware of Sinead’s routine, but nobody else’s, so even the smallest chance of being intercepted on their way out could put them in danger if they weren’t prepared. As for the attack itself, Enzo was sure using his bare hands would be enough - a woman of Sinead’s stature and a child were the easiest of targets and Enzo was known to have a strong grip - but after his partner had chosen to bring a knife with him, Enzo had decided to match him.

Only a moment later, the door of the church opened and Enzo straightened in his seat. “Andiamo,” he said. “You grab the kid, I’ll handle the broad.” With that, he opened the door and jumped out of the van. Enzo didn’t rush towards the pair, so as not to spook them, but when they did get close enough to draw their attention he pulled his gaiter up over his nose and picked up his pace. By the time it was obvious that the two weren’t entering the church but rather going after Sinead and Liam, it was too late for them to run; keeping a fiery glare on Sinead, Enzo closed in on her and flicked open his switchblade. Before she had time to react, he thrust the knife into her stomach with enough force to slam her against the church’s rough exterior wall. He kept her pinned there by a hand clamped over her mouth to muffle her scream. Still keeping the knife lodged inside her with an unyielding grip on the handle, Enzo looked to his partner. “Vai, vai, get him in the van!”

Interactions
Misty Gray Sinead, Liam, Signore Bad Man

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
The Sullivan Residence
- Sutton, Dublin -​

Hearing that Conor never expected Ricky to do what he did broke Roxie's heart even more than it already was. Besides Syd and Reina, most people tended to see what Roxie saw in her cousin. Sure his personality disorder was a bit much to handle at times but Ricky had always been sweet to her, always protected her. He worked with her Uncle for years to keep their business under wraps to preserve her innocence. It didn't make any sense, none of it did. Roxie understood that Ricky was upset about not being handed the business but he'd been upset about plenty of things before and he'd never done anything like this. The sick feeling that was continuing to creep up on her and Roxie moved to grab her water to take a hearty sip.

Roxie appreciated Conor's input during this time, knowing that he was going to be more rational about the situation than her vengeful ex would be when he did show up and was caught up in the situation. Finishing her water, she held onto every word he was saying. He was saying that she needed to have a heavy presence in New York...before Ricky betrayed her that's what she thought she had. Her unwillingness to go to New York was something that she needed to get over quickly but she knew that later on in her pregnancy she would be physically unable to fly. The first person she knew and trusted completely with her life was Reina, the woman had been nothing but loyal to her since hired but she knew that she didn't necessarily like being in New York nor flying.

Conor stated that personally, he would cut the Moretti family off completely but like he acknowledged, that would be extremely difficult to do. Her family had been in New York since before the sky was lined with skyscrapers...to bring that all to an end was hard. She wasn't sure how many of her people were aligned with Ricky in her absence but she understood that some of them did see Moretti as more favorable than the Sullivans, not so much for the lovely personality that Moretti possessed but for the power he had.
As a businesswoman, the business was far more favorable siding with Moretti, but she also knew that he was more likely to turn on her than the Sullivans were. Even if she didn't have any personal attachments to them, her moral compass told her that they were good people long ago starting when she met Savvy.

Conor expressed that he would prefer her business with him be exclusive but Roxie wasn't sure what business she would even have if she were to drop everything in New York. She'd need to trade things over to Dublin, which wasn't terribly hard...but she had a feeling if she cut off everything in New York she wouldn't be allowed to return. Conor informed her once again that Ricky thought he was off the hook and that she could use that as leverage for a plan before getting rid of him. Roxie would rather not have to prolong having to deal with her cousin, wanting to just get rid of him while her feelings for revenge were fresh and she didn't have time to back down.

But she knew that she needed to use this situation to her advantage, she needed to help herself and help the Sullivans get as much information as she could. The idea of her stepping up to the plate to deal with Moretti was appealing and honestly seemed like the only way that this was going to work. Whoever she sent could turn on her just as easily as her cousin did and she wasn't willing to send Reina. "I agree with you there and the idea of turning him in to Gabe is very tempting." Roxie admitted, but she did want to deal with him herself. The idea that Gabe could give her a chance seemed likely but it was just as likely as he would push her off as being exactly like her cousin. There was so much to think about that Roxie was starting to get a headache from it. Lifting a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose, she took a deep breath and let out an airy laugh as Conor suggested not ripping Ricky to shred yet.

"Well you know me, Conor. I'm not one to rush into things but you also know your own nephew. Syd is not one to not rush into things. He's had it out for Ricky since he's met him...I mean fuck, his obsession with my family is the reason we broke up in the first place! He always said that they were up to something and here I am looking like a complete fool for not believing him!" Roxie was smiling but it wasn't one of joy, it was a painful one, showing Conor just how much she despised herself in that moment. "I can't stop Syd from doing what he wants and you sure as hell know you can't either. He may have changed since I left him but that man doesn't understand patience, especially when it comes to making sure the people who hurt the ones he loves pay."
with: Conor Misty Gray
mentions: Syd Pyroclast ; Reina Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Harper's Apartment
- London - ​

Harper was a bit shocked to learn that Jeremy had remembered the night they stayed up talking while her family had passed out from an obscene amount of drinking. He stated that he remember every minute of that night which...she wasn't sure how to feel about. His voice was deep and he stared at her so intensely that she found herself having to look away from his eyes to the couch between them as her cheeks warmed again.

He seemed to notice the intensity of the moment because he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat before looking away from her. "I don't think anyone can drink quite like them, I don't know how but they seem to have a harder and harder time handling alcohol as they get older." Harper stated with a small smile before Jeremy got up from the couch to grab his wallet. "Oh I don't ever forget an opportunity for free food." Harper stated before nodding her head as he asked about setting the table. "You know where everything is." She said lightly before watching him go.

Harper sat on the couch for a long moment to process the energy that surrounded her, threatening to choke her to death. Inhaling deeply through her nose, Harper stood up to walk towards the kitchen and dining room area. She walked in just in time to see him pouring two glasses of whiskey, everything on the table was set and ready to go. Harper raised an eyebrow as she leaned in the entryway with her arms crossed over her chest again.

He brought a glass over to her and she hesitated in grabbing the glass, both brows raised as she decided to take it from him. The blonde rolled her eyes as he called her "youngin'" before telling her to show him how it was done. The grin on his face caused her to start to smile before he did a 180 and frowned. Harper's brows furrowed in confusion as she looked at the glass of liquor in her hand. Pushing herself away from the entryway, she walked towards the table and sat down. The silence between them was more deafening than if someone was screaming right in her ear. Clearing her throat, Harper smirked slightly at Jeremy.

"I have to warn you, I'm quite the drinker...unfortunately that was the only thing my parents left behind for me...the ability to easily handle alcohol and drugs." There was a hint of malice in her voice as she shook her head before downing the whole glass in one go. She shook her head quickly and made a face, "Ugh, doesn't get any easier to drink though..." Her eyes watered slightly as her throat burned and she once again shook her head, "Come on now, don't leave me to drink by myself. If you can't keep up with me old man just say so, I can get you tucked into bed. It's only..." She looked to her clock hanging above the kitchen sink, "4 pm, that's really late for someone who's pushing 116." Harper teased before inviting him to sit down across from her.

"So...what was my Uncle having you do before you were assigned babysitting duty? Hmm? Something way cooler than watching me all day I'm sure."
with: Jeremey BasDorcha

 

[Misty Gray]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Spencer King​

Spencer nodded in understanding when Jocelyn snorted at his question as to whether she'd involved the police. Whilst those in the know on the London streets knew the Kings were the law before any copper, Spencer still had to cover his back. If the police were at all on the trail of the assailants, that path could lead them straight to the Kings if he was already exacting his own kind of justice. Thankfully, they had no idea a crime had been committed against Jocelyn, which meant Spencer felt safe to carry out the investigation himself and save them the job. Besides which, even if the police weren't so useless this time, he had no faith in the justice system to punish the filthy scumbags enough. They'd still be breathing, after all.

Spencer looked down to the notebook to see Jocelyn had written the word 'GONE' on the paper. "Oh, they'll be gone, alright," he firmly assured her. "Leave it with me and I'll make sure they never bother anyone again."

When the barmaid returned with their glasses, Jocelyn passed Spencer a piece of paper. He looked at the list of ingredients for The Long Island Iced Tea before passing it to the barmaid so she could make the requested drink. Before Sarah could take the bottle of gin, Jocelyn poured herself and Spencer some of the alcohol straight. Whilst the cocktail was being prepared, Spencer took the time to taste the gin neat, inspecting the drink for quality. He reserved his opinion for the time-being, wanting to taste the cocktail and take his own time to come to a decision as to whether he wanted to put some orders in and draw up another contract. He didn't have to speak up to pass any time as Sarah soon arrived with the cocktails which Jocelyn stirred before sliding one of them to Spencer. He wasn't a cocktail drinker, but he trusted his mind and taste buds to know when a drink would go down well with the customers. He kept the note with the price tag on the table in front of him, taking his time to think it over.

Spencer grinned when Jocelyn pointed out that the drink was popular with the women. "Oh, well that's certainly a bonus. If we can get the ladies to stay out, it means their fellas will be allowed to play out longer too, which means more money in my tills," he pointed out. He rubbed his chin as he took a moment to look around the pub. "My personal cocktail taster is currently heavily pregnant, but I'll be getting her back on the team soon enough," he spoke fondly of Shona.

The pub door was pushed open, only briefly catching Spencer's interest as the group of men entered the pub. However, when he looked back to Jocelyn, he noticed how she'd sunk down in her seat and looked altogether uncomfortable at their presence. He looked to the men again as one of them laughed and the group seemed to be in general high spirits. He looked directly to the woman seated with him and raised a curious eyebrow. "Do you know those guys?" he asked Jocelyn. "We can continue this in my office, if you'd prefer? I just figured you'd like it better out here," he reasoned.

BasDorcha (Jocelyn)

 

[Misty Gray]

Porter Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

James Porter and Olivia Sullivan​

Hearing that Lucy didn't recognise Thomas anymore might have told James he wasn't to take his son's lack of contact personally, but it didn't seem to help. If anything, it made him feel more annoyance that Lucy had been upset by the young man's behaviour. "Well, he's ignored me since I went to jail, so he should feel nervous," James couldn't help but be honest about how he felt. However, Lucy went on to defend Thomas, stating he meant no harm. James didn't have much chance to process it before the young man in question rang the doorbell. James returned Lucy's kiss and stayed silent as she asked him to try make the most of dinner. "Alright, love..." he simply agreed. When Lucy left to greet Thomas, James remained in the lounge as he took some time to try push his irritation aside.

James heard the voices of his wife and son out in the doorway, but he remained in the lounge, not wanting to make Thomas feel more awkward, at least not until he'd committed to being inside the house. Soon enough, Lucy and Thomas entered the lounge. James' eyes fixed on his son as he studied the young man, noticing how his features had matured significantly more since he last saw him six years ago. Although Thomas was already technically an adult when James went to jail, it still felt like he'd missed a big chunk of the young man's life and any subtle, gradual changes over time were blatantly obvious James, who had keep the same last memories of him for years now. James broke out of his thoughts when Lucy directed his attention to the flowers and alcohol Thomas had brought for them. "Whiskey, yeah? That's real good..." James trailed off, taking the bottle and reading the label to show interest. Of course, he was extremely grateful for the thoughtful gesture, but he couldn't get past what was on his mind, nor that he wondered if Thomas resented having to come along for dinner tonight. Did he really want to be there at all? Still, James, didn't want to seem ungrateful. He lifted the bottle in the air slightly and smiled at Thomas. "Thanks, mate. That's great, that is. I can't wait to get it opened, especially after being six years sober... as far as the corrections officers were aware..." he remarked.

Thomas was shifting awkwardly on the spot, even as he spoke up to greet James with a "hey dad". James briefly glanced to Lucy, unable to hold back the words that were on the tip of his tongue. "Oh, so you do remember me.. I was worried you wouldn't recognise me, y'know? Out of sight, out of mind, and all that," he drily remarked. "Are you sticking around for dinner or did you just want to show your face for a minute so you know you can say you tried and then clear it from your head?"

Olivia had been about to casually enter the room when she heard part of the conversation. Though an atmosphere was expected, she still found herself surprised. She awkwardly bit her lip before stepping into the doorway to make her presence known. "Hey Thomas. I'm so glad you're here!" she brightly greeted him, stepping into the room and standing by his side. She pointed to the bottle James was holding and quirked her eyebrows. "Holy shit! If you're getting pissed up tonight, I hope the rest of us are. What do you reckon, Thomas?!" she playfully asked him.

James studied Thomas and Olivia for a short time, still unable to process how much they'd changed. Even though Olivia had regularly visited him over the years, she had only been 14 when he was arrested and locked up, so seeing her in their home now, as an adult, was hard to believe. "I think I'll be taking it easy. Gotta build up that alcohol tolerance again, else I'll be pissed up before dinner is over and I'd hate to miss a thing tonight. It might be another six years before I see some of you..."

"Oh jeez! Mum, is dinner ready?" Olivia asked, rolling her eyes. "Maybe food will make us all a bit less grumpy!" she remarked.

Bellz (Lucy, Thomas)

 

[Pyroclast]

Elena Velazco​

Even if Elena was slow to pick up the exact words he was saying, it was clear enough that Adam wasn't at all convinced by the story she had spun. The way he questioned her alleged interactions with the mob suggested that he believed her foolish to go anywhere near them. She supposed she didn't really know what the mob did but she had gathered some sort of impression at least - the way they spoke, dressed and carried themselves, the powerful and intimidating air they had about them, and of course she had witnessed first hand the kind of danger they involved themselves in after Adam has entered the pub with a bullet lodged in his arm.

However, even after the traumatic operation on the floor of the pub toilets, Elena had never been intimidated by Adam before. Perhaps a little, insofar as wanting to make a good impression on him, but he had never been anything but warm and friendly towards her. Until now. The stern tone in his voice and the suspicious look in his eyes made her heart pound as she began to worry that she had blown her chance with him. With the way the conversation was going, it seemed possible that he would soon want nothing to do with her at all.

She realised then that the only way to save the situation was probably to tell him the truth. His reaction might not be the one she wanted, but the pressure he was putting on her was making it harder to come up with a better lie and if this really was her last chance to explain herself then she didn't want to risk being sent back to Cuba. She would likely lose all contact with Thomas, never get another chance to return to Dublin or make contact with Adam again...the thought of losing everything now, after the journey she had made, was too much to bear.

The room was plunged into silence after Adam commanded her to tell him the truth, as Elena processed his words and struggled to form a response. She felt herself shrink in her seat and Adam’s stony gaze became harder and harder to return. “Okay, sin mentiras,” she finally spoke, if nothing but to keep him listening. The words came out as nothing more than a whisper, and her eyes filled with tears that she could no longer hold back. “I come to Dublin because...because I have a family here,” she admitted. “I learn that my papa is in the Irish Mob, and he lives in Dublin, so I come here to find him. And work in his favourite pub, so I can see him...” Finally, she looked up into his eyes, prompting a few tears to crash down her face. By this point she was trembling all over, so afraid of his reaction and so overwhelmed by the moment she had anticipated her whole life. “I want to make him like me before I tell him, so that he wants to be my father.” Curling his fists up in her sleeves, she raised them to hide her face, her tearful eyes daring to peek over the top to watch his reaction. “I try to tell you, in the toilet when I help your arm, but you don’t understand me. Adam…you...you are my father.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Papaaa

 

[Misty Gray]

Wycliff Family Vacation Home
~ Long Island, NYC ~

Valentina Wycliff
~ Cristina and Paolo ~​

Valentina heard Teddy approaching her as his shoes walked across the wooden patio. As she knew it was him, she didn't flinch when she felt his arms wrap around her waist from behind. Instead, she leaned back into his embrace. Looking up and turning her head, she looked to his face to see him smile, returning one of her own. She grinned as her husband said he wouldn't mind living on a beach. "Oh yeah..." she encouraged him to go on. She let out a small laugh when he suggested making it their main home. "Can you imagine how relaxing that would be? Though I'm sure our boss would have a few things to say about that," she pointed out, speaking of Gabriel.

Valentina turned around to face Teddy, but stuck close so his arms could remain around her. "I suppose it does remind me of Miami, except it's not quite as warm as I recall," she reminisced. She leaned in to kiss his lips before stepping back a little so there was enough distance between them that she could see his face without having to bend her neck.

"It would be lovely to live here, but we both know that won't happen, not with you working so closely with my father." She folded her arms as she tried to hold back what was on her mind, but in the end, she couldn't keep quiet. "You've been really busy this week, with all your meetings with Papa. Plotting, I expect. Obviously, I'm not surprised, not after our baby was kidnapped. Of course we all want Conor and James to pay for what they did." Unfolding her arms, she slotted her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and looked her husband in the eyes. "So what is it? What did you both decide to do to get back at the Irish? I imagine it's pretty big, so I want to know the whole truth."

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy, Francis)
BloodLightning27 (Harmony)

 

[Misty Gray]

Saint Saviour's Church
~ Beaumont, Dublin ~

Sinead and Liam Callahan​

Joe listened as Enzo narrated his expectations, that the kid would leave the church at any given moment. He smirked to himself and nodded his head. He liked getting his hands dirty, especially when it was against the Irish who had a week earlier killed two of their colleagues back in New York in order to get to Cristina. "This'll be as easy as stealing candy from a baby... or a baby from its skinny mama," he remarked. "Everyone must be scared of church because it's pretty quiet around here. At least it means there's not much chance of anyone getting in the way."

When he saw the church door open, Joe felt a level of excitement, keen to get the show on the road. Anything to get in the boss' good books and maybe one day get a promotion within the Mafia. "You just want to touch up the redhead," he joked when Enzo told him to get the kid whilst he would go for Sinead. Joe got out of the van and casually walked alongside his partner, not wanting to draw attention to themselves.

Meanwhile, Sinead naturally smiled when Liam stepped out of the church. "How has your day been, sweetheart?" She placed her hand around his shoulder before kissing the side of his head. Given Sinead's short height and Liam due to become a teenager, the boy was already catching up to his mother in height and would no doubt soon be taller than her.

"Mam..." Liam protested about being fussed over in public. His eyes fixed on the two men approaching, neither able to become suspicious nor embarrassed before they rushed into action. "MAM" he yelled out before he was grabbed from behind by Joe and a hand clamped over his mouth.

Sinead was caught by surprise when the two men suddenly attacked them. Before she could scream out or react, she was dragged away from Liam by Enzo. Her back hit the stone wall of the church as the knife was thrust into her stomach. At first, the pain of her body slamming harshly against the church took up her attention, as the pain in her back was accompanied by a brief winded feeling in her chest. After a delay, she felt the sharp, excruciating pain in her stomach. Her eyes looked down to see Enzo's hand keeping something pressed into her stomach. She soon realised it was a knife and her pained, terrified screams were muffled out by the hand that was covering her mouth. Amongst the pain and shock, she saw Liam being dragged around and she tried her hardest to beg for the men to leave him alone, but with the hand over her mouth, only a panicked muffle was heard. Tears streamed down the woman's face as she struggled but failed to escape the man's strong hold. She felt immense pain and nausea, but in that moment, the worst feeling was the panic and helplessness as she was held back from running to her son's aid.

Liam saw Enzo attack his mother and even though he was keeping the knife in her stomach, Liam could still make out the red blood collecting around the entry point. As Joe tried to drag him away, Liam struggled to break from his grip. After managing to slip out of the man's grasp, he screamed out for help, but was instantly grabbed again. This time Joe wrapped one arm around the boy's neck and used his other hand to clutch his knife, bringing it up to Liam's eye-level so the boy knew what he was up against. "Shut the fuck up and walk with me to that van, else I'll slash your throat," he threatened the boy. "Walk faster," he ordered, directing the boy to the back of the white van which he intended to drag him into.

Meanwhile, Sinead trembled as she stood frozen on the spot, too scared to move in case the knife was lodged further into her stomach or the man stabbed her again. The tears streamed down her face as she once again made futile pleas to be left alone. She was terrified of bleeding and of dying, but more than that, she was afraid for her boy. She felt helpless, but still lifted her hand, wrapping her delicate fingers around Enzo's wrist as she attempted to pull his hand away from her mouth.


Inside the church, Patience had heard the sound of a young male voice. She turned to Silas with a curious expression. "Was that Liam shouting?" she asked the priest. As she approached the main doors, she caught sight of Enzo and Sinead through one of the windows in the entranceway. "Father Healy, come quickly!" she beckoned the man over. She let out a small gasp as she realised the man outside was holding a knife in Sinead's stomach. "Someone is attacking Mrs. Callahan!" she worriedly pointed out, clasping her hands together. "We have to help her!"

Pyroclast (Silas, Enzo)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Thomas Porter
Porter Residence
- Sutton, Dublin - ​

Thomas had expected his father to be upset with him but James had never been the emotional outburst type and neither had Thomas, Syd had enough of that to go around for both men. So he was taken aback a little when his father spoke. The tone was dry both the words themselves were packed full of emotion. Thomas had a hard time looking him in the eye as the guilt set in. He asked if he was sticking around for dinner or if he was going to just show his face for a minute but before Thomas could even attempt to defend himself, Olivia had interrupted the tense moment.

Thomas's eye watered as his jaw set, turning away from his father and looking towards the ground in shame taking a quick second to compose himself before looking to Olivia as he stood beside him, greeting him cheerfully. "Hi Liv, I wouldn't miss it..." He murmured lightly before he looked his mother's way. Lucy had been standing eerily still allowing the moment James needed to come and pass. Olivia expressed her hope in everyone drinking before looking to Thomas and the young man gently smirked, "Ah, maybe a stiff-on will make this whole situation I've created less awkward, huh?" He looked to his parents and Lucy was stunned into silence. Sure James couldn't understand the change that she currently saw in their son but she couldn't believe that he had cracked a joke or even brought over the thoughtful gifts.

"Ah you know I don't drink very much anymore...you two kids go nuts, though I'm not letting you drive home if you get too pissed, love." She said with an uneasy smile as she looked to Thomas, who looked at her and nodded his head in understanding. Lucy looked to her husband as he said he would be taking it easy and that he'd hate to miss things. He used that to make another dig at Thomas to which the young man visibly flinched biting down on his lower lip before looking at the floor once more. Lucy looked at Thomas with concern ready to tell James to take it easy before Olivia asked about dinner. The timer in the kitchen went off right on cue and Lucy clapped her hands together, "Yes, there is nothing my food can't fix. Come on everyone..time to eat."

"James, Olivia, why don't you go ahead I'm gonna go find a vase for these flowers...Thomas comes with me, won't you...I have a feeling I put it somewhere that I can't easily reach." Lucy murmured, waving for Thomas to follow her before shooing the others off towards the dining room. "I'll be there in a second to bring the food out!" She told Olivia and James as she led Thomas down the hall towards the closet.

Once she was sure they couldn't be heard, Lucy looked to her son. "You okay, love? I know that he's being...harsh." The blonde murmured as she opened the closet door easily reaching for the vase that she had lied about not being able to reach. Thomas looked to his mother his face expressionless as he asked if he was okay. "Why did you think having dinner with us together was a good idea? It's clear to me that he's going to just continue to lay into me like this...I just don't think I can-" Thomas's throat closed with emotion, making it hard to speak as a stray tear fell from his eyes. His lip trembled and he shook his head in frustration as he turned his head away from his mother so she couldn't see him cry.

Lucy let out a small gasp before reaching under his chin so that he could look at her, much like she'd done with both Syd and James in the past. "He's upset but he loves you...he'll move on from this I promise. You just need to apologize to him." Thomas looked into his mothers' eyes before nodding his head lightly. "He loves you, Thomas, and so do I...you coming here tonight surprised us both but it is a good surprise. Now come on, let's go eat, I made your favorite garlic stuffed dinner rolls." Lucy smiled which Thomas returned lightly before following her into the dining room.

He made sure to wipe at his eyes before entering the room, sitting across the square table from his father not meeting his eyes as he got situated. Lucy hurried back and forth from the kitchen, bringing in each dish before sitting down herself as the table was already made. "Alright, dig in while it's still hot everyone. This is the most food I've made in a while so there is plenty to go around." Lucy murmured. Everything was quiet for a long moment as the people at the table served themselves. Thomas reached for a dinner roll before staring at it for a long moment. As good as they were, the rolls made for great ammunition back when he was smaller. Syd's face was the target majority of the time but quite a few times Thomas had thrown one at his father despite his mother's protests to not play with the food. This memory caused him to actually smile before looking to the table.

"These rolls were extremely accurate in hitting their target when I threw them...somehow Mom, you managed to make something delicious and dangerous all in one." Thomas complimented to which the blonde laughed and thanked him. "Liv, remember you and I threw them at dad and I hit him right in the face and you ended up knocking over his drink? You were so pissed, pop. Us kids wasting perfectly good alcohol and food. I've never seen mom's face turn as red as it did that night since." Thomas reminisced, hoping to break the ice somehow before he went into his apology.
with: James + Olivia Misty Gray
mentions: Syd Pyroclast

 

[BasDorcha]

Sutton Beach
Tom Thatcher
~Sutton, Dublin~​

Tom laughed understandingly when her stomach rumbled and turned back to the street vendor – it wasn’t anything fancy, but it smelt good, and it was right there at the park. He looked over the menu and selected a few things, before nodding her head in the direction of the vendor, “Pick out whatever you want, then we can go pick a spot. The beach is just through the park on the other side so we can sit and listen to the waved while we eat.” He smiled, and then paid the vendor when she was done, carrying the food for them as they made their way to the beach.

“So, tell me a little bit about you. Where are you from? How did you end up here? How did you meet Mrs. Lucy?” Tom asked the questions in a friendly but rapid fire way, his mind running at a million miles an hour. Often, Tom forgot that other peoples mind did not work as fast as his did, and people would struggle to keep up with him. Clearing this throat and grinning sheepishly when he realized this, he scratched the back of his head and laughed, “Sorry, I forget to slow down sometimes. Let me tell you a little bit about me. My name is Tom, short for Thomas Thatcher. I’m from here in Dublin, I have a sister, a brother and me mum. I just got out of the military not to long ago, right before I started on at the shop, and I left home early to join – sixteen actually.”

Tom navigated them to a relatively smooth spot, setting the food to the side so he could take the blanket and help spread it out. Once it was smoothed out, he helped Shinoa unload anything she needed to while she took care of Lillian. Then he sat and sorted the food out, placing everything in the center so they could eat and share.

It was an overcast day, but the weather was nice, and the waves were crashing about in a relaxing rhythm. This was a nice way to wrap up the day, enjoying a pretty ladies company and listening to the water. He looked at ease, gazing off at the distance and zoning out a bit, though still actively listening to anything she said.

Mentions:
Shinoa Bradford - BloodLightning27

Harper's House
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy tried to lighten the mood, matching hers, he had to clear himself of this flip switch business – it wasn’t Harper’s fault. Besides, if her family knew about the feelings he was having, they might just kill him – friend or not. When she started talking down about her, either intentionally or not, his eyes narrowed slightly. It pissed him off she felt that way. “Stop it, Harper. Your parents may not have been around, and I know that made it hard for you, but it also made you strong, kind, and resourceful. Never forget that. Oh, and they left you with that smart ass attitude, can’t forget that either.” He said it so straight faced, it may have been hard to tell he was trying to rile her up.

Taking her empty drink from her, his hand grazing hers lightly, he filled it back up, though not as much this time. He handed it back, lifting her hand with his free one to place it flat in her palm. “For starters, only amateur throws it back so fast they can’t taste it. Try this instead. First, swirl it, it stirs up the fragrance to make it easier to smell.” He demonstrated, swirling his cup with two quick swirls, before lifting it to his nose. “Then smell it, tell me what you smell.” The whiskey had notes of honey and a smokey smell, like a fire. It reminded him of an old library his uncle had where he did most of his reading and learning at a young age. He allowed her a moment to smell and answer him.

“Now, sip it, not gulp it. Let it sit on your tongue for a moment, so your taste buds have time to acquire the deeper taste. It will also adjust to body temperature this way, makes it easier to swallow.” Again, he demonstrated, before swallowing it down. It had a very earthy flavor to it, you could taste the flavor of the oak cask it had aged in, as well as the sweetness of the honey. He didn’t mean to, he didn’t realize it, but through it all he was watching her again, looking for those subtle reactions, surprise and enjoyment. Luckily, he was distracted from getting to weird by the knock on the door. Throwing back the rest of his drink, he snatched up his wallet from the couch where she left it and went to get the food.

The guy at the door was some young, greasy haired kid with pimples on his face. He looked past Jeremy, seen Harper, and grinned like some cheeky bastard. “Woah, who is she? I’d like to take a run at her.” Snap. Jeremy looked over his shoulder, grateful Harper wasn’t looking right that second, and placed a hand on the kids’ chest, shoving him far enough back Jeremy could step out and pull the door slightly too behind him. In a deathly soft whisper, he snatched the kid up and brought him up to his tiptoes, so he was nose to nose with him. “First, no grimy, acne faced kid like you is ever going to take a run at anyone. Secondly, show some fucking respect for women, or someone like ME is going to take a run at you. Now get the fuck out of here, and next time, send someone else to make the delivery. If I see you – and trust me, I will be here – I will not be tipping you.” The venom in Jeremy’s tone, though barely above a whisper, was enough to turn the kid white and scramble away the minute Jeremy’s hand released.

Jeremy entered back into the apartment, carrying the food, unsure if he had been quiet enough – though hoping so – that Harper hadn’t heard the brash comment from the kid or his response. Not that he cared, he was just doing his job, so why did he feel like it mattered? He shook off the incident, offering a smile that did not quite reach his eyes this time, as he was still a little heated from the flash of anger he felt. “Tada, your free food has arrived.”

Mentions:
Harper King - Bellz

 

[Pyroclast]

Bruce King
Billy King​

The whole room watched as Darcey retrieved an orange envelope and withdrew the contents. Their meeting turned out to be for the purpose of discussing Maeve Thatcher’s lineage, according to a conversation she had apparently had with the young woman a few weeks ago. A pile of photographs were scattered across the table and everyone instinctively leaned forward to take a closer look. Billy reached for the closest one, a candid picture of May, who had worked as a waitress at the Mercury Nightclub for about two years. Billy was fairly well acquainted with her but he didn’t know her much further than that, not well enough for him to be entirely comfortable looking at a candid photograph of her without her knowledge.

He put it back among the other pictures, which were of people he didn’t recognise. Just as he was reaching for another, Alex grabbed it and gave a curious reaction, prompting Billy to ask, “A picture of who? Who is it?” Too impatient to listen, he leaned across the table and snatched the photograph out of his brother’s hand. When he saw who it was he frowned. “Conor Sullivan,” he mumbled to himself, directing his puzzled expression at Alex and then Darcey before passing the photograph of the Irish Mob boss over to Erik.

Meanwhile, Darcey handed a copy of May’s birth certificate to Bruce and asked him to read out the name of the mother. Bruce quirked a curious eyebrow at her before putting on his reading glasses and peering at the document. “Right then, Miss Marple, let’s see what you’ve found out.” He scanned the registration district, the name and sex of the child, before coming to the column detailing each parent. The column for the father was blank, so he moved onto the one about the mother, as Darcey had requested, and cleared his throat before reading aloud:

“Kathleen Sullivan.”

The name was followed by a somewhat awkward silence. Bruce lifted his eyes off the page and peered over his glasses at Darcey, his expression now quite serious. He knew the woman enjoyed harbouring gossip and interesting information, mostly so that she could draw out the delivery in her own way, but he wondered what she thought of all this and what else she and May had discussed.

“Who’s that?” Billy drew out, his voice deepening with suspicion. The name could have been a coincidence, but the fact Darcey had called them together for a meeting suggested it was relevant to them. “Are you havin’ a bubble? You can’t be tellin’ us she’s related to the Sullivans?”

“Well, well, ain’t this an headline and a half,” Bruce said in a comparatively nonchalant tone, allowing Billy to lean over his shoulder and get a look for himself. “I notice the father’s column is blank, so I’m guessin’ May was born out of wedlock. Which means Sullivan must have been Kathleen’s maiden name. But anyway, I know how you like to tell the story yourself, Darcey, so I’ll stop guessin’ now. Just how much do you know about this Kathleen?”

“And how much does May know?” Billy added, returning to his seat and picking up his cup of tea. “She can’t have known long, right? Or she woulda’ told us.”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Darcey, Alex, Erik
BasDorcha May

Misty Gray Conor (mentioned)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Adam watched as Elena squirmed, practically sinking into her seat as he pressed her to come clean. He didn't get off on intimidating women, especially not ones who were practically still kids and were looking at him worriedly with sweet, innocent eyes. However, enemies weren't exclusive to a particular gender, nor did they have to look the part. A cute young woman wouldn't raise very many suspicions, so it would be an inspired choice to use Elena against the mob. Unless she came up with a believable excuse fast, Adam would have no choice but to assume she was a threat to the mob, not to mention being a risk to Thomas.

Elena spoke up to tell him she would tell the truth now. Adam sat forward and nodded once to cue her to continue. Still, she was struggling to speak up, which drew out a frustrated, deep breath from Adam as he figured she was stalling to think up more lies. The tearful girl eventually continued, explaining she had family in Dublin. Considering she'd been living in a hotel and was now shacked up with Thomas, he questioned what kind of relationship she must have with her supposed family for them not to offer her a place to stay. As she continued, it became apparent that she hadn't even met her father before. Hearing her say the man in question worked for the Irish Mob and she worked at the pub - his favourite pub - so she could see her dad, caused Adam to raise a curious eyebrow. His eyes suddenly widened as the clues she was giving him led his mind straight to a man he knew very well. As much as he wanted to say it, he wanted to hear it come from Elena's own mouth. If he was right, it would be very problematic for the Sullivans, because his mind had instantly figured the father she was seeking was Conor.

Adam's features naturally softened without him realising it, as he watched her trembling. He wasn't so sure anyone could fake the physical and emotional distress she was showing in that moment. Nor, when he thought about it, could she have faked how upset she was the evening she tended to his wounds in the men's bathrooms. Perhaps she had come seeking her father and had found herself way out of her depth. He just wasn't sure how the extra stress would go down with Conor, if his assumption was right. "Ah, this is a very likeable pub..." he commented, hoping his more casual tone would encourage her to continue speaking. Hearing her say she wanted to make her father like her before she told him the truth tugged at the heartstrings a little, even for a tough guy like Adam. If she was telling the truth, which Adam was starting to believe she was, then he understood why she might have wanted her father to like her before hitting him with a bombshell. "Hey, I'm sure he does like you. How could he not?" he reassured her, watching as she pulled her sleeves over her hands and practically hid her face behind them. "You're a great kid and you've worked real hard since you started at this pub. I also know he was real pleased with you for helping me the way you did," he added, still referring to Conor.

Suddenly, Adam was knocked back and stunned into silence as Elena continued speaking. He could feel his heart racing in his chest as he realised where her words were leading. Then, she confirmed to him that he was her father, or at least, she seemed to believe he was. Adam remained still and silent for a moment as he processed what she had said; trying to work out if he'd somehow misheard her. But as the silence went on and she remained looking at him from across the table, there was no question that she'd said he was her father. "I think you're mistaken..." he told her, his voice losing the usual confident, certainty that it held. Even now, as he looked to her face, he couldn't deny there was a familiarity about her. Something that had often niggled him but he'd been able to easily shrug it off. Something about her eyes and the way she smiled reminded him of someone. The fact she was Cuban certainly caused him to try think back to his many visits and stints in Cuba.

"Estas equivocada," he reiterated as he reached forward for his glass and knocked back the rest of the strong alcohol. He stood up from his seat and briefly paced the room, still holding the empty tumbler in his hand. He stopped on the spot, with his back to Elena, whilst he anxiously tapped the side of the glass as he tried to focus his mind on pulling apart her claim. But there really was something familiar about her and he just needed to focus. He had an excellent memory for details, especially when it came to business and women. In this case, it was the women he perhaps needed to think back to. "It was your birthday at the start of the month, right? Twenty..." he trailed off. This had already come up in his mind back when he'd been in the pub with Chase and Jasmine on Elena's birthday. The conversation at the time had led Adam to reminiscing about where he was back in 1965, the time Elena was born. And when he tracked back around 9 months earlier than that, he was able to pinpoint himself back to Cuba. August 1964, to be exact. He remembered that trip well, partying with Liam Sullivan, as well as Chase and Anton Zegarras. Not to mention the woman he found himself in bed with on more than one evening...

Adam placed the glass down on the nearby cabinet and looked up to the ceiling before running his hand down his face, letting out a deep sigh. His heart was racing in his chest as a wave of nausea sudden overcame him as it all seemed to add up to Elena's revelation that he was her father. He was sure now he knew why Elena looked familiar, that her eyes and smile resembled those of Isabella. Isabella! He turned around to face Elena, taking steps towards his chair but remaining standing. "Elena... I... What's your mother's name?" he asked her. His dampened eyes glistened as he anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. If Elena was his daughter, there was a lot for him to process.

When Elena told him her mother's name was indeed Isabella, Adam covered his mouth with his hand. After a moment, he pulled his hand away and for a brief time, he smiled at her. He wasn't sure if the smile was to reassure Elena or if it was because she seemed like a girl he'd be happy to call his daughter. However, that smile soon dropped as the weight of the situation hit him. It suddenly dawned on him that the last time he had seen Isabella was a couple of months after they'd slept together. The woman had been eager to see him, saying she needed to talk to him. Being the man he was at that time, Adam had cockily refused to speak to her, figuring she was being clingy and itching for a repeat of their past hook-ups. It was clear to him only now that she had no doubt been trying to tell him she was pregnant. And he rejected her attempts to speak and simply dismissed her. "I'm sorry, Elena," he told her, gripping the back of his chair as he continued to stand behind it. 20 years old... He'd missed twenty years of her life - her entire childhood. He hadn't been there for any of it. "You deserve a better dad than the man standing here."

Pyroclast (Elena)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Golden Galleria Car Garage
~Corringham, UK~

Darcey Hargraves, Alex King, & Erik Snowden​

Darcey could have just outright told them what was going on. It wasn't that hard to just say, "So, May is actually a Sullivan. What do you want to do about that?" That would have been the easiest route to go down instead of having them look at pictures of a bunch of strangers. She was sure they would have preferred it, too, but would she be her without the dramatics? Of course not! Building up to the grand reveal was her specialty and she was enjoying every minute of it. She leaned back further in her seat, watching Erik stand to take the picture out of Billy's hands. He also wore a confused look on his face as he looked at the picture. Erik himself had never seen nor met Conor Sullivan, so putting a face to a name was helpful. He had to admit that he was a good-looking guy and couldn't picture him being the type of person who would kidnap a child. However, he knew looks could be deceiving and quickly corrected himself.

"Rude," she said to Bruce, hearing him refer to her as a fictional character. "I'm far better than some character created by Agatha Christie. You'll refer to me as Sherlock Holmes." She joked, smirking behind her cup of coffee. Alex shook his head at her, looking over to his uncle. "Well? What's that paper say then?" Alex was growing with anticipation, wanting to know what all of this had to do with May. In his mind, she was just someone who worked at the bar. A waitress with no real significance other than her beating up some patron. The fact that this meeting had been called about her was curious and he wished Darcey would just get on with it instead of teasing them the way she was right then.

The moment Bruce read out the mother's name, Darcey set her glass down and linked her fingers together. Alex's head - along with Erik's - turned to her and then Bruce. "What?" Alex said, reaching for the birth certificate. Clutching the piece of paper between his fingers he scanned the paper for where the mother's name was written and sure enough it read 'Kathleen Sullivan'. Alex put the paper down, suddenly suspicious of May and her intentions. Was she some secret spy for the Sullivan family? Writing back to them things she heard and learned from working at the bar? Oh, what a good plant she was if that were the case! "You're telling me we've had some Sullivan whore working at the club without us knowin'?" Darcey turned her attention to Alex, shaking her head. "You're the last person who should be calling anyone a whore." She paused to pour herself another cup of coffee, Erik snickering in the background. Alex narrowed his eyes at him and Erik acted as if he were clearing his throat. "Something in there." Darcey then resumed talking. "Now shut up, and listen."

She let both Bruce and Billy ask their questions before she stood up from her seat. "I'm as serious as a heart attack, my dears. Maeve Thatcher is a Sullivan by blood." She made sure to put emphasis on her being from their bloodline, as May had long since expressed her disdain for the family already. Looking up at the clock she was aware May would be arriving soon and went to subtly look out the window of her office. Through the garage full of cars and men and women working on them she saw the young woman standing near the entrance and turned to the men in her office once more. "To answer your question, Billy, she's known this whole time." Alex opened his mouth to say something but was promptly cut off by Darcey's next words.

"However, she's not been in contact with them. Ever, from my understanding. Kathleen Sullivan is a distant cousin. One, it seems, the Sullivan's never really paid attention to. Therefore they were never included in the business or any of their messes. Blood relations is the only thing tying Kathleen and her three children to Conor and his brood. Now, I've no reason to believe she would ever be loyal to Conor and his rats, but I figure my opinions only go so far, and therefore I've opted to let her speak for herself." Darcey knocked on the window to get Marcel's attention then pointed to May, signaling him to bring her upstairs. "She's also got a brother who's rumored to be working for the Sullivans. The way I see it, you've got a couple different options with that one, but we'll save that for later." In Darcey's mind, using her to use her brother to spy for them was a good idea, however, she didn't know what sort of relationship May had with her brother or if Bruce would be up to the idea. She would mention it to him later once this was all over.

Meanwhile, Marcel had immediately hopped up from his seat knowing Darcey was impatient and hated to repeat herself. The tall, dark man fiddled with the cap on his head as he quickly walked towards May. "Ah, so you mus' be the gues' Darce is waitin' for. She's up that-a-way." He jerked his finger back towards the stairs that led up to the office. "Follow me." He told her, turning on his heels to walk back. His pace was quick as he had to get things done before the end of the day and this thirty-second distraction was going to slow him down. The moment he reached the top of the rickety stairs, he knocked before opening the door, nodding to everyone present in the room. He help the door open for May and promptly closed it after she was all the way inside.

"May! I hope your trip wasn't too bad. A garage on the docks is great for space but the journey here is far too long," she said, hand out to offer her a seat next to her. "Now, I've just caught the boys up on a few things-," Alex's sudden movement from his seat caught Darcey off-guard. He was angry that a Sullivan had been working for them all this time and he didn't care if Spencer and Erik raved about her skills at the bar. He could take someone out just as easily - with or without a gun. The moment the door shut he got in her face and frowned. "So what little secrets you been spillin' to Conor, huh? What trash've you been talkin'?"







Bruce, Billy ( Pyroclast ) May ( BasDorcha )

 

[BasDorcha]

Golden Galleria Car Garage
~Corringham, UK~
Maeve Thatcher​

May had been finishing up a second smoke when the tall guy with a hat came to get her. As she stepped inside, she shook the umbrella closing it up and propping it just inside. Waving to a few of the folks that looked at her oddly, May just gave them a cheery smile and followed on up the stairs. Her boots made a loud sound each step she took, echoing around the garage, but she didn’t seem to pay it no mind. Internally she was a bit nervous, she had never had any interaction with the King’s outside of the bar, and while she craved some drama and a livelier life, now that it stood in front of her and she may already be on her way out, it was nerve wracking.

Mentally, she prepared to fight for her job. What she was not prepared for was Alex King and his line of bullshit. Her cute self had barely crested the door when it was slammed shut behind her. A slight jump for the surprise caught her, but it passed just as quickly as Alex was in her face. A look Erik might have been familiar with at this point crossed her face, her eyebrows dipping as her eyes narrowed. Maeve took a deep breathe, looking at Darcey quickly as if to try and say something, before her anger got the better of her. Failing, she hauled off, smacking him squarely across the cheek with a resounding pop!

“NOW YOU LISTEN HERE, ALEX KING.” May was shaking from head to toe, she had not come here to be attacked. “And if you think of touching me, I swear, I’ll tell every woman in this town you gone and got the syph.” There was zero fear in her face. Though, looking at him this close, there was something about him, being able to see him in detail, that made her think of something, but she was too mad to put a finger on it. “I AM NOT SOME SNITCH! I came to Darcey because I wanted to make sure my distant family was not a problem. I could have kept my mouth shut, but until today, I had nothing but respect for your family. YOU Alex King, are a disrespectful dog!” With that last well up of anger, she stomped her foot, her hands clenched at her side as she stared Alex down with a look of challenging.

“Darcey, I’m sorry, I should leave. I did not come here to be treated to an attack the minute I step inside. You want to fire me, fine. Just know that aside from Uncle Conor occasionally coming by the bar for whatever reason or another, none of my moms family has had anything to do with us my entire life. We spent most nights without anyone, including my mom, because she was drunk at the bar, and my da’ ran off – both of them for that matter.” For a second, tears rushed into her eyes, but she swiped it away quickly. “Ain’t nothing a Sullivan ever done for me but hurt me, use me, and throw me out. I’m a Thatcher god damnit!”

May waited for the impeding return force from Alex. While she threatened him bravely, she had learned a long time ago you don’t lay hands on someone you aren’t ready to get hit back from. Still, she stood there in a flame of fiery defiance, cheeks flushed, green eyes never leaving Alex. Her porcelain mask was cracked with unpleasant emotions that made her look like some heathen mythical creature.

Mentions:
Erik, Darcey, Alex - Melanin-Gxdess / Billy, Bruce - Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter​

Rather than answer him straight away, Blake took one of the doughnuts, which occupied her long enough for her to come up with an answer. Syd could tell that whatever she had to tell him was something she was finding difficult to admit; such hesitation normally made Syd fear the worst, but given the context even his anxious mind couldn't come up with what the bad news could possibly be. Finally, Blake swallowed her mouthful and began to explain herself. She told him that she had found someone who understood her as much as Jackson did, implying that she might finally be moving on from her late husband. Unsure of what to make of the news, Syd simply watched with curiosity as the woman shed a tear, a small smile on her face. She explained that Conor had already spoken to her about it, but that she had no doubts about the man who had captured her interest and that she trusted him. Syd found it difficult to process the news given that she still hadn't told him who this man was, nor the extent of their relationship. Was she only interested in him at this point, or had they been secretly seeing each other for a while?

Eventually she dropped the name and Syd looked away from her, his mind naturally trying to picture Blake and Adam as a couple. These days, he wasn't used to seeing either of them in relationships; Adam had always been a bachelor for as long as he had known the man, and Blake had been single ever since Jackson's death. It made sense now why she was asking him about his experience of moving on from Skye. Syd had spent roughly a decade unable to move on from his late wife before he eventually met Roxie, and Blake had seemed to be in a similar period for the past thirteen years, so he supposed she could be reaching a similar point to the one he reached.

It moved him that she valued his opinion on her intention to move on, but Syd didn't really understand why his opinion should matter. He loved Jackson, he always would, and even though he was used to seeing Blake without him, he still felt his Godfather's absence deeply whenever the family came together. Blake seemed to look up to him somewhat for the wisdom that the burden of grief had brought him; he supposed that being widowed at such a young age had taught him some valuable life lessons that extended to the grief he had dealt with in the years since, but he also couldn't see himself as an example of how to handle pain considering how many attempts he had made on his life.

When she reminded him that he was like a son to both her and Jackson, Syd felt a lump form in his throat. It had been long enough since the man's death that he was able to talk about him with getting upset, but he never heard Blake speak his name these days and combined with the context of the conversation, he suddenly felt a familiar dull ache in his chest, reminding him just how much he missed his Godfather. When he finally looked up, his eyes were glistening with tears, and so were hers. With a small sniff, Syd smiled warmly at her and reached out to take her hand.

"Seeing you with somebody else...and seeing Adam actually get serious with somebody...are both things I'll have to get used to," he admitted. "But if it works, then I'll be happy for you both. As long as nobody's getting hurt, I'm not gonna stand in your way, Blake." I thought I'd never be able to love anyone again after I lost Skye. For years, I thought it was impossible and I wasn't interested in finding anyone else, because how could I ever love anyone the same, or put myself at risk of losing someone I loved again? And then I guess I started to gradually feel ready, but even thinking about it made me feel like I was being unfaithful. But Roxie proved me wrong, and even though I still have issues getting involved with women now, I know that what Roxie and I had was real love, and that was all the proof I needed that moving on is possible. So I guess what I'm saying is, if you've found another chance at love and you want to take it, then I think you should. Adam would be lucky to have you." He took a moment then to let his words settle, still processing the news. "That being said, I'm gonna want to hear this from Adam, too. I love him, you know, I'd put my life in his hands, but the guy's been a player the whole time I've known him. It'd be nice to see the guy settle down, especially with someone as lovely as you - it's just my duty to make sure he doesn't break your heart. Especially if it's only just beginning to heal."

Interactions
Bellz Blake

Elena Velazco​

The fact that Adam seemed to have believed that she was referring to someone else when she was describing her father made her feel even worse about delivering the truth. Her wide eyes were charged with anxiety as she watched him, barely able to breathe from the anticipation his delayed reaction was causing. When he did finally speak, his voice sounded weaker and he seemed to be looking at her in a way he never had before, his eyes searching her, either for signs that she was lying again or for any familiarity about her features or personality. She couldn't imagine how he was feeling in that moment; it had been different for her finding out who her father was, because she had made the decision to track him down. Of course, she hadn't known what to expect, but she had at least always known she must have had a father and had learned bits about him during her search, just enough to soften the shock of actually meeting him. With that knowledge, she had had a buffering period of getting used to being around her father without him knowing who she really was. Adam, on the other hand, probably never even knew he had a daughter to begin with.

He repeated himself in Spanish that she must be mistaken, and she gave him a small shake of the head. Tears were spilling down her cheeks one by one and she sat stiffly in her seat as she watched him drain his glass of whisky, her trembling hands still buried in her sleeves and covering her mouth. She felt a need to release her anguish with a heavy cry and her chest was beginning to burn from holding one back, but the silence in the room was so powerful that she didn't dare make a sound.

"M-my birthday?" she softly uttered. "Yes, the one of May. 1965." She had to say the year in Spanish, still not confident enough with large numbers. He seemed to be trying to piece everything together, casting his mind back to around the time she would have been born. His next question was about her mother's name, which she promptly gave him, and the fact he then covered his mouth with his hand suggested that he did indeed remember her. When he let his hand fall, she saw that he was smiling. Her heart surged and her eyes brimmed with fresh tears at the thought that he was on board with the idea of being her father - happy, even. However, his smile quickly fell away and he once again appeared burdened by the news. Elena looked up at him, her breath quickening with anticipation as Adam stood facing her, gripping the back of his chair.

When he apologised to her, Elena felt her heart begin to break. He told her that she deserved a better father than him, and she spent a few seconds trying to figure out if she had heard him right. "N-no," she stammered, sitting upright. "I don't understand..." It sounded to her like he wasn't ready to take on the role of her father, which, while she hadn't exactly expected him to, still stung. For her entire life she had wondered what it would be like to have her real father around, even if for most of that time her mother had led her to believe that he wasn't worth knowing. She had always half-expected him to be just that, but part of her had always wondered if her mother had been wrong about him, and that urge to know the truth had only grown since her little brother Benito had made contact with his father, whom it turned out their mother had lied about. Now, facing Adam's apparent rejection, she could feel her dream slip away. Before she could speak, a sob escaped her and she brought her hands up to her mouth.

"I...I just want..." Her gaze dropped to the desk, heart pounding rapidly. She felt foolish for ever thinking finding her father was a good idea. What exactly did she want? She couldn't force Adam to get involved with her if he didn't want to. Maybe he had a life he was happy with and didn't need some long lost daughter complicating everything. "I-I just want to find you and know who is my father," she spoke through a sob, the idea now sounding utterly selfish. "I'm sorry..." No longer able to keep her cries contained, Elena pitched forward in her seat and buried her head in her hands, too ashamed to look at him. If he didn't want her, then she had no real choice but to return to Cuba and let her mother know that she was safe. The woman would probably find a way to punish her for the rest of her life, force her into a job that she hated and forbid her from ever leaving again. Without the hope of having a relationship with her father, she might as well give up. She couldn't ask Adam not to send her back, though, not if he didn't want to be in her life.

Still avoiding his gaze, Elena stood up on shaking legs and made her way to the door, ready to see herself out. Before she did, however, she turned around to face him. "You are a good man," she told him firmly, her voice strained from crying. "To be here with you for months is the best time of my life. You are only kind to me, more than other men. More than my mama." Her upset was transforming into anger, now - not because he had rejected her, but because he thought he wasn't good enough to be a dad. She reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes but it didn't stop more from spilling down her cheeks. "There is no better dad for me. Only you!"

So overwhelmed by how badly the conversation had gone, Elena hurried out of his office and ran through the pub with a hand over her mouth and tears streaming down her face.

"Elena?" came Martin's concerned voice, but she couldn't respond to him. In a matter of seconds she found herself in the toilets, where she promptly broke down into heavy sobs, her legs giving out and causing her to sink to the tiled floor.

Interactions
Misty Gray Adam

 

[BasDorcha]

Mercury Nightclub
Jocelyn Jones​

Spencer speaking of Shona brought a smile to Jocelyn’s eye. He was smitten alright, and no better way to be with his wife and kid on the way. She had met Shona before when she was introducing some new drinks to the brand, not specifically for the King’s Choice brand but in general and enjoyed the woman’s presence. There was a warmth about her that made Jocelyn feel like she was going to be a great mother.

When the men caused her anxiety to rise, she took a moment to think clearly about whether it was unknown men in general at this moment, or something about the men that set her on edge specifically. Again, a voice drifted across the bar, burning her eyes.

“Ta, I’ve a drink had here, a few days ago, with my brothers I did. I left before them though, don’t know what they were doin’ drinkin’ here middle of the day and all. I just popped in for a pint on lunch and after was out again.” The voice sounded familiar, but younger. She shook her head, scribbling down in the book for him to see. Same voice, but different. Younger. Brother maybe? Her pen tapped the stack of pictures to indicate who she meant. It still set her on edge, but once she realized it wasn’t the exact same voice that had addressed her before the battering she relaxed a little.

Jocelyn grabbed the mixed drink and took a few large gulps, the alcohol soothing the edge she had building. Pulling her cigarette’s out of her pocket, the little silver case shining in the low light, she offered one to Spencer, then struck a match and lit it. Jocelyn hated this feeling like wanting to speak but her mind blocking all the words. Being a fairly educated woman, she figured that it was mostly due to some trauma lingering in her brain – possibly physically but mostly mental.

While she felt strong enough to move past, one does not have control over their mental state to such extents as to tell it “No, you cannot feel this way.” Jocelyn would have liked to just move on, the logical side of her said there was nothing hold on to it would do for her. Still, logic did not dictate why it happened in the first place, and therefore had no say so in why it was still there. Blowing out a puff of smoke, she blew a strand of fallen hair from her face and tapped the cup, giving him a quizzical look as if to say, So?

She hoped he liked it, she had requested the special curation as a commemorative effort for their years of partnership, though it started before her, she herself had been here for two years now building with them on a personal front. It had taken research to determine how to make an English Dry Gin properly, as well as how to add an American twist without disrupting that dry gin flavor. The original meeting had been mark of two years to the date since her first meeting with Spencer, but that had been foiled. Still, if he didn’t, plenty of American’s would drink it up without complaint she was sure, just relabeled and sold under the general brand name instead of the King’s specialty label. To date they had the King’s Choice Black Label Whiskey, this would make a nice – lighter – addition to the brand as the King’s Choice English Dry Gin.

Mention:
Spencer King - Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

When Elena sat up straight to tell him he didn't understand, Adam sat back down in his chair across from her, not wanting to stand over her but also so he could get off his feet as the shock sunk in. He looked to her as she was clearly experiencing a multitude of thoughts in that moment, as was he. Hearing her say she just wanted to know her father - to know him - made his heart sink. Seeing her so upset and unable to make eye-contact with him was difficult, but in the moment he was still trying to process what he had just been told. His daughter was sitting across from him and it had taken twenty years for him to find out that she existed.

Adam watched as she stood up to walk to the door. Before leaving, she stopped and turned to face him, telling him he was a good man. Adam looked her in the eyes, unable to express how much he appreciated hearing that, after everything he'd done in his life that told him otherwise. For some reason, his daughter saying it meant a lot. A lump formed in his throat when she told him she'd had the best months of her life with him and spoke of how kind he'd been to her. Adam hadn't known until now that he was Elena's father, but since the first day he'd met her, he'd taken a shine to the sweet young woman. Even after only having met her for a few minutes, he felt protective over her when some of the rowdy drinkers had attempted to joke at her expense when she'd dropped the glass. He'd have done it for anyone in her position and at the time he had no idea she was his daughter, but now he felt especially glad that he'd defended her that day. After the guilt he was feeling for abandoning Isabella, he was at least glad he'd made a good impression on his daughter since the day he first met her.

Elena told him there was no better father for her than him, before she rushed out of the office in tears. The door closed behind her, leaving Adam sat alone at his desk as the whole thing had rendered him speechless. The shock of learning he had a daughter was big enough, but what made it much harder to handle was the realisation he'd missed twenty years of her life and all because of a single, selfish decision to brush off Isabella. He doubted he and Isabella would have lasted long in a relationship, but he liked to think even his younger self would have stepped up to support his child. He would never know for sure and it was too late to go back now.

Adam buried his face in his hands, no longer feeling he needed to hold back now he was alone. Between Blake and now Elena, Adam felt like he was experiencing more emotions and heartache than he had in the rest of his life combined. He'd planned and carried out many missions over his time with the mob; risking his life, protecting others, and trying not to get on the wrong side of the relevant mob boss in the process. None of that stirred up fear and anxiety, especially not to the level he was feeling at the moment. Even though he was entitled to this moment, it didn't feel right with him. He was always the strong, stable voice of encouragement and reassurance, never the vulnerable one . Now more than ever, he knew he had to be that man. If anyone was entitled to be upset and in need of security, it was Elena. Adam pulled his hands away from his face, rubbing his palms against the top of his trouser legs to dry them of his tears, before using the sleeve of his top to dry his eyes and face. As he rushed up from his seat, he hoped he hadn't wasted enough time for Elena to have rushed off far.

As he rushed out of the office, Adam bumped into Martin who soon pointed him in the direction Elena had headed in. After telling the barman to keep serving the drinks, Adam approached the ladies toilets. He took a deep breath before pushing the door open and stepping inside. On the floor by the sinks, he saw Elena sat alone. Looking to check the stalls were all empty, free of customers, he approached his tearful daughter and silently sat down on the floor, close beside her. Keeping his eyes focused straight ahead, he lightly shook his head as his thoughts returned to a few weeks ago when he'd been on the floor of the men's toilets whilst Elena tended to his gunshot wound. "We have to stop meeting like this, on bathroom floors," he spoke up to break the ice. "At least you ladies keep it cleaner in here," he pointed out.

Adam let out a sigh before turning to look at Elena as she sat beside him. "I'm glad you've felt welcome since you got here. I had no idea you were my... I didn't know, but I'm glad you feel I've been kind to you." With his legs bent in front of him, he folded his arms on top of his knees as he looked ahead again, though kept glancing to her as he spoke. "I didn't know about you and I never expected to have someone show up telling me I'm their dad. But I'm happy it's you. I was proud of you for helping me that night when I'd been shot, but now I'm even more proud. And whilst it was very dangerous of you to get involved with the mob and come to Dublin all by yourself to find me, I also think it was very brave and strong. You're a tough girl, right?" he asked, his gaze on her lingering as he subtly smiled at her. "My reaction to this news is because it's a shock - I had no idea. It is nothing against you. Any man would be happy to have you as his daughter and I wouldn't change you for anything, Elena..."

Adam let out another sigh, briefly pushing back his hair that had fallen forward when he'd first sat down. Folding his arms again, he shook his head. "The reason I said you deserve a better father is because I haven't been there for you for the last twenty years. I've missed the whole of your life. Your first steps, first words, first day at school... I wasn't there for you when you were growing up and that's all my fault, Elena. I'm not quite the same man I was twenty years ago, but that man was still me. I was a selfish guy, only thinking about having fun and fulfilling my own needs." He looked to Elena, trying to make eye-contact as he owned up to his mistakes. "Obviously, Isabella and I slept together," he delicately put it, not wanting to go into detail to his newly discovered daughter. "A couple of months later, I was back in Cuba and Isabella tried to talk to me, which I only now realise could have been her trying to tell me she was pregnant. But I brushed her away and rejected her; not to mention I was rude in doing so. So it's my fault I wasn't there, Elena. That's why I said you deserve a better father than me," he regretfully admitted.

Adam once again stared straight ahead as he awaited Elena's response. Despite everything she'd gone through to find him, he wouldn't blame her if she didn't want to know him after what he'd just told her. Judging by how grateful she was to have found him, he wondered how much Isabella had told her about him. "Where is your mother now?" he asked, turning to look at Elena. "Does she know you're here? What did she tell you about me?" he curiously asked.

Pyroclast (Elena)

 

[Pyroclast]

Father Silas Healy
Enzo​

The counselling session with Liam had gone well, as it usually did. Silas had let the boy go once his mother arrived, returning to the quiet vestry to note down some observations about Liam's progress and his developing attitude about Catholicism. Not far into his note-taking, however, Patience seemed to hear something and wondered aloud if it was Liam shouting outside. Silas found this curious as Liam had seemed to leave the session in a good mood only moments ago, so he picked up his cane, left the vestry and followed Patience towards the window by the church's main door.

The woman grew frantic all of a sudden and urged him to hurry, claiming that a man outside was attacking Sinead. He could hear the scuffle now and when he reached the window he could see a man pinning Sinead against the wall - and driving a knife into her abdomen. "Patience, call for the Garda and an ambulance," he instructed her, keen for her to stay away from the attackers.

Without hesitation, Silas heaved open the oak door and rushed outside. "Let her go at once!" he yelled at the man. Startled into motion, Enzo yanked the knife out, opening the wound further in the process, and ran over to Joe, who was dealing with Liam. He grabbed the boy by the arm and tugged him towards the van, muttering angrily in Italian to Joe for not being able to get the Callahan boy in the vehicle still.

Momentarily torn between helping Sinead and helping Liam, Silas opted to go after her son. He wasn't as fast as the men, but Liam, in his struggle to free himself, managed to slow them down just enough for Silas to catch up to them. He swung his cane out, knocking the knife out of Joe's hand, and swiftly reached between the two thugs to hook his arm around Liam and attempt to wrench him from their grasp. Still trying to drag the boy towards the van, Enzo shot his knife-wielding hand out towards Silas' face and slashed his brow and cheek. The priest flinched but still he held onto the boy, not letting him go. Enzo then kicked him hard in the shin to shake him off - but rather than hit a nerve, he hit the priest's prosthetic leg, dislodging it in the process. Silas instantly collapsed, but not without pulling Liam down with him. With the boy finally free from the Italians' grasp, Silas rolled on top of him to protect him from the attackers, cloaking him with his cassock. They still could have killed him by stabbing him in the back and then taken Liam, but it was all he was able to do to protect him whilst disabled.

Fortunately for them, the Italians hesitated. Enzo knew they still had a chance to take the child with them if they killed the priest right then and there, but he felt oddly uneasy about murdering a clergyman - he thought of his devout Catholic mother in that moment and the fight suddenly lost its appeal. Time was ticking before they would need to flee the scene. "Vai, let's get outta' here," he hissed, and rounded the vehicle to jump into the passenger side.

Heart pounding, Silas waited until the van had driven off before uncovering the boy. "Your mother," he panted, rushing to fix his prosthetic leg back into place. "Go!"

With the use of his cane, Silas managed to get back to his feet and hurried as fast as he could back to Sinead. He felt awful about leaving her and was frankly terrified that in his absence she would have lost too much blood. By the time he had lowered himself to her side, her face had a deathly pallor. "Mrs Callahan, look at me," he encouraged, his deep, gentle voice laced with heavy concern. "The Garda and an ambulance have been called for you. Just keep focusing on my voice." As he quickly unfastened his pellegrina from around his shoulders, Silas turned to Liam. He was still too focused on Sinead and Liam's well-being to have registered the blood trickling from his own facial wound. "Go to the vestry and get your mother some water," he commanded. He hoped giving the boy a task would stop him from panicking too much.

Once the boy was inside, Silas bunched the cape into a ball and held it firmly against Sinead's open wound. "Hold this." He placed her hands over it as he untied his cincture from around his waist and wrapped it around hers instead, using it to tightly tie the pellegrina to her wound. With one hand he applied the pressure while the other he used to cradle her head. "O' Lord, lend to this woman your almighty strength so that she may heal," he softly prayed. "Lend her your will, so that she may overcome the pain and threat upon her. In your name, Lord, I devote to you my life in exchange for the life of this friend before me. With your healing powers, I beg you to spare this woman's life and see her through a full recovery. Grant us the assurance of your presence and grace by the Spirit you have given us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen."

Silas rounded off the prayer by crossing his heart, and looked down to Sinead with a more confident look in his eyes. "Your son is here, he is safe and he is going to be just fine," he promised her. "You just hold on now, Mrs Callahan. God is watching over us, He is here with us while we wait for the ambulance to arrive. You will be just fine, my dear. You will be just fine."

Interactions
Misty Gray Sinead, Liam, Patience, Joe

 

[Misty Gray]

Saint Saviour's Church
~ Beaumont, Dublin ~

Sinead and Liam Callahan
Patience Davenport​

When told to call for the emergency services, Patience quickly nodded her head, snapping out of her shock so she could focus on making herself useful. "Be careful, Father," she told Silas, before she rushed to her small office where a telephone was located. She didn't waste any time in dialing the number. As she held the receiver in one hand, waiting for someone to pick up, she used her other hand to rifle through the book of telephone numbers she had, seeking out the number for Liam's family home so her next call would hopefully reach one of the Callahan family members.

Despite the dire situation, hearing Silas' voice brought Sinead some relief as until that moment she'd felt alone and helpless. Although Enzo did as Silas commanded and let her go, the feeling of the knife being pulled out of her abdomen and ripping through more flesh of the existing wound brought on a new level of discomfort. She cried out in pain as she instinctively clutched at the bleeding wound with her right hand. "My boy!" she cried out as she saw Enzo join Joe in dragging Liam to the van. As terrified and in pain as she was, she was glad Silas chose to go after Liam before helping her. She would rather die than let her son be taken away and harmed. Watching as Silas caught up to the men, she took a couple of steps forward to follow him, but the sudden bloodless and shock seemed to take a large amount of energy from her. Feeling dizzy and nauseous, she used her free hand to fumble around the wall of the church building behind her, using it to help her steady herself enough to sit down on the floor rather than collapse onto it. She bunched up the material of her dress to try pressing it against the wound, but the thin and flimsy fabric did little to soak up much of the blood.

Liam felt relieved when Silas caught up to them and knocked the knife out of Joe''s hand. Without the knife being held up to him, Liam was able to try struggling out of their grasp again without threat of being cut or stabbed. "NO!" Liam yelled out as he saw Enzo slash Silas' face. There was then a scuffle, but with Silas' continued attempts, Liam was pulled free of the two men and dragged down onto the floor where Silas used his own body to shield the boy. Thankfully, the two thugs had some kind of conscience and were averse to the idea of killing a man of God.

Joe was of the same mind as Enzo, so when his passenger said they needed to get out of there, he quickly nodded his head and rushed to the driver's side of the car. He wasn't about to go around killing a priest and he hoped Moretti would understand that. As he started the engine, he looked towards the figure of the redheaded woman slumped on the floor in front of the church. "All is not lost. I think Moretti would be at least satisfied you stuck a knife in Sullivan's sister!"

Hearing the van drive off, Liam felt able to breathe again, having had his breath held and his eyes tightly closed. The boy got back up to his feet, offering a hand to help Silas up as the man put his prosthetic leg back into place. Hearing the man tell him to go to his mother, Liam quickly nodded his head and ran back to where they'd left Sinead. "Mum!" he cried out as he rushed to kneel at her side. He looked down at the her blood soaked hand that was pressed against her stomach, though the fabric of her dress doing little to stop the blood from pouring from her wound. "Mum..." he quietly cried as the tears ran down his face.

"You're okay, baby," Sinead softly told him, her dry throat and the exhaustion taking out the usual bright energy from her tone. She reached her clean, left hand out to stroke his face. "We'll be okay. I'm proud of you," she told him, though she wasn't referring to his behaviour in the present, more her son as a whole. "I love you," she reassured him. Hearing Silas' voice, she diverted her focus to him and lightly nodded as he reassured her an ambulance was on its way. When the priest told Liam to get some water, Sinead stoked Liam's cheek once more before lowering her arm and letting him go. She didn't want her son to sit watching her in such a state, so she was grateful to see him rush off to fetch her a drink. With the boy gone, her expression turned more grave as she allowed the tears to stream down her face once again, not needing to hold them back for her son's sake.

Sinead did as Silas instructed, pressing firmly against the wound with the cape he'd bundled up. Once the man had tied it in place and was pressing down with one of his hands, she could relax from putting pressure on the wound herself. She had never been much of a religious person. She'd suffered too many losses and a lot of pain in her lifetime to believe there could be a God, or if there was, he was against her. However, there was something comforting about having Father Healy with her now. As the bloodless continued to slowly weaken her, she didn't believe she would survive this time. She closed her eyes as Silas held her head in his hand and prayed beside her. If this was her time, she was thankful the man beside her had saved her son and that he was now with her so she wouldn't die alone.

Sinead opened her eyes as the prayer ended, seeing the priest cross his heart and look to her with a sense of confidence. She lightly nodded when he told her Liam would be okay. "Thank you for helping him," she softly told Silas. Although the man reassured her and she believed it wasn't in his nature to lie, she wasn't sure the ambulance would get to her in time. "I understand if this is my time... but maybe God is watching over Liam, which is why He sent you to help," she reasoned. "Look after Liam, Father Healy. Not everyone sees it, but you've helped him a lot and I want him to keep rejecting a dark path." She paused, choked up by her tears for a moment. She knew her family were already in a new war and it hurt her to imagine what pain awaited them. Conor was far removed from the brother she'd always been very close to until up to a few years ago. "I'm not sure I can beat it this time... Please tell my family how much I love them. All of them. They all have big hearts and so much love inside of them. Love is what makes us all stronger, better people."

Liam had stopped at the door as he overheard his mother. Whilst still gripping the glass of water, he stepped into view and quickly shook his head, holding the drink out towards Silas and Sinead. "Why are you talking like that?! You're not dying!" he firmly told Sinead. "Patience called home and Dad is on his way. The ambulance is coming too. Stop talking like you're dying!" Liam cried.

Pyroclast (Silas, Enzo)
Mention: Bellz (Peter)

 

[Misty Gray]

Porter Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

James Porter and Olivia Sullivan​

Whilst a part of him felt bad for being harsh on his son, James was also too stubborn to back down. After six years in prison without a visit or a call from Thomas, all of the frustration had built up. He thought about his son every day, but often wondered if Thomas had missed him at all. Now, even the thought of keeping things peaceful for Lucy's sake couldn't hold James back. He wanted Thomas to know how he felt and seeing as he didn't easily initiate anything resembling heart-to-hearts, this was a way he was more comfortable with.

The timer in the kitchen sounded to tell them dinner was ready, but also served as a much needed distraction from the current atmosphere. Lucy told him and Olivia to go ahead, whilst telling Thomas to help her find a vase. James was sure his wife was just making up an excuse to take Thomas off to one side to talk, but he wasn't about to point it out or stop them. James let Olivia lead the way to the dining room where she pulled out her seat which was positioned across the table from where Lucy would be sitting. James didn't immediately sit down, instead placing the whiskey bottle down on the kitchen counter and taking a moment to switch off the oven ready for Lucy to serve the food. When he eventually took his seat, Olivia glared at him from across the table. "How's the new job?" James asked her, deciding not to entertain what was really on their mind.

"It's great. I'm hoping Adam will let me teach more classes soon as I missing working the kind of hours I had back in New York. That, or I wish Conor would let me work some jobs for him," she hinted.

"You can knock that idea on the head, Olivia. Ask Adam for more hours at the gym, because you're not getting dragged into Conor's work. It's bad enough Thomas has got involved in it," James told her. Olivia frowned at James' response. She'd been hoping that now he was home he would pick back up on training her, like he had before he got sent off to Rikers Island. Then she was hoping he'd put in a good word with Conor, but apparently that wasn't the case.

"You should go easy on Thomas. We all deal with things differently and I'm sure he's just glad you're back now..." Olivia went silent as she heard Lucy and Thomas approaching the dining room. Olivia smiled as Lucy went on to serve them their dinner. "Thank, Mum," she told her as she looked to the plate of food. She turned to Thomas who was seated beside her, grinning as he spoke about when they'd thrown the rolls across the table as kids, in particular, the time Thomas hit James in the face with one and she knocked the man's drink over. "Oh shit, yeah. I remember that. Your face, Dad! You were so grumpy about it, and Mum, your face really was like a tomato," she backed up Thomas' recollection, letting out an amused laugh.

"That's was expensive whiskey," James grumbled as he also remembered that situation. "And your mother was very proud of the meal she'd made us," he added, turning to Lucy and gently rubbing her back. With a serious expression on his face, he picked up his knife and fork, ready to start eating. However, with his mind still on the memory of the evening in question, he chuckled to himself. "I guess it was pretty funny, though," he admitted. He then used his fork to point to Olivia and then to Thomas. "You two were absolutely shitting yourselves about it, if I remember right."

"Maybe we were a tiny bit scared, but clearly not enough, because that wasn't even the last time we did something like that. I mean, Thomas and Leo together was always a riot," she joked, keeping up the conversation as it had seemed to draw a laugh or two out of her grumpy adoptive dad.

"Yeah... I'm sure Syd's poor face was the most frequent target," James pointed out, looking to Thomas for confirmation.

Bellz (Lucy, Thomas)

 

[Pyroclast]

Tatiana Moretti
George and Neil​

After pulling his cap down, George stuffed his hands in his pockets and jaywalked across the traffic. He watched the group out of the corner of his eye, noticing two of them walk off together - Conor's wife and son - and he knew they had to act fast to take advantage of the situation. In a slightly less inconspicuous fashion, Neil darted between the moving vehicles, trying his best to keep up with his superior. George had specifically told him that they were now too close to their target to communicate, so as not to draw attention to themselves. He led the younger man across the road and rather than approach Aliana and Leo, he walked straight into Woolworths. Neil finally caught up with him and as soon as they were inside the shop, he hit George on the back to get his attention. "What the hell are we doing? We don't have eyes on them anymore!"

Throwing a hard glare over his shoulder at Neil, George drew his walkie talkie up to his lips and muttered, "Meet us round the back, over."

He then grabbed Neil roughly by the shoulder and hauled him right up close. "Keep up," he growled. "Now, you get his wife. I'll get the lad."

Turning away from Neil, George darted to the side entrance that opened onto the alleyway and burst through the door. Leo was only an arm's reach away so he was able to grab the young man before the pair could even see them coming. Keeping up his momentum, he drove Leo into the opposite wall and smashed the side of his head against it once, then twice. In the space he had opened up, Neil was able to dash forward and grab Aliana by the hair, pulling her off balance as he whipped out a switchblade and held it against her throat. "Make a sound and I'll kill ye'," he snarled into her ear. Glancing over to George, he watched the man send a heavy fist directly into Leo's nose, sending his head to smack into the wall a third time. With the young man now weakened, George hooked both arms around him and hauled him down to the opposite end of the alleyway, so that they never had to pass Stella or Natasha. Neil grabbed Aliana tightly around the waist, trapping her arms, and dragged her down the alleyway, just in time to see the black van pull up at the opening, casting a shadow over them all.

Once George had thrown Leo into the van, he helped shove Aliana in behind him and the pair climbed in after them before slamming shut the door. "Get down!" George barked at them as the van pulled away hastily. Neil pushed Aliana down onto the floor of the van and knelt down on her with his full weight, one knee between her shoulder blades and the other on her head. He gave her a full pat down, not caring if he touched her inappropriately in the process, and pocketed any weapons he found on her. Once George had kicked Leo down beside her, he did the same, before both he and Neil began tying their wrists behind their back. "If I hear a fuckin' word out of either of youse, ye' won't be makin' it out of here."


Even at the speed they were driving, it was a while before they were out of Dublin. Tatiana had specifically wanted to get out of the city before they dealt with their targets given that they were in enemy territory, and territory that she wasn't at all familiar with. She had Damian drive them into the countryside, and when they drove across a bridge that went over a wild, abandoned railway, she told him to drive down towards it. The weeds were so overgrown that the rails beneath them were hardly visible, so Tatiana knew nobody would pass beneath the bridge. "Head into the tunnel so we can't be seen from the road," she quietly instructed. Once they were parked out of sight, Tatiana sent Damian a smile. "Let's see what we got."

She yanked the sliding door open all the way, the low light from the tunnel's opening shining on their victims. George and Neil dragged Aliana and Leo out of the van and held them up in front of Tatiana and Damian. Tatiana smiled at Aliana, recognising her familiar face from when the woman used to live in New York. Turning to Leo, however, she only recognised his face from the reference picture she had been shown before the job. "Look at you, all grown up," she commented. "What a big handsome lad you turned out to be." She shot Damian a knowing glance with the shared understanding that Leo wouldn't look quite so handsome by the time they were done with him.

Interactions
Misty Gray Damian
Melanin-Gxdess Leo, Aliana

Bellz Natasha
BloodLightning27 Stella

 

[Misty Gray]

Abandoned Woodland Area
~ Outside of Dublin, Ireland ~

Damian Nicolosi
Mark and Bernie​

Damian stuck his head out of the window as he watched Aliana and Leo being bundled into the van. When the door was slammed shut, Damian put his foot down on the accelerator and set off driving away. As he listened to the commotion in the back of the van, he tapped his leather-gloved fingers against the steering wheel as if he were listening to the beat of some music. When the sound did die down and he was speeding down the open road, he began humming various melodies to himself, his eyes remaining focused on the road with regular glances into the rear-view mirror. "Lovely weather today, isn't it?" he casually spoke to Tatiana. "If there's one thing I've learned since our time in London, it's that the English love talking about the weather."

As he was directed over the abandoned railway lines, he smiled to himself, appreciating the atmosphere of it all. Then he was pointed to the tunnel where he drove towards before stopping the vehicle inside of. Once the engine was turned off, he reached between his and Tatiana's seat to retrieve the holdall he had brought with his tools and other materials stashed inside of. Climbing out of the van, he watched Aliana and Leo being dragged out into view, nodding his head in approval as they were held up for him and Tatiana to properly look at. He grinned as Tatiana pointed out how handsome Leo was. "Of course he's handsome! Have you seen his father? Hell, even I'd let Conor Sullivan fuck me," he joked, likely only Tatiana catching the full extent of the joke on account of Damian choosing not to have sex with anyone, male or female. "And, Mrs. Sullivan, the lucky wife. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Still gripping the handle of his bag, he pointed towards the dense woods. "This way," he instructed everyone, with George and Neil making sure Aliana and Leo walked with them. As he walked behind the group, Damian began to cheerfully hum the tune of 'The Teddy Bear's Picnic'. After walking some way into the woods, they reached an area of open woodland, in the centre of the middle of all the trees. The stumps from chopped down trees served as suitable stools for Aliana and Leo to be forced to sit down on. Standing a few feet away were two armed armed men who had been waiting for their arrived. By the feet of the burly man, Bernie, was a green jerry can filled with liquid. Damian lightly shook his head as he approached Mark, who was halfway through smoking a cigarette. "Put that out, will you? Make sure it's properly stubbed out. Don't you know how flammable woodland is?" he asked. "Now we know why he wasn't sent to snatch the Callahan boy. Can't be trusted with basic fire safety, let alone a kid," he said, making sure the Sullivans heard. As he spoke, he picked up the jerry can and began circling the stumps were Aliana and Leo were seated, pouring the flammable liquid on the floor around them. "Just an insurance policy. I love nature as much as the next guy, so I'd rather nobody forced my hand to light it up."

Tossing the empty jerry can to one side, he finally stopped next to Tatiana to take a look at Conor's wife and son. He placed his holdall down on a nearby tree stump and unzipped it to retrieve one of his tools, he slotted the hunters knife into his back belt loop for the time being. "Now then. Do you both know why you're here today?" he asked, as if he were teaching a class. Stepping closer to Aliana, he lifted her chin with his gloved hand so he could look at her face. "Because your husband crossed a line. He had Mr. Moretti's granddaughter kidnapped. The poor kid was terrified, so I hear." He let go of Aliana and took a step back, pointing to Leo. "At least he's all grown up. Not that it makes much of a difference. I was only ten years old when I watched my mother being tortured and butchered to death. Didn't do me any harm, did it?" he remarked, taking a few steps back to let Tatiana take the lead. She was in charge, after all.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Leo)
Pyroclast (Tatiana, George, Neil)

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
Blake's House
- Sutton, Dublin - ​

Blake was completely unsure of just how Syd was going to take everything she'd just revealed to him but when he finally looked up at her, there were tears in his eyes just like hers. He smiled warmly and reached out to take her hand and Blake smiled softly back and squeezed it. He said that it would have to take some getting used to seeing her with someone else, as well as seeing Adam actually get serious about someone which caused Blake to let out a weak laugh. That was something she was still getting used to herself. Syd stated that as long as no one was getting hurt that he wouldn't stand in her way and Blake all but lost it. Looking up to the ceiling in an attempt to hold in her tears, she listened as he explained that he thought he'd never be able to find love again after losing Skye.

Blake understood she had felt the exact same way for the last 13 years of her life but now she was suddenly starting to feel hopeful that after her children left the house to start their own families that she would actually have someone of her own. Never in a million years did she think Adam would be that someone but her she was, making sure that Syd was okay with their relationship because she knew that deep down things were going to work out for them and that on some level, she loved Adam deeply though she wasn't going to try and scare him off with that realization. Blake smiled softly as Syd talked about his relationship with Roxie, even though they hadn't ended on the greatest of terms it made her happy to know that the woman had at least been able to aid Syd in moving on from the loss of his wife. "Thank you, Syd." Blake murmured as he encouraged her to take a chance with Adam.

Listening to his stipulation of wanting to hear all of this from Adam, Blake nodded her head firmly in agreement. It was nice to hear that Syd trusted Adam just as much as Blake did but she definitely understood the hesitation behind it all. Adam had been a player the whole time she had known him as well, though Blake felt that she saw something in him that others couldn't necessarily see behind all that. Blake had been a lot like that before she had met Jackson but when it really came down to it all, she was just putting herself out there in hopes that maybe someone would eventually want to settle down with her. Being a player came with an extreme amount of loneliness, Blake understood that more than most.

"Ah I appreciate that, Syd. I know...he'd be proud of you for looking out for me." Blake made sure to refrain from saying Jackson's name this time around...not wanting to see Syd flinch anymore over it. "Now promise me something, okay?" Blake asked him, taking his shoulders lightly as she looked him dead in the eye. "You take some of your own advice, yeah? You are wise beyond your years kid but you encouraging me to take a chance on love while you sit not finding any doesn't necessarily make me feel good. Issues with women or not, you are only in your 40s! If you are anything like your father you are going to live an extremely long life! You don't want to spend it wondering what you could have done better with it when it's too late to get out there and find someone." Blake lectured him lightly before opening her arms to hug him lightly.

"I lecture because I care, and I'm sure you hear it enough from your mother on a daily basis but maybe hearing it from me will get it through to you that you are an absolute catch!" Blake stated as she pulled away from the hug and smiled at him widely. "And in terms of Roxie...crazier shit has happened...maybe that old flame will eventually be rekindled. It will take some time of course if it does, but everyone grieves differently that much I know. And don't tell me you fucked it up, young man. You know how many times I watched your Uncle fuck it up with Ali and look at them now, I don't know how but they are stronger than ever. Hell, even your Uncle Peter has fucked up and he and Sinny have been together forever. Don't give up while you are still young enough to find love, okay? Promise me you will try?"
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Harper's Apartment
- London - ​

Harper didn't know exactly what to say when Jeremy stated that her parents not being around made her strong, kind, and resourceful. Compliments from him were far and few and she honestly wasn't fishing for any. A small smirk played on her lips as they said they left her a smart-ass attitude. She looked to his face, trying to read any ounce of teasing in his expression. He was so emotionless and straight-faced it looked as if he'd been carved from stone. "Ah but all of us Kings got that attitude, it just tends to look better on me." Harper stated trying to elicit some sort of response from him.

He took her empty glass from her, his hand grazing hers. She did her best not to reach as a chill ran down her spine from such a soft touch, raising a curious eyebrow as he filled the glass back up. She watched as he lifted her hand to place the glass in her palm and rolled her eyes as he stated that only amateurs threw back drinks so fast that they couldn't taste it. "Teaching me how to be a classy alcoholic?" She teased but did as he said to do, swirling her own glass before lifting it to her nose lightly. "Smells like a campfire." Harper immediately commented, "Reminds me of the few times I went camping with my brothers...built a huge bonfire, it was taller than I was at the time."

He then told her to take a sip of the drink and not gulp it down. She made a face as she looked at the liquid in her glass, not necessarily being one to enjoy drinking hard liquors like her brothers. Relenting, however, she took a small sip and allowed it to sit in her mouth a moment, and when she did swallow she was shocked that it didn't taste as terrible as it had the first time. The surprise showed on her features and just as she was about to give him the satisfaction of being right a knock on the door saved her.
He threw back the rest of his drink and Harper watched in amusement as he sauntered off towards the door. Harper had grabbed the bottle they were drinking from and absentmindedly read the label as she waited for Jeremy to come back with the food. She was already starting to feel the familiar buzz that came with drinking but she hoped some food would keep her from getting embarrassingly trashed.

Harper turned to look towards the door, wondering what was taking so long. She noticed that the door was slightly closed and her brows furrowed together with concern. Just as she was about to stand, Jeremy opened the door and walked back inside. Harper looked away quickly, embarrassed that she had been concerned for a split second. When he made himself known in the dining room, he smiled her way though it didn't meet his eyes like the way he had been smiling at her earlier. "Food always tastes better when you don't have to pay for it." Harper said with a small smile. Once he sat back at the table, she started to take out the boxes of Chinese food one by one along with two pairs of chopsticks. "Thank you for paying, by the way...and for showing how to actually drink this crap." She said, pointing her chopsticks towards the bottle of liquor. "Hate admitting when you are right but...that definitely tasted better the second time around."

She could notice something in his body language and expression despite trying to keep the mood light. "Everything go okay out there? I don't need to kick the delivery boy's ass do I?" Harper joked. "I mean I know you could take me down pretty easily but the rest of the men in this godforsaken place are easy targets."
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Shopping Plaza
~Dublin City Center, Dublin~

Aliana Sullivan & Leo Sullivan

​

"Leo," Ali stated, her eyes brimming with tears as she tried to get him to listen to reason. "That's not true. I just-... What Conor did, he-," Ali couldn't even get the words out of her mouth. How was she going to tell him the truth? That the man he looked up to so much had done something most would deem so heinous? That she deemed heinous? It was for their family and she had to keep reminding herself of that fact, but she couldn't help but think James would've advised against it. Deep down Ali questioned if Conor's actions were really just to get James home or if it were something else with it. To show that he was in control and that he was the big boss now - a pissing match if you will. But before she could get any of her thoughts out, things took a turn for the worst.

Aliana heard the door before she saw anyone. Considering they were near an alleyway where the dumpsters were tucked she thought nothing of it. She would wait for whoever just burst out to return to their business before she and Leo continued their conversation. It was a family matter and no one needed to go gossiping about it later. Except, it wasn't some shopkeeper. Instead, it was a pair of men who were clearly up to no good. Things happened faster than her brain was able to process, Leo being thrown into the wall by one of the men twice. "Le-," Ali was just about to shout, hearing her son grunt when a second surprised her. She winced feeling his grip on her hair and instead of reaching for the knife she had tucked into her pocket she reached up for his arms and struggled. The cold, metal of the man's knife against her throat made her stop moving as her eyes grew wide.

In his blind anger, Leo had been completely off guard and he was paying severely for it. A sharp pain was shooting through his skull and his vision was blurred by the blood dripping in his eyes. He could hear Ali stop short of calling out to him and tried to look in her direction, only to be met with a fist and a cracking sound. Pain shot through him again feeling the cartilage in his nose breaking. Again his head smacked against the wall and he started to feel dizzy and weak, but he tried his best to swing at his attacker. Thanks to his blurry vision and confused state he missed. He could feel himself being dragged down the alleyway with Aliana close behind him. "Nat," he weakly shouted, though it came out as more of a whisper. In the struggle, he managed to slide his wallet out and drop it to the ground hoping it would be of some sort of assistance once Stella and Natasha realized something was wrong.

Despite the instructions she was given, Ali continued to struggle against the man's hold. Not to get away and free herself, but to get to Leo. The tears from earlier had started to fall in full force the moment she saw the state he was in. She whimpered and called out for him, wanting nothing more than to hold him. She didn't care about getting away at that moment she only cared that her firstborn was okay. The sound of a van caught her attention and she looked between Leo and the vehicle. The doors swung open and they immediately threw Leo inside before forcing her in behind him. She was about to start swinging on them when Neil pinned her on her stomach to check her pockets for any weapons. Next to her lie Leo going through the same thing, his hairline bloody and his eyes struggling to stay open. Ali desperately wanted to reach out to him but with her arms tied behind her, she couldn't. At some point in their journey, Leo had passed out and Ali started to worry. She begged for the men to check on him but she was ignored instead. Ali shuffled closer until she was able to hear him breathing and let out a shaky sigh. He was alive, but for much longer? Her forehead was pressed against the metal floor while she tried to think of something - anything - to get them out of this; no matter how futile it would be.

The van came to a stop and Ali nudged Leo to try and wake him. His eyes shot open before he squinted, the dry blood caked around his eyes. For a moment he was confused about where he was before the door was yanked open. Everything started to come back to him and he realized the two of them had been kidnapped - with Leo injured so he wouldn't be able to fight back. The two of them were forced out of the van and the moment he stood up Leo felt the initial shock from his head and nose again. He winced standing before Tatiana and Damian, trying to determine if he knew who these people were - he didn't. Ali, on the other hand, was frowning to hide the fear she was feeling. It was as if she knew what this was, why they were taken, and what was about to happen. Was this because of what Conor had done, he thought. Tatiana began talking, commenting on how much he had grown which made him wonder if he did actually know her. "Don't talk to him as if you know him, you little I'm uncultured. Fuck off," Ali bitterly responded. She then turned her attention to Damian, her eye glancing down at the bag he had with him before looking back at him. "You can fuck off, too."

Ali and Leo did as instructed, Ali only because she didn't want anything happening to Leo because of her. If she was tortured, if she was killed, she would be okay with that. But her son? It would destroy her to lose someone else so close. To lose another Leo. The two of them sat on the stumps as told while watching and listening to Damian speak to his men. It nearly went over Ali and Leo's head, but when they realized what had just left his mouth they frowned at each other. "What did you do to Liam?!" Ali shouted, the thought of something happening to him crossing her mind. It would ruin Sinead to the point of no return if something happened to the young boy and Ali wasn't sure if she would ever recover. Her thoughts were interrupted when Damian started pouring gasoline around them, Ali moving her feet as if she were truly worried the gas would get on her shoes. "You're really afraid of two people when you outnumber us?" Leo said, to which Ali couldn't help but smirk. She tried to hide it by scowling at Leo, but he could see it clear as day.

The looks on their faces were quickly replaced with stern ones, trying to steel themselves from the fear floating to the surface. Ali was more worried than Leo, listening to Damian ask why they were here. Of course, she knew, and she looked at the confused face on Leo and shook her head. She was apologetic and realized that now he would know exactly what Conor had done and that they were the ones who were going to pay the price. Damian grabbed her face and she frowned, yanking it away. Leo watched and listened intently to the man speaking, finally being able to hear what was so bad that Ali was willing to keep to herself-

What did he just say? Leo looked between his mother and their kidnapper trying to make sure he heard that correctly. "What's he talking about?" Ali found it difficult to look at Leo so she kept her head down. "Mum!" Ali flinched at the word and slowly turned to him, the tears from earlier streaming down her face. She had no words for him and he stared in shock. "He- No, he didn't. He wouldn't." Leo was trying to wrap his head around the thought of it all and the reason Ali had kept it from him. He didn't know what to think - he couldn't think. Were they in this situation because of him? Surely his father knew what sort of repercussions were going to come their way if he did something so low. And being as he was such a huge family man, he wouldn't put his own in any danger. Rhiannon? Sydney? His mother? HIMSELF? Conor had to care about them more than proving a point to Moretti so there was no way what was being said was-

"I'm so sorry..." Ali said through sobs. He wasn't sure who she was apologizing to, but he watched as she looked up between Damian and Tatiana. "Leave him out of this, please. You want to hurt us? Hurt Conor? Then hurt me but please," she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Don't touch him."

Natasha ( Bellz ) Stella ( BloodLightning27 ) Damian ( Misty Gray ) Tatiana ( Pyroclast )



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