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

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Adam frowned upon hearing that Joaquin had two kids of his own who he favourited over Isabella's other children, including Elena. "He sounds like a real piece... pedazo de mierda," he couldn't help but speak his mind. Whilst it seemed like Elena was just glad to be in Dublin and away from the man, it didn't stop him wanting to pay her stepfather a visit and teach him some manners. He let out a deep sigh. "He had no right to treat you like that, kid... Elena. If you ever want me to give him a piece of my mind, I'd be more than happy to," he assured her. "But you don't have to go back there, not now you're here in Dublin."

When Elena hadn't brushed his arm off and instead rested her head on his shoulder, Adam faintly smiled. Despite still being in shock and unsure of what was going to happen now he had a daughter, something he wasn't unsure of was that he wasn't going to bail out on her this time. From what he'd learned already, he figured he had a lot to make up for considering the rough life she'd had in Cuba without him there.

Elena explained how she liked living with Thomas, explaining they were both happy with the arrangement and once she could she would start paying rent. The fact she elaborated that she would pay the rent with money raised a curiosity within Adam, but it wasn't something to bring up in their current situation. "Oh yeah. Thomas is a good lad. He'll look after you," Adam agreed with her. He knew the young man had been quite troubled since even before he returned to Dublin, but the one thing that had seemed to bring a smile to Thomas' face was Elena. Adam's expression once again turned serious as she mentioned the bad hotel man. Aware of which hotel she'd been staying in, he had a good idea of the kind of creep the man running it was. His thoughts were steered away from the hotel when Elena asked if they could meet more so they could get to know each other. "Of course. I'd like that," he told her. "We can do it somewhere nicer than in here."

Elena soon mentioned having to get back to her work behind the bar. When she stood up, Adam did the same, placing his hands in his trouser pockets as he observed her smiling at him. When she thanked him, he lightly shook his head. "You don't need to thank me. I should be thanking you for being so understanding... and going out of your way to find me like this. I'm happy you found me," he assured her in return. "Maybe you should finish work early. I can clear it with Martin," he suggested, figuring she'd have too much on her mind to focus on work.

*****​

On his way home from the pub that evening, Adam made a split second decision and instead of going home continued driving north to Sutton. He had a lot to process and knew Chase was the man to share the news with. When he entered the Zegarra home, Chase and Jasmine were in the living room along with Emilia who was sat drawing nearby. When the girl realised her godfather was there, she brightly smiled. "Hola, Adam!" she brightly greeted him. Once he'd greeted Chase and Jasmine, Adam sat down in the armchair across from their sofa. Emilia rushed over to show him the picture she'd been drawing. "Do you like it?" she asked.

"Let me see..." Adam trailed off as he looked to the picture. He fell silent for a while as he looked at the drawing, knowing the child's wide eyes were fixed on him expectantly. "Wow, that' an awesome house, kid! You're getting good at this - I don't even have to pretend to know what you've drawn anymore," he teased her. His eyes lingered on the picture for a time, seeing how Emilia was growing up reminding him of the moments he'd missed when Elena was a child.

Jasmine could tell something was off with Adam and after she'd sent a concerned look Chase's way. She then stood up and clapped her hands together. "Alright, Emilia. Time to get you ready for bed. Come on," she said, reaching out to take the girl's hand. "Safia's already fast asleep and Michael's in his room. I'll leave you two in peace for a bit," she told Chase and Adam.

Once it was just him and Chase, Adam got up to help himself to a beer, offering Chase one of his own bottles in the process. He then sat back down in the armchair across from his best friend. After taking a long drink from the bottle, he eventually pulled it away from his mouth and cleared his throat. "I've just had some news and I'm not... It's a lot to take in," he began. He briefly rubbed his forehead as his face reflected that he had something big on his mind. "Do you remember back in the sixties when Liam and I came to Havana on business... The visit where Liam had those parties the penthouse suite. When I hooked up with that woman a couple of times - Isabella. Well, I just found out that..." Adam fell silent again, looking Chase in the eyes before lowering his vision; tears threatening to show again. "You know Elena who works at Conor's pub? Well, she just told me I'm her dad and she came here from Cuba to find me. She's Isabella's daughter... I just found out I have a daughter and I missed the first twenty years of her life... It's a lot to take in," he said, looking back to Chase through troubled eyes.

Pyroclast (Elena, Chase)

 

[BasDorcha]

Golden Galleria Car Garage
Maeve Thatcher​

The scene in front of her had been like watching a movie. Everyone was talking about her, but not necessarily too her. While they were speaking, May had picked up the other pictures and were shifting through them. Some were of her, candid at best, others or people or places she assumed were along the Sullivan lines. When Spencer sat back down the picture of Conor, she picked it up. She hadn’t seen the man more than a handful of times in her life, and he had aged considerably since the last time she had seen him on a stop over at the bar her mother worked in. It sounded so exaggerated, so unlikely, that she had to remind herself if it wasn’t her lived life, she might not believe it either. What were the chances?

Putting the pictures back, May looked at Billy and nodded her head towards the Gin. She could use something stronger than tea at the moment. She swilled down the last of the tea and held her cup out to him, relieved when Billy acknowledged her without any of the distaste she was feeling from the other brothers, and even slightly from Bruce. She knew they owed her nothing, after all, she was just the barmaid. Her pride wanted to point out that she had in fact been the one to be forthcoming with this info when she put the pieces together, when she could have stayed quiet, but reading the room told her that would not work well for her – even if it was the truth.

Sipping the gin – surprisingly good – she thought about the past and how things could have ended up here. She decided to it may be a good idea to give them some more insight into her life growing up, as well as that of her brothers and mother.

“I think I can clear up some things by telling you all about my life. Please, if you’ll give me a moment, it may make more sense. So, my mum never talked about her family. She had gotten pregnant and married early – with me on the way. The most she ever said about it was that they did not approve of her being so young and unmarried, with a bastard child on the way. She was also a drunk, who liked to live in the bar she worked because it meant she could drink. My father, the man I thought of as my father, never helped the situation much even though he was a kindly drunk, not the ugly type. I never even knew I had family outside of mum and da’ until one day when Conor came by the bar where they worked, and I overheard them talking. Conor had called my mother cousin. I remember rushing in, excited, because I had never known we had family outside of us. I was properly scolded for it too and told that Uncle Conor didn’t want anything to do with me and pushed back outside by my mother.

My brothers eventually met him once or twice, again only at the bar when we’d be there waiting for Mum or Da, or both, or trying to nip something from the kitchen or bar when no one was looking. We might exchange pleasantries – he’d ask how things were – but never more then tha’. We never saw him outside of there either. I eventually thought of him as just a passing figure, and less as family. When Da’ left, and Mum began living more at the bar as if it were her entire life, I started taking care of my brothers. Most days it was just us, and Mum would occasionally come home and leave us money then be gone again for days at a time unless we stopped in the bar to see her.” May looked at each other, a firm but passive look on her face, as one might have while relaying particularly unpleasant information that had to be said.

“So, when you all ask how we couldn’t know, consider this. Mum did not have a standing relationship with her family. I believe the only reason we ever even met Conor is because she worked in a family-owned bar – otherwise we probably never would have known my mum had family. She certainly never talked about her own parents, she was an only child, and aside from complaining they had been a shite family who turned her out, she didn’t speak about them much.” May shifted about the papers on the desk, picking up a sheet of paper with a rough sketch of what safely could be assumed to be a family tree. There were so many names she didn’t know, but she found Conor’s name, then her mothers. Tracing the lines, she eventually found the connections, and handed it to Spencer, pointing out the distance between Conor and Kathleen – her mother.

“This paper knows more about my family then I do. It looks like they’re cousins – third cousins to be exact. While I know it’s a stretch of the imagination to believe, I never even knew I had this much family, much less near to where I grew up. Tom, my brother pictured here, left for the service at sixteen – my mum signed off on it to get him sending money back for her. He just returned a month or so ago. None of us knew we had other family, or that they had established businesses in Dublin. We only ever knew we had each other. It’s either bad luck, or finicky fate that has place my brother in a mechanic shop that is family related. I had never even heard the name Porter until today.”

Feeling drained, but determined, May tipped the cup of Gin back and swallowed, settling back in her seat silently, unsure if her opening up had helped, would save her or her brother, or would make little difference. In a very short time frame she had gone from thinking that her family would only ever consist of her mother, brothers and herself to seeing it laid out on paper how big it could have been – and how her and her brothers had never been wanted. She had lived and grown up in a town full of people related to her, yet could not have pointed a single soul out on the street. Had she met others who were related to her and she just didn’t know it?

Her mind turned to Tom. What had he gotten himself into? Did he know he was working for distant family? Or was that just another coincidence the fates were playing on them? Pitting them on different sides of a brewing war without their consent? Tapping the cup in thought, she finally looked up, catching their eyes one at a time before lingering on Darcey with a plea she didn’t know she is giving. The woman had been kinder to her then any other person in her life, and for the moment, looking at her made May want to run into her mothers’ arms and cry out all the frustration and hurt she was awashed in, but she knew her mother would never reciprocate. Instead, she looked to Bruce finally, and left her eyes to settle between him and Spencer.

“I am aware that for you, I am just an employee who tends your bar, occasionally entertains your patrons with music and singing, and it would be easy to discard me for safer bets, but I came here to start a new life, not let my past control me. You don’t know me to well, but your family, the King’s… Spencer specially for hiring me,” She nodded her head in a quick and silent thanks, “Gave me my first real chance in life. To you it was a job, to me, it’s the first time I’ve been able to call my life my own, and not have to worry about taking care of my brothers, my mother guilting me into taking everything I have, and I feel that earns my loyalty more than my bloodline.”

She was silent again for a moment, nibbling her lips as she looked up and caught Alex’s eye. “I’m also sorry for the way I acted. I don’t know your entire history with my family, and you likely know them better then I ever will. I should not have exploded… you just caught me off guard and I’m not use to that. You all have ever reason to doubt me. I would if I were you, a Sullivan being found in the wood works at a time where its no secret there is trouble brewing – even the bar staff has overheard enough to pick that up.” She dropped her eyes against trying to make eye contact with each of them so they would know her intent.

“I also know you will do what you need to do, and I’m okay with that. I’m not above proving myself if it means I can stay here. I do not wish to return, except to visit my brothers. I have nothing else there. So let me prove myself, let me be useful, and please, let me stay.” She sat her cup down on the table, sitting up a little straighter, waiting for a verdict of sorts as she had a fleeting feeling of fighting for her life in this moment and thought about how Darcey had told her before that flying off the handle was not always the best way to go. If ever there was a time to start listening to the woman’s words, it was now.

May had been on stage, performed, been acting most of her life – whether pretending to be older, smarter, wise, a mother, of age, whatever the cause, yet she felt this was the most important performance yet, and never had she felt like she was being watched harder.

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

 

[Misty Gray]

Abandoned Woodland Area
~ Outside of Dublin, Ireland ~

Damian Nicolosi
Mark and Bernie​

Damian watched on as Leo began to realise what his own father had done to the Morettis. A crooked smile crossed Damian's mouth as it became clear he'd been kept in the dark about the extent Conor had gone to. "Oh, he did it alright. Sweet, little Cristina is even younger than your young Callahan cousin," he confirmed to Leo after Aliana had admitted it. Damian looked to Aliana as she pleaded for them to leave her son out of it and hurt her instead. "Mrs. Sullivan, I really have no preference over which of you gets hurt the most. As long as I have a pleasant day at work and your husband suffers, then my job here is a success."

Damian watched on as Tatiana held the knife to Aliana and taunted Leo about what his father had done. "It was her niece who was snatched, might I add. I guess that makes this all really awkward now, right?" he asked, letting out an amused laugh. Damian continued to watch on contently as Tatiana tightly gripped Leo's throat, only releasing his neck just before he could lose consciousness. Of all the Morettis, he most enjoyed working with Tatiana. Granted, it was always entertaining working by Gabriel's side, but the man was his boss, so the atmosphere was often a little more stifled. With Tatiana, the relationship was more relaxed and he could play with his victims a little more freely.

When Tatiana made a comment about helping Leo out with his hoarse throat, Damian nodded his head and snapped his fingers as if something had just come back to him. "Oh, of course. Where are my manners? I've done a lot of research on the Sullivan family, all the way back to Chicago. How impolite of me to forget Conor loved to drink, so no doubt you're a thirsty lad too," he told Leo. "Guys, bring that tub thing over there!" he instructed Mark and Bernie who proceeded to carefully carry over the large plastic dog bathtub which was filled will water from the nearby pond. Once the men placed it down on the floor in front of Aliana, they grabbed Leo and forced him down on the ground, onto his knees. Whilst Mark restrained the young man's hands behind his back, Bernie proceeded to push Leo's face into the water, holding his head down beneath the surface. "Like father like son, am I right?" Damian gleefully asked Aliana whilst she remained held back by Tatiana and the knife at her throat. "They always struggle, at first. That surprise... the panic," Damian told Aliana, as thought they were casually observing some kind of natural occurrence. "They usually try to hold their breath, but can only do that for so long until water gets in--" Watching Leo's struggles becoming more of a reflex than intentional, Damian tapped Bernie on the shoulder. "That'll do."

Leo's head was pulled out of the water before he had chance to swallow too much liquid and become unconscious. "Cough it up, boy," Damian told him, hitting the top of his back to help him out with coughing up any water. After having a brief time to catch his breath back, Leo was made to sit on the tree stump before the two armed heavies took their places in the background again. "How's the throat now?" Damian teasingly asked. "You're giving your mother an awful fright here," he said, pointing to Aliana. "So here's a fun idea. I want you to beg Tatiana here to spare your mother's life and I will let you choose how you die. We've got drowning, strangulation, or burning..." he trailed off. "Or, I guess we could just kill her and you can live knowing you let her die. What's your preference?" he asked Leo, flashing a bright smile.

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

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Undisclosed Location
~???~

Aliana Sullivan & Leo Sullivan

​

Leo couldn't wrap his head around the idea that all of this was happening because of his father. The idea that Conor would ever stoop so low wasn't processing in his mind. He looked up to Conor simply because he thought he could do no wrong; that he would never climb into the trenches with his enemies and here it was he had done just that. For years he hated the Moretti family for the damage they inflicted on the Sullivan family - on his mother. They were the scum of the Earth who would kill an entire restaurant full of people to exact their revenge. It was clear the Sullivan family was better than them in every way by only attacking those who worked for the family. At least, that's what he thought five minutes ago. Five minutes ago he thought the world of his father. Now? Now he wasn't sure what to think. He was forced to sit next to his mother on tree stumps in the middle of nowhere, with no backup in sight all because of Conor. What the hell was he supposed to think?

Watching Ali cry was the hardest thing. Leo had seen her heartbroken, hurt, and in tears before but this felt different. When she looked up at him he could tell she blamed herself. There was nothing to blame herself for, he thought, considering it wasn't she who had made the order. Just how much weight was she carrying on her shoulders? She then went on to beg them to hurt her instead of him and Leo nearly moved from his spot on the stump. His butt lifted from the stump and when he realized what he was doing wasn't smart he immediately sat back down. His hands were balled into fists and he clenched his teeth, watching as Tatiana got closer to Ali. It wasn't until he saw the shiny weapon in her hand that he nearly stood up again. "Hey! Leave her the fuck alone."

Aliana's eyes quickly darted between Leo and Tatiana before settling on the woman before her. Her cries went silent feeling that cold metal against her lips, her hand out trying to signal to Leo to calm down. Cooperating was their best bet - was Leo's best bet - if they were going to get out of this with minimal injuries or alive... That is if they got out of this alive. When Tatiana backed away, Ali could feel the blade knick her lip and she grimaced. It was a pain that quickly disappeared the moment she ran her tongue across it, the blood gone. She managed to scowl through the hiccuping breaths leaving her chest as she kept her eyes glued to her. Occasionally she would glance to Damian just to see what he was up to but they would always go back to Tatiana.

Tatiana was talking again, which caught Leo's attention along with Aliana's. She was explaining what Conor had done and how he had done it, calling him weak. To be quite honest, Leo was thinking something along those lines himself but he wasn't about to say that to her. There were so many other people Conor could have targeted; Gabe's wife, Teddy's wife, hell even Gabriel's other children! But no, he wanted to target the youngest members of his family. What was the man thinking? Clearly, he couldn't have been thinking-

Leo's thoughts were cut short feeling Tatiana's cold hands wrap around his throat. He tried to swallow and could only feel a knot form in his throat. As much as he wanted to struggle against the woman's hold, he knew better. He wasn't going to risk his mom's life because he wanted to act stupid. If his father had taught him anything, if he had learned anything from his parent's past mistakes, it was that risking someone's else life wasn't the path he was willing to take. He grunted, raising his hand to hers, and tried to pry her fingers away only to be met with resistance. The pain of her nails piercing skin had distracted him momentarily from the fact that he couldn't breathe. The sound of Ali pleading for him had suddenly sounded muffled like she was further away than she actually was. Just as his eyes were about to shut he was released and fell to the ground in a coughing fit.

"You bitch!" Ali shouted, wanting nothing more than to run over to Leo and make sure he was okay. Her chest hurt being forced to watch him suffer and she wished desperately that she could trade places with him. Instead, she whipped her head to Tatiana. "And your family knows when to stop?! Did you think he would let you get away with everything your father did? He killed people who had nothing to do with what happened! He blew up a restaurant full of innocent people and for what?! This was long overdue," she said in reference to retaliation. Both sides had blood on their hands and it wasn't necessary to find out who had more. The fact was they were all guilty and committed unforgivable transgressions. Ali's body then stiffened when Tatiana returned to her side, this time playing in her hair. It took everything in her not to turn around and punch her, but she remained glued to her seat watching as Leo weakly returned to his.

It didn't click in her head what was about to happen until it started happening. Aliana had been privy to a lot of what happened in Conor's past when dealing with the Romanos. So when she watched Leo's head get forced underwater she wanted to scream. She leaned forward as if wanting to get up, and could feel the blade cut into her neck because of it. Blood trailed down her collarbone as she watched her only son being tortured helplessly. As if watching a reel she started having flashbacks to when Sinead, Lucy, and Syd had been kidnapped and tortured. Is this what they felt? The despair? The heartbreak and helplessness knowing you couldn't do anything without risking a life? Ali felt like she couldn't breathe and that alone could've been enough to kill her.

Leo could feel the stinging and burning of the water filling his nose the moment he ran out of air. Little by little his lungs started to fill up with water to the point he felt like he would die. It burned more than he thought it would, more than water actually should, to be honest. 'God,' he thought, 'What a fucked up way to go.' It wasn't something he thought his mind would wander to in his possible final moments, but it had. He thought he was going to die out here with Ali watching, hearing the garbled sounds of her shouts and pleas under the water. The moment he was released from the water, he instinctively took a deep breath of air, only for it to get caught with the water. His body forced him to cough up the water, his eyes squeezed shut as he did. It didn't matter that the man currently patting his back had been Damian. Whatever helped him get the water from his lungs was great. He threw up nothing but clear liquid and coughed until his chest hurt, heaving on his hands and knees until he was back to breathing nothing but air. He didn't get too much time to recover when he was forced to sit back in his spot again, shivering from the cold.

Damian then asked who it would be that met death and Leo wasn't going to allow it to be his mother. What sort of a son - a man - would he be if he allowed that? Despite the growing pain in his chest and the throbbing in his head, he let out a breathy chuckle. "Hey mom," he said, looking at her through blurred vision. "Is this the part where we go back and forth about who gets to die? Because, for fuckssake, if it is save it." He said, watching her shake her head. She started talking and he immediately talked over her. "If you wanna get back at my old man, you kill me. You want death to hurt him, right? Then kill me. She barely means anything to him now. My parents barely like each other as is," he lied.

And Ali knew he was lying. She knew what he was doing. Make it seem like it would hurt Conor more to lose him? The truth was it would probably break the man to lose either one of them but he was trying to give them a false narrative to save her life. "Stop being a little shit for once in your life!" She shouted. "You're a bad liar and you've always been one." Ali turned her attention back to Tatiana, grabbed the woman's wrist, and pressed it harder against her throat. "You have me right here, why waste any more time?" Aliana was willing to go to the ends of the Earth for her family - for her children. She had blood on her own hands and she was willing to pay for it however fate made her. She ignored Leo's incessant shouting, coughs interrupting him every few words as she stared Tatiana dead in her eyes, beckoning her to get over. Either Ali was going to call some imaginary bluff or she would cease to exist. Ali was praying for the former yet she was ready for the latter.

Damian ( Misty Gray ) Tatiana ( Pyroclast )




​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Golden Galleria Car Garage
~Corringham, UK~

Darcey Hargraves, Alex King, & Erik Snowden​

May confirmed that it had been her brother in the picture and Darcey sat back in her seat. She listened as she explained his place of business, to which Darcey immediately made eye contact with Bruce, then Billy and Alex. The girl may not have been privy to who owned the business, but those present in the room had been. It was Porter-owned, which meant it was Sullivan-owned and Tom was working for them. It could just be a coincidence that the young man would be there but Darcey didn't believe in coincidences. In all of Dublin, Ireland there had been many different garages. How did he end up at this specific one? But to avoid giving Alex any more ammunition to glare at May with, Darcey kept that thought to herself until it was appropriate to share. Perhaps with just Bruce as to avoid any more dramatic outbursts. Once she finished talking, May gave Darcey the photo back, which the older woman then gently placed back in the middle of the table. May had done well with keeping her temper in check, despite the rough beginning they had. There was a lot she was going to have to teach her, but it wasn't anything Darcey couldn't handle.

Spencer's arrival seemed to get rid of the heavy tension lingering in the air. With his update on his whereabouts and teasing of Billy, the group was able to take a break from the serious topic that had brought them all to Darcey's office. Erik gave a slight shake of his head at Spencer, a small chuckle leaving his throat. "Yeah, something like that. Darcey doesn't want me messing up her stuff," he said, his gaze shifting to Billy. "I'm all wet and suffering greatly." It was an innocent statement for everyone else, but Erik knew Billy would be able to sense the playfulness in it. "Yeah, he's been here for a coupla' years now and still hasn't learned how to dress for the weather," Alex replied, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. Spencer then - thankfully, Darcey thought - sat between him and May. His view of the woman had been blocked off, which meant he was no longer able to glare effectively. Instead, his attention was brought to the picture being held up in Spencer's hand - the one of Conor Sullivan.

Alex couldn't help the smug look that had grown on his face. Had Darcey had something hard enough to throw she would have. Bruce then spoke, warning Spencer that he was not to make a big thing out of what he was about to hear. They had had enough of the theatrics and Darcey would prefer if the rest of their meeting went smoothly. He broke the news to Spencer about May quickly, not leaving him any room to speak. Alex, Darcey, and even Erik looked to Spencer, waiting for his reaction. Alex had already shown everyone how he felt about it and now it was time for Spencer to display his feelings - and he did not disappoint. Alex then uncrossed his arms to pat his older brother on the back. "Well, being upset is apparently one," he stated, looking between Darcey and his uncle.

Darcey rolled her eyes. "No, actin' like a little shit and goin' 'round shaking people is an overreaction." Alex knew better than to respond and instead went back to pouting. Darcey's attention turned to Spencer, trying to gauge how he felt about it. Clearly, he was upset but it seemed like everyone in this room was - and rightfully so. A Sullivan working in their club. It didn't matter that she didn't have any ties with them, it seemed and it was understandable. The Irish had done something unforgivable so it was only right that they would want to wash their hands of them completely.

May spoke, sharing her side the moment she got the chance. It impressed Darcey to see her doing so, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. She went through her story and what ties she would've had with the Sullivan family - which was none. Literally, none. There was no one Conor or any of them could be using May as a way to get to the King family. Sure, May could have been lying, but it was too elaborate a lie for May and therefore she believed she was telling the truth. The sound of her voice and the look in her eyes only confirmed this when she talked about how Spencer had given her more than her own family had. What really surprised her was her apology to Alex, who had placed his elbows on the table to rest his chin in his hands. He looked at her from the corner of his eye before scratching his head and not responding right away. She would get it, he thought, but not right now when she was probably expecting it.

At the end of her explanation, silence hung in the air for a few moments before Darcey decided to break it. "Well then," she said, leaning forward in her seat. "It sounds like a decision needs to be made. Erik," she said, looking over her shoulder. "Do you mind taking Darcey out of the room for a moment? I believe Anastasia might have some overalls or somethin' in her locker if you wanna change, too." Erik gave her a 'Really?' look before standing up. "Oh, now you tell me!" He said, walking towards the door. "Let's go, May. You get the opportunity to watch me strip down to my underwear!" He joked, purposefully avoiding Billy's gaze.

Bruce, Billy ( Pyroclast ) May ( BasDorcha )

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Beaumont Hospital
- Beaumont, Dublin - ​

Peter let out a small laugh as Sinead said that she spoiled him and Liam too much. "Way too much...but we wouldn't want to have it any other way, dear," His voice gave out as he tried to force himself not to cry dropping to a whisper as he said, "I'm so glad you are okay." Sinead then asked about the men who attacked her and Peter's expression grew dark as he shook his head. "Not yet, love. But mark my word...they will be found, I promise." Peter wanted to say more about what would happen to the assholes who tried to break his family apart but with Liam already having seen enough violence for today, he didn't want to go into the gory details in front of his son.

Before he could say anything more there was a knock on the door and Peter turned his head quickly to see who it was. Not recognizing the man, Peter was about to ask him to state his business as he clearly didn't look like a nurse or a doctor in the hospital. Once again he was unable to speak as the man stated that he had stopped by the church and was informed of what happened. Peter's brows furrowed in confusion, it wasn't every day that a stranger came to visit one of their family members in the hospital, and with the amount of suffering and fighting they had all been through over the years, Petter was understandably hesitant as he stood up straight to address the man.

"Now I don't want to come off as sounding rude, son, but why would a complete stranger come to visit us? My family has been through far too much to trust someone for what they say. Who are you?" Peter asked, his voice deep and firm as he made sure the man understood that if he was a danger to the two other people in the room he would be taken down swiftly without any hesitation. Looking him over, the man before him didn't seem too intimidating and the look in his eye was one of sorrow. A youthful Peter might have been more inclined to believe that maybe the man was just doing this out of the kindness of his heart but Peter had seen far too many things in his life to believe in that garbage anymore.

No one ever did anything out of the kindness of their heart...well, except for maybe Sinead and Lucy...the two most charitable people he knew. But those two women he'd known since he was a young man, one of which he married. This man before him was a complete stranger and until proven otherwise was a threat. Peter stole a glance from Sinead to see what she thought of the sudden visit, if there was any glimpse of uneasiness the man would be promptly kicked out.
with: Sinead + Liam Misty Gray ; James 2 BloodLightning27

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Harper's Apartment
- London -​

Despite having just gotten irritated, Harper had a smirk firmly planted on her face as Jeremy revealed what had happened. "Wow, I think you are clumsier than I am." She stated lightly before he looked down at her bare feet. She hadn't even noticed that they were all cut up from the plate she had dropped until he noticed. There was a slight stinging sensation as her mind paid attention to the injury and when he told her to sit down she didn't hesitate to limp over to the chair that was spared. "Careful!" She hissed as Jeremy grabbed her foot despite his tenderness, not wanting to risk having glass shoved further into her foot. Rolling her eyes, Harper shook her head, "I was trying to wash up when you fell and the plate slipped from my soapy hands. OW!" Harper hissed again, clenching her teeth together as he successfully removed one of the shards. "It was partially clean." She muttered.

Before she could say she could walk herself into the apartment he had lifted her up into his arms, "Jesus Christ. You aren't carrying me from a burning building, Jere, I could have hobbled inside." She muttered again but secretly was grateful that he had decided to lift her up, she was sure she had already tracked a fair amount of blood from the kitchen onto her nearly white carpet floors. He sat her on the couch which she gingerly avoided getting blood on before he wrapped her foot in his shirt. "Anything to take your shirt off, huh?" She asked teasingly before he told her not to move. "Wasn't planning on it," His description of tweezers made her laugh, "They are called tweezers!" She hollered at him as he ran off towards the bathroom.

She had managed to grab the remote in the time he was gone to the television and turned it on, flipping through the channels. Once he was back she didn't pay him any attention as she found a cartoon she used to watch as a child playing, when he spoke to her, however, she turned her head to listen. "Ah don't worry about it, having a few glass shards in my foot is nothing. I'm a tough one, can handle almost anything." Harper stated with a smug expression, trying not to wince as he pulled out the glass. She made little noises but other than that she toughed out the simple process. It was only when he doused her foot in alcohol did she curse out in vain. Pressing her knuckles to her mouth, her eyes watered for only a moment before the bandages were placed on.

It was weird to her, watching the man she had once found attractive touching her feet so intimately. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she thought of how this situation could have turned sexual. Luckily, he let her go and she scrambled to sit a little distance away from him wanting to make sure she didn't get herself lost in a moment. Once again she found herself rolling her eyes as he stated that she was going to live, "Ah thank you Dr. Obvious, hope you are going to write me a prescription though, I'll take the strongest pain meds you got." The joke came out weak as she felt herself feel heavy with emotion for a moment. Looking away towards the TV for a long moment, she paid attention to it before Jeremy asked if she was okay. "Huh?" She asked, though she had heard the question. "Oh yea, totally fine. Just was spooked. A little glass in my foot isn't terrible, better than you getting riddled with bullet holes. Thanks for uh...patching me up."
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

Harper's Apartment
Jeremy Gray
​

Jeremy was certain she was not okay by the way she was reacting, but he said nothing. Instead, he watched the show with her for a few moments before his anxiety for the better of him and he stood, moving around again. Pausing as he passed her, he reached down from his spot standing behind her and patted her on the shoulder, his thumb giving the briefest caress along her neck. It was so quick and so light; one might think they imagined it. “You’re welcome, let me get everything else picked up for you.” And that’s exactly what he did.

In the kitchen, he swept and cleaned away the glass, careful to put it in an empty container that would not easily shred and fall out of the trash bag. Then he finished straightening up the kitchen, wiping everything down, and tied up the trash, sitting it outside the front door to be carried down in the morning. It had started raining again, harder this time, and he was content the stairwell would hold until morning. Harper was still lounging, looking almost asleep on the couch when he passed back through, bottle of peroxide in one hand, headed back to the kitchen. He filled a small bowl with boiling water, picked up a cleaning rag, and went to her floors. In no time at all, the red spots from where she had just started bleeding were white again.

Once everything was puta way, he came back standing behind her again and watching the T.V. At first, he just watched the children’s show, idle lost in thought. Then his eyes drifted, and he was watching her, looking half asleep, half bored, and entirely pretending he wasn’t there. There was an intense urge to reach out and touch her, but he as his hand extended it froze mid-air, hovering an inch or so away, before retracting.

He had to stay his distance, even though the alcohol in his system made him looser then normal, and for the first time since his assignment had begun, they were more like they use to be instead of head-to-head, her fighting him every step of the way. Maybe it would have been easier if she had stayed chalked full of attitude and wanting nothing to do with him – at least then he’d keep his carefully constructed barricade in place easier.

Unbeknownst to Jeremy, if Harper looked carefully, his form and every move was clear as day in a reflection directly across from her. As he stood there, watching her now, instead of the T.V., his eyes filled with longing, and as he watched her resting easily, a smile graced his face, his mind shifting back to fond memories, both as friends, some family like, then others as they both got older and he at least felt the change in himself in regards to how he viewed her. There was a moment in particular that always came to mind, that night he arrived for a family dinner and suddenly realized Harper was not just ‘Little Harper’ anymore.

Jeremy had been about twenty-four, twenty-five, and by no means a pervert interested in children, Harper had hit a growth spurt that made her more woman like then child. When she’d answered the door, he’d been floored – both because he expected her to be the same little kid, and also because she wasn’t. Why that day stuck with him had puzzled him a long time, but eventually he realized it was the moment he knew she’d never be the little sister again.

For the next ten years he’d practically avoided her to prevent anything unbecoming or ungentlemanly. Sure, in the seventies, it wasn’t completely uncommon for such a large age gap, but Jeremy had always felt just because something was socially acceptable did not make it right. Harper wasn’t a kid anymore though. Sighing, his retracted hand moved to scratch his chin, before sliding up and gripping the back of his neck in frustration. It was hard to be the one in charge of protecting her, and still trying to retain a professional distance because they conflicted to strongly in his mind. Sure, he wanted to protect her, but the protective feeling he felt went well beyond business. Still, Bruce had charged him specifically because he was a stoic asshole most of the time and expected him to be the ideal poster child of hands-off and trustable.

A very soft growl escaped his lips as he finally decided to compromise – a half hug, and he’d be off to bed. Leaning down over the back of the couch, he snuck an arm around her like he had done when they were younger, gave her a light squeeze and ruffled her hair as he pulled away, though his lips did brush her head as he forcibly stopped himself from kissing her head.

“I’m headed to bed. Doors are locked, messes are cleaned, I think I can find my way without anymore slips or falls. Goodnight, I’ll see you tomorrow. And please, don’t leave without me – I know it drives you nuts having me around all the time, but it really is just to make sure you don’t get hurt. There’s a lot of things going on right now that are dangerous, and I don’t… I can’t… Just let me do my job, and I’ll make it as comfortable for you as I can, I promise.” He didn’t want to tell her he didn’t think he could stand to see her in a position like Jocelyn – raped on a public street by some Irish brute, or like the Moretti’s kid – kidnapped and helped hostage. It would physically kill him to have her blood on his hands, for more then one reason, and none of them were small or unimportant.

Pulling away, he hesitated a second more, before headed to bed, claiming the door across from hers so that he was as close to her as possible throughout the night. He’d need to bring over some essentials, because although she didn’t know it, if they could manage like this most nights, he would be claiming this room from now on. He brought his gun from the bathroom where he had left it sitting when he stripped and placed it under his pillow, checked the windows, and sprawled across the bed staring at the ceiling and the rain falling against the window. Sleep would evade him for hours.

Mentions:
Harper King - Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

Beaumont Hospital
~ Beaumont, Dublin ~

Sinead and Liam Callahan
​

Sinead gently squeezed Peter's hand as she could see he was trying to hold back his emotions. "I'm glad I'm okay too, honey," she softly told him. Her smile faltered as Peter confirmed the men responsible hadn't yet been found. She could tell by his tone that there was a darkness in his words about them being found. As peaceful and innocent of the mob's activities as she was, she wasn't at all oblivious to the acts her family committed. She knew that right now there would be thoughts of tracking the men down and delivering unlawful justice on them. Whilst she had long since realised monsters didn't change and would only throw mercy back in her family's face, on this occasion she needed to discourage revenge. "Petey..." she began. She then looked to Liam and weakly smiled. "The cops will want to speak with Liam and me. They will have already spoke with Father Healy..." she pointed out. "He witnessed it all and he will tell the cops what he saw. We tell them the same, okay?" she asked, looking Liam in the eyes before the boy nodded. She knew her son had been discouraged from talking to the police and told to keep the family's secrets. On this occasion, she knew Silas' words would be believed and she didn't want to encourage her son to lie. She looked to Peter. "They had masks on. Might as well have been ghosts," she assured Peter. "I'm going to be okay," she reassured her husband. Despite her positive words, she still felt weak and in discomfort, which caused her eyes to water and almost betray her assurances.

Sinead had closed her eyes for a few seconds before a vaguely familiar male voice was heard a short distance away. She opened her eyes and took a moment to focus her vision again as she listened to the man explain he'd stopped by the church to learn from Silas that she'd been attacked. She was about to respond to the man to tell him she was okay, but Peter let go of her hand and stood up to address the newcomer. Her husband questioned the man, clearly not comfortable with a stranger turning up at her bedside. It was to be expected of Peter, given how protective and cautious he was about his loved ones' safety. "It's okay..." Sinead whispered, attempting to reach out to Peter, but quickly lowering her arm as the movement caused her skin to pull against the fresh stitches.

"Dad," Liam spoke up, seeing Sinead's brief discomfort. "Mum said it's fine."

"This is James. Young James, not Old Man James," Sinead told Peter. "He was in jail with James... the other James..." Noticing Liam snickering at how many times his mother said the name James, Sinead tapped her son's hand. "What's so funny, Mister?" she lightly berated him. She then looked back to Peter and Edwards. "Chase introduced us the other day..." she trailed off. The dry feeling in her throat made her voice sound weaker, prompting her to glance to the nearby jug of water. Catching the hint, Liam rushed to fill the cup and help Sinead have a drink.

"Is Father Healy okay?" Liam asked Edwards, whilst holding the plastic up to his mother's mouth. "He stopped those guys from kidnapping me. It was kinda cool, but I think he got cut," he said, pointing to his face.

BloodLightning27 (Edwards)
Bellz (Peter)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter​

Hearing Roxie shout his name, Syd suddenly felt like he was back in New York, when his mind had been unravelling and their relationship along with it. The pain and distress he had put Roxie through back then, he heard in her voice now, and the familiarity of it completely threw him off. Before he could shake the memory from his mind, he felt a hand on his wrist and automatically jerked away, her touch setting all his nerves alight as an intense tingling sensation rushed across his body. He only just saw her release the magazine from his pistol before he dropped the whole gun in a panic. The familiarity of her tone and of her hands touching him confused him to such an extent that he didn’t know what else to do but do as she said and look at her. Tears were pouring down her face and when she placed her hands on his chest he stiffened and reached up to hold onto her wrists to help him feel like he had some control.

Syd started shaking his head before Roxie had even finished speaking, and when she took her hands off him and stepped back, he stepped back, too. Still breathing rapidly, he ran his hands through his hair repeatedly as he tried to understand Roxie’s perspective. His eyes fell on the emptied gun at the foot of Conor’s desk. Shame was beginning to creep in as he acknowledged his loss of control. He had done the same thing in the hospital the day Jeanie and Jane were born, just after he had killed Roxie’s father...and Jackson had had to take his gun off him then. It was also what had got him locked up in Mountjoy for two years - pulling a pistol on a stranger whom he had believed to have been following him. At least this time he could recognise his sudden and extreme homicidal urges as a BPD episode, but if Roxie hadn’t disarmed him when she had, he wasn’t sure where he would have gone or what trouble he might have caused.

Pulling his gaze away from the weapon, he looked up at his uncle in shame. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, somewhat distantly, before dragging his hands down his face. Whilst becoming aware that he was having an episode did help him gain some control back, it didn't do much to ease the anxiety that had pushed him to react so strongly in the first place. He didn't move to pick up the gun - he didn't move from the spot at all.

“How you can still call him family after what he did, I just…” Shaking his head at Roxie, Syd gave an exasperated shrug. He was certain none of his family would ever try to kill one of their own so he wasn't sure what his reaction would be if he found himself in Roxie's shoes - but to him, it sounded like she wanted to give Ricky a chance to redeem himself, and given what the man had done, Syd wasn't sure how she could even believe redemption was possible. “Roxie, this isn't just between you and that rat you call a cousin. Much as I care about you, I'd at least try to stay out of something that's yours to resolve. What I can’t do is stay out of something that’s damaged my own kids. You must understand that, right? My number one job is to protect them, and as long as there's a threat on them, or on their mam, then yes, I'm gonna see to it that this situation is fucking resolved!" He didn't mean to glare so fiercely at her, but his eyes carried so much concern that he couldn't help it.

Turning to Conor, Syd stabbed a finger onto his uncle's desk. "If you're not gonna let me take him out, at least let me in on the plan," he demanded, his whole body trembling with anger. "I can't just let the bastard walk. If he tries again - if he does something to Roxie or the fucking kids and I didn't do EVERYTHING I could to stop him, I'll never, EVER forgive myself!"

Interactions
Bellz Roxie
Misty Gray Conor

 

[BasDorcha]

Golden Galleria
May Thatcher
​

May felt uncertain of how things were going to end, but Darcey had made it clear it was time for her to go, her part in this was over. Standing, she straightened her skirt over her leggings, shifting awkwardly for a moment, before stepping over to Darcey. Quickly, she leaned down, giving the woman a slight hug before heading for the door.

“Thank you Darcey, I know this has turned out to be a bigger mess for you then I anticipated, but I couldn’t go on not knowing, although now I wonder if it was worth it to find out.” She gave a smile, small and a little sad, then like a switch flipped, her mask fell back into place before she had to face the outside world. Flicking a peace sign with her fingers from her temple outwards, like a friendly salute, she playfully bumped Erik hip-to-hip, pushing him out of the way as she went out the door.

“Let’s go, ye wet noodle. I expect to see some strip teasing if you’re getting into your underwear.” She grinned and started down the stairs, the gentleman from before meeting her. “Darcey said to see if Anastasia had some extra clothes this yank could borrow. He’ll probably die of the cold if we don’t get him out of the wet suit.” A light laugh passed her lips as she winked at him, making sure he knew she was joking.

As they followed the man to Anastasia, who dug into her locker to bring out a jump suit set that looked like they might fit him. May plopped down in the locker room where the employees kept their things and changed before and after work, and was reminded of how once you’ve seen one locker room, you’ve seen them all. Kicking her feet up on the bench beside her, she watched Erik with a teasingly expectant look on her face, as if waiting for him to live up to his threat to see him stripped down to his underwear.

After a moment, she grinned, closing her eyes so he could have some privacy. “I’m sorry, you know, for the trouble I’ve caused. When I last saw you guys, I thought I’d done something right and Spencer seemed inclined to think better of me then ‘just the bartender’. I know I had your vote for being alright. D’ya suppose they all hate me now? D’.. d’ya hate me?” There was a slight faulter in her voice. One thing May never wanted was to be disliked, but for reasons beyond her comprehension what this particular group of people thought about her meant more then normal.

Mentions:
Melanin-Gxdess - Darcey, Erik, Alex
Pyroclast - Billy, Bruce
Misty Gray - Spencer

 

[Pyroclast]

Chase Zegarra​

There was only one person besides Chase and Jasmine who had a key to their house, so as soon as they heard the fumbling at the front door Chase knew who had come to visit. He set down his newspaper and looked up as Emilia rushed over to say hello to her Godfather. "Ay, ¿qué bola, asere?" he greeted the man with a warm smile. Before Adam could explain his reason for the impromptu visit, Emilia stole his attention with a drawing she had been working on that evening. Chase smiled as he watched Adam praise his daughter's artwork, knowing how much it meant to the girl. However, there was a somewhat wistful look in Adam's eyes as they lingered on the drawing, as if it meant a lot to him, too.

Jasmine apparently sensed that something was off about their friend, too, so she took Emilia off to bed and left Chase and Adam to talk between themselves. Chase watched Adam move over to the fridge to grab them both a couple of beers, noticing how much quieter he was than usual. He waited until the man had sat on the armchair opposite him and they both had a drink in their hand before asking, “You got somethin’ on your mind, asere?”

Not being one to dither, Adam began to explain himself, instantly confirming that there was something weighing rather heavily on him. Chase sat forward and listened patiently as Adam referred back to the wild parties that Liam Sullivan would throw in Havana back in the sixties. A smile grew on Chase’s face as he cast his mind back to those days, back when he and Adam were still just getting to know each other. Always too shy to talk to women on his own, Chase would have to be dragged to the crazy fiestas by his more charismatic, outgoing friend - but they always had fun, and it was something Chase had always been grateful to Adam for. However, his smile was replaced by a look of concern when Adam faltered, appearing uncharacteristically emotional. He mentioned some woman called Isabella, whose name Chase wasn’t certain he remembered. The way Adam was talking now made it sound like he had just found out the woman had died, but he didn’t understand why his friend appeared upset by the news, since he was sure he hadn’t mentioned her name in the last 20 years.

When he restarted his sentence with a mention of Elena, Chase got lost, unable to connect her to the story. The next few words seemed so quick and Chase leaned back slightly, holding out his hand to slow the man down. “Woah, hang on,” he said, reaching a hand up to his head as if it would help him process the information. “Elena. She told you she’s -” He paused, leaning forward again and lowering his voice. “She told you she’s your daughter? So, all those years back…you got Isabella pregnant? Why the hell did she not tell you?” His brows furrowed as he added it all up in his mind, taking a swig from the bottle in his hand. “Oh, dio’ mio’, Elena…to come all the way from Cuba…”

He took a moment to think about the young woman who worked behind the bar. He had liked her from the first day he had met her; she was always so happy to see Chase when he came in, comforted by having another Cuban in the pub with her, and would chat to him with lively enthusiasm, bright laughter and an endless smile on her face. She had worked there for several months now, yet still he hadn’t really figured out why or how she had come to be in Dublin. Whenever he had asked her, she had always kept her answer short and vague or skirted the question altogether. Now to find out that she had really come all this way to find Adam, and that she must have been sitting on that information all that time without knowing how or when to tell him the truth, Chase felt he understood her in an entirely new light.

It was obvious that the fact he had missed out on being a father to Elena was upsetting him, and it made him think of his own three children. He wouldn’t want to miss watching them grow up for anything in the world, and since Adam had been there with them as their Godfather, he knew the man would be aware of exactly what he had missed with Elena. “You’re right, that is a lot to take in,” he quietly agreed, looking ahead at his friend with a serious expression. “I’m sorry you lost that time with her.” After a moment of reflection, Chase leaned forward and placed a firm hand on Adam’s knee. “My advice - try not to see this as a loss,” he encouraged. “You just gained a daughter, man! You have a whole life ahead of you to be a father to this girl. She’s a sweet kid, and dio’, she has a brave heart to make this journey. And she did it for you, asere. Whether you want this or not, it wouldn’t be right to run away from this. You are a great man to my kids, you know, they really love you. Coño, you’re their hero more than I am!” With an encouraging smile, he smacked Adam on the side of the knee before sitting back in his seat and taking another swig of beer. “Seriously, though. It wasn’t your fault that you missed those years. But you can make up for that time now, asere. Get to know her, spend time with her. I know she’s kinda grown up, but I’ve seen your dad side come out when you’re with my kids so I know you have it in you to make a great relationship with her.”

It dawned on him that the truth of how Elena had got to Cuba was still unknown to him. The idea of Adam becoming a father to her sounded like a great opportunity in Chase’s eyes, but he would hate to encourage them to form a close relationship only for Elena to later be deported. “Elena is here to stay, right? ‘Cause if she doesn’t have papers, we’re gonna have to protect her…”

There was so much to consider that even after voicing his opinion on the subject, Chase was still processing it all himself. He fell quiet, idly turning the beer bottle in his hands as he thought about how else this revelation would change things. “There is something else you’ll need to do, of course,” he added, looking across to his friend with another serious expression. “You’re gonna have to tell Blake.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Adam

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Golden Galleria
~Coringham, UK~
Erik Snowden

Erik lingered by the door to give May time to speak with Darcey. He watched as the woman gave her a soft smile and turned to the rest of the King family at the table. Once May stepped out the door he quickly closed it behind him and made way to descend down the stairs. "Of course you can," he stated with a playful chuckle. "Why hide God's greatest creation, which is me?" He joked as they approached Marcel. He looked down at May, nodding his head in understanding before leading them to the front of house where Anastasia had been. The woman was wearing overalls, the top portion tied around her waist. It had been oil-stained and there was a black smudge across her eyebrow. When May and Erik approached her, she had just finished the finishing touch on an engine. "Alrigh' Laura, start 'er up!" Laura did as told and it only took a moment before the car effortlessly roared to life. Anastasia smiled to herself and slammed the hood down.

"She said to give ya a pair o' my overalls?" She asked, looking Erik up and down. It took her a moment before she chuckled to herself. "Alrigh' yeah. I see it." Erik looked at her in momentary disbelief, almost taking offense in her tone and the way she looked at him. Erik looked to May to see if she had noticed before begrudgingly following behind her. He almost didn't want to put the overalls on, but being dry was far better than being offended. She handed him a similar pair of overalls that were clean but also stained with oil. "Should fit. Otherwise, uh," she nodded to the hairdryer plugged up near the sink. "Get to dryin' yer clothes, eh?" With a snarky chuckle, she left May and Erik alone. He waited until she left completely before turning to May with a frown. "I would never hit a woman, but I would absolutely smack the smile off that broad's face." He said, tossing the overalls on the seat next to her. When he turned to her he could see the teasing little look on her face. He gave her a smile before taking off his jacket. "Oh, I intend to keep my promise," he said. When she covered her eyes he let out a chuckle and reassured her. "You can look, I'm not-," he paused, looking down at himself. "On second thought, I'll turn around."

With his back to her, he started taking off his wet clothes, listening to her talk. She was apologizing for her actions. In his opinion she hadn't done anything to warrant such an apology and made a point to tell her so... While standing nude. "You ain't done anything wrong, alright? What happened at the club wasn't your fault and you handled it better than most." Once he had the lower half of his body covered he buttoned it halfway so he could sit next to her on the bench. "For the record, I don't think the Kings hate you. In the years I've been affiliated with them, I learned that they are very close-knit and stangers are a fickle thing. Took a moment for them to warm up to me and everyone loves me!" He joked, getting back to the point. "And the fact that you have Sullivan blood, well, it just rubs them the wrong way. You can't help the family you're born into, trust me, I know. Just let Winnie handle things." He paused, eyes growing wide. "Don't tell her I call her that, she'll kill me."


​

 

[BasDorcha]

Golden Galleria Car Garage
May Thatcher
​

May laughed when Erik said he would slap the smile off Anastasia’s face. The women looked thicker built then Erik, and had a sort of masculine personality from what May just witnessed. It was easy to see why Erik was riled up by the way she spoke to him. May – if not for trying to be good – would have happily slapped the attitude off her for him. May moved her arm just in time to see naked butt cheek and possibly – snap, her eyes looked away again, her cheeks flushed red. Almost, almost. Something about the man’s personality made her feel like he could easily be her best friend, but none of the typical male radars went off in her mind that made nearly every man feel like a pervert. Plus, she had seen him around enough times to notice he never took home any ladies, or talked about one.

Still, curiosity got the better of her, and she looked up, seeing his full nakedness, which brought a snicker to her lips before he was buttoned and sitting next to her on the bench. Too bad, he sure is pretty. May quietly joked to herself, not that she’d know what to do with him if she did feel attracted to him, or any man for that matter. Once he was sitting comfortably, she leaned forward, resting her head on his shoulder like they were the oldest of friends.

“I get that. I don’t like strangers either, honestly. I don’t trust… anyone. At least, I didn’t use too. My brothers were the only people I trusted growing up. That changed when I moved here. I mean, I don’t trust everyone, especially most of the creeps I deal with at the bar, but you know, Darcey, the King’s, you, Kerry. I got a radar for good folks. I guess that’s why it’s so important to me that this all works out. And no, I won’t tell her.” May laughed softly, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and at his cheek.

“What about you? Who do you spend your time trying to prove yourself too – and don’t say no one, because secretly we’re all trying to prove ourselves to someone, even if its just ourselves. Do you gotta boyfriend?” May realized as the words were leaving her mouth that she needed to not stop with that and make it seem more joking in case he wasn’t out, or just plain wasn’t. “Girlfriend? Family? Estranged foreign lover that waits for letters?” She hoped she hadn’t just stuck her foot in her mouth with the one person who seemed most on her side, but she just had a gut feeling and May was rarely wrong about these things.

Mentions
Erik, Darcey - Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Zegarra Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Chase was clearly just as surprised by the news as Adam was. When his friend asked for confirmation that Elena was his daughter, Adam quickly nodded his head to give a clear affirmation. His friend asked him why Isabella hadn't told him about Elena and Adam ran his hand down his face in frustration. "I saw Isabella a few months after those parties. She was wanting to talk to me then, but I figured she was being all clingy and I basically told her to get out of my face. I wasn't nice in telling her where to go, I remember that much. But now, I have to wonder if she was trying to tell me she was pregnant and I basically told her to go away." Adam let out a sigh. "Since then, she's told Elena all sorts of crap about me. I was a jerk to Isabella but she's painted me out to be this real bad guy who would never want anything to do with Elena. Made it like I knew she existed and I rejected her." He lightly shook his head. "Elena still wanted to come find me, though. She had faith in me."

When his friend pointed out that he had gained a daughter and still had a lot of time to be her father, Adam tightly closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to suppress his emotions. He pulled his hand away and looked back to Chase. A fond smile crossed his lips as the man pointed out Elena had been brave to make the journey to find him. "Oh, no doubt. I even told her she was brave for it," he recalled. He let out a small chuckle when Chase said Adam was his godchildrens hero. "I intend to make up for it. I want to know all about her and try to be something of a dad, even if she's an adult already. It's just a lot to take in at the moment, y'know?" He let out a sigh as he thought of how the evening had played out. "I went into the pub on Conor's instruction; to interrogate Elena to find out why she was here. I had the poor girl in tears with it all, but none of the story added up, so I couldn't go soft on her. I guess she was planning on telling me the truth under better circumstances. I just hope she doesn't hold it against me for being tough on her and dragging the truth out."

Chase went on to ask if Elena was there to stay, mentioning her not having papers. "She doesn't want to return to Cuba. Isabella's with a bloke who treats Elena like crap and the kid's had it rough growing up without much. If I'd been around that wouldn't have been the case..." he trailed off. "But she wants to stay here in Dublin, so that's what's going to happen. I ain't letting any fucker make her go back to Cuba, so they can stick the papers up their ass."

Adam knocked back some of his beer from the bottle, trying not to let the legality of things weigh on his mind unless it had to. As Chase brought up the other matter that would need to be dealt with, Adam put the bottle down before nodding in understanding. "Yeah, I intend on telling Blake. I want to give her the time she needs to decide where she wants to take me and her. Either way, I will tell her once she's decided where we stand, and is ready to talk."

Pyroclast (Chase)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor remained calm as he watched Syd processing the information about Ricky trying to have Roxie killed. Knowing his nephew by now, he was aware that something he couldn't predict was the type of emotional reaction Syd would have to the news. When he was Syd's age, he knew his automatic reaction would have been kicking off and displaying aggression, Conor at least used to be predictable in that sense. But he knew for Syd's reaction it was wise to expect anything. "It alright, mate," Conor stood to try calm his nephew down as the younger man's anxiety seemed to be kicking in; burying his face and breathing heavily. Then Syd got up and rushed to the door, prompting Conor to be ready to drag him back if he suspected he was going to run off and do something reckless.

Syd didn't leave when he got to the door, instead started pacing the office. His nephew pointed out he always knew Ricky was messed up as he slammed his hands down on the desk in from of Conor. The older and bigger man would let Syd get his frustration out, but if he intended to take it out on him directly, Conor was ready to knock him down into his place. He nodded his head as Syd spoke about how the kids had been upset by what had happened to Matthew in front of them. Whilst he'd held onto the knowledge of Ricky's actions for some weeks, he'd made sure Roxie and the kids were kept under close watch as well as blocking Ricky from leaving New York at all.

Syd suddenly grabbed his gun along with speaking of how Ricky had to go. "Woah!" Conor spoke up, slowly raising his hand to motion for his nephew to lower the weapon. He was already thinking of the best way to disarm Syd when Roxie held her hands up and commanded him to put the gun down. This forced Conor to remain still, not wanting to risk Roxie getting hurt if he stepped in and caused Syd to feel overwhelmed. He knew Syd was more likely to lash out at him than at Roxie, so he put some faith in the moment by letting Roxie try to talk down the father of her children. The telephone on Conor's desk began ringing, breaking a brief moment of silence. Not wanting the noise to frustrate Syd further, Conor reached his arm out to the telephone and pressed a button to silence the ringtone.

Thankfully, Roxie was able to take the gun from Syd before she reminded him that Ricky was her only family. Whilst Conor believe his own cousins would never do anything to betray or harm his family, he was sure if a cousin he cared about did cross him, he would struggle to kill his own blood too. Ricky wasn't his own family and Conor would very much like to make the man suffer for what he had done, but it was Roxie's cousin and she was the boss of the Biancardis, so as much as he had the ability to kill Ricky, Conor knew this was all Roxie's decision to make.

"Roxie's right," Conor spoke up, approaching the two so he could stand facing them directly without a physical barrier between them. "This is her decision to make, not ours. We can tell Roxie what we think of how she wants to deal with him, but she's the boss on this one," he said, looking Syd in the eyes as he spoke. "We both know how complicated things are when it's family involved. I know Ricky upset the kids, who are your family, but not only do we have to respect Roxie's decision about her cousin, but this is essentially Biancardi business too. Ricky's got people within the ranks who are loyal to him and I think the Kings and Morettis are enough for us to be dealing with now, without upsetting the Ricky loyalists too."

When Syd demanded to be in on the plan, Conor nodded his head without any hesitation. "Of course. This stays between the three of us, though. If Ricky or even the Morettis get wind of this, it could mess up any plans we make. Ricky thinks he's out of the woods now and I've told him to stay well away from Dublin until things settle down. He won't be going anywhere near the kids."

Bellz (Roxie)
Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Wycliff Family Vacation Home
~Long Island, NY~


Theodore ‘Teddy’ Wycliff

​

"I'm an informant, Tin, it's my job to know." He simply said in response to her question about Aliana. "Before they came back to New York they were dealing with the IWU over in Dublin. Why she got involved isn't my business but she did and got her hands messy. She and Sullivan are a match made in fucking heaven," he told her, checking his watch again. He was sure Damian and Tatiana had already gotten to work and started what they were supposed to. All he was waiting for was a call or something which had him anxiously checking his watch. Looking back up at his wife he sighed. The irritation was clear on her face, which wasn't supposed to be there while their family was on vacation. They should have been smiling, watching the kids run along the beach and make sandcastles, and instead, they were arguing. What a way to start a vacation.

Teddy paused in his tracks the moment Valentina raised her hand at him. It was hard to do - just stand there and not offer emotional support to his wife when she was clearly upset. It was even worse knowing that he was the cause of her being upset. He just clenched his hand into a fist and rubbed his hand across his face again, his free hand on his hip. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid. He just knew she wouldn't see it his way nor understand that what he was doing was for their family. Though he agreed that it was a vicious and endless cycle, it was one that wasn't going to end with the Moretti family going out and suggesting a truce. No, they were past truces at this point and things would only end in bloodshed. Teddy returned to his seat and rubbed above his lip with his index finger. Maybe he should've just lied about what was going on instead of telling her the truth. Would it have been better than her being upset right now? More than likely, yes.

Teddy matched Valentina's dry laugh with one of his own, followed by a sarcastic scoff. "Let's hope it's in Dublin then." He returned his gaze out to the ocean, his right leg resting on his right knee while contemplating if he should just leave their conversation where it was. They were going in circles, he realized that, but he didn't want to leave things as they were. He didn't want her thinking the worst of him because of what he had done for their family. After a few moments of silence, he spoke again. "You know I would willingly get my hands dirty for you and the kids and this is no different. It may not be right and it may cause issues for the future but that's something I'll deal with when we get there. Right now? Right now it has to be known that no one will get away with laying a finger on my wife or kids. They can kill me, torture me, ruin my life but that's a transgression I cannot forgive." He looked over at her, eyes full of pleading. "Tell me you understand that much?"

Valentina ( Misty Gray )

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Golden Galleria
~Coringham, UK~
Erik Snowden

Erik raised a curious brow the moment he felt May's head on his shoulder, though it quickly disappeared just as fast as it had come. The girl was in need of comfort and Erik wasn't usually one to turn away someone in need. Instead, he just laced his fingers together and listened to her talk. She explained how she had never trusted anyone, which, after hearing about her family life, made sense. It made him think about his own horrible childhood and him not trusting anyone either. The only person he truly did trust was Ava and that was because she had basically raised him and protected him when they were growing up. It was only a few weeks ago that he fully came to trust Billy and he was sure it wouldn't be much longer before he trusted the others. "Well, you're not alone there." Though he didn't fully trust May - or know her well enough - to open up and share his experience, he did give her a warm and understanding smile before throwing his arm around her shoulder. "I'm sure it will. Winnie is a great judge of character. Well, all of them are, really. I figure you just show them what you can bring to the table and everything will be alright."

Her next question caught him off-guard. He faltered, removing his arm from her shoulder and shaking his head. Was he trying to prove himself to someone? Gabriel, sure, but that was his boss. Ava maybe? Show her that he's better now and she can trust him not to do anything crazy anymore? Or maybe even Billy. His heart pounded at the thought of it - trying to show Billy he was safe to be himself with him and that Erik would make sure nothing bad ever happened to him. Even if that were the case, it wasn't information he was about to willingly give to May. Billy hadn't - to his knowledge - told anyone yet and that wasn't his truth to expose. Instead, he went with the safer option. "It's probably my boss. A few years ago I wasn't exactly... Someone you could trust not to fuck something up. I got this job because of my cousin and I'm trying to prove I won't screw up. Well then, I guess to her and him, now that I'm saying it out loud."

Erik let out a laugh when she asked if he had a boyfriend, quickly followed by if he had a girlfriend or family or an estranged partner. He looked at her with another smile. "No, why? You interested?" He joked, shaking his head. "I'm a single guy having fun while I still can." It was better not to say anything about him having an interest with anyone in case she put two and two together. Again, he wasn't in the market of telling people about Billy when he didn't have the right. So, he changed the subject. "As for family, I do. Well, that I recognize anyway," he rolled his eyes at the thought of Roger and the others. "Ava is my lovely cousin. She's apparently going to be coming for a visit soon, so I should probably get things ready for her. She owns a bar and has a secret tattoo shop there. Think I'll get myself one, finally. She's been wanting to put the 'family crest' on me for years. You'll be able to meet her when she gets here."

BasDorcha
​

 

[Misty Gray]

Wycliff Family Vacation Home
~ Long Island, NYC ~

Valentina Wycliff
~ Cristina and Paolo ~​

Valentina accepted what Teddy had told her about Aliana, that the woman was not innocent and her hands were messy. Whilst is was concerning to think that a mother of young children was being put in danger, it was at least easier to take knowing the woman was far from innocent and had actively conducted mob business like Conor himself did. Valentina might not have been permitted to do any of her family's dirty work, but she supposed even she herself wasn't completely innocent, by the pure intent she had once held to to get revenge on the Irish Mob for killing members of her family.

Knowing Aliana wasn't innocent did make it somewhat easier to take and calm down from. If she knew that Sinead and Liam were also being dragged into the attacks, Valentina would not be calm about it at all. Liam was a child and she knew enough of Sinead from research of her own since the war back in the 70s. The woman was not an active member of the mob, just associated by blood. Valentina had been devastated when she learned the Jazz Club had been destroyed as misplaced revenge against her supposed attackers, even more so when she learned it belonged to Sinead, a woman who she had known to be innocent and supposedly even sweet. Not only was her club destroyed, but Valentina later learned that prior to that both Sinead and her eldest daughter had been tortured and terrorised by the East Harlem Crew - the same group behind Valentina's own attack. Whilst she was in no way about to reach out and defend the Irish Mob, she at least felt an unexplored connection with two of the Callahan women in that they'd also qbeen hurt by the East Harlem monsters. She hoped they would be left alone this time.

Valentina nodded when Teddy said he hoped Dublin would be the location of the next funeral. "And hopefully for someone who deserves it," she added. When Teddy took a moment to gaze out onto the ocean, Valentina did the same. Only when her husband spoke again did she turn to look at him. She processed his words that he would get his hands dirty for her and the kids, fully aware that he had done so in the past, the first time being when he killed Steve for what he'd done to her. She let out a relenting sigh when he asked her if she understood that he would not let anyone get away with laying a hand on her or the kids. Despite their argument and her not completely agreeing with the kind of retaliation her family was carrying out, likely as they spoke, she understood her husband's need to hurt those who harm her and the children. "I understand," she confirmed to him.

Valentina shuffled her chair close to his so they were next to each other. Feeling bad for arguing on their vacation and for brushing off his attempt to console her, she rested her head on his shoulder. "I..." she began, but fell silent as she reached out to hold his hand. "I'll keep quiet on the subject now. We're on vacation and I don't want to ruin it for the kids. Plus, I had to fight Paolo off to secure the master bedroom for you and me. I'll be damned if either of us ends up sleeping on the couch on our first night here," she remarked before leaning in to kiss his lips. She then rested her head on his shoulder again. As much as she could easily get lost in relaxing with him in the moment, she knew any peace would be short-lived. "I suppose we should round up the kids for a walk on the beach. I don't want Harmony to think she's been here to babysit the children for us."

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

 

[Bellz]

Julia Avvocata
Biancardi Residence
- Queens, New York City -​

Julia’s expression was stoic as she listened to Ricky tell her how fucked up her giving him an ultimatum was. She sat in silence as he asked where the hell she was getting at, stating that he was in love with her and that he’d never hurt or betray her. The romantic part of her really wanted to believe that but as he had state, his family was full of lies and betrayal and unfortunately Ricky wasn’t any different from the rest. He shook his head at her request to prove that he trusted her and Julia was starting to lose her patience, which she rarely ever did.

”Yea well the only way you prove to this to me is to eat the food, clearly you feel that you can’t trust me with your secrets, Ricky. Surely if you trusted me enough you would just eat the fucking food.” She muttered as she watched him get up and start to shake his head. She could see the mood he was getting into a was prepared to deal with the much more bleak side of him as she clasped her hands in front of her at the table and raised a defiant brow at him, waiting for what he was going to do next. TO her surprise, he didn’t scream at her to leave, which she wouldn’t have done anyway but he seemed more controlled than he normally was.

She watched with slight amusement as he pulled the power cord from the wall socket, the whole room falling into an extremely uncomfortable silence as Julia continued to watch him closely. Finally, he seemed to give into himself and to her, asking rhetorically if she wanted to know to that he could trust her. Julia nodded her head once, staying patient as he confessed his sin to her. Her face remained expressionless as he confessed to trying to have Roxie killed. She knew that at some point he would have relented into his sinful ways as it was Julia who had fed him ideas subtly and carefully. She knew he had done it because the other secret he was continuing to hide was far more pressing to her than him trying to kill his cousin.

She waited until he was finished, he asked her if she could trust a guy who would have his own cousin killed. Silently, she stood from her seat and rounded the table to leaned against the table in front of him. ”Believe it or not, I can trust a guy who would have his own cousin killed. You and I have trusted people who have done far worse.” Julia said nonchalantly. ”While I find it great and sweet that you finally decided to tell me about this little secret…I also know you are hiding something else from me. Something far more concerning to me. I heard you talking to Conor Sullivan a while back…when were you going to tell me that he sniffed you out?” Julia asked, anger lacing her voice yet her eyes were full of concern.

”I understand why you were so adamant about James now but my question is why? Why would you make a deal with that snake and cross Gabriel? You and I both understand that we can’t trust Conor to keep silent about what you’ve done to both Roxie and to Gabriel now…I mean, you understand that right?” Julia asked seriously as she moved to place her hand under Ricky’s chin, forcing him to look into her eyes, which were watering at this point.

”I know you love me and I love you but how could you put yourself in this situation with Gabe! I’m not afraid of Conor or Roxie, fuck them both. They aren’t nearly as terrible as that sociopath only a few cities over from us! If he finds out, Ricky….we lose everything, including our lives!” Julia was squeezing his chin a little harder than she should have before she dropped her hand and moved away from him. ”Why couldn’t you trust me to help you? You want to protect me is that it? This is the exact opposite of protecting me! You are going to get us both killed! Your father never made a decision like this without consulting you or someone else first. He taught you better than that!” The blonde lectured as she moved to grab her glass of wine. ”I am your second in command, you can trust me with this! We could have figured something else out! I can’t lose you, Ricky! I can’t!”
with: Ricky Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
The Sullivan Residence
- Sutton, Dublin - ​

Roxie’s swallowed back tears only nodding her head silently as Syd apologized for his murderous outburst. She watched him as he dragged his hands down his face in frustration, seemingly try to regain some of the control he had lost in the process. He didn’t move to walk out the door or anything so she assumed he was willing to work something out rather than go seek her cousin who was a whole fucking ocean away. After she spoke, Syd asked her how she could still call him family after what he’d done. ”It’s not that easy, Syd and you know it! Whether we like it or not the people who are blood to us are family…Ricky is always going to be my family just like Stefano will always be my father!” She snapped at him, she didn’t speak her father’s name often in front of Syd, knowing just how touchy the subject was but she needed to make the point. ”I can’t take any of that back or change it so I have to acknowledge it for what it is and who they are. Just because they are my family doesn’t mean that means anything to me once this is all said and done.”

Syd stated that it wasn’t between just her and Ricky, that he couldn’t stay out of something that damaged his own kids. When he asked if she understood that, Roxie nodded her head once as tears fell down her cheeks once more. He was glaring so fiercely at her that it almost seemed like he was upset with her for letting this happen. She was the one who didn’t listen to him years ago after all…maybe this was all her fault.

Roxie forced herself to look to Conor in an attempt to not fall apart completely as he spoke, relieved to hear that he also thought that this was her decision to make. Conor reasoned that they both knew how difficult it was to deal with things when family was involved and Roxie looked to Syd in hopes that he really did understand that. Conor’s support on this was greatly appreciated and Roxie sincerely hoped that Syd would at least listen to him on this.

Her ex was hellbent on making sure her cousin never saw the light of day ever again and Roxie…was conflicted. There was a deep deep burning fire within her that wanted to make sure the same happened but she also knew she couldn’t settle on that until she saw it for herself. Maybe it was the shock, maybe it was the hormones from being pregnant yet again but she couldn’t just decide the fate of Ricky without making sure there was no more light left in his eyes. ”He’s not going to do anything to anyone.” Roxie state though her voice lacked the firmness she was hoping for in that statement.

She hadn’t the slightest clue as to what he was up to and although she had originally thought she had plenty of control, she was quick to realize she had none. Roxie had to gain it back somehow…and she had an idea as to how. Syd demanded to be in on the plan and Roxie nodded her head weakly. ”Well, I don’t have anyone else on my side besides you two now…it’s smarter to get suggestions on plans rather than just blindly execute them without any thought.” She muttered. Roxie wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to keep the plans between just the three of them thought, Reina had been loyal to her for a while, Roxie trusted her with the kids and herself greatly. For now though, she knew it was best not to involve anyone else.

”Okay.” Roxie stated with a deep breath, hoping to grab the two men’s attention as she tried to formulate her thoughts. ”I think I know what I need to do, but I know Syd’s not going to like it.” She murmured, looking at her ex for a long moment. She looked into his eyes for a moment longer before turning to Conor. ”I have to go to New York.” She stated firmly. ”I can’t bring myself to do anything to Ricky until I see what he’s become for myself. Say what you will but I’m going. It’s not easy for me to just turn my back on him until I know for sure that he’s no longer the person he used to be.”
with: Conor Misty Gray ; Syd Pyroclast

 

[BloodLightning27]

~James Edwards~Dublin, Ireland | Beaumont Hospital

As he was acknowledged by the Callahan Family, James slowly entered the room, treading with caution as Mr. Callahan treated him with suspicion. The former Soldier didn't really blame him at all; his wife was hurt and his son was watching. Given the circumstances though, James showed understanding rather then arguing back, not wanting to bring distress to either Sinead or Liam. Before he had a chance to answer though, Sinead and Liam spoke up, which did bring the younger man some relief. Briefly, he peered down at his Tattoo before fully entering the room. Sinead notified Peter of how Edwards and James Porter (or the older James) had both been in prison together before mentioning that she and Edwards had met through Chase a few days ago. Though the two shared the same name, it was relatively easy to tell them apart, as Edwards was slightly younger and had longer hair. To avoid confusion if he and Porter were ever in the same place, he had asked that people just call him by his surname 'Edwards', or just 'Ed'. Whilst helping his Mother with a glass of water, Liam then asked him if Father Healy was okay. "Yes, Father Healy is okay. When I had visited the church before coming here, I saw that he had two bandages on his face. Other then that, he looked fine." He replied, looking over at Liam. "I'm glad that he was able to stop whoever was trying to take you away."

He then started thinking about how he had been attending church over the last couple of days, about how it helped him find solace in his post-war life. Not that he has had this much peace until after he left America for Dublin. So that Sinead could preserve her energy, Edwards took his chance to speak and to give Mr. Callahan a more clear look at the stranger before him. "And, to answer your question, sir, I am a friend of Porter's and Chase. I've also only been here in Dublin for about a week now, trying to get used to a new city, new country. I'm thankful that Porter introduced me to a lot of friendly and wonderful people, Sinead and Liam here included." Without him knowing, the tattoo on his arm was facing Liam. "Anyway, I'm sorry if I raised alarms, sir. I...suppose it comes with being a former Special Forces operative."

---

Interactions: Sinead Callahan, Liam Callahan Misty Gray | Peter Callahan Bellz
Mentions: James Porter Misty Gray

 

[BasDorcha]

Golden Galleria Car Garage
May Thatcher​

There was an instant ease the moment Erik put his arm around her. Normally May picked up every possible creep vibe from guys, but she felt none of it with him. He actually kind of reminded her of her bother, so maybe that’s why she felt more comfortable. “I’ll do my best. Maybe I can show them some good points to keeping me around, you know, besides disarmin’ drunk to boot out the door.”

She laughed and sat up, letting his arm dropped when he looked surprised for the briefest of moments. “Well, for what it’s worth, you seem like a pretty decent guy to me.” She smiled and sat back, giving him some distance now. Pretending to think hard when he asked if she was interested, the look suddenly changed into a look of someone who had uncovered a great idea. “Well you know, now what you mentioned, I could use a fake boyfriend to keep the brutes at bay. If you ever want to pop in and play my boyfriend at closing time.” She nudged him playfully. “It wouldn’t go unappreciated.”

She listened to him talk about his cousin, and for a moment, a kind of sad looked crossed her features. May realized now more then ever she had cousin’s, but had never met a single one. Did they even know her and her brothers existed? Did anyone know about them but Conor and her mom? Was their dad still alive? He didn’t have any siblings but maybe he had cousin’s. Shaking away the thought that she had missed a lifetime of opportunities to have a family because of her mother, she focused better on what Erik was saying.

“Hey! I’ll get one with you if you want. I want a tattoo. I’m not sure what I’ll get but I’d be up for getting one anyways. I’ll get Betty Boop or something cute like that.” She’d been looking for a good excuse to do something out of the norm, and tattoo sounded like a good place to go. “Thanks for talking to me. You know, if you ever need a friend, you should look me up. I certainly could use one. I mostly just work, and sit at home. Believe it or not, I’m not really that good at making connections with people.” She said the last line with just the lightest hint of sarcasm. With May’s history of thoroughly embarrassing people at the bar, it was probably fairly easy to believe.
Mentions:
Erik Snowden = Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Biancardi Mansion
~ Queens, New York City ~

Riccardo Biancardi​

Ricky pulled a dumfounded expression when Julia told him she could trust a man who would have his own cousin killed. In his mind, betraying family was the worst kind of betrayal. It was his upset and belief that his own father had betrayed him by handing the leadership role to Roxie that had riled up Ricky to begin with. He stared at Julia in confusion when she didn't seem affected by his admission and was instead more interested in what else he was hiding from her. Then she mentioned overhearing him talking to Conor and he let out an irritated groan. "It was in everyone's best interests that neither Conor nor I told anyone else about it," he assured her.

When Julia demanded to know why he would make a deal with Conor and cross Gabriel, Ricky sat back down on one of the dining chairs and looked up at her. "If I didn't work with Conor, he would have told Roxie everything. Whilst he might be bullshitting about keeping quiet now I've done what he wanted, I had to at least do something that might have bought his silence." Ricky placed his hand over his face, covering his eyes as he tried to push back the anger, upset, grief, shame and guilt that were always threatening to break through the wall he'd expertly built over a lifetime. He pulled his hand away and quickly shook his head. "I didn't want Roxie to know what I'd done. There's this part of me that I can't control; that gives into those dark thoughts and urges that most people can easily brush off. That part of me feels stronger, smarter, and capable of anything, but that's not all of who I am. Ever since I gave the kill order, my head has been splitting into two more than ever before. I've got this constant fight to hold myself together," he said, clapping his hands once before clasping them together. He then separated his hands and got back up from the chair, briefly pacing the room. He stopped opposite Julia with a desperate look in his eyes. "I fucked up big time. I tried to have my cousin killed, but in the process, Matthew got killed. The guy was perfect - a nauseatingly pure and wholesome specimen of a man. And that's what makes it even worse. I had an innocent man killed. And as much as it eats away at me to have my own father pass me by to give Roxie what was rightfully mine, I can't even hate her. Really, it hurts to know she will hate me. After all, when I was getting touched up, smacked about, and locked in closets by some fucked up priest... and when I was been inducted into the brutality of the business, with Stefano persistently drilling into me that I was weak and useless... I only had you and Roxie to keep me going. Now I've messed up with both of you."

Ricky looked up to the ceiling, desperately willing his emotions to leave him as his eyes filled with tears. He looked back down to face Julia with his tearful eyes. "I thought I was protecting you by not telling you. I thought if you didn't know, then you couldn't be dragged into this mess with me. But I get it. It was fucking dumb to think you wouldn't be implicated. If Roxie doesn't get to me if Conor tells her, then Gabriel will eventually figure it out himself." He quickly nodded his head when she told him she couldn't lose him either. His eyes opened wider as an idea came to him. "I'm already screwed, but you can save yourself. You could tell Gabriel or even Roxie what I've done. Let it look like you're doing them a favour so I can't drag you down with me."

Bellz (Julia)

 

[Pyroclast]

Tatiana Moretti​

As they watched Leo climb back onto the tree stump, still coughing and trying to catch his breath, Tatiana grabbed a fistful of Aliana’s hair right by her scalp and yanked her head back so she could speak into her ear. “Don’t pretend you have the moral high ground,” she uttered, in a voice deep and calm. “You want to talk about the innocent people who lost their lives? What about all the children your family murdered at my uncle’s birthday party back in 1969?” Taking a moment to observe Damian at work, she smiled to herself at his teasing remark about Conor’s drinking habits. She knew exactly what was coming next and she couldn’t wait for Aliana’s reaction. “You might act like your hands are clean, Aliana Sullivan, but in a business like this, no one is innocent. If you need reminding how dirty things can get, just watch what happens to your son.”

The tub filled with pond water was now on the ground between them and Leo, murky enough to make the young man sick and with floating clumps of pond weed for him to inhale and choke on. Bernie and Mark didn’t hesitate to push his head under the water, leaving Aliana forced to watch her son fight for his life. Her scream was expected, but the fact she had leaned into the knife held against her neck was a bonus to Tatiana. Damian was narrating what Leo’s responses meant as the young man struggled against the forceful hand keeping him trapped under the water, suggesting he had drowned people many times before. Meanwhile, Tatiana had to restrain Aliana to stop the woman from diving forward - while the knife against her neck was there as a threat, she didn’t really want to slit her throat and kill her. At least, not while Leo wasn’t watching.

Before Leo could lose consciousness, Damian prompted the men to pull him out, and they all watched as he dropped to his knees with a strangled gasp and proceeded to cough and heave the filthy water from his lungs and his stomach. Once he had got most of it out, he was hauled back up onto the tree stump, where he sat shivering from the exertion and the cold.

As soon as Damian opened up the idea that one of them would be dying to save the other, Leo found the strength to speak up, immediately addressing his mother. Tatiana smiled at the scene - not the young man’s unwavering resolve to save his mother’s life, but the lack of horrified silence that suggested they were well used to this sort of scenario already. She was no different, of course - as the daughter of Gabriel Moretti, she hadn’t exactly lived a sheltered life. Being the one in control in this situation, however, was an empowering reminder that the Morettis were on top.

His argument that killing Aliana would have less of an impact on Conor than killing him made Tatiana looked over at Damian in curiosity. As much as the families tried to keep tabs on each other’s business, Conor and Aliana had managed to keep their private life relatively private; as such, Tatiana couldn’t tell if Leo was lying or telling the truth. Regardless, Aliana insisted that he was lying, at which Tatiana rolled her eyes. “I don’t think I care enough for this,” she sighed - but before she could go on, Aliana forced Tatiana’s knife-wielding hand to press harder against her neck and told her to get the job done while she had the chance. Looking down into Aliana’s eyes, she realised the woman had a point. Why shouldn’t she just kill her now? They were in a secluded area. The only witness would be someone upon whom they were trying to inflict pain and torment, and since drawing him close to death by choking and then by drowning hadn’t seemed to do enough damage yet, this would surely push the young man over the edge. Something he could never unsee, could never forget or forgive himself for. His life would never be the same - and neither would Conor’s.

Still holding the Stiletto firmly against Aliana’s neck, Tatiana looked over at Leo, then at Bernie and Mark, then at Damian. She let the silence go on for as long as she needed, before eventually settling her calm gaze on the woman in her grasp.

“Okay.”

In one swift motion, Tatiana sliced the blade across Aliana’s neck. She then positioned her foot against the woman's back and pushed her to the ground before stepping back and putting her switchblade away. Looking to Damian and the two heavies they had brought with them, she pointed at the plastic tub. “Leave nothing behind but these two. He’ll wait for her to die before he leaves her side, and we’ll be long gone by then.”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana, Leo
Misty Gray Damian

BloodLightning27 Stella
Bellz Natasha

(you can safely assume that Tatiana and Damian have driven off - it just felt unnecessary to write it!)