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

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy
Blake McCarthy ​

Natasha let out a light laugh as Leo said he didn't miss the clean-up of the parties his parents threw. "I understand the pain." Natasha sympathized as both Leo and she looked to Rhi as she continued to get ready. "That must be exciting almost being done with school. I am not looking forward to college as much as I thought I would be. Not even sure what I want to do with my life at this point. Babysitting all the munchkins makes a ton of money, but I know I can't do that for the rest of my life." Natasha said as Leo set next to her. Noting how close he was, Natasha forced herself to play it cool. Her cheeks threatened to warm but she swallowed harshly, forcing any type of reaction to the proximity at which he sat back down inside of her.

She had continued to look at Rhi as she said that they had not been staying out of trouble, well, Leo specifically. The blonde turned her head to the side to look at her best friend with narrowed eyes. The man glared at his sister before looking at her and Natasha raised her eyebrows, beckoning him to give her an explanation. He explained that it wasn't something that his parents needed to know, saying that he didn't get arrested. Natasha sat in silence as he told Rhi to shut up before the girl rolled her eyes and suggested they get downstairs.

Making a mental note that Nat would ask about the fight when they were alone, the blonde nodded her head. "You look like a million bucks!" Nat complimented Rhi before looking to Leo. "You might want to brush your hair before coming downstairs or your mother is gonna have a fit." She teased before standing and moving towards the door.

Heading down the stairs, she saw the same adults who had been talking as before. Natasha made her way towards the champagne table, quietly bypassing most of the older people besides her mother, who lifted a glass for her to take. "I'll need to see some identification before you can take a sip of that drink, miss." Blake teased her daughter to which Natasha rolled her eyes and swiped the glass from her mother's grasp.

"I can't believe you are old enough to be drinking." Blake murmured lightly. "If only your daddy could see you now." Natasha froze at that statement, her hand delicately squeezing the tube of the glass lightly. Blake watched her expression for a moment with sad eyes. "Sorry I brought him up." She expressed to which Natasha let out a soft sigh, moving some hair from her eyes as she did before taking a sip of her drink. "It's okay, mam." She said before she felt the situation becoming awkward. "I'll catch up with you later." Nat said before kissing Blake's cheek and moving to meet up with Rhi and Leo again. "Doesn't look like there will be a big mess so far." She commented.

Natasha had seen Thomas come in earlier and had yet to talk with him. Knowing that things between him and Leo were rough, Natasha wondered what Leo's plan was for tonight. "So, Thomas is obviously here. Am I going to have to split my time between the two of you?"
with: Leo + Rhi Melanin-Gxdess

 

[BloodLightning27]

~Dublin: Stella~​

Once Alianna left to go find her husband, Stella then had a sudden wave of nervousness washing over her mind as well as her body. Straightening out her jacket and her shirt, the young woman proceeded to just go into the lively party. Not really much of a drinker, Stella proceeded to shy away from the Alcohol. In her mind, Alcohol would hinder her and she wouldn't be at a hundred percent if something were to happen. But tonight she wasn't supposed to be thinking about work. After all there was security all over the place, so what was there for her to worry about? Maybe she was just being a total workaholic... Maaaaaaaybe one drink would not hurt, but at the same time, how would she look in front of her boss if she were to be a little buzzed? But if this is what it was like to live in the 'big time' that her male colleagues have talked so much about, Stella was no longer sure if she even wanted it anymore. Life is so much simpler in the small apartment she currently had.

With her heart racing, she proceeded to go ahead and approach one of the other two women that Alianna had mentioned upon her arrival. Sinead and...Lucy. As she continued to scan the room, she ended up decided to go and approach Lucy. "Good evening, Mrs. Porter. How are you tonight?" She greeted the other woman and praying that her Social Anxiety would go away.


Lucy ( Bellz )
(Super Sorry for the short post, its the beginning of a conversation and Stella's Anxious)

 

[Misty Gray]

Hotel
~ Manhattan, New York City ~

Matthew Moore​

The reading of the will hadn't gone down well at all, so Matthew was glad when Roxie brought the meeting to an end so they could all escape the confines of the room. He found Ricky to be quite erratic; often difficult to predict. On one hand there was a man with very little filter, speaking his thoughts no matter how crude and blasphemy-fueled. On the other hand, he saw a nice side of Ricky too and with the exception of what had just happened, Roxie's cousin had always seemed caring towards her. For now, he was willing to put the man's outbursts down to shock and grief. After all, he'd backed down and apologised to Roxie. In turn, she seemed to be holding up well so Matthew was mostly relieved things hadn't escalated any further than they had.

When they entered their hotel room, Matthew let out an exaggerated sigh. "I know what you mean, love. Funerals back home are much more peaceful," he commented, trying not to drag their moods down again. He watched Roxie get back up from the bed and he opened out his arms to receive her hug, returning it with a firm hold. "We could just spend the rest of the day doing this," he joked, kissing the top of her head. "Of course I would stick up for you. I know he's your family, but he was being extremely rude. I know he's grieving, but I don't like seeing anyone attack you like that," he seriously told her. He was naturally a peaceful and calm man, but that didn't mean he wouldn't stand up for his loved ones or anyone else he thought was being treated unfairly. "I know you have to do this, Roxie, but I just need you to keep being open and honest with me. If you start struggling you have to tell me. I'm not sure what a boring teacher like me will be able to to about such problems, but at least we can tackle them together." He returned her kiss and once their lips parted he flashed her a loving smile. "I love you too," he softly told her.

Once their embrace ended, they both set about getting changed out of the formal clothes they'd worn for the funeral. If they were going to be out exploring the city, Matthew decided to dress casually and for comfort in a simple shirt and trousers. When Roxie asked if he thought she should call the kids, Matthew looked to his watch and slowly nodded his head. "It's worth a try, although they are five hours in front. I'm sure there'll be at least one sober grown up to answer the phone and give you an update, even if the kids are busy having fun," he lightly suggested. He knew the Sullivans weren't ones to hold back on the drinking and partying, but he also knew there were quite a few who would stay level-headed, especially with children at the party.

Bellz (Roxie)

Biancardi Mansion
~ Queens, New York City ~

Riccardo Biancardi and Damian Nicolosi​

During the ride home, Julia had moved to sit closer to Ricky whilst placing her hand on his shoulder. Either oblivious to it or simply wrestling enough thoughts in his mind, her close proximity had barely registered with him. When she went on to apologise for the way she'd act during the meeting, Ricky quickly turned to look at her face. After a brief paused, he quickly shook his head. "No, don't apologise. It was nice to have someone on my side for a change, especially with the lawyer and St. Matthew in there," he remarked. It wasn't that Ricky didn't have friends, but for some reason having Julia reaffirm he was a friend caught him off guard. He was too slow to say anything in response but he still sent her an appreciative smile. "I think you're just being nice to me for the free alcohol, Julia," Ricky remarked. "But seeing as you've offered to be my personal bartender, I'll let let you have your way."

Once they arrived home, they stopped outside and Julia made a comment about a creepy feeling and ghosts. "As long as they're not the ghosts of my family. Stefano and Giovanni have haunted me enough for one lifetime!" He looked to Julia with a devious smile on his face as she said she'd protect him. "Sweetheart, if you're trying to get me into bed just say. No need to go spiking my drinks," he teased her.

When they stepped inside the mansion, Ricky stopped at the bottom of the large staircase for a moment and looked around the place. Even though he'd lived there all of his life, it suddenly looked different now it was officially his. No doubt it would keep looking different as he put his own personal touches on the decor and arrangements. He then stepped further into the house where Julia was raiding the bar. "If you're planning on helping me drink all of that, then your car will be staying in my driveway tonight. I don't mean that in some sinister or pervy way! There's plenty of spare bedrooms for you to choose from."

Ricky perched himself on one of the barstools and leaned over the bar as Julia asked him what he was drinking. "I don't know. I thought you were going to make me some fancy cocktail," he suggested. Despite the lighter conversation, things were soon shifted back to the matter at hand. Ricky couldn't deny she was right that there would be a number of his father's employees who would not like the idea of Roxie being in charge. Whether loyal friends to Ricky or simply not wanting a woman in charge, he knew there was going to be some disruption. "I know what you mean. And it'll fall onto my shoulders to deal with them while Roxie returns to Dublin for an easy ride with the Sullivans."

The sound of the doorbell interrupted the conversation. Despite debating ignoring it, Ricky eventually got up and walked to door to see who the visitor was. Standing on the front doorstep was Damian, now dressed smartly in a suit - a contrast to the bloodstained clothing he'd been wearing earlier in the day. "Gabriel asked me to check in with you. He sends his condolences and obviously he couldn't be there himself," he reminded him, knowing the having the Biancardis and the Moretti boss in the same public place would present a huge security risk for the two families. "I trust everything ran smoothly?"

Ricky wasn't oblivious to the real reason for Damian's presence as it was to be expected. In normal circumstances, the two men got along quite well. "You'd best come inside and have Julia make you a drink..." Ricky stepped aside for the other man to enter the house

Upon entering the main lounge, Damian approached the bar and sent Julia a charming, albeit crooked, smile. "I'll have whatever you're both drinking," he requested from her. Julia was one of the Biancardis Damian had some respect and common understanding for, so he was always pleasant towards her. He hopped onto a stool and looked to Ricky, his expression practically commanding Giovanni's assumed heir to speak.

"It didn't go the way you think. Giovanni left me the estate, the businesses and all of that, but he left Roxie in charge - wished for her to be the Boss..." Ricky said through gritted teeth.

"Well, that doesn't sound right, does it?" Damian remarked whilst chuckling. Realising the other man wasn't joking, his face turned deadly serious in an instant. "Well, I hope you didn't lose your balls as well as your father. Did you contest the will?" he persisted, knowing in the back of his mind he would have to relay the news to Gabriel. He glanced to Julia to see what she thought of it all. Surely she found the outcome laughable too.

Bellz (Julia)

 

[Bellz]

Braden Callahan
Peter Callahan
Blake McCarthy ​

Braden smiled with relief as his daughter was a bit preoccupied after her grandma confirmed that there was no such thing as ghosts. As Hattie was talking with Sydney, his mother turned to him and asked if he had spoken with Liam today. "No, I haven't, what's up with the little man lately?" He asked curiously and his mother went on to say that the boy had gotten in trouble at school again and that she had to beg the substitute teacher not to keep him back for detention. Brady smiled lightly as the story seemed to be all too familiar to him. "Ah mam, didn't you learn the first time around with me? Boys fight because that's what we do! In my case, it was because I wanted to prove myself over the others, but I am sure our sweet Liam had a reason for it." Brady reassured her. Peter nodded his head in agreement and wrapped his arm around Sinead's shoulder before pulling her in to kiss the side of her head lightly. "Brady was a pain in the ass, I am sure you remember, love. But look at how good he turned out now, got his own kid and everything." Pete said with pride to which Braden just laughed at him. "Oh yea, I turned out great, single dad and all." He chuckled some more before looking at his mother seriously.

"I can talk to Liam for you, that kid spills all sorts of beans with me," Brady reassured her. "From what I understand, Liam was just doing what he thought was best." Blake suddenly chimed in to which Peter and Braden looked at her. "Collin was talking about it earlier today on the phone with one of his little friends. It's not uncommon for our brats to not tell us anything they don't want us finding out." She said with a teasing smile as she looked to Sinead. "Boys will be boys, as someone once told me. He is a good kid, but fights are kinda like a right of passage I believe for boys." Blake said as she rolled her eyes.

Peter and Braden chuckled lightly as they both nodded their heads in agreement. "It's true Sin," Peter chimed in, "I got into my first fight at the age of 8 in the orphanage, some punk kid decided to take my stuffed bear, and well, let's just say the kid got multiple visits from the tooth fairy over the course of a week." Braden laughed at the story as he looked to his mother, "You remember the first fight I got into over that one girl with the two pigtails, god I wished I remember her name now, what was I like 10? Thank god most of the boys in this family still think that girls have cooties. I seemed to have grown out of that too quickly." Braden said.
with: Sinead Misty Gray

Thomas Porter ​

Thomas nodded his head gently as Conor agreed that Security and bodyguard jobs would be best for him. He also mentioned that he doubted he needed to be shown around a firearm which Thomas smirked at before his face went serious again as Conor mentioned there would be a whole lot more to the job. His Uncle paused for a short moment and Thomas shuffled from foot to foot lightly as he waited. Then Conor said that he was going to have him shadow with Adam and anyone else he thought would be a good fit. He made sure to note that Adam would be the one in charge. He also noted that the man had been doing this for a long time and would sugarcoat or give him an easy ride with training. Once again, the smirk returned to Thomas's face as he nodded his head. "I'm up for it," Thomas told his Uncle before the man patted his shoulder and looked him in the eyes.

Thomas wanted to physically cringe as he said that he would have to tell his mother as soon as possible. He loved his mother very much, but he just couldn't deal with the tears and he was sure that there was going to be waterworks, lots of them. Maybe he would ask Syd to help him break it to her gently. He knew that now was probably not the best time to break it to her given the circumstances, but he would need to do it in the next day or two before they left. Because he would have to make it clear that he wouldn't be returning home with her, which he knew would break her heart all over again.

"I'll let her know, boss," Thomas said in a rare joking manner before seeing his aunt walk towards the two of them. "Looking great tonight, Auntie Ali," Thomas commented before excusing himself so they could have a moment alone.
with: Conor Misty Gray
mentions: Ali Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Rikers Island
~ The Bronx, New York ~

James Porter​

It was rare to have someone around that James could talk to about his personal life and the family business. Although he and Kurt hadn't met before, their mutual connections and shared loyalties made it easy for James to talk to the man. It was a nice change to be able to talk about the outside world in an open way. Much of the time in the jail was spent either talking about the present and its internal matters, or having to always hold some information back when talking about his own life. The fact Kurt as very much loyal to the Sullivans and in no way in support of the Morettis made it easy to allow a natural conversation to flow.

James leaned back against the sink unit as he listened to Kurt confirm his identity. With confirmation of shared friends brought a brief, surprised smile to James' face. Whilst it was more likely he'd have been given a cellmate to make his life difficult, it had actually worked out pretty well for James. "23, huh?" James repeated as he was told Benjie's age. "I haven't seen Aidan since before I was extradited in '79, but I remember him mentioning your kid. Well, he was a kid back then - still in school," he slowly recalled. "Time sure as Hell doesn't fly in here, but it doesn't seem two minutes since my lot were kids. Now, even the youngest, Olivia, is all grown up."

"Don't worry about it," James said, shrugging off Kurt's apology for the less than friendly start they'd gotten off to. "I'd have probably felt the same had I thought I was sharing a cell with one of my enemies."

James could see there was something on Kurt's mind though he couldn't quite place it until the man spoke again and it was clear the feelings were those of loss and grief, for what had happened to his wife. Kurt was keeping his voice low as he subtly spoke of James being behind the explosion that killed Francesco Moretti. "I'm glad you and Benjie were able to find peace of mind when that Moretti bastard died," he said, nodding in a confirming manner. Kurt then went on to say he owed James specifically, causing the former mob boss to study the man's face as he thought about the sentiment. He was glad he'd been able to bring some comfort to Kurt's and Benjamin's lives knowing Dolores' abuser was dead.

James stood up straight and took a step away from the sink counter, towards Kurt. "I couldn't ask you to do any of Moretti's dirty work after what he did to your family. It's bad enough selling my own soul to the Devil." James let out a deep sigh. "There's a lot of shit I have to do in here that I'm not proud of. I have resources, as well as power and respect from many of the prisoners in this place, but all of that could change on Moretti's word. If I could find a way out of this that doesn't risk my family's safety, then I would take it, but that's not an option right now. So I guess what you can do to help me is not get in the way or try stop me. I don't agree with some of the things I've got to do in here and I wouldn't expect you to, but it has to be done. You know what I mean?" he asked.

With mention of their sons knowing each other, James' features softened. "It's possible. Thomas would be around Benjie's age, as well as some of my nieces and nephews. Does your boy work for the Sullivans?" he asked, He supposed if Benjamin was employed by the mob it was likely he would have met some of his family, possibly the younger generation.

Pyroclast (Kurt)

 

[Pyroclast]

Chase Zegarra
Michael Zegarra​

Having gone a whole day without eating, Michael was by now absolutely ravenous and impatient to get their order in. While Jasmine spent an exhausting few minutes going through the menu to find something his sisters could and would eat, he had made an easy decision within a few seconds and instead occupied himself by practicing folding his napkin into an origami crown. Still, he didn’t want to come across as too eager in case it drew up a teasing comment about how he had declared himself too ill to go to school that morning. When Adam asked him what he was going to order, he gave a casual shrug and said, “The pizza sounds good.”

“Remember we don’t repeat what Adam says, princesa,” Chase quietly reminded his daughter when she brought attention to Adam’s swearing, and stroked her hair to try and settle her down a little. With his natural charisma and laid-back attitude, Adam had adapted his status as Godfather into more of a ‘fun uncle’ type, which suited him well. Despite not being a father himself, he had a strong effect on each of the Zegarra children. Chase knew how much Emilia idolised Adam and so he and Jasmine had made sure to teach her not to repeat the rude words that the man used around her.

“At least he showed up at the funeral, I guess,” he said of Spencer. “I hope the tension with the Kings dies down soon... I know Savannah’s had a hard time with Alex but I think we’d all prefer to stay on good terms.” Chase tried not to smile when Adam explained how he only ever relaxed when he was asleep. Of course he recognised the effort and long hours his friend put into both working for the mob and running his gym, but his often chilled out demeanour had made it easy to view him as something of a slacker. “When did you start working so hard, asere? I miss when you were the butt of every joke.”

His face turned more serious when Adam lowered his voice and mentioned that they were due to visit their associates in Cuba again soon. “Okay, that’s no problem,” he confirmed with a nod. Even though it would be a business trip and one that he had made hundreds of times before, visiting his homeland always summoned a feeling of excitement. He couldn’t help but smile slightly at the thought. “I’ll talk to him about details and schedule a flight. It’ll feel good to go back there after the winter we’ve had!”

“Go back where?” Michael asked, having overheard their conversation. “Are you going to Cuba again? Can we come this time?”

Chase glanced at Adam, then back to his son. It was rare that he got to take his family to Cuba, as most of the times that he went were purely for business purposes and often only required him to stay for a couple of nights, during which he wouldn’t have much time to spend with his family. Usually he didn’t tell the children he was going on a business trip until a couple of days before he was due to go, so that it was easier to explain why he couldn’t bring them along. “Well, um…” he looked to Jasmine to see how she felt. “We’ll check your school calendar first, then we’ll see. Maybe if you don’t miss any more school we can do a family trip some time, have a little holiday. But this one will be a business trip, okay?”

Michael smiled, seemingly content with the answer, and looked to his mother with hopeful eyes as he passed the finished origami napkin crown to Safia to play with. “Can we go to New York too, mom?” he pleaded. “If we’re going to where dad grew up it’s only fair that we go to where you grew up, too…”

“Maybe we should see if we could make it into a holiday,” Chase suggested in a noncommittal tone, as he turned back to Adam. “Everyone else has managed to take time off lately, maybe it’s time we had some, too. Plus, you gotta take more time off, asere - it’s a crime against all the women in Dublin not to make yourself more available!” Reaching round to tickle Emilia’s shoulder, he leaned down to her and said, “What do you say, Emilia? Don’t you think Uncle Adam should have a girlfriend?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Adam, Jasmine, Emilia, Safia

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Costello ​

Gwen's cheeks were rosy as Jason said that she kept him alive. The familiar waitress came by to take their order and asked if it would be usual for them. "Yes please." Gwen murmured, she didn't drink much these days. But when she came to the club she decided to get the occasional wine. When the waitress left, her husband looked over to their children and Gwen glanced their way as well. "God, if only we could get him to sit still like that." The redhead chuckled lightly before Jason caught her attention again. Gwen raised a brow as he mentioned a night out. They hadn't been on a date in what seemed like ages. He then mentioned even spending a weekend together which made Gwen's eyes go wide with interest. She couldn't remember the last time they had a whole weekend together, just the two of them. Her blush returned as he gently caressed her cheek and Gwen hummed in thought as he asked what would make them feel young again.

The slightly mischievous smile on his face made her blush even harder as she bit her red-stained lip, trying to think of what they could do. Like the flick of a light switch, Gwen's eyes lit up and a mischievous smile formed on her lips. "Oh I've got a perfect idea." She said happily as the waitress came back with their drinks. Knowing that Jason was most likely going to want to know what her idea was, Gwen raised her hand to stop him from asking and shook her head softly. "Sorry love, afraid I can't tell you this time around. I want to keep this one a secret." She said teasingly as she moved to take a sip of her wine.

Thinking about maybe giving him a hint, Gwen smiled at her husband, "Remember back when we were doing Cabaret...that time in the green room?" She casually brought up with a knowing smile. Under the table, she gently rubbed her foot against his leg before moving out from her spot to come sit beside him.

"That seems like so long ago now but I still remember how angry we were at each other and the amount of insane passion that came from that anger. I miss pissing you off it seems to make you perform better." She joked before leaning in to give him a kiss. Lorelei was still playing away with her brother so there was no chance either of their children would catch them saying some embarrassing. "I love you."
with: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Jeanie Carriveau-Porter ​

Lucy was all smirks as Syd told her that they were still kids. Lucy insisted that when he and his sisters were the kid's age and she continued insisting on it even after they all were past the age of 18. She remembered telling Syd a long time ago that he would always be a kid to her and just to wait and see when he had his own children how he would feel about them growing up. "Ahhh, sound a lot like their mother." Lucy commented as Syd said they were a pain in his ass at times and outspoken. Syd had his moments as a kid but from what Roxie had told her of herself when she was younger, the girls sounded like they were taking after her a lot more, which Lucy wasn't sure was a good thing at times. Lucy smiled sweetly as Syd spoke of his children so fondly, chuckling with him as he mentioned Jane being afraid of the dark. But his laughter died down quickly and his face turned serious.

His anxieties had matched Lucy's at one time in her life and she nodded in understanding as he wanted them to be safe. When Syd stopped speaking, Lucy reached out to give his hand a gentle squeeze. "It seems so long ago, but do you remember when you snuck out with your sisters and Skye back when your father and I had specifically asked you lot to stay put?" Lucy remembers it like it was yesterday. "You all looked at me like I was nuts when I had to chase you down at that club. I told you all that someday you would understand the anxieties your father and I had to bear." Taking a sip of her drink, Lucy gave her son a small smile. "I believe you are finally starting to realize what I went through with you all." Lucy mentioned softly.

"Truth is, kiddo. They might resent you and say they hate you from time to time as you make your rules and boundaries known. But the relationship you and I have just didn't come from thin air. It took a lot of trust and understanding and sometimes it took a lot of fighting." Lucy was sure she didn't need to mention the situation they were in during the time when Syd and Roxie announced she was pregnant with the twins. "You are right, they won't ever understand how much they mean to you, right now at least. At this age, everything is so superficial with them. Kids are self-centered but that doesn't mean they aren't good kids. They just don't have the experienced lens to see the world through the lens we have built up over years of heartbreak and danger."

"Your father and I had disagreements sometimes on how to parent you kids and what was appropriate and what was taking it too far. I know you are worried about them only resenting you, but I think Roxie worries about the same things you do. I know it's not my place to meddle in your separation but I think you two need to work more as a team now more than before because if you two are making different rules and executing punishments in different ways...that's when I feel your kids will really feel like they resent the two of you. I feel the only reason you and your siblings didn't resent your father and me for too long was that we both worked as a team. I know it might be harder in your situation, but you gotta try. Confusing them will only make them frustrated which will lead them to lash out."

Seeing Stella approaching from the corner of her eye, Lucy looked to the woman with a wide smile, switching conversation with ease. "Hello, darling. Stella, right? Please correct me if I'm wrong. My old mind may be losing its memory." She said as she moved to grab the woman a glass of champagne. "I am actually doing well despite the circumstances of the party. Have you met my son, Syd?" She asked looking between her and Syd.
with: Syd Pyroclast ; Stella BloodLightning27

Jeanie smiled proudly as her sister entered the room and clapped her hands together. "Piece of cake, babe. You should win an award for your acting." Jeanie murmured with a smile before it turned to a frown as her sister asked if no one saw them. "Eh," The girl reached to scratch the back of her neck nervously, "JJ actually saw. He won't tell as long as we give him our allowance for a few weeks." She said with a pout before sitting on the couch and grabbing the other glass of champagne. Jeanie had to snicker quietly as Jane said their dad's whiskey smell made her nose burn. "Well this stuff smells kinda nice like that perfume mom wears on special occasions almost. Watching Janey take a swig, Jeanie smiled mischievously before taking a swig for herself. "Kinda tastes like cider, but you are right definitely more bitter." A hiccup escaped Jane and Jeanie let out a laugh. Jeanie polished off her glass in a whole gulp before looking at her sister as she asked if she was drunk yet. "I dunno. I feel kinda...light. If that's the proper way of saying it. Must take longer to kick in because I see most of the adults at parties like these finish at least four or five more before they start to talk all funny."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise as Jane revealed she had a surprise for her. She paused in suspense which almost made Jeanie tell her to hurry up but the girl beat her to it by revealing their dad's silver cigarette case. "How the hell did you get that?!" Jeanie squealed a little too loud before covering her mouth to shut herself up. Jeanie watched as her sister opened it, revealing there were not many left in the case. "Like a chimney." Jeanie repeated as her sister said she was right about him not giving up. When she said one wouldn't hurt them, Jeanie waved her hand nonchalantly. "I read that it takes like years and years of smoking to really do any damage!" She insisted before Jane said that if their dad noticed, they could just bully him about opening the case in the first place. "I feel like we should just hide the case once we were done. I don't think he would leave this party to go buy more cigarettes. Gotta teach him to quit somehow."

"Sure I'll smoke it with you, kid. Can't watch my baby sister have all the fun." She teased before she watched Jane light the cigarette with a candle flame. Jeanie watched with wide eyes as her sister took an inhale and almost immediately the girl's eyes filled with tears. She shoved the lit cigarette towards Jeanie and she took it away from her younger twin quickly as she coughed. "Holy shit!" Jeanie said before moving to grab her sister's glass of champagne, shoving it towards her. Once the worst of the coughing had died down, Jeanie eyed the cigarette suspiciously. "Is it really that bad?" Jeanie asked her sister before moving the cigarette to her lips. Taking a puff, she inhaled deeply, more controlled than her sister. She didn't feel the urge to cough as she exhaled smoothly. "Huh? That wasn't so bad." Jeanie then moved to smoke it again. But after the second time, she felt incredibly dizzy, so much so that she had to fall back against the couch. The room spun around her and it felt like she was about to be sick. "I don't...I don't feel too good, Janey." Jeanie said as she weakly moved to hand the cigarette back to her. Her chest felt like it was tightening with every second and when she sucked in a breath, she wheezed heavily. "Maybe...this wasn't the best idea we've had." She rasped out.
with: Jane Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau ​

When Matthew said it was worth a try to call the kids, Roxie moved to the phone to first try and page one of the kids. She tried Jeanie first and waited a few minutes before trying Jane and then finally JJ. Roxie's brows furrowed in confusion as 15 minutes went by with no one calling her back. She was reluctant to page Syd just for the fact that she really wasn't in the best mood and she really didn't want to end up snapping at him and causing more awkwardness between them. So she just decided to call Sullivan's main house phone in hopes that someone would answer. Roxie decided that if no one answered, she would page Syd as a last resort just so she could know the kids were doing okay. She hated not being there for them during a difficult time like Shannon's funeral but of course, she had her own loss to deal with and she was confident Syd could handle the kids if they were upset until she got home tomorrow evening. The phone rang and rang for a few minutes before finally, a familiar sweet voice picked up the phone.

"Sinead." Roxie breathed out in relief, glad that she didn't have to talk to Syd after all. "How are you doing? I was just calling to check in on the kids, making sure they are on their best behavior during this difficult time. I'm so sorry for your loss." Roxie murmured. She understood what it was like to lose a mother, having lost hers a few years prior to lung cancer. Roxie had told her mother to quit smoking years and years ago, but even when she finally ended up listening to her, the extensive damage was already done. Her mother had only lived a few months after her diagnosis. It was a bit of a shock to Roxie, she still hadn't completely gotten over her father's death at the time and once her mother was gone she realized that she was an orphan. "I hope you and your siblings are doing alright, I know I haven't checked in with Lucy lately but please send her my best." Roxie said sweetly.

"How are the children doing? Hopefully not causing too much trouble? I wanted to let them know that I am returning home tomorrow night if they are around?" Roxie looked to Matthew with a soft smile, but her eyes displayed how concerned she was. It's not like she didn't trust Syd, but the kids tended to get into more trouble under his watch. She hoped it was different with Lucy being around, knowing the woman was more vigilant at times when it came to watching the kids.

Roxie was worried about them and going home. She wasn't sure how much was going to change with the new business arrangements. Roxie had been able to avoid close contact with Syd for years now but it seemed like now she was going to be taking over the business arrangements between her family and the Sullivans. She wasn't sure how that was going to affect her kids...she didn't want to confuse them.
with: Matthew Misty Gray
on the phone with: Sinny Misty Gray
mentions: Syd Pyroclast

Julia Avvocata​

Julia got to making Ricky a fancy cocktail per his request as Ricky agreed with her about the fact that members were going to be unhappy with the way things turned out today. "I'll help you with whatever you need me to, just because Ms. Perfect gets it easy doesn't mean you have to suffer entirely on your own." She murmured as she moved to shake up the drink she had made in the metal shaker. The sound of the doorbell interrupted their conversation and Julia let Ricky go answer the door as she poured two glasses of whiskey sour for him and whoever it was at the door.

Hearing Damian at the door, Julia smiled widely as the man walked in. "Already got your drink made." She said before sliding it down the bar to him. "Ricky, yours is right here. Added another 2 shots to it." She informed him before Ricky went to fill in Damian on the situation. Julia moved to one of the couches in the lounge with her drink and took a seat, crossing her legs politely as she took a sip of her martini. Her face was serious as Ricky said that things didn't go the way he thought, revealing that Roxie had been left in charge in the will.

At first, Damian chuckled, noting that it didn't sound right. But when he saw that both Ricky and Julia were not laughing with him, the man's face turned serious. He asked if Ricky had contested the will to which Julia nodded her head as the man looked her way. "We agree that it's absolute madness, but the will seemed as airtight as ever. Ricky and I both stated our concerns and distaste for the decision but legally, there isn't much that can be done." Julia said bitterly before taking another sip of her drink. Sighing, the woman stood up to move to stand beside Ricky. "We know this man has put in a lot of time and dedication working for both his own family and for the Moretti's, but it seems his old man didn't believe he could take the heat." Julia murmured as she placed her hand on Ricky's shoulder once more. "You know how generous he is, his cousin insisted that they could run things together and he of course took the offer. But now that I have the room to speak freely, I think Roxie is going to pull a fast one on you, Ricky." Julia turned the man slightly to force him to look her in the eye.

"If you don't do something, this whole business could go down in flames. Everything your father, your great grandfather, and his father before him, worked hard to build...all of it down the drains. We can't let that happen. Your father may have been of sound mind at the time he wrote the will, but I don't think he thought of the consequences and what is at stake if we let someone who knows nothing of this life take over. She needs to be removed from the picture." Julia looked to Damian, hoping he knew what she was thinking.
with: Ricky + Damian Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Home-Dublin
Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

Aliana made her way through the party in search of her husband, being approached by several others to offer their condolences. She was given praise over the party that was put together, though she couldn't take credit for it all. Lucy had definitely been a big help, especially since she would sometimes have hard times planning such big parties. It was always stressful to get together, then there came the greeting she would have to deal with. Some of the people were there out of respect and she couldn't place any of their faces, but she would still be polite and thank them for coming.

At one point she paused the search for her husband for a visit to the bar to take a shot. It had been a while since she had enjoyed herself so she was going to take advantage of the night; her husband wasn't the only one who was going to get the opportunity to drink the night away. Once she gave the liquor a moment to leave her throat, she went on her search again. Her eyes spotted him from across the room, standing with Thomas. A part of her wanted to use that opportunity to speak to Thomas in regards to Leo, but then her son's voice rang through her head. "Leave it alone," he kept saying. He really his mother to stay out of it and while Ali figured she would be able to do at least something to help, she knew Leo would be more than upset with her for doing so. Instead, she smiled at both of them before feigning shock at Conor's words. "Oh, like you didn't see me earlier." She teased, returning his kiss.

She turned her attention to her nephew as she tried forcing her mouth to say something that didn't have to do with Leo. "Thanks kid, so are you. Maybe you can teach Leo how to properly dress for an occasion that doesn't involve jeans and a t-shirt." She just couldn't help herself, giving him a parting as he excused himself. Hopefully, her husband hadn't picked up on what she was doing as she turned to him with a smile. "No, we've everything together. What I would like for you to do is thank everyone for coming so we can get things going." She stated as she straightened out his shirt. After rubbing her hands down his collar she nodded her head over by the stairwell."Rhi and Leo came home a while ago, though I'm pretty sure we'll be hearing about it later on tonight so take plenty of shots." She joked. "They were changing, so they should be down soon."

Leo Sullivan
Rhiannon Sullivan

Hearing that Natasha didn't know what she wanted to do with her life made him think back to when he first graduated high school. There was a major part of him that just knew he was going to take over the family business, which is how he got started on business classes. It wasn't until after he and his mother had a heart to heart conversation that he considered different paths to see if that was what he truly wanted. His father had never put pressure on him that he was going to take over, which he supposed he should be grateful for. It was the reason he decided to double major in case one worked over the other. Being able to do jobs for Conor was helping him in that area, though he was still unsure of what to do.

"Yeah, I get it. But, we're still young and have plenty of time to decide." He stated, turning to face her. "No one's rushing you or faulting you for not deciding now." He was doing his best to be reassuring, remembering the same words Aliana had told him a few years earlier. Rhiannon thanked Natasha for the compliment, while Leo stood up and looked in the mirror. His hair was, indeed, a mess and he was going to get yelled at if he didn't at least comb it. Standing up he looked around his sisters room before watching Rhiannon walk over to her bathroom. Moments later she emerged with a blue comb and handed it to him. "Keep it. I don't want your dirty scalp to transferring to my hair." She stated. He hadn't even bothered with a retort as he stood in front of the mirror, fixing his hair. Once he was finished he face the two girls and asked their opinion. Rhiannon purposely ignored him as she started cleaning her mess, leaving it all to Natasha.

The three of them made their way downstairs, Rhiannon walking with Natasha while Leo stood looking around for no one in particular. After Natasha finished speaking, she spoke to her family members and started apologizing for her earlier behavior. She explained she was upset about her practice before reaching in for a hug. She stayed for a moment to speak with them before parting ways on the hunt for her female cousins. Being around the girls was sure to be more entertaining than anything else, plus she figured she would give her brother and Natasha some alone time.

Once Natasha mentioned Thomas' name, Leo scowled for a moment before shaking his head. "I wish you didn't have to see it like that, but that's the way it is for the moment. He's being unreasonable, which isn't something I want to deal with." He crossed his arms as if solifying his stance on the matter. Leo had been trying to make things work between himself and his cousin, often thinking about the times when they were close. Things had gotten so messed up because of a misunderstanding but it seemed to be bigger than that. He felt bad that Nat had often been caught in the middle, but the only thing he could tell her was not to choose a side.


Sinead, Conor ( Misty Gray )
Syd ( Pyroclast )
Lucy, Thomas ( Bellz )​

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Emery and Sinead Callahan​

Another vehicle pulled into the driveway of the Sullivan mansion once the driver had been given clearance from his colleague, Aidan, who was out guarding the gates. Seated in the back of the car was the the feisty redhead, Emery Callahan. Though late to another family event, she felt there was no need for apology nor to explain herself. On this occasion, she had the family business on her side as she had been held up doing what her uncle employed her to do. When it came to business, she was always on time and worked hard. As for her personal and social life, she made her own rules then.

The car stopped outside the house, but Emery remained seated as she looked into her compact mirror to check her make-up. "Honestly, I don't know why these people don't just pay us what they owe before letting you guys break their arms. Dickhead had the money all along and still wasted everyone's time anyway. You should have broken his legs for time-wasting." She snapped the mirror shut and dropped it into her handbag that was currently concealing a stack of cash. "Either way, Conor will be happy we got the cash."

"You enjoy your evening, Miss Callahan" the driver said, turning to look back to her and flash a smile. "I'm going to drive back into the city and keep telling myself to never borrow any money from you!" he joked.

"Hey! You and Niall were the ones hurting the guy. I'm totally innocent," she said whilst mischievously grinning. Not sticking around for further banter, Emery climbed out of the car and headed into the Sullivans house through the side door so she could put the cash in one of her uncle's safes without being stopped by any of her family first.

******​

Sinead listened as those around her did their best to reassure her that there was nothing to worry about with Liam. Braden reminded her of when he was a kid and how sometimes boys wanted to prove themselves over others. Whilst she didn't like to think of Liam starting fights, she couldn't deny it was better than if he was being bullied and on the receiving end of the punch he'd dished out earlier. Sinead sweetly smiled as Peter said Braden had been a pain in the arse but had turned out well. "Oh, he did, didn't he?" she said, turning back to her son with a fond smile. "Hey! Don't talk like that, Mister!" she berated Braden for putting himself down about being a single dad. "It's not your fault - she's the one who let you down!" she assured him. "You're an amazing daddy and Hattie is proof of that. You turned out perfect." She let out a sigh. "Yes, please talk to your brother and then I'll stop fretting."

When Blake spoke up, Sinead brought her focus onto the woman and listened as she spoke of Collin's phonecall. She nervously bit her lip as she was told it was normal for boys to get into fights. She'd always tried to steer her children away from violence, but she knew by now she could only do so much. Fights were normal and she knew she couldn't stop it completely. She just hoped they would be limited to the playground and Liam wouldn't become a violent man. Further reassurance came as Peter spoke of his fights in the orphanage and then Braden mentioned his first fight.

Sinead let out a sigh, relenting as everyone gave evidence as to why she didn't need to worry so much. "Okay. I get it. Boys will be boys and the males in my family are brooders to add to that!" she said, teasing both Braden and Peter in the process. She looked to Blake and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't have these problems with the girls. Savvy always told me everything and she'd never have started fights anyway. Emmy, well, she started many fights but she was never secretive about it so I always knew what was going on with her. It's just these secretive, brooding boys I have to look after!" she teased, stepping on her tiptoes to place a kiss on Peter's lips.

Sinead could hear the telephone ringing and it seemed like nobody else could hear it or they just weren't intending on answering it if they could. "I'll get it then, shall I?" she pretended to complain.

No sooner had Sinead left the group did Emery take the opportunity to join Peter, Braden and Blake without getting an earful from her mother about being late. "Evening, all!" she greeted them. She gave Peter a hug and playfully punched the top of Braden's arm. "How are you all still standing around? I thought getting here late would mean you're all pissed already. Gran would be livid if she could see us all standing around sober," she playfully complained before swiping a glass of champagne from the table. "Did I miss anything?" she asked.

Bellz (Peter, Braden, Blake)

******​

"Oh. Hey, Roxie!" Sinead cheerfully spoke down the telephone receiver. "Thank you, honey. I'm doing okay. Father Healy did a wonderful service and my mum had a good send off at the wake. I'll tell Lucy and Conor you asked about them," she told her. "How are you feeling? Was your uncle's funeral today?" she asked. When asked about the kids, she looked over her shoulder but it didn't really help, especially as she hadn't see the twins and JJ around on her way to answer the phone. "The kids don't seem to be causing any trouble at all. Then again, sometimes it's when they're quite you have to worry," she joked. "I'll tell you what. How about you call me back in five minutes instead of holding on a long distance call? I'll have your children get their butts over to this phone so they can speak to their mum when you call again"

After ending the call for the time-being, Sinead started on her search for her nieces and nephew. The search eventually took Sinead to the small guest lounge Jeanie and Jane were occupying. Never liking the smell of cigarettes, the smoke immediately hit Sinead's senses and then her eyes fell onto the twins as Jeanie handed a lit cigarette to Jane. "Girls! What the heck are you both doing?!" she asked, her voice firmer than usual, knowing exactly what they were doing. Sinead intercepted the cigarette, taking it from the girls and stubbing it out in the nearby ashtray before realising something was wrong with Jeanie. The redhead crouched down beside her niece as the girl struggled to breathe. "Jane. Where is your sister's inhaler. Go get the inhaler and if you see your dad, get him too. Now!" she firmly ordered the girl.

Sinead then focused her attention on Jeanie. "Sit up straight, sweetheart," she encouraged her niece. "I need you to stay calm and take slow, deep breaths, like mine..." she told her, softly stroking the girl's hair as she demonstrated how to breathe the same way as she was telling her to.

Bellz (Roxie, Jeanie) Pyroclast (Jane)
Mention: Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Misty Gray]

Biancardi Mansion
~ Queens, New York City ~

Riccardo Biancardi and Damian Nicolosi​

Damian accepted the drink Julia slid towards him. For a moment, he had toyed with the glass tumbler as he held it in his hand, but he soon took a small drink from it. Whilst he liked alcohol, he made a point of never drinking enough of it to get drunk. He was a man who liked to be in control and that included keeping a handle on his own mind which would be jeopardised were he to become intoxicated.

Whilst he was pleased to hear Ricky and Julia had expressed their disagreement about the will, it still didn't satisfy him enough. "Oh damn. Well, I guess if it's all official and above board then there's nothing we can legally do about it, is there?" he sarcastically asked. "It's time to explore alternative methods. If I've learned one thing from my time working for Gabriel, it's if something doesn't bend to your will through amicable means, then you abide by your own rules and you take what you want. Don't be held back by a piece of paper from a man who is now dead."

Ricky listened on, knocking back his drink as he let Julia's and Damian's words sink in. There was talk of taking the law into his own hands and not letting his father's will stop him from taking what was rightfully his. In honesty, Ricky wasn't sure it was those things holding him back. More than anything, it was his cousin. She was the obstacle standing between him and the leadership he'd earned, but he couldn't see any way around it that wouldn't hurt her. Whilst he was pissed off she'd accepted what was written in the will and expected him to play happy families with her, he still couldn't bring himself to wanting to cause her any harm. They'd always been as close despite him being forced to keeps secrets from her about the business when they were younger. He cared about Roxie.

Damian set his drink down on the bar, before getting down from the barstool and walking over to stand facing Julia and Ricky. "I agree. Ricky has worked hard over the years. Between conducting Biancardi business and flitting between here and Dublin, he's even managed to gain Gabriel's respect. Respect which will take a rapid nosedive the minute my boss learns Ricky is letting a woman, and one personally attached to the Sullivans, take control of the Biancardi business. The Biancardis have been a prominent figure of power in New York for a long time and now... It beggars belief." Hearing Julia say she believed Roxie would pull a fast one, Damian quickly nodded his head. Whether he believed it or not, he would say whatever was needed to bend Ricky to their will. "Roxie lives in Dublin. She's cosy with the Sullivans and no doubt playing happy families. She might not be in a relationship with Syd, but he's the children's' father and she'll always feel obligated to them and ruled by her emotional attachment. If she happens to choose the Irish over the Morettis, then the Biancardi name is screwed, my friend," Damian assured Ricky.

Ricky looked directly to Julia when the woman said Roxie needed to be removed from the picture. He quickly shook his head. Given that she'd accepted the position Giovanni had specified to her in his will, the only other way to remove her from the role was through force. Clearly, that would mean hurting and no doubt killing his cousin. "No. I will not hurt Roxie," he firmly told Julia. "She's my family and so are her kids. We'll have to find another way." Ricky pinched the bridge of his nose and slowly shook his head. The conflicting thoughts and feelings darting around inside his mind were mentally exhausting, making it difficult to concentrate.

"Ricky. I like you. We've worked together for a few years now and I've seen what you're capable of. Stop being sentimental and embrace your darker side," he compelled him, lightly tapping the side of his head. "Roxie won't hesitate to trample over you if you get in the way. She's already shown how little respect she has for you."

Ricky glared at Damian and quickly shook his head. "I said I'm not hurting her and I meant it. We'll have to explore different methods of taking back what is mine." Ricky let out a sigh as he glanced to Julia, figuring she too would be thinking less of him now.

"Well, just keep in mind that every day this farce continues, those loyal to the Biancardis will lose more and more respect for you as well as your family name. Maybe I shouldn't even care. I'm sure Gabriel will gladly cash in on your family's weakened state, but I like you and I'd rather we kept working together." Damian looked to his watch before shaking his head. "Don't suddenly pull out your moral compass after I've seen the things you're capable of," he knowingly told Ricky. He then looked directly to Julia. "I must get going. Try to talk some sense into our dear friend, here," he suggested to the woman before letting himself out.

Bellz (Julia)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Moretti Family Home-Brooklyn,NY
Theodore Wycliff
Elvian Moretti

A slight chuckle escaped his lips as he tried to lighten the conversation a bit more. "Hey, I didn't say I didn't want to be involved with the business; of course I do. It's just I've been proving myself for years and I like to think that I've been successful in doing so?" He asked, looking for an answer. It was true that he worked hard everyday to prove a plethora of things -- being a good husband, father, and employee -- amongst others. There were a lot of things he wanted to change and could only hope he was doing a good job at it. He often found himself seeking out the reassurance as he was now. "I know. I've been keeping an eye on things pertaining to everything that happened." He said in reference to his wife's attack. Teddy knew better than to mention how she had been sleeping as of late or the nightmares. Gabe was sure to up the pestering if he did so and Valentina would be upset with him. He was glad Gabriel agreed to watching the kids of the weekend, knowing Tin would appreciate it. Gabe mentioned not to let them have any electronics, which he nodded his head in agreeance at. "You're the boss."

Their attention was grabbed at the mention of Cristina becoming President, which brought a smile to Teddy's face. "Well, if she's going to be President then she needs to learn to keep her room clean. President's can't be messy, right?" He stated, turning his attention back to his boss. His voice lowered as he began to talk about business. "Now that personal business is out of the way, how about professional?" He glanced back at the ladies and kids before nodding his head elsewhere. Talking about the family business in front of his kids was never a good idea, especially knowing Paolo was the type of kid to go around telling people. Once they were out of earshot Teddy finished his thought. "Old man's officially six feet under and the will reading was today. How do you feel about having to do business with Riccardo?" It was only right to assume he would have left his business to him, considering it had been his son.

Hearing that her daughter was going to see a doctor put her mind at ease somewhat. She still didn't like the fact that she was having these nightmares and wished there was something to help her with them. That's when she remembered a particular customer she had a few days ago and clapped her hands together. "Oh! I had this strange woman come in, though she was quite lovely, and she was talking about a 'dreamcatcher'. Maybe you can find one of those?" Usually Elvian didn't believe in anything that wasn't her religion, but hearing this eccentric woman speak about them she couldn't help but find her interest grow.

Elvian listened to Tatiana explain her day though she could feel something was off. Rather than pry she let her bring it up as she set out to make the grown up version of the pink lemonade she had for the children. "I was thinking about calling them. Making sure everything's okay. I haven't seen Ava for a few days and usually she stops by for new flowers. Did you know she's opening an art gallery? Definitely didn't seem like the type, though she didn't seem like the type to get married either..." She stated. For a while she was skeptical that her son would ever get married and even more so married to Ava. They both proved her wrong and she was more than happy that they had.

At the mention of her day, Elvian slid her a glass before walking over and putting her hands on her cheeks. "Poor baby! You and your sister both need a break; a girls trip or something." A slight gasp left her lips as she clapped her hands together. "We should plan a girls trip and take little Cristina along. We'll go home to Romania and I can show you where I grew up." She suggested. The thought of them all spending more time together -- just the girls -- made her smile and giddy. The smile slowly faded when she heard Tatiana had broken up with the girl she was seeing. Unlike her husband, Elvian had been completely open to the idea of her daughter's lifestyle and welcomed it. She had been accepting since the beginning as she wanted her children to live their lives the way they saw fit. "Language you two." She warned. "Well I'm sorry that it ended, but look on the bright side! No more negative energy. As for my day, it was indeed very productive. Grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, all for my adoring family. AND the renovations for the flower shop are coming along nicely."

Tatiana ( Pyroclast )
Gabriel, Valentina, Children ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Erik Snowden
~London~

Erik stammered back as Billy pushed him away, a smile on his lips and his hands against his chest. "Oi, for the record I'm always out buddy. But in far more exciting places where I can dance the night away." He stated matter-of-factly. He was referencing the clubs her frequented in the city as well as a few other unsavory parties he heard about. The thought of bringing Billy to one of them had often gone through his mind, but he still wasn't too sure if he would even be comfortable in some of the more tame ones. It was a lot louder, darker, more people than normal pubs were and he definitely didn't want his friend to be uncomfortable in them. With a small smile he picked up the shot glass that he was offered and downed it before ordering another. "Arrested? I've got too many strikes already!" Erik had lost count on the amount of times he had been arrested for something like drunk and disorderly. Once they found out who he worked for, he was always let go. Erik liked this feeling of immortality, though he knew better than abuse it.

The two were then joined by Spencer, who reassured them no one was getting arrested. "Oh, I don't know about that. You've got a real party animal on your hands." He stated, pointing to Billy before downing the second shot. He made a slight face this time around as a shiver went down his spine. Erik returned Harper's smile as he listened to the two of them speak, slightly shaking his head. The thought of having to deal with something like that was deterring him from ever having children; well, that and other things of course but still. "Ah, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Precisely the reason you'll never see me settle down." He said, nodding his head. Erik never pegged himself as the settling down type, even if he were into the same sex. The idea of only being with one person for your entire life was maddening to him considering there were so many people in the world. Though as he found himself glancing to Billy, the thought of being monogamous crossed his mind. He shook the thought out of his head before ordering himself a pint of beer. "I doubt she would cut and run. She seemed like the family type of girl, so keeping the kid away from this half of her family doesn't seem her style."

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

 

[Misty Gray]

Oak Tree Restaurant
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Adam Harper and Jasmine Zegarra
~ Emilia & Safia Zegarra ~​

As Chase spoke about the tensions with the Kings and how Alex had betrayed Savannah, Adam couldn't help but frown. Perhaps he was biased on account of the Callahans being friends, but he figured Alex had to have a screw loose for cheating on Savannah. Not only that, but doing so when she was carrying Alex's child. Adam was fully aware of his own history of sleeping around and having one-night stands, but he judged that differently. He wasn't in official relationships with any of the women, nor had he ever been in a serious relationship with a woman who was expecting his child. Adam liked to think if he'd had a long-term relationship when he was Alex's age, he would have changed his habits and settled down. "Well, I can't see Sav looking to end up on bad terms with Alex. So, the less involvement we need to have with the English, the better," he joked.

Adam grinned at the mention of visiting Cuba after the Irish winter. He couldn't agree more and the thought of heading into a warmer climate, even for work, was very appealing to Adam. When he'd lived in New York, Cuba was like a second home or at least a holiday home, so being even further away now made him miss the Cuban business trips more than ever. "Excellent. I was worried I'd start to look like a vampire after this winter..." Adam trailed off as Michael interrupted the conversation he'd obviously overheard.

With Chase directing the conversation to Jasmine for her input, she glanced to her husband before looking to Michael. "Well, you're not missing any more school, love. It's too short notice for us to be going away for the Easter break, so we'll have to look into it for the summer holidays," she told her son, sending him a warm smile. When the boy then asked about visiting New York too, Jasmine thought for a moment before nodding her head. "Sure, perhaps we can do that in the same trip. I'm sure your grandmother could travel to New York too as she'd love to see you all," she said. With Jasmine's mother living in Boston, they only tended to see her when she came to stay in Dublin at Christmas. "A holiday it is," she agreed, looking to Chase to confirm.

Adam laughed when Chase said he needed to take some time off. "What would I do with too much free time on my hands? I'd only end up in the pub topping up Conor's profits," he remarked. Predictably, the conversation steered to the fact he was single and doing nothing to make himself more available. "Damn. Where's my burger?" he said, purposely making a point of looking over his shoulder to hint for a change of subject. However, the matter wasn't going away as Chase recruited Emilia into the the conversation. Jasmine, meanwhile, could only sit with a grin on her face, no stranger to Adam's teasing over the years and the fact he'd earned payback for it.

"Yes. He definitely should have a girlfriend," Emilia said, a big smile on her face as she giggled at the subject. "Adam!" she called to him to make him turn back to her and Chase. "Take some time off and find a girlfriend. Daddy, do you know any girlfriend's for him? I don't know too many old people and I think they might all have husbands."

"Woah! Enough of the old, Emilia. I'll have you know I look very young for my age, so don't be trying to set me up with some old pensioner!" Adam looked to Chase and shook his head. "You know the kid isn't going to let this go now, don't you? You owe me," he joked with his friend. "Maybe you're right about me being old, kiddo. I'm too old for girlfriends so let's move on..." Adam suggested to the girl.

"Nope. You need a pretty girlfriend who isn't a pensioner." She looked to Chase. "What's a pensioner?"

Pyroclast (Chase, Michael)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter
Jane Carriveau-Porter​

When Lucy brought it up, Syd cast his mind back to when he was living with his sisters, and the night they had snuck out to go to a nightclub despite being housebound. He had snuck out of the house later on with the intention of bringing them home safe, but his attraction to Skye had led him to stay out with them instead so that he could enjoy some time with her. It was so long ago now - 26 years - but he still remembered that night so clearly. Thinking about it brought a soft smile to his face and he looked to his mother, seeing the irony in his anxieties about his own children. “Yeah, you’re right…” he admitted. “I guess it’s just what kids want to do. We’ve all done foolish things, acted on a whim without considering or understanding the consequences...All I can do is try to teach them the risks. And hope to god they don’t ever get hurt.”

She went on to impart the wisdom she had picked up from raising him, reminding him of the lows the two had hit over the years in their relationship. He hung his hand when she mentioned the fighting and the declarations of hatred. He knew exactly what she was talking about: although he acknowledged that he was at one of his lowest point in life at the time, it was still hard to believe that he had once tried to disown James and Lucy as his real parents and tried to physically harm them. He loved both of them so strongly that it felt like he had been a different person entirely. When he got into those extreme moods, he supposed he did feel like someone else. All sorts of wild thoughts would enter his head, twisting and manipulating even his core beliefs, and the most venomous words would spew from his mouth with barely the capacity to think about what he really meant. He had put his parents - his whole family, really - through a great deal of anguish, yet his relationship with them had mostly levelled by now. Even when he put them on the receiving end of his aggressive behaviour, they knew that he loved them. It was just a condition he had. And if Jeanie, Jane or JJ ever developed similar personality disorders he would look to his loved ones to understand how to handle it without damaging their relationship. Family meant too much to him to let his relationships with his own children dwindle into anything less than love and understanding.

Everything his mother was saying rang true to him. But when she brought up Roxie and their co-parenting methods, Syd sighed and took a long drink from his glass of champagne. “I’d love to be on the same level with Roxie, mam, but it was a hard ball to get rolling when she didn’t even know how to talk to me from the beginning. But you’re right, the last thing I want is to confuse the kids...they need a solid foundation and I can only give them that by working closer with Roxie. It’s just hard for her to see me.” Syd hung his head again, haunted by his actions that had cost him his relationship with Roxie. He recognised now that he had a disorder, but it didn’t make it easier not to blame himself for what he did. Maybe he couldn’t help it, but he had still hurt her, and the children by extension. “I’ll get through to her. I’ll make this work. I will because I have to, for the kids.”

* * * * * * *​

Clutching the cushion to her mouth again, Jane watched through watering eyes as her sister took a drag from the cigarette. It seemed to go smoothly, and she somehow looked as natural as if she had smoked several times before. “How did you do that?” she asked miserably. “You make it look so easy…” However, on her second drag, her reaction seemed to change. Jane reached out to receive the cigarette as her sister fell back against the couch and a worried look formed on her face when she saw how pale she suddenly looked. “Jeanie, are you okay?” she asked. When Jeanie admitted she didn’t feel well, Jane’s own stomach clenched at the thought of her sister being sick - she always felt ill almost as soon as Jeanie did, as if their immune systems operated in accordance with the other. Maybe it was just anxiety-driven, but she wouldn’t be able to tell. Hearing the familiar rattling of her strained breath, Jane started to panic. Before she could move to do anything, Sinead entered the room and instantly caught onto what they had been up to. She snatched the cigarette from Jane’s hand, who had by now forgotten she was even holding it, but just as she felt a lecture coming on, Sinead noticed that there was something wrong with Jeanie. Jane had seen her sister have asthma attacks many times before but it still scared her every time. As soon as Sinead told her to fetch her inhaler and tell Syd what was going on, Jane jumped to her feet and headed for the door. The room swayed heavily and for a second she was blinded by dizziness, which she hadn’t expected, but she pushed through it as best as she could, not wanting Sinead to know they had been drinking, too.

* * * * * * *​

“Of course we’ve met,” Syd said to Stella with a smile. He didn’t know the woman well on a personal basis, but he knew all the faces of his and his uncle’s employees, even if he himself had only met them a few times. It would take him a while longer before he trusted her fully, but with Conor having become so successful in his role as mob boss, Syd had grown to trust his judgement instead of insisting on making his own judgement before letting somebody work for them. So far nothing bad had come of it, so while he wouldn’t spill his darkest secrets to Stella, he was comfortable with her being present at a family party. “Thanks for showing up, Stella. Shannon had a big personality, so she deserves a big party to match. I don’t know if you ever met the woman yourself, but as the matriarch of the family, she had a pretty powerful influence over us all.” Standing beside his mother, Syd reached up to rub her back sensitively. “And I hope my mam doesn’t mind me saying, but I think that the best way to honour such an influential woman is to get absolutely locked!” Sending the younger woman a wink, Syd clinked his glass against hers and knocked his back until it was drained.

When he brought his glass down, he saw Jane standing in front of him, with tears in her eyes and a slight flush to her cheeks. “Jane, what’s wrong?” he asked, setting his empty glass on the table and giving her his full attention.

“Jeanie’s having an asthma attack!” The concern in her voice drew Syd’s attention to her trembling and he immediately abandoned his conversation with Stella and Lucy without so much as an apology. “Take me to her,” he commanded, and Jane ran down the corridor, prompting him to follow.

“Jeanie?” The smell of smoke in the room instantly hit him - at first he thought it might have been him, but when he saw the fresh cigarette in the ashtray he was forced to assume that Jeanie had been smoking, and likely Jane with her. Putting it aside for now, Syd knelt at Jeanie’s side opposite Sinead and grabbed his daughter’s bag from the floor. The girl was wheezing, clearly struggling for breath, and her face was noticeably off-colour. “It’s okay, Jeanie,” he assured her, keeping his tone low and gentle. With one arm wrapped around her to keep her steady, he used a hand to support her forehead, stroking it to soothe her while he shook the inhaler and then brought it to her lips. “Bite down, that’s it,” he instructed, as he pressed the button on her inhaler to release the puff of air. “Four breaths, okay? You can do it.” Syd glanced to Sinead with a look of gratitude in his eyes.

While the adults were tending to Jeanie, Jane slowly reached for the silver cigarette case and put it in her pocket. Maybe if she managed to put it back in Lucy’s purse before they said anything, they at least wouldn’t be able to prove that they had stolen the cigarette from Syd. But as she took a step towards the door, Syd made her stop in her tracks. “Jane,” he said in a sterner tone of voice, still keeping his eyes on Jeanie. “Pass me that bin over there. You don’t leave this room until I say so.”

Syd kept delivering intermittent puffs of air via the inhaler until Jeanie’s breaths became steadier. He kissed the side of her head and rubbed her back in a slow circular motion while she gradually caught her breath back. “There we go,” he softly spoke. “You’re getting there, sweetheart. You’ll be back to normal in no time.” Despite the concern in his eyes, he showed her a smile. Her skin felt clammy and she still looked dazed and pale. “You alright? Do you feel sick at all?”

“Dad…” Jane piped up from a few feet away. A tear fell down her face before Syd even turned to look at her, anticipating the fierce glare he would have in his eyes. Still, when he gave her the glare it still made her flinch. She watched as he dragged the bin to within Jeanie’s reach in case she needed it. “Are you gonna tell me what you’re doing with my cigarette case?”

Jane stood there without an answer. Jeanie was usually the brains in their mischievous antics - she was the smoother liar and the one who resolved any hitches in their plan. But this had been Jane’s doing, and when she had got away with swiping the cigarette case from her grandmother’s purse she had felt like the master of mischief with perfect sleight of hand. Now, of course, she felt like a fool. She had hurt her twin, her best friend in the world, and she couldn’t even come up with an explanation for why she had done it. In the end, she settled on, “We were just having fun.”

“Oh,” he said, as if he believed her. “And is this fun to you?”

“No, but we didn’t -”

“You didn’t think about Jeanie’s asthma? We’re at a party, Jane, for Christ’s sake! There are loads of ways you can have fun at a party without putting yourselves at risk!”

So overwhelmed at being shouted at, Jane wrapped her arms around her face to cover her eyes and screamed. She just about heard Syd swear under his breath before tearing her arms away and glaring at him as tears streamed down her face, ruining her make-up. “Well if we’re putting ourselves at risk then what are you doing, dad?! You told me you’d quit smoking but the case is almost empty -” Digging into her pocket, she withdrew the silver case and threw it at her father. It hit him hard in the shoulder, but he didn’t give a verbal reaction. “You lie to us because you want us to think everything’s fine but we’re not stupid!”

A heavy silence filled the room when Syd didn’t respond. Now was the time when he really needed to say something reassuring, something that would make her feel understood yet that would convince her that everything was fine. But the stress and guilt of fighting with his daughter had made it hard to form coherent thoughts, and the more he tried to think the more his head came up empty. He wanted another drink, but that would only prove her point. “I’m sorry,” he muttered after a moment. “You’re right...I know I’m doing the whole ’do as I say, not as I do’ thing, but I just don’t want you to repeat my mistakes.” He hadn’t talked much to his children about addiction - given his Aunt Gwen’s history with heroin, it was hard not to be intimidated by the dark subject - but, as he had talked about with Lucy just moments ago, he still wanted them to have a better understanding of risk. Returning his gaze to Jane, he said, “I want you to trust me when I say, it’s a lot easier not to start than it is to stop.”

Still stroking Jeanie’s forehead, Syd perched himself on the couch above her, leaving space for her to sit beside him if she wanted to. “When I was 18, I went on this job with a few of grandpa's friends,” he recounted. He hadn’t talked about that night since before Jackson had died and it still felt weird to think that each of the men he had been with that night were now gone. “It was my first night on the job, and we were out somewhere near Clonmacnoise on a delivery run. It was a difficult journey, because there was a snowstorm at the time and we were driving on uneven ground on a rural track…” His eyes drifted towards Sinead, the only person in the room who would remember what he was talking about, the only other person who knew what had truly happened. The only person who would know if he lied. “Well, it turned out that there was someone else on the same road that night, and these weren’t the kind of people you’d want to run into.” Syd took a moment to catch up with his thoughts as he let the old memory flood back into his mind. “I won’t tell you the grisly details, but that night a good man gave his life to save mine. He was a trusted friend of your grandpa’s, but I’d never met him before that night. And he died saving me. And when I got home, I didn’t know how to deal with that, so I picked up a cigarette and started smoking.” Although it had been 26 years, it still saddened him to think about it. “I didn’t know how to deal with a lot of the things I’ve been through. Sometimes I still don’t. I should have opened up, but I didn’t know how to and now I have a god awful smoking problem to put behind me! But I want you to know, Jane, Jeanie, that if there’s anything worrying you, or anything you’re struggling to deal with, you can talk about it with me, and I’ll always listen and do my best to understand. It’s always better to talk, okay?”

Jane stood opposite her father, just staring at him, speechless. The mascara-stained tears on her face had dried, making her cheeks feel stiff and her eyes puffy. She loved the idea of what Syd was suggesting - she had always felt a deeper bond with him than she had with her mother, always valued his attention more - but she also knew that he wasn’t always rational, and often had intense, unpredictable reactions to things. When he was calm, he could ease all her anxieties and make her feel weightless, like all her problems were gone as long as he was around to protect her. But sometimes there would be a whole week-end where he wasn’t calm at all, and it would be impossible to open up to him without risking the conversation triggering some unpleasant reaction. Phone calls during the week were even worse, because she couldn’t know what kind of mood he would be in before she made the call. Everything he suggested sounded perfect in theory, but she wasn’t sure she could rely on him. Despite herself, however, she nodded.

“I’m sorry, dad,” she said with a sniff. “I’m sorry, Jeanie. I’m sorry, Aunt Sinead. We really were just having fun, but we won’t do it again. It was gross, anyway, and it made Jeanie sick.” Jane looked at her sister and couldn’t help but smile at her. “Are you okay?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Sinead
Bellz Jane

 

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy
Thomas Porter​

Natasha watched as Leo scowled at hearing Thomas's name. The blonde rolled her eyes as he said he wished she didn't have to see the situation the way she was. The man crossed his arms and she knew that there wasn't much she could do to persuade him into thinking otherwise. "You know you men are ridiculous." Natasha scoffed, taking a drink of her champagne. "You need to be adults and talk it out, or better yet, fight it out and be done with it. The theatrics is getting tiring. I mean I know girls are supposed to be dramatic but you men take it to a whole new level." Natasha looked at him with big hazel eyes, her lips forming a pout. "If you and Thomas are truly my friends, you would end this shit so I don't have to be caught in the middle. Misunderstanding or not, it can be worked out with a simple conversation I'm sure." From the corner of her eye, she saw Thomas just on his own, petting his dog. Looking to Leo briefly, she decided that maybe it was time to take matters into her own hands.

"Thomas!" Natasha called to him loudly to which the young man looked up curiously and met eyes with Natasha before seeing who she was with. His brows furrowed and he frowned deeply before looking away. Natasha glared at him openly before looking to Leo, who was sure to be mad at her now. "I don't care if you both hate me for this, but you are going to talk this out. You just lost your grandmother, if this party should teach you anything it's that we don't have a lot of time on this earth to fight like idiots." Natasha spoke from her heart, knowing first hand just how little time people had on this earth given that her father was in and out of her life in a matter of 5 years.

"Thomas Porter, don't you dare look away from me!" Natasha growled before stomping over to grab his arm. Thomas didn't understand why he didn't just shove the smaller woman off of him but he let her usher him towards Leo. Thomas looked down at their feet, not meeting his former best friend's gaze at all as Natasha looked between the two men. "Look here, this drama between you two needs to end. We aren't high schoolers any longer, you two are grown-ass men who can use your words to communicate what you are feeling. Or at least I think you can. " Looking between them, neither of them said anything and Natasha let out a groan. "Thomas, can't you just admit that maybe you are being ridiculous? I'm sure Leo can do the same."

Thomas let out a dark chuckle, "Nat, I am being perfectly reasonable. All I asked for was an apology but Leo thinks that I should be the one apologizing when that's a bunch of bullshit." Those words were definitely fighting words. Natasha didn't want this to escalate to anything extreme so she raised her hands between the men, hoping to god that Leo didn't get too hot-headed. "Now don't you think that maybe the two of you should just apologize to each other and call it quits? You guys use to be best friends!"
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess

Spoiler

 

[Bellz]

Julia Avvocata ​

Julia could see Ricky's apprehension about what to do clear as day, Julia knew it would be hard to make him budge. As Damian talked about Gabriel's respect and how it would take a nosedive if Ricky let a woman who was personally attached to the Sullivans take over, Julia made a disgusted face. In her opinion, the Sullivans didn't have as much to offer as Moretti did. The Sullivans weren't in the picture in New York, thus while they did work with them, they didn't work as closely with them as Gabriel. If they were to lose Gabriel's respect, his trust, they would lose New York...it was only a matter of time. Damian agreed with her when she said that Roxie would pull a fast one, reminding Ricky that she was cozy with the Sullivans despite her not being in a relationship with her ex. Her children were her obligation and she would always think about them before she thought about what was best for the business. She was a liability, a dangerous one at that.

Julia wasn't surprised when Ricky shook his head at her suggestion that Roxie needed to be removed. He firmly told her that he wouldn't hurt his cousin to which Julia offered him the smallest of smiles. The man pinched the bridge of his nose and she saw how frustrated he was getting. It was only a matter of time before he let his darkest thoughts emerge, Julia could latch on that and convince him otherwise.

Damian told him to embrace his darker side but Ricky wouldn't budge. The man looked her way and Julia raised her chin as she watched him closely. Having been his friend for so long, she could see he was serious in his search for a different option but Damian's words were daunting on what his hesitation would do to the relationship they had with Moretti.

Damian looked to his watch before looking towards Julia, directly telling her to talk some sense into Ricky. Nodding her head firmly once, she said her goodbyes before moving back towards the bar again. Alcohol always lowered one's inhibition, especially Ricky's. After fixing him another drink, Julia motioned for him to join her on the couch. At first, the pair just sat in silence as Julia sipped on her drink. "You know, I really respect and admire you, Ricky. Always have. From the day I met you, I was always in awe of your everlasting strength, your ability to handle the situations you were forced into. I also admire how much you are willing to protect your cousin." Julia sighed and looked around her a moment. "But do you ever think about why it was so important to keep this all a secret from her, to preserve her innocence? You both are the same age. Why was your youth not kept, your innocence?" She questioned as she turned to look at him as she set her drink down.

Taking his free hand, she gave it a squeeze as she searched his eyes. "I've kept my mouth shut for years about it but I just don't think I can keep it shut any longer. It has always seemed to me that your cousin has been the favorite between the two of you, even in your father's eyes. I mean, think about it, if he truly cared about you and loved you, Ricky. He would have let you have your childhood, he claimed he hated Stefano and yet he let that horrible man teach you the worst of things, see the worst things. You went through so much while Roxie got to coast by without any trauma whatsoever. Sure, years later in her adult life, Stefano took advantage of her. But then she had her dear boyfriend to save her. Who was there to save you? Not your father or mother, certainly not Roxie, though she didn't know." Julia paused as her expression turned darker.

"I know how much you loathe yourself, Ricky. The person you've become and if Roxie truly knew who you are...do you think for one second she would have your back?" Julia shook her head. "I've been there for you, every time you've needed me. Do you think I would steer you down the wrong path?" Moving her hand to caress Ricky's cheek, she smiled softly. "I've seen the true you, I know exactly who you are. And there isn't anything I would change about you. But Roxie, she'll try to change you...just like her father succeeded in doing." Julia's eyes searched his as she looked at him seriously, "Family is blood, but there is always bad blood. There is always the one person who will ruin absolutely everything. I won't let her do that to you, Ricky. It isn't her place to take what's rightfully yours. Your father may have not had any faith in you and your abilities but you have me, Damian, and most importantly Gabriel Moretti saying that we believe in you."

"I know you don't want to hurt her, but we have to get her to budge. The Sullivans have nothing to offer us, if we don't keep our alliance with Gabriel we will force us out of New York, our home. We don't have enough power to fight back, we have to be smart in our decision-making. And as your Senior member, I am telling you, we need to get rid of her."
with: Ricky Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Home-Dublin
Leo Sullivan

Leo listened as Natasha spoke about men being worse than women when it came to conflict. In his experience, it was definitely the women who had been the type to hold grudges and not be able to have 'simple' conversations about their issues. Shaking his head, he replied, "It's women who are worse when it comes to conflict. They don't know how to let things go. Remind you of anyone?" He said, referring to his cousin and insinuating he was acting like a woman. Leo had tried speaking to his cousin but it didn't seem like anything was working. He felt that fighting for a dying relationship was pointless and was ready to give up completely and just let the past stay there; that is, until Natasha pulled the 'If you really cared' card on him.

Putting her in the middle of their issues was never the plan. He wanted her to feel comfortable spending time with both of them without feeling guilty about it. "Nat, you can be friends with the both of us and not pick sides. I won't talk even talk about the guy to you, how's that?" He asked, hoping for it to be the end of the conversation. A part of him knew better than to think that as he followed her gazed over to Thomas. He glanced back to her before shaking his head. "Don't you dare." He warned. The moment she called out for him he groaned and rolled his eyes. This was definitely not something he wanted to deal with tonight. He could feel his ears getting warm with annoyance and anger already and his cousin hadn't even come over. All he did was ignore her once he caught sight of Leo, which is exactly what Leo wanted Thomas to do. It wasn't until she reminded him that he had lost another grandmother that he took a pause. Maybe she was right, considering the business their family was in.

Natasha moving to grab Thomas left Leo with a moment to think about things. If Seana were alive, she would more than likely be telling him the same thing, as would Shannon. Even Ali was telling him how stupid this issue between them was. It was annoying that all the women in his life were saying the same things and wished his father were around to provide some sort of aid. It seemed everyone in this family were conflict resolution experts and it was nothing short of annoying. Leo prepared himself as he could hear Natasha yelling at Thomas and dragging him over. With Thomas now standing a few feet away from him, Leo avoided looking at him, his hands in his pockets. He wasn't sure how this interaction was going to go so to make sure he didn't punch him or something he kept his hands away. Natasha started the conversation with stating the obvious; all they had to do was talk. Leo had done enough talking, so he left it all up to Thomas. When Thomas didn't say anything Leo started to grow irritated. In Leo's mind he hadn't been the one to throw the whole issue out of proportion, it was Thomas.

Eventually Thomas did speak first, though a dark chuckled could be heard before it. It was enough for Leo to know exactly how this was about to play out, looking at him as he replied to Natasha, claiming to be reasonable. He scoffed and rolled his eyes while listening to what he was saying. 'Here he goes again', he thought to himself, thinking that someone owes him an apology. Leo's jaw tightened as he tried to put in practice Seana's teachings about his temper, but doing a full assessment and asking himself why he was angry wasn't going to help this time around. He knew exactly why he was angry and the culprit was standing right in front of him.

Leo removed his right hand from his pocket and chuckled, rubbing his top lip with his index finger. "So we're doing this shit again?" It was more of a statement than a question. He nodded his head to Natasha before shaking his head. He knew this was a bad idea, but that's not what he was thinking about at the moment. What he was thinking about was how he was about to punch him in the face without hurting Natasha. He slightly backed up and turned his back as if he were about to walk away, though it was a tactic to position himself somewhere he wouldn't hit Nat. At the last minute he turned and connected his right fist with Thomas' jaw. "Reasonable my ass. I don't owe you a damn thing, you entitled little prick!" He shouted, voice full of hurt and anger.



Natasha, Thomas ( Bellz )​

 

[Bellz]

Jeanie Carriveau-Porter ​

Jeanie went wide-eyed at hearing her Aunt Sinead's voice but couldn't speak to try to come up with some sort of cover lie. Instead, she let out a little squeak for her way of begging for help as it felt like she was breathing through a straw repeatedly. Sinead ordered her sister to grab her inhaler before also telling her to grab their father. Jeanie knew they were definitely in for it now. Looking away from Jane as she hurried out of the room, Jeanie focused on her Aunt as the woman told her to sit up straight. She told her to try to take slow and deep breaths but as Jeanie tried to copy her breaths, her chest got tighter and tighter, her breath sounding like it was rattling her ribcage with each inhales and exhales. She was sure her face was turning blue at this point as she grabbed onto her Aunt's arm tightly, her eyes watering and tears spilling over.

Seeing her father in front of her brought her some relief as he moved to sit near her. Her eyes closed lightly as he stroked her forehead before she opened them and saw he had the inhaler. Biting down quickly, he pressed the button to release the air and Jeanie sucked in the biggest breath she could muster. Nodding her head, she did as she was instructed to do. He continued to press the button until Jeanie felt like she could finally take a proper deep breath. Once he pulled it away, Jeanie coughed a few times and gasped in more air into her lungs. Tiredly, she leaned against her father as he rubbed soothing circles against her back. Jeanie smiled faintly as he encouraged her but tears continued down her eyes. The last attack she had ended up putting her in the hospital overnight, the first time they learned she had asthma. The feeling of not being able to breathe was so scary, even to someone as fearless as Jeanie.

When asked if she felt sick, Jeanie nodded her head and took the bin from him before placing her face in it. She hated throwing up but immediately felt ten times better after doing so. After lifting her head, she could see their father glaring at Jane and Jeanie watched as he asked what they were doing with his cigarette case. Jane, of course, didn't know how to answer. Jeanie cleared her throat and was about to answer her father when another wave of nausea hit her and she instead threw up into the bin once more. Jeanie kept her head glued to the opening of the bin as she listened as her father shouted at poor Jane. She flinched as her sister screamed, feeling her anguish physically. Jeanie lifted her head to speak, "It was my fault." She said weakly, unsure if anyone would hear her properly.

Jane was quick to point blame at their father and Jeanie's eyes widened at her boldness. Jeanie was normally the bold one of the two but it seemed like her sister was catching on. Feeling like she wasn't going to vomit her brains out any further, Jeanie lightly placed the bin down on the floor just as her father moved to the couch above her. Wiping at her mouth with her sleeve delicately, Jeanie shifted to move to sit beside him. She still felt awful and curling into his side was extremely comforting despite the fact that they were in trouble. He spoke of it being easier not to start than it was to stop and Jeanie wanted to know what he meant by those words.

He soon dove into a story of when he was 18, which was weird for Jeanie to think about. To her and her siblings, her father was old, of course. Thinking of him as a teenager kinda blew her mind. Same with their mother. He didn't talk about his past with the family business a lot with them but he seemed this was an appropriate time to talk about it. Jeanie listened with great interest. Hearing him start smoking after someone died to save him was hard to hear, but not surprising. Even though they were young, Jeanie and her sister understood their father had a hard time opening up about things. Jeanie smiled as he stated that if there was anything worrying them, that they could talk about it with him and he would always do his best to understand. Their mother, of course, always offered the same but with their dad it just was different.

Jeanie always felt closer to him and she was sure Jane felt the same. The only one that didn't apply to was JJ who was attached to their mother's hip practically. Jeanie snuggled into his side, burying her face into his chest as she hugged him tightly. "Thank you, daddy." She mumbled to which Jane started to apologize. "I'm sorry too." Jeanie chimed in before looking at her sister with a smile, "All good. Just needed to throw my brains up, that's all. Could use some mouthwash though." She giggled. Before she could say more, her pager went off and she knew exactly who it was. "Oh shit, mom's calling." Jeanie made a face of distaste before looking to Jane. "We should call her back before she has a cow." Jeanie rolled her eyes.

Looking to her dad, Jeanie smiled, "You are much cooler than her, daddy. We love you." She moved to kiss his cheek gently before hopping up with some effort to move towards the phone in the same room.

***​

Roxie Carriveau (on speakerphone)​

Roxie was patiently waiting a few minutes for Sinead to get the kids all lined up for a phone call. She was sure they were causing some trouble somewhere, she just had a feeling. Most of the time when she had the feeling, she was 100% right. It was like some mom superpower she gained after her kids could start walking, letting her know exactly when something was wrong. If only it could tell her what it was they were up to. Instead of calling, she tried paging Jeanie once more and this time it seemed to work because 2 minutes later the phone rang. "Hello?" Roxie answered. "Hi, Mom. You were blowing up my pager." Jeanie said with some attitude. Roxie rolled her eyes, "That's being a tad dramatic don't you think, dear? Are your brother and sister around? I just wanted to check in before I go out again." Jeanie put the phone on speakerphone and waved Jane over. "Janey and I are here, I have no idea where JJ is." Jeanie said as Roxie let out a laugh, "Well I hope someone is keeping an eye on him, if there are any sweets lying about you are likely to find each on having been sampled." Jeanie laughed too as she looked at her sister. "How are my girls? Staying out of trouble I hope. I know I said I would call after the meeting I was supposed to have. Things got a little bit out of control so it took longer than I expected. But Matthew and I will be home tomorrow in the evening. Do you want to stay at your father's until Sunday like usual or do you wanna come home so we can spend time together before the week starts? I miss you all so much." Jeanie looked to her sister, wondering what she wanted to do. "I definitely want to stay at dads! No offense, mom." Waiting for Jane to answer, Roxie, paused a moment as she tried to keep herself from feeling offended. "No worries, loves. It's your dad's time anyway." She paused once more before asking, "How's he holding up? Your great-grandma was one amazing lady. I hope you are being on your best behavior for him and the rest."
with: Jane Pyroclast
mentions: Syd Pyroclast ; Sinead Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Kurt Lee Reznik​

A smile crept onto Kurt’s face while the two talked about their kids, then nodded when the man commented on the slow passage of time in prison. “You’re tellin’ me,” he said. “I been in here 20 years and every time Benjie visited me he looked different. You know, taller, bigger, different hair. You take all those visits and compress them, suddenly 24 hours is spread out across a whole year.” Kurt shrugged. “Imagine that - you wake up, your kid’s all scrawny; by nightfall his voice has dropped, he’s a foot taller and he’s captain of the school’s fuckin’ football team.” He fell silent again as he thought about his son; he was at a normal age to have left home, but Kurt still thought about the time they had lost living together. Crime and violence was all he had ever known so he knew it had been inevitable that someday he wouldn’t come home. He just wished he had been around at least a few years longer, to watch his son grow up without the distance between them. “Maybe if I wasn’t in prison I wouldn’t see him that often, anyway. I mean, he’s 23 years old - I’d got married by then myself. But it’s the fact that I can’t, because I’m in here and he’s thousands of miles across the sea, that makes the distance between all those visits seem a thousand times longer. Now 24 hours is like, two, maybe even three years. What a fuckin’ waste, huh?”

On the subject of James’ connection with Moretti inside the prison, Kurt listened with patience as he explained the situation. As much as he hated the idea of working for the enemy in any capacity, he truly did want to do what he could to help the man in front of him. He thought about what it would mean to keep out of the way like James was suggesting. Keeping to oneself was, as he had learned, a harder skill to learn for some than others. It often meant burying one’s core principles. Not speaking out, not making a move, never trying to change the way things were or teach someone a lesson they needed to learn. As his cell mate, Kurt would undoubtedly notice any damage inflicted on him. It didn’t matter that he had just met the man; a connection between them had formed unexpectedly fast and he knew that if it developed into a friendship, which was seeming likely, then he wouldn’t want to stand around if James was in some serious trouble. Still, he didn’t want to be so forward as to suggest that he already cared for the man’s well-being, so he kept his thoughts to himself. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I get what you mean. Ask no questions and all that. You do what you gotta do, man - the offer stands if you ever change your mind.”

His mind was cast back to the phone calls he had recently had with his son about what he was doing with himself on the outside, and he rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully. “He is, yeah,” he answered, when James asked if he was involved with the mob. “Nothin’ dangerous, though. He’s a good kid, keeps his nose clean. He works in a restaurant owned by Conor Sullivan - a shift manager. I guess he sees a lot of faces, he tends to talk about his colleagues like they’re friends of his. He’s mentioned Adam a few times - Adam Harper, you know that guy? I was actually in prison with him a few years back. And uh…” He snapped his fingers as his mind flipped through a catalogue of names. “Callahan. Peter Callahan, yeah. I’ll have to ask next time I make a call, get his friends’ names and see if there’s a Thomas or an Olivia.” He tilted his head up to look at James and smiled. Although it was in his nature to be hostile and confrontational when he believed something wasn’t right, he now found it strange to imagine throwing a punch at the man standing before him. “What about yours? They in the business or keep out of it?”

Interactions
Misty Gray James

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter
Natasha McCarthy
Peter Callahan
Braden Callahan ​

Thomas raised his brow as Leo stated that they were doing this shit again. He said nothing as Leo seemed to be thinking of what to do next. Thomas thought that he was going to walk away because that would have been the appropriate thing to do during a party like this. Natasha watched Leo closely and she let out a slight sigh of relief as it seemed as Leo was being the bigger man and walking away. But quick as lightning, Leo connected his right fist with Thomas's jaw and shouted at him. Natasha stumbled back. Thomas's head snapped to the side with the force of the punch but his body didn't move an inch. Just as quickly, Thomas threw his fist to the man's chest before moving to grab him tightly by the shoulders. Walking him back quickly, Thomas threw his left fist at Leo's face before shoving him back before he could fully recover watching as the man crashed into the champagne table just as people including his mother dove out of the way. "I'm the entitled prick? Really?! I've risked my life for others, what the fuck have you done?" Thomas roared as he landed a kick into Leo's side as he was down before moving to lift him up by the collar.

Lucy and Natasha rushed towards the two men. "Thomas! Let go of him, now!" Lucy shouted. Peter and Braden quickly moved to help the women as Braden stepped over Leo and placed his hand on Thomas. "It's not fucking worth it, Mate! This is not the time nor the place! Look around you!" The man pleaded as Thomas's chest heaved trying to control his anger. If he was his normal self, Thomas would have been much more in control but ever since he returned back from Iran, he was someone else entirely. He provoked Leo and of course, got what was coming. Thomas looked past Braden his blue eyes on Leo as he glared down at the man. "Don't you ever fucking put your hands on me again. Or I swear to god you won't live to see another day." Thomas growled before Braden was able to push him back and away from his cousin.

Peter looked to Leo and moved to help him up off the floor before standing in front of him. "Don't retaliate. You are going to make it worse, like Braden said, it's not worth it." Natasha looked to Leo and shook her head at him, "I didn't think that would happen, Leo, I'm so sorry." Peter searched around for Ali and Conor and once they were with Leo, Peter moved away from the man.

Braden pushed Thomas into another room, seeing the crazed look in the man's eyes as he continued to stare down Leo until he was no longer in sight. Lucy followed Braden, hoping Syd would come help calm the man down. "What the hell do you think you are doing, Thomas?! Today of call days? Disrespecting your grandmother like this? How dare you!" She hissed and Thomas clenched her jaw at his mother. "Oh shut it, mom! You saw he threw the first punch! What the hell was I supposed to do, just let him do it without any consequences?" Lucy shook her head. "That's exactly what I expect you to do, Thomas! This isn't you, you never fought like this! Especially with Leo." Thomas let out another dark chuckle as he moved to spit some blood from his mouth. "Sorry to disappoint you yet again mother, if you don't like who I am, you can just fuck off." Lucy's jaw dropped, deja vu from those words carrying her into silence. Her eyes watered before her hand reached out and slapped her son clean across the face. Thomas didn't react as he just shoved her away and moved outside.
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess
mentions: Ali Melanin-Gxdess ; Conor Misty Gray ; Syd Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor raised a curious eyebrow as Aliana made a comment to Thomas about teaching Leo how to dress. "Nothing wrong with jeans and t-shirt," he commented to Aliana after Thomas had left. He shrugged his shoulders. "Don't get me wrong, I've always looked this sexy in a suit," he joked, running his hand down his chest. "But at his age I was much happier in the casual gear. It was easier to run from the cops and didn't much matter if it got messed up on a heavy night out," he said with a chuckle. "He'll catch up with his dad's style soon enough."

Conor rolled his eyes when Aliana told him to thank everyone for coming to the party. "They should be thanking me for inviting them and I'm pretty sure the drinks are already flowing." Gently rubbing his wife's shoulder, he nodded his head in confirmation he would indeed go out to thank them. By now he'd got used to speeches and hosting. At least on this occasion he liked everyone he'd be addressing. The real acting was in some of his business meetings. Being friendly with cops and lawyers often left him feeling dirty afterwards. He smiled down at Aliana as she straightened his shirt for him. "Do I look presentable now?" he softly asked her.

As they stepped out of the room, a commotion and a familiar voice could be heard shouting. Conor's attention was immediately drawn to the source of the shouting - his own son. Leo sounded pretty furious but as Conor realised the young man had punched Thomas, he was feeling some of that anger in himself in that moment. Before anyone could intervene, Thomas punched Leo in return before shoving him into the table, knocking the glasses of champagne out of the way.

Whilst Conor's natural instinct was to step in and go for the man attacking his son, it wasn't so simple when it was two family members involved. Given that Leo and Thomas were both family, for now he could only hold the two equally responsible. Conor had to reserve judgement as, not only were the two of them cousins, but they had been best friends for most of their lives. Still, it didn't excuse the fact they were fighting in his house and at a party in his mother's honour. Seeing Thomas kick Leo and then threaten him if he touched him again rubbed Conor up the wrong way. Nephew or not, he didn't like to see anyone threatening his son.

Thankfully, Lucy and Braden stepped in to pull Thomas away, so Conor didn't have to. "Luce. You need to deal with him!" Conor firmly commanded, pointing at Thomas. He was sure there had to be a good explanation as to why the two were fighting, but right now they needed dealing with before any more mess could be made.

Peter helped Leo up and Conor patted his brother-in-law on the shoulder to relieve him of the burden of dealing with Leo. Conor heard Natasha apologise to Leo for some reason, but Conor shook his head. "Leo. In there. Now!" Conor ordered his son, nudging him forward and pointing into the conservatory. He briefly turned to Natasha. "Are you okay, love?" he asked her. "Whatever this is about, Leo and Thomas are old enough to make their own choices, so don't you go apologising to them."

With Aliana and possibly Natasha behind him, Conor marched Leo into the conservatory and closed the door once everyone was inside. "What the fuck was that about?" Conor asked Leo, his voice raised as he stood directly opposite his son. "It's bad enough you starting a fight in the middle of a party, but even worse seeing family laying into each other. Why did you hit Thomas?" Regardless of Thomas threatening Leo, it had appeared to be Leo who had thrown the first punch.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Leo)
Bellz (Thomas, Natasha, Lucy, Peter, Braden)

 

[Misty Gray]

Biancardi Mansion
~ Queens, New York City ~

Riccardo Biancardi​

Ricky knocked back way too much of his drink in one go before letting out a frustrated groan. He'd expected the day to be heavy in the sense of grieving for his father. Instead, the outcome was actually one of anger and a feeling of betrayal. Ricky held in his feelings as he listened to Julia tell him she admired him. It always confused him as to why she did stick by him when the easier option would have been to associate herself with more popular, or at least less eccentric, friends. When Stefano, Father Miller and numerous others treated him like shit; a waste of space kid who would amount to nothing, Julia stuck by her friend. "I guess it started off as wanting to protect Roxie from getting hurt. As long as Stefano was focusing his attentions on keeping me in line, she could slip under his radar and not get hurt. I don't know why my family wanted to keep it secret from her, but if it meant she didn't have to endure what was happening to me, I had to go along with it." Ricky tightly closed his eyes as images of the stern face of Father Miller once again occupied his mind. He quickly shook his head to try shake them out. Opening his eyes, he looked to Julia. "I used to justify the abuse as something I brought on myself, that it was their way of making me tougher and knocking me into line so I would be prepared to take over the business one day. It didn't make the pain an easier but it at least gave it a purpose and I believed I'd one day be rewarded for persevering. But now I know for sure they were just sick in the head and I let it happen. Giovanni and Stefano are probably laughing at me from their graves."

Ricky looked down to his hand as Julia gave it a squeeze, then he looked back up to meet her gaze as she searched in his eyes. There was an unconscious look of confusion on his face that Julia would see but he didn't realise he was showing. With the exception of his ex-fiancée, Claudia, nobody ever really treated him as kindly and respectfully as Julia was. Hell, even Claudia had turned on him and abandoned him in the end. Though she'd claimed to understand him and the traumas he'd suffered, in the end she never could accept him for who he was.

"Yeah, but I was a pain in the ass. Always have been," Ricky shrugged off that Roxie had been everyone's favourite. He instinctively reached for his glass but stopped in his tracks upon realising it was now empty and he instead had to focus back on what Julia was telling him. "No, you're right. I've never had anyone. Even my mother would have always chosen Roxie over me, especially once she had the twins. Guess they all knew I'd never be able to settle down long enough to have kids."

Ricky let out a groan as he ran his hand down his face. He liked to think Roxie would understand who he really was if she knew everything he'd been through growing up. But as time went on, he was beginning to realise his own perception of himself as well as how others viewed him was drastically different from reality. After learning his father had betrayed him, it no longer seemed inconceivable that Roxie would reject him too. When he thought about it, perhaps the reason she and Syd separated was because she couldn't handle the Irishman's psychological disorders either. Ricky had maybe been blinded and Julia was making him realise that. Ricky managed a small smile as the woman reminded him she'd always been there for him. Then she caressed his cheek and he once again found himself looking for alcohol in a glass already established as being empty. The way she was being towards him was drawing him in beyond the boundary of friends and he had to mentally drag himself back to reality, the one where nobody would want to get that close to him. He cleared his throat and let out a small laugh, making sure to reign himself in and engage in his favourite coping mechanism. "Ah, come on. You wouldn't even have me throw out that ugly sweater I always wear at Christmas?" he joked, to try detach himself from delving too deeply into why she was being kind.

Julia assured Ricky that Gabriel and Damian also believed in him, to which he nodded his head. "They believe in me because it suits them to. Though I suppose that works both ways, because this business needs the Morettis on side if it's going to survive," he agreed. "If push comes to shove and we have to chose, then it has to be the Morettis. What good will the Sullivans be over in Ireland if we're getting fucked up over here," he agreed with her. He knew if the Biancardis had any chance of survival, it wasn't going to be with Roxie in charge, especially given she was tied to Dublin because of the kids and Syd. But talk of getting rid of Roxie and killing her still didn't sit well with Ricky. The Ricky who had always cared for his cousin couldn't imagine hurting her.

"You're working overtime here," Ricky said, his voice adopting a colder tone. He shuffled on the couch to create a little distance between them but turned directly to her nonetheless. "All this stroking my cheek and being kind to me. Trying to appeal to Ricky's weak and vulnerable side... You're only doing all this for your own gain and to 'talk some sense' into me as Damian told you to. I'm not that stupid!" he firmly told her.

Bellz (Julia)

 

[Pyroclast]

Danny Vaughan​

Whenever Danny heard Savannah’s name and he was made to think about where she presently was in her life, he could only measure it against what she was like in her early twenties, back when he had known her in New York. He wasn’t sure how much of that was still accurate. She had a son now, and even though with all his nephews and nieces back in India Danny was confident in his ability to bond with and look after young children, he still felt a separation between him and actual parents. Parenthood could change a person, develop and mature them in ways he might never know. Yet when he looked up to see Savannah’s eyes glistening with tears at his story, it confirmed to him that she had kept her emotional nature. He smiled at her when she assured him that he deserved better than the relationship he had previously escaped. The two of them hadn’t been in touch for so long, he wasn’t sure how she could possibly know how to judge what he did and didn’t deserve. Maybe, like her, he hadn’t changed in the last 13 years as much as he’d thought.

Mirroring her as they each took a sip of champagne, Danny’s smile then fell away when Savannah brought up her own relationship struggles. He didn’t often find himself in a discussion about Savannah but he spent enough time with Conor to have heard a brief mention of the man who had broken her heart. Still, he had never heard details like this about her relationship. It saddened him to hear that she had been afraid about being pregnant, because it sounded like the reason was for becoming permanently tied to the man. If that was the reason, then it seemed well-founded considering she later found out that he had been sleeping around behind her back. Danny understood how it felt to love and care about someone who was bad for him, how easy it was to be sucked into and trapped in a toxic relationship. As much as he would have liked to have a child, he supposed the upside to her sabotaging the pregnancy was that he had been able to cut himself off from his fiancée altogether. Of course, he didn’t expect that Savannah regretted having Callum at all - he could only imagine how wonderful a mother she would make, but it still must be hard having to stay in touch with the man who had hurt her so badly. Especially having to keep it to herself to preserve her son’s relationship with his father.

“Shannon sounds like a very important figure to you. I’m glad you got to have that relationship with her. But man, I hope you don't mind me sayin' - your ex is a fuckin' piece of trash for cheating on you. How anyone could do that, I just...” With a gentle look in his eyes, he shook his head and took a sip of his champagne. He wasn't exactly sure what was happening, but he was finding it hard to express himself without sounding like he was trying to flirt with her. It was as though he was being compelled by some retroactive force to act in the same way he had acted with her in the past. After all, the last time they had been in each other's company like this was back when they were dating. “Well, seeing as the two of us have had bad luck with partners, you can talk to me if you need to let it out. I promise I won’t tell Callum a thing.” He mimed zipping his mouth shut and then smiled at her. “We sure can pick ‘em, huh? And to think I used to be good at choosing girlfriends. Here’s hoping the next time we find love it’s the true kind.” Danny raised his glass to her and then took another sip. Even though he had had quite a few girlfriends over the last ten years, they had all fallen apart eventually for a variety of reasons: a lack of interest, a clash of schedules, a returning ex, wanting different things from life. Danny didn’t see a pattern among them and only one or two of them had been troublesome, so he didn’t worry that he might have a problem with women. He was just disappointed that he had never managed to settle down.

Savannah’s radiant smile was infectious and Danny couldn’t stop himself from reflecting it with one of his own. A sudden fluttering sensation swept through his chest when she expressed how happy she was to have bumped into him, and he blushed slightly as if she could hear his heart beating. “So you’re heading back to London soon, then?” he asked, trying not to sound like it mattered to him. “It’d be a shame to have to say goodbye so soon.” Holding a soft gaze on her, he paused for a moment as he took in all her familiar features, and all the tiny details that had changed since they were younger. “You know, I gotta say, Sav...seeing you here has really sent me back in time,” he admitted, with a warm, light-hearted chuckle. “I can’t believe 13 years has gone by, you know? I feel like I still know you. Is that bold of me to say?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah