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

[Bellz]

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

Harper rolled her own blue eyes as Jeremy was absolutely oblivious to the fact that the girls she had been referring to were in fact not laughing at him. Men were really so clueless to the point that it was annoying. A small strand of blonde hair that she had carefully placed on the side of her face to frame it had gotten in her eyes and she blew it away almost aggressively. Before she had a chance to say anything, Jeremy reached out to grab her hand, being sorta rough about it but not in a way that hurt.

Her right brow raised in confusion as she watched him turn it over to stroke her palm. He stated that he would never get sick of her to which she let out a small laugh. He then went on to say that neither of the women she had pointed out could hold a candle to her. The insecure side of her spoke up, "Ah surely the brunette could...she looks...annoying." Harper said with a small smirk before her eyes met his. They were so intense that Harper's cheeks burned. Clearing her throat, she turned to look in another direction of the club. She was glad that he humored her when she talked about her quarter-life crisis. It was beginning to dawn on her that she didn't necessarily have a future like the rest of her family did. Spencer was married and had a little one who would arrive any minute, Alex...well, at least he was with someone at one moment in time and he had a kid as well. Billy was head over heels for Erik and she was sure that they would work out in the end. Harper wasn't sure what the future held for her. The philosophy she had in her early 20s was that she would live life the way she wanted to, especially since sometimes one didn't live long. But that wasn't necessarily working out in her favor anymore.

Waitressing was the absolute worst line of work she could possibly do, she hated serving others. It was something that was meant to be a side gig so that she could audition for local theaters to eventually make it big time...but it was hard to make a name for yourself outside of her family's business. She didn't want to earn parts or gigs from people fearing her relatives...for a while, she contemplated changing her last name but the insecurities she had about her ability to perform stopped her from even auditioning for things nowadays.

Harper hadn't noticed Jeremy looking towards her brothers, only paying attention to him again when he spoke up. He stated that he didn't have to be paid to hang out with her and that she was his friend. The smallest of smiles played on her lips before it was wiped away by him saying that being paid was a nice perk when she was being stubborn. "Oh haha." The blonde said as she narrowed her eyes at him. "My brothers aren't so lucky, if they had a dollar for every time I was a stubborn shit...they'd be a lot richer than they are now." Harper had just noticed Spencer with Alex and her mouth turned down in disappointment. "What the hell is he doing here?" She hissed out before wondering if something was wrong. Her eldest brother always had this look on his face when something was wrong...he wasn't much of a closed book. "You think everything's okay?" She asked worriedly, feeling frustrated that she wasn't being kept in the loop on anything. It wasn't anything new but that didn't make things less frustrating.

Before anything more could be said, Harper saw one of the two girls that had been giving heart eyes at Jeremy walking towards the table. "Oh Jesus..." Harper said irritatingly before the woman approached the table. The woman didn't seem to notice Harper at all, only looking at Jeremy as she smiled at him sweetly...a little too sweetly for Harper's liking. "Hey there, I know this is a little forward but I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Monica and I-" Harper cleared her throat as she crossed her arms over her chest. "He's not interested, sweetheart." The blonde said, glaring daggers at the woman. "Before you came over here and rudely inserted yourself, we were just having a conversation about how the padding in your bra is lopsided, best go fix that in the powder room before someone who is actually interested in you notices. Now scram!" The brunette was literally speechless which pleased Harper and without much of a fight, the woman walked away quickly holding her chest.
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti's Office
~ Murray Hill, Manhattan ~

Gabriel Moretti​

Gabriel wasn't blind to the fact Teddy was displeased about something but he followed one of his usual tactics of allowing a silence to envelope the room long enough to get the man to spill his thoughts without being asked or interrupted. Without given cues, Gabriel found people would speak a more accurate and uninfluenced truths. His son-in-law soon continued to speak, with an annoyance in his tone as me mentioned missing the memo where the attempted kidnapping was concerned. Gabriel brought his glass to his mouth, taking a drink to avoid displaying his exasperation or even humour at Teddy's passive-aggressive comment.

As Gabriel put his glass down, Teddy further commented that the memo must have been lost in the mail. "Perhaps I should fire the secretary," the older man sarcastically remarked. Thankfully, Teddy stopped trying to keep the peace and spoke more accurately about what was on his mind. It was obvious he was upset that Liam had been dragged into the plans, making clear of where he drew the line. "It would appear I missed a memo too. The one where I have what I can and cannot do dictated to me by anyone else." Gabriel sat forward and looked Teddy in the eyes. "What we're supposed to do is run a successful empire in one of the most lucrative cities in the world. There is nothing I wouldn't do to secure a favourable deal for my business and wipe out the competition. Similarly, when I have Irish rats attacking my family, I will do whatever it takes to force them back into the holes they crawled out of."

Gabriel shook his head. "We are talking about a family who blew up most of mine in the middle of a birthday party. The same family who slaughtered the Romanos inside a church over in Chicago. The same family who kidnapped Cristina... Every move they make against us, I will not just show them I am willing to do the same, but that I am able to do it better. If they think they've beaten us even once, they will try it again. An ocean isn't going to stop me from reminding them which of us is the strongest."

Gabriel took another drink before relaxing back in his seat. "I didn't send you a memo about the Callahans because of how you're acting now. It was going to go ahead no matter what, but I knew you'd protest it. Be it your own growing sentimentality or you having Valentina chirping away in your ear, I knew you wouldn't be on board. But as far as I'm concerned, they had to suffer the way we all did when Cristina was missing."

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor observed Allen's clear surprise upon hearing why his family were attacked last week. He spoke up, clarifying they were hurt because of Conor's actions. "Yeah, it was a direct response to my actions of having Moretti's grandkid kidnapped. Really, though, we can go back and trace it all the way back to around 1965 when Gabriel's brother, Francesco, put a bullet in my cousin, Liam's, skull. Cue a 20 year history of back-and-forth attacks, tortured or lost loved ones. A war that doesn't ever end as long as Moretti is still alive wanting to avenge his sick, pervert brother." He let out a sigh. "But yes, this particular attack on the people we love was a direct result of my own decision," he admitted.

When Allen told him he wasn't the same, Conor's eyes shot to the man. He already knew he wasn't the same, but it hit harder to hear someone else tell him. "You're right. The Conor you met in prison was the immature, drunken slob who repeatedly disappointed his family. The man who was too soft and reckless to take on the responsibility of leading his own family like his father before him had done so well. I was told to grow up, to see a counsellor, to get out of jail, and to become a responsible man for my family." Conor outstretched his arms to put himself on full display. "Now you're looking at the mature Conor who had to take on this business when Jimbo stepped down. The one who went to counselling, took on responsibility, and carried his best friend's lifeless body out of a sewer. This is what your 'reformed' and fit-for-society son-in-law looks like."

Conor nodded his head when asked if he'd thought about the consequences of his actions. "I knew there would be consequences and security was strengthened, but I failed to prepare enough," he sadly admitted. "I thought having everyone out of New York and London would mean everyone was at their safest. But there are clear flaws in security here that I failed to spot."

Conor let out a deep sigh when Allen spoke of how scared and worried Aliana was. "I know..." he sadly told Allen. "Other than putting my family on lockdown, as my own father and Jimbo have done in the past when they were in charge... I'm limited to how I can make this right. How I can protect our family. The only way the Morettis will ever fuck off is if I make them. I could kill Gabriel, but I have to kill anyone else waiting to slide into his chair. Blowing them up is how this war with the Morettis started in the first place."

The man sat back in his seat and shook his head. "You probably wish she'd never given me another chance when I got out of jail. Hell, if it weren't for those two beautiful daughters of ours, I'd say Ali would have been better off leaving me too." Conor scratched the back of his head and looked Allen in the eyes, trying to read what the man was thinking. "Thing is, everyone's giving me criticism for this but no fucker has offered me alternative actions. I've got family who have been stuck in this life as long as I have, but not a word of advice from any of them. Hell, even Jimbo has been a dick since he got back, and he started this damn war! I'm starting to realise I should have just left him in prison. None of this would have happened... well, not right now it wouldn't. But it was always a matter of time before Moretti did attack us. I just got in first this time and made myself into the bad guy."

Melanin-Gxdess (Allen)

 

[BasDorcha]

Red Light District ​

Soho, London
Jocelyn Justice
​

[Picture coming]
Jocelyn waved off Kit’s rough words, she knew that the woman was here only under orders, not to necessarily protect Jocelyn if she did something stupid. While they were walking, Jocelyn kept her eyes focused on the back of Kit while her mind drifted to the previous week. It had been lovely – Tatiana had come home to find Jocelyn asleep on the couch with Eightball, her painting just barely finished in front of her. Joce had been smart and brought a drop cloth from the apartment with her art supplies, and had covered most of the front room with it so any stray paint wouldn’t find its way onto the floor, walls, furniture, or decorations. What it didn’t protect was herself and the pup. Both of them had paint all over them, Eightball in particular had a hand shaped print on the side of his head, and Jocelyn had a partial paw print smeared onto her shirt.

After a eventful painting session, they’d both sat down on the covered couch and fell asleep together. The painting was of the beautiful view out of the apartments big glass windows, the sun setting in the background and lights just starting to flicker on in the scene. Jocelyn had a note written out beside it she had intended to give with the painting, but Tatiana had come home and found them both by surprise. It simply said:

Thank you for everything you have done for me. This in no way is enough to repay you for getting me out of that alley and somewhere safe, and letting me stay where I feel safe, but I hope it starts to.

XO

Jocelyn

The next week had passed in a blink, with Jocelyn still not at home and occasionally finding a single word or thought escaping when she felt most comfortable or unguarded. Before tonight, when they’d both been leaving to go separate ways for the night, Jocelyn had shyly kissed her goodbye on the cheek. It hadn’t taken long for her to realize that her feelings for Tati, while powered by the situation that brought them together, were growing past just being grateful for being rescued. She had started looking forward to seeing Tati every chance she got, Eightball had become her best bud, and she could see hope on the horizon.

Her mind flipped back to what was at hand when Nikita started talking about rabies shot, and Jocelyn nodded in silent agreement. When Kit started playing musical pocket with her gun, Jocelyn pulled hers from the jacket coat pocket she wore, and carried it openly as well. Jocelyn may look it, but she was as simple as one might think. She had been trained in skeet shooting all her life and on guns and their individual kinks.

When they finally found the men, Jocelyn knew the moment they stepped close. The smell on them, their personal odors, burned her nose in memory. Unintentionally, she gagged, swallowing back the need to throw up. She was here to face this down with Kit not leave her alone to complete the task solo – although Jocelyn was sure she could. Standing up straight, she took a deep breath and stepped closer. She stared into each one of their eyes for a moment, then pointed to the one Kit had by the knee. She leaned over him, staring harder, inches apart as if daring him to deny it again. Straightening her back, she turned to look at Kit and pointed to a spot on her chest, drawing a weird looking circle. Then she turned back around, grabbed the mans shirt and ripped it open with a quick and forceful pull. The same weird looking circle shape was on the man’s chest.

Looking at Kit she mouthed, “Fucking liar.”
Mentions:
Kit - Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Ginn's Residence ♥
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

George Sanderson-Sullivan​

George lightly nodded when Aliana told him she wasn't a hundred percent yet, her hand moving to her neck to show what she was referring to. "I mean, Finn tries his best," he lightly commented. Even so, he knew it wasn't only physical wounds that would have trouble healing. "It'll take time, love. Although scars may not disappear completely, the best we can do is learn from the experience. Use it to make us stronger. But we all know that'll take time, which is why you have me, Finn, and countless others here to look out for you. You're never alone, Ali. We all want to be here for you," he tried to reassure her. When Aliana mentioned Finn had managed to stitch her up well, George's love of books and natural instinct to teach meant he very nearly corrected her in pointing out that she was in fact thinking of Frankenstein's monster, rather than Frankenstein himself. Luckily, George knew now wasn't an appropriate time to be a teacher. "My husband is a perfectionist, dear," he joked. "And a scar won't make you any less beautiful."

George listened as Aliana spoke of how Conor blamed himself for the attack. Whilst he was a peaceful man and he thought highly of Conor, on this occasion, he couldn't help but think it was the man's fault. Whether he had a choice or not, George was a realist and it had been Conor's decisions as the mob boss that led to the previous week's attacks. "Maybe you should talk to him? I don't see why you should bottle it up. I imagine if you haven't talked about it, he's holding things back too. It might seem easier not to discuss it, but sometimes getting things out in the open can bring relief to you. It might be unpleasant, but neither of you will benefit from internalising all of that stress." George shook his head. "Staying quiet could affect your relationship just as much, if not more, than having it out with each other." Whilst he'd been lucky enough to be in one of the most easy-going marriages known to man, he liked to think his words held some truth and logic.

When she apologised for offloading on him, he quickly shook his head and put his arm around her shoulder. "Don't apologise. One of the reasons we invited you over was so you could get things off your chest. I don't doubt things are difficult at home for you," he explained. "Think of this home as a safe haven," he suggested, flashing her a bright smile.

Upon hearing Finn's voice announcing his presence, George looked towards the living room door. His smile grew wider as he watched his husband enter the room. He moved his arm away from around Aliana so Finn could greet the woman with an embrace. George then returned his husband's hug and kiss. "Busy day in the hospital?" he asked, picking up on the suggestion it had been a long day for Finn. "Ali and I were just discussing Conor. I think she's well within her right to want to talk things out with him. What do you think?" he delicately asked. Although he had been a part of the family for many years now, George believed Finn had a much better handle on how to deal with his own cousin.

*****​

In the kitchen, Lucas watched as Rhiannon lifted the cover from over the cake, revealing the sweet-looking frosting. "Buttercream frosting does sound nice..." he trailed off, clearly tempted by the sight of the cake. "Maybe if..." he began to think of a way to sneak a taste without being found out, but was interrupted when Sydney's little voice reminded them of George's instructions. His dads were so easy-going that he wasn't in the slightest bit scared of being told off by them, but it was also the fact they were so chilled that meant he respected them too much to want to disobey them. "Yeah, he did say no eating. It'll still be here after dinner," he reasoned.

When Rhiannon asked him where he'd been lately, Lucas lightly shrugged his shoulders. "I've been doing lots of studying, because I can't start school until September, so George has been teaching me loads at home. I've hung out with Liam and Michael a few times, but only when they're not going to church. I'm not into any of that..." he trailed off. "I guess if you called me we could hang out though. I've not really been out all week anyway, not after Aunt Sinny got stabbed and--" he began, remembering he wasn't meant to be talking about 'grown-up' subject. "Oh, hey! I nearly forgot. George said we can play games or watch a movie. What you you both want to do?" he asked Rhiannon and Sydney whilst pointing to the door for them to leave the kitchen.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Rhiannon, Sydney)
Bellz (Finn)

 

[Misty Gray]

Emerald Studios
~ Dollymount, Dublin ~

Savannah Callahan​

Although she was embarrassed herself, something about seeing Danny turn away from her half-dressed body amused her. With the dressing robe on and tied around her waist, she waited for Danny to turn back to face her, noticing his reddened cheeks caused by his blushing. It all made his handsome features that extra bit more enticing to her, which was something she felt she needed to push to one side. Though she felt there was still some chemistry between them after all of those years, she wasn't big-headed or forward enough to assume he would still harbour any romantic feelings for her now. Still, despite her brain telling her to keep in check, she couldn't help but feel relaxed and flirtatious in his presence. "Of course I don't mind. A handsome man such as yourself giving me a ride home? It'll make a change from having my sister chew my ear off for the entire journey," she joked.

She quickly nodded her head when he asked her if she was ready to go. "Sure, I'll grab my handbag---" she began, falling silent before laughing along as he spoke of her causing heart attacks if she went out in only the outfit the was currently wearing. "Oh, I guess I do need a few minutes. To put some actual clothes on and all that..." she commented.

After returning to her dressing room for a short time, Savannah eventually stepped back out wearing a knee-length blue dress with her cardigan and handbag draped over her arm. "I think I'm now appropriately dressed to step into your car, Danny," she playfully told him. "I'm heading straight to my own house for the night, so I can tidy around the place before I bring Callum home from my parents' house tomorrow. Do you know where my new place is?" she asked as she walked out of the building with her ex-boyfriend. "It's in Dollymount, but I can direct you once we get there," she suggested.

When they got into the car, Savannah looked to Danny from the passenger seat and sent him a warm smile. After everything that had been happening recently and the heavy week she'd spent comforting her mother and youngest brother, it was nice to have some time to relax with someone not as deeply involved in the darkness that clouded her family. Danny had always been a light back when things were rough in New York. Somehow, just being in his presence now brought back that peaceful and relaxed feeling. "What have you been up to since our last catch up? Staying out of trouble, I hope," she lightly teased. She was fully away of his role within the mob, but it didn't bother her. Most of the people she knew were involved with her family's business and she always found it difficult to fully open up to someone if she couldn't tell them about her family's business. It had been one of the reasons she'd been open to dating Alex, as he was involved in the Kings business and wouldn't have run a mile from her for her ties to the mob. Although, there was one thing Danny knew about Savannah's own past that she'd never been able to open up to Alex or anyone else about - the matter of the thug she'd killed in self-defence back in the early 70s.

Pyroclast (Danny)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

George and Finn’s
~Dublin, Ireland~
Aliana Sullivan

​

Ali sniffled and softly nodded her head while George tried his best to reassure her. She knew time was important when it came to these sorts of things, but how much time? How long would she continue to have these nightmares? How long before her sudden bursts of emotions settled down and she could feel herself again? She didn't want to wallow in her trauma but she was finding it difficult not to. The thought of a therapist came to mind, but she couldn't exactly go to just anyone. If the past had taught her anything it was that anyone and everyone could be an enemy to her family, so being trusting and opening up was never going to be easy. So she'd have to settle for using her cousin-in-law as someone she could talk to. She was grateful for him too, since his words and reassurance were slowly beginning to at least make her feel a little better. She gave him a weak smile and patted his hand. "I know," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'll remember that."

Of all the people in her family, George and Finn would be the first people she would ever come to when it came to marriages. The two of them always seemed to be happy with one another and she could tell there was nothing but love between the two of them. At times Ali was jealous of their marriage and wished the same could be said of her own with Conor. The two of them were always arguing - even the beginning of their relationship had been rocky and complicated. Sure, they'd have their moments when everything was perfect but it only lasted for a short time before things were hard again. George went on to suggest they talk about it and Ali shook her head. "We'll just end up arguing." She sighed and leaned back into her seat, crossing her arms. "It could be a minor thing and it'd end up blown out of proportion. Besides, at this point, I don't even know what I would say."

Aliana gave him another smile when he reminded her that his home was a safe haven. Being able to get certain things out and in the open felt nice and she was more than happy that George and Finn had offered to create such a place for her. The fact that they didn't have to but were still doing so only made her love them more. The sound of Finn's voice coming from around the corner caused her to perk up. When he was fully in view her smile widened and she returned his embrace. Though she had seen Finn nearly every day since she arrived at the hospital, she would never tire of seeing him. He had been her doctor after all. Watching George and Finn interact with one another, she felt that jealous feeling settle in again. From the day she had been introduced to the day they announced their engagement, they had always looked so happy.

Realizing she was staring, she looked down at her hands until George started to catch Finn upon their brief conversation before asking his opinion. She looked to Finn, biting her lip as the anticipation of his answer started settling in. She already knew George had been a hundred percent correct when he suggested they talked, but if she was given even the slightest bit of advice telling her not to, she was going to run with it.

***​

Rhiannon was always amused when Lucas called his dads by their first names. Though her mother had explained several times that some households were different from her own, she could never wrap her head around it. At one point she tried calling Conor and Aliana by their first names only to get told not to do it again. Listening to him talk, she nodded her head in understanding of how he had been spending his time. "Does George make you study all the time?" She asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. "Church? Is that where that one guy named 'Father' is?" She asked referring to Father Healy. "Mom says he gives her the creeps and that's why we aren't too religious." Granted, Rhiannon figured there was another reason her mother didn't take her to church often but she knew for sure the man gave off weird vibes. She nodded her head in agreement when Lucas suggested she call him, but quickly stopped when she heard him mention Sinead getting stabbed.

Sydney heard it too, but Rhiannon had quickly changed the subject right along with Lucas so it didn't settle in her younger sister's mind. "Yeah! I think a movie would be okay. Sydney, didn't you want to watch 'The Secret of NIMH'?" She asked, mentioning the movie Syd had been talking about for days. Sydney's eyes immediately lit up and she smiled, nodding her head. The two girls followed Lucas to where they would watch the movie, Rhiannon doing the honors of putting the movie in and playing it. She made sure to turn the TV up to try and drown out the upcoming conversation she was about to try and have with her cousin. "Alright Sydney, make sure you pay attention." Sydney had already been captivated by the animated mouse running across the screen and hadn't been paying attention. Rhiannon then turned to Lucas. "Aunt Sinny got stabbed? When?"

George, Lucas ( Misty Gray )

Sullivan Family Home
~Dublin, Ireland~
Allen Cartwright

​

Allen hadn't been a stranger to the people the Sullivans had gone to war with, but hearing that this one had been going on since before he was even involved with them was a shock. During most conflicts, both parties would find a way to come to some sort of agreement, which is what Allen had been under the impression of. He thought it was the whole reason they left New York and had returned to Dublin. Hearing it all now, however, it was clear that wasn't the case. This fight had been going on for decades with no end in sight and that only worried Allen more. What would be the end? Who were they - and Moretti - going to lose in the upcoming years in order for it all to finally be over and put to bed? A question he knew better than to ask Conor even though he was genuinely curious.

The older man had gotten the pleasure of learning more about his son-in-law ever since they met in prison. He wouldn't say the two of them are particularly close, but he did care about it. Not just because of Aliana and his grandchildren, either, but because he could relate. Allen had ended up in prison because of his temper as well and had missed out on years of his daughter's life, including her first child and her wedding. Someone else had walked her down the aisle and it wasn't him and he was never going to be able to make up for it. He wanted to change for her and Seana the same way Conor wanted to change for his own family. The main difference was that Conor had been pestered to change, forced even, and maybe before he was truly ready to grow up. Allen couldn't help but let out the slightest chuckle, shaking his index finger at him. "I think they said to grow up and stop being so impetuous," he said, rubbing his eyes. "Not let your trauma turn you into someone you barely recognize."

"Then perhaps you should take another look at the security around here," he suggested, though it was more so a sarcastic comment than an actual suggestion. "Safety is an illusion. No one is truly ever safe so long as you've got enemies walking around out there. I think you'd be wise to remember that, kid." Listening to Conor speak about not wanting to lock his family down, he let out an unintended scoff. "They can be angry all they want. With all this new, flashy technology these young kids have they'll be plenty entertained." His words were serious, but his tone remained light as to not make it seem like he was blaming Conor for not locking them all down in the first place.

A genuine laugh then left Allen's throat at the mention of Ali taking him back once he was released. "What is this, a pity party?" He leaned forward in his seat, elbows on his knees with his eyes on the man sitting across from him. "I'll tell you this if Al really wanted to leave you she'd have done it a long time ago. I'm talkin' the moment you got arrested. She may say she didn't want Leo to grow up without a dad as she did - and it could be true - but that ain't the only reason she's stayin'." He leaned back in his seat again, listening to Conor express his annoyance with his family members. As far as business went, Allen had tried his best not to put his nose in anything. He hadn't been asked his opinion in the past and he hadn't been asked now. Yet for some reason, he felt for Conor. The weight of everything was on his shoulders and he was trying to do his best, only to be met with resistance. Even he had come into Conor's office to berate him for what happened. "Me too," Allen started, "Al was only out because she was shopping for his welcome home party." He joked in an attempt to ease the tension.

With a heavy sigh, he tried to rack his brain to come up with something. He scratched his head, hoping that would help before shrugging his shoulders. "I mean- Fuck, Sullivan, I'm not good at that either. Was talking ever an option? And I'm not talking about to him, but someone under him. A coup de tat maybe?" It wasn't a serious suggestion, just something to spitball at him while he tried racking his brain.

Conor ( Misty Gray )

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~Bethnal Green, London~
Erik Snowden

​

Erik watched on in amusement as Billy tried to cover up his nervous reaction with laughter. Of course, he was jealous! Erik had been showing May attention that he could've been showing Billy and he wasn't having it. It was cute, he thought to himself, and completely unnecessary. Erik and May had already had the conversation that he was interested in someone and he had faith that if she believed it, she would respect that. But what fun would it be if Erik revealed that to him now that Billy was digging himself into a giant hole?

"I'm not a reader," Erik started, sitting up in his seat. "But that sounds like some romance. You a big fan of the romance genre, are you Billy?" Erik said in a singsong voice. There was nothing wrong with him reading romance novels, of course, but he had always felt like Billy wanted to give off the macho man vibe. Every day he learned that it was just a mask to hide the true softie underneath it all. It was clear to Erik that Billy had created a persona to hide his true self and his true nature and, if he were being honest, he couldn't blame him for it. Erik had grown up with Ava, someone who had been more than okay and loving with the fact that he was gay. He had long since decided that the only opinion that truly mattered was his cousin's and that had fueled his ability to not care about what society was going to put him through. People could say whatever they wanted and try to beat him up, but he would never let someone's negative words hold power over him again.

Billy, he found, wasn't like that. He had been afraid of himself and the world because of the things he had seen and apparently experienced. It was understandable, too, which is why whenever Erik would call him out about lying about being gay he had done so in a teasing matter. He and Billy had grown up differently and been treated differently so how he reacted and felt about certain things held their own merit. So as Billy slowly accepted who he was, Erik wanted to make sure he knew he would be there for him and with him through whatever struggles came their way.

Erik let out a hearty laugh when Billy acted concerned about May. "Relax, Jack, I've been on my best behavior when it comes to your favorite bartender." He drank from his cup as Billy urged him to tell May he was guy, causing his eyebrows to shoot up. "Are you the pot right now, or the kettle? I mean, pots are more open so I'm all for being it, but either way, they're both black." He stated, shaking his head. Here Billy was, urging Erik to tell May he was gay when Billy couldn't even do the same for him. As he gently placed his glass down on the table Billy mentioned his dream guy, to which Erik slowly glanced up at him. His eyes narrowed as if trying to figure out if he was being serious or not. Erik was sure he had been more than obvious when it came to how he felt about him, but maybe he hadn't been. "What're you dense? You 'n I both know who I'd rather be fucking at night and making breakfast for in the morning." He paused, a smirk growing on his face before he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms again. "Unfortunately, he's just too pussy to do a thing about it."

Billy ( Pyroclast )

Mercury Nightclub & Cocktail Bar
~Bethnal Green, East London~
Darcey Hargraves

​

Darcey let out a sigh of relief the moment May agreed to everything. Though she was sure she was going to make the right decision, Darcey didn't just like to assume. May had been a wild card up until now and she very well could have decided to leave. If not for herself, then for her brothers. Which had raised another question Darcey was curious about. Just what was the girl going to do about the two of them? "And what about them?" She asked, throwing her hair over her shoulder and sipping her martini. "Specifically the brother who works for Syd. You'd be leaving him behind staying here in London." She paused to gauge her reaction, shaking her head. "The only person who's allowed to have any sort of ties to them is Callum and that's because Savannah is his mother and Alex his father. I can't risk something slipping from you to him. Even accidentally."

The woman had basically told May she would have to be cutting her brother off completely. Considering she would never need to, Darcey hadn't even thought about how May would feel about it. She was only thinking about her family and keeping them safe, no matter what the cost. She cared about may, that wasn't a secret, but she cared about the Kings a bit more. "Of course, that's something Bruce has the final say on," she quickly added as not to make her feel attacked or forced. "So I'll see how he feels about it but be prepared if it does come to that. First thing Monday morning I want you at the port so we can go over a few things. Make sure you-,"

Darcey was cut short by Christian approaching them. He seemed annoyed, which was probably because the bouncers had given him a rough time getting into her VIP section. She gave him a friendly smile and sat back in her seat. "Christian. To what do we owe the pleasure?" She asked, watching him turn his sights on May instead of her. The interaction was perfectly harmless, but she couldn't help but feel... Off. He had been asking her for the keys to the cellar, which was strange enough but it also felt like he was in a hurry to get them from the girl. After confirming with May that he could be trusted, she turned back to him with a curious look on her face. "Why do you need to get to the cellar?" She asked, her head tilting curiously to the side. She then nodded her head at May to go ahead and give him the keys before he responded. She had seen Spencer when she arrived, though she was sure he should have been gone by now. "He hasn't left yet? For fucks sake, his wife is in labor." She rolled her eyes and stood up. "Where is he?"

May ( BasDorcha )

Mercury Nightclub & Cocktail Bar
~Bethnal Green, East London~
Alexander King ​

View attachment 940676

Alex was just about to walk away when Spencer grabbed hold of him. The two of them made eye contact and Alex could tell his brother was being deathly serious. He reminded him that it was both his responsibility for the business and for the family to make sure things went smoothly for the rest of the night. He knew his brother's words were important and that he should follow them, which is why he hadn't protested his orders. He placed his hands on Spencer's forearms and nodded his head in understanding. "Listen, I got it. You can trust me, alright? I-I won't screw this up for you or Billy and Harp." He paused for a moment, a grin growing on his lips. "Not even one? Mate, have you seen them in there tonight? Fucks sake, this ain't the night for shit to be poppin' off," he joked. He let out a brief laugh before nodding his head. "I'm kidding. I can handle one night of babysitter duties."

He then watched as Spencer started for the door, only to turn back around to face him. The smile that was just on his face had been replaced with one of worry, Alex shoving his hands into his pockets. Spencer then expressed his fear of screwing up like Trevor had, doubting that he would be any good at being a father. "No, don't say shit like that. If anything, you're the least like him." He briefly thought about his own past and how he had acted with Savannah and Callum. The fear of being like Trevor had caused him to be like Trevor and Alex didn't want that for his brother. Had he not been thinking that way and had gotten over it he would still be with the mother of his child. "Look. For years I was afraid I was going to end up like Trevor and it... It consumed me until I started to think I would never be better than him. It ruined me and I fucked up my happy home because of it." For the first time in a while, Alex was feeling regretful. He hated that he couldn't get over his childhood and his past until he ruined things, but he couldn't change things now.

"You stepped up when he abandoned us. You were the only real role model any of us had, and that's important to remember. You're gonna be a great dad." He paused, shaking his head. "I mean, so long as you don't miss the birth. Quit standing here worrying about something that's never going to happen and get back to Shona! She'll have your dick cut off if you're not there," he teased, playfully pushing his brother.

Spencer ( Misty Gray )

Red Light District
~Soho, London~
Nikita Blake

​

Jack looked frantically between Noah and Donald, the former wincing and breathing heavily due to his injury. He wasn't that worried about the blood at the moment, more so the pain. Something about the bones and nerves in the knee cap caused him more pain than anywhere else he had broken a bone - and he had broken plenty. Kit hadn't eased up her foot from his knee either, instead of keeping a steady rhythm of pressure upon it. Each time she eased up he would take a deep breath only for it to be expelled out when she pressed down again. "C-Come on, p-p-please quit it!" Kit paused and stared at him before removing her foot. She squatted down next to him, dragging her fingertips down his cheeks. "Feel better?" Through heavy pants, he nodded his head and Kit copied him. Just as he started to catch his breath she brought her pistol down on him, hitting his temple. He let out another groan and instinctively pressed his hands against his wound. "I don't give a shit, now answer my question."

Kit gave Jocelyn space to examine Donald while she checked the door. They were still in the clear and she closed and locked it before turning back to the three men. "What, you're gonna strip 'em like they did you?" She asked in amusement. She then turned to Jack and Noah before getting an answer. "Undress," she said, pointing the gun at them. They hesitated, looking between each other before back at her. "Unlike King George here, I didn't fucking stutter. Clothes. Off." With her attention back on Jocelyn and Donald, she watched as the girl called him a liar. She nodded her head and started for him again, the man shaking in fear and sweating. "Come on, I'll pay whatev'r I need to." With a snort, Nikita shook her head and pointed her gun at him next. "I wasn't sent here to collect money." She urged him to get undressed next and watched as all three men stripped to their underwear.

She'd be lying if she said it wasn't bringing her joy seeing them all like this. She didn't have anything against them personally - she was just here to do a job - but watching them writhe and whimper was like music to her ears. It made her miss her military days, except here she wouldn't get kicked out because some shrink said she was unhinged. When all three of them finished undressing, she told them to throw their clothes to the side and did as told with no hesitation. "Hey, look. It was just him," Noah suddenly said, pointing at Donald. "Yeah, 'twas Donnie's idea. We didn't even get to-," the sound of the club music drowned out the noise of her silencer when she shot two more times. Now Noah and Jack had matching bullet wounds to Donald. "I honestly don't fucking care," she said, turning to Jocelyn. How do you want to deal with this?"

Jocelyn ( BasDorcha )

Gabe’s Office
~New York, New York~
Theodore Wycliff

​

Gabriel responded to Teddy's sarcastic remark with one of his own, causing Teddy to start tapping his index finger against the arm of the chair. He shouldn't have been surprised by the man's words whatsoever. Gabriel Moretti had shown him who he was the first time they met and no amount of time was going to change the man. He was set in his ways and nothing would ever change, so why was he sitting here hoping for it? Because he had married his daughter? Because he had proven himself over and over and over? No, none of that mattered and he was a fool to have believed so. "I'm not trying to say you have to run things past me, Gabe," he started, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's just-," He stopped talking so he wouldn't interrupt and let Gabriel get his words out. He made it clear that he was going to do whatever was necessary to make sure his family was safe and for a moment, Teddy paused.

Shouldn't he be just as ruthless? He had a wife and three kids now. He should want to be just as ruthless as Gabe, right? They had kidnapped his daughter. Not him, not his wife, his daughter. And while she wasn't physically injured the trauma was there and would more than likely be there to stay for a long time. His family meant everything to him, more than his own life and he would do anything he could for them. So he should want to be ruthless and have no conscience when it came to his enemies. However, it was easier said than done. Especially when his conscience sounded a lot like his wife. He would be lying if he said Valentina wasn't a big reason as to why he was having this conversation in the first place. The moment she asked him when it all ended had conflicted him and now he found himself asking the same question.

"I know the story, Gabe, spare me the recap." Teddy knew and understood the animosity when it came to the Sullivan family. Some days he felt like he was hiding behind it but he would never say it. Not only did he not want to start an argument about it, but he didn't want to seem insensitive about the whole thing. However, the way Teddy saw it, both sides had gotten revenge for what had happened so really, what were they fighting for?

He let out a sarcastic chuckle when he was informed he had purposely kept him out of the loop. "Of course you did," he bitterly said. "Because you knew I wouldn't agree." He shook his head before looking up at him. "I shouldn't be surprised, you never listened to my advice in the past so why would you start now?" Shaking his head he sent him a frown. "This has nothing to do with a growing sentiment nor my wife. It has to do with you thinking you know what's best for everyone. Aliana and Leo were enough. The Callahans were a step too far. Even if you wanted to show them you could play this game better than them, you could have chosen anyone else."

Gabriel ( Misty Gray )

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Spencer King and Christian Brooks​

When Darcey asked why he needed the keys, Christian decided brief honesty would be the best and quickest option. "I think there's been a security breach and I need to check the cellar from the inside, to see if I'm right. It's most likely nothing, but I should check it out first," he explained. Once he'd been handed the keys, Christian turned to walk away, but stopped when Darcey mentioned Spencer needing to be with Shona and then asked where he was. "Ah, that's my fault for having him leave the hospital to come here," he began to explain, though he knew to keep the Trevor aspect of his concerns quiet.

Just as Christian was about to point Darcey in the direction of one of the back exits leading to Spencer, a deafeningly loud, thunderous bang was heard throughout the club, along with a bright flash of light. As the explosion ripped through the cellar and the floor directly above, the club windows shattered, sending shards of glass flying out onto the street at the front. The debris from the storeroom and bar was sent flying into the main area of the nightclub towards the seating area and stage. Christian had instinctively turned his back to the explosion, in the process standing between Darcey & May and the flying debris. A shard of glass from the mirror behind the bar had been headed directly towards Darcey before it had instead found itself embedded deep into the back of Christian's left shoulder. The power of the blast had been enough to throw Christian, Darcey and May back and down onto the floor.

Spoiler: Explosion Floor Plan

The cellar and bar area immediately burst into flames, with the stronger of the alcoholic spirits adding extra fuel. The entire floor of the office and storeroom had been destroyed by the blast, leaving a gaping hole in one side of the nightclub, in turn, causing various beams to collapse and the structural integrity of the building to diminish. Anyone who had been in the storeroom or office would have been instantly obliterated by the blast. Those standing at or behind the bar would have likely been killed in the immediate path of flying debris, if not by the fire itself. As the building was quickly rendered unstable, the ceiling of the nightclub began to collapse inwards over the centre of the seating area, almost directly above Harper and Jeremy, as well as close to Billy and Erik.

The main entrance to the club had become partially blocked by the collapsed wooden archway which had also dragged down part of ceiling and wall with it. Anyone trying to escape through that door would need to be able to climb over the unstable debris blocking its path. The music and lights had all been cut off as the electric cables had been ripped apart or were melting away in the fire by the bar. The setting sun and streetlights at the front of the club provided minimal lighting, but the only other illumination came from the flames that continued to engulf the bar.

Face down on his stomach, Christian coughed up a mouthful of dust as that and the smoke clouded the air. The fact his face was covered in soot and dirt was the least of his concerns as he felt the pain ripping into his shoulder. Not processing the fact he had a shard of glass embedded in his shoulder and a bleeding wound to the back of his head, his thoughts instead jumped to the two women he'd been speaking with. "Darcey?! May?!" he called out, followed by another strained cough. He turned to look over his shoulder and despite the ringing in his ears, the crackling flames at the bar behind him put more urgency into the moment...

*****​

Spencer looked his brother in the eyes as the young man assured him he wasn't like Trevor. He quickly nodded along as Alex explained how he himself had been consumed by fear of ending up like Trevor, so much so that it caused him to make the mistakes that messed up the home he could have had with Savannah and Callum. Spencer managed the briefest of smiles when he was reassured about how he'd stepped up when they lost both parents and that he was going to be a great dad. "Yeah, I... Guess it's just last minute nerves, especially with Christian getting his knickers in a twist about shit." Deciding not to dwell on his worries, he knew the only place he should be now was at Shona's side. "You're right. Kid won't be getting any siblings if Shona's chopped my dick off," he joked along. He then returned his brother's playful push and was about to return inside the club--

The loud explosion was heard from outside the club, the bomb ripping a hole into the side of the club where the office was and causing a large pile of bricks to line the backstreet. Spencer and Alex had been lucky enough to be out of the path of the bulk of the collapsing wall, but the the force of the blast practically flung them backwards. Spencer collided with the back of the opposite building, winding him and causing the side of his head to hit the brick wall. Though the impact cut the skin of his head, Spencer wasn't injured badly and remained conscious. Clutching at the side of his head, he instantly looked to his brother. "Alex? Are you okay?" he loudly asked. Given the fact there was a hole in his nightclub, Spencer couldn't avoid the immediate dread and worry that overcame him for those inside. "HARPER! BILLY!" he desperately shouted out as he stumbled up onto his feet...


Melanin-Gxdess (Darcey, Alex) BasDorcha (May)
Mentions: Bellz (Harper) Pyroclast (Billy)
Melanin-Gxdess (Erik) BasDorcha (Jeremy)

 

[Bellz]

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

Perhaps if the night would have gone as planned, Jeremy would have lectured her for being such a bitch to the poor brunette, calling her stubborn and a pain in an ass. She would have defended herself behind a knowing and jealous smile before rolling her eyes and brushing him off in a true Harper fashion. But normalcy didn't seem to be in the cards for them that night. Before any of the banter could ensue, once the brunette had walked away in a huff, Harper opened her mouth to say something rude about the woman and a loud explosion lit up the club and the chair underneath her wobbled so much to the point that one of the legs snapped.

Harper screamed as she fell face first towards the floor. She only had a moment to look up to see if Jeremy was still near her before the sound of the ceiling collapsing caused her to look up in horror at the falling debris. She tried to pull herself up, knowing that Jeremy was going to pick her up any moment and save her. Her leg was painfully tangled in the very chair she had been seated in as she looked around her, at all the people screaming and fleeing. Her eyes caught Jeremy's, "JUST GO!" She shouted out, knowing full well he wasn't going to fucking leave without her despite her plea.

She once again tried to untangle her leg from the chair, looking towards it as she kicked it desperately. But a horrible moaning sound came from the ceiling just as she got free from the chair, ready to pick herself off the ground and run. Just as she managed to get on all fours, the ceiling caved in completely. A half-burned wooden pillar from the interior of the ceiling fell and Harper didn't see it coming.

The large pillar hit her back hard, crushing her under its weight as she let out a strangled scream. More debris fell on top of her, ceiling tile and insolation almost making her invisible as she let out another pained scream. Blood pooled in her mouth to the point that she thought she was going to choke on it. She coughed it up but the pillar kept her from being able to take in any sort of breath. She reached out her hands desperately as she used her perfectly manicured nails to claw at the carpet, trying to drag her petite body out from under the pillar that easily weighed more than 50 pounds. The smoke and the blood continued to pour from her nose and her mouth as well as pillar and debris on top of her made it impossible to breathe and any oxygen she had was being wasted on her desperate escape.

She couldn't see outside of the debris and she didn't think she would be found. Harper had always found it cheesy when people said they saw their life flash before their eyes...but that was only because she'd never wanted to believe that horror. But in one quick rush, her entire life and what she hadn't been able to accomplish was thrust before her...she would never get to see her brothers, Jeremy, her Uncle, or Shona again. She would never get to tell them how much she loved them. "Help!" She cried out in one last desperate attempt, hoping to god that someone would hear her as her vision tunneled and the last of her breath had been exhaled from her lips.
with: Jeremy BasDorcha ; Alex Melanin-Gxdess ; Spencer Misty Gray ; Billy Pyroclast

 

[BasDorcha]

Exploded Mercury Nightclub & Cocktail Bar
Jeremy "Bella is not nice and Misty isn't either" Gray & Maeve "Test Me ROFL" Thatcher
​

The night suddenly froze in front of Jeremy, and the last hour seemed to last an eternity flashing through his mind. Harper and him had been talking, and he was about to scold the impertinent brunette who thought it comely to barge in when he was already with someone and enjoying their company. His eyes had drifted up, watching Christian enter the VIP area, and that feeling of something being wrong was still nagging at the back of his mind. His eyes drifted over Billy and Erik, a small smile had touched his lips as he thought about them and the secret he shared with his friends and a sudden warmth lit him as he looked back to Harper. His lips opened for form words, but nothing happened.

The explosion hit so hard, Jeremy felt the tremors under him as he reached for Harper before her hand slipped away, and he watched in horror. Black, then red, and a feeling of fear shot through him so intense he felt like he was in a new realm of existence all together. “JUST GO!” Reality snapped back to normal speed and she was shouting at him. The floor did not want to cooperate with him, and everything was happening so fast, he didn’t reach her before the support pillar came down with bang. The next second, the beam was crushing Harper, and Jeremy stopped breathing as she struggled.

In a flash he was dragging himself up, pushing off the debris around him and between them. His eyes scanned the wreckage, running calculations on how to lift the massive board. It felt like every second took a lifetime, and he couldn’t think fast enough, though the logical side of his head said it wasn’t as long as it seemed. He took a few breathes to steady himself, grabbed the god forsaken chair that started the whole problem and snapped the leg off. He would have to apply leverage to get it up enough to give her room. Could he lift the whole thing? No, but he lift it, and if he was very careful, and very lucky, he could help her out. The calmness that was known of him in dangerous situations took over.

Jeremy had been on many jobs, he had been known for being unflinching in the worst of them, bothered by nothing. This was not nothing. Tears were silently running down his face, and he was as white as ash, but he needed his brain to work right now, and he couldn’t be thinking with his heart alone. As he stepped over a large piece of the ceiling, a nail shot through his boot into his foot, and he growled, ignoring the pain as he sat to trying to pry the beam up , using the whole the fallen end had put in the floor to lift it up from the bleeding blonde he was focused on. It was heavy, but Jeremy didn’t care, he pushed until it felt like his shoulder would rip. It moved a few inches and lifted off her back enough he saw a gap.

He wedged the loose building materials around him under the lifted beam and crawled forward to Harper, dipping his arms under hers and around her chest, clasping together in the back. He pulled, hard, using his feet to push off the floor. They slid away and her out from under the beam just before the weight gave in again. The fire burned around them, and more of the ceiling was falling in pieces, Jeremy protecting her with his back to the roof.

“Harper, say something… Harper, please. Just breathe and stay awake, you can’t go to sleep. Common, you’re stubborn enough to fight this.” Jeremy looked around, trying to see what was going on but there was so much smoke and dust he couldn’t see Billy and Erik. He had to trust they were ok for the moment, he had to figure out how to get Harper out of his mess. The front door was blocked. The back door was closest, but the beam would have to be scaled. He’d have to carry her. He tried to sit up, her half in his lap. The snapping around them terrified him. For the first time in his life, he was scared that he wouldn’t know his way out of a situation.

************​

May had been enjoying the night one moment, then everything just… exploded, literally. She had just handed the keys to the cellar into Christians hand, caught his eye with a shy smile, and the next, she had been thrown an arms-length away, wind knocked out of her looking for something that made sense. To her side lay Darcey, but she couldn’t tell if she was moving or not. May sat up, taking gasping pulls of air, her chest stinging, her head ringing, looking for familiarity. Finally things started falling back into place.

“Christian! I-I’m-“ May broke into a series of matching coughing, crawling towards the man and Darcey, shaky and thinking the last thing she needed was to fall asleep. She looked around, stunned. The bar, where she had spent most of the last two years, was gone. She had been standing there one drink ago, she could have been part of that. She gulped, looking back around her at the rubble. There would be people dead, there would also be people hurt. She had to help.

Crawling close to Darcey, she grabbed and squeezed the woman’s hand. “Darcey!” May looked back at the man with them, was he going to be ok as well? A spot behind them was shifting and falling towards the entrance, the wall deteriorating. “Christian, there’s an opening!” May shouted as it felt like her voice was barely a whisper over all the noise she could hear around her. Bottles of liquor were exploding periodically, the crack of wood and fire around them, screaming and crying. It was so much. She steeled herself, determined to help however she could. This was evil, anyone who would do this, this was innocent lives taken. Could this be… could this be my family?

May felt a wave of nausea hit her. Suddenly realizing that, even distant, this could be her family, and this might make the King’s hate her even more. Fuck. Looking at Christian, she reached out to pat him, some instinct to touch a person to reassure yourself they are real kicking in. Her hand sliced against the glass and she winced, jerking back. “We’ve got to get you out of here too.”

Mentions
The People I don't like right now:
Bellz

Everyone else:
Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Billy King​

Billy knew he had failed to save himself when Erik addressed him as Jack, effectively labelling him as the jealous one in the situation with May. The man was apparently an expert at subtly conveying the truth without actually saying it, and, able to read between the lines, Billy knew that Erik had him all figured out. All that time he had been weighing up whether it was a good idea to tell Erik the truth or if he could change his mind about telling him and still get away with it, when in fact Erik already knew. It would be obvious to Erik that Billy had backed out of a chance to be with him, and he couldn’t imagine that the man would want to or even be able to stay with him after that. It was hard to tell how much more patience the man had in him - besides his breakdown in Victoria Park when he had expressed his anger at Billy for leading him on, Erik hadn’t put any pressure on him at all to figure out how he felt. Now that it was becoming clearer, however, he was hinting pretty strongly at what he wanted from Billy.

His blatant inferring of what he wanted with Billy made him blush deeply; part of him was pissed off that he was being called out, his natural defences rising once again, but there was a smile tugging at the edges of his lips that he couldn’t hold back. It was an uncomfortable combination of wanting nothing more than to go home with Erik right that instant and see his desires come true, and getting defensive from being called a pussy. “Well, maybe it ain’t so easy for him,” he spoke back, the pressure adding an edge to his voice. “Maybe he knows what he wants but he don’t know how to…” He trailed off as his words got stuck. “Not everyone gets to be as free as you, Erik. Society don’t make it easy. It’s the sort of thing people lose family over, and maybe he’s not ready to -”

In a fraction of a second, everything changed. A thunderous explosion tore the room inside out, sending glass, brick and other debris flying through the air. The club was plunged into a hellish darkness lit only by a rolling ball of fire that engulfed the bar. Billy was thrown backwards off his chair, chased by flying debris, and then everything stopped.

The sound gradually tuned back in through the ringing in his ears: roaring fire, panicked screams, the harrowing groans of structures about to collapse. Whether he had lost consciousness for a moment or was merely struck by the shock of it all, Billy wasn’t sure - but he could only piece the event together as fast as his senses would return to him. His bleary eyes opened to reveal a cracked ceiling above, pieces of it crumbling down to the ground in heavy chunks. The large metal light fitting in the centre of the ceiling made a resounding clang as it jolted down half a meter or so, swinging suspended by its splintering wires but looking like it could fall any second. Not realising he was covered in dust, ash and God knows what else, a simple breath turned into a coughing fit and he rolled himself over to help clear his throat before managing to prop himself up. It was then that he saw him.

“Erik,” he croaked, giving him a weak yet urgent shake. Not even having checked himself for injuries yet, his need to make sure Erik was okay took over and, unable to see properly in the darkness, he started frantically patting the man down, hoping not to feel any blood. “Erik, are you awake? Are you hurt? Talk to me -” He was just sweeping fragments of glass from Erik's face when a heavy clunk suddenly echoed from above them and before Billy could look up, the metal light fitting smashed onto the ground right by Erik’s head. In a flash, Billy instinctively snatched the man up into his arms and clutched him tight against his chest, his heart hammering at the close call. “We’ve - we’ve gotta get out of here,” he urged.

With Erik in his arms, Billy was finally able to see some of the room over his shoulder - or what was left of it. It was at that point that he remembered just how busy the club had been before the explosion. “Harper - where’s Harper?” he mumbled. Still holding Erik close, Billy spun his head around, scanning the floor for a chance to spot her. He tried to call her name but was cut off by another coughing fit, so instead he did his best to get to his feet, while bringing Erik up with him. He still couldn’t see her; there were people already trying to free each other from fallen debris, some screaming in pain, others in fear - and some weren’t moving at all. Keeping a hand on Erik so as not to lose him, he finally remembered where his sister had been sitting and his head snapped towards her table, only to see that it was no longer there. A heavy beam had taken its place, buried with debris and chunks of ceiling tiles that continued to fall in pieces around them.

Before he could react, he saw Jeremy rise from the other side of the mound of debris, dragging Harper out from under the wreckage. Her name tumbled from Billy’s lips before he hurried over, tripping over broken furniture and whatever else on his way. Without realising, he had taken Erik’s hand into his, not wanting to be separated from him as they moved through the dark, hellish scene. One look at his little sister and Billy felt sick to his stomach. For a second his mouth just hung open in shock but he was able to quickly snap into motion, panic driving him forward. “Jeremy, can you stand? Jeremy?” Through all the crackling and screaming around them, Billy wasn’t sure if he could make himself loud enough. He let go of Erik’s hand in favour of trying to get Jeremy to his feet, bringing Harper up with them. Another metal light fitting crashed to the floor beside them, causing Billy to almost drop them - but he managed to hold on tight until they were both upright, before hooking one of Harper’s arms around his neck. “Erik, the door - the back door - is it clear? We need to get out NOW!”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Erik, Alex
BasDorcha Jeremy
Bellz precious baby sister who is NOT ALLOWED TO DIE
Misty Gray Spencer

 

[Misty Gray]

Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor nodded in understanding when Allen spoke about safety being an illusion. He managed a smirk as the older man spoke about all of the flashy technology being enough to entertain the kids in a lockdown. "That is true. They are glued to the TV screens these days," he reasoned. "I've got plenty of people pissed at me already, so what's a few more, huh?" he asked, in the process confirming to both Allen and to himself that he was going to impose a lockdown until the heat died down. He didn't doubt he'd meet resistance from family members, especially as it meant the likes of Liam would need to be kept out of school for the time-being.

Conor let out a dry laugh at Allen's pity party, realising it did sound like he was sulking, especially when he had no right to in the present circumstances. He nodded along in understanding that Aliana had chosen to stay with him all those years ago. "Yeah, she's a brave and determined woman, so I know she chose to be with me because that was what she wanted to do. It's just shitty that I haven't been able to make sure she's been safe and happy the entire time. It's the least I should have been able to do for her," he admitted.

When Allen asked if talking was ever an option, Conor let out a deep sigh. "Since the truce was made back in '72, Moretti and I have kept our telephone and in-person interactions to a minimum. Up until Giovanni's passing, the Biancardis were basically our mediator, bridging the physical and personal gap between my lot and Moretti's lot. Ricky's managed to shit on that arrangement all by himself. Moretti is incredibly difficult to deal with - even a more patient man, like Jimbo, struggled to talk to that smug piece of shit." He raised a curious eyebrow at the idea of not dealing directly with Gabriel. "You mean to talk with one of his other higher-ups? Considering his eldest daughter tortured my wife and son, I doubt she'll be any more reasonable to sit down with and I'd struggle not to kill the bitch." That was, of course, if she somehow survived the current attack in London. "Then there's his son-in-law... The guy is much easier to talk to - more reasonable and isn't stuck somewhere in the 1800s. However, I did just have his young daughter kidnapped. Not sure how up for a reasonable discussion he'd be..." Whilst considering talking to the enemy felt like some kind of a retreat, Conor knew the violent approach would only result in more of his loved ones getting hurt.

Melanin-Gxdess (Allen)

Gabriel Moretti's Office
~ Murray Hill, Manhattan ~

Gabriel Moretti​

Gabriel could see the man sitting across from him was annoyed, which he wouldn't usually give a damn about, nor would he usually allow anyone to question him the way the man was. However, not only was the man his son-in-law, but his loyal service and useful input over the years had granted Teddy some leeway. Gabriel's respect, even. It was his appreciation of Teddy that made Gabriel willing to hear him out and allow criticism - something he only accepted from those he respected. Not that he would make it easy for Teddy or let the man's tone go by without some signs of disapproval.

He nodded his head when Teddy determined the reason Gabriel didn't let him in on the Callahan part of the plan was because he wouldn't agree to it. Of course he was right. Teddy wasn't as ruthless a man as he was, of which Gabriel was under no illusion about. He knew there were not many people who would make the same difficult and cruel decisions as he often did, and he didn't expect them to change overnight, if at all. Despite the crueler tactics Conor had been taking over recent years, Gabriel still questioned if the man really was so ruthless. Whilst he would order enemies to be slaughtered without little emotional or sentimental thoughts on it, he knew Conor would struggle to take such decisions. He was sure the Irishman struggled to press the button, that his cruel decisions kept him awake at night. Gabriel slept soundly knowing what he was and that he did what he had to do to stay on top.

When Teddy told him he could have chosen anyone else over the Callahan child, Gabriel subtly nodded, not even trying to deny it. "I could have, if I simply wanted to repay them for what they did to us. However, I wanted to repay them and put Sullivan back in his place - to show him that he will never beat us." Gabriel sat back and relaxed in his seat, his tone turning more casual. "I have no further need to attack the Sullivans. It's true that killing Porter will do nothing for me or my lost loved ones. I just saw an opportunity and took it," he said, letting out a dark chuckle. "I'm ready to get back to business now, but the ball is in the Sullivans' court. It's their turn to retaliate, unless Conor has had a brain transplant and decides to back down while he can. Only an idiot would continue to attack us after what we did to them last week."

Gabriel shook his head and sat forward. "Actually... You say I think I know what's best for everyone and that I don't listen to your advice. Let's start now. You tell me what you would do now? What would your next move in dealing with the Sullivans be? Consider if you are over what Porter did to you yet?" he asked, raising his hand to symbolise the torture Teddy had faced all of those years ago. Though the chances didn't come often, Gabriel was giving Teddy opportunity to put his own ideas forward and actually have them considered.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[BasDorcha]

Tom felt like the arrival was a flash of quickness, where in a blur he briefly got to introduce himself to her Uncle Finn, and then dropped the ingredients inside in the kitchen. The flowers smelled wonderful as she set them up then started with dinner. He briefly went to check on Lilly, stopping in and waving his fingers at her. She sleepily murmured at him, but fell back asleep.

Deciding it was rude to be in someone’s house but not be properly introduced, Tom followed the sound of voices. As he drew near, he stopped short of the room, and lifted a hang, knocking to let his presence be known. After a second he stepped in, smiling at the people sitting around the room, and the flushed look on both George and Finn’s faces. He was a sucker for romance.

Clearing his throat, he offered his hand to each person in turn, as he spoke, “Sorry to interrupt, but I thought I should introduce myself. Hello again-“ Tom paused at Finn, “Finn, thank you for allowing me over. I’m Thomas, Tom for short, Thatcher. Nice to meet you all. I’m not sure if you guys were sticking around for dinner or not, but I brought enough food for everyone to eat.” He would listen to each introduction intently, linking names to faces. It was nice to have so many people around – Tom enjoyed socializing but lately hadn’t done much outside of work. Plus he had never had much family around, so it was nice to see families being so relaxed with each other.

For a moment his mind drifted to his sister and his brother. There was no over powering sense of family for them. They cared for each other, but their mom had always been a drifting figure in their life. Their dad was a distant memory, and the didn’t have but one extended family member – Uncle Conor – that they even knew of. He wished they could spend more time together. Maybe he would go visit her. He had a few days off this week, what with the weekend coming up and he had requested Friday as well to take care of some house hunting.

Deciding he’d tell Shinoa tonight he’d be gone this weekend, he planned to buy a plane ticket the following day and leave out after Friday morning. He would arrive with plenty of time to grab a hotel room before going to see his sister at the bar. Turning his mind back to the current situation, he refocused his attention. “Anyways, it’s lovely to meet you all, I’m going to ask if Shinoa needs help. If you want to join us, please feel free, I did not intend to divide the family up for the evening.” He felt weird being around another family because he always pictured that a family dinner was everyone together in the kitchen and everyone eating together.

Tom went back to check on Lilly again, her fussing a bit. He soothed her a bit and went to Shinoa, asking if she needed help. He was happy peel, chop, cut, set tables, make tea, whatever was needed to help smooth things over for her. Anything she asked he took care of, and tried to keep her on her toes with questions

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~Bethnal Green, London~
Erik Snowden, Darcey Hargraves, & Alexander King

​

The red of Billy's cheeks was the last thing before the explosion tore them away from each other. One second he's watching his words affect Billy in a way that amused him and the next he was struggling to breathe. He'd heard the explosion before really seeing anything, but even if he had seen the flames bursting from behind the bar there hadn't been enough time to react to it. The force of the blast threw him from his chair and onto the ground. For a few moments, he had been knocked unconscious, but the muffled sounds of people screaming and the ceiling caving in brought him back. There was a ringing in his ears as he coughed, rolling from his back onto his side.

The palm of his hand had embedded itself into the glass shards, and he winced shaking out his hand. He tried to look around, his vision blurry by the blood dripping from a gash on his forehead. He raised his wrist up to his wound wiping it away, only to let out a groan. "Fuck," he muttered, trying to at least get himself up on his feet. He tried to finish rolling until he was on his stomach but the moment he moved he felt a sharp pain in his thigh.

He returned to the position on his back and moved his hands down until he could feel something sticking out from his thigh. Glancing down he could see what looked to be a chunk of wood from the bar lodged in his upper right thigh. His breathing turned ragged as a fearful panic started to settle in his chest. He should pull it out, right? No, no, what if he caused more damage? Oh, but it hurt so fucking bad and he was bleeding. In reality, the wood was probably preventing him from bleeding out, so really he should just leave it there. Feeling Billy's hands on his body surprised him before he remembered he had just been sitting across from him just a second ago.

"Billy-," he said, pausing to clear his lungs of the dust he had inhaled, "Are you okay?" Billy's face then came into view wiping away the glass from his face. Even when they were in danger he was being attentive and had this been any other time Erik would have kissed him right then. Except, they were in peril and this wasn't the time for his shenanigans. "Hey, I'm okay but-,"

Billy suddenly grabbing him away from the falling fixture made the wood shift in his thigh causing him to shout in pain. He hadn't even registered just how close to death he was just then. Erik agreed that they needed to leave, but he was worried he'd slow Billy down. As the two of them stood up, Erik made sure to put all of his weight on his left leg. Still, the pain had been persistent but Erik was trying his best to suck it up for Billy. Their next order of business had been to look for Harper. Remembering where he had seen her and Jeremy earlier that night, he looked in the direction of their table. A beam had crushed up and he could only hope she hadn't been in the way when it did. Erik limped behind Billy - hand in hand - as they made their way over and his heart nearly stopped. Blood had pooled around her mouth and leaked from her nose and it looked like she wasn't breathing.

It wasn't until Billy turned to him that he came back to his senses. A back door? Another exit? "I'm- I-," he stuttered, the explosion causing confusion as he looked around. The back door had been rendered useless and it might be dangerous to try to leave through the front door. "Wait, Billy. Isn't there a service exit? Like where the musicians come in backstage?"

***​

Darcey had been staring at white light, a ringing sound filling her ears. A warmth washed over her body and as she looked around she felt at ease. She had no idea where she was but she knew for sure she didn't belong there. The ringing sound got louder, sending a sharp ache through her head that made her shut her eyes. When she opened them again it was dark with only the flicker of flames glowing in the background. She was laying on her side with her head resting on her arm before she sat up. Her back was pressed against the booth and she tried to steady her erratic breathing. Adrenaline had been coursing through her body, masking the pain of her ruptured eardrums and the cuts from glass all over her body. There were sure to be other internal injuries, but she wouldn't know for sure until she got herself to a hospital.

Had May not touched her hand, she wouldn't have known she and Christian were talking to her. Their voices, while also muffled and mixed with the ringing, sounded further away than they actually were. She could barely make out anything they were saying, so she looked at their lips and tried her hand at reading them only to end up failing. "I can't- Why are you whispering?" She asked louder than necessary, the confusion still present. In her confused state, she hadn't comprehended that she had a hearing injury and probably wouldn't for a moment. "We have to get out of here," she instructed, slowly making her way up from the ground. The moment she was on her feet she regretted it and wanted to sit back down. She was dizzy, struggling to stand up before figuring it out again. She watched May point to what looked like a way out and as all three of them started moving, she paused.

"The kids," she murmured to herself, remembering they were also here. She then turned to Christian and looked into his eyes - missing the shard of glass in his shoulder. "The kids, the kids they were here! I can't leave without them. I can't-," the sound of another beam falling from the ceiling made Darcey jump. It fell far away from them, but that just showed her they needed to find the others and leave before the whole building collapsed in on them. "Billy and Harper," she said, turning to where she last saw them. "They were over her." Without so much as another word, Darcey made her way towards the area where she had last seen the two youngest.

***​

If Spencer telling Alex he wasn't allowed to bring home any women with him that tonight wasn't bad enough, an explosion had ripped through their club. One second he's having a nice moment with his brother and the next he's being thrown against the brick wall. The moment his back collided with the stones he let out a groan and fell to the ground. He swore he heard a popping noise come from his body, but because he hadn't felt it he didn't pay it any mind. Instead, he was trying to breathe and was failing at it. All the air in his lungs had been expelled and he tried desperately to get it back. He got on his hands and knees, thinking it would help, and stayed like this for a few moments. "I'm alright," he managed to say through deep gasps before asking the same of Spencer. He started coughing and leaned upwards until he was only on his knees and taking deep breaths. The sound of patrons screaming, crying, and running away from the building filled the air as Alex tried to focus on his brother.

It wasn't until Spencer said their names that Alex had remembered Billy and Harper were inside. Watching people run down the street he was hoping to see their faces in the crowd. When he didn't the worry settled in and his heart dropped. He scrambled to his feet and stumbled over to Spencer, placing his hands out to help him to his feet. The two of them wasted no time in making their way around front where everyone had been running out of the building. Alex pushed past the onslaught of people, uninterested in their safety at the moment. He managed to get through until he was standing in the smokey building avoiding the flames that littered the once spacious nightclub. Alex wasted no time heading towards where he knew Harper had been with Jeremy and Billy with Erik. "HARPER! BILLY! WHERE ARE YOU?" He shouted, stopping to cough and make sure Spencer was still with him.

While leading Spencer through the building, he managed to stumble upon Darcey, May, and Christian. Darcey had also been about to search for them all and had protested against Alex telling her to get to safety. Knowing to argue with her would only end up wasting time, he decided against it and instead shouted out for Billy and Harper.

Hearing Alex's voice, Erik called out to him until he was in view. The moment Alex saw Billy he was about to wrap his arms around him in relief but instead caught sight of Harper. She wasn't looking well at all and it sent Alex into immediate panic mode. He scrambled to grab her from Jeremy and Billy. Not only to allow themselves to move freely and not strain their injuries but also because he wanted to get her out of there fast. He picked her up into his arms and could already feel that familiar sting coming from his eyes. "Hey, hey Harper, you gotta wake up, okay? Open your eyes," he told her, resting her head on his shoulder. "Come on, we've gotta get out of here."

Harper ( Bellz )
Billy ( Pyroclast )
Spencer ( Misty Gray )
Jeremy, May ( BasDorcha )​

 

[Pyroclast]

Undisclosed Sullivan Base
~ Residential Area, Donnycarney, Dublin ~

Syd Porter​

After Syd explained how distant Tom’s relation was to the family involved in the mob, Adam asked what Conor’s opinion was, and whether Syd thought Tom was trustworthy. He couldn’t help but smirk at the question. “You’re asking me if I trust him?” he lightly scoffed. “Adam, I don’t even trust the milkman.” He shook off his brief amusement as he recalled the brief telephone call he had made to his uncle prior to meeting Adam.

“Conor thought the same,” he confirmed. “Well, in that we should try and get May out of the building before it all kicks off. But calling off the whole thing would only have put a spanner in the works, since the bomb was already planted, like. The longer it remains there, the higher the risk of it being found unless we let it go off. So we have to just go ahead and let it happen. Not that we could stop it at this point, anyway.” Syd dragged a hand down his face as he mulled over the potential consequences. Having ties to the Kings would always pose a risk, as Savannah’s son Callum had already proven. Syd knew what it was like to feel like a problem, a burden, a risk to the family and it had driven him to the brink of suicide; Callum’s connection to the Kings was no fault of his own and Syd sincerely hoped he wouldn’t grow up blaming himself for the conflict between the two powerful families. In fact, he made a vow in that moment to make sure the boy never felt that way.

Adam pointed out that while Savannah can be trusted to keep the family’s secrets from reaching Callum’s paternal family, Tom was still merely an acquaintance to them, implying that he couldn’t be trusted. He expressed concern about how Tom might react to his sister being caught up in the blast, and what he might do if he finds out who was behind it. Syd chewed on his lip for a second or so as he thought about Tom and the impression the young man had made on him so far.

"When I first met the guy for his interview, I found it suspicious that he seemed to have no idea who the Sullivan family was, or who I was. He’s somehow remained in the dark about all the media coverage that’s put our faces and actions in the headlines over the years - maybe he doesn’t pay much attention, maybe it was partly from being away on military duty, I don’t know. I had my guys look into it but it does seem like he really just doesn’t know who we are, or have any motive against the mob. ‘Course, I’d never purposefully let Tom in on anything relating to the business, you know that - he’s just an employee, and a seemingly naive one at that. I don’t trust him, sure - I mean, I don’t trust anyone outside our close circle - but as it stands, I don’t really see him as a threat. This situation with May is the first real concern I’ve had...I thought about letting him go, you know, just to create some distance between him and us. But if the media gets its claws in the story and starts suggesting a gang-related attack, we might get a mention, and if Tom starts paying attention to the news, he might…I don’t know. He might get a little smart. And then it wouldn't matter if I'd let him go or not - he'd make it personal. I mean, wouldn’t you?”

Syd cast his mind back to some of the conversations and interactions he had had with Tom in the past, trying to determine whether there was much of a threat there. “He’s military, that kid. I said that, right?” Unconsciously, Syd started fishing in his pocket for his silver cigarette case and proceeded to light up another before offering them to Adam. “Which means he knows his way around firearms and whatever other weapons he’ll have used. He’s got this kind of nauseating, bubbly personality, all smiles and cheer, and after seeing what war did to Thomas, I don’t really trust that about him. I have this gut feeling there’s something underneath it all, some darkness. You and I have killed, you know? I mean, I never kept count or anything, and I know I…have my psychological issues, but everyone’s got demons, right? Whether they’re on your mind constantly, eating you up inside, or they just pop up in your nightmares every once in a while. If Tom’s been to war, he’s surely gonna have some - if he doesn’t, that’ll only make me trust him less. The point is, I have no idea what his dark side looks like. There’s really no way of knowing how he’d react."

Interactions
Misty Gray Adam

Mentions:
BasDorcha Tom

 

[Misty Gray]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Spencer King and Christian Brooks​

Spoiler: Explosion Floor Plan

Although he was fully aware there would be deaths and severe injuries in the club, Christian found some relief upon at least hearing May and Darcey both speak up, alerting him that they were at least alive and conscious. He looked up in the direction of the entrance where there was something of an opening, as pointed out by May. Though the rubble partially blocking the door looked unstable to climb over, it was at least a chance, he figured. When the woman reached to touch his shoulder, she instead touched the glass, causing Christian to let out a pained groan as the tip of the embedded glass pressed deeper inside. After wincing himself, he nodded at May's and Darcey's words about getting out of there. He still hadn't managed to process what was causing him the pain in the back of his shoulder.

Christian struggled to his feet, trying not to grab onto anything around him in case it was unstable. With his right hand, he reached to the back of his head, identifying the bleeding wound where the painful throbbing was coming from. He figured he'd been hit during the explosion and that was likely the cause of the terrible headache and unsteadiness he was now feeling. Once comfortable on his feet, he looked towards the potential exit, but Darcey looked him in the eyes and spoke of the kids, bringing to the forefront of his mind that the younger King siblings had also been inside the building at the time of the explosion. Any intention of making a fast exit was quickly thrown out of the window as he knew he had to try find them first. Plus, any intention of escaping quickly was soon put to rest as a beam fell from the ceiling nearby and more debris collapsed, now completely blocking the main entrance to the club.

Reaching out his left hand to touch May's shoulder and check she was okay, he cried out in excruciating pain as the glass embedded in his shoulder blocked the movement significantly. Though he knew it would increase the bleeding, the foreign object was going to hinder his ability to help where needed. Reaching his right hand over the opposite shoulder, he clutched the exposed end of the glass and closed his eyes tightly as he carefully pulled it out of his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, he hissed as he suppressed the pain the action caused. Once the glass was out, he briefly rolled his shoulders before following Darcey and May, trying to maintain his balance as he avoided stepping on unstable debris.


Spencer reached out to accept Alex's hand as the younger man helped him to his feet. Instinctively, Spencer pulled Alex in for a brief embrace and a pat on the back, grateful his brother wasn't badly hurt. The gesture was quickly ended as his attention focused on their family still inside the club. He rushed alongside Alex towards the nearest accessible way in. Spencer absent-mindedly ushered the fleeing patrons out of the doorway, wanting them out of the way so he and Alex could get inside the building without further delay. They eventually pushed through and gained access inside the club. "HARPER! BLLY!" Spencer's voiced boomed over the noise.

When they found Darcey, May and Christian, Spencer quickly gave them the once over. They were clearly wounded, but the fact they were all on their feet came as a relief. "Get out!" he firmly ordered the three of them. Although Darcey's protests to Alex were permitted, Spencer fixed his glare on May and Christian, telling them to tend to anyone who needed help outside. Though they weren't family, they were still his family's responsibility, so he wanted them out to safety. Christian reluctantly nodded his head, accepting his superior's order, and placed a hand between May's shoulders. "Come on," he firmly told her, urging her to leave the club with him.

Spencer's attention was then drawn towards the sound of Erik's voice, prompting him to follow Alex and Darcey to the source. Seeing his youngest brother first, Spencer immediately wrapped his arm around Billy's shoulder and kissed the top of his head, relieved he was in one piece. He then pulled away, overhearing Alex pleading with Harper to wake up. He turned to see Jeremy holding Harper's unconscious body in his arms. "No no no," he desperately called out as he rushed over to get closer to her. Jeremy protested as Alex gestured for him to pass Harper to him. Although it may not have been observed by the others, Spencer and Jeremy were best friends, with the former having a good idea from previous observations that Jeremy had feeling for Harper. Spencer had brushed them off, perhaps not wanting to address the potential issue, but now as he watched his friend desperately reject the command to hand Harper over, he could see that refusal was coming from his deeper feelings for her. Whilst he may have been inclined to let Jeremy continue carrying Harper, Spencer noticed the man's leg was clearly wounded and no doubt a hinderance to him getting himself out of the building, never mind carrying a young woman with him. "Let her go, man," he firmly commanded Jeremy. He physically held his friend back as Alex took Harper from him. "Alex isn't hurt, so he can get her outside faster," he said, looking Jeremy straight in the eyes as he reasoned with him. To those around him, Spencer pointed to the only exit available. "I want everyone out of here. NOW!" he shouted, making sure everyone would hear him over the noises in the club.

As he ushered his loved ones out of the club ahead of him, Spencer looked over his shoulder at the spreading fire. There was still a significant part of the club safe from fire for the time-being and likely people injured beneath the rubble. He looked back ahead as he stepped outside with the others. He immediately rushed to Alex's side to check on Harper. He reached out to touch her face and then moved his fingertips to her neck to check for a pulse. His eyes filled with tears as he studied his sister's face, somehow looking peaceful despite the blood, cuts and bruises all over her. He leaned in and kissed her forehead for a time, before looking to the others. "Look after her. Stay with her," he pleaded, to nobody in particular, just not wanting her to be alone.

Spencer caught sight of the blood soaking Christian's back as it rushed out of the wound in his shoulder whilst the former detective checked on the wounded nearby. With blood also pouring from the stumbling man's head, Spencer didn't think him walking around was wise. "Can someone deal with him?" he firmly ordered, pointing to Christian.

Without further hesitation, Spencer sprinted back inside the club. As it was his family's business, he felt responsible the for the staff and customers still inside. He knew he couldn't save everyone, but as long as he still had an escape, he had to try help those he could still get to.

BasDorcha (May, Jeremy)
Pyroclast (Billy)
Melanin-Gxdess (Darcey, Alex, Erik)
Mentions: Bellz (Dead Harper)

 

[BasDorcha]

Mercury Nightclub & Cocktail Bar - Destroyed
Jeremy Gray and May Thatcher​

Jeremy had stopped paying attention to everything around him, he had been stroking Harper’s face, calling to her, trying to bring her around when the others came upon them. He refused to let her be taken, even by Alex at first, before Spencer’s voice cleared his mind and they made eye contact. He gulped and handed her limp form off to Alex, following him within a few inches all the way out. As soon as they were outside, Jeremy stayed with Harper and Alex, Billy and Erik close by. The world was fading from view and Jeremy felt a darkness edging into his mind that was nauseating and dangerous. Nearby the sound of ambulances coming their way could be heard getting louder, people were shouting, but he didn’t care.

He looked at Spencer trying to find a pulse, his face turning bloodless when he said nothing. Instead, he nodded, there was no one going to pry him away from her now. He didn’t care that he was in front of her entire family, and the whole world on the street, if this was his last chance to say something, he was going to say it. He sat down, her body cradled partially between him and Alex, and pulled her head gently to his chest. “Harper… Harper you have to be alright.” He whispered in her ear. Alex may be the only one close enough to hear, but he paid him no mind. It was looking like it wouldn’t matter soon anyways what they thought about his feelings.

“Harper… You crazy, stubborn broad, I need you to wake up. How else can I tell you how I feel?” Tears streamed down his face, a first for the tall, normally ice-cold man who showed zero emotions. “How can I tell you how much I love it when you argue with me, or how much I love spending time with you… How else can I tell you how… how I… How I love you?” With his last words he broke into a sob and buried his face into her dirty hair. She felt weightless in his arms, and a fear began growing in his mind if he let her go, she’d simply drift away.

Not far away, May was ushering Christian over. She ripped off the bottom inch of her dress, already torn, and balled it up, placing it against his shoulder. It didn’t matter that one wrong move would have her dress slide up too far, May was not shy like that. Christian was bleeding out over the depth and positioning of the removed glass and it had to be attended too. Once they reached Alex, Billy, Erik, Darcey, May pointed to the ground and told him to sit. “I need to keep the pressure on this wound, it’ll be easier with me above you, instead of below you.”

She brooked no argument, holding the cloth in place. “Let me have your belt, Christian.” When he handed it to her, she used it to secure the makeshift bandage in place, so that Christian could have a little more movement if he needed it. She then went to Billy and Erik. Erik’s leg was bleeding but unlike Christian, he had left it in, staunching the flow of blood. “Billy, take off your belt, and strap it down above the wound. Tight.” Once that was done, may looked Erik in the face, told him to take a deep breath, and slowly removed the wood. It bled, but thankfully, the belt minimized how much. “Billy, take your jacket and hold it here.”

Once his jacket was off, she also tore off an arm and made a few bandages for Erik’s forehead, the back of Christian’s head, and even Billy’s injuries he was ignoring. Going to Darcey, she looked her in the eyes and forced her to look at May. The woman wasn’t responding to voiced questions, so she started looking her over. At the least, she looked like she was the least of the worse. May had gotten lucky, she was the furthest from the blast and had the least damage, not to say she had none, she was hurting everywhere, but looking around, she couldn’t think about that.

She moved around helping people as she could, using some of the knowledge she had gained from her own reading and a nursing class she had taken in Dublin when she was trying to make a life for herself there. Taking a moment to pause, she looked around. She couldn’t help thinking it looked like a war zone. What caused this? Where had it come from? Who was responsible for it? She had so many questions. Finally, she went back in, looking for Spencer. She didn’t go in as far as he did, but instead met him a few feet from the entrance and started bringing people out.

When another round of resounding crashed echoed through, and Spencer tried to head back in, May reached out and snagged his wrist, stronger then she looked, pulling him back.

“Spencer, you can’t. You’ve done more then expected of you, but now you must save yourself. You have a baby waiting to meet you any time now. Let’s go.” May gave him a stern but unhostile look, hoping he would come without trying to continue playing hero. The building was almost collapsed in on itself, and if he went in one more time, he may not come back out.


Mentions:
Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess Misty Gray Bellz

 

[BloodLightning27]

~James Edwards~Dublin, Ireland | -REDACTED-

"Yeah, I know Father Healy. I've been to the Church a few times this week. It brings me peace and I'd like to think that the worst moments of my life are behind me. But when I asked him 'Father, why do I still feel guilty?'...He told me 'The guilt, my Son, means your work is not yet finished.'. Whatever that means." He crossed his arms. "But given that I am here, instead of rotting away in a prison cell...Maybe Father Healy's right. My work is not yet finished." He shook his head, thinking about he went from Prison Inmate to Irish Gangster. "Anyway, I think Liam is in good hands." He agreed with Emery, concerning how her Brother was choosing to stay away from the Criminal Life that his Siblings were entrenched in.

Came the supposed flirting, Ed simply shook his head. "Wasn't trying." Because they had just met, thinking about a date right off the get-go was a little much. "Haven't really...thought about dating since that divorce. And honestly, with what the road has ahead for me, I don't know if it's such a good idea at the moment anyway."

"Well, if you're good at something, you might as well get paid to do it, and it seems like my uncle is willing to employ you, right?"

"Well, if he wasn't, I would be rotting away back in New York." He responded. "But otherwise, yeah. It's nice to be paid to do what you're good at. I was paid by the US Government for fourteen years. If they wanted someone dead...They sent me. If they wanted someone captured, they sent me. And I never missed. So if your Uncle wants someone dead, I'm more then happy to talk to him about it. He just needs to let me know who they are, give me a time frame and once their head's in my scope...I pull the trigger." He said nonchalantly. "Fourteen years...A hundred and forty confirmed kills as a Sniper. Well, probably more, but...a Sniper Rifle is not the only weapon I've used on the battlefield."

"I could give you a list of targets off the top of my head right now, but I can't pay you for it."

"You can give me the list. All I need from there are their faces. And I can bet you...that at least half of them will be dead by next weekend, if not all of them outright." He chuckled, smiling briefly.

"Well, it sounds like you have things in common with my uncle. He wasn't in the army, but I know he has similar skills. I haven't seen Uncle James since he got out, so really I haven't seen him in six or so years. How was he doing?"

"I haven't seen him since the night we got here from New York. But he's been doing well, all things considered. That day, before we got on that flight, we got separated and the Italians tried to kill him. But what matters is that I got him home in one piece. You should give him a call. I'm sure he misses you."

Interactions: Emery Callahan Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Family Home
~Dublin, Ireland~
Allen Cartwright

​

Allen knew the idea of keeping everyone confined to their homes wasn't going to go over well with anyone, but the fact of the matter was their safety was more important. Sure, some of them didn't ask for this life but unfortunately for them, they didn't have a choice. He was sure they'd get over it once they realized it would all be for their own good. "Exactly. If your actions are going to piss them off anyway why not just go ahead and put them on lockdown?"

It was funny to Allen that just a few moments ago he was prepared to bite Conor's head off for letting his daughter get hurt. He had prepared a whole speech full of subtle threats and not-so-subtle ones. He was determined to truly show Conor how important his daughter meant to him, that he wasn't happy with how things had been the past few years. Alas, he found himself sympathizing with the man instead. Something in him related to having to make choices he knew his family wouldn't agree with. Conor had the weight of the world on his shoulders and it seemed like no matter what he did he would continue to get shit for it. Make no mistake, however, Allen didn't feel bad for him. This was the job and responsibility of the family head and he had signed up for it.

It always made Allen smile when Conor and other people talked about his daughter. Because he had lost a good chunk of time getting to know her, hearing that she turned out to be a pretty alright person warmed his heart. He put his hand over his chest and nodded his head, listening to Conor's every word. "Oh, that's my girl, Marie." His tone sounded nostalgic, an almost dream-like hint to it. "Maybe you should talk to her and let her tell you what would make her happy," he said, crossing his arms. "I'm no expert on marriages considering the state of mine, but maybe your idea of happiness and her idea are different."

As Conor went down the list of people close to Moretti, Allen couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose. His idea was thrown completely out the window and he shook his head at the thought of it. "Damn, kid, you've fucked every possibility of getting them on your side," he said, quickly adding, "Even if that were ever something that could've been done." Though he wasn't sure staging a coup would even work, it was nice to think of something that didn't involve violence. He slumped into his seat, scratching his beard as he tried to think of other ways to resolve his situation. "Maybe I should've burst in here sooner then?" He joked before growing serious. "Your problems won't end unless you cut the head off the snake. However, someone equally as difficult or even more so could take his position. So the question becomes if you could manage to bury the hatchet with any of them, who would it be?"

Gabe’s Office
~New York, New York~
Theodore Wycliff

​

Hearing Gabriel inform him he wanted to make a point to Conor only confirmed what he had thought in the beginning. It was all - and would always be - a show of power. Retaliation, yes, but a show of power nonetheless. Sometimes he felt as if that was all that mattered to his boss but alas he wasn't going to bring it up to him. What would the point of it be? Expressing his opinions about certain things only went so far and this was one of the opinions that would go absolutely nowhere. Teddy did agree that a show of their strength was important but also realized that strength invites challenge. A challenge Conor seemed so keen on accepting and participating in.

Teddy hoped, for Conor's sake, that he backed off. It was clear Gabe was in this to fight dirty - something Teddy had known for years. He just didn't know to what extent Gabriel would keep it up. "I don't care just about the back and forth with the Sullivans, this is about the kid," he reminded him. "I'm okay with- with being known as the family who will stop at nothing. I'm okay with getting blood on my hands for the sake of revenge but I'm not okay with a kid getting caught up in the mix. Cristina still has nightmares. Francis doesn't sleep in his bed anymore. Paolo, he- he's been on his best behavior as of late because he knows something happened to his sister. That shit stays with a kid for their whole life." Again, Teddy had been speaking from experience. When he was younger he had been kidnapped and held for ransom a handful of times. Teddy knew the psychological torment that came with it, even if Cristina had been younger than he was his first time being taken.

Gabriels gesture to his hand made Teddy subconsciously rubbed his own deformed hand. Five fingers had been turned into three and - just a few weeks ago - he had been prepared to kill James Porter because of it. He still wanted to, clenching his jaw just thinking about how the opportunity had been taken away from him. Teddy was just as vengeful as the next man and wanted to make sure his own trauma didn't go unanswered for. But that would make him a hypocrite, right? With a heavy sigh, he shook his head and looked up at Gabe. "I-," he threw his hands up, sitting back in his own seat. "A final conversation. One where everything is laid out on the table. They stay on their side, we stay on ours, and that's that. You want retribution for your family, I would too, but I fear what happened to them happening to us because we pushed Sullivan too far. He's playing a dangerous game and your version is even more so, so it's not like it's something that wouldn't happen." Teddy paused for a moment, trying to read the man across from him. "We don't do any business with anyone affiliated with Sullivan, which includes Biancardi."

Though he liked Roxie and respected Ricky, Teddy often times couldn't help but feel she favoured them because of her children. Ricky's company was always appreciated, but he wasn't the head of the Biancardi family. Roxanne was. Which, to him, meant she should be around more and attending more meetings alongside Ricky. "What do they really do for us anymore? They were mediators between us and Sullivan and now that that relationship has been completely destroyed, what need do we have of them? Cleaning our hands with Sullivan should be completely thorough. Even if that does mean Ricky and Julia don't attend family dinners anymore."


Gabriel, Conor ( Misty Gray )

 

[BasDorcha]

Red Light District
~Soho, London~
Jocelyn Justice​

Jocelyn watched as Kit continued to torture the men, feeling a bit of glee from it. Something about them feeling even a fraction of what she was feeling seemed fitting. When Kit f what she meant by stripping opening the shirt of Donald, she didn’t correct her. Let them feel what it was like to be on display, to be scrutinized and looked down on. For a moment, seeing them all naked, brought up vomit in her throat. Gagging and swallowing down the feeling, she stood, standing back from them.

Images of what happened flashed in her mind, hands grabbing at her, the violation she was put through, them laughing and acting like it was the most normal thing in the world what they had done to her. Tears crept into her eyes as she suddenly lost her cool, and her booted foot swung, crushing Donald’s privates beneath them. He howled as she swung a second time. Her voiceless scream of I HATE YOU could not be missed. She wasted no time in doing the same to the other two men, before drawing her own gun to stand alongside Nikita, anger and tears wetting her face.

Jocelyn had never done anything like shooting a person before. It was a moment of decision for her, trying to determine what she really wanted to do with them. There had been some tense moments in the liquor business, other people threatening her to intruding on their territory, or trying to steal their business, but security always handled it. She growled and lifted her gun higher, focusing on the leader of the bunch, his sweaty face imprinted on her brain as he had huffed and grunted over her. A shake formed in her grip but she steadied it.

Looking to Nikita, she nodded, returned her gaze to the men before her, and the moment there was a loud boom in the music, she pulled the trigger, Donald’s blood flying. As she did so, she screamed, and this time a verbalized word escaped, "NOOOOOO!" His eyes stared back blank and a odd sense of relief and panic both spread through her. He would never hurt anyone again. How many had he already hurt if he felt that confident about attacking her? She’d let Nikita handle the other two, as she ran to the closest trashcan and threw up. Wiping her mouth, the torrent of emotions she was feeling was like a dam breaking. She didn’t need to see the rest, she knew what was coming.

Mentions:
Melanin-Gxdess - kit

 

[Pyroclast]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Billy King​

Everything seemed to happen at a dizzying speed; with adrenaline pumping through his veins, Billy was on high alert, despite his senses being numbed from the blast and from the shock of it all. He managed to catch another glimpse of Harper as Alex appeared and took her from his and Jeremy’s arms; her head rolled back lifelessly in the transition, and the ash that coated her lips made them look blue. Even in his worst nightmares Billy had never seen his sister in such a state and he could feel his heart in his throat, pulsing with fear. His wide eyes were so fixed on her that he didn’t see anyone approach him, until suddenly he had a strong arm around his shoulder and was being kissed on the top of his head. When he looked up he saw Spencer rushing over to their sister. Seeing the fear in Spencer’s eyes only heightened his own; despite the business they were in, it wasn’t often he saw his eldest brother look so panicked. Even though Billy wasn’t ready to believe his little sister might be dead, seeing Spencer’s reaction made his own confidence slip.

With Harper no longer in his arms, Billy took to holding onto Erik instead and followed the others outside as per Spencer’s instruction. It was then that he noticed that Erik was limping rather heavily. When they got outside, Billy took a step back from Erik and saw a large splinter of wood lodged deep in Erik’s thigh. “Shit Erik, your leg!” he gasped, as if the man wouldn’t have already noticed. “Come over ‘ere, sit down…Christ…” Wrapping an arm around Erik’s waist, he helped him take a few steps further away from the building before carefully lowering him to the ground. Despite his concern for Erik, his eyes naturally drifted back over to his sister, cradled in Alex and Jeremy’s arms. Spencer was there, too, and even from a slight distance he could see the tears in his brother’s eyes. It looked like he was checking for a pulse but he seemed to draw no conclusion before he stepped away and rushed back towards the club entrance.

“Spence!” Billy tried to yell, but the sharp intake of breath only rattled the smoke and dust inside his lungs, prompting another coughing fit. He knew Spencer was trying to save more people from the club and that he wouldn’t be able to stop him; but he also knew how rapidly unstable the nightclub was becoming, and if his brother wasn’t back in 60 seconds he was determined to go and check he hadn’t been trapped or injured.

For now, he had Erik to focus on. Kneeling at his side, Billy placed a sturdy arm around Erik’s back to help support him. “Come on, it’s just a flesh wound, Erik,” he said, clearing his throat to help pull himself together. “You and I have both seen worse, right? Just gotta breathe through it ‘til the ambulances get here and they’ll fix ya’ up no problem.” A shaking hand reached up to Erik’s forehead, trying to wipe away the dust and sweat sticking to his skin, but ending up just smearing more blood on him. “You’ll get a nice-lookin’ scar the guys’ll go mad for, eh?” Billy finally managed a small smile. Even in the darkest times, being with Erik made everything a little easier to handle.

A woman’s voice made him tilt his head up, and he was surprised to see May standing over them. “May, you made it!” he exclaimed, relieved to see her out of the club and in one piece. He was just about to ask if she had seen Darcey when the young woman instructed him to take his belt off and wrap it around Erik’s thigh to cut off some blood flow. Billy hesitated, not having expected to receive orders from the bartender the family were currently suspicious about. But as it might help, Billy did as she suggested and took it off before tightening it around Erik’s thigh, just above the wound. His eyes scanned the area once again, looking out for Darcey in the growing crowd of people escaping the club. When he turned back, May had her hand around the large splinter of wood sticking out of Erik’s leg and was slowly pulling it out.

“No! What are you doing!” he cried out, grabbing onto May’s arm and accidentally jolting the splinter in the process. “It’s plugging the wound, you can’t just -” But he failed to stop her from pulling it out and had to watch as blood gushed from Erik’s leg. May then told him to use his jacket to staunch the wound. As much as he wanted to stop listening to her, he really had no choice; he hurriedly shrugged off his jacket and bundled it up. It was stained with blood and caked in rubble and dust and Billy hesitated, panic rising at the thought of giving Erik an infection. But even though the belt was surely cutting off some blood flow, the red liquid continued to pour from the wound and he knew it was more important to try and close the wound and deal with any potential infection later. While he tended to Erik’s wound, May did her best to bandage up the man’s head. She tried to move on to Billy and clean him up a bit but by that point he was so rattled that he pushed her away. “I’m fine!” he snapped at her. “Go find Darcey, make sure she’s alright!”

Overlapping sirens were now adding to the noise around them, and soon enough he heard doors open nearby and a couple of paramedics run over to them. When they started tending to Erik, Billy caught their attention and said, “I’m goin’ with him,” he told them. “I just - just don’t leave without me. I’ll be one second, I promise…”

Leaving Erik in their care for the moment, Billy got to his feet and ran over to his sister, just as an ambulance reached her. “Harper…” He wanted to say something encouraging, but a lump formed in his throat so thick he couldn’t get any words out at all. His eyes found Alex’s, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask if she was alive. Jeremy was crying, something Billy had never seen before, and at that moment he knew their friend was in love with Harper. “Stop it, stop crying!” he commanded him, but his own voice was wavering as he spoke. “She’s fine. You’re alright, aren’t you, Harp? You’ll be okay, sis' - just be the strong woman I know you are…” His words grew strained and trailed off; unable to say anything more, he just kissed her dusty, bloody hand instead and clapped a hand on Alex’s arm, his eyes urging him to look after her and Jeremy.

His eyes were watering as he darted back over to the ambulance, and he clambered in after Erik before they shut the doors. With Erik being laid down on the bed, Billy sat on the chair beside him, the two paramedics accompanying them. They maintained a cheerful tone as they began to test each of them on their physical and mental states, making an effort to keep the mood up and keep them engaged and talking. Billy did his best to listen and respond, seeing the questions as something to distract him from the growing anxiety within him and the urge to cry. But he kept faltering, struggling to hear them for the ringing in his ears - it wasn't quite enough to occupy him. Billy kept his eyes on Erik, watching one of the paramedics tend to him. He still couldn't shake the image of his sister out of his mind, still not sure if she was alive. He thought about where she would be - in an ambulance, hopefully with Jeremy and Alex, the paramedics doing everything they could to help her. He thought about Spencer, unsure if he had made it out of the building in the end. Before he knew it his eyes were full of tears and his whole body was tensed up from the pressure of holding them back.

"We need to patch that up, he's losing some blood," one of them said.

"I, uh...I tried to stop it from bleeding but my jacket was dirty," he mumbled, his eyes still on Erik. His vision was starting to swim but he didn't really acknowledge it. "I didn't want to get it infected or nothin', I just...I just…"

"Sir, I'm talking about your arm."

Billy tilted his head down to find that his shirt sleeve had been rolled up, revealing a deep cut in his left forearm. His arm and hand were slathered and dripping with blood, and the sight of it, on top of the shock and emotional distress, brought on a wave of nausea so intense he pitched forward unintentionally, his forehead crashing against the side of Erik's bed. A second later, there was an arm hooked around his chest, positioning him so that he was throwing up into a bin rather than all over the bed frame. He found some relief in the cold synthetic sheet touching his forehead, and he reached up with his good arm to search for Erik's hand. Even if he was too dizzy to lift his head and look at him, he wanted to assure the man he was still at his side.

"Sir?" the paramedic asked. "Let's sit you up so I can check that arm out, okay?"

"Nah, I'm good here, thanks..." he distantly responded, spitting onto the ground where the bin had been. The paramedic started to say something, but Billy was struggling to focus on much and at that moment he was busy fondling Erik's hand, his forehead still resting against the edge of the bed. "Is he awake? How ya' doin' up there, Erik?"

"Alright, sir, don't look," the paramedic warned him, ignoring what Billy wanted. The room appeared to roll back as he was hauled into an upright seating position, causing his hand to slide out of Erik's. This time the paramedic was able to tend to his arm without meeting much resistance; Billy's attention was once again fixed on Erik, his heart pounding with worry and eyes brimming with fresh tears.

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

Melanin-Gxdess Alex
BasDorcha May, Jeremy
Misty Gray Spencer
Bellz Harper

 

[Misty Gray]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Spencer King and Christian Brooks​

Likely on account of his mild concussion, Christian was feeling a little dazed, so as May told him to sit down he looked at her slightly puzzled before catching up to the moment and complying. Doing so at least made the dizzy feeling tone down a bit. He looked ahead to see those around Harper and the severity of the situation came flooding back to him. He hadn't had chance to realise Spencer had returned into the building. His attention snapped back onto May as she asked for his belt. "I... Okay..." he agreed, looking down as he unfastened it then pulled it out from the loops around his waist. He handed the leather belt to May and faintly smiled. "Do you know what you're doing?" he curiously asked her, wincing as she put pressure on the wound. Once she'd secured the makeshift bandage in place, he nodded his head. "Thanks," he told her. "Are you okay, though--" he quietly asked, but she was already off rushing to tend to Erik before Christian realised he'd asked too quietly.

Meanwhile, Spencer had rushed back into the building towards the stage area where the fire hadn't yet reached and the floor remained in tact. He'd followed the voice of a woman screaming out for help and managed to find one young woman struggling to lift a large wooden beam that had landed on the top of her unconscious friend's waist, pinning her to the floor. Though the woman frantically struggling to help her friend was cut up and bleeding, she wasn't seriously injured. However, with the fire rapidly spreading, Spencer knew there was little time to waste. He knelt down on the floor and positioned his hands underneath the heavy beam, clenching his jaw and he focused his strength in lifting the wooden beam as much as he could, other debris adding extra weight to it. As soon as he felt it raise enough he shouted for the woman to pull her friend free. Once she had, Spencer let the beam drop to the floor, letting out the breath he was holding in and then wiping his brow with his sleeve as the heat was causing him to sweat. "Get out of here, I'm right behind you!" he commanded the woman as he moved to lift her unconscious friend in his arms. She was still alive, he at least knew that much. Still, as he carried the woman out, all he could think about was how Harper had been carried out looking much worse off than the stranger in his arms had. Placing the woman on the ground outside, he left her friend and others to stay with her. He looked over to where his sister was being held by Alex and Jeremy, grateful she was in good hands. Spencer choked back a cry which soon turned into a coughing fit having inhaled the dust and smoke from inside the club. He quickly shook his head, trying to pull himself back together. There was a sense of guilt that he hadn't been able to protect his sister - that he'd failed to fulfil his responsibility. The least he could do was help anyone inside who still needed him. The club's patrons were also his responsibility, after all.

Spencer turned and rushed back into the building, coming to a quick stop as he realised the area he'd pulled the trapped woman from only a minute ago was now engulfed in flames. To the left of the area, he could see some movement and as he focused, he could make out a man struggling to crawl out from beneath the fallen debris. The fire was rapidly advancing towards him, which Spencer knew in that moment would be a risky move. But he had to try, right? Just as he was about to rush towards the person needing help, he felt someone grab his wrist and attempt to pull him back. His head snapped round to see it was May gripping onto him. She told him he needed to save himself and pointed out what was always in the back of his mind, that he had a baby waiting to meet him. He knew she was right, but he was struggling to walk away. He forcefully pulled his hand back, breaking it out of May's grip. However, as he turned his head to look back into the club, more of the roof caved in above the section where the injured man had been attempting to crawl to safety. As the spreading of the fire seemed to rapidly escalate, Spencer looked back to May and quickly nodded, putting his arm around her waist as he ushered her outside along with himself.

As soon as he got outside, Spencer turned to face the nearby building wall and slammed the side of his fist against it, keeping his hand there as if to keep himself balanced. He couldn't let his brothers see him upset, not when he was meant to be the strong one. He took a few moments to steady his breathing and force back his tears, to put on a brave face to reassure those who were relying on his guidance. He turned to May and nodded his head to her. Though he didn't speak, his expression made it clear he was grateful to her for talking sense into him. It didn't take away from the fact he'd witnessed a man being crushed by the collapsing ceiling, but he was aware he would have been caught up in that too and as such wouldn't have ever got back to Shona. "Is Darcey okay?" he shakily prompted May, having not had chance to check on her himself.

Spencer looked on as Billy was ushered into the back of the ambulance with Erik. His attention then returned to Harper as the paramedics moved in to check on her. With Alex and Jeremy sticking close to Harper, he knew they would not take no for an answer when it came to squeezing into the ambulance with her. Having got to the club by car, Spencer knew he could at least drive himself, Darcey and the others to the hospital for them to be treated there, whilst the paramedics dealt with the more seriously injured. For the moment, Spencer stood by watching over Harper, Alex and Jeremy closely, trying his hardest to maintain a brave face as he did. Only when he knew she was safely in the ambulance would he go and get into his car...

To be grouped with Christian & Spencer: Melanin-Gxdess (Darcey) BasDorcha (May)

Mentions: Pyroclast Bellz

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~Bethnal Green, London~
Erik Snowden, Darcey Hargraves, & Alexander King

​

Some days Erik wished Ava was in London with him. The two could party until the wee hours of the morning and stay up even later eating ice cream and watching kids' movies. He missed her and being in London had been the longest he had ever traveled away from him. Though she visited him often, it wasn't the same. However, seeing Harper and the reaction of those around her made him glad she was away from all of this. The moment his eyes lay on the girl his heart dropped. He and Harper had interacted plenty in the past and normally it was to joke and make fun of Billy. Seeing her in this state - unable to tell if she were dead or alive - nearly broke his heart. Harper could have easily been Ava and the thought scared him. His eyes remained glued to her body, trying to see if he could notice any sign of life the others couldn't.

Once they made it outside Erik was finally able to sit down. Billy had finally noticed the wood sticking out of his leg, to which Erik replied, "No shit, Sherlock," in a painfully annoyed voice. He hadn't meant to be so snappy but the pain was starting to get to him. His leg - and the area the wood was in - had started to turn into a dull, numbing pain. It felt similar to the time he was stabbed, but he couldn't be sure that it was quite the same. Back then the knife had been pulled out and posed no threat to his life. This wood, however, he knew was dangerously close to important arteries - he had Ava to thank for this knowledge. Maybe the pain he was feeling was because of that? Or the muscles it so obviously tore through. Whatever it was it made him grumpy.

Erik managed to look at the scene around him. Harper lay between Alex and Jeremy, her head in Jeremy's lap as he cried over her body. Alex was sat by watching the man before his eyes drifted back to Harper. He had grabbed her wrist, looking for a pulse. The look on his face, as he closed his eyes, didn't look too good to Erik. Either he was relieved or he was trying to hide his emotions from everyone around him. Either way, his expression had been unreadable from this distance. Erik could only hope it was because he had been relieved to feel a pulse and was too tired or injured to tell everyone else the girl was okay.

Billy shouting to Spencer grabbed his attention. The latter had gone back inside and if Erik hadn't been injured the way he was he'd have followed after him. Instead, he was sat on the curb, Billy tending to his wounds. Erik scoffed at the mention of his injury being just a flesh wound. "I hope that's a poor joke because my flesh has a wound," he told him. "Otherwise, we're not friends anymore." He was joking, of course, trying to take Billy's mind off of everything that was going on. "Yeah, a scar they'll only see if I let them get near my di-," a violent cough cut him off, stopping his lewd sentence from being finished. He tried to keep his leg as still as possible during his cough, but it only made it worse. He managed to stop coughing as May approached, rushing to take care of both him and Billy. In the next few moments, both he and Billy were shouting at her not to touch the wood in his thigh. As Billy was trying to get her to let go it jerked to the side and Erik shouted out in pain.

"You ASSHOLES! God, I'm gonna kill botha' ya!" The New York accent that had softened over the years he had been in London had made its comeback as he angrily shouted at May and Billy. Much to his dismay, the wood had been yanked from its hole and blood began to fill the hole. Though it felt like pressure had been relieved, the pain still remained and the fear settled in. The tourniquet would take care of the rest of the blood flowing through his body but not the blood that had been plugged with the wood. "Yeah, that doesn't look good," Erik said, watching Billy and May press down on the wound with the jacket.

Erik had started to get light-headed by the time he was rushed into the ambulance. The bright lights inside made him squint to the point where he just went and closed his eyes. The paramedic must not have wanted him to do so as he hooked him up to the IV to start pushing morphine. "I need you awake," he told him, to which Erik nodded his head. When his eyes opened again Billy was sitting by his side. A weak smile drew itself across his lips but quickly disappeared as his eyes grew wide. He noticed the gash on Billy's arm the same time the paramedic had. Once he realized that, again, he was surrounded by professionals, he relaxed. He watched as Billy vomited into a trash bin and chuckled to himself, letting out a smart remark. "Oh, c'mon Billy," he weakly said. " 'S just a flesh wound." He reassured, taking Billy's hand in his own and rubbing the back with his thumb.

He almost felt sad feeling their hands break apart. The comfort of the person sitting across from him was immense and he wanted nothing more than to hold on to him. Their eyes connected and Erik could see the tears filling his eyes. The morphine had been flowing through his veins, giving him that euphoric feeling and causing his tongue to become loose. "Hey, everything's gonna be fine, yeah? Harp ain't lettin' a bomb take her out that easy," he softly said. "Save your tears for the hospital so I can-," he cut himself off, realizing he was in mixed company, and started laughing. "Ohhh, these drugs are a little too good. Way better than coke, I'll tell ya."

​

Alex watched as the ambulance carrying Billy and Erik drove off, another loading Harper inside. He had watched as Jeremy cried over her, hearing his confession to his sister. Had it been any other moment he would have grilled him and asked questions but this wasn't the time for it. His sister was injured - horribly so - and he needed to get her some help. His hand hadn't left her wrists until Darcey made her way over to them, her hand on his shoulder. Her ear had a trail of dry blood leaking from them and everything sounded so muffled. But none of that mattered as she watched the paramedics immediately tend to Harper. For a moment Alex focused his attention on Darcey, his hands on either side of her head as he looked at her injuries. "Darcey, are you okay?" If she hadn't seen his lips moving she would have sworn he was mumbling to her just now, but because she knew to focus she could make out what he was saying. She nodded her head before pulling him for a hug. Alex wrapped his arms around her waist and for a moment he wanted to break down.

His family had been attacked and he couldn't help but wonder if it were because of him. Had Conor decided to just take them all out so he would no longer fight for Callum? Was all of this because he had cheated on Sav? He wouldn't put it past the hot-headed Sullivan to go and do something like this, so it was entirely plausible in his mind. Billy was injured, Spencer was playing hero, and Harper was fighting to stay alive. If all of this was because he couldn't keep it in his pants he had no idea what he was going to do.

Darcey pulled away first, breaking Alex's train of thought. She pointed to the ambulance, nodding her head. "Get her to the hospital." She simply said, watching Alex jog away. When he approached the paramedic the man was telling him only one of them could join Harper inside. Alex looked at Jeremy, about to tell him to follow behind since he was her brother, but decided against it. The man had just declared his love for her so why not let him stay? With a frown Alex pushed the paramedic inside before climbing in after him and Jeremy, closing the door behind him. "We're both coming. Now shut the fuck up and tend to my sister," he ordered. The paramedic took a heavy sigh before starting in on Harper, hooking her up to an IV and doing what he needed. Alex sat perpendicular to her head, eyes glued on her face as he slowly picked up her hand and laced his fingers with hers. With his eyes closed, he lowered his head and brought their hands up to his forehead.

"...Not supposed to outlive my younger sister, you asshole." He muttered, managing to keep his tears concealed.

An aching in her chest hit Darcey as she watched the ambulance with Harper, Jeremy, and Alex drive away. She had never seen Harper and the others as her children nor did she see herself as their mother but it didn't mean she didn't care about them. Outside of her being around because of Bruce she had grown very attached to the four of them and wanted nothing but the best for them. The last thing she ever wanted to see was them hurting and right now she was looking at it. She had never seen Alex look so defeated nor had she ever felt him shaking the way he was when she hugged him. Just knowing he was falling apart hurt. As she turned back towards the building her eyes landed on Spencer and May, the latter having just stopped him from returning inside. Despite her sore muscles and scratched-up skin, Darcey started moving into she was sprinting to Spencer, and the moment she reached him she immediately threw her arms around him.

"You're okay," she said, picking up on the signs. "You're okay, they're okay, it's okay." She whispered into his ear, kissing his cheek. If anyone standing around knew what having your family members nearly taken from you it was Darcey. Except, hers actually had been when she was younger. Her heart went out to Billy and Alex and Spencer because she knew what it all felt like. She was sure they were angry and sad and confused and she wanted nothing more than to let them let it all out. But they wouldn't be able to. Not now, at least.

Pulling back from their embrace, Darcey placed both of her hands on his cheeks and wiped away any stray tear daring to make themselves known. "Just a little longer, okay? Keep this up a little longer and you're free." She knew he would understand what she was saying. That he would be more than able to let everything he was feeling out in the open and not bottle it up. "We have to get you back to the hospital. Shona needs you, alright? Keep it together for her and let me worry about everything else," she looked into his eyes, knowing it would be easier said than done but she had to say it regardless. She then stepped back and after getting May and Christian's attention looked back to Spencer and grabbed his hand, rubbing it softly with her thumb. "We have to go, love."

Harper ( Bellz )
Billy ( Pyroclast )
Spencer,Christian ( Misty Gray )
Jeremy, May ( BasDorcha )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Red Light District
~Soho, London~
Nikita Blake

​

Kit stood back and let Jocelyn take over. Pressed against the wall, she dug into her pocket and pulled out a small bag of pistachios, and started popping the green seed into her mouth. Her eyes remained glued to the three men before her bleeding out on the tacky, shagged carpet. Even with a bullet hole in their kneecaps they could move or try something funny and she wasn't going to have any of it - not on her watch. The moment Jocelyn swung her foot down between Donald's legs, followed by the other two, Kit's eyebrows shot up. She didn't really think the other woman would be into that sort of thing but she had been mistaken. A smile grew on her face as she slipped another pistachio between her lips to chew on. The three men started crying and howling from the pain which had been music to her ears. When was the last time she heard something like this? A week? A month? God, just a few years ago she was able to hear these types of sounds every day and now she had been limited. Watching Jocelyn smash their manhood away had been making her feel nostalgic, a dreamy look in her eyes.

It soon disappeared when she saw Jocelyn stand a few feet away from them, Kit pushing herself off the wall to stand next to her. She was breathing heavily, tears down her face, and Kit grimaced at the sight before turning to the three men before them. Their bodies had turned red, sweating forming on every inch of their skin. Nikita squatted down to examine Jocelyn's handy work and let out a laugh right in their faces. "Sheesh, if we were going to leave you alive no one would want you," she said, turning to Noah. For a moment her eyes remained glued to what was between his legs before looking up at him, a handy softly placed on his cheek. He flinched which made Kit roll her eyes. "It's a shame, too, because you look like a show-er," she joked, using her knees to push herself up. She rejoined Jocelyn, who had been pointing her gun at them, and turned to her. "Alright, so you're gonna-," the sound of three gunshots shut her up, Kit slowly turning her head to her with narrowed eyes. Though the gunshots had been muffled by the music she still would have preferred her to use the silencer.

"I- The fuck? What did you think the silencer was for, stupid, an ornament?" She said, walking towards the door. She peeked out of it to see if anyone had heard and was running out of the club. It seemed like it was business as usual, the music like thumping and girls still giggling so she closed the door. "Public places equal a silencer." She said, reaching into her pocket for two pairs of black gloves. She turned to give her a pair, only to see her throwing up in the trashcan. It was obvious this had been her first time, however, Kit hadn't processed that fact nor cared to. "Vomit equals evidence, so you, Princess Pukey, need to take that with you when we leave." Turning to the door, she thoroughly wiped any and all prints from it before moving towards the poker table. The three men were dead now, which means they didn't need their wallets. She made sure to stay clear of any and all blood as she rummaged through their pockets until she found what she was looking for. "I assume you'd like to leave a message so we're leaving them here." She stood up and walked towards the door. "If there's anything else you'd like to do, do it. I'll wait for you by the bar. Gotta talk to the barmaid, anyway." She cracked the door open enough for her to leave, but not for anyone to see.

Taking off the black gloves, she shoved them into her pockets and approached the woman they spoke to earlier. Kit placed the three wallets in front of her and gestured to them. "Pick one," she said, reaching across the counter to pick up the bottle the bartender had just set down. The other woman watched her tilt the sprout down her throat for nearly 30 seconds before picking the wallet in the middle. After swallowing the brown liquor in one go, Kit placed the bottle down and nodded her head. "Cool. Whatever's in there is yours. You didn't see nor hear shit and we were never here." She put the other two wallets in her pocket and tapped the bar, giving her a smile. "Chins up. I checked that bad boy out and it's got fancy cards."

Jocelyn ( BasDorcha )

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti's Office
~ Murray Hill, Manhattan ~

Gabriel Moretti​

With his usual stern expression, Gabriel listened as Teddy said he was fine with being known as the family who would stop at nothing and get blood on their hands for revenge. However, the mention of how it was affecting the children, especially Cristina having nightmares, caused Gabriel's features to noticeably soften at the thought. "No, we can't have that," he commented, letting out a relenting sigh. If anything appealed to Gabriel's sensitive side, it was his grandchildren, which was also exactly why the Sullivans had used Cristina in their plan to begin with.

Gabriel remained quiet as he allowed Teddy to voice what he would do next, giving his son-in-law time and opportunity to keep spilling what was on his mind. Once the younger man was finished, Gabriel took a small drink from his glass before sitting up straight and giving himself another moment to consider what Teddy was telling him. "You do know that such a conversation and an agreement to stay away from each other means you and I would need to put our need for revenge aside? Put a stop to avenging my family and getting revenge for the torture you suffered?" he asked. By this point, Gabriel wished to put business first and minimise distractions caused by personal vendettas. As he'd already mentioned, the opportunity to get Porter had presented itself to Gabriel and he couldn't help but take such a chance. Of course, it had proved to also be a trap on Sullivan's part - the fact the Irish fool had been a step ahead of him proved more than annoying. "Are you putting yourself forward to be in attendance of the said final conversation with Conor?" he asked.

Although Gabriel was willing to end the war with the Sullivans for the sake of getting back to focusing only on business, he wasn't on board with the idea of also cutting ties with the Biancardis. "That, I am not so willing to agree to. The Biancardis not only have some hold within New York City, but they are also proving to be useful to our own business. Whilst I would love nothing more than to cut off the invisible woman known as Roxanne, that would also mean scrapping the highly profitable contracts I have in the pipeline with the Biancardis. To end business with them would need to be a slower and more meticulously planned matter. Roxanne may be in bed with the Sullivans, but Riccardo and Julia are very much in favour of us. Rather than wash our hands of those two, I would much rather keep them close, where they are useful to us. I don't tolerate Riccardo's erratic personality for nothing, Theodore," he knowingly pointed out.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor nodded along when Allen suggested he talked to Aliana to confirm what would make her happy now. He let out a bitter snort at the suggestion his own idea of happiness differed from hers. "Trouble is, my idea of happiness has had to be pushed aside for so long, that I might have to remind myself of what it was. These days, happiness is simply not having any family or friends turn up dead or tortured. I've booked a family holiday for the summer, but even if I can justify leaving in the middle of a war, how can I possibly switch off for long enough to enjoy the time with those I love? Until a few years ago, I never used to understand how Jimbo could be so uptight," he thought aloud. "I just hope I can at least make Ali and the kids happy," he reasoned.

Conor watched as Allen looked exasperated upon hearing how many Morettis would be practically impossible to reason with now. "Hey, now. I was in a prison cell when this war was ignited. Last thing I ever wanted was another war with a psychotic Italian, not after the shit with the Romanos. I'm just the one left to continue dealing with it now. If I learned anything from Vinnie Romano, it was that guys like Moretti don't understand the meaning of mercy or reason. My family spent so long trying to avoid becoming like those monsters, that we had to watch as our mercy was rewarded by death and suffering. Moretti proved how cruel he was back in New York, so I've tried to stay one step ahead of him this time around, but that hasn't worked, either. If I could get Moretti to listen to reason and fuck off out of my business, I would..." He scratched the back of his head somewhat awkwardly. "Granted, that might not work out too well just yet. As we speak, an attack has been put into action to get revenge on the two Morettis who tortured Ali and Leo," he admitted. It had been far too late to call it off already, even when Conor learned May was potentially in the nightclub. He could only hope she'd been reached in time.

Conor agreed that the Moretti problem wouldn't end by just killing Gabriel or even the man's likely heirs. There would always be another as bad or worse waiting to take his place. James had tried to wipe out all of the Morettis in one go, but Gabriel and his immediate family had been lucky enough to avoid the attack. From what Conor knew, Gabriel turned out to be even worse than Francesco. With the question of who he had the best chance of burying the hatchet with, Conor thought for a time before shrugging his shoulders. "Funnily enough, I would say Teddy. The first time I met him, he was a smug prick, trying to get a rise out of me. But from what I've seen of him since, he seems more human and reasonable that Gabriel is. Plus, he has a wife who I believe is not actively involved in the criminal side of the business, along with three children he will want to protect. Of the key players, I would say he's the one who would see most reason and be willing to put an end to this mess."

Melanin-Gxdess (Allen)