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

[Misty Gray]

Undisclosed Location
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~

Benjamin Reznik​

Benjamin sucked in a breath as he felt Lorelei wrap her arms around him. He tightly closed his eyes as she hugged him and kissed the side of his head. He shook his head as she told him Aidan was gone. He didn't know what to say to her. It felt like a nightmare which he was willing himself to wake up from soon. When he was a child and had found his mother dead on the sofa, it was Aidan who he called first. It was Aidan who had been there for him ever since. This time, he felt like he'd not only lost Aidan but he'd another part of Dolores too, in that Aidan had always been someone he could talk to about her with. With Kurt in prison, Aidan was Benjamin's connection to the stories and memories of his mother - someone who had known her at least enough to know who she was.

As Lorelei held him, he couldn't help but worry if he'd lose her next. He had friends in Dublin, but she was the only one he'd been able to properly open up to about his mother, Kurt, and the rest of his past. What if he just wasn't allowed to have people in his life? Benjamin broke away from her embrace as she said it wasn't safe where they were. "I can't. I can't leave him alone on the street," he said, quickly shaking his head. From the corner of his eye, he sighted the gun which Aidan had dropped during the fatal scuffle with Billy. Reaching out, Benjamin grabbed the weapon and gripped the handle tightly in his hand. He suddenly became aware of the sound of voices and commotion in the alleyway. Then, hearing Thomas and Leo as they shouted from the alley, Benjamin quickly wiped his tears with the sleeve of his shirt. Something was clearly going on, obviously linked to Aidan's murder. Reluctantly, he reached to Aidan's pocket and removed the set of car keys. Shakily, he handed them to Lorelei. "Go inside his car and lock the doors," he suggested to her. "I can't leave him," he desperately told her as he turned back to look at Aidan and the tears once again began flowing at the devastating sight before him.

Bellz (Lorelei)
Nearby: Those mean Kings. Also Thomas and Leo.

Undisclosed Location
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~

Spencer King and Conor Sullivan​

Spencer hadn't liked the way Billy snapped at him and pushed him aside, but he held his tongue. He watched as his youngest brother delivered some punches to Conor before rushing back to his feet and turning away from them. Next, Alex stepped in and straddled Conor before offloading the anger he had towards the Irishman, for Harper, Darcey, as well as Kerry and other innocents caught up in the explosion. After delivering a final kick to the enemy's face, Alex stepped away to catch his breath back. He proceeded to telling Spencer they needed to be quick in finishing the job, to which the eldest of the brothers took a step forward and tightly gripped the handle of his knife, ready to put an end to Conor for good.

Spencer was stopped in his tracks by the sound of Thomas shouting for them to get out of the alley. The Londoner quickly turned to look at Thomas, seeing the younger man had raised his gun at them. Spencer was about to tell him to fuck off before Leo rushed onto the scene and to Conor's side. Spencer tightened his jaw as he wrestled between wanting to deal with the two Irish newcomers and not wanting to put his brothers in danger by doing so. Clearly angry and upset, Leo rushed to his feet and aimed his gun directly at Spencer, warning him that he wasn't supposed to be there. "Neither are you," Spencer firmly told him, though in a tone that suggested he regretted the younger man had to see his own father in such a condition. Ideally, Leo would have stayed away long enough not to see his own father be killed in front of him.

When Leo eventually relented and gave them three seconds to leave, Spencer was about to tell his brothers to get to the van. If anyone was going to be getting shot and killed, it had to be himself. But deep down, he knew it was more important that he had to try and also survive if he was going to ensure his brothers' safety and his return home to see Shona and Eddie again.

Before Spencer could decide to take the sensible option and ensure the safety of his brothers, Jeremy stepped in to try disarm Leo and get in the way of any guns that were aimed at Spencer. "Shit. No!" he snapped at his best friend. "Alex. Billy. Get back to the van," Spencer firmly ordered his brothers. As much as he hated it, they were all going to have to leave Conor where he was and unfortunately, alive. The man may have lost consciousness, but he was still breathing. "We're going!" Spencer assured Thomas and Leo, looking each of them in the eyes. "Jeremy, we're going. Back to the van and outta here. I'm not returning home without any of you because you took a bullet between the eyes," he bluntly ordered his friend.

Pyroclast (Billy)
Bellz (Thomas)
Melanin-Gxdess (Alex, Leo)
BasDorcha (Jeremy)

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
White Hart Pub
~ East London ~ ​

With everything she'd gone through lately, Harper was lacking the usual sass and it was showing. Harper wouldn't have given this man the platform to speak as he was currently if she had been her usual self. His words were damning and there was a side of Harper that wanted to believe that what he was saying was true. That he hadn't left because of her, that he'd changed. Kerry told her not to listen to him and Harper turned to her momentarily, meeting her eyes as her own started to water.

She hated feeling out of control. While the physical pain was numbed by the medication, it altered her personality drastically. Harper wasn't exactly on board with this trend of constantly feeling torn about her decisions, first Jeremy had made her doubt her decision in rejecting him and now here stood her father, making her feel the same way. For as long as she could remember, Harper had sworn to herself that if she had been given the chance to talk with the man who'd never wanted to know her...she would have killed him. The years upon years that she was bullied by kids in school for being 'an orphan', for being the byproduct of a 'druggie.' Years of kids saying that she couldn't hide behind her brothers forever. Harper understood kids were cruel but there was so much power behind those cruel words because most of them were true. And staring at the man before her, she knew he was the sole cause of all of that.

Her brothers had memories of their mother and who she was while Harper had to live with the haunting resemblance and her imagination, wondering what her mother would have been like with her. While her brothers did have memories of Trevor that were horrible, they got to have good memories of Laura. Harper didn't get any of that.

Trevor said that 24 years was a long time for him to change who he was and Harper scoffed, "I've rarely met a man who has changed." She said to her father. He insisted that he changed from the selfish prick who abandoned his family and Harper had to look away from him, her skin feeling like it was crawling again as she moved to claw at it aggressively. The pain was starting to become unbearable again, so much so that Harper reached into her coat pocket to grab the bottle of pain meds without any care for who was watching. Popping the bottle open, she shook out 2 pills, one dose higher than was meant to be taken before shoving it into her mouth.

Once she swallowed the meds, she looked back at her father feeling a little more confident now that she knew the meds would kick in soon. "I don't even know who I am anymore. You know if I wasn't bound to this god-forsaken wheelchair, the person I used to be would have clocked you in the jaw right about now and left. Growing up in a womanless household taught me that's how you deal with people who hurt you." Harper formed a bitter smile on her face as she shook her head. "But I guess being flattened turns you into a different person..."

Harper knew Kerry and Kit wouldn't like what she was about to say next but in the true spirit of what she was, she didn't care. "Considering I've barely touched my pint, I'd say you have until I finish my beer to explain to me why you left. You're are absolutely right, you don't deserve to know me. But I have every right to know who you are and decide for myself if you should know me." The blonde looked to Kerry and Kit, "You can tell my brothers this was all my doing, I'll give them a piece of my mind if they so much as try to yell at you for it." Harper said, looking to Kerry in particular. "I won't be more than half an hour. Can you give me that?"
with: Kerry + Dickhead #1 Misty Gray ; Kit Melanin-Gxdess
mentions: Dickhead #2 BasDorcha

 

[Misty Gray]

White Hart Pub
~ East London ~

Kerry Patrick and Trevor Stewart​

Trevor raised an eyebrow when Harper told him she had rarely met a man who has changed. "I would suggest that you have either not met the right men or you haven't given them long enough to change. However, there are a lot of scumbags out there - I would know," he remarked. Still, it was a shame that someone so young already had such a negative outlook on men, which led him to wonder if it was purely his own fault or if she had history to base her judgement on. He knew if he'd been around in her life, he would have more of an idea of the answer to his question.

Having seen Harper's eyes watering, he already felt bad for his presence upsetting her. It hadn't been his intention to see her, not when he knew Bruce and the others wanted him well away from her. Now he was standing across from his daughter, it was difficult to walk away. As he watched her showing physical signs of agitation again, he glanced to Kerry and Kit to see if they were aware of it. Then, seeing her grab a bottle of meds, presumably related to her injuries, his interest piqued. They way she knocked the pills back was concerning to him, given it was all familiar territory. However, he knew he had to hold his tongue were he to spend a moment longer in his daughter's presence.

Harper seemed to gain more confidence from the meds, and given it was way too fast for them to take any kind of real effect, Trevor could only assume she had some sense of security or dependency on the pills. If he'd been able to pick up on it, surely those closest to her would have too, but the fact she was out now knocking back the pills made him suspect her brothers and Bruce weren't completely aware. Trevor knew showing his face to his family would be difficult and complicated, but he hadn't expected this too. Hearing Harper saying she would punch him in the jaw if she wasn't in the wheelchair dragged him back out of his concerns. "Well, I am quickly realising I do have a very punchable face, so I can't blame ya for that," Trevor remarked, given the Kings had smacked him about when he showed up at their pub, along with Kerry hitting him minutes ago. He nodded in understanding as she pointed out growing up in a male-dominated house meant she had learned punching people was the way to deal with those who hurt her. He couldn't fault the idea that her brothers and uncle had taught her to defend herself, or even attack those warranting it. If it kept her safe, then it was a good thing.

Harper then did the unexpected and gave him until she had finished her pint to talk. She wanted to know why he had left and she wanted to know who he was. Looking to Kerry and Kit as Harper told them to give her the time she needed, Trevor let out a apprehensive sigh when they agreed to it. He knew this wasn't going to go down well for him with his sons and Bruce, but he owed Harper answers and he wanted to talk to her. He sat in the chair across from Harper and took a moment to gather his thoughts before looking directly to his daughter. "Your injuries only turn you into a different person if you allow them to. Remember, you've got a lot of people around you for support," he pointed out, not able to ignore her earlier comment. Whilst his stint in hospital following the hit and run had led to him doing a lot of thinking and drove him to make changes, he didn't believe the changes Harper was undergoing were necessarily positive, not if the pill-popping was anything to go by.

From her seat next to Harper, Kerry had to force herself not to glare at Trevor, nor to interrupt the exchange between him and Harper. She didn't know the man and wasn't sure how to read him given she didn't know how he usually behaved to determine if he was now putting on an act. She wished she could get Maddox to sit in on the conversation, as she knew he could read people like a book. Some would argue he could rewrite people too, but that was another matter completely. The fact was, she didn't have the doctor with her and everything she'd been told about Trevor before now was bad, so she refused to believe anything he said and would do what she could to make sure Harper was not swayed by the man when their conversation was done. Having sat with Alex as he opened up about Trevor and Laura, Kerry had no desire to give Trevor the benefit of the doubt.

Harper wanted to know why Trevor left and to know who he was. He was sure she wasn't going to like any of it, but he knew he owed her the truth. He was trying to be a better person and he knew after everything he'd done, it wasn't going to be easy confronting those he'd hurt. "Your mother and I... It all started out as two teenagers having fun. Parties, drinking, drugs.. anything we could think of. But it all became serious when your mother became pregnant with Spence. For a couple of years, we tried to settle down for the sake of the kid. But we both struggled. I was too selfish to commit to it all and I ended up falling back into my old ways, going out to the pub so I didn't have to deal with the responsibility... Everything just went on a downward spiral. Your mother and I went through so many rough patches, but we always ended up sticking together and patching things up." Trevor massaged his forehead as he was made to think back to the worst of the times he had with Laura.

"By the time Billy was born, Laura was sick of me always going out and getting pissed without her, leaving her to look after your brothers. She was right, of course. There were a number of times I could have let her end our relationship and that was one of them. Instead, I gave her what she demanded - more attention, more adventures, and more drugs. I didn't want to lose her, so I gave her what she thought she wanted." Trevor shook his head, hating what he saw when he looked back at his past. "By the time your mother was pregnant with you, she was consumed by her addiction. All we did was shout and argue. I always ended up giving in - giving her what she craved. She wouldn't end our marriage, because despite how much of a train-wreck we were, somehow she still loved me. I was constantly frustrated with the arguments and I ended up taking that out on Spence when he started giving me attitude. None of us were happy and I knew my presence wasn't helping any of it. Laura had been a kind and sweet woman, dragged down by having me in her life. I'd like to say the only reason I left was to make things better for your mother and to spare you from having to suffer me in your life, but back then I was a selfish bastard. The main reason I left was because I was a coward and I couldn't hack it. I wasn't ready to put other people before myself." His eyes now glistening beneath the lights as tears came to the surface, he brought his fist to his mouth as if to stifle his emotions. "I left because I was a selfish bastard and because there was a part of me that thought you'd all be better off without me. I'm sorry my timing made it seem like it was because of you, Harper. I figured you'd be better off without me around. I don't know what your life has been like, and I'm not certain Laura would have lived had I stayed, but with your brothers and Bruce, it has to have been better than if I'd stuck around. I hate who I was back then, so I can't blame any of you for feeling that way too."

Bellz (Harper) Melanin-Gxdess (Kit)

 

[Pyroclast]

Undisclosed Location
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Billy King​

Keeping his back to Jeremy and his brothers, Billy's focus was less on what they were doing to Conor and now more on the mess he had created by the alley's opening. So when two men came barrelling around the corner, Billy was the first to notice them. He recognised them instantly as the youngest Porter son, Thomas, and Conor's son, Leo. It seemed the decoy had only kept them occupied for so long, which had been expected - they had just run out of time. As Thomas raised his gun at Spencer, Billy looked back to see if they had at least managed to finish off Conor in the time they had had. The man was now lying in a pool of his own blood, but from where Billy stood it was hard to tell if he was still alive with so much going on around them.

Between Leo's emotional reaction to seeing his father on the ground and the nearby sound of crying over the man he had just killed, Billy began to regret the mission altogether. Of course he had known that killing Conor would cause a lot of upset given the man's large family, but he hadn't planned on staying long enough to witness it for himself. The point was to get rid of the Irish Mob boss, and the heartbreak that would come from that was just a side effect. Now, things had got messy.

After kneeling to examine his father, Leo arose and thrust a gun in Spencer's direction. He looked too afraid to actually do anything, but emotions were high and so it was impossible to know how far things would escalate from there. Straight away, Jeremy made a fast move to block Leo from shooting Spencer and went to disarm him, which Spencer instantly fought against. By this point, Billy was more than frustrated that they were still lingering at the scene, so when his older brother told him and Alex to get back to the van, he grabbed Alex's arm and pulled him along to make sure he followed. If they stayed any longer, it would only give Spencer and Jeremy more reason to hang about and risk getting shot.

Outside the van, the man they had been talking to over the radio, Rob, had now returned and was helping their driver back onto his feet after he had been knocked out. He was in no condition to drive with a concussion, so Rob was helping him into the passenger side, prepared to take the wheel himself. Meanwhile, Billy leaned against the open door of the van, hesitant to get inside. He had caught sight of the man he had stabbed and the two people crying over his now lifeless body, and it had frozen him to the spot. He wished he could look away, but the guilt demanded him to take it in, take full account of what he had done. A sick, anxious feeling rushed through him and he finally hauled himself into the van to sit down. Squeezing his hands tightly together, Billy glanced out of the window at Spencer and Jeremy before asking Alex, "We didn't kill Conor, then?"

Interactions
Misty Gray Bellz Melanin-Gxdess BasDorcha you all know who you are

 

[BloodLightning27]

~James Edwards~Dublin, Ireland | Sullivan Weapons Warehouse, Dublin Port

When Reina emphasized that they (James and Edwards) had a problem, the ex-soldier rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Oh, I'm sorry! I thought we were supposed to be a team!! Excuse me for thinkin' that!" He shouted back as whoever was shooting at them continued to reign lead on them.

Well one thing was for sure, Edwards did not lack humor during a serious time. When James said that he had worse odds, Edwards chuckled. "Same here, man. Remember, I was in Vietnam!! These guys got nothin' on the guys I fought in Asia, trust me!!" He shouted, smirking a little before briefly leaning out of cover to lay down suppressive fire for Reina, who proceeded to say that they needed more firepower, to which James and Edwards agreed. "Yeah, sounds good to me!" He said before leaning out and opening fire again, but this time his gun locked empty.

Without another word, Edwards quickly reloaded his pistol. One more mag, so he had to make the shots count. Just as he put one round in the chamber, Reina had called out to them, saying that the enemy could not shoot what they couldn't see. Although that did make the Veteran's blood run cold, as that was what happened in Vietnam, as the enemy that he had firefights with often blended in with civilians, making the firefights more difficult. However, he had to remember that he was not up against of guerilla war fighters. No, this was a completely different fight...He was up against gangsters and fighting in a completely different kind of war. Edwards really did trade in one war for another, didn't he? When James said that the shooting would draw attention, Edwards could only hope that back-up would arrive. Hopefully there was enough of them nearby. Whoever was attacking them was very ballsy to say the least. Up next, Reina would call for them to shoot the street lights, as the enemy could not shoot what they cannot see. "Don't worry, I got it!" He said before emerging from cover once more to lay suppressing fire so that Reina could make the first move.

The firefight continued to persist, but Edwards didn't mind because he was in his element. "That ain't gonna happen. Not until I'm cheese-grated myself!" He said with confidence.

But he was a little over confident, because right after he finished that sentence, a bullet lodged into into his vest and he got knocked on his ass. Quickly he checked and it looked like the bullet that hit him didn't go through the vest, but it was a little painful. "I'm good, I'm good. I've been hit with worse." He said, shaking off the pain and shock. "Anyway, I got nothin'. Let's go with your idea. Unless James has anything to add." He said before taking out another light, plunging both men into the dark.

---

Interactions: Reina Richards Melanin-Gxdess | James Porter Misty Gray

 

[BloodLightning27]

~Stella Kwon~Dublin, Ireland | Dublin Streets

Very slowly, Stella calmed down as Ruby received her apology. As the men left, she took a deep breath before holstering both of her revolvers. "Men like that are the worst. They're setting a really bad example for the younger ones." She shook her head, before once more making eye-contact with Ruby. "Anytime. I really don't tolerate that level of disrespect from or towards anyone."

Soon the girls were able to continue their walk around the block. The conversation soon continued as she enjoyed the cool, gentle breeze.

“You can tell me more about what you’ve done in the past. Give me some ideas of what we might be having to look forward too.”

"Well, there's not too much for me since I've only been working in this organization about a year. Usually, I'm sent to rough up someone who owes money or throw them into the trunk of my car because they did something they really shouldn't have. Other days, I collect money owed without incident or I'm with the crew handling a job. The last big one was going to a cabin in the woods to capture a rival gang member. Had to kill one of them for trying to shoot me when we gave them the chance to put the gun down. But...I guess he just wanted to try and pull a fast one." She chuckled. "Before I ended up working for the Mob, I actually used to be a street fighter. You know, go to the back alleys or some shady spot and scrap with another fighter for some cash."

Looking back now, Stella came a really long way. Unfortunately, it did cost her a relationship with her younger Twin Sister. But it's been months since she had left and there were no attempts of contact. While it did make Stella a little sad, as her entire family was now gone, she found a new one that loved her. "Speaking of, my Mentor, not sure if you met him, Chase, talked to me about needing to improve my Hand-to-Hand Combat and said that I've become too reliant on guns. Which...he isn't wrong. So, is there anyone you look up to? Doesn't have to be anyone you know. For me, since I was a kid, I've always looked up to Bruce Lee." She smiled, but that smile turned into a frown. "Rest in Peace."

One thing was for sure, this was her chance to get into Martial Arts, like Bruce before her. Hopefully there were some good schools in the area. She and Ruby could attend them together!

---

Interactions: Ruby Miller BasDorcha
Mentions: Shirley Kwon | Chase Zegerra Pyroclast | Adam Harper Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Undisclosed Location
~Dublin City Center, Ireland~

Alex King

​

The sound of Thomas and Leo's voices was not something Alex was prepared to hear. He figured their Phelan double was going to keep them engaged long enough for them to get in and get out, but the plan had long since gone awry. Conor had made everything increasingly difficult and it'd taken more time than they'd originally planned for to take him down. "Fuck," he muttered, watching as Leo ran and knelt down next to his father. His heart was racing watching the scene, most likely because of the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Whatever the reason he could barely breathe. In the next moment, Leo turned the gun on Spencer, stating how he wasn't supposed to be in Dublin, to begin with. The cracking in his voice had been more than apparent and for a split second, he'd felt bad for the kid. Not because he had participated in beating up his father, mind you, but because he was experiencing yet another parent dying in his arms. That feeling quickly disappeared the moment he saw Jeremy take a step forward.

Alex didn't know how Leo would react, watching as he soon turned the gun towards Jeremy for walking closer to him. It was because the kid was going through so many emotions at once that he worried about what was going to happen next. Spencer had already yelled for Jeremy not to do anything stupid and Alex watched intently. His brother then ordered him and Billy to go back to the van, but Alex hesitated. He didn't want anything happening to Spencer and the fear of the unknown was what was worrying him so much. Their plan had quickly gone off the rails and into a place they hadn't seen coming - who's to say when it would end?

Billy tugging on him brought him back out of his trance - his head snapping to him. With one last glance at Spencer and Conor, he slowly nodded his head in understanding and walked backward. After accepting that his brother and Jeremy were soon going to follow, Alex turned all the way around and quickly walked to the van. Once he and Billy climbed inside - allowing Rob and their original driver to get their shit together, Alex immediately punched the back of the passenger seat. He was frustrated, annoyed, and angry that things hadn't gone according to plan at all. He'd thrown himself into his seat and buried his head into his hands when Billy questioned him. "No, Billy, we didn't." He harshly said, sitting up to face him. He was frowning and turning red before looking out of the windshield at Jeremy and Spencer. "What we did was playground bullshit at best. The moment Thomas and Leo get 'im into the hospital, he'll probably live." Even saying the words cut him, feeling the weight of their failure. "Rob, be ready to get us the fuck out of here the moment those two get in 'ere."

Billy ( Pyroclast ) Spencer ( Misty Gray ) Jeremy ( BasDorcha )

 

[Bellz]

Lorelei Costello
Thomas Porter
Undisclosed Location
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~ ​

Lorelei was content with Benjie not saying anything to her at that moment. While she was in a state of shock she couldn't possibly imagine what her boyfriend was going through. When she mentioned it not being safe, Benjie broke their embrace before telling her that he couldn't leave him alone on the street. Lorelei bit down on her bottom lip nervously watching as he reached for the gun that Aidan had dropped. The redhead eyed the weapon fearfully, wondering what Benjie was thinking. She opened her mouth to try to let him know that she would support him in whatever he chose to do but was cut off by the familiar sound of her cousins shouting. Her eyes widened as she tried to peer down the long alleyway, there was a lot of shouting happening and someone was threatening to shoot.

When Lorelei turned back to look at Benjie, his hand was reaching out to hand her Aidan's car keys. He told her to go into his car and lock the door. Lorelei took the keys from him about to obey but as she turned to look back down the alleyway she changed her mind. "I'm not going to leave you both alone like this. It's not safe. I won't lose you." She said hoarsely, her voice straining with emotion. "We have to move him. We can move him. We just need to get out of this alley." Lorelei tried to reason, looking down at Aidan for a long moment.

It felt wrong to move the man, especially if they were to accidentally mess up a future investigation. Lorelei wanted justice for him and she knew Benjie would want it to. If Thomas and Leo were nearby then perhaps they would know who had done this. The shouting was only getting louder and despite being able to keep a somewhat collected exterior Lorelei felt like she was cracking under pressure. She had no idea what to do in this situation, her parents had never prepared her for anything like this before despite their family ties.

"Do you want to move him, love? I won't touch him until you give me the okay but we have to be fast. I'm so sorry you have to do this, really Benjie I am." Lorelei said, tears falling down her cheeks. "We...we just can't stay here."

"Leo!" Thomas hissed out, keeping his finger hovered over the trigger as he watched his cousin fall to his knees at his fathers' side. Clenching his teeth, Thomas moved his eyes to follow the four figures before him. They were sorely outnumbered and Thomas was sure Leo was in no position to fight them off. The uncontrollable panic started to cause his hands to shake, causing his gun to waver slightly back and forth as he fought control. He couldn't lose control, he was the only one able to pull them all out of this alive. The very same responsibility that had fallen on him in Iran. So many people didn't make it home...because of him.

Jeremy suddenly made a move and Thomas aimed his gun at him, "Don't fucking touch him asshole!!" He shouted firmly taking 4 steps closer to them all. Leo suddenly held the gun he had apparently grabbed from the car up, pointing it at Spencer. Thomas kept his gun trained on Jeremy. "I don't fucking miss, pretty boy. On more fucking move and you're going home in a body bag." He hissed at the man.

Thomas's eyes glanced to Alex and Billy as Spencer told them to get back to the van, silently willing them with a menacing glare to test his patience before his eyes returned to look to Jeremy. Spencer finally announced they were leaving and Thomas was silent. When they eventually started to back away, Thomas would slowly creep forward towards Leo and Conor until he was in front of them. Keeping his back to them, he watched the Kings fall back to their van. Thomas only turned his head slightly to look at Leo before moving to keep his eyes on where the Kings had exited.

Things were silent and still for a long moment and Thomas forced himself to disassociate from everything. This was all of his fault. He should have known better. There were soft cries coming from a little bit further down the alley and when Thomas felt it was safe, he crept forward until he saw Lorelei's familiar silhouette. "Lorelei?" He was completely confused. "Thomas! Leo!" She cried out, "We need help!" Lorelei ran closer to her cousins only to cover her hands with her mouth again, letting out a strangled cry at seeing Conor in a heap on the floor. "Is he dead?!" She cried out to which Thomas shook his head. "No, he's not." He said almost in a monotone. "What the hell are you doing here? Is Benjamin okay?" He asked looking down at the man. Lorelei shook her head. "Aidan's dead." Lorelei tearfully explained to which Thomas moved to place his hands on his head to try and keep his cool.

"Lorelei, listen, I need you to go over to your club and call an ambulance and then I need you to call my mom, she'll get ahold of the rest of the family but tell her to get over here, okay? Can you do that?" Thomas asked to which Lorelei nodded her head firmly. "Got it." She said before turning to jog back to Benjie. "I'm gonna get help okay? Stay here! I'll be right back!" She told him before taking off without waiting for an answer.

Thomas glanced down the alley at Benjie for a second longer before his attention turned toward Leo and Conor. "Shit." He muttered under his breath, a shaky sigh leaving him as he clenched his fists together. Moving to crouch down next to his Uncle, he was relieved to see he was still breathing, but there was a lot of blunt force trauma. The smell of blood was enough to make him puke as he gently touched his Uncle. "Uncle Con...c-can you hear me?" He asked...trying to do his best to continue to disassociate from the situation. It wasn't his hands being covered in blood..they were someone else's...

"I'm gonna roll you on your side."Thomas said before gently pushing Conor, doing his best to not hurt him as he rolled the clearly unconscious man on his side. There was a lot of blood pooling from his head and Thomas quickly moved to remove his shirt, having worn a tank top underneath it. Shuffling to his head, Thomas didn't dare ask Leo to do anything more. This was traumatizing enough. Pressing the shirt to his Uncle's head, Thomas was alarmed at the rate blood was pouring from his wound. It soaked through the shirt almost immediately, coating his hands in dark red blood.

Thomas's vision blurred as the familiarity of it all gave him a dizzying sense of deja vu. When he looked up, his mind had taken him back to that cell he'd been forced to call home for months and months on end. The blood on his hands dripped from his fingers and as his eyes traveled to look at the floor, the last man in his unit he had been forced to kill was sitting before him with his head caved in. Thomas shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut before Lorelei's voice saying the ambulance and Lucy were on their way caused him to open them again. Without thinking, Thomas reached up to touch his face, subconsciously making sure he was still alive. Blood smeared all over his cheek and he couldn't say anything as he looked to Leo. "I'm not gonna let him die." Thomas promised his best friend.

He had been shit to Leo over the last few years and if this was his hot to make it up to him. Thomas would make sure that his father made it out of this alive. He trembled with adrenaline, wanting to punch something...anything before curling into a ball but he needed to keep it together. Everyone depended on him at that moment. He wouldn't let them down again.
with: Benjie + Conor Misty Gray ; Leo Melanin-Gxdess
mentions: BasDorcha Melanin-Gxdess Pyroclast

 

[BasDorcha]

Undisclosed Location
Dublin, Ireland
Jeremy Gray
​

Being caught from trying to disarm Leo and protect Spencer, Jeremy growled that same beast like growl, but he stopped moving. Thomas was going to shoot, he had that look on his face, where as he didn’t believe Leo would. His hands clenched and unclenched at his side as he finally looked at Spencer, giving a very, very slight nod, acknowledging his leadership, and his command. He didn’t agree with it, not by a long shot. Jeremy would have given his life for the mission, and Spencer knew it and stopped him. The cold emotionless face would glare right back at Thomas as if daring him to test him. He didn’t care, this was the life he’d chosen, to put their lives before his. Still, he couldn’t protect them if he was dead, so he backed away with Spencer.

As they passed the three at the end of the alley, he cast them a glance, not missing the gun in the boy’s hand. Nudging Spencer as they passed to look at the body. “Spence…” He muttered quietly. The moment they were out of the alley, he paused, letting Spencer get behind him before he followed, last into the van. Conor would never let him live it down if he was in before Spencer and that’s what got the man killed. Once inside, his face was solemn and still, staring at the place they just left as they sped away.

For a brief moment his mind drifted to home, and he calculated how the future was going to go. This was not far from one of the endings he had figured before they got out, though he now had faces for the other men in the car when Conor and them had pulled up, and he now knew that hell was coming for London. There was no way this would end without death on both sides. Everything going forward would need to be done with purpose, including what they did as they drove away.

“Spencer, get your damn clothes off, you too boys.” He pointed to a bag shoved behind the drivers seat that had a single change of clothes for each of them in it, and a few small towels to wipe themselves off with. Without hesitation, Jeremy stripped, the blood on his hands and shirt now as bad as theirs, but still plenty bloody from the swipe that spilled onto him as he had punched and cut the man. His black pant absorbed the stains without issue, but his white shirt did not. A few moments later, Jeremy was in his skivvies, pulling on a pair of sweat pants as he shoved the bloody clothes into a large black trash bag. Pulling on his shirt, he waited until each of the brothers stripped, wiped themselves off then handed them a set of generic looking clothes.

“Pull up next to a trash bin once we’re far enough away, we’ll toss these bloody clothes before we end up pulled over by their dirty cops because they’ve called this in. Fast boys.” He looked specifically at Billy who was turning red. Politely he’d turn away, before falling silent again. They had to clean up fast, he had a nagging sensation they weren’t going to make it out. A nauseating sensation was settling into his stomach. To much had gone wrong already, and except for Spencer and him, the other boys looked like they might be in shock.

“They’ll have called the cops already… I saw a radio in that car when we passed. It’s not good.” For a brief second, he realized that he could well have never seen the one person he cared the most about again, if this had gone differently. Mentally he promised to find a way to fix things, for her, for him, and for them. He wasn’t going to give up on them, even if she was convinced they couldn’t be together. Everything else be damned.

Mentions Pyroclast - Billy
Misty Gray - Benji, Conor, Spencer
Bellz - Thomas, Lori
Melanin-Gxdess - Alex
And all the other fuckers I likely forgot to tag or misaligned >.>

 

[BasDorcha]

On The Way Home
~Clontarf, Dublin~
Tommy Thatcher​

Tom smiled as the women and Liam got out. He offered them a hatless hat tip, using his hand to take off an imaginary hat before he moved forward to look at the car. “Bummer, that. Let me see what I can see.” Tom moved forward and removed a bright flashlight from his jumper pocket. He shined the light around, trying to see what was going on.

Down the street, the sound of a loud truck thundered towards them. It pulled past them, barely missing both of their vehicles, causing Tom to shoot up. Furling his brow deeply, the cheery boy was suddenly very serious. “Ladies, young sir, I think I better look at it back in the shop.” His eyes followed the truck that had pulled in at the station ahead, just within sight of them. The shouts echoing down the street showed that it was likely a rowdy group of young men, drunk early and out being their normal selves.

Tom moved to start hooking up the car, the women standing to the side with Liam party hidden by the car. Though Tom moved quick, the boys in the shop moved quicker, and after just a few minutes they were heading back towards the broken down car and the tow truck. Trying to ignore the truck powering back towards them, he looked up and grinned at the people around him, “What kind of fish makes the best mechanic?.....” The truck slowed down as it neared them, and Tom was instantly on standby, though his face remained smiling and facing them. “A tuner fish.”

Forcing a small laugh, Tom looked at the two women with a hint of caution in his eyes, before picking up a large, heavy wrench off the bed of the truck, gripping it tightly in his hand. The men stopped, drunk laughter spilling out. “Oi, you broads need a ride? Can’t help ya with the virgin, but we got a ride, if you’re up for it.” The sound of the innuendo leaving their mouths steeled Tom against them, his back now to the group that called him.

“Hey, Chav, you want to watch your mouth when speaking to these women, aye? ‘Fore someone knocks wots left of yer teeth to yer throat.” Tom’s form seemed tense, read to pounce, but he stood steady, not enticing extra trouble. The men in the car looked older then him, but their eyes caught the heavy wrench and, aside from tossing a full beverage at him that missed, they didn’t stick around for any extra time. Relaxing as they drove away, he flipped the switch as it started to pull the car back up on the truck.

“Sorry ladies. On the plus side, this doesn’t look like an issue with your tailpipe… That would have been exhausting,”

Mentions Misty Gray - Sinny/Liam
Melanin-Gxdess - Aliana

 

[Misty Gray]

The Moretti Family Home
~ Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn ~

Valentina Wycliff​

Valentina caught the reluctance in Teddy's voice as he responded to her suggestion of visiting London. She also caught the glance he sent to Erik, so already knew her idea was going to be shot down. When Teddy did address the matter, he gave a non-committal response about taking a trip one day. It wasn't quite a refusal but she took it to be as good as. With the conversation turning to Erik still being family, she sent him a warm smile. "Like we'd ever push you out," she reassured him.

Despite catching Teddy's hesitance to visit London, Valentina didn't let it stop her from going along with May's idea. "Sure, I'll let you know. You can show me the best clubs in London. And, hey, maybe the men can stay at home," she added, glancing to Teddy. "Can't have men on our girls night out," she teased.

With mention of the flask due to be empty of alcohol soon, Valentina nodded her head before getting up and walking away. After a short time looking through her parents' alcohol cabinet, she returned to the group with a bottle of wine in hand. "Figured we should lay off the heavy stuff," she explained, place the bottle down on the table they were sat around. "Certainly lay off my father's brandy. He'd notice straight away if a bottle was missing or even a little taken out of a bottle," she remarked.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy, Erik)
BasDorcha (May)

 

[Pyroclast]

Roxie's House
~ Dollymount, Dublin ~

Syd Porter
Jane Carriveau-Porter​

It was clear Roxie didn't want Syd to blame himself for what had transpired between them, but her reasons weren't enough to convince him that he wasn't at fault. What she was saying was true - between the pregnancy hormones and the fresh pain of grief she was dealing with, she hadn't been in her right mind for a little while - but that only added to Syd's concern that he had effectively taken advantage of her. He caught the way she almost touched him and pulled away and it reminded him of how aware she still was of his difficulties and how much he had put her through in the past. The fact she still knew to be careful around him deepened his guilt, a reminder that he couldn't use his disorder as an excuse for his actions.

His jaw tightened as he fought back a fresh wave of self-disgust, but before he could argue that he needed to take responsibility, she pointed out that she wouldn't have made it as far as she had since Matthew's death without him. Syd looked up at her in surprise, wondering what she meant. Nothing he had recently done for her had felt special enough to remember - if he had done anything to help, it was only what anyone would do for someone they cared about who was going through a hard time.

Still he remained silent as he watched Roxie grow visibly nervous before she admitted she had doubts about the decision she had made. “What decision’s that?” Syd tentatively asked - but deep down he had a feeling he knew what she was referring to, and so when she mentioned their break up 13 years ago, his heart began to hammer in his chest. The thought that she hadn’t stopped loving him despite what he had done wasn’t exactly a surprise given the rather sudden nature of their break up, but it still pained him to know that she could have stayed in love with him all that time, all while he had still been in love with her.

Syd shook his head when she told him it wasn’t fair for him to apologise when it was her that was getting him confused. However, hearing that she missed him and that his keeping a distance from her was the opposite of what she wanted made it pretty clear that she really did have feelings for him. Of course, as she had mentioned, they had the kids to think about; the last thing Syd ever wanted was to break his childrens’ hearts, especially after everything they had already gone through in their young lives. His heart beat faster, that voice in his head telling him to throw caution to the wind and tell her he loved her, he had always loved her, she was the one, that they should just get married and have more children together and move past everything that had ever gone wrong for them in the past - but the fact he heard that voice in his head first rather than just saying it all out loud without thinking suggested that he had enough control to stay quiet this time, so that’s what he did.

Before he could work out how to appropriately respond, he heard the sound of boisterous footsteps on the stairs and when Roxie opened the bathroom door JJ called out to them. Still affected by what Roxie had just confessed to him, Syd had to consciously put on a smile for his son, which turned genuine when the boy enthused about Roxie’s bleeding finger. He wrapped the boy in a welcoming embrace before pulling back and looking him in the eyes as he expressed how weird it was that they were all having dinner together. Of course, there was a reason for him dining with them on that particular occasion, but so soon after learning that Roxie’s feelings for him were returning, he found himself moved by the boy’s comment. They never sat down for a meal together just the five of them, not even on a birthday, so even though he had only come to support Roxie and the kids while she told them her news, he realised he was about to see what it would be like if they were one family again.

Jane and Jeanie appeared then, agreeing with JJ, and Jeanie added that she was expecting some news. While the twins moved in to hug him, Syd looked at Roxie for a moment and sent her a small, knowing smile. “Nothing weird about it, kids,” he said, though he didn’t bother to try and sound convincing - he knew they were smarter than to believe he was there for no reason. “Let’s go sit down and I’ll serve you up some of that blood-soaked bread.”

It did feel a little strange telling the kids to set the table in a house that wasn’t his, but once the three of them were occupied with the task, he moved back over to the kitchen counter to help gather the plates and lightly brushed his hand against Roxie’s to get her attention. “You ready to tell them?” he asked under his breath. “It’ll be alright, you know. I’m here for them, but I’m also here for you.”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie, JJ, Jeanie

 

[Misty Gray]

Undisclosed Location
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~

Spencer King​

Spencer was glad when Jeremy backed down and he waited for him to move to leave the alley before doing so himself. After a brief and bitter glance at Conor's large, unconscious body, he reluctantly walked away with Jeremy. As they stepped out of the alley, Jeremy nudged Spencer, prompting him to take a look down as the dead body belonging to Aidan. He fixed his eyes on Benjamin for a moment, acknowledging how upset the young man was. He could see the gun in the younger man's hand, but it was clear he had no intention of using it and the look in his eyes was one urging the Kings to get the hell away. Whilst he found no amusement in the situation or wished any harm on Benjamin, he didn't feel anything for the dead man. Aidan was a Sullivan soldier and not at all innocent in the mess between the two gangs.

Once inside the back of the van and the rear doors securely shut behind them, the driver set off without hesitation. Spencer slumped down on the floor, his back resting against the interior side of the transit van as he took a moment to look at his three brothers. Allowing his head to drop back to look up at the dimly lit van ceiling light he let out a loud, frustrated breath. When he closed his eyes, all he could do was think about what was going to happen once they got back to London. He was the one who would have to report back to Bruce about what had happened - what had gone wrong - and he knew his uncle wouldn't be happy with the outcome. The job has been his responsibility and he knew its failure would rest on his own shoulders.

Spencer instinctively reached to his pocket to retrieve his lighter and a cigarette. He was about to light up when Jeremy's voice prompted him to focus back to the others in the back of the van with him. Jeremy was telling him to take his bloodstained clothing off and pointed to a dustbin bag they could dispose of the evidence in. Looking down at his blood-soaked hands and shirt, he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. He couldn't see himself, but he could feel the drying blood on his face, both his own and that of Conor's. He placed the cigarette in his mouth and was again about to light it up when he listened to Jeremy go on about tossing their clothes away and the need to cover their tracks. "Like they're the sort to go running to the pigs when they make their own laws," he bitterly remarked about the Sullivans.

Despite his comment, Spencer set about removing his trousers and stained shirt as advised. After stuffing the bloodied clothes into the rubbish bag, he grabbed a towel and used it to wipe as much of the blood from his face as he could get before reaching for the spare change of clothing. After struggling to maneuver in the small space whilst also feeling the sharp, cutting pain in his ribs at the movement, he got the sweat pants on properly. "Fuckin'... giant piece of shit," he grumbled to himself as he thought about Conor who had manage to deal some damage to him. Not even trying to put the clean top of for the time-being, Spencer returned to his initial plan and lit up a cigarette, taking a long drag from it in hopes of calming his growing frustration. He took a moment to look down at his side, seeing the bruising and then feeling the swelling at the bottom of his ribcage as he tried assess the damage. He wasn't a doctor, so he knew he'd have to get over it for now until he could get an expert to deal with it.

Sitting back again, he blew out a puff on smoke before using his cigarette to gesture in Billy's direction. "I know it's hard, Billy," he began, acknowledging how shocked his youngest brother looked having just killed a man. "I know it ain't as simple as this, but try to put it into perspective. That guy would have shot any of us to save his boss. He was one of Conor's men and therefore he'd have been loyal to his cause," he reasoned. He knew who Aidan was and the things he'd done for the mob, so he didn't give a shit the man was dead. Still, he knew Billy cared and it was going to be difficult for him to get past it. "That young lad back there," he began, referring to Benjamin, "he could have been any of us outside my club that night. Hell, it could have been Harper crying over any one of us," he pointed out.

Pyroclast (Billy)
Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)
BasDorcha (Jeremy)

 

[BasDorcha]

BodyWorks Gym
Dublin, Ireland
Ruby Miller
​

The afternoon was wrapping up with a nice ending. Ruby looked up at the sky, thinking about what her future might entail. She had already been a boxer and street fighter, so she was use to the physical side of things. Plus, Luka had had her running protection for him for a while before she got hurt. She thought back to how she had gotten started.

“I don’t really have a mentor, I always just wanted to do better, and be able to defend myself.” Scratching the back of her head, she nodded as the thought about what they could do for training. “Sounds like we’ve done a lot of similar work. Luka brought me into this world that way. A few years ago, I got jumped leaving the gym one day. Luka’s crew had heard I tried to rip off one of his dealers – which never happened by the way. Still, the guy must have looked a bit like me, or I looked a bit like him, because I got jumped, got the shit kicked out of me. I defended myself and took out three of the five and ended up with a job because of it. Luke found me later and by means of an apology, increased my salary tenfold in one year.”

Rube stopped to see where they were, taking a turn to bring them back towards the gym where her truck was parked. “I would still be fighting ringside if I hadn’t broken my arm about six months ago. Got into a ring fight, an above board one at that, that ended with my arm shattered from here,” Ruby pointed to her arm near her shoulder, “To here.” Her hand slid down her arm to her elbow. “I had apparently fractured it in an after-hours job, and when the MMA fighter I was up against kicked me, it shattered the fracture. I’ve been training since then to get back up to speed. I’m almost there, but I’ve decided to take it easier on myself since then. Still fight, just maybe not as much.” She laughed playfully, shrugging.

MentionsStella Kwon - BloodLightning27

 

[Misty Gray]

On the Road to Home
~ Clontarf, Dublin ~

Sinead and Liam Callahan​

"Excuse me, I am innocent!" Sinead protested at Aliana's joke. "If anyone tells you otherwise, then they're just spreading vicious rumours," she assured her, along with a playful wink. She then watched on as the young mechanic moved to take a look at the broken down car. She placed her arm around Liam to keep the boy close, not that he was the kind of boy to wander off, especially not after his recent ordeal.

Sinead watched on as a loud truck moved towards them, but soon passed by, albeit far too closely. "See what I'm talking about? I bet it's never jerks like that who break down. Just people like me who always drive safely," she grumbled. She soon focused her attention back to Tom as he hooked the car up to the tow truck. She was aware of the other truck returning back towards them, causing her to pull a suspicious expression. She listened as Tom told a joke about a tuner fish, prompting her to look at him with a sense of confusion. "I don't get it," she admitted, looking to Aliana to see if she did.

Sinead had picked up on the concerned atmosphere and then the apparently drunk men stopped to address them, asking if the ladies needed a ride. She shook her head at the gross offer of a lift and forced herself to ignore the childish comment about the virgin. She turned to Tom when he told the drunk to watch his mouth. Nervously chewing her lip, she hoped this wasn't going to turn into a fight, with the strangers taking Tom's warning as an invitation to fight. Thankfully, the sight of the wrench in Tom's hand seemed to help convince them to drive away and leave them alone.

"What a bunch of rude idiots," Sinead muttered to the other three. "Don't you ever turn out like them, Liam," she told her boy, though she doubted he ever would. She then looked back to Tom as he brought the subject back to the broken down car. This time he made a pun about how a tailpipe issue would have been exhausting. "Oh, hey! I get that one, because... car exhaust," she happily enthused, hoping to lighten up the mood for Liam's sake.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) BasDorcha (Tom)

 

[Misty Gray]

Undisclosed Location
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~

Benjamin Reznik​

Benjamin looked Lorelei in the eyes when she took the keys, but she went on to change her mind and told him she wasn't going to leave him and Aidan alone. Reluctantly, he nodded his head, accepting that it wasn't safe but appreciating she knew what she wanted. With her suggestion about moving Aidan, Benjamin turned to look bad at the man's lifeless body as he struggled to think what was the best thing to do. He didn't know if he could find the energy to get back up from the floor, never mind try to move Aidan's body.

Benjamin could hear the nearby voices, but he didn't process them, unable to think of much else other than the sight of his guardian dead and surrounded by blood. Lorelei focused back to asking him if he wanted to move Aidan, making it clear they couldn't stay where they were. "You can go back to the car, Lorelei," he told her, looking her in the eyes again as he urged her to get somewhere safe. "I'm staying here."

Benjamin soon became aware of the four Londoners as they left the alley in pairs. He glared at each of them as he continued to hold the gun. Frankly, he wasn't even thinking about the weapon in his hand. All he was thinking about when he looked to the Kings was how much he just wanted them gone. Seeing them stirred an anger and hatred he wasn't used to feeling. Having been a child when his mother was killed, he'd been too young to think the kind of dark thoughts that motivated a man towards revenge. Even when he got older, he couldn't feel that way as Francesco Moretti had already been killed by James Porter, thus serving any justice Benjamin might have wished to seek for his mother. Benjamin liked the man he was - peaceful and free of malicious intent. However, he feared the longer he looked at the Kings, the more he wouldn't be able to stop such dark thoughts from consuming him.

When the Londoners were finally gone in their van, Benjamin let out a deep, relieved breath. He couldn't have coped any longer in their presence. When Thomas stepped into view, Benjamin loosened his hold on the gun and let it drop to the floor, feeling Lorelei would be safer now. When she joined Thomas and Leo in the alley, Benjamin took a moment before standing up to see who she was referring to when she asked if he was dead. When he saw Conor on the floor, Benjamin choked back another sob at the sight. The man had always been kind to him and had even given him a good, stable job at the restaurant. He was glad to hear Conor wasn't dead, but the sight of the bloodied, unconscious man was still difficult to take. He backed away and stopped near Aidan again, tightly folding his arms as he struggled to process the brutality of what had happened to the people he cared about.

Thomas gave Lorelei instructions to go call an ambulance and then call Lucy. When she told Benjamin she'd be right back, he quickly nodded his head in understanding. He was glad she'd been able to take a breather from the sights around them.

Bellz (Lorelei)
Nearby: Those mean Kings. Also Thomas and Leo.

 

[Pyroclast]

On the Road
~ Somewhere between Dublin City Centre and Rosslare ~

Billy King​

Doing his best to hold himself together, Billy sat stiffly as he watched his brother punch the passenger seat in front of him. It was obvious he was angry, and understandably so, because, as the man went on to clarify, they hadn’t succeeded in killing Conor after all. Billy couldn’t help but peek out of the window again to where Aidan lay slumped against the wall. The way Alex described it as ‘playground bullshit’ only made him feel worse about what he had done. Murdering Conor Sullivan would have been a big deal and so the Kings were ready to expect a strong emotional response to it - but with the man still alive, Billy had a sickening feeling that any retaliation the Sullivans took out on his family would be made worse by him having killed one of theirs in the process.

The truth was hard to take, and so Billy said nothing in response as he instead fought to keep his own emotions under control. Jeremy and Spencer soon piled into the van and Billy watched out of the window at the mess they had left behind, the lump in his throat getting larger and harder to swallow. When eventually all was out of sight, Billy exhaled as slowly as he could in an attempt to calm himself down. If they were going to be stuck in a van together for the next two hours, he was going to have to find a way to cope.

Jeremy, on the other hand, still had a strong hold on himself and took the lead, bringing out a bag of spare clothes and instructing them to get changed. In such a small space, Billy didn’t feel like getting undressed - he felt vulnerable enough after committing such an unexpectedly brutal act, and didn’t really want to be seen at all, let alone unclothed. Slow to move, he watched reluctantly as his brothers began to strip down, noticing the fresh bruises and welts already showing up on their faces, and particularly on Spencer’s torso. Realising he didn’t want to be the only one left still needing to get dressed, he forced himself to lean forward and pick up some clothes and a towel, and began to slowly take off his jacket and shirt.

Besides his clothes, Aidan’s and Conor’s blood had only managed to stain his hands and wrists, but his hands still shook as he did his best to wipe them clean. When he peeled off his trousers, the knife he had used to kill Aidan fell out of his pocket and clattered onto the floor. He ignored it for the time being, throwing his soiled clothes into the bag and pulling on a pair of dark grey sweatpants, a black t-shirt and a hoodie that was a couple of sizes too big for him. He then leaned down to pick up the knife and began to use the towel to clean that, too. However, holding the knife in his hand again and seeing the white towel stain bright red with Aidan's blood turned his stomach and so he quickly set the weapon and towel down so it was out of sight. With another deep breath, Billy pulled his hood up, hooked his arms around his knees and linked his hands together. He had no idea how he was going to make it through the next two hours.

No matter how much he wished to be on his own, Billy knew he wasn't going to get away with not acknowledging what had happened, so it came as no surprise when Spencer brought it up. At first he looked his brother in the eye but he couldn't hold it for long, and instead let his head hang. Being the youngest and least experienced member of the gang, Billy felt he hadn't earned his right to get emotional without it impacting his impression on the family. A man who had proven himself tough time and time again was allowed to cry once in a while - but Billy hadn't been on many jobs like this before, so if he let on how upset he was, they might think he was too soft and never bring him out with them again.

Although he didn't maintain eye contact with his brother, Billy listened intently to what he was saying, hoping to find some sort of consolation. He was right that Aidan probably would have shot one of them if Billy hadn't intervened. "But I already disarmed him," he pointed out in a low voice. "I didn't have to kill him, too." His eyes suddenly welled up with tears and he reached up to hide his face behind his oversized cuffs. "I didn't even mean to...it just sorta' happened."

Spencer made another point that there had been many people outside Mercury Nightclub crying over dead or injured loved ones after the explosion that Conor Sullivan was responsible for. Taking a deep breath to try and stave off the increasing nausea, Billy lifted his head and began to rummage in his coat for his cigarettes and lighter. "Conor didn't have to see that bit though, did he?" Billy said, glancing at his brother through a veil of tears as he stuck a cigarette in between his lips and lit it up. Smoking usually did something to make him feel better, but it seemed like a long shot this time. "How many times have you watched someone find the body of someone they loved, someone you killed?"

Remembering Benjie's reaction to watching Aidan die drew more tears to Billy's eyes and the pressure of trying not to break down was causing him to shake. No matter how hard he tried to hide his face it was impossible to escape the view of his brothers in such a confined space. The thought that the man had died for nothing but a failed job made it all worse - he was sure that if Conor had at least been killed, too, then it wouldn't have felt like such a waste. In the end, all they had done was make a bigger mess of an already messy situation and as his mind turned to the possible repercussions of what he had done, his heart started to pound in his chest.

"I'll fix this," he mumbled between unsteady breaths. "’Cause if Conor comes after us to… avenge him or somethin', if he kills one of ours…then that's on me. I caused that." He shook his head and looked down as the tears started to roll down his cheeks. "I won’t let that happen,” he said, his voice falling to a weak whisper as his breathing grew more rapid and the nausea began to crawl up his throat. He leaned forward with a groan, catching his head in his hands. His heart was pounding and he dug the heels of his palms into his eyes as he felt more tears draw to the surface. “I just - I just need to get out the car a sec’ -”

“I’m not stopping ‘ere, mate, we ain’t out their territory yet,” Rob reminded him from the front.

“Rob, I don't care, just pull over!” Billy commanded, gripping the edges of his hood to hide his face. As soon as the man obliged and pulled off the road, Billy climbed over his brothers to the doors and let himself out, instantly drawing a deep breath of fresh air. Keeping one hand on the van to steady himself, he began to walk around the vehicle to where his brothers couldn’t see him. Soon he was bent forward and coughing, until seconds later the coughing turned to retching and he threw up on the side of the road. Tears streamed from his eyes and splashed onto the ground, but Billy didn’t move to wipe them away, too focused on staying balanced. His vision darkened at the edges, leaving Aidan’s wide-eyed expression at the forefront of his mind’s eye once again.

The mental image made him sick a second time, but the urgency to get back on the road and away from Dublin encouraged him to pull himself together as fast as he could. So, he told himself he would be fine, wiped his eyes and his mouth on his sleeve and clambered back into the van, avoiding everyone’s eye. Rob tossed a bottle of water to him and Billy quietly thanked him, then unscrewed the cap and took a small sip as the van took off again. It was only then that he realised he was no longer holding his cigarette. “Did I drop my f*g?” he asked nobody in particular, with a small sniff. “Can someone spot me one, please?”

Drawing his knees back up to his chest, he rested his arms on them as before, the oversized sleeves hanging over his hands, and found himself eyeing up Spencer’s wounds. “You took that well,” he murmured. He rubbed at his swollen eyes and then looked between the three of them with the faintest of smiles. “Glad you’re all okay.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer
BasDorcha Jeremy
Melanin-Gxdess Alex

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Hospital Bound
~Dublin, Ireland~
Leo Sullivan​

The sound of Spencer's voice responding to him, informing him he wasn't supposed to be in the alley was clear. They were out to kill Conor and that's all there was to it. Leo hated to think about what would have happened had he and Thomas not found him in time. Luckily, his thoughts and focus had been entirely on Spencer and the men he had with him. The moment he heard Jeremy move towards him his head snapped up. Gripping the gun even tighter he shifted the aim to him and glared. "You deaf or stupid?!" He shouted, followed by a series of threats from his cousin. He was glad the man had been there with him but he worried that it would likely trigger some sort of response in him. For the moment, the idea was put on the back burner due to Spencer shouting. The older man had yelled for his brothers to get into the van. At first, Leo didn't hear any feet moving. Because of his stance and making sure neither Jeremy nor Spencer tried anything funny he didn't dare look back to check. He trusted that the man's authority would be enough to get them all the hell out of dodge. The feet then started to move - Spencer and Jeremy's included. As they did Leo slowly spun - keeping his gun aimed at them both - as he watched them climb into the van. He felt sick letting them all go like this. If he were his father, he thought, he would have put a bullet in each one of them. What did it mean for Leo that he hadn't?

The moment the van tore down the street Leo let his arms fall to his side with a heavy sigh of relief. They'd felt fatigued being held up for so long - his muscles aching. Lorelei's voice rang in his ears and the moment his eyes landed on her his brows furrowed. What was she doing here? No way had she been here the entire time, right? She'd brought attention to Conor again and this time Leo got to his knees to check. Upon closer inspection, he was able to confirm Thomas' statement that Conor was still alive, but he was barely breathing. "Barely," he told Thomas, turning his head to look up at his cousins. He'd opened his mouth to say more, but Lorelei informing them Aidan was dead stopped him in his tracks. How long ago had that happened? Did they just miss an opportunity to save him?

An overwhelming sense of emotions soon took over Leo and he found himself on his hands and knees. Aidan was dead. Conor was nearly there. Thomas was doing his best to help the situation. What was Leo doing? Crying. He felt so weak and useless and helpless and it didn't make any sense. Just a moment ago he was talking Spencer down, threatening to shoot him and Jeremy and whoever else he needed to to get them to fuck off. But now? Now he was on his hands and knees letting the tears fall from his eyes while Thomas checked on Conor. He'd even looked up to see Thomas trembling and he knew that the whole ordeal had to have been wreaking havoc on his cousin's mind. And as much as Leo wanted to do something to check on him, he was at a loss. Thomas promised him he wasn't going to let Conor die. He just nodded his head before looking over the man again before leaning forward to place his forehead on Conor's chest. His heartbeat was faint but it was still there and that was all that mattered. "I'm so sorry," he choked through soft sobs. "I'm so weak. I'm not as strong as I should be and I-, I let you and mom down."

Leo felt like this was his second chance to make up for his mother getting hurt. He'd been distracted back then, too, and it allowed the enemy to make a move on them and attack. Had he and Thomas realized the whole thing was a ploy in the beginning then perhaps they wouldn't be in the situation they were in now. Alas, they hadn't. And now instead of Aliana's blood drying on his cheek, hands, and clothes, it was Conor's. In just a moment - both times - he had nearly lost both of his parents. What next, his sisters? His grandfather? His girlfriend? Leo would be damned if he let anyone else he held close to him get hurt and brought to the brink of death.

It felt like an eternity before the ambulance finally showed up, Leo shouting, "Where the fuck have you been?" He knew they were moving as fast as they could and would more than likely apologize for it later, but this was now. Right now he needed his father to get help. Right now he needed him fixed. He'd moved off Conor to let the paramedics do what they needed and took that time to check on Thomas. "Are you-," he started reaching his hand out only to pull it back. "Are you gonna be alright?" He asked, before looking towards the direction of Lorelei and Benjie. "The police are gonna wanna talk to them, I think," he stated, raising a hand to his head. He was unsure of what to do, what to say, and it pissed him off. "They can't say anything until we talk to Lucy and-," he paused, suddenly thinking about Aliana. She had just been able to get back into her normal routine of things and now this. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he looked at Thomas. "Tell Lori not to say anything until then," he asked, getting into the ambulance.

Whether Thomas got in or not, the doors to the emergency vehicle were slammed shut, and had left the scene. The paramedics set off to start doing what they could on his father, the heart monitor beeping slowly. His eyes were glued to the thin, green line as if willing it to keep hitting those spikes that told him he was still alive. Like many of the other members of his family, he hadn't been an overly religious man. Ali had never made him go to church and everything he learned about religion had been from girls he dated or his own curiosity. So as he placed both of his hands together and closed his eyes, he tried to remember what he'd learned. "If this shit is real. If any one of you exists, please. I can't lose my dad again," he pleaded, referencing the time Conor spent in prison.

Arriving at the hospital had been yet another flurry of emotions watching them roll Conor into surgery. He'd followed them up until he had to be held back by a nurse. Respecting the hospital he let her guide him to the waiting area and took a seat. The feeling of uselessness had crept up on him again as he buried his face into his hands. What else was he supposed to be doing? Lucy would have called everyone for him. Guards, their family. Lorelei and Benjie were being taken care of at the moment. Even the doctors and nurses were taking care of his father, so what the hell was he supposed to do? All his life someone had done something for him - hell, even his girlfriend put his jacket on him sometimes - when was he going to start being useful? He was the son of Conor Sullivan yet was crying in the waiting room like a blubbering baby and letting everyone else take care of the heavy lifting. No, all of that was going to end.

And he knew just how he was going to make it happen.
Conor Misty Gray ) Thomas ( Bellz )

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Undisclosed Location
~Dublin City Center, Ireland~

Alex King

​

Alex had still been thinking about where it all had gone wrong and he thought he had it pegged; they underestimated the Irish. They'd underestimated exactly how much force would be needed to take Conor down. They'd underestimated Leo and Thomas' skills when it came to their decoy. Hell, if anything they'd overestimated themselves and the mission altogether. They went into this with a plan but nothing for contingencies or a 'What if'. They had a clear-cut goal, sure, but what about everything else? Alex was angry at himself for not thinking about it sooner, despite the fact that it wouldn't change anything. Maybe they shouldn't've gotten those punches in and just shot the big bastard when they had the chance. They wouldn't be sitting in a van angry for not having finished the job, that's for sure.

Lost in his thoughts he hadn't heard Jeremy instructing them to strip. He was more focused on the past, thinking about ways the night could've gone. He felt more like a failure than he ever had and he didn't know what to do with those emotions. With him trying to grow up he understood he couldn't just run away all the time. But, he wondered, what the hell else was there? Talking? After confiding in Kerry a week ago about Trevor he'd admittedly felt better about the whole situation. However, he didn't know if that were because of the person he was talking to or if it were because of the talking period. Once he got back to London he would have to find someone to test the theory out but for now, he needed to focus on what was happening in the back of the van.

Spencer and Billy were going back and forth, the former trying to make his younger brother feel better about what had just occurred. It was only when Billy mentioned taking a life that he looked up at him again. He was in fresh clothes - something Alex had missed as he looked down at himself. His knuckles were bruised and bloody and specks of blood had found themselves on his clothes. The clothes he was currently wearing weren't anything to cry about, but he did like the jacket. Having to set fire to it was sure to break his heart. As Billy talked Alex changed his clothes, being the last to do so. He'd expressed that he didn't have to kill Aidan and Alex shook his head. "That's your protective instinct, Bill, we've all got it. Who knows what the bloke could've done or would've had you not put a stop to it?" He was trying to be as reassuring as he could without causing damage to the man's feelings - Billy was the most sensitive of them all, after all.

While Alex hadn't killed anyone, he had watched sobbing girlfriends stand over the bodies of their boyfriends after he had beaten them up. Whether getting caught sleeping with someone's girlfriend or having to do work for his uncle, a loved one would always find them. "Does that mean you regret this whole thing? Because Leo just saw someone he loved laying in a pool of their own blood," he paused for dramatic effect, taking the cigarette he denied for himself. "Again, for that matter. So what is it you're really upset about, Bill?" Though he meant the question to be serious, it came off as passive-aggressive. As if demanding that he stopped crying and feeling sorry for himself, even though that wasn't what he was trying to say. Truly he wanted to know so he could help, but the tension of the events was starting to grate his nerves more than expected.

Billy was trying to take the blame for any future attacks their family may endure and Alex shook his head. "No the fuck you won't," he stated firmly, tentatively making his way over to him. "We were all in this together, you understand? You were dealt a shit hand, mate. Had to make some decisions no one would've asked ya to make, but that ain't your fault. This ain't some burden ya gotta carry just because you killed one of theirs. Whatever happens after, it ain't on you." He told him, hand on his shoulder. If anything, he thought, the whole thing was on him. But a pity party would have to happen when he wasn't around the others. Alex moved back to his spot when Billy shouted for Rob to pull over. The man refused, but after Billy's incessant yelling and pleading he gave in.

The moment Billy was out of the van he threw up and Alex cringed at the sound of it. He was still on alert, just in case, but when Billy returned a few seconds later he relaxed. Back on the road again Alex leaned his head against the side of the van and closed his eyes. Billy seemed to calm down after puking and even stated he was glad they were all okay. A smile tugged at his lips before he turned to Spencer. "Think you can make it to Cas," he said, referring to the doctor they often called on. "Really, you have no choice but," he shrugged a bit in an effort to help lighten the mood. There was more he wanted to say to the man - all pertaining to their botched job - but he would wait until they were able to speak alone.

Billy ( Pyroclast ) Spencer ( Misty Gray ) Jeremy ( BasDorcha )

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

On The Way Home
~Clontarf, Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan​

Tom immediately set out to take a look at Sinead's car, seeming as if he knew exactly what he should be doing. With her arms wrapped around herself, she stood close to both Sinead and Liam. It'd been a completely subconscious move on her part, being so close. She found comfort in basically being skin to skin with someone she felt safe with - and who better to make her feel that way than with a woman whose attitude gave you whiplash? That and she wanted to make sure that if anyone did sneak up on them and try to grab them she had a faster reaction time. When she and Leo were attacked they had been a few feet apart - enough space for someone to slide themselves in-between them. Not this time.

Ali's attention was also grabbed by the truck full of rowdy young men. She only hoped her son was never like that - in past, present, or the future. She surely raised him better than to drink and drive, but even more so to drive like an idiot. If there was one thing about Aliana Sullivan it was that she wasn't going to raise hooligans. She scoffed at the sight of them and nodded her head in response to Sinead's comment. "Idiocracy makes the world go 'round. Didn't you know that?" She teased, eyes still glued on the direction they'd gone. Something about them felt weird and she had long since learned to trust her gut. Tom's sudden joke grabbed Ali's attention and before she could respond, Sinead admitted she didn't understand. Ali let out a chuckle at the woman's obvious confusion and shook her head. "Play on words, Sin. Tuna fish? Tuner fish? It's a horrible joke," she teased, looking to Tom, "But I get it."

Being no stranger to men catcalling her and fights being started because of it, Ali gripped her purse close to her body. Her free hand slowly slipped inside until her fingers felt the cold, metal of her gun. If anything did go awry or if she needed to shoot anyone, she would be prepared. She vowed never to let herself be taken by surprise again. Fortunately, Tom's threatening words and the grip he held on the wrench had been enough to shoo the men away, but she hadn't been too convinced. There was always a chance they could come back with more people or even weapons and give them an even harder time. That was a chance Aliana was not willing to take, especially with Liam being present. Tom seemed to understand this and quickly got a move on, but not before letting out another car joke - this time, Sinead understanding it. "Oh this one you get then," she joked, before looking down at Liam. "We should get her a joke book."

Sinead, Liam ( Misty Gray ) Tom ( BasDorcha )

 

[BasDorcha]

Ferry Home
Jeremy Gray
​

Jeremy looked up, watching the eyes of the men he considered brothers. It had been a quiet ride, after they loaded back up from the short stop. Billy looked pale, while Alex and Spencer looked lost in thought. Spencer also needed some serious medical attention from the looks of it. As they neared the ferry, the bright lights of the boat flashed closer and closer. Jeremy watched through the front window as they got near enough to hear the sound of the water crashing against the land and smell the salty air seeping in through cracked windows.

Jeremy sat near the back door, ready to crack it open as soon as they came to a stop. He was worried a bit about Billy, he looked like he needed some fresh air. Nudging his friend, he nodded towards the back door. “Common, Little King, lets take a walk.” His eyes glanced up and met Spencer’s in a reassuring manner. “You good?” Once his best friend responded, confirming he would live for the moment, he put his handle on the door and waited for that last rock of the tires. A moment later the door was open, and he stepped out, holding the door on the near empty ferry for Billy.

Once the fair took off, he walked to the front, leaning on the high rail under some dim and yellow lights. His jacket hung pretty tight, though the air did whip it against him, as he waited for Billy to catch up. It didn’t occur to Jeremy that Billy might not follow – Billy had never told him no when it was within reason. He didn’t normally abuse this and often still asked with an option to answer with no, but this was not one of those times. Once Billy caught up, hopefully having processed a few breathes of air deep enough to wash away some of the iron smell they had been suffocating in.

“Here,” he flipped out two cigarettes, lit them at the same time and handed one to Billy. “Don’t say much right now… I just want you to take a few moments and breath. I know tonight did not go right, but you need to make sure you let this go, Billy. If you can’t find a way to be okay with it, how ever that is, it’s going to eat you alive. Everyone knows the cost of this life, and no one forced anyone to sign up for it. Everyone knew the risk.” He reached out, ruffling Billy’s hair before he patted him firmly on the shoulder, followed by a gentle squeeze.

“Tell me, if you try thinking about anything different, anything that is not tonight, what is the first thing that comes to mind?” Jeremy knew what his first through would be. Harper. It brought a slight frown to his face, followed by a distant look as he watched the boat slowly moving through the water.

Interactions Misty Gray - Spencer
Pyroclast - Billy
Melanin-Gxdess - Alex
Bellz - Harper

 

[BasDorcha]

On the way home
Tom Thatcher​

Glad that the women were content, and the truck had drove off, Tom hooked the car up to the tow hook and in a flash was pulling the car onto the truck bed. As it came up, he smiled at the small group and nodded towards the cab. “Its going to be a little tight, but we should all be able to fit in there. I’ll get you lovely ladies and young sir back to home before it gets to much later. I’ll also drop the car at the shop so I can take a better look at it when we open.”

He wondered why the looked a little more scared than he would have expected. Both women had the sense coming from them that they felt a bit like animals almost backed in to a corner and ready to explode. Still, hopefully they realized he wouldn’t let anything happen to them – no real man would. He may be younger, but he had already had enough practice to easily take out a couple of drunk assholes that were being antagonistic.

Tom kept the heavy wrench in his back pocket, just in case anyone decided to try anything else before he escorted his customers and bosses family home. Once the car was loaded, he held the passenger door open for everyone to climb in, then moved to the drivers side and loaded up. As they drove, he continued telling cheesy jokes and playing music to lighten the mood. As they grew near the town, he asked for directions and where they needed him to go.

“I’m sorry about your car. Real bugger when it breaks. But I’ll make sure you get taken care of as soon as possible.” He smiled nodding along to the song on the rado.

Interactions[/interactions] @Misty Gray - Sinny @Melanin-Gxdess - Ali

 

[Misty Gray]

On the Ferry
~ Rosslare Port, Wexford, Ireland ~

Spencer King​

Spencer listened as Billy continued on to suggest it would be his fault if Conor came after them, to avenge Aidan. Spencer firmly shook his head as his youngest brother suggested it was his own fault. The fact was, it was a team effort - a joint venture. Besides, if anyone had to take sole blame for the mess, Spencer was certain it was himself having been in charge of ensuring the plan went ahead successfully. "If Conor comes for vengeance, then we stick together and fight it together, as we always do. We're all in this together," he echoed part of Alex's reassurance.

Spencer fixed his eyes on Billy as the younger man demanded to be let out of the van. Though Rob initially refused, Billy's command was eventually adhered to and the driver pulled over to let him rush outside. When Billy was out of sight and had moved to the side of the van, Spencer flicked his current cigarette butt outside. Without conscious thought he took a new cigarette out of the box and placed it between his lips before lighting it up. Hearing the sounds of coughing and retching, Spencer took in a long drag of his cigarette and tried to block out the sounds. The action caused him to wince as the deep breath put extra pressure on his injured ribs.

Billy soon returned to the back of the van and asked for a cigarette to replace the one he's apparently dropped. Spencer silently nodded as he held out the box for Billy to grab one of the remaining smokes. Billy paid attention to Spencer's injuries, pointing out he seemed to take Conor's attacks well. Spencer's attention was grabbed by Alex when he asked if he could last until Cas was able to treat his injuries. As Alex went on to remark, Spencer was already well aware he had no choice but to grin and bear it. "Yeah, I'll manage," he confirmed. It was going to be a long and exhausting journey home, but he would have to push through.

The rest of the drive to Rosslare Port was a quiet one, no doubt all parties involved feeling the weight and exertion from the failed mission. Having put on a fresh hoodie, Spencer got out of the vehicle and onto the ferry deck with his brothers once they were able to. After checking Spencer was alright, Jeremy took Billy off for a talk, no doubt to help the youngest King brother offload whatever he needed to from his mind. Spencer stood on the spot for a moment, listening to the waves crashing against the ferry as it headed across the water to Fishguard Harbour in Wales. It was going to be at least four hours until they made it to the land on the other side. Four hours stuck on a damn ferry, Spencer thought.

"You coming inside?" he asked Alex, as he pointed to the empty ferry cabin. Walking to the back row of the cabin seats, Spencer slumped down in one of the seats where he could see anyone who might decide to enter the cabin. It wasn't that he was expecting anyone to have followed them looking for trouble, but he couldn't afford to let his guard down. Not that he was able to fall asleep or anything, considering how uncomfortable he was and how his mind had yet to stop racing. "None of you need to answer to Bruce for this mess," Spencer assured Alex. He was sure it had crossed the others' mind by now that he'd been the one who had failed to finish the job on Conor when he had the chance. Whether or not they would vocalise such thoughts remained to be seen.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

 

[Pyroclast]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Bruce King
​

Bruce had always had Christian down as the sort of man to mean every word that came out of his mouth, so when he told the pair he wished he had found some intel that would dispute Trevor being May’s father, Bruce had to believe that the man was telling the truth. He leaned back in his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh as Christian pointed out that there was no way to keep Trevor’s identity a secret to May given his presence in London. It wasn’t just the fact that he was likely living nearby, but rather his newfound apparent interest in being around his children. Even if none of them wanted him around, he didn’t seem ready to give up and so Bruce was therefore expecting him to turn up again at some point, perhaps showing up in one of their establishments. And if he happened to do so when May was around, she would find her father. It was as easy as that.

Darcey seemed equally frustrated, but something in her tone suggested that her frustration wasn’t just for Trevor, but also for Bruce. He understood that she had taken something of a shine to May and while her caring nature was one of his favourite qualities in her, he was worried her feelings for the girl could get in the way. Not unexpectedly, Darcey was peeved when he asked her if keeping May on was a good idea, and suggested that it was unfair to punish her for a blood relation she could help. From the way she told him that her opinion didn’t matter as much as his, he gathered that she was annoyed with him for wanting to take control of the situation, but Bruce wasn’t going to give in.

“No, what you want doesn’t matter,” he agreed. “And what I want don’t matter, neither. ‘Cause this ain’t about us, Darcey - it’s about Harper and the boys. I ain’t sayin’ May has no right to know who her father is, but what if she falls for him? She’s grown up not ever knowin’ who her father was - who knows what she’s been hopin’ for all those years? She may be a smart girl but that sorta’ thing can still mess with her head, make her see him for somethin’ he’s not.” He was aware that he was speculating, but with such a serious subject he had to prepare for as many outcomes of the problem as he could, which meant having to be sceptical whether Darcey liked it or not. “So, what if that happens and May decides she wants him around, hm?” he asked the woman seriously. “Would you rather let Trevor stay for her sake, give him access to Harper and the boys whenever he wants it? Who do you care more about, Darce? May, or my niece and nephews?”

Frankly, Bruce didn’t care to know how far Trevor had spread his seed, as long as it didn’t come back to his own family. Still, he was glad to hear that Tom Thatcher wasn’t one of Trevor’s. “Well, like I said before," Bruce went on, massaging his forehead where an ache had begun to unfold. "I may have my own history with Trevor, but it ain't me he's here for, so...I say we put this to a vote. Leavin’ Harper out of this, of course. Long as she don’t know Trevor’s around, there’s no need for her to get involved. But we bring in the boys, hear what they think about this. They all want Trevor gone, but whether they care enough about what May wants to change their minds, we’ll have to see.”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Darcey
Misty Gray Christian

Mentioned:
BasDorcha May
Bellz Harper

 

[Misty Gray]

Sullivans Weapons Warehouse
~ Dublin Port, Dublin ~

James Porter​

James' attention was drawn to Reina when she said she couldn't think with all of the gunfire ringing out around them. When she looked up to the streetlight he followed her focus and as she raised her eyebrows, he looked curiously to her. As he was about to figure what she was thinking, a bullet whizzed past her but narrowly missed. When she looked back to James and Edwards, she pointed out that the gunmen couldn't shoot what they couldn't see. A smirk crossed James' face as she suggested shooting the streetlights to use the darkness as their ally. They could then use the crates as cover to flee their current positions as sitting ducks. "Slim chance of getting shot? Those are favourable enough odds," James remarked.

When Reina told Edwards to cover James' back, the older man raise a sceptical eyebrow. For almost all of his life, he'd been the one covering others' backs. For years before he became head of the family, James had been employed as not only a hitman, but also a bodyguard; there to make sure the likes of Emmet Sullivan and Lucy didn't get harmed. It felt strange to be hearing someone suggest he needed protecting. However, given the down time due to retirement and not having to dodge bullets during his prison time, he had to admit he was rusty. That, and Lucy would kill him if the gunmen didn't right now. "Yeah, Luce will kill us all," he gruffly agreed with Reina.

Just as Edwards was agreeing to protecting both James and himself from becoming grated cheese, the man was hit, though thankfully in his vest, so nothing severe. "Fuckin'..." James grumbled before moving quick to send return fire the gunman's way. "I've got nothing to add. Let's get the hell outta here," he urged them, looking in the direction of the metal crates once the lights had been taken out.

Melanin-Gxdess (Reina)
BloodLightning27 (Edwards)