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

[Bellz]

Lorelei Costello
Garda Station
- Somewhere in Dublin lol -​

Adrenaline pumped through Lorelei's veins as one of the cops said that she was under arrest for obstruction and threatening officers of the law. Her jaw clenched, doing her absolute best to keep herself from saying anything more that could get her in even further trouble. Turning around, she obediently placed her hands behind her back, once the cuffs were on she was also placed in the back of the car with Benjie and Lorelei looked at him with a sad expression.

The drive to the station was short and Lorelei knew better than to try to start a conversation with her date while the two pigs sat in the front seats. Being placed in a holding cell together, Lorelei rubbed at her sore wrists as the cops took their names once more as Benjie demanded a phone call. The cops didn't seem too keen on letting them make a call anytime soon but instead, they took the name and numbers of the people they both wanted to get into contact with, after much deliberation, Lorelei gave them her parents home phone number before moving to sit on the single metal bench in the cell.

Benjie decided to take a seat next to her before commenting on the cops' stupidity. "Ah, I feel like perhaps they get too many people saying they know them without actually providing the proof. I'm sure once Aidan and my Mom show up things will be straightened out. I'm positive my mom has already made the call to one of my Uncle's brothers-in-law." Lorelei tried to reassure him, noticing him tapping his foot nervously against the ground. Benjie stated that the place made him uncomfortable, saying that he didn't even like being stuck in his apartment for too long without feeling trapped. Hearing that he told his dad that he'd stay out of trouble made Lorelei frown softly. "Hey, just because you got in trouble doesn't mean you didn't do the right thing back there." She tried to reassure him once more.

He then turned and faintly smiled at her saying that he wished she hadn't gotten herself arrested as well. Lorelei rolled her eyes at him as he seemed to blame himself for dragging her into trouble. "Hey now, I have my own thoughts, I knew what I was getting myself into and although I am sure my parents are going to be furious with me, I wouldn't change what I did. You didn't deserve this and I wasn't quite done with you yet." She smirked. "There's nothing more romantic than sharing a cold, damp holding cell together." Lorelei teased him before crossing her arms to rub her biceps, shivering ever so slightly. "Do they not know what a heater is?" She asked seriously before scooting closer to Benjamin. Hear him state that he was glad she didn't think he was a thug made her smile widely at him. "Trust me, I know a thug when I see one. My mom told me my step-dad was a bit of a thug before they started getting serious but once they fell in love things really turned around for him. Seeing that this is your first offense with the law, I'll let it slide." She joked.

Thinking back to what happened in the restaurant, Lorelei couldn't help but ask..."So...you were really charged up back there. I know what the guy was doing was wrong but as we've seen, most people would have turned a blind eye to it. I'm assuming seeing that behavior hit a little too close to home for you?"
with: Benjie Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin~

Adam Harper​

Once Martin had left, Adam took a moment to try get his head back in the game and take another long drink from the sports bottle. He noticed the way Elena watched over him and kept looking to the stitches she'd done to close up the bleeding hole in his arm. He figured it was her first time getting involved in this kind of thing, so she was no doubt curious and anxious about what she'd had to do. Elena smiled at him before replying to quietly assure him she was okay. Whilst he was sure that wasn't completely true, he was certain many others in her position would have been a nervous wreck by that point. The fact she wasn't made him sure she would be okay, once the initial shock of the situation wore off. He didn't know the barmaid well at all, but from her actions in the last however many minutes they'd been in the restroom, he sensed a strength and resilience that he wouldn't have guessed she had by just looking at her.

Adam idly watched as Elena got up and retrieved a cloth from the sink cabinet. He figured she would want to clean herself up after she'd got messed up with his blood. However, he was caught by surprise when she took his arm and asked if she could clean it. "Um... sure," he told her, lightly nodding his head. "Thanks," he quickly added, wanting to show his gratitude despite being thrown off by how helpful she was being. Usually, he had to patch himself up or rely of one of the Sullivan medics, who's bedside manners tended to be lacking. Not that he wanted Conor's employees fussing over him and ruining everyone's street cred in the process. With Elena, however, it was easy to let his guard down and not maintain his tough exterior. There wasn't a mutual need to laugh it off and act macho in the situation.

When she spoke his name, Adam looked to Elena and met her gaze. "Yeah?" he replied. When she asked about who was responsible for shooting him, he let out a deep breath. "In my line of work, I piss off a lot of people. Although, I'm not sure this was meant for me, not this time. I just put myself in the way of the bullets so my colleague didn't get hit," he explained. He was pretty certain Emery had been the target. "My employers, they have... muchos enemigos."

Elena seemed keen to hear what he had to say, and in his time of resting and relative immobility, Adam was comfortable to sit down and talk with her. The moment was soon brought to a halt as the door was opened and Thomas stepped into view. Adam was glad to see the young man had made it back in one piece, albeit with some scratches to show for it. Adam managed a low chuckle when Thomas told him he looked like shit. "I imagine I've looked worse. New Year's Day was pretty rough, for starters..." he recalled, referring to the heavy hangover he experienced that day. He then nodded his head when Thomas told him the medics were on the way.

As Thomas and Elena greeted each other, Adam stayed quiet for a time. Having already seen the way the two were with each other, he wanted to let the potential lovebirds have a moment without the old, bloody man sat making it more awkward. "Ah, that's my fault for getting blood everywhere, but she's done a good job," Adam informed Thomas when he mentioned Elena looked faint. When Elena then asked Thomas about the scratches on his face, Adam looked curiously to him. "Did you get the guys who shot at us?" he asked the young man. He then nodded to Elena and smiled. "Nurse Elena here has probably been more use than the medics," he complimented her.

Bellz (Thomas)
Pyroclast (Elena)

 

[Pyroclast]

Billy King​

Harper’s bisexuality was long since known to Billy. The two had always been close and he didn’t have a problem with it, really - in fact, it was something he had chosen to respect. Of course, it was one thing to accept the idea of it and another to comprehend actually seeing her with a woman. It didn’t really make sense to him why she would ever choose to be with a woman when she could be with a man instead and sail through life without any of the stigma. Maybe if he could get himself a steady girlfriend, everyone would stop teasing him about how close he was to Erik.

It was clear by Harper’s words that she felt isolated within the family in a number of ways. The family was dominated by men, and therefore operated on masculine ideologies that Harper didn’t necessarily fit into. Billy couldn’t deny that it was mainly for this reason that they had never inducted her into the family business and even though he saw how isolated she was, he didn’t really know what he could do about it. When she came out to him as bisexual, he at first didn’t consider it to be something else that would separate her from the rest of them, purely because he didn’t really understand what it truly meant to her. Even now, he was still trying to figure out how significant a part of her it was.

What annoyed him the most was how Harper expected him to respect her sexuality, yet never seemed to believe him when he insisted that he was straight. The fact that he had to repeatedly remind everyone was annoying in itself. He wasn’t sure what he had done to become the butt of everyone’s jokes other than the fact he had been single for most of his life and he spent a lot of time with Erik. He even slept with women from time to time, something he wished he didn’t have to bring up to prove a point. It aggravated him so much that he was losing control of his reputation that it even crossed his mind that he should steer clear of Erik altogether - but whenever he thought about them drifting apart, he got a strange ache in his chest.

Billy could have pointed out to Harper that he had at least been putting in the time to train her, which was the most he could do from his position without the rest of the family’s input. However, in the presence of Alex, who still didn’t know about their secret training sessions, he managed to hold his tongue. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to them anymore, anyway.

Fortunately, the sight of Erik wiped his mind clear of the argument he had been having with his siblings, ridding him of any urge to say something spiteful that he didn’t really mean. He felt his whole heart lift when Erik sent him a small smile and a wave, and despite his mood he couldn’t help but smile back. So pleased to see him, he barely noticed Alex get up to leave and had to watch his brother walk through the staff room door to figure out where he was going. The hairs on his arms stood on end when Erik took a seat at the table, not having expected him to actually stick around. It didn’t take long to notice that Erik didn’t look at all comfortable - chewing on his nails, his leg bouncing and avoiding eye contact, Billy had never seen him look so nervous.

Before he could decide whether or not to ask if he was okay, Erik spoke first, commenting on the empty glasses on the table as a sign of their having fun, clearly envious. Billy began to smirk, about to make some joke about Gabriel being boring, but was instead taken aback by Harper’s outburst. So focused on Erik since his arrival, he had forgotten how upset Harper was - her telling him off in front of Erik made him ashamed of what he had said to her and he heaved a sigh. He was wracking up a list of apologies to make, now. If Erik had been warming up to the idea of letting Billy back into his life, he could imagine that the little show he had just witnessed would have put him off again. “Harper…” he said, watching as she marched away from their table. “Harper, come back!” Despite his attempts, he knew she was in no mood to stay and hear an apology, especially while she had a date.

Now alone with Erik, Billy felt the tension between them thicken. He wasn’t really sure what to say. When the man had first appeared, the first thing Billy had noticed was how good he looked, but a closer inspection revealed some telling details that he hadn’t spotted before. The visible agitation and discomfort, his tired eyes and pale skin. It wasn’t quite enough to draw the attention of a stranger, but Billy was no stranger to Erik.

“Moretti that intimidating, huh?” he quietly teased, letting a soft smile show on his face. “How’s the meeting going in there?” Looking around, Billy caught Kerry’s eye and gestured towards Erik. “Kerry, can we get some more shots over here please, luv’?”

Billy kept his eyes on his friend, willing him to look at him. “Erik?” he softly called. “Look, I’m sorry...if this is about what I said the other day...I was just bein’ a twat.” Perhaps it was the alcohol, but he felt a sudden, unexpected urge to pour his heart out to him. Fortunately, being something of a heavy drinker, Billy still had enough control to keep his feelings to himself. “I’m gonna be at the Taphouse tonight,” he told him. “Come for a drink with me? You look like you need one. We can get a quiet table, you can get anything off your chest there, lay into me, whatever. I just really wanna move past this...I need you back at my side.”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Erik
Misty Gray Kerry

Bellz Harper (mentioned)

 

[Pyroclast]

Bruce King​

Bruce allowed Spencer to introduce Alex to their guests, simply observing as the two settled into their seats. The fact that Gabriel directed his nephew to sit across from him didn’t come across as at all rude - in another instance, perhaps, but for now he was mostly interested in seeing how the two would naturally interact.

While Gabriel caught Alex up on the matter of the Sullivans controlling his freedom to see Callum, Bruce poured his nephew a glass of brandy as a sign of welcoming him into the meeting. “Gabriel here has a lot of experience in dealin’ with the Sullivans,” he clarified to Alex, as he passed the man his drink. “Says there ain’t no limit to how far they’ll go if we incite a war. He don’t need to hear from you how much you want to see your son - even if you wanted nothin’ to do with the boy, it’s a matter of principle above all else. But if their first move is a brutal attack on your brother, just think what the second move might be. We’ve gotta be careful how we deal with this, Alex.”

Bruce could have had this conversation with his nephews in private, but he was inclined to believe that Alex’s input would be more controlled and well-thought-out in the presence of Gabriel and Tatiana. “I called you into the meeting, Alex, because I thought it'd make sense for our guests to understand who exactly is at the heart of this issue,” he told him. “So now’s a good time for you to explain your side. Nobody knows Savannah the way you do, just like nobody knows your son quite like you do. That makes you, Alex, the most important voice in this conversation - you’re here to tell Mr. Moretti and his daughter what you think would be the best situation for your son and why.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer, Gabriel
Melanin-Gxdess Alex

 

[Misty Gray]

Garda Station, Holding Cell
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Benjamin Reznik​

Benjamin was relieved to hear that Lorelei thought he'd done the right thing back at the restaurant. Although he was regretting getting himself arrested, he still believed his actions had been right and justified. He was glad Lorelei was on the same page as him. He expected Aidan would agree with him too, even if he was bound to express disappointment for the fact Benjamin had got caught. He managed a smile when Lorelei reminded him that she had her own thoughts and knew what she was getting herself into. "Oh, I know you do. I like that you're so decisive and independent," he assured her. "Will your parents see it the same way? Because, I've seen your Uncle James and the men Conor employs. If your dad's as tough as they all look, I wouldn't stand a chance if i got on his bad side," he half-joked.

Benjamin couldn't helped the smile that grew on his face when she said she wasn't quite done with him yet. "Don't say I never take you anywhere interesting for a date," he played along, taking a moment to look around the cell that was indeed cold and damp. "It could be colder and damper. Like camping in the Lake District in November," he recalled, with a shudder as he remembered the wet weather that weekend. It was only when she went on to mention the heater that Benjamin suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and looked to her with concern. At the same time as she scooted towards him, he almost elbowed her in the arm as he rushed to remove his jacket. Once again, his clumsiness caught up with him and caused his cheeks to redden - providing some much needed heat to his face, at least. Adopting a smoother composure, he offered his jacket to Lorelei, draping it over her shoulders if she accepted it. He then shuffled closer to her and softly smiled. "If the jacket isn't enough, I've got plenty of heat radiating from my cheeks right now," he joked. Despite his humour, he wanted to put his arm around her in that moment, but wasn't sure if she'd want his gestures to go that far at that point in their date.

He listened as she reassured him she knew what a thug looked like. "I'm glad you're going to let me off with my first offence," he told her. "If I offend again, then I'm simply going to have to make you fall in love with me so you can help me turn my life around," he joked. After another look to Lorelei, he was about to place his arm around her shoulder and make a comment about keeping her warm. Instead, she asked why he had attacked the guy back at the restaurant. Instead of being directed to Lorelei's shoulder, his hand instead moved to gently rub his forehead as he began to feel nervous about opening up to her regarding his mother. He moved his hand down and gave Lorelei's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah, it hit real close to home," he admitted. He let go of Lorelei's hand, but keep his own hand hovering close in case she had still wanted him to hold hers. "I've seen men control women before. Whether physically or emotionally, I've seen men trap and abuse women. It happened to my mum and I was too young to help her," he admitted. He looked to Lorelei before sitting back and gazing straight ahead. "I was only two when my dad went to jail. My mum tried her hardest to support us both without dad around. But by the time I was four, she'd got desperate and was lured back into her old drug addiction by Francesco Moretti," he said, a coldness in his words as he practically spat out the deceased Italian's name. "For two years, I watched as he and his men abused and emotionally blackmailed my mum. He belittled her and made her feel worthless, similar to how that guy I just smacked was behaving. Francesco made my mum feel like she was nothing, that she should be grateful that he was in her life and 'helping' at all. It got to the point where she'd do anything to get him to give her more drugs and money. When he got bored of her, he had her killed. I mean, he'd been slowly killing her soul for months before that, but then he finished the job... and I didn't help her," he choked out. When he looked back to Lorelei, his eyes were overflowing with tears. "I couldn't help my mum, but I thought I could help that lady back there. Maybe that guy is just like Francesco was or maybe he isn't. I just couldn't ignore it."

Bellz (Lorelei)

 

[Misty Gray]

La Casa (Private Club)
~ Upper East Side, Manhattan ~


Riccardo Biancardi and Damian Nicolosi​

Ricky rolled his eyes when Julia elbowed him and told him Damian had more important things to do than gossip about the Wycliffs. "Better gossip, in this place?" he asked, pulling a confused face as he looked around. "Music and atmosphere in here don't exactly scream 'birthday celebrations' to me," he argued. He then looked directly to Julia with a flirty expression. "This is the kind of classy music I'd have playing for us back in the bedr--"

"I happen to think the atmosphere here is perfectly adequate, if I must sit here and acknowledge another year of still breathing. Try not to spoil the music with your smut, Riccardo," Damian interjected. Though he'd first spoken to quickly move away from whichever dirty corner of his mind Ricky was entering, Damian had soon turned his words into more humoured ones, by using Ricky's full name whilst expertly mimicking Gabriel's' accent and general stern demeanour.

"Wow. It's like he's right here in the room with us. Except, you're much skinnier and not as dreamily handsome as old Moretti is," Ricky teased.

Ricky hadn't been oblivious to how unimpressed Harmony seemed when he'd praised her for not dwelling on her lost loved ones and moving on. However, as she had shrugged it off, he chose to do the same rather than continue to push his luck. Thankfully, Julia was there to react to Harmony in a more sensitive and socially acceptable way. Ricky knew his moods tended to mean he was insensitive, be it through not reading the room properly or intentionally being cold to someone. With Harmony it had been unintentional and light-hearted, but he knew he'd only dig himself into a hole trying to retract his comments. Best to let Julia soften the blow.

Ricky stayed quiet, for once, as he listened to Harmony tell Julia all about L.A. When the young woman offered to take her there, if Gabriel and the Wycliffs approved, Ricky raised a curious eyebrow. "Ahh, I love Asian cuisine," he fondly informed them. He then straightened up and cleared his throat. "Not that I'm inviting myself along. Sounds like a ladies trip to me. Just don't be picking up some sexy guys with a nice tans. It's not my fault the smog here provides natural UV protection," he teased Julia. "But in all seriousness. You ladies should treat yourselves."

Damian look to Jarrick when the man joined them, giving the man an approving nod when he explained he'd been conducting business before he could join them. "Mr. Moretti doesn't like a slacker," Damian agreed. "Although, we've got a table full of them right here," he remarked, but flashed a thin smile. He then watched on as Jarrick filled the shot glasses and wished him a happy birthday. "Thank you. Work is work, my friend. Right now, I am on my own time, so let's all relax and enjoy the evening. Though I will pass on the shots," he politely declined.

"Waste not, want not..." Ricky muttered before taking one of the shot glasses and knocking the vodka back in one go. "Ricky Biancardi. A pleasure to me you, Jarrick," he responded to the man, holding his hand out to give him a friendly handshake. "I think I like you already," he said, pointing to the shots the man had prepared for the table. "Anyone else up for helping empty that bottle?" he asked, looking between Julia and Harmony, knowing Damian would remain stubborn in his need to stay sober.

BloodLightning27 (Jarrick, Harmony)
Bellz (Julia)

**********

Valentina Wycliff​

Valentina blushed when Teddy assured her Cristina did want to take her in to Careers Day. Then he went on to compliment her himself. "Stop, you're going to make me all hot and bothered, then my make-up will run and I'll look a mess," she playfully told him, using her hand to fan her face.

Although Teddy at first brushed off Paolo's behaviour as a rebellious phase, she was glad when he then approached the subject a little more seriously. She didn't want to be made to feel like it was in her imagination or it was just her who couldn't control the boy. Teddy seemed to understand where she was coming from. "Oh, rebellious I can handle and maybe I can take a little of the blame for. However, I'd rather it was an equal opportunities rebellion rather than us having a little sexist in the making. He needs to understand the women in this family are to be taken no less seriously than the men. Thank you, Teddy. I'd rather he stopped it off now," she agreed.

With mention of celebrating, Valentina was able to switch off from the serious subject and put herself back into the moment. She watched on as her husband ordered shots and drinks for them both. "Hey, you don't need to get me drunk to get me to misbehave," she flirted with him. Regardless, she didn't hesitate to quickly knock back the first shot. "Let's cause some trouble, yeah?" she encouraged him, pointing to the line of shots. When he looked to the table the others were on, Valentina took the moment to consume another shot, loudly placing the glass back on the table. When he asked how she thought Harmony was doing, Valentina shrugged her shoulders. "God only knows. I was just hoping Julia would provide her with a sense of sanity that the others can't," she joked.

After a few more drinks, Valentina felt much more relaxed and Teddy could probably tell the early signs of intoxication were beginning to show. "I think you're holding back. You need to start on doubles," she informed her husband. After another glance to the others, she looked up to Teddy and kissed his lips, albeit a little clumsily. She then pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "Should we go join them? Rescue poor Harmony and Julia. Maybe tease the guys a bit," she suggested. Despite saying 'guys', she mostly meant tease Ricky. She didn't really know Jarrick, and 'creepy' Damian never struck her as a man she'd want to mess with.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter
The Sullivans Pub
- Dublin City Center, Dublin - ​

Thomas did his best to smile calmly for Elena, seeing how upset she was made him feel slightly anxious. He nodded his head softly as she accepted his offer for water and just as he was about to go make himself useful and get one, Elena continued to speak saying that she was okay and that she wanted to stay with Adam. Nodding his head in understanding, Thomas once again inched towards the door but Elena stopped him in his tracks as she asked if he was okay. His cheeks turned a deep red, causing the scratches on his face to sting as blood pooled to the surface. Flinching ever so slightly, Thomas forced himself to smile as Elena pointed out his scratches and asked if someone had hurt him.

"Ahh, he got a good few scratches in...I think the man was part cat if I'm being perfectly honest." Thomas said in a teasing tone before his face turned serious as Adam asked him if he'd got the guys who shot at them. Shaking his head slowly, Thomas let out a soft sigh. "I caught up to one asshole and tried to tackle him to the ground but like I told Elena, he scratched the hell out of my face before running off." It was the only story he could come up with but he knew it made him sound like he failed at doing exactly what he was hired to do. It was a better story to tell than telling everyone he had a bit of a mental lapse and scratched the hell out of his own face.

Hearing that Elena was probably more used to Adam than the medics made Thomas smile amusingly. "Oh really? Think Conor would hire her on for a permanent position? Our medics tend to not have the best bedside manner, well except for Finn but he's still in New York." Thomas said thinking of his mother's cousin fondly. Before any more could be said, Thomas cleared his throat, "Let me go grab you guys some water, the medics should be here any minute now." Thomas then excused himself to go grab the drinks. He took his time to collect himself while he filled up two glasses of water for Elena and Adam, making sure his nerves weren't going to get the best of him while he still needed to be on the job.

Once the waters were filled, Thomas made his way back to where Elena and Adam were, handing them both their own glass of water before taking a look around them once more. "How are you even breathing man?" Thomas asked seriously, his face full of concern. "Do you uh...do you want me to call Blake to let her know what happened?" He asked Adam awkwardly. "I mean, I'm not sure how serious you guys are but I know it might put her at ease to at least know your condition now versus later?"
with: Adam Misty Gray ; Elena Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Lorelei Costello
Garda Station, Holding Cell
- Dublin City Center, Dublin -​

Lorelei frowned softly as Benjie let go of her hand when she asked if the man's behavior in the restaurant hit close to home for him. She hoped she hadn't ruined the evening even though they were both currently sitting in a holding cell waiting for their fate to be decided by officers of the law. He went on to say that he'd seen men control women before and that it had happened to his mom when he was too young to help her. Lorelei watched him closely their eyes meeting for a moment as he looked to her before he sat back and looked at the bars ahead of them.

He told her about his family, how his dad went to jail when Benjie was two and how his mother had to support her and her son with his dad out of the picture. Lorelei was familiar with such a story as it closely reflected that of her own upbringing. By the time he was four, Benjie went on to say that his mother had got desperate and was lured back into her old drug addiction by a man whose last name was all too familiar to Lorelei. Lorelei's lip trembled at the haunting resemblance of what she had gone through with her own mother when she was a child. Sure, her mother had Uncle James and Aunt Lucy to take her in and help her out and Lorelei had a pretty normal childhood after they moved in with them but Gwen couldn't hide her addiction as well as she thought she could and Lorelei knew a lot more than she was willing to let on when she was a young girl.

The redhead's eyes watered as Benjie described what that horrible man had done to his mother, tormenting her until he was bored with her and disposed of her like she was nothing but trash on the street. When Benjie finished his story, he looked at her and his own eyes were filled with tears. Lorelei let out a small gasp before scooting closer to give him a tight hug from the side. "You did the right thing." She repeated, her voice thick with emotion as she tried to contain it all. "But Benjie..." Lorelei murmured after a moment, breaking off the hug so that she could take his hand in hers again, using the other to wipe a few stray tears away from his face. "I want you to know something and I'm sure you've heard it before..." Lorelei paused, taking a moment to ground herself. "You couldn't have done anything...even if...even if you had the means to." She said honestly.

She wondered if she was out of line for saying so, but for years she had immense guilt about her own mother's overdose, the countless years from the time she was born to when she was almost 8 years old where her mother continued to use. "My mother was a heroin addict before I was born actually. She continued to use while pregnant with me and never stopped until she overdosed while living with my Uncle James in New York. I spent a lot of years wondering if there was something I could have done to prevent that. Part of me felt like I wasn't making my mother happy enough...so she felt the need to leave me." Lorelei shook her head, her frown deepening as she looked her date in the eye. "Addiction is something that can only be prevented when the person who's an addict is willing to get the help they need. Your mother was not only a victim of that but a victim of abuse from someone who knew she would do anything to get a fix and to keep you safe. I'm so sorry you lost her," Lorelei paused, hoping the amount of sympathy she had for him showed on her face. She then smiled softly, "But...I'm sure your mother is smiling down on you at this very moment for sticking up for a woman in need like that. You are really a great man, Benjie." Lorelei said softly, squeezing his hand lightly.
with: Benjamin Misty Gray
(all right, send in the parents lol)

 

[Misty Gray]

Garda Station, Holding Cell
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Benjamin Reznik
Conor Sullivan and Aidan Byrne​

Benjamin hadn't been expecting Lorelei to wrap her arms around him when she did. However, after very briefly freezing, he returned her hug. Putting his arm around her, he held her close, closing his eyes as he absorbed the comforting warmth the embrace gave him. He held his breath and quickly nodded when she told him he did the right thing. It felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders after telling Lorelei about his mother. Though he was sure others in the mob might know the basics from talking with Aidan or Kurt, both of those men were the only people who knew the whole story; the ones he could really open up about his past with. He'd never told his previous girlfriends the details, but Lorelei had made him feel comfortable about telling her. Perhaps it was knowing her relationship to the mob that made it easier, because he knew she would have a better understanding of the darker lifestyles that most people would never have to experience or even be aware were going on.

When Lorelei broke away from their hug, Benjamin looked to her face, his gentle eyes fixing on hers as she reached up to wipe away the tears from his face. When she told him she wanted to tell him something he'd had heard before, he knew what she was going to say. No matter how much it made sense, there were times like now, when he was feeling most vulnerable, that he couldn't help but blame himself or start questioning the 'what ifs?'. He quickly nodded his head when she told him he couldn't have done anything. "I, um... I go through phases where I believe that, where I know I was just a kid and I couldn't have saved her. But then, there's times where I get to thinking too much. Telling myself there must have been a way and I just didn't try hard enough. It's stupid, I know."

Benjamin listened as Lorelei told him her mother had been a heroin addict. Hearing that the woman had overdosed caused him to place his hand over his mouth, lightly shaking his head. Not only was he sad to hear that Lorelei's mother had suffered like his own mother had, he also felt bad that Lorelei had to be exposed to the same kind of hardship he had experienced. He was only glad that Lorelei's mother had survived her overdose as he wouldn't wish that death, nor the loss of a mother, on anyone. He reached out to hold Lorelei's hand as she frowned, clearly affected by the memories. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I know how hard it will have been for you, and you can talk to me about it any time. It's not a pleasant topic for either of us, but we at least understand what it feels like. I don't talk much about it to anyone because I worry it might shock them or they just wouldn't understand, but you and I both know," he said, lightly nodding his head. Hearing Lorelei reassure him his mother would have been happy he'd stuck up for the woman at the restaurant caused him to choke up again. "Thank you..." he told her, putting his arms around her to hug her. "I'm so glad we got to meet each other, I think you're really--"

Hearing footsteps approaching the cell from down the corridor, Benjamin quickly broke away from the hug and sat up straight, anticipating the guards were coming to speak to them again...

**********​

Gwen had made her way to the Garda Station separately from Conor and Aidan, but they all arrived there at the same time. Aidan had barely parked his car outside the station before Conor rushed out of the passenger side. Lorelei was family, and Benjamin was not only his employee at the restaurant but practically family too, after what Kurt and Aidan had done for the Sullivans over the years. There wasn't a chance the two youngsters would be staying in the holding cell or that any charges would stick at all.

Along with Gwen and Aidan, Conor marched to the main desk and was soon met by arresting Officer O'Toole. The cop made a comment about realising the kids were not lying about knowing the Sullivans, which was met by an impatient glare from Conor. "Come on, then. What did you arrest them for?" Conor asked. He'd already been given the basic details, but he wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth. Officer O'Toole handed Conor the two sheets of paper, of which he handed Lorelei's to her mother. "I didn't ask for you to shove some paper in my face. What did you arrest them for?" Conor firmly repeated.

"Mr. Reznik punched a fellow diner at 'Le Restaurant', then resisted arrest. He claimed the victim had been abusing his his partner, but she gave a statement that Reznik's attack was unprovoked. And Miss Costello was arrested for obstruction and threatening officers of the law," the officer reeled off as he rested his hands on his side of the desk.

Aidan quickly shook his head as he heard the charges. "If Benjie did smack the guy, then it was for good reason. You should instead be questioning the so-called victim about the accusations of abusing his partner."

Conor nodded along before carefully taking the piece of paper back from Gwen, so he could practically toss the charge sheets across the desk at O'Toole. "If you don't throw them away, I'll do it for you. Lorelei and Benjamin won't be facing any charges, and you're going to let them out of the cell now." The Officer was about to interrupt, but Conor held his hand up to silence him. "I'll save you you from needing to do any more paperwork, because you're going to tell me the name of the 'victim' before I leave here and then I'll make sure the bloke drops any charges. If you've got an issue with that, then I'm sure I can discuss this with your superiors and then they'll be pissed off because you wasted both their time and my time... Just get on with it, O'Toole."

Expecting the Garda office would follow with the keys to unlock the holding cell, Conor led Gwen and Aidan down the corridor. "This place hasn't changed one bit since back in the sixties," he remarked, looking around at the damp corners of the corridor ceiling. As they reached the cell, Conor subtly smiled. "I even spent a few nights in this very cell, though I didn't have company..." he trailed off as he stopped walking to look through the bars at Lorelei and Benjamin. "Nice date?" he remarked.

Despite Conor's light comments, Aidan folded his arms and looked impatiently to the approaching officer, wanting him to be quick about unlocking the cell. Knowing why Benjamin would have attacked a man, as well as how much the lad hated the thought of prison cells, he expected his foster son would be desperate to be let out.

Bellz (Lorelei, Gwen)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~London~
Alexander King

The atmosphere in the room felt heavy. While it didn't seem like there were any hostilities, it still felt uncomfortable to be surrounded by so many serious men. Alex felt completely out of his element as he watched Gabriel Moretti offering his hand to shake. His eyes darted between Bruce and Spencer to gauge their reactions before taking hold of the older man's hand, giving him a firm shake. He then looked to Tatiana and gave her a small nod before turning back to her father. The man had called him by his full name - something he hadn't heard in a while. He let out a slight chuckle before shaking his head. "Alex, please. And the pleasure's all mine." Once offered the seat next to Bruce, he took it and immediately raised his fingers to his mouth to chew on his nail. He was nervous and anxious to get this thing over with. His attention was grabbed once again by Gabriel beginning to reassure him that Callum's other family wouldn't keep him away. Alex wondered what the Moretti family would be able to do for him in that regard though it was probably a lot.

A small part of Alex wishes it would have never come to this. Getting the families involved in a matter that should have been dealt with between him and Savannah; it was unnecessary. Sullivan should have just kept his nose where it belonged and his ex should have just listened to him. Was he also to blame for the way things were now? Of course but he wasn't about to admit to that. "Well, I appreciate the reassurance but uh-... How is it exactly you're able to reassure me of that?" He looked to Bruce as the man started speaking and answering his question. Taking the cup from him he sat back in his seat and took a sip. His uncle then began to remind him of how delicate the situation was and how they had to be careful with how they dealt with it. Alex was well aware, considering it could cause Savannah and her family to do something even more drastic than just attacking Spencer. The last thing he wanted to do was something that would potentially hurt his son - even if his mother's family was a pain in the ass.

Bruce brought the attention onto Alex unexpectedly causing him to falter. Obviously, there was a reason he was called into the room so late and not immediately but it didn't occur to him until just now. He was right, however. All of this was because of him and now he needed to explain himself. His eyes drifted towards Spencer's, examining the damage left behind by the Sullivans. It pissed him off that they thought it was okay to come after his brother when he was the one they should have come after. Attacking his brother for what? To get a rise out of him so he'd screw up? Clearing his throat, he set his cup down and sat forwards. "For starters, a boy needs his dad in his life. I didn't have a dad growing up so I can say that for certain. It's important. I was lucky enough to have some sort of father figure that meant well," he said, looking towards Spencer and Bruce. "But Callum has a dad and that's me. Two, the Sullivans are animals. I'll be damned if my son is raised to become one of them; men with no morals who think it's just fine and dandy to mess with another man's family." He shook his head to look Gabriel in the eye. "Would you want your son raised by such a family?"

Gabe, Spencer( Pyroclast )
Bruce, Tatiana( Misty Gray )
​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

La Casa
~Upper East Side, Manhattan~
Theodore 'Teddy' Wycliff

Hearing his wife call their son a sexist in the making was unsettling. Admittedly there had been a brief time in his life where he thought women were slightly beneath him, but he had learned from his behavior. He didn't want Paolo to have to learn such a lesson the hard way nor did he want him to go out into the world being a jackass. He rubbed his chin with his index finger before nodding along with Valentina. "Yeah, I'll have a talk with him. I'm not trying to raise a bunch of Steves." He paused the moment he realized what had come out of his mouth, eyes growing wide. "Shit, Tin. I didn't mean to say that." He quickly placed his hand on her wrist, rubbing it with his thumb. Even though it had been a little more than a decade since her attack, he knew she often had nightmares about it. The last thing he wanted was for her to relive it and was now beating himself up for even saying the man's name.

At the mention of misbehaving, he smiled down at her before raising a shot glass to his lips. "Oh, trust me, I know." He threw back the shot and placed the glass back onto the table before picking up another. Once the two of them had finished their line of shots he picked up his drink to wash them all down. "Hey, I'm sure Damian can give her a bit of sanity too; out of the Julia and Ricky trio they have going on I think it's Damian who keeps them all in line," he joked. Truly he knew it was Julia who carried the brain cell between the three of them, but he couldn't admit that. He was becoming outnumbered by the amount of confident and smart women that he was starting to drown. Damian and Ricky were all he had left of smart men and he was going to hold onto them. Teddy's eyes tore from the table when his wife mentioned him taking doubles. He raised an eyebrow at her before smiling. "Doubles? I see what you're doing. You're trying to get me drunk so I agree to something crazy, aren't you?" He teased before kissing her back. "Sure, let's go bother the gang." He stated before standing up.

Teddy waited for Valentina to get situated before placing his hand around her waist to make sure she didn't tip over. In his experience, his wife was clumsy when she drank and the last thing he wanted was for her to hurt herself. With their drinks in hand, Teddy led them over to the table Julia, Ricky, Damian, Harmony, and Jarrick occupied. As Gabe's to-go man on personnel at times, Teddy was familiar with Jarrick and had exchanged brief words on a few occasions. "Are you guys behaving and treating our Harmony okay?" He asked a grin on his face before settling on Ricky. "Mostly you considering you're more of a degenerate than everyone else is."

Valentina, Ricky, Damian ( Misty Gray )
Julia ( Bellz )
Harmony, Jarrick ( BloodLightning27 )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~London~
Erik Snowden

Erik watched in amusement as Harper blew up at Billy. Clearly the man had missed something quite entertaining and was almost sorry he had. It was nice to see that he wasn't the only one upset with Billy. The man seemed to have a knack for upsetting people he probably shouldn't be. When Billy turned his attention back to him he had to hide any signs of amusement on his face - including the smirk that had been tugging at his lips. The two of them stared at each other in silence. It was strange not talking to him but Erik was sticking to his guns. Billy had been stupid and offensive and he wasn't about to let him off so easily. If he had then the man would think it was okay to continue being a dick. His voice made him focus on him for the first time since he sat down. Erik turned towards the door then back to Billy, nodding his head. Under any other circumstance, he would pretend he wasn't but sober Erik was a different person completely. "Uh, sure. I just- I don't want to screw up here. Ava would be pissed if I did..." Thinking about it, Erik couldn't recall if he had told Billy about his cousin or not. Maybe one day he would, when they were friends again.

Billy then ordered them shots, which only made Erik fidget more. He shook his head, denying the shots. "Thanks, but I have to stay focused while Moretti is here. Don't want to go running my mouth by accident." He never thought that he would be turning down drinks but here he was. All for the sake of his job and making sure he was able to stay in London. Erik felt that if he showed he was a bit too lax here, Moretti would call him home, and then he would have to leave Billy behind. Even though he was angry with him that didn't mean he wanted their friendship to end completely. When Billy spoke up again, Erik was able to focus on something different. The man had begun to apologize for what he said to him at Spencers' home. While it did hurt that Billy would call him such a slur, it felt deeper than that. Though Erik was sure Billy didn't know about his feelings for him, Erik couldn't help but feel like the man was toying with his emotions. He was sure he was imagining it but the fact remained. He opened his mouth, wanting to explain that his words really did hurt him, but quickly closed it.

This wasn't the time nor the place for Erik to tell him what he really thought. Luckily, Billy suggested the two of them meet up later that night. It would be the perfect opportunity for Erik to lay into Billy - just as the man had told him to. Perhaps Erik would even be able to get other things off his chest? The man squirmed at the thought before deciding it probably wouldn't be a good idea to do just yet. Or should he just go with the flow at this point? Maybe I should get Tatiana's opinion on this he thought to himself. Though the two of them weren't exactly close, Erik knew that if he went to Tatiana for advice on something she was sure to help him out. Erik looked at Billy and nodded his head before speaking, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Alright, Billy King, you can stop groveling," he teased, "I won't forgive you just yet; you'll have to buy me a few drinks first."
Billy ( Pyroclast )​

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin~

Adam Harper​

Adam lightly nodded his head when Thomas mentioned how all of the medics, with the exception of Finn, had bad bedside manners. "Those were my thoughts exactly. Elena here is the next best thing to Finn," he said, hoping to lift the young woman's spirits so she could calm her nerves. "As for Conor, I dunno. I think he'd like to keep his new barmaid, especially now she's stopped throwing the glasses on the floor," he teased, pausing to catch his breath back before finishing what was left of his sports drink. "Always good to have a medic on board for when things get rowdy in here, though," he remarked.

Although he let Thomas leave to fetch more water, Adam was keen to get out of the restroom, though he knew that would need recovering more of his depleted energy. When the young man did return, Adam accepted the new drink and sipped some of the water before placing the glass down on the floor beside him. When asked how he was still breathing, Adam shrugged his healthy shoulder only. "I dunno, mate," he said, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. He used the back of his hand to wipe away more of the sweat from his forehead. He still felt weak and light-headed, which was highly frustrating to a man who was in his good health and shape. "All I know is, Elena here can be very bossy and commanding. She won't let me sleep," he said, managing a weak smile to show he was only teasing.

Then, Thomas asked him if he wanted him to call Blake to let her know what had happened. "Nah, why would she want to know about this?" he casually dismissed the question. However, a sudden silence overcame Adam as he looked away, his deeper thoughts being slow to catch up with the immediate answer he'd given Thomas. Adam had been injured in the past, but the only people he'd thought to update were his boss and his direct colleagues. Even in the time he'd spent behind bars, he hadn't had any family or loved ones who had cared enough to visit or call him. He'd been able to effectively live without consequence for how his actions would affect loved ones around him, because there was nobody close enough to depend on his survival. It made taking risks and diving in the path of bullets easy decisions to make. Even as godfather to the Zegarra children, all of his risk-taking on the job was still there, because the kids still had both parents there for them if he died. He'd never had a reason to play it safe or have anyone at home worrying and waiting for him to return each night. But the mention of Blake only now brought deeper thoughts to his mind. They were playing things casually for now, but Adam cared deeply for her and he was certain she had feelings for him too. It hit him like a slap in the face that he had only now considered if she would miss him if he were gone. What if they did enter a serious relationship?

Adam wasn't sure what to say to Thomas at first. He didn't want to worry Blake, but he also didn't want to hide anything from her. "Versus later? I didn't realise my condition was so bad. Do you think I'm on my deathbed?" he remarked, buying himself a little more time to think. He wanted to be honest and upfront with Blake. Whilst she knew first-hand how dangerous it was working for the mob, he wondered if she'd considered what his job meant for her. She'd already lost Jackson whilst he was on the job, with the man succumbing to his gunshot wounds. He didn't want to upset Blake, but he decided it was best she knew from the offset how risky his work was. "Can you call her and let her know?" he finally asked Thomas. "But make it clear it's nothing to worry about. Just the most minor of wounds. It's important you make it clear I'm alright," he told Thomas, not wanting to trigger the woman's grief for her late husband.

Adam tried to push himself up from the floor, the action triggering more light-headedness in the process. After a pained groan as he accidentally put weight on his bad arm, he looked between Elena and Thomas. "Give me a hand up, would you? I ain't sitting on this pissy floor a minute longer, nor am I eating my steak in here when it comes," he told them, signalling towards the main bar area where he wanted to sit in a proper seat at one of the tables. "Come on," he rushed them. Despite his eagerness, he couldn't deny the loss of blood had taken a lot of energy out of him.

Bellz (Thomas)
Pyroclast (Elena)

 

[Misty Gray]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Kerry Patrick​

Kerry had been getting on with her work whilst the Kings talked away. Erik stepped out into the main bar, with Alex apparently taking his place in the top secret meeting. Kerry didn't think much of it, instead stepping out from behind the bar to collect some of the empty glasses from the tables. As she walked behind Billy and Erik, she couldn't help but overhear the odd words being spoken. She'd just about picked up on Billy asking Erik if someone was intimidating. Though the music played at the same time as some of the hushed words, she could swear she'd heard the word 'Moretti'. Forcing herself to shrug it off as her own imagination, she stepped back behind the bar, setting the try of empty glasses down for her colleague to wash. She met Billy's gaze and the man ordered some more shots for him and Erik. "Coming right up!" she told him, making an extra effort to put some enthusiasm in her voice, despite some very unpleasant memories from the past threatening to catch up with her.

However, Erik was quick to shake his head. She looked between the two men, about to ask for confirmation of whether shots were indeed required. Instead, no words could escape her mouth as she heard Erik mention the name 'Moretti'. This time, she heard it as clear as day and there was no question she'd heard it right. Whilst there were many Morettis in the world and no mention of the first name, she didn't believe it was a coincidence. With the high level of security and secrecy, it had to be Gabriel Moretti, or at the very least, one of his family members. Any Moretti was too much for her.

"You boys let me know if you change your minds," she told them, before quickly turning away and unconsciously straightening out the bottles that were lined up on the shelf. All of a sudden, she was seeing images of that night in the jazz club, in New York, 13 years ago. The three masked gunmen taking the staff and customers hostage. Her colleagues and the security guards being tormented before her eyes. She looked to the nearest barmaid before excusing herself, making a beeline for the ladies' toilets. By the time she reached one of the cubicles, her mind had already moved to the flashbacks of being beaten and tortured in the damp, rat-infested basement. She'd been terrified and dragged into complete submission by the time Gabriel Moretti arrived on the scene. Her hope that he was there to rescue her had been met with further torment.

After throwing up into the toilet bowl, she stumbled towards the sinks, throwing water over her face as the nausea took over her. Looking in the mirror, she quickly shook her head at her own reflection. It was Gabriel Moretti who had forced her to betray the Sullivans in the first place. He was the reason that on top of the nightmares of the days of torture she'd suffered, she also had to live with the guilt of leading members of the Sullivans into a trap. Multiple lives had been taken at the hands of the Morettis and the East Harlem Crew. She couldn't let herself be dragged into something like that again. With the Kings on bad terms with the Sullivans and now Moretti meeting with them, the only thing she felt she should do was get out while she could.

Kerry left the restroom and grabbed her personal belongings from behind the bar. Looking to Billy, Erik, and Harper, she took a deep breath. "Hey, I'm not feeling well at all," she explained to them, her pale face adding evidence to her words. "I think I've come down with something and I've been throwing up. Can you tell Spencer I had to leave early?" she asked them. Regardless of their response, she was quick to rush out of the club, not wanting to spend another second in the same building as the monster who had helped ruin her life.

Mentions: Pyroclast (Billy) Bellz (Harper) Melanin-Gxdess (Erik)
[I figure this is my last post for Kerry in this chapter]

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter​

Syd's anxious eyes followed Roxie's hand as she reached to gently place it over his. The quickening of his heart took him by surprise as much as her tenderness did and his brain naturally fought to make sense of what was going on before he could command it to stop. Age hadn't seemed to weather the skin of her hands in the slightest; her touch was just as soft as he remembered, albeit less comforting due to the flurry of thoughts that it sent through his mind. It should have been a relief to him that she then withdrew her hand a moment later, but he remained too confounded by the gesture for his heart rate to slow down. With his face still set in a slight frown, his gaze lifted from his hand back up to Roxie's face, only to see tears once again welling in her eyes. It saddened him to hear that she had no one outside of his family to turn to, but he couldn't help letting a soft smile come to his lips at how far his family's love had spread. The two hadn't got off to the best start - not only for the way Syd had treated her when they had first met but also for her becoming a prime suspect in a bombing against his family. Yet, despite the rough start and the unfortunate way that their relationship had unfolded, he liked to think his family had made a positive influence on her life overall. Through them, she had Savannah's friendship, three children and the everlasting support of his mother.

The back of his hand continued to tingle from where she had touched it, and he slid it over to his cup of coffee to replace the sensation with the heat from the mug. Instead, the tingling seemed to spread to his cheeks when she explained to him that JJ had always kept her updated on his breakdowns and outbursts. It was something that Syd had always been conscious of - he couldn't expect his kids to keep such things to themselves, especially not from their mother. He knew he exposed them to more than he wanted to, however much he tried to protect them. So, while it was slightly uncomfortable to hear, it didn't surprise him that she knew the details of his behaviour. What did surprise him, however, was hearing her say that she cared about him, that she had always cared about him. Of course he cared deeply about her, too, whether he liked it or not, but he had always thought such feelings wouldn't be welcomed by her, let alone reciprocated. Only when Matthew had been killed had he dared to extend his support to her. He couldn't help but sigh when she called him a friend, suddenly wondering if he had spent 13 years keeping out of her way and putting himself down for nothing. If she really meant what she was saying, maybe they could have had more of a friendship.

He gave a small laugh in retrospect of the party she was referring to, though he couldn't help but feel she was speaking lightheartedly of him - she may have considered the way he had treated her that night to be the only time he had ever been cruel to her, but to him that night was only a drop in the ocean of the ways he had hurt her. The guilt that had plagued him for all those years barely even touched upon their first meeting. Due to much medical treatment - and mistreatment - as well as not being in his right mind, Syd’s memory of their time together was hazy and unreliable, with many details surely missing. However, he knew there was no way in Hell Roxie could have forgotten how he had manipulated her, intimidated her, lied to her and essentially trapped her by his emotional dependency throughout their relatively short relationship. Or maybe he was the only one who considered his behaviour to be cruel, perhaps less forgiving of his mental illness than she was.

“Listen…” he spoke, barely above a whisper. The truth was, he had no idea how to process what she was telling him, nor how to interpret her wistful tone as she spoke of their past relationship. Maybe it was like he had always thought, that she had truly wanted nothing to do with him all those years and the only reason she was speaking so reminiscently of their past now was because she missed her late fiancé. To Syd, it made more sense that her feelings were getting mixed up by all the grief than it did for her to actually mean to be affectionate with him. All he knew was, it was not something he could afford to misinterpret.

Realising that he had been silent for some time, he forced himself to come up with something. “I don’t need you to worry about me,” he said, with a small shake of the head. “As long as the kids are okay and you are okay, that's all that matters. I know you’ve uh...well, I imagine you’ve got a pretty clear image in your head of what I can be like.” His grip tightened around his coffee mug, unsure if his choice of words truly reflected what he meant to say. “I’m not like I used to be, not like you’d remember,” he hastened to add. “Point is, I’d understand if that image puts you off confronting me if you’re worried about the kids, but if JJ ever says something that...I mean, if you ever think the kids need to be away from me, for their sake, then…” Having let his gaze fall as he spoke, Syd lifted his head to meet her eye and gave her a single nod. It was hard to give her verbal permission to take his kids away, knowing that in the circumstances that she would need to, he would most likely make it extremely hard for her. He just couldn’t speak for that explosive and unreasonable side of himself.

“Anyway,” he said, sucking in a short breath before giving her a light-hearted smile. “Really what I wanted to say, is that you shouldn’t be worrying about me when you’re going through so much. You know my mam will always help you out in whatever way she can, my family will pull all their strings at my request to help support you, and I…” He cleared his throat, still uncomfortable at how amiable they were being with each other. “I’ll do whatever I can for you. If that means keeping my distance outside of these meetings, then that’s no problem, but if there is anything I can do, you just let me know. There’s nothing I’d object to, not if it helps you.”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie

 

[Bellz]

Lorelei Costello
Gwen Costello
Garda Station, Holding Cell
- Dublin City Center, Dublin - ​

Hearing Benjie apologize for what she had to go through made Lorelei shrug softly. She understood her mother had plenty of demons that were not caused by Lorelei herself but nonetheless, they still affected the young woman in ways her mother wouldn't ever get to know. Gwen was happy with her life now and Lorelei didn't want to be the one to put a damper on that. Therapy helped her to realize that she could deal with all of her issues on her own without bringing her parents into it. They were adamant about putting those things in the past and Lorelei was trying just as hard to do that as well. The redhead hadn't talked about it with anyone other than her shrink in probably almost a decade so it was strange to be upfront with Benjie but comforting to know that they both had some understanding of what they were each going through.

Seeing him get choked up over her saying his mother would have been happy for what he'd done made Lorelei emotional as well and when he hugged her, she buried her face into his shoulder to hide her stray tears. He was just saying how glad he was to have met her and was about to say something else when they both heard footsteps coming down the hall. Benjie quickly broke away from the hug and Lorelei moved to sit a little bit away from him, straightening up as well.

***​

Gwen had been having a rather pleasant evening with Jason and Cian, the boy had somehow managed to calm down and was watching a movie with his parents when Gwen answered their house phone. Hearing the police on the other end telling her that her daughter had been arrested was shocking, to say the least. After telling her husband who she had been talking to, Gwen kissed her two boys goodbye before heading to the station. Jason had made it clear how unhappy he was with the situation but Gwen was holding out for a reasonable explanation as to why her daughter got tangled up with the police on her date. She had seen her daughter a few hours before and she seemed happy and excited to finally have met someone she truly enjoyed.

Gwen was surprised to see Conor along with another man waiting out front of the Garda Station. "Long time, no see." Gwen said, managing an amused smile as she greeted Conor before turning to look to Aidan, nodding her head lightly in greeting though she couldn't help but think how much he looked like Jason. They all marched towards the front desk of the station and the officer behind it made a comment about how the kids hadn't been lying about known the Sullivans. Gwen hid a smile as she realized her daughter had thrown her weight around, something she never did but Gwen had always told her to do if she absolutely needed to. Conor demanded to know what Lorelei and her date were arrested for and Gwen nodded her head firmly in agreement before she was handed a couple of pieces of paper by Conor. Gwen looked down at them, her brows furrowed in concentration as she briefly read the contents before looking up as Conor firmly repeated his question.

Hearing that Benjamin had punched someone in the face at the place they were eating at before resisting arrest left Gwen wondering what she should think of that. She'd only heard good things from Lorelei since she'd met the young man so Gwen couldn't really make an assumption on whether or not this was normal behavior for him. Hearing that the young man claimed the victim was abusing his partner made Gwen's fists clench, the pieces of paper in her left hand crumpling slightly as she glowered at the officer.

Being a victim of domestic abuse in the past, Gwen was all too familiar with the lack of attention the police actually gave said victims. Hearing that the woman had stated that the attack was unprovoked made Gwen shake her head softly and let out a soft sigh, "Of course she did, I'm sure that asshole forced her to say just that." Gwen commented before the officer stated that her daughter had been arrested for obstruction and threatening officers of the law. This earned a sarcastic laugh from Gwen, "My daughter? Threatening officers of the law? You afraid of a 20-year-old girl?" The older redhead couldn't help but taunt O'Toole before Aidan insisted that Benjie had smacked the man for good reason. He then went on to say that the officers should be questioning the victim about the accusations of abusing his partner. Gwen firmly nodded her head before Conor reached for the papers in her clenched hands. Not bothering to flatten them out, Gwen handed him the papers before Conor used his authority against the officers, demanding to let the kids go and to drop all the charges.

With that, Conor led Gwen and Aidan down the corridor towards the holding cells. Gwen smiled lightly as Conor brought up memories about his time in these cells but as soon as she saw Benjamin and her daughter sitting in one, any trace of a smile was wiped clean from her face. Gwen also folded her arms and tapped her foot as she looked at her daughter with a blank expression. Lorelei stared at her mother for a moment before she averted her eyes. "Well come on then, open the damn door!"
 Gwen barked at the officer who fumbled with the keys before finally opening the cell. Lorelei stood up quickly and walked through the door, quickly hugging Conor in appreciation before moving towards her mother who reached out her arms to hug her as well. "You okay?" Gwen asked softly as she moved to kiss her daughter's forehead, rubbing the tops of her arms gently once she pulled away from the hug. Nodding her head lightly, Lorelei closed her eyes a moment before looking around at all of the adults before finally looking at Benjie again. "Can we get out of here?" She asked softly, not wanting to spend another second in the station if she didn't have to.
with: Conor + Aidan + Benjie Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Julia Avvocata

La Casa (Private Club)
- Upper East Side, Manhattan - ​

Julia swatted Ricky's arm as he brought their personal sexual life into the conversation, her cheeks warming as she looked between Damian and Harmony, her eyes apologetic for the most likely disturbing mental image. Julia smiled amusingly at Damian as he mimicked Gabriel and let out a laugh as Ricky commented on it.

She was really interested to know about L.A. from a native's point of view. She listened with her undivided attention and nodded along in understanding when the conversation required it. Hearing about her experience with the LAPD made Julia smile slightly, impressed with Harmony on a level that the men surrounding them couldn't be. It was a man's world and for a long time women were just living in it, but after the 70s more and more women were coming into power, making sure the daft men in charge understood that they would be respected. Harmony may not have thought much about her act of defiance towards officers of the law, but Julia was very impressed...having had her own run-ins when she was younger as well. Harmony went on to talk about the gangs in the suburbs which Julia had been aware of since Ricky's family was very involved in L.A. as well as New York. Before the woman could say anymore she stopped herself, telling Julia that she didn't mean to get carried away.

Julia smiled kindly at Harmony and nodded her head when the woman hoped that she had answered her question. "You answered it perfectly, dear." Julia murmured before Harmony offered to take her to L.A. if her boss allowed it. "Ah that would be wonderful, luckily for me I don't really have to ask to take time off more so I just demand it." Julia joked as she looked at Ricky. "Asian Cuisine is one of my favorites behind Italian. I would love to go with you sometime." Julia said sweetly.

Ricky jumped in to say that he also loved Asian food before clarifying that he wasn't inviting himself along, stating that it sounded like a ladies' trip to him. "Sexy guys with nice tans, hmm? Trade-in your pasty skin for someone who actually has color? Now there's a thought." She teased Ricky, giving him a devious smile before turning to Harmony. "We can plan it out on your schedule, whenever time allows you, I'm a patient woman." She informed her before Julia's eyes looked to Jarrick who apologized for being late. Harmony expressed that she was glad the man could join them but Julia was carefully sizing the man up as he took a seat at the table. For the first time, she had noticed there was a drink sitting in front of her and she immediately moved to take a sip. It was watered down some but she didn't pay any mind to it as Damian made a rare remark about how the table was full of slackers. "I beg your pardon, Damian! I for one am not a slacker!" Julia said, flashing him a smile as well. "And was that a joke? Seems like Ricky's mischievous ways are rubbing off on you. It's a good look, I have to say." Julia complimented the man before Jarrick introduced himself to Ricky.

She stayed quiet for a moment until the man placed a bottle and shot glasses on the table. "Well well well, someone who actually knows how to party. Since Damian and Harmony won't be drinking I'll take theirs for them along with my own." Julia said before looking at Ricky, a flirtatious smile forming on her face. "Might be up to you to help me get into bed tonight, last time I got this plastered I couldn't be bothered to sleep in my room and I woke up face down on the carpet. That was acceptable when I was in my 20s but my 30s brought a whole mess of back problems."
with: Damian + Ricky Misty Gray ; Harmony + Jarrick BloodLightning27

 

[BloodLightning27]

Harmony Ryu & Jarrick TaylorNew York City | La Casa Nightclub

After she had told Julia about her upbringing and her life in L.A before moving to New York...and subsequently finding herself working for Don Moretti, Harmony found it to be refreshing, especially when the other woman had stated that she'd love to go to L.A with her. Looks like Ricky was interested too. Aside from the few seconds where he almost made her cry and definitely made her blood run cold, he wasn't a horrible person or anything, so Harmony didn't exactly get mad at him for it. Now if he had made such remarks knowingly, then she would have reacted differently. Harmony was however, thrilled when both Ricky and Julia said that they liked Asian Cuisine. When he remarked that it sounded like a ladies trip, Harmony began to wonder if Valentina or Ava, another Moretti she had met, would like to go L.A along with them. She would definitely have to ask about that later when there is a more appropriate time...and not in front of the boys. Harmony then proceeded to smile and shake her head when Ricky said not to pick up sexy guys with nice tans...which was inherent with Asian Men. Given how she was treated by the overall Korean-American Community, Harmony wasn't entirely thrilled at the thought of dating an Asian man. "I think a ladies trip would be nice. But if we do that, what will you and the boys do in the meantime? And I don't know how Mr. Moretti would be okay with all of us going to L.A at once...let alone have this many of his associates out of town." She added, smiling a little at Ricky, before looking at Julia. "I think we can make plans for the Summer depending on how Mr. Moretti and the Wycliffs feel about it. You know, since I'm on protective detail and all. Thankfully, the Wycliffs have been very laid back. And they've been very nice to me."

Once Jarrick joined the table, Harmony proceeded to slowly calm down and enjoy her drink. While he was a little bummed that Damien was not going to be taking shots. "It's all good. I understand. We can probably drink another time. There's still Jarrick did smile when Ricky immediately took a shot glass and knocked it back in one go before offering a handshake, which Jarrick had returned with a firm grip. "Jarrick Taylor. Nice to meet you, Ricky." He responded before releasing the handshake and then knocking back a shot himself!

When Ricky asked if anyone wanted to help on emptying the bottle, Harmony shook her head, as she abhorred the idea of being intoxicated behind the wheel. "I'm good. This is my last one for the night. I can't be drunk driving. Wouldn't be a good look for me." She said before relaxing into the chair.

It was not long until both Teddy and Valentina had stopped by, with Teddy asking if they had been treating her well before looking straight at Ricky. This prompted Harmony to smile. "He hasn't been too bad. Everyone here is good company so far, especially Julia." She said both with a smile on her face to break her awkward silence...or at least what she thought was awkward silence.

Jarrick then looked over when Teddy asked if they were treating Harmony well, to which he was unsure of how to respond, as it had been quite some time since he had last seen her and they barely had spoken to each other at the given instance since Harmony seemed more focused on Julia when he had arrived, and he had been talking to both Damien and Ricky. When Julia joined him and Ricky for the shots he smiled even more as he looked back between the two of them. "Well, between us three, I don't think it'll be long until we finish off this bottle." The young man smiled with confidence before drinking his second shot. "So Ricky, tell me more about yourself. I think I'd like to get to know you a bit better. We may have just met, but I have a feeling we'll probably be working together in the future. Or at least I'd hope so, since you seem like a pretty cool guy." He said before grabbing his third shot and then refilling the empty glasses after they were set down.

Interactions: Ricky Biancardi, Damien Nicolosi, Valentina Wycliff (Nearby) Misty Gray | Julia Avoccata Bellz | Teddy Wycliff Melanin-Gxdess​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 6: Second Chances
Wednesday 1st May 1985
...12 days later...
Dublin: Early Evening - Warm,, Dry, Clear Skies
London: Early Evening - Mild, Breezy, Overcast
New York City: Early Afternoon - Warm, Sunny, Clear Skies
******************************

******************************

The Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Conor Sullivan & Kane Stenberg

Following his talk with Peter and Savannah, where he agreed to allow Alex to visit Dublin without getting in the way, Conor couldn't refuse when Bruce contacted him to arrange a meeting. Whilst the two family heads would be discussing recent matters, Alex was apparently making the trip to Dublin to see Callum. In preparation, Conor had arranged for Savannah to bring the boy to his house so Alex could see him there, rather than have the Kings spread about between Sullivan residences.

When Bruce and Alex arrived, along with the bulked up figure that was their security, Kane, they were directed to the section of the Sullivan mansion where Conor conducted his business affairs, away from his children's accessibility. When the Kings entered the house, Conor and Syd were there to meet them. Conor had first greeted Alex with a handshake, before having one of his security guards lead Alex into the family's part of the house where Savannah was waiting. Conor then turned to Bruce, giving the man a firm handshake and a welcoming smile. "Bruce, it's good to see you again," he told the man. He was sure it wouldn't stay pleasant for much of the meeting, but as it stood, Conor's frustrations with the Kings were directly focused on Spencer and Alex. The Sullivan boss then looked to Bruce's security guard and gave the serious-looking man an acknowledging nod. It wasn't often Conor was stood face-to-face with a man taller than he was, though he was sure in his younger and stronger days he would have happily accepted - or even initiated - the challenge of fighting the guy. But as it stood, Kane didn't look like the talkative type and Conor was more than inclined to leave their interaction at that.

"Come on into my office. What are you guys drinking?" he asked, prompting Syd to get their guests some drinks. He then directed them to the rectangular table in the centre of his office, motioning for Bruce and Kane to sit at one side whilst he and Syd sat opposite them. From his seat opposite Syd, Kane took a moment to looked around the office, seemingly studying the room and effects around them, before he focused back on the two Irishmen front of him. Although he often had many opinions, and in a few settings he would express them one way or another, he wasn't hired to talk in meetings such as these. His purpose was simply to protect Bruce, his employer.

Though Conor was always going to be tempted to make some remark about Kane, he held it back for the sake of the meeting that hadn't started yet. "I'm sure we all know why you're here, Bruce. I'm pleased to see Alex showed up to see his kid - I guess it wasn't so difficult, after all. " Conor's expression remained serious as he sat back in his seat. Despite already being aware the reasons for the meeting were the attack on Spencer and Savannah bringing Callum home, Conor was still inclined to let Bruce kickstart the discussion. "As you called this meeting, I'll let you start it off," he told the man and briefly glanced to Syd to check his nephew was on board.

The fact there had been a shooting recently, with Emery the apparent target, meant that Conor had further discussions to add to their meeting. Whilst there were a number of suspects, the Kings were obviously ones of those, considering Alex's brother had been beaten up and now Savannah's sister had been shot at. It was a reasonable assumption it could have been a revenge attack.

Pyroclast (Bruce)

**********​

Savannah Callahan & Callum

Savannah was feeling quite anxious about seeing Alex, after what had happened to Spencer and her staying in Dublin. Their recent phone calls hadn't been pleasant, so she expected their face-to-face encounter to be even worse. She hadn't told Callum his father was coming see him on account of her not being convinced her ex would actually show up. She didn't want to get the boy's hopes up unnecessarily and then have to be the one trying to console him if Alex let them down. The boy had only just started to get used to staying in Dublin. They were due to move into a rented house she'd fallen in love with and Callum was thankfully now excited about getting a new bedroom.

When she saw the cars park up in the driveway, Savannah watched through the window and saw Alex step out of the car. Without yet telling Callum about the man's arrival, Savannah sent him to go play outside with Sydney and Rhiannon until she was ready to call him back inside. Unsure how she and Alex would be with each other at first, she didn't want their son to be subjected to any negative exchanging of words.

Hearing footsteps approaching from the hallway, Savannah turned from observing Callum playing outside and took a few steps towards the lounge doorway. The security guard stayed out of the room, leaving Alex to join her. "Evening. Did you have a nice journey?" she asked Alex, her usually sweet tone sounding a little flat as she folded her arms in front of her. "I know it's not Ibiza or anything like that, but Dublin has its own charms," she remarked. She figured he was more than willing to travel for selfish holidays, so visiting his son should be easy.

After running her hand through her hair, she decided she needed to be a little more approachable. "Would you like me to get you a drink or anything?" she offered him. She then motioned to the window that overlooked the garden where Callum was running around outside, completely oblivious. "He's going to be really happy when he sees you. I just figured we should get anything off of our chests before then..." She studied Alex's face for a moment before addressing the elephant in the room. "Is Spencer okay?"

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

Industrial Estate
~ Dublin Docklands, Dublin ~​

Emery Callahan & Aidan Byrne

Clayton had been unable to pay back the money he owed the Sullivans. Being in debt to the Irish Mob was the worst place to be and unless he could repay them in other ways, the man's health and life would be at stake. The Sullivans couldn't be getting soft on such matters and either he paid them back or he would be made an example of. Luckily for him, depending on which way a person looked at it, Emery had decided to spare Clayton some pain and instead had him roped into being a part of a business exchange. The Sullivans had found a wealthy buyer for some diamonds that happened to "fall into the possession" of the Irish. It was theoretically a straightforward exchange. The Scottish buyer wanted the diamonds and the Irish wanted the briefcase of cash. However, the fact both the buyer and the seller remained anonymous to each other added a little danger to the exchange. As such, Emery decided Clayton would be the perfect guy to hand over the diamonds and receive the cash. He wasn't an active member of the mob and as such wouldn't be officially tied to the Sullivans. That, and why risk the lives of their own gang members if things went wrong?

Aidan parked the car in view of the docks an hour before the planned exchange, seated in the back were Emery and Clayton, patiently waiting for the boat in question to sail into the docks. In addition to the three of them, two the Sullivan snipers were hidden amongst the storage containers to cover Clayton during the handover.

"You just keep your mouth shut. The only thing you need to tell them is the password and only when they give you the correct password in return do you hand over the diamonds. Got it?" Emery bossily informed Clayton. "And you bring the case of money straight back to this car. No funny business, because I know the guys we've got hidden away won't hesitate to put a bullet in that pretty head of yours," she warned him. She looked ahead as the sailing boat came into view, approaching the pre-arranged spot of the docks. While the two men on the boat set about using the ropes to secure the boat, a low beeping sound was heard as a message was received on Emery's pager. She read the text before shoving the device back into her coat pocket. "The password they must give you is Lionfish. The password you give them is Megamouth. Got it?!" she asked Clayton. A low chuckle was heard from Aidan in the driver's seat, prompting Emery's attention to dart to him. "What is it?" she abruptly asked.

"Just seems fitting you'd be sent the password 'Megamouth'," he teased her.

"Hey, fuck you!" Emery playfully snapped, hitting the headrest of Aidan's seat. "Cheeky bugger," she grumbled. She then looked back to Clayton and smiled. "You ready? I mean, I hope you are, because you don't have much choice and we can't have you fucking up... Is anything at all confusing? Just ask me and I'll explain again, in slow motion," she told him.

Bellz (Clayton)
Nearby: @Fletchawk (Rexford)

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~
​

Jasmine Zegarra and Adam Harper

With Chase's work commitments and having three children, Jasmine didn't get as many opportunities for going out and spending some time with adults only. She was grateful that Sinead agreed to look after the kids so she and Chase could have a night out. Even though it was a weekday, Sinead had offered to take Michael and Emilia to school as she would be taking Liam anyway. With parental responsibilities out of the way, Jasmine was ready to get drunk in Conor's pub. Figuring they could make a night of it, she told Chase to invite Adam to join them, whilst she did her part and invited Blake to hang out. Regardless of their friends' relationship status, Jasmine knew enough about Adam to know he might need a few nudges in the right direction. The man had never had trouble talking women into his bed, but Jasmine was of the opinion he was useless when it came to dating women he actually cared about.

Jasmine entered the pub with Chase, looking around to see it was still relatively quiet, though she expected it would liven up as the night went on, regardless of it being a weekday. The corner to the left of the entrance tended to be occupied by members of the mob and if others did sit there, they tended to move if the regulars entered the pub. After pinpointing the large booth in the corner as the one their group would be occupying, Jasmine walked with Chase to the bar. They were greeted by Martin, who had a smile firmly planted on his face. Before even asking what they were drinking, he pointed to Elena. "We've got a birthday on the team, today!" he informed them. "I was going to put banners up or something, but didn't want to embarrass the lass," he commented, loud enough for Elena to hear him.

"So your plan is to announce it to every customer, instead?" Jasmine teased. "Happy Birthday, Elena. How young are you today?" she asked the barmaid. "Just a white wine for me, please," she asked Martin. She then looked back to Elena when the young woman was close enough. "I heard you helped Adam out a couple of weeks back. He's a pain in the neck, but we love him, regardless," she fondly joked. Once their drinks were handed to them and they'd finished speaking with Elena and Martin, Jasmine walked with Chase to the corner booth, setting her glass down on the table as she sat down beside Chase.

"Finally. Some grown-up time," she said, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "And we don't have to rush out of bed tomorrow." Sinead had even offered to look after Safia for as long as was needed the next day, so Jasmine didn't need to worry about getting up early to collect the energetic toddler. "I hope Blake comes tonight. I really want her and Adam to get together," she told Chase resting her head on his shoulder.

*****​

In the days following the shooting, Adam had stayed at home recuperating. Despite his protests and eagerness to hunt down the shooter, Conor had been insistent the man took took time off from working. His boss not only wanted him to rest to make a speedy recovery so he'd be back in action in the weeks to come, but he also saw it as a reward for the man saving Emery from injury. Being that he didn't enjoy too much downtime, Adam didn't exactly think of his forced recovery as a reward. He'd still made a point of working out in the gym where he could and going for long runs, as well as working on one of the cars in his garage.

Despite having visits from his friends, Adam had found himself having too much time to think, so he was glad when Chase invited him out to the pub. On the quick visits the Zegarras had made to him, Adam hadn't said too much about the shooting with the children being present. He wasn't even sure how much he'd tell Chase and Jasmine without the kids present, but at least he knew he didn't have to kept details quiet if he felt compelled to speak of them.

As soon as Adam entered the pub, he saw Elena working behind the bar and was instantly reminded of the last time he'd been in the pub. Thankfully, this time he wasn't bleeding out on the men's room floor and he was fully conscious and coherent. He sent Chase and Jasmine a quick wave before he approached the bar. "If it isn't Nurse Elena," he greeted the young woman with a broad smile. "I'll have a pint of Guinness, love, please," he asked the barmaid. Before he had chance to greet Martin, the man pointed out to Adam that it was Elena's birthday. "It's your birthday, and these sickos have got you working it?" he asked her, pointing at Martin and shaking his head in faux disappointment. "Well, shit. Let me buy you a drink and this cheapskate will let you enjoy it on the job," he offered her. Once his own drink was served to him, Adam nodded his head to Elena. "Feliz cumpleaños niña."

Adam then carried his drink over to join the Zegarras, sitting at the opposite side of the table to them. Though there was still some pain in the top of his healing arm and a stiffness in his neck, he was mostly able to ignore it. He was sure a few drinks would make it easier to forget about too. "Evening. You both alright?" he greeted his friends, taking a long drink from his pint.

Bellz (Blake, Thomas) Pyroclast (Chase, Elena)

Bodyworks Gym
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~
​

Olivia Sullivan

Olivia had been working at the gym for two weeks now. Whilst she missed being able to visit James since moving back to Dublin, she was starting to feel more at home. She'd known the likes of Leo, Thomas, Lorelei and Natasha since they were children, so she couldn't deny she'd felt quite left out when she and Lucy moved to New York to be closer to Rikers Island. This time, it seemed like they were staying in Dublin for the foreseeable, so she'd been inclined to find work as soon as she could. She was grateful that there'd been a position available at Adam's gym, as she could do what she enjoyed for a living and most of the gym members were affiliated with the Sullivans in some way.

She'd been teaching self-defence and martial arts in New York, so teaching aerobics and yoga was a bit of a downgrade for her. Not that she would complain, as she was happy with what she had for now. She still wished to be actively involved in the mob's activities, but she didn't want to worry Lucy. Added to that, Conor didn't want her involved either, despite her arguing James had been teaching her to fight and shoot since she was a child. Olivia chose not to press the matter for now, knowing how worried Lucy tended to get, especially as it had been difficult enough for her to accept Thomas had started working for the business.

Once she'd finished teaching her last class of the day, Olivia took to focusing on her own workouts. She waved at Katsya and Stella, the first a colleague at the gym, and the second one of Conor's employees who worked out there. She then continued on her way to the weights section, so she could focus on some strength exercises.

BloodLightning27 (Stella) Mitheral (Katsya) [Hopefully I set up a scene for your ladies]

​

The Parker Residence
~ Islington, London ~
​

Dr. Bradley Maddox Parker
~ Riley and Amara ~

Ever since been granted a free pass by Conor, back in 1972, Maddox had worked hard to lead a life free of deceit and corruption. He didn't believe in God, but he believed in following a more moral path and working towards redeeming himself. Along with Kerry and Ani, Maddox had fled New York, escaping any chance of Gabriel getting revenge on them for betraying him. He and Ani had quickly settled down together, eventually finding work in their respective careers. Whilst working as a hospital psychiatrist, Maddox's first act towards making up for his past wrongdoings was giving Kerry private counselling. The young woman had been left deeply traumatised after the torture and abuse she'd suffered at the hands of the East Harlem Crew and the Morettis. It took a great many sessions, but in the end, Maddox was satisfied he'd been able to help the innocent victim of a war he'd had some hand in igniting. Kerry became friends with Maddox and Ani, still regularly visiting them to this day, although Maddox understood she was getting closer to leaving London as each day passed.

Maddox hadn't felt real happiness for many years before he met Ani and they started a life together in London. Whilst he could understand people, such as the likes of Syd and Conor, believing he didn't deserve any of it, Maddox had found his perfect life. He and Ani were now married with two children, Riley and Amara, aged eight and five respectively. Maddox had found true happiness and shared a home with three people he loved more than life itself.

Maddox had ended up working later than intended today, agreeing to attend to a patient who had regained consciousness following an attempted suicide. He knew his family would be waiting for him at home, but he believed he still had to help more people and do more good to justify the 'perfect' life he now had. When he finally did return home, it was with open arms to his wife and kids. Although Amara was the last one to greet him, he picked her up and held her for the longest, brushing her long, dark brown hair behind her ears so he could look at the fresh cut and bruise on her forehead. After the girl spoke quickened words to explain how she'd falled over in the school playground, Maddox placed a kiss on her forehead before gently putting her back down on the floor. "I guess that means we'll be having ice-cream and hugs after dinner. Then you'll forget all about that nasty fall," he gently reassured her. He then clapped his hands together. "Alright, kids. Finish your homework before Kerry gets here."

With the kids rushing back to the lounge, Maddox hung his jacket up and set his briefcase down on the hallway table. He then turned his attention back to Ani, bringing her in for a tight embrace and a kiss. "How has your day been? I know it's my turn to make dinner, but shall we just get a takeaway, seeing as I worked over?" he suggested. He pulled away from their embrace so they could move into the kitchen to allow him to wash his hands and set the table. "So, I think Kerry's all for leaving London, especially since she quit her job with the Kings. I still think she was holding something back when she last called us," he told Ani, still unaware Kerry had overheard the Kings mention the Morettis. "I genuinely doubt Conor and Syd will make her feel any more at home in Dublin."

Bellz (Ani)

Gabriel Moretti's Office/Apartment
~ Tower Block, Murray Hill, Manhattan ~
​

Gabriel Moretti and Riccardo Biancardi

With Roxie spending more time in Dublin, it meant that Ricky was often responsible for the Biancardi business relations in New York. That in turn meant he found it was himself who had to attend most of the meetings with Gabriel in her absence... and Moretti liked to have meetings. However, now that he was the one representing the Biancardis, rather than being present in Giovanni's shadow, Ricky was starting to feel at ease with Gabriel. The two of them were very different men, with personalities and beliefs that opposed each others, but it felt like they were both learning how to deal with each other now. The older man was still intimidating, but Ricky no longer felt a sense of doom or apprehension before their meetings. It probably helped that over recent weeks he'd become more familiar with the man's family and employees, such as Teddy, Damian and Harmony. He wished he could say he felt the same when he was in Dublin, but he couldn't imagine going out for drinks with Syd or other members of Conor's family. He wished it was different, because that meant he'd feel more comfortable showing up to see Roxie and the kids, but the fact was he hadn't felt welcome since the first moment he met Syd in the 1970s. New York was Ricky's home and as each day progressed, so did his belief that the Biancardis would be better aligned with Moretti than with the Irish.

Julia was Ricky's closest advisor, so she was often the one to accompany him to their meetings. Of course, the fact that they were dating added some perks to his work. As soon as they were inside the elevator and the doors closed, he sent Julia a playful grin before leaning in to kiss her, keeping hold of his briefcase in one hand. He then stepped away and straightened out his suit. "Another day, another boring meeting," he said, with a mischievous smile. "Although, I'm looking forward to seeing how old Gabe responds to my concerns about that remaining Irish part of Queens," he told her.

When the elevator reached the floor of Gabriel's large penthouse suite, Ricky straightened out his tie in time for the 'ping' and the elevator doors opening. "Ah, it's that guy again. The handsy one," he mumbled to Julia as they approached the security guards waiting to frisk search them.

*****​

With the two families sharing New York City and working close together, Gabriel made a point of setting frequent meetings with the Biancardis. Roxie couldn't always be present at the meeting, but that never stopped Gabriel from having Ricky there in her place. Either way worked for Gabriel, as he found Ricky was easier to lead to his way of thinking, even if parts of the erratic man irritated him. He'd learned how to deal with Ricky; knowing when to let him have his moments and when to have the man shut up. As time went on, Ricky had become more tolerable to Gabriel, especially when the younger man showed his serious and more ruthless side, which Moretti preferred to the awkward jokes the man's immature side shared.

Gabriel sat at his desk with Teddy seated at the opposite side as they waited for Ricky and Julia to arrive. Sitting back in his seat, Gabriel studied Teddy for a moment, deciding to use the opportunity to ask a personal question without any of the women around. "So, Valentina has cut down on her hours at the hotels. How is that working out? More to the point, how did she take it? I'm surprised I haven't had her on the phone or at my front door yelling at me. Presumably she took it well?"

Gabriel relaxed back in his seat. "I understand Riccardo has been making a good impression on you and Damian. I'm inclined to keep it that way. The man is much easier to work with these days, though I'm inclined to remain cautious. As much as I believe most of what he tells us, Roxanne is his cousin and she is in bed with the Sullivans, so there's always the possibility he's putting on an act with us." He smiled at his son-in-law before his next comment. "I expect relations between the Kings and Sullivans will rapidly break down, so I intend to have Tatiana and Damian spend some times based in London, leading a security team to help out the Kings. Which means you're going to be much busier here, Theodore."

Aware their guests had arrived, Gabriel stood up and motioned for Teddy to join him at the sofas where they would conduct the meeting with the others.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy) Bellz (Julia)

Rikers Island Prison
~ Rikers Island, New York City ~
​

James Porter and Nicholas Ramsey

James had continued to avoid carrying out Moretti's orders to kill one of the prisoners, but part of that had been aided by the fact some of the other prisoners hadn't taken too kindly to having a snitch sharing a cell block with them. The prisoner in question had been hospitalised two weeks ago and if he, as well as James, had any luck, the man wouldn't be released back into his jail cell any time soon. The fact Finn and George had still been residing in New York City up until a few days ago meant James remained cooperative as far as shifting the drugs through the prison was concerned. Now that all of his family were out of New York, however, James was to consider his next move. He'd already refused to carry out the hit for Gabriel, but if he were now to cease running the drugs operation for the Italian, he knew the Morettis had little left to threaten James with other than his own life and safety. He had to decide between doing the devil's work to stay alive, or sacrificing himself in order to no longer aid the enemy. The latter, of course, wouldn't hurt only himself. He had to consider the fact Lucy and the kids would have to grieve for him. All he knew was he was in a frustrating position and it was threatening to keep him in a foul mood for the day.

Without any visitors, again, James made his way out into the exercise yard. As was his routine, he walked the perimeter of the yard a number of times stretch his legs, before sitting on one of the benches to take in the warm sunshine. Usually, Kurt would join him. More recently, Bradley and James would stop by too, the group having interacted and got friendly over the last couple of weeks. At least, as friendly as one could become in a jail where he didn't know too much about the newcomers. Still, they seemed approachable enough, and he wasn't sure the kid even belonged in the place, so doubted he would be able to con them without giving himself away. At the worst, James would be joined by Moretti's messenger, Nicholas, who was so far up Gabriel's arse that James was surprised the man hadn't used it as a means of escape yet.

BloodLightning27 (James, Bradley) Pyroclast (Kurt)

The Wycliff Family Home
~ Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn ~
​

Valentina Wycliff

Valentina had cut down her working hours a week ago. She hadn't been overjoyed at the idea, but she knew she had to compromise and give Teddy the chance to expand on his own position within the family business. She'd always wanted her father to respect and appreciate Teddy, so her kicking up a fuss would only make that harder to achieve. As much as Gabriel frustrated her and she wouldn't hesitate to give the man a piece of her mind, she didn't want Teddy to suffer for it. As long as her husband was happy and her father was treating him well, she decided she would take a laid back approach to it all.

Laid back was easier said than done. She'd already grown bored of hanging around the house, especially whilst the children were all at school. She decided today she would go out shopping and generally treat herself. It was something she generally avoided doing, worrying people would judge her as spoilt and spending her father's money. However, she'd decided it didn't matter anymore. She knew she'd earned the money she spent and wasn't living off of her parents' or Teddy's wealth. If she couldn't spend all day at work anymore, she'd sure as hell pass some time spending money instead.

As she was going into Manhattan, Valentina required a bodyguard with her. Again, she would be frustrated by that, but she was trying her best to remain chilled out and easygoing about the whole arrangement that was her life. It at least helped that she now had Harmony to call on. Some of the past bodyguards had been silent and grumpy, and apparently far to manly to enjoy listening to Valentina talk about fashion and her children.

Valentina had already locked up the house and was sitting out in the sunshine before Harmony was due to arrive. She was both eager to get away from the house for a bit and also wanted to enjoy the bright, warm weather.

BloodLightning27 (Harmony)
Mention: Melanin-Gxdess (If you want Ava and Elvian to bump into the ladies, then give us a shout!)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess BloodLightning27 @Fletchawk Mitheral​

 

[Pyroclast]

Chapter 6: Second Chances
Wednesday 1st May 1985
...12 days later...
Dublin: Early Evening - Warm,, Dry, Clear Skies
London: Early Evening - Mild, Breezy, Overcast
New York City: Early Afternoon - Warm, Sunny, Clear Skies
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Victoria Park
~ Tower Hamlets, London ~

Billy King​

Waking up with the mother of all hangovers and gaps in his memory wasn’t exactly an unusual Saturday morning for Billy. However, like every time he got blackout drunk, he was left with many mysteries to unravel the following day. The first was the fact that he had woken up in bed with his shoes off, a glass of water and some painkillers on his bedside table - evidence that he hadn’t stumbled home alone. The second was the bruises on his torso and his split lip, indicating either a fall or a fight, though his own knuckles had no fresh marks on them. Finally, there was the matter of whether Erik had eventually showed up at the pub or if he had decided not to come after all. It was the day of Gabriel and Tatiana Moretti’s visit when, after a long wait, Billy had finally managed to ask Erik for a chat at the Royal Taphouse to clear the air between them after their falling out. Only, the last thing Billy remembered was one of the pub’s regulars, Wendy, starting to play the piano - he had no recollection whatsoever of his friend ever turning up.

Some investigation at the pub revealed that Erik had indeed been the one to take him home, and further investigation from Erik himself revealed that his minor injuries were from both a fall from the bar and a fight with a taxi driver. Billy would have been fine with that had it not been for the fact that Erik was sporting a fresh bruise on his face, too. Given that they hadn’t been able to talk through their issues, he ended up both moved by Erik’s kindness and guilty for presumably dragging him into a drunken fight. The fact that Erik would help him out like that after the way he had treated him showed him just how good a friend he was. After that, Billy was filled with a new resolve to be kinder and less judgemental. It wasn’t just Erik that he had hurt, after all - he had managed to upset Harper, too. They were both people Billy knew deserved better from him, and whom he couldn’t afford to lose.

Having been debriefed on the outcome of the meeting with the Morettis, Billy was aware that there was a possibility of more of Gabriel’s workforce joining them in London for an extended period of time. Bruce was currently in Dublin meeting with Conor Sullivan to determine whether or not the extra protection was necessary, though in Billy’s eyes it was better to have it than not, even if the cost was high. What had happened to Spencer was brutal but at least the man knew how to handle himself; if it had happened to somebody more vulnerable or less experienced in mob business such as Shona or Harper - which he understood wasn’t beyond the Sullivans’ boundaries - then the outcome could have been much more serious.

Being from New York, Billy was aware that Erik might end up with new responsibilities on his hands once Gabriel’s personnel had arrived in London - or if not, then at least perhaps more friends. Either way, there was a chance that the two would end up spending less time together. As much as he would rather reclaim the close friendship they had been developing, he was starting to believe that maybe they would function better with a bit of distance between them. Billy was beginning to think there was a part of Erik that he didn’t understand; the man didn’t come across as a particularly sensitive type, yet he noticed him becoming distant from time to time and struggled to figure out what it was that set it off. If he could work it out, he would do something about it; so far, all he understood was that he needed to work on recognising his sense of humour and not to call him ‘queer’.

For the past couple of weeks or so, things hadn’t been so hard between them. He felt their closeness waning slightly, but at least the silent treatment was over. Despite not having had their scheduled talk - at least, not while Billy was sober enough to remember - it seemed that Erik had got over it for the most part and was back to working alongside him. With time, Billy hoped, things would get back to normal.

That was what was playing on his mind as he walked through Victoria Park on his way home from one of their King Remedial pharmacies, where he had been discussing plans for an expansion and taking some measurements. He could have driven, of course - after what had happened to Spencer, it would probably have been wise - but the evening was mild and in such an open space, he figured he would see someone approaching. Besides, he had a screwdriver on his belt that he could use if needed.

Nobody in the park paid him any attention until a brown and white mongrel came bounding over to say hello. Billy made eye contact with the owner before bending down to give the dog the attention it wanted, just so he could see who he was about to speak to. The owner turned out to be harmless, purely apologetic for the dog’s overly friendly nature, so Billy let his guard down and just allowed himself to enjoy playing with the animal for a minute or so. By the time the owner had called his dog away, Billy had become completely distracted from his surroundings, and when he turned and started walking away he instantly bumped into someone.

“Oh, sorry -”

Something fell to the ground between their feet then, and Billy was just about to stoop and pick it up when he saw what it was. Instead, he took a step back and cleared his throat - and only then did he realise he knew the man. “Erik!” A broad smile spread across his face in surprise. “What you doin’ out here?” Watching Erik stand, his smile quickly faded as his mind flashed back to the small pouch of cocaine that had fallen out of Erik’s pocket while Billy had been hanging his wet clothes out to dry. He passed a hand over his mouth and cleared his throat again, unsure how to proceed. Lowering his voice, he finally asked, “What’ve you got that for?”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

 

[Bellz]

Chapter 6: Second Chances
Wednesday 1st May 1985
...12 days later...
Dublin: Early Evening - Warm,, Dry, Clear Skies
London: Early Evening - Mild, Breezy, Overcast
New York City: Early Afternoon - Warm, Sunny, Clear Skies
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Finn Sullivan
Lucy Porter
Ginn's Residence
- Sutton, Dublin -

Spoiler: Ginn's house

Finn was currently sitting in his study awaiting a call that he was anxious to receive all day. He'd worked hard in the States as Chief of Medicine at the New York City Medical Center and had been in such a position for over a decade. The decision to move back to Dublin had been a tough one, especially with his two oldest children going to University in New York but Lucy had been speaking to him daily about her suspicions that things between their family and Moretti weren't going to stay friendly for long and Finn decided that moving back to Dublin was best. He would let his two oldest children stay in the States till he deemed it completely unsafe but for the time being Finn, George and Lucas arrived in Ireland 6 days ago and most of the house was unpacked and decorated to look more like home.

The phone suddenly rang and Finn immediately picked it up. "Hello?" He answered and listened as one of the hiring chairmen for the hospital greeted him saying that he was delighted to inform him that Finn was hired on as Chief of Medicine for Dublin Medical Center. Finn stood up excitedly, moving his free hand to his head in surprise. "Oh, that's wonderful news!" Finn said before the man on the other end asked when Finn could start. "I've just finished getting everything situated in my home, I can start next Monday if that works for you." He was relieved when the chairman agreed that next Monday would be a perfect starting date for him. After a brief conversation about paperwork, the chairman let him go. Finn bounced on his feet happily as he placed the phone back on the receiver with haste. The entire phone fell to the floor but Finn didn't stick around in his office to pick it up as he rushed to find George. Finding him in the library that Finn had insisted be built for the love of his life before they moved into the home, Finn stopped in the large doorway, leaning against the frame with a huge smile on his face as he watched Georgie read by the fire.

After a long moment of just admiring his love, Finn knocked on the frame softly. "Looks like you are enjoying your new space," Finn said softly before walking to sit in the big armchair opposite Georgie. "What are you reading this time? Didn't you just start a new book yesterday?" He asked teasingly, "I feel like I'm going to have to swap out this collection in the next couple of months to keep you satisfied." Finn continued to tease before leaning forward. "I have some great news, love! I got the job at the hospital! Chief of Medicine once again but they are paying me twice as much as they did in New York!" Finn victoriously announced before standing up to kiss his husband. "I'm not in it for the money of course but...it feels good to know we can help pay for all three of our kid's tuitions." He murmured before pressing his lips against Georgie's. Pulling away after a long moment, Finn gave his husband a mischievous smile..."How about you and I go have a celebratory quickie, hmm?" Before George could answer, the doorbell rang and Finn frowned softly before looking to his watch. "Oh god was I really in my study for almost 2 hours...I lost track of time. That must be Lucy. Raincheck?" Finn asked innocently before holding out his hand to help Georgie up from his seat. "Where's Lucas?" He asked as he led Georgie towards the front door...

Lucy had been very excited to help out Shinoa in her time of need. The night Thomas had called to ask her to help the pregnant teen, Lucy had made arrangements to get Shinoa into a nicer hotel but made it clear to the young woman that the hotel was only temporary as Lucy worked out finding a permanent home for her and her unborn child. Finn and Lucy kept in constant contact and when Lucy talked about the teen in need, Finn immediately offered to house the young woman. Seeing the relief on Shinoa's face when Lucy revealed that she would have a permanent home that she didn't have to pay for or worry about being kicked out of made Lucy feel so full of happiness for her. She couldn't imagine what the young woman had been through but had a vague understanding given most of her children were orphans beside's Thomas.

"You are just going to love Finn and George, they are the kindest people on earth, well," Lucy paused, giving Shinoa a teasing smile before saying, "Besides myself, of course." Lucy never boasted about her kindness and was 100% kidding but the statement was true nonetheless. Pulling into the driveway of her cousin's home, Lucy was just seeing the house for the first time and gave a low whistle at the grandness of it. Looking to Shinoa, Lucy smiled, "You ready, dear?" She asked the woman before moving to get out of the car, rounding it quickly to help her out. Once she was out Lucy moved to grab the bags of things from the trunk. Shinoa didn't have many things when Lucy first met her but little by little over the last 12 days Lucy had made sure to buy the girl everything she needed. Lucy and Finn were going to surprise her with things for the baby but until they showed Shinoa her room, Lucy kept tight-lipped about it. Once all the bags were in her hands, Lucy shut her trunk with some effort before nodding for Shinoa to walk up to the front door. Walking quickly behind her, Lucy carefully set down two of the bags to reach out and ring the doorbell. Before Lucy could say anything more to the teen, the door opened to reveal two handsome smiling men. "Finn! George! It's so great to see you!" Lucy squealed, moving to hug each of them with the free arm. "Luce! You seem to be aging backward! You don't look a day over 25!" Finn complimented his cousin to which Lucy rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "Finn, Georgie, this is Shinoa, the beautiful radiant soon-to-be mother that I've been talking to you about non-stop." Finn looked to Shinoa with a smile, "Pleasure to meet you, love. I hope we can make you feel right at home like my cousin Lucy does. Let me help you ladies with those bags." Finn said before taking the two that were still on the ground in front of Lucy from her before nodding his head for them to enter the home.

"Come in! Come in! Let us show you around!" Finn said, looking to his husband with a wide smile before moving to place the bags by the stairs. Once they were out of the way, Finn looked to Shinoa, "Do you need anything? I can get you some water. I was supposed to make dinner an hour ago but I got caught up on a work call. Do you want a snack in the meantime?"
with: Georgie Misty Gray ; Shinoa BloodLightning27

Gwen Costello
Costello Residence
- Somewhere in Dublin lol -

Spoiler: Costello Home

"Well I think that was exactly what our old souls needed, don't you think, babe?" Gwen asked as she got out of her car with Jason, smiling widely at him. Pressing the lock on the inside, she shut her door before rounding the car to meet him at the beginning of their quant little walkway to their home. Gwen had hoped that after the tense 12 days they had that her husband was at least put at ease by their date. Lorelei was extremely upset with her father after her arrest with her date and Gwen had been caught in the middle of wanting to support both of them. After Lorelei went home the night of her arrest, Gwen and Jason had their own tense fight about what happened on their daughter's date but Gwen wanted to make it up to him and she'd hoped she'd done just that. The night wasn't over however, Cian was with his sister to spend the night so the parents had the whole night to themselves. That use to mean spending wild nights up until 4 a.m. but since having Cian their "wild nights" ended at 11 p.m. at the latest.

Taking Jason's hand, Gwen walked with him towards their front door, reaching inside of her purse to get the house keys from it. "Perhaps you'd want to end this night a little differently than we end nights with Cian home...I was thinking we get back to our younger years. Really put that new bed we just got a few weeks ago to the test?" Gwen asked mischievously. Once the keys were in her hand, Gwen reached to open the screen door to get to the white wooden front door when something fell from the screen door onto the floor. Looking down, the redhead saw a white envelope sitting at her feet.

Looking at Jason, Gwen's brows furrowed in confusion as she bent down to pick up the envelope. It was sealed shut but there wasn't any writing on the front of it. "It's not addressed to anyone." Gwen murmured to her husband. Placing the letter between her arm, Gwen opened the door and stepped inside, quickly removing her heels and tossed them to the side. She then moved to set her bag on the dining room table before looking at the envelope once more with confusion written all over her face. She wanted to just brush it off and leave the envelope unopened until the morning as she had a creeping feeling that whatever was inside the envelope was going to ruin the rest of the night they had together.

Clearly conflicted, Gwen looked to Jason again, opening her mouth to speak but no words came out. "I uh...I think maybe we should open this now." Gwen said softly, looking at him sympathetically before moving to sit on the couch. Waiting for her husband to sit next to her, Gwen reached into the side table next to her to grab the letter opener before tearing it open. For some reason, Gwen's heart began to pound in her chest. Perhaps it was because in her family's life unaddressed letters that weren't expected were not a good thing. The last time that had happened as far as she knew, Lucy had found a picture of Arlene's dismembered body. Gwen hadn't spoken to her brother in a few weeks but she had heard last from Lucy that he was doing okay.

Taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves, Gwen pulled the handwritten letter from the envelope and unfolded it slowly. Something else fell out onto her lap and her breath caught in her throat. The cold stare of her ex-husband was looking up at her in a picture that she remembered taking back in a club in Los Angeles many many years ago. Not daring to look at Jason wherever he stood or sat, Gwen's lip quivered as she finally looked at the letter. I know what you did in September 1964... Her heart felt as though it sank to the floor and tears formed in Gwen's eyes as she then looked to Jason, forcing him to read the letter and look at the picture as she stood and started to pace the living room, moving her hands to tangle them in her hair nervously. "Someone knows! This has to be a sick prank...my brother made sure no one would no, absolutely 100% sure!" Gwen's cried out in panic.
with: Jason Pyroclast

Harper King
Casino
-TBD-​

Despite her other older brother's trying to coax Harper into talking with Billy, the blonde had refused to do it. Billy wanted to apologize but Harper wasn't going to deal with any more of his homophobia or his rude behavior. Sure, he'd been the only one who wanted to teach her to fend for herself, and sure, he's always been there for her but that only poured more salt on the invisible wound that Billy had left on her. It had been 12 days since they'd last spoke and there were many times where she wanted to just cave and give in to her brothers' persistent begging to patch things up with him but Harper was a determined and prideful woman, much like the men in her family. Esmeralda ended up being yet another notch on her bedpost after realizing who her family was so after almost 2 weeks of not searching for a date, Harper was becoming content with the idea that she could possibly be forever alone.

Spencer was married and having a family of his own, Alex, well despite his major fuck up, he had a kid of his own and plenty of women who wanted to keep him company in bed. Billy...she had thought was going through the same relationship issue as her...or a lack of one but he seemed to be cozying up to Erik whether he liked to believe it or not. Having 3 very overprotective brothers was draining on her relationship life not to mention as Billy had so rudely pointed out at the club, she had to maintain the family's reputation. Harper's lip curled in disgust as her cab reached the casino. An attendant outside of it opened the door for her and she offered the man a kind smile and a quiet thanks before heading inside. She was well aware that her oldest brother would be in attendance tonight but she was going to try and steer clear of him. She'd heard from her Uncle that Spencer was meeting with one of Gabriel Moretti's goons and even though she'd only seen the man from afar...she'd gotten a bad feeling from him.

Harper didn't get that feeling when she'd met Savvy's family, they were kind people who seemed to know how to have a good time. Of course, her brothers wouldn't trust Harpers' judgment on such matters as who to be business partners with but if Harper were running things in some weird alternate universe, she'd side with the Sullivans. In her head, Savvy's relatives hadn't done anything that her family wouldn't have done if the roles were reversed. Was she upset that Spencer got the snot kicked out of him? Of course! Does she think it was absolutely wrong? Well...they should have taken their anger out on her man-slut of a brother, Alex. Now that was someone who really deserved an ass-kicking. Harper was missing her nephew and Savvy greatly.

Walking towards the bar, Harper hadn't noticed the man she was standing near until she had ordered herself a drink and decided to listen in on the chatter happening around her. Harper turned and smirked at her brother who was chatting up with one of Moretti's goons no doubt, "How is it when I try my best to avoid my brothers like the plague, you always seem to appear out of thin air?" She asked Spencer as the bartender set her drink down in front of her. Waiting for an answer, Harper's eyes moved to scan the casino for anything that could steal her attention...looking for a quick escape to avoid having a painfully long discussion with her brother and a man that looked like the equivalent of a human cigarette.
with: Spencer + Damian Misty Gray
mentions: Xavier Mitheral

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Residence
~Sutton, Dublin~
Alexander King

Going to Dublin amongst the mass of Sullivans was the last thing Alex wanted to do. Spencer having been attacked deterred him from the thought, not trusting them to be as cordial as they promised they'd be. From the time Bruce told him they'd be going to Dublin to the time he got there, he was on edge and irritable. Just what were they going to do now that he was within a few feet of them? Kill him right then and there, maybe? Bruce was so sure they wouldn't do anything of the sort while he went to see his son but Alex wasn't so sure. He had called Savannah to tell her about his upcoming visit and through their phone calls showed his apprehensiveness about the idea. Each call ended on a bitter note and in his mind, it was Savannah to blame. He managed to keep from saying it, however, unsure of what it would do in regards to seeing Callum. The last thing he wanted - if he could help it - was to cause any issues during his visit.

Seeing Conor again after so long was difficult. Had the man not attacked his brother it may have been more pleasant, but he had. For a moment Alex just looked at the man's hand debating on whether he should shake it or not. Really he just wanted to smack it away and get on with the reason he was here. Swallowing his pride for the time being he outstretched his own hand and firmly shook Conor's hand. He stared at the man with nothing but contempt in his eyes, giving him a sarcastic scoff. He was relieved when the security guard began to lead him to where his ex was waiting, unsure of how much longer he could stand to be in the man's presence. This was more Bruce's speed seeing as he was calmer than Alex would ever be. Had Alex been the one to talk to Sullivan he would have destroyed any hope of peace between the two families.

Upon walking into the room, he watched as Savannah spun around to look at him. Honestly, she was just as attractive as when they first met but any chance of them rekindling that relationship was long gone. He stared at her for a moment before scoffing. "Oh yeah, quite nice." He was being unnecessarily sarcastic and he was aware of this. The energy he was feeling, the hostility of it all, was causing him to have a sour attitude. The only thing he wanted to do was see his son. He quickly denied her offer of a drink. "So you can poison me? No, thanks." The small, mischievous smirk on his face could either make his statement seem serious or give off joking connotations, but he wasn't about to confirm which one it was. His face dropped at the mention of her wanting to talk before he got to see Callum and he felt himself growing agitated. He hadn't come to talk to her or any of them for that matter, he came to see Callum. The moment she asked about Spencer he glared at her, frowning. "Is he alright?" Realizing he raised his voice, he crossed his arms and tried to lower his tone. "Your goddamn uncle ordered a bunch of pissants to beat the shit out of him. How the hell do you think he's doing? He sure as hell ain't happy, Sav. You just couldn't keep this between us could ya?"
​

Savannah ( Misty Gray )

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Gabe's Office/Apartment
~Tower Block, Murray Hill, Manhattan~
Theodore 'Teddy' Wycliff

The shift in the Wycliff household hadn't been too dramatic, but it did take a bit to settle into a new routine. With Valentina working less she was around the kids more, which they greatly appreciated. He was happy she hadn't been too upset about the change, but she seemed to be settling into everything quite nicely. It gave Teddy an opportunity to expand his horizons as far as his career went. Gabe was already beginning to give him more work to do thanks to the meeting he had with the King family. Teddy wished he could have attended the meeting to get his own feel for things but he trusted his boss' judgment... Most of the time. Now that his schedule was a lot more open he was sure Gabe would be running him ragged in days to come.

Teddy sat across from Gabriel, waiting for Julia and Ricky to arrive. A part of him was surprised at just how many meetings Gabriel held while Roxie was absent, though he felt there was a reason behind it. Teddy himself was still holding out on the hope that Roxie was going to prove them all wrong about her but the time she had spent in Dublin so far was not promising. Before Teddy could ask his boss' opinion on it, he was asked about Valentina. It wasn't that much of a shock that Val hadn't called him but even so, he would've thought she'd have said something to at least Elvian. "Ah, it was rough for a moment," he said remembering their conversation. "It all worked out in the end and we're getting settled. The kids are ecstatic to have her around more, but I do worry she'll starting going crazy soon enough." He joked as he let out a small chuckle. "I'm sure things will be just fine, so there's nothing to worry about." Despite meaning it to sound reassuring, he suddenly felt like he was trying to convince himself of something. Would things really be fine in the months to come? He shifted in his seat as Gabriel brought their conversation back around to business.

"Ricky's always been a pleasure to work with. He just-..." He trailed off, trying to find the right words to say about his acquaintance. "Well, I don't need to tell you how he is. Though I do agree that he's gotten even better as of late. Maybe because there's a women's interference." He joked before turning serious. "When it comes to Roxie, I don't think he's pulling our leg; he has no reason to. Even he didn't want her in charge, so you'd think he would be doing everything to get her 'removed' from her seat." He used air quotations around the word removed, indicating he meant getting her killed. Gabriel then switched over to relations between the Kings and Sullivans, prompting him to ask about the transition. He would have to wait, seeing as his boss seemed happy that he was able to take on more work. While Teddy was more than happy to, he felt inclined, to be honest with the man about his goals. "I'm all for it, you know that. Just have to make sure I keep Tin and the kids happy. Number one priority, and all that." He said, moving over to the couches to wait for their guests.

Gabriel ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter
Blake McCarthy
The Sullivan's Pub
- Dublin City Center, Dublin - ​

Spoiler: Toms Place

Building:

His room

Thomas finally felt like he could breathe now that he was finally out of Syd's house and away from his overbearing mother. After Thomas had asked Lucy to help out Shinoa, the woman was putting all her time and energy into the teen. This gave Thomas enough time to think about finding a place of his own now that he was going to be staying in Dublin permanently.

After finding a place in the center of the city that he really loved, Thomas put a deposit on the place along with giving the landlord the first and seconds month's rent. That was about 9 days ago and he was already moved into the place. Thomas had a few days off after he bought the place so he used his time shopping for things to fill the place with. He had gotten a place with a second bedroom because his family had a habit of making an appearance a lot and he wanted to have a place for his nieces and nephews to stay when he could spend time with them. Things were not as stable at their respective parents' homes as Syd and Roxie tried to make it seem, so Thomas wanted to be able to provide them an alternative place to stay if they wanted to just get away from it all.

The Ex-Marine had checked in on Adam a few times during his own time off due to his wounds and was happy to hear that yesterday he felt like he was doing well again. The man had invited him to the pub and Thomas was planning on seem him there this evening. Thomas was just about to walk out the door after grabbing his wallet and keys by the door before he turned to look around at his open floor living room and kitchen area. Smirking to himself lightly, Thomas let out a satisfied sigh before walking out the door and moving to lock it behind him.

The pub wasn't too far from his place so it didn't take Thomas too long to get to it. He paused as he saw Adam, Jasmine, and Chase inside, his eyes watched the scene in the pub before his eyes saw another figure. Elena. His cheeks were already getting warm just thinking about talking to her. "Well Hello Stranger." Blake's voice made him jump slightly and the older blonde woman let out a short laugh. "Oops, didn't mean to scare you, love. What you doin' out here by yourself?" Blake asked as Thomas turned to look at her. He blinked at her a few moments before reaching up to scratch the back of his neck nervously, letting out a half-laugh before smiling lightly at her. "Ah, I just got here. I still get pretty overwhelmed by crowds." Thomas quickly explained, watching as Blake smirked at him.

"Ah well, I've lived a long enough life to know that you were actually planning out what you were going to say to that pretty barmaid, Elena." Thomas's cheeks turned pink but he didn't confirm whether she was right or not. "It's nerve-racking isn't it?" Blake said casually as she looked at Adam through the window. Thomas looked at her with confusion, "What is?" Thomas asked. "Talking to someone who you could potentially be spending the rest of your life with." Thomas shook his head, ready to blow off what Blake was saying, "I wouldn't say Elena is the person I'm going to spend the rest of my life with..." He said quickly but Blake just laughed at him openly but said nothing more on the subject. Instead, she chose to move on, "Nevertheless, these first romantic interactions are always going to make you anxious. Take it from someone who's lived more than half a century now. Finding someone who makes you feel like the first time every single day...that's someone to hold onto." Thomas was silent as he let her words sink in. After a moment, Blake patted his shoulder gently, "Now come on, can't keep them waiting." She urged the young man before he opened the door for her to step inside first.

"Well, well, well...look who it is! Adam Harper in the flesh...or what's left of it anyway. You near scared me half to death." Blake called out as she got Adam, Jasmine, and Chase's attention. Thomas followed silently behind her, still thinking hard about what Blake had just talked to him about but offering a small smile to the group before his eyes were on Elena. Thomas made sure to greet everyone first before finally walking over to where Elena was and leaning against the bar, "How you holding up?" Thomas asked honestly, he had seen just how worried she had been when Adam was shot but Thomas was extremely impressed with how well she handled it all.
with: Adam + Jasmine Misty Gray ; Elena + Chase Pyroclast

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Victoria Park
~Tower Hamlets, London~
Erik Snowden

Erik couldn't get away from Billy fast enough the night his suspicions were confirmed. His heart was a mess, his head even more so thanks to Billy King. The rest of the night he kept replaying the events in his head, convinced he was hallucinating all of it. Maybe he was going crazy because of how sober he had been lately and none of it really happened. It wasn't until the following morning he saw the bruise on his face that it was clear he wasn't crazy. Billy had come on to him, nearly kissed him, nearly screwed him in the back of a cab. Sure he was drunk out of his mind, but all of your inhibitions went out the window when you were drunk right? You were more yourself than ever with a little liquid courage. The sexual tension between the two of them that night was more than Erik could handle and it wasn't coming from just him. In fact, Billy had been the one to initiate everything that happened which meant one thing to Erik; Billy had some sort of feelings for him and he was gay. Erik felt as if maybe this meant a confession was going to come out of his friend and even hoped for it.

Until Billy told him he didn't remember a thing. Erik lost count of how many times Billy had toyed with his emotions - some of the time without meaning to. Keeping the disappointment from showing had been difficult. He needed to think about things, think about whether or not he should give up on the guy. A sane person would have done so a long time ago but there was something about Billy that Erik didn't want to give up. Erik was torn but it would have to remain on the back burner. Gabriel had filled him in on what was to come as far as the partnership between the Morettis and the Kings was concerned. Yet more time he would have to spend away from drugs and alcohol in order to keep a clearer head. It was poor timing seeing as he needed something to make him feel better. He was starting to feel like his old self and it wasn't something he wanted to feel.

The moment Gabriel went back to New York, Erik rejoiced. Now that his boss was gone he was able to loosen up a little. Preparations had been nearly completed and reached a point where he wasn't really necessary. It's what brought him to the park. A few weeks ago he had misplaced the small, white baggie of what he called 'party powder' - which was just cocaine. He needed to at least get himself a small fix before he went to his usual place for better stuff. The exchange had been as discreet as ever and lasted only a few seconds. He hadn't even managed to get the bag in his pocket before someone bumped into him and made him drop it to the ground. Whoever had bumped into him clearly was shocked by what was on the ground, stopping themselves from picking it up. Erik quickly bent down to snatch it up, shoving it in his pocket. When he stood back up his face went pale, seeing it was Billy. For a moment the other man was happy to see him and didn't ask about the cocaine. "Oh, I was uh-," he wasn't able to come up with some excuse before Billy brought attention to the baggie.

'Fuck.' Erik thought to himself. There was no way he was about to lie his way out of this, but then again why should he? It really wasn't any of Billy's business and to be honest it was his fault he needed it so bad, to begin with. Erik frowned at him, suddenly annoyed by his question and the way he was reacting. This was his life and if he thought he was going to start being a dick about it he had another thing coming. He wasn't about to let him play with his emotions anymore. "What do I- are you dense, Billy? What do you think it's for? Baking?" Scoffing, he shook his head and pocketed the cocaine, making sure to zip the pocket. "Leave this one alone, alright?"

Billy ( Pyroclast )​