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

[Misty Gray]

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

Gabriel Moretti and Riccardo Biancardi​

Gabriel didn't like the way Ricky questioned what benefit even remained from the arrangement with James Porter. Admittedly, he didn't like it because the younger man was right. It wouldn't be too difficult to have a loyal man oversee the business within Rikers Island. The truth of it was that he'd taken satisfaction from the Irishman suffering behind bars, separated from his family and forced to go against his beliefs to protect them. With the last of Porter's family having left New York, the leverage Gabriel had over him was weakening. Moretti had been intending to make the decision over whether to put out a kill order to his contacts within the prison, but the thought of it didn't satisfy him. If James was to be killed, Gabriel wanted to be there to watch the bastard take his last breath. No matter the Italian's ability to mask it from his face, it was personal.

Another thing which Gabriel didn't take kindly to was the way Ricky held his hand out to silence him before he had chance to interrupt. Gabriel let that slide too, on account of the fact it felt like Ricky was actually in the process of saying something worth listening to. As Ricky went on, Gabriel knew what he was saying made sense. It was time to wash their hands of the Irish and sever any remaining business they had with them. Along with his Colombian contacts and potentially the Kings, Gabriel would soon have no need to do business with the Cubans via the Sullivans. Despite fundamentally agreeing with Ricky, he still didn't want to hold back on his initial response. "I will be the one to decide when I've finished with the Sullivans."

"Oh, come on. He's had six years in that place, being your bitch. I'd say you've managed to humiliate the guy for quite some time. You lost a lot of people, but so did they. This is war and you shot back at the Irish pretty hard." Ricky stopped short of reminding Gabriel that it was Francesco who had fired the first shot the day he put a bullet in Liam Sullivan's skull. "The position I'm in means I've heard both sides of it. During your war, a child was left an orphan and a couple more kids lost their father," Ricky said, thinking of Olivia and the McCarthy kids. "You had the shrink fuck with their heads, which I'm still in awe of, and you had members of the family tortured. I won't even go into all of the innocent people who were caught up in the middle of the war. Fact is, you already beat them. New York is ours and we need to remove that last bit of presence the Sullivans have here."

The faintest of smiles crept onto Gabriel's face after listening to Ricky continue to put his case forward. Again, he agreed with the man, but he wanted to let Ricky keep talking in case the man let slip more thoughts and knowledge than intended. Then Julia spoke up, prompting Gabriel to focus his attention onto her. Like Ricky, the woman seemed keen to avoid spilling more blood. She spoke of Gabriel manipulating the situation to his advantage, which was something he always sought to do. Apparently, that manipulation happened to involve keeping James alive. As the woman suggested they could use the situation to the advantage of both the Morettis and the Biancardis, Gabriel's expression compelled her to continue speaking. "I'm impressed with what you and Riccardo are saying, Julia. Whilst we can certainly use Porter to our advantage in terms of negotiating with the Sullivans, how can we be sure Roxanne would be quite so sentimental? She already betrayed her own cousin by taking Riccardo's rightful position. Why would she show any respect towards the her ex's family?"

Ricky cleared his throat and sent Julia a glance before speaking up again. "We should definitely try negotiate taking the remaining part of Queens from the Sullivans, in exchange for Porter's release. I mean, can you even do that?" he seriously asked Gabriel.

"If I decide I want Porter out of jail, then I can get him out of jail," Gabriel confirmed, but would not divulge to them the details of how.

"What else do you think we could get out of Roxie? I don't know if she'd give her position up like that. In her place, I know I wouldn't..." Ricky asked Julia. "And what are your thoughts, Teddy?" he asked, aware that during the war between the Morettis and the Sullivans, Teddy had been physically tortured by James.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)
Bellz (Julia)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Residence
~Sutton, Dublin~
Alexander King

Savannah’s lack of confidence in him was completely his fault and truly he couldn’t be offended. He had shown everyone around him time and time again that he lacked the ability to be a proper functioning adult so why would she believe he could be a mature parent? However, it still irritated him to hear about himself and that people didn’t think he could handle it; it was his kids, for crying out loud, how bad could it truly be? “Ye of little faith, huh?” He shook his head at her watching her roll her eyes. He’d spent time with Callum alone before and they had tons of fun and he wasn’t bored... Well, maybe a little but he at least found some way to keep himself and his son entertained. Even if it wasn’t safe or something a kid should be doing. He pinched the bridge of his nose when they circled back to the custody conversation. It was all making his head hurt dealing with such a situation and he wanted nothing more than to hop on a plane and go somewhere to avoid dealing with this, but he couldn’t. Then he’d prove them all right and he wasn’t going to give any of them - the Sullivans nor his own family - that satisfaction.

“Put yourself in my shoes,” Alex started, moving to sit himself above the counter. Subconsciously he had made the move to be able to look down on her as if trying to intimidate her into folding. He hadn’t been conscious of such a manipulative move and had originally done so simply because he no longer wanted to stand up. His fingers tapped along the marble countertop while looking down at her. “They beat Spencer up for ‘harassing’ you, as you elegantly put it. It’s smart to think they would do something even worse to me the moment I’m on my own here. You’re not comfortable in London? Well thanks to that I ain’t so comfortable here neither.” He then crossed his arms solidifying his words and showing he wasn’t budging. Unless his uncle told him he should Alexander King was not stepping foot in Dublin alone. Before he could say anything more Callum appeared asking if the two of them were going to London today. He quickly jumped from the counter to kneel in front of Callum and smiled at him.

Savannah seemed to be blaming him for Callum’s sudden interest in London which only gave more weight to Alex’s side. “Uh, not just yet buddy.” It surprised him to hear the words coming out of his mouth but he was tired of arguing with his ex about this. Until he talked to his Uncle he decided to play nice. “I mean, the quicker you finish here the quicker we can go home, yeah?” He immediately glanced at Savannah as he said the word home, implying Dublin was more of a vacation place. London was his home and would always be as such. Hearing Bruce, Syd, and Conor walk in he stood and turned towards them catching the look Conor was giving him. If the man thought he was going to correct his son he was sorely mistaken. The kid wasn’t talking to him anyway. Savannah spoke again, agreeing that Callum would be going to London with them, to which her Uncle tried to talk her out of it. It annoyed Alex that the man was getting in between them once again and he let out a wry chuckle, shaking his head. “Safer though, right? How many shootings you guys have lately?” He turned his attention to his son with a big grin on his face. “Looks like you can come sooner than expected, right? Isn’t your mum the best?”

Savannah, Callum ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Victoria Park
~Tower Hamlets, London~
Erik Snowden

Erik was unraveling, that much was obvious. Billy reassuring him that he wouldn’t tell Ava what was happening seemed to ease his mind, but who knows for how long? At the moment it didn’t occur to him that he’d never shared much of his life with Billy so the man didn’t even know about Ava. Maybe he would tell him about her seeing as he kept rambling about it so much. There was going to be so much to explain once he got better and he was sure he wasn’t looking forward to it whatsoever. Opening up, sharing things about his private life wasn’t something he was ready for nor what he wanted to deal with. It never went well for him in the past so what the hell was going to be different this time around?

Hearing Billy being so sincere and caring about his wellbeing hurt him though he was sure that wasn’t what Billy had intended. He felt bad for making him worry and scaring him and going so far off the rails. His anger was turning into confusion and sadness though he was unsure of why he was sad. It could be that he was truly frustrated with himself and his current inability to keep his emotions in check. Erik had always prided himself on being able to do such that his failure to do so right now - when it probably mattered the most - caused him nothing but disappointment. Erik Snowden the suave and non emotional man had turned into a blubbering mess in front of not just his best friend but someone he found himself in love with.

With Erik giving in he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He still felt heavy due to the guilt of how he acted but he did feel lighter. Agreeing to leave with Billy meant a lot of things but he was going to ignore it for now. Billy then wiped the tears from Erik’s face and he couldn’t help but look away. It was embarrassing for him to be so vulnerable - especially since he was a grown man in a park having a breakdown. But the main thing he was embarrassed about was the way he had treated his friend. Billy was so great to him and Erik didn’t think he deserved him one bit. Erik wrapped his arms around Billy returning his hug and didn’t want to let him go. He felt soft and warm and it was comforting to be in the man’s arms for as little as he was. When it ended he was almost a bit disappointed.

The two of them left the park and once they entered the taxi Erik made sure to sit far from him. Not just because of what had just transpired between the two of them, but also because of the last time they were in a taxi together. It was an intimate night full of longing and desire turned sour because of a homophobe. A memory Erik would always hold near and dear to his heart even if Billy didn’t remember any of it. He pressed his forehead against the window the entire ride trying not to think of that night but failing miserably. Keeping himself composed was proving to be difficult but thankfully they arrived at his apartment before it drove him crazy. He hopped out before the vehicle even stopped moving and ran to his front door. The keys fumbled and dropped to the ground several times before he managed to open it and left the keys in the lock. A wave a nausea had suddenly hit him causing him to act so carelessly before darting to his bathroom to puke in his toilet.

Billy ( Pyroclast )​

 

[Pyroclast]

Billy King​

The taxi ride from the park was more than a little awkward. Much to his surprise, Erik had returned Billy's hug with equal warmth, if not more. Even though it was clear he was upset, angry and confused, he wasn't beyond being comforted, which Billy was relieved about. When they got into the taxi, however, Erik seemed to switch back, acting like Billy wasn't even there, or at least wishing he wasn't. He curled himself up against the passenger door, pressing his forehead against the cold window. Billy tried to keep his eyes off him to give him some space, but he couldn't help stealing a glance now and then. His eyes were still red and slightly swollen and Billy thought he could see him shivering slightly. "Almost there, now," he quietly assured him.

Before the taxi had even come to a stop, Erik opened the door and bolted. “Hey!” Billy called after him, trying to keep an eye on him while fumbling for his wallet to pay the fare. After stuffing a random wad of notes into the driver’s hand, he jumped out, concerned that he might get locked out of Erik’s apartment if he didn’t catch up in time. He watched the man dart inside as he ran over to the door, only just stopping it with his hand before it could close.

As soon as he was inside, he was guided towards Erik by the sound of him throwing up. To Billy, puking was such a normal part of a night out that it didn’t usually concern him, more often than not just being something to laugh about and tease someone for. But it was different this time. Erik wasn’t having fun. And Billy had no idea how much cocaine the man had in his system. Despite not taking the party drug himself, he knew the signs of a cocaine overdose - he had lost his mother to one at the age of four and whilst he didn’t remember watching it happen, in the few memories he had of her she was always messed up on drugs. Now, he had felt Erik’s elevated heart rate when they had hugged, had witnessed the shivering, experienced his aggression and panic...maybe the story of Billy trying to have him in the back of the taxi was just a product of cocaine-induced delirium? Either way, that wasn’t Billy’s main concern for the time being.

“Hey,” he greeted him. As he approached, he swept a hand through the man’s curls, briefly massaging his head before coming to a crouch at his side. He slid his hand around to Erik’s forehead, partly to hold him steady and also to check his temperature. His skin was clammy and radiating heat. “You’re alright, Erik,” he soothed, though he wasn’t as confident as he sounded. “I got ya’.” Concerned for his stability, Billy let a hand rest on Erik’s arm while the other drew slow, soothing circles on his back. “Let’s get your jacket off, yeah? You don’t wanna mess up them nice sleeves.” At this point, he didn’t expect that his friend would have the strength to lose his temper again, so he dared to ask the more vital question: “You remember how much coke you had? Was it more than normal?” As much as he wanted to rule out a potential overdose, a small part of Billy hoped that the answer was yes; the thought of Erik getting into such a state on a regular basis was just unbearable.

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

 

[BloodThunder27]

~Bradley Beckett & James Edwards~New York City | Rikers Island

Another day on Rikers Island, another day without freedom. Both College Dropout Bradley Beckett and former Navy SEAL Sniper James Edwards have become accustomed to life in prison. Although reluctant at first, both men have re-established contact with their respective families in a mostly uneasy manner, mainly speaking with their Fathers. James' Father, Mr. Edwards, was still in Texas and running the family bar, while Bradley's Father, Mr. Beckett, had recently moved to Arizona and became a Land Baron, where he was buying homes across the state and renting them out. While Mr. Beckett enjoyed talking with his Son, his Mother still refused to speak with him, disappointed by the simple fact he was in prison and that he seemingly threw his life away. His Father said that he'd be flying up to visit in the near future, and was glad that he had made a friend like Edwards.

Today though, the newly settled Rikers Island Duo was just enjoying their time in the courtyard and mainly basking in the sunlight. A few days prior, the two had began working out, whether in their jail cell doing pushups, situps and pullups or out in the courtyard lifting weights and occasionally playing Basketball with the other inmates, granted for that, James just watched as he wasn't much of a sports guy like Bradley. Or they were just into different sports. But it wasn't like Rikers Island had American Football, so... Either way, it was nice to be out of the cells every so often. As the two conversed, they once more saw Porter talking to Nicholas once more. If there's anything both James and Bradley had noticed, its that Ramsey was very pushy towards Porter and it had been that way for the last couple of days if not weeks...if not outright before both of the boys were sent to this cesspool.

The two looked at each other, deciding on whether or not they should intervene. At some point, enough had to be enough. Yeah, sure, the duo was on good terms with Porter and his Friend, Kurt, but the ex-Navy SEAL was unsure if he would consider them friends. Bradley on the other hand, thought it would be safe to call Porter a friend, especially seeing how untrustworthy Ramsey was. Kurt was intimidating, sure, but that wasn't new. Wasn't like the older man was gonna hurt him or anything...right?

James then proceeded to nudge Bradley to snap him out of his train of thought, mainly because he thought that whatever Ramsey was conversing about with Porter, the latter seemed impatient. Once they were within earshot though, they heard the last bit of the conversation before Porter was taken down and forced into submission by a few of the Corrections Officers nearby, who rushed over after Porter punched Ramsey in the face...apparently enough to draw blood. "Porter's just handed in his resignation and he hopes you'll give him the full welcoming party in the box. And we'll make sure your new friends don't miss you too much. I'll ensure Bradley gets plenty of attention and that he knows he can thank you for every bit of his suffering. Kid should have stayed well away from you."

Angered, the duo went to confront Ramsey as the squad of guards took Porter away. "Hey! HEY! Where are they taking him!?" The Navy SEAL walked up, anger lacing his grizzled voice as his hands clenched into fists.

In a blind fit of mixed emotions, Bradley quickly ran after the guards that were carrying Porter away after he saw one of the Guards throw a mean punch into Porter's gut. "Hey! Hey, he didn't do nothin'! Let him go!" The young man shouted and tried to get the prison guards to let go of Porter...only for the biggest one of the squad to wrestle him off of Porter and then slamming to the ground.

As the pain surged through his body, Bradley began putting up a struggle before being hit in the gut with what felt like a stun gun. "I'm sorry, Ed..." He said before passing out after that quick but painful jolt.

Just before Edwards lost his temper on Ramsey, he saw out of the corner of his eye that Bradley was out cold and being taken away. "Kid! Kid! Noo!" He then rushed after them, only to be taken down by a Guard that was seemingly waiting for him.

However, he had the superior training, so on instinct, the Ex-Soldier put up a fight as the Guard attempted to subdue him...and ended up being able to cuff the Guard with his own handcuffs before continuing the pursuit. As another set of guards confronted him, armed with batons, Edwards went into 'Battle Mode'. As the guards made their attack, he only had them attacking each other with their own batons, while he threw in his share of punches, kicks and takedowns, throwing one guard across the room, hitting another across the face with his own baton after disarming him and then having one shock another with a stun gun...it was just a mess. When one remained standing, James threw the Stun Gun at his face while it was on. As he breathed heavily, catching his breath after expending so much energy in such a short period of time, he was then shot four times in the back. By what, he didn't know, but they weren't live bullets... As Edwards fell to the ground in defeat, the last thing he saw...was the butt of a shotgun coming right for his face...

Interactions: James Porter | Nicholas Ramsey Misty Gray
Mentioned: Kurt Lee Reznik Pyroclast

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

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

Of all the topics to be discussed Teddy didn’t think it would be about James Porter. The moment his name was even brought up he shifted in his seat and looked from Ricky to Gabe before settling on the former. Teddy often hated the fact his boss kept the man alive but he understood why. The man had been more good to them alive than dead but the keyword in that was had. They were finally rid of the Sullivan family except for him so what purpose was there? If it were to do certain things in the prison setting then he found it unnecessary considering they had their own men there. Teddy himself had never questioned it figuring whatever Gabe told him he still wouldn't like. Teddy watched as Gabriel responded to Ricky, only to have the younger man immediately shoot back with more logic than he expected. Glancing to Gabe Teddy caught the faint smile that was on his lips showing him he wasn't the only one impressed thus far. When Ricky was finished talking Teddy turned his attention to Julia. Her idea included using James Porter, not killing him and he couldn't help but turn his face up as if he had just tasted something sour. Every second the man spent alive was a second he wasn't being punished for what he had done to him, but bringing personal feelings into this wasn't going to do much of anything.

Using Porter to push Roxie out of her position was actually smart. He still wanted to see what the woman could do, but as of late she was doing nothing to ease his mind of any doubts he had. The very fact that she wasn't present in this room and Julia was had been proof of that. Teddy remained quiet as he normally did during these meetings to form all of his thoughts thoroughly. He and Gabriel had been on the same page majority of the meeting when it came to what both Julia and Ricky were saying. It had been a while since he heard anything logical but it was definitely refreshing. Ricky asked him for his thoughts, to which Teddy paused for a moment and smoothened out his tie. After a few more seconds he cleared his throat and shook his head.

"The bitter, personal part of me wished he had been killed years ago," he gave a knowing look to Gabriel. He knew the man understood his reasonings and positions as to why seeing as Teddy offered to do away with Porter when the man had gotten arrested. He turned his attention back to their guests before continuing. "Not only was he the ringleader of the attack on me and my poor hand, but he participated. Really I want nothing more than for the son of a bitch to die a horrible and painful death but I guess I see the merit in keeping him alive as a pawn." Though he did see the reason, he still wanted him dead. "It's a good idea to dangle him in front of Roxie if she doesn't learn her role but that brings a couple of questions to mind. How sure are you that she would even care about him? I mean it's a gamble in and of itself. We threaten her, she steps down, Ricky takes her place, she might run back to the Sullivans for help. Or, we threaten her, she calls our bluff and doesn't step down we kill Porter, don't we? Okay, we kill him. Who's to say she won't retaliate and, again, ask the Sullivans for help?" He shook his head and laced his fingers together. "It's all about figuring out which gamble we're willing to take, don't you think?"
Gabriel, Ricky ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan and Savannah Callahan
& Kane Stenberg​

Callum laughed when Bruce said he was getting heavy. "That's cos I've got muscles like Batman." he told him in a matter-of-fact tone, whilst raising his arms to demonstrate his imagined muscles. Savannah's gaze fixed on Bruce as the man placed a possessive hand on the boy's shoulder. After she'd caved in and said Callum could spend some time in London, it still hurt to see how easily Bruce took that answer and disregarded that she was clearly feeling pressurised on the matter. The man even went as far as to address Callum and point out how nice she was been to let the boy stay with the Kings. Regardless of his true intention, it feel like he was purposely rubbing it in and taking advantage of the fact she couldn't refuse with Callum present. "Yeah. My mummy is the bestest," Callum enthusiastically told Bruce, with a proud smile.

Savannah could feel her hands trembling as she struggled to hold back her emotions. The moment Callum had overheard her conversation with Alex, she knew she'd struggle to stop him from going to London. He'd been asking about the Kings a lot, eager to see them again. So having Alex there and hearing mention of him going to London, the boy was expectedly excited. And with neither Bruce nor Alex making an effort to let the boy down gently, she knew her hands were tied. If she refused, then Callum would be upset - unconsolably so - and she would be the 'bad guy' in the situation. Either way, the Kings would leave that day feelings smug. This was the only way she could ensure Callum wasn't distraught in addition to that.

Savannah snapped out of her thoughts as she saw Syd move to stand in front of her. Hearing her cousin say her name, she tore her eyes away from the floor to meet Syd's gaze. When he told her the arrangement didn't have to happen yet, she quickly shook her head. She bit down on her bottom lip to prevent it from trembling and to keep her emotions trapped inside. "I can't break his heart," she choked out in a whisper. Her wide eyes glistened as she sent him a subtle look of desperation, but she quickly caught up with herself and shook her head to try shake off her bubbling emotions. "Only for..." she began, pausing so she could address everyone. "For a week or two, okay?" she firmly told Alex and Bruce, nodding her head with conviction. "Then he comes back to Dublin." She looked Alex in the eyes before making her next statement. "We're doing this for Callum. Not because I believe any differently about the way your brother treated me."

Savannah forced herself to ignore Alex's comment about London being safer than Dublin, instead reserving her focus in that moment for Callum. When the boy nodded his head to agree his mum was indeed the best, he looked to Savannah and was receptive to her apparent sad mood. Picking up on the fact, Savannah smiled to her son and held her arms out to invite him for a hug. "I'm going to miss you, so I want a big hug, baby," she enthusiastically told him, somehow finding the strength to keep her tone light and playful. Callum eagerly rushed to her so she could lift him up in her arms and hold him close, placing a series of kisses on the top of his head. "Have a great time, Callum. And don't forget, you need to be extra helpful to your Auntie Shona because she'll be having her baby soon and she'll really appreciate your help."

Conor turned to stare Alex down, unimpressed by his comments about the shootings in Dublin. "And you think London is safe, do you?" he darkly asked.

Putting Callum down from the hug, Savannah ran a frustrated hand through her hair as she took a moment to ground herself and think about what was happening in the present. She would need to get some of Callum's things together for his journey to London. "Okay. I'll need to call my mum so she can bring Callum's backpack here. He'll need a change of clothing and Mr. Rex," she said, referring to the dinosaur soft toy the boy was presently obsessed with. Not only that, but she knew Sinead would not be happy if Callum went to London without her being able to see him before he left.

"I'll call Sinead," Conor spoke up, seeing his niece was hanging on by a thread. "In the meantime, how about you all wait in the lounge with Callum?" he suggested to Bruce, Alex, and Kane. Once the Kings had left the kitchen, Conor sent Syd a knowing look before seeing the Englishmen to the lounge and then leaving them alone whilst he called Sinead from his office.

As soon as they were alone, Savannah rushed to close the kitchen door for some privacy. By the time she turned to Syd, tears were already streaming down her cheeks. "What have I done? I don't know how this is happening? Am I a bad mother for letting Callum go or would I be a worse mother for making him stay? I didn't want to make him cry, but it still hurts," she sobbed, placing her hand to her heart as she gasped to catch her breath. "When do we get to be happy, Syd? I've been living on edge for as long as I can remember and I keep going with this blind hope things will get better, but it never gets better.

Savvy with: Pyroclast (Syd)

*****
Sinead Callahan
​

The Kings had been given some time to talk with each other in the lounge, until Sinead arrived. Whilst Conor took another call in his office, Sinead was comfortable enough sitting herself in the lounge with Bruce and Alex, as well as the giant bodyguard they'd brought along. After giving her grandson some attention, she sent the boy to off to say bye to Sydney so she could talk to the adults alone. "He's such a sweet boy and we all love him to bits, that much is clear," she addressed Bruce and Alex. "How are you both doing? How's the hotel?" she asked, her questions genuine, despite the unpleasant business. She then let out a sigh as she sat forward in the armchair she was occupying. "I want no involvement in the business and politics of our families, so I'd rather avoid that as much as possible. What I am involved in is my daughter's well-being. I don't doubt Callum is safe and loved with your family," she told the two Kings. "But I can't have you hurting Savvy. I need you to tell me this is just about you wanting to spend time with little Callum and that you won't make it difficult for him to return to Dublin in a couple of weeks."

Sinead/Kane with: Melanin-Gxdess (Alex) Pyroclast (Bruce)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter​

Never having been very good at hiding his own emotions, Syd could easily see through the smile and playful tone of voice that Savannah showed her son when hugging him goodbye. As long as it was convincing enough for Callum, that was all that mattered. Still, it angered him that Alex and Bruce had manipulated her into letting him go back to London with them. Though he hadn't heard them be the ones to put the idea in Callum's head, the fact that Savannah gave in so quickly suggested how intimidated she felt by them. It reminded him of the position he had been in with his children when they were younger; given how he had broken Roxie's heart and breached her trust, been the unstable one with explosive emotional outbursts and been put behind bars for two years, Syd had always felt like Roxie had the upper hand in their situation and would do whatever she said without feeling like he had the right or the power to put up much of a fight. Now, it looked like Savannah had had her power as a parent taken away from her, too - except, she wasn't the one in the wrong. Alex should have been the one grovelling at her feet, trying to earn back her trust. Yet there he was, a smug grin plastered on his face, getting what he wanted as he always did.

Allowing Conor to take control of the situation, Syd reminded himself to stay below Conor's command. He felt a strong urge to lay into Alex and Bruce for ignoring Savannah's evident discomfort at the decision she was practically forced to make but for one thing, Callum was present, and for another, if it was an appropriate time to shout at them then Conor would have done it. So instead Syd fixed his eyes on the floor while the Kings were ushered out of the room with Callum, and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to keep himself calm.

The moment he and Savannah were left alone, his cousin closed the kitchen door and turned back to face him. She had held the tears off for long enough and now the dam had broken. Syd's heart twinged at seeing his cousin suffer. Even though he had gone against her wishes by attacking Spencer in London, he still considered himself to be on her side through thick and thin. He might have been relieved that he hadn't damaged their relationship so much that she couldn't still talk to him about what was upsetting her now, but any relief was outweighed by his anger that the Kings had put her in such a state.

"Sav, I've seen some shitty parenting in my time and trust me, you're ten leagues above the best of them," he assured her. He took a step forward and placed his hands on her arms, willing her to look him in the eye. "It's the kid's dad who's got it all backwards. He's more of a child than Callum is. I swear to God, it's taking everything in me not to set that guy straight, beat him into submission, break him down...teach him a fucking lesson." Although the idea was to take away Alex's power and give it to Savannah, deep down he knew that such violence would make things worse in other ways. Heaving a sigh, he pulled Savannah into a tight hug. "It will get better, Sav," he tried to assure her. "I swear I'm gonna help you work this out."

Once he had let her go, he moved over to the kitchen table and gestured for her to take a seat with him. "You know, I haven't been the best dad out there, much as I try," he reminded her. "Feel like I've been at Roxie's mercy since the day the twins were born. Did you spy on Alex's family and lie about it? Did you kill his dad, miss two years of your kid's life while in prison, forget to do the school run because you were busy having a breakdown?" A slight smile tugged at his lips - his guilty past always weighed him down, but in a context like this it was easier to laugh at himself. "Then you're a better parent than I'll ever be. A better parent than Alex will ever be. Sometimes you gotta disappoint your kids, Sav - every parent does it. I know you don't wanna be the bad guy, but it's okay to have your boundaries. Callum adores you and not just because you say yes to him when he wants to hear it. The only thing we've gotta work on is standing your ground, 'cause the more you give in the more they'll exploit you. Next time he puts you on the spot like that, you gotta compromise - tell him not now, but next week maybe. Callum will still be happy you're letting him see his dad, but it'll be on your terms and that'll let you keep some power in this fucked up situation." Leaning back in his chair to reach the counter, he plucked a tissue from its box and passed it to Savannah so she could dry her eyes. "How would you feel about that?"

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah

 

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy
Portmarnock Beach
~Dublin, Ireland~​

Natasha rolled her eyes as Leo joked about her looking nicer than usual. "How thoughtful of you to notice this time around." She said cheekily. He stared at her this time longer than he normally did, a smile plastered on his face. Natasha rose a single brow clearly curious to know what exactly it was he was thinking. She saw the slightest color on his cheeks and a knowing smirk spread on her face before he seemed to realize that he was so openly staring at her. Once again, she was rolling her eyes as he said that she was going to make them miss the sunset. Deciding not to make a big deal about his staring, Natasha locked up her house before following Leo to the car.

They made their usual small talk as they normally did when they spent time together, Leo asked her how things were going for her lately and she filled him in on everything that had been going on since they last spoke. The drive hadn't been too long and much to Natasha's delight there weren't a lot of people occupying the beach when they arrived. Natasha allowed him to lead her to the sand, a wide smile on her face to show she was clearly impressed and amused by the effort Leo was putting into everything. Watching as he struggled to put the blanket down on the sand, Natasha listened intently as he said he didn't have a lot of romantic acts in him which earned a genuine laugh from the blonde. Once it was down and the basket was set in the middle, Leo offered her a seat and Natasha took it before moving to kick off her shoes.

He expressed that he hoped that this date would hold her over for a long time and Natasha once again laughed, "You know me, Leo, I'm not a terribly fussy girl." She said lightly and watched as he pulled out the contents of the basket. His reasonings for all the items he had brought were so sentimental and sweet that it honestly surprised Natasha. Hearing Leo mention the many times they had tried to sneak champagne at the parties made her shake her head, "I remember how sick I got trying to down two of them at a time in hopes my mom or your mom wouldn't find out." She reminisced. "Still my drink of choice though." He handed her a glass and Natasha immediately moved to take a sip. Leo then explained why they were at the beach and Natasha smiled even wider than she had been already. After everything was settled, he nudged her shoulder playfully and asked what she thought, wondering if he was on the road to redemption. Natasha took a moment to answer, her eyes musing on the water with a smirk on her lips.

After a long moment, Natasha turned to look at Leo unable to smother her smile as she said, "I guess you've pulled out of the driveway and are on your way. Not to offend you but...I am honestly surprised by all this. I've listened to your stories about your dates with other girls in the past...this is the most effort I've ever seen come from you. I know we are best friends and all but sheesh, you are a sappy man." Natasha teased. "Really though, this is sweet and I love the sentimental reasoning behind it all. Now I have a question for you...does it feel weird? I don't want to pressure you into doing all this for me...especially if you don't feel comfortable with the idea of us."
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess

 

[BloodThunder27]

~Dublin Girls~

~Stella Kwon~Dublin, Ireland | Bodyworks Gym Parking Lot

Stella didn't entirely agree with bringing Emery's would-be killers in alive. If she had things her way, she'd just mow them down herself before hanging their bodies off of a bridge for the Authorities. But orders were orders. Nonetheless, Stella brushed these feelings of anger aside. "Yeah, that is exactly what he wants. So that's why I have to bring them in alive. He wants to have a nice little chat with them."

While the Sweeney Brothers were unhappy with the arrangement, though it seemed like they were smart enough to not upset her, Katsya or Olivia any further. While yes, Stella partly agreed that her Boss had better things to do, but they were repeat offenders and this wasn't the first time they had parked at the gym without permission. Stella on the other hand stayed silent, keeping her gun pointed at Phelan's friends. However, as soon as they started badmouthing Adam, she quickly lifted up her Tommy Gun and pointed it at Phelan before drawing one of her heavier pistols and kept it pointed at the boys...granted it was essentially a hand cannon that she probably should not be holding with one hand, but she's used it enough to know the recoil on it. She then thumbed back the hammer and clicked the safety off. The barrel of her Tommy Gun, despite now being a little closer to her hip, was still pointed at Phelan's head. She really wanted to blow his head off, or turn his body into swiss cheese, but kept her anger on a leash as she was no use to her Boss in prison.

Soon Phelan was choked out by Katsya, Stella lowered the Tommy Gun before it started pointing at the ground, using her thumb to flip the safety back on. Nonetheless, she kept her Hand Cannon pointed at his friends. Once they began to walk away after the arrangement for the return of the bikes was made firm and apologizing to Olivia, Stella proceeded to flip the safety back on and holstered her Hand Cannon and then raising the machine gun to have it rest on her shoulder. "Well...that could have gone better." She then looked over at Katsya. "So did you wanna go back and finish your workout, or did you want to tag along with me? Mr. Sullivan had asked me to go look for two men who attempted to kill his Niece and Nephew the other day. Once we find them, he wants us to capture them and then bring them to him." She would then slowly walk back to her Mustang, which wasn't parked all that far away. "I'll go wait for you by the car. Give it about five minutes before I get going."

Soon, she walked back to her car and started breaking everything down, like taking her holsters off and putting them back...and removing the drum magazine from the tommy gun and putting them back into their Guitar Case.

Interactions: Misty Gray Olivia Sullivan | Mitheral Katerina 'Katsya' Grey

Pregnancy Tracker

Progression: 41/40 Weeks

Countdown to Labor & Delivery: 287/280 Days

Weight Gain: 68/68 Kg

...Labor of Love...​

~Shinoa Bradford~Dublin, Ireland | Ginn's Residence

Overall, Shinoa was in good hands. At least after tonight or tomorrow morning, she would not be carrying around a huge baby bump anymore. That she was looking forward to. However, the pain that came with having the baby, she didn't enjoy. And Shinoa wished that she was warned about how much labor was going to hurt. Not long after her water broke, she was hit by another strong contraction. This one was enough to induce tears and an attempt to suppress a scream. Taking a few deep breaths, Shinoa then looked over to her Adoptive Mother while Finn asked George to go get the car started while he and Lucy helped her into the car.

Her hospital bag was at the door. So at least they were prepared. Of course, she didn't think this bun was gonna be in the oven any longer, even if it stayed for an extra week! Although she was going to be staying with Finn and George temporarily, Shinoa definitely looked forward to the day that she and Lucy would move into their own place, be it a house or a three-bedroom apartment. There was one thing that Lucy had given her that her own Mother hadn't; a Mother's love. Of course, she had already started calling Lucy 'Mom'. As all these thoughts ran through her mind, she snapped back into reality when both Finn and Lucy helped her up to the feet.

Shinoa proceeded to give her Adoptive Mother an embarrassed look when she had made a joke about a home birth. The idea of having the baby in the car wasn't exactly enticing to her either. But hopefully the little one could wait until Mommy was in the delivery room. Once they were on their feet, Shinoa slowly went with Finn and Lucy to the van. How far away was the hospital, she wondered as Finn and George helped her into the vehicle, with Lucy getting in behind her. A moment after she sat down in the backseat with Lucy, she felt another much stronger contraction, this time it started in her back and was more intense then any of the others that came before it. As Shinoa started breathing rather heavily, she nodded when Lucy told her that there was no need to panic. More tears rolled down her cheeks as the pain was too much for the young teen. "Owww..." She moaned. "I didn't know labor would be like this. It hurts so bad..." She cried, still breathing heavily as she gently squeezed Lucy's hand, holding on as she leaned into her Adoptive Mother for comfort. "Mom, I'm scared..."

Interactions: Lucy Porter, Finn Sullivan Bellz | George Sanderson-Sullivan Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~​

”Oh please, Conor’s got little versions of himself running around everywhere and they turned out to not wreak as much havoc as we all thought they would.” Blake said teasingly, ”I don’t think you would be a terrible father, ya know. I see the way you interact with your godchildren, it takes a certain kind of person to be able to keep up with kids their age. “ Blake said with a smile before reminiscing on her own parenting. ”Though I will never ever say this to Natasha, the moment I found out I was having her I thought that I was way in over my head and I was 34 years old and I wasn’t ready to stop living recklessly but the minute she was born I felt a strong sense of preparedness like everything just fell into place.” Blake shook her head with a small laugh, ”What I’ve learned is that people who say they wouldn’t be a good parent tend to be the best parents, it’s the ones who are cocky and say they can handle parenting…those are the people who tend to be the worst. Parenting is an ever going cycle of teaching and learning on both sides, most people think just because they are the parent and are older that they are right which isn’t always the case.”


Although it was something unpleasant that Adam had to think about, the fact that he was very protective over his godchildren warmed Blake’s heart. He seemed very open to hearing what Blake had to say about Elena and when she pointed out the similarities, Adam was quick to explain that he wasn’t Cuban. ”See, this is why we need to go on more dates.” Blake said with a smile, ”I still have so many things to learn about you!” She insisted before Adam explained that he had a lot of good experiences being there and where his parents were from. He then went on to say that although he wasn’t Cuban by blood she was right to degree, saying that Cuba had given him more than his parents ever did. Blake frowned softly, within the Sullivan friends and family, Blake knew many people who were either abandoned by their original parents or who were mistreated by them.


She was fortunate to have had two loving parents who treated her like a princess but she still got into a lot of trouble. Her trouble that she inflicted on her parents was never intentional but Blake always felt that she was meant to do and see a lot more than what her parents had in the cards for her. Her parents were very kind and understanding people and there wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t miss them. Blake felt Adam squeeze her hand lightly and Blake returned it as he stated that Elena made him think of his home in Cuba. ”It’s nice to have reminders of things that made you happy in the past, they may be a little bittersweet but it’s important to be reminded of the past once in a while.” Blake murmured.

Hearing Adam agree with her that Thomas and Elena would be good together made her smile. She nodded her head softly as he mentioned Thomas needing something to drag him out of his unhealthy mindset. ”All it takes is someone sweet and caring to pull him out of that and I definitely think Elena could do that for him, so long as he doesn’t blow it.” Blake said lightly before they both fell into a comfortable silence. They both seemed to look around them a moment before Adam turned his head to look at her, she tilted her head to look at him and noticed his face was almost expressionless. He brought up how she mentioned that her actions would affect her kids before asking if them being an item now would affect them. A small smile formed on her lips, finding it sweet that he was concerned with her kids wellbeing. ”Actually, they were the ones to push me to start dating again or at least attempting to. I think they were tired of me sitting in the house 24/7 in sweatpants watching my mystery shows.” Blake said chuckling lightly. ”Natasha I’m not worried about as much but Collin…he’s still young enough to have this affect him greatly. He did bring up the other night how I’m always out now and that he misses me…so I think maybe you coming over to my place would be a good compromise for him. He always complains about being outnumbered by girls, I think it would be good for him to have a man in the house visiting. That doesn’t make you nervous does it?”
with: Adam Misty Gray

 

[Mitheral]

Bodyworks Gym
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Katsya Grey​

Katsya frowned. She really didn’t want to tell Stella no. “Dad really doesn’t want me getting mixed up in the Sullivan business. Like I said, I clean up messes, not make them. But … Dad’s not here to tell me no. Just a Catch and Release mission?” She mulled over that for a minute. “Let me get this straight. They tried to kill a member of the Sullivan family? Drive By?” She made mental notes. "I need to run home and grab some gear. Somehow I don’t think your bounties are going to go voluntarily. I haven’t made a habit of running around armed. Why do you think I needed you to back me up? Dad wouldn’t even be pleased with what I just did. He would have told me to stay out of it.

“For the record, I wasn’t working out. I’m an instructor. Advanced. The Gym is sort of like teaching Kindergarten and a few in Elementary School. But all the unarmed skills in the world don’t do much good against your Typewriter.

“Tell you what, follow me over to my place. I don’t want to leave my truck here - just in case the Sweeney brothers get extra stupid. I just got it for my birthday. I’ll break out some professional gear and dress the part. I know you want to get in a hurry. But in a hurry is a good way to get dead. I hope I haven’t given the wrong impression that I don’t have a brain on my shoulders.

“Or … if you prefer, I can run home and meet you later. I can give you a number to call. I have voicemail.”

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah kept he head down as she listened to Syd's reassurance that she was ten times better than some of the parents he'd seen in his life. She felt him place his hands on her arms and after some hesitation, she lifted her head and made eye-contact with her cousin. Whilst she still held a little anger towards Conor and Syd for the attack on Spencer, it had been fading over time, with them defending her now adding to her need to push it aside. The way Alex had been talking to her, trying to convince her that she was wrong to have felt the way she did about Spencer's intimidating behaviour made her feel even more inclined to forgive her uncle and cousin. It was becoming clear to her that some members of the King family would happily walk all over her and make her feel like she was in the wrong for not submitting to their behaviour.

Savannah nodded her head when Syd reassured her that Alex was in the wrong. She was grateful to be reassured that she wasn't the bad guy. It felt like Alex was getting his way when she didn't believe he had a right to call the shots. Not after what he'd done. The talk of hurting Alex caused her to shake her head. "Don't. As much as I'd love to see that man feel as terrible as I do right now, that's not the right way. I don't want any more violence," she desperately told Syd.

When Syd pulled her in for a tight hug, there was no resistance from Savannah as she practically allowed herself to be buried in the embrace. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and rested her forehead on his shoulder, for a time closing her eyes as her face was kept hidden within their hug. As he reassured her it would get better, she closed her eyes even tighter. "I hope so. I don't want any more fighting. I just want Callum to grow up surrounded by love and happiness."

After they both let go of each other, Savannah followed her cousin to the kitchen table and sat on the chair next to him, turning it a little so she could face him as they spoke. She lightly shook her head and managed a soft smile as Syd reminded her he hadn't been the best dad. Whilst he might have made some mistakes, she believed Syd was a good father and he cared greatly for his children. It wasn't always an easy position to be in being both Syd's cousin and Roxie's best friend. Savannah loved both of them and often tried to look at their situations objectively, even when deep down she always wished the two could have fixed their problems and got back together. "No, I didn't do any of those things... You made mistakes and you couldn't help your breakdown, but you've acknowledged them and you know what the right things to do are now. You're a good dad and I know you love your children. Alex might deep down love Callum, but he's selfish and he still can't admit to his mistakes. I don't think he really cares about having his son with him and his family will end up doing most of the hard work when he's there." On the subject of her need to disappoint Callum sometimes, she let out a heavy sigh. "It's just... I can't cope with the idea of being the one to make him cry. I'm the one who has put in most of the work since he was born and the one who has to say no, whilst Alex is the 'fun parent'. Callum doesn't see past the surface of it all. If I'd said no to him just now, he would have been so upset and the Kings would have used that; make out even more like we're the bad guys."

Savannah accepted the tissue from Syd and used it to dry her eyes. Eventually, she sat up straight and nodded her head decisively. "But I will compromise, next time. I'll stand my ground," she assured her cousin. She chewed her bottom lip before glancing to the kitchen door. "Let's stay in here a little while longer. Give my mam a head start getting her so I don't have to look at Alex's face for too much longer," she drily told him.

Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Parker Residence
~ Islington, London ~

Dr. Bradley Maddox Parker and Kerry Patrick
~ Riley and Amara ~​

Hearing Kerry mention the Morettis immediately brought a bad taste to Maddox's mouth. It had been 13 years since he'd fled New York and not had to set eyes on Gabriel Moretti. Although he'd never feel completely safe, over the years he'd felt and believed he would never have to get involved with the Italians again. After he betrayed the Morettis, he knew he'd been lucky to be given a reprieve, but he doubted they'd spare him a second time. London was meant to be his new home, where he and his loved ones would be safe, and it had truly felt that way to him.

Maddox listened as Ani tried to talk Kerry out of moving to Ireland and pointed out the fact that some of the Sullivans would not welcome her there. Maddox held Ani's hand when she reached out to him, softly stroking her skin with his thumb as he tried to send her a reassuring look.

"Savvy wants me to live with her and she'd be there for me, I'm sure," Kerry argued, though in the back of her mind she knew it might not outweigh how cold some of the other Sullivans would be towards her. "I just... I don't want to go somewhere where I don't know anyone. Not again. I moved to New York on my own and we all know how that turned out. I don't feel safe going where I'll be alone again."

Although Ani told Kerry she didn't believe she'd misheard hearing Moretti's name being mentioned, Maddox shook his head. "You could have misheard. Perhaps they said something that sounded like his name and your mind automatically heard 'Moretti'. Considering what that man did to us, it would be no surprise if any of us thought we heard his name being mentioned, especially when you were already feeling conflicted stuck between Savannah and the Kings," Maddox attempted to reason with her. Despite that, in the back of his mind he was inclined to believe Kerry heard correctly.

"I don't think it was a mistake," Kerry argued whilst shaking her head.

"Okay. So, maybe you did hear Moretti's name and it's likely he's going into some kind of business with the Kings. Only the three of us know what you heard and I suggest none of us repeat that information. We should forget it altogether. The Sullivans will find out the truth, I'm sure. But you need to back away from it, Kerry. I've been stuck in the middle of two opposing gangs before and it didn't work out well for me. I know it's difficult, but you need to stay out of it. Conor won't appreciate hearing from you and if it turns out you did mishear what was said, then I suspect that free pass he gave you would expire. You need to think about your own safety."

Kerry didn't immediately respond, instead looking down to the floor as she weighed up the different scenarios. "I'll tell them I might have misheard, but at least they'll know to be cautious. People died back in New York because I let the Sullivans walk into that trap and I don't want any more people hurt because I kept quiet. I have to warn them."

Maddox let out a sigh, knowing Kerry would struggle if there was to be any more guilt on her conscience. "I don't think I can stop you, can I? But I think you need to forget about moving to Dublin for the time-being and you should stay here, with Ani and me. I'd prefer not to leave this home we've built, but if none of us are comfortable staying in London then I'm sure we can look at transferring to work up North. Yorkshire seems like a nice place," he suggested.

Bellz (Ani)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Adam found Blake's comment amusing about Conor's kids not wreaking havoc as everyone expected. His smirk dropped when she went on to explain she thought he'd be a good father, having observed him with his godchildren. Although he knew he often slipped up by letting the odd swearword fall out of his mouth, he liked to think he was otherwise a positive presence in the children's lives. Blake's comments only strengthened that belief further. Whilst he could be silly and playful with them, he also tried to teach them life skills where he could. And whilst the Zegarra children weren't his own, he stood by the fact he would protect them as if they were. Blake spoke of her initial reservations when she became pregnant with Natasha, but then mentioned everything fell into place. He smiled warmly at Blake as she said more words to reassure him he would be a good father - or in his case would have been. "Ah, you're right there. Some parents ain't got a fuckin' clue," he agreed, though it was his own parents who strengthened most of that point. "Let's not tell Emilia that, though," he playfully suggested, referring to the Zegarras' middle child. "That kid is bossy as hell and I don't want her thinking she's right even more often than she already is," he joked.

When Blake pointed out that they needed more dates to learn about each other, Adam quickly nodded his head. "I'm afraid you're right, Blake. I know of a bar and restaurant that's great for learning more about each other in. We should definitely go there. For educational purposes, of course," he mischievously suggested their next date. "You just let me know when you're free to have your knowledge on Adam Harper expanded."

Adam looked curiously to Blake when she told him it was her kids who pushed her into trying to date again. "Whilst I'm sure you look pretty hot in those sweatpants, the kids were right to get you off that couch," he teased her. His face straightened up as she mentioned how it affected Collin more and that he missed having Blake around since she'd started going out more. He lightly nodded his head when she mentioned him going to her place would be a good compromise for the boy. He chuckled as she mentioned how Collin complained about there being too many girls in the house. "Oh, I think I can even those numbers up. If anything, the manliness levels will be through the roof the moment I enter your house," he joked, playfully flexing his large bicep.

In the back of his mind, he was fully aware how important the whole situation was, especially for Blake's youngest child who had never got to meet his father nor had he had a father figure in his life so far. Adam had no intention of replacing Jackson as the boy's father, but he was fully aware if he and Blake were to become serious, her kids came with the relationship. Like he was with his godchildren, he at least hoped he would prove to be a positive and trusted figure in Collin's life. When Blake asked him if he was nervous, he looked to her and briefly shook his head, but he didn't immediately speak up. "I wouldn't say nervous, no. I'm just aware that no matter what happens between you and me, it's a lot of responsibility for me to enter your family home as your boyfriend. As long as you and the kids are comfortable with me being there, then I'm comfortable too."

Rubbing his hands together, Adam looked over his shoulder catch sight of the pub. "Shall we go back inside? I can't have you freezing out here," he suggested. As he stood up from the bench, he offered his hand to her. "Besides, we've been gone a fair bit. Poor Chase will be fretting. He's a worrier, that one," he joked.

Bellz (Blake)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

The next day...

Sitting at the desk in his office, Conor sat in silence as he flicked through the handful of photographs he'd first set eyes on some weeks ago. A small smile crossed his mouth before he set them face down on the desk. He picked up the piece of paper with a US telephone number scrawled on, before punching the numbers into the phone on his desk. Sitting back in his seat, he adopted a casual posture as he held the receiver to his ear. Eventually, the call was picked up and he waited until he heard the familiar voice before speaking.

"Good morning," he brightly spoke to the man on the other end of the line. "I didn't wake you, did I, Ricky?" he asked, fully aware it was mid-morning in New York. "How did the meeting go? Is Moretti going to consider my offer... Apologies... is Moretti going to consider your inspired suggestion? It's important he does, but you know that already..."

Later that day...

Conor's call with Ricky had left the Irishman in positive spirits. That was until he received a call from Sinead later that evening. His sister had transferred him through to her caller, only for him to find himself talking with a woman he'd hoped to avoid having to speak to for quite some time. After a few cold words, he allowed Kerry Patrick to finally speak up to warn him of the possibility the Kings were working with the Morettis.

Woodlands/Farmland Area
~ The Baskins, Dublin ~

Adam Harper and Aidan Byrne​

One week later...

Following the altercation Katsya, Stella and Olivia had with Phelan Sweeney and his friends, the details of the evening reached both Adam and Conor. The Sweeneys throwing their weight around on Adam's property had the man keen to teach them a lesson. Conor hadn't liked the idea of the small-timers getting cocky either, and the fact they had been antagonistic to not only his employees but also to his niece was enough to make the boss seek to put the Sweeneys back in their place.

Given that the older two of the Sweeney brothers were relatively intelligent and understood their place in the city, Conor decided it would be wise not to rush into action and to observe Phelan for a few days before deciding on the best method of attack. That had meant that for the next few days, the Sullivans were operating surveillance on the Sweeneys. Whilst Seamus and Cormac hadn't raised much to be concerned about, Phelan was more interesting to tail. For the second time in a few days, Adam and Aidan had ended up hiding out in the woods close to the solitary cabin where Phelan and his friends had been seen driving out to on numerous occasions. Once again, a vehicle soon pulled up at the cabin and Phelan stepped out of the vehicle with two bags which appeared to contain groceries.

Bringing the binoculars up to his eyes, Adam peered through to observe them. As much as he was looking forward to beating the crap out of Phelan, Adam knew he had to report back to Conor first. At the start, he figured there would be nothing to report and it would be a straightforward case of putting Phelan back in his place. However, Phelan and his little crew had been acting oddly over the last few days, which was leading Adam to think there was something to hide. That something soon came into view as the dishevelled occupant of the rundown cabin stepped out into view. "Are you fucking kidding me?!" Adam lowly grumbled.

"What is it?" Aidan asked, before being passed the binoculars to take a look at the man who had stepped into view.

"Ponytail and goatee. Pale-face, skinny vampire fucker? That's the prick who shot me. Fits the description and makes damn sense," Adam explained. Aidan nodded his head, unable to deny what his friend was saying. "Here I was just looking forward to teaching Phelan a lesson, but those Sweeney wankers are really screwed once Conor hears about this."

~ END OF CHAPTER ~​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 7: Unpacking the Truth
Thursday 16th May 1985
...15 days later...
Dublin: Evening - Dry, Mild, Clear Skies
London: Evening - Overcast, Mild, Breezy
New York: Evening - Dry, Warm, Clear Skies

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

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

Woodlands/Farmland Area
~ The Baskins, Dublin ~​

Spoiler: Scene Head Count

Sullivan Gang:
Main Team: Adam, Aidan, Chase, Katsya, Stella.
NPCs/Distant Surveillance: Doyle, Lloyd
Sweeney Gang:
Phelan Sweeney, Ross
NPC Gang members: 7

Adam Harper and Aidan Byrne

Phelan Sweeney and his merry band of friends had picked a good night to have get-together at the old cabin. A good night for the Sullivans, that was. The gunman Adam had seen hiding out at the lodge a week earlier had since being confirmed as Ross Grant, one of Phelan's friends but not entirely popular with the older Sweeney brothers. Phelan and Ross were the main targets of the evening. The rest of Phelan's buddies would leave the campfire that night learning the valuable lesson not to cross the mob, unless, they chose to get cocky and therefore not leave the place alive at all. Though the older Sweeney brothers would likely take tonight's attack personally, it was Phelan, Ross, and their friends who had crossed the Sullivans and evidently not with the Sweeney leader's permission.

With two pairs of eyes belonging to Doyle and Lloyd already monitoring the cabin from their hidden locations in the woods, Adam had received the go ahead to lead his four teammates to the scene. Adam was in the driver's seat, with Katsya in the front passenger seat alongside him. Aidan, Chase and Stella occupied the rear seats of the vehicle. Having already plotted his route to the secluded former farmland, Adam drove the large jeep from the other side of the woods, so as not to pass the Sweeneys at all along the quiet country road. As he approached the dirt road into the centre of the wooded area, Adam turned the headlights to their lowest beam before switching them off completely when he knew the rest of the drive was in a straight line.

Once the car was brought to a stop, Adam turned off the engine and waited until Doyle and Lloyd would radio through to give them the go ahead. "We all know what we're doing, yeah? Me and Katsya will drag Phelan and that skeleton fuck Ross into the cabin for questioning. Conor wants to know who was driving the car that night and if anyone put them up to it. If someone did put them up to it, we have to find out who." Adam then turned to those in the back seat, using what little light they had to focus on each of their faces. "You lovely bunch get to babysit the rest of their friends outside. None of them leave the site and if any of them give you lip, feel free to take off the kid gloves. There's more of them than us, but everyone in this car has the experience and intelligence to get them under control. Ross surviving past tonight isn't on the cards. The rest will have to stay in line if they want to get out of this alive, but if it's down to them or us, I'd rather they were the ones bleeding to death." Adam sent Chase a nod, trusting his friend to keep things under control outside, along with Stella and Aidan.

"Well, they've already got a bonfire going, so that's their cremations sorted," Aidan remarked.

"Aid, mate. That's some real dark shit, but I love it," Adam drily shot bad, letting out an amused chuckle.

Soon enough, Lloyd radio'd through on his walkie talkie to confirm the current scene. "You're good to go. The cabin is currently empty. All nine of the men are outside drinking near the campfire. You're clear to approach the rear of the cabin."

"Alright, team. You'll follow me through the woods and then we all move behind the cabin. We then split off into our two teams and come at them from either side of the cabin." Adam got out of the Jeep and opened the trunk so they all could retrieve their weapons and equipment. Once everyone was armed, Adam stopped where they would enter the denser woodland leading to the cabin. "Is everyone ready?" he asked one last time.


Pyroclast (Chase) Mitheral (Katsya) BloodThunder27 (Stella)
[FYI: A few posts in, this scene will be split into two sections, so the posts can flow easier. Adam/Katsya pair-up, and Aidan/Chase/Stella team-up]

Savannah Callahan's House
~ Dollymount, Dublin ~
​

Savannah Callahan

It had been two weeks since Callum went to stay in London with the Kings, but it felt like far longer to Savannah. The day after the boy had left to spend time with Alex, Savannah moved into her new house. Or at least, she joined the boxes of furniture and belongings that were stacked around the place. Despite assuring her parents everything was under control and she didn't need any help, she'd barely made any steps to set up her new home. In fact, the only room she had paid any attention to was Callum's bedroom. She'd completed his room within a couple of days and was sure the boy would love it, when he eventually came home. With that being the only room finished and the one she found most comfort in, Savannah had been sleeping on top of his bed for the last couple of weeks.

Savannah had mostly been refusing visitors and declining invites to meet with her family, instead telling them she was busy and putting on her best smile to throw them off the scent. In reality, rehearsals for the show she had a small part in weren't for a couple of weeks. As much as she thought the distraction might have helped her, she was grateful she didn't have to work yet as she was sure it would affect the quality of her performances.

Callum was due home tomorrow and Savannah just wished she could fall asleep until then. The last two weeks had been Hell, especially since she'd been so upset by the way things played out with the Kings. Having shut herself away for most of the time, she hadn't kept up much with what had been going on with everyone else, nor had she managed to pass her new telephone number on to Kerry. If she wasn't so sure Callum coming home would cheer her up, she would likely be concerned that she was behaving similarly to how her mother had back when the older woman's depression and bipolar were severe.

Like most days, Savannah made her way to the kitchen, dodging the stacked boxes, and open the bare fridge, retrieving whatever snacks were there instead of making a proper meal. Whilst she never did have a large appetite, the intake of food was insufficient even by her standards. Regardless, any concerns she had about her well-being she tried to push aside and tell herself it would all get better when Callum returned home.

As she stood in the centre of the kitchen sipping from her glass of water, she suddenly felt overwhelmed by the state of the house. She'd been putting everything off for two weeks and now it hit her that she couldn't let Callum return to an unfinished home. She couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by how much she needed to unpack and set up. Added to that, she didn't feel comfortable calling her parents for help as she was sure they would start worrying about her and then smothering her.

Bellz (Roxie)

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~
​

Conor Sullivan

Conor had not been happy with the way things went after the meeting with Bruce and Alex. As much as he'd wanted to refuse to let Callum leave Dublin, he knew he couldn't overrule Savannah's decision, even if it was clear she hadn't wanted to agree to it all. The boy was due home the next day and Conor had already decided it was the last time the Kings would take advantage of Savannah. Regardless of what she or anyone else wanted, Conor was determined to put his foot down and stop the Kings from taking the boy with them again. If they wanted to see Callum, they would have to come to Dublin and save the boy from being dragged back and forth.

The Kings weren't the only family Conor wanted shut of. If he was to focus on Dublin and cut off unhealthy partnerships, the deal with the Morettis needed cutting off for good. That was why he had been the one to tell Ricky to put forward the idea trading James' freedom in exchange for the piece of Queens the Irish still controlled. It didn't come without risks, but the only business partners Conor wanted to deal with were ones on amicable terms, such as those in Cuba, Scotland, and in some cases, Eastern Europe.

The fact he'd spoken with Kerry two weeks ago only added to Conor's need to stop all business with the Morettis and the Kings. Kerry had made sure to tell Conor that she could have misheard, but given that the last time she gave him information it was a trap, he wouldn't have taken her word for it no matter how confident she was about her intel. As it happened, Conor had eyes in London and those contacts had as good as confirmed what Kerry had told him was true. There were Morettis present in London and they had been seen with the Kings. Given that Callum was due back home tomorrow, Conor had decided to sit on what he knew until the child was safely back in Dublin. The last thing he wanted to do was give the Kings any incentive to keep Callum where he was, especially if the Morettis cared enough to provide the Londoners with extra backup.

There was also the matter of the Sweeneys that needed dealing with. Conor had a feeling the small gang were up to something, so he'd asked some of his men to keep tabs on them before he would give the go ahead for Adam to teach them the heavy-handed way. He wouldn't normally have bothered himself about the small-timers trying to provoke Adam, figuring it was the man's gym and he was tough enough to fight his own battles. But the fact they'd involved Olivia in their actions and seemed to care little about pissing off a high-ranking mob member made Conor more inclined to have them dealt with.

Before any battles had chance to start, Conor decided he could afford himself an evening to relax in the pub, especially as it was almost Aliana's birthday, so he wanted to make sure she got plenty of his attention. As he was planning on them spending time alone together on the day itself, he suggested Aliana invited Blake and anyone else she wanted join them at the pub. He was sure Sinead would come along, though he wasn't sure how likely it was Emery would join them like she usually would. Conor was in Emery's bad books since he'd forced her to return to focusing on her accounting duties for the foreseeable. Whilst it wasn't her fault the diamond exchange went badly, the fact she had left Aidan's vehicle when instructed not to meant she could have risked Aidan's life as well as her own. As far as he was concerned, Clayton hadn't been worth taking such a risk for.

Whilst Aliana and Blake had made themselves comfortable in their usual section of the pub, Conor had ordered their drinks and had a brief chat with his bar staff. When he returned to their table, he placed their drinks down and sat next to Aliana, with Blake across from them. "You don't look a day over thirty, love," he sweet-talked Aliana before kissing her cheek.

After a long drink of his pint, he looked to Blake and sent her a brief smile. In typical Conor style, he didn't hold back on his next words. "So, Blake. What's this I've been hearing about you and Harper, eh?" he asked. Though his tone was teasing, his eyes contradicted him, giving off a more serious tone. "He's a top bloke. Real committed to his job, mind you. He's certainly not a pen-pusher," he pointed out. Conor knew what Adam used to be like; a womaniser, but despite his promise to look out for Jackson's widow, that wasn't what most concerned him. It was more Adam's role in the mob and the fact he was constantly taking risks. Adam took on the same kinds of jobs that Jackson had, not to mention he'd been on the same mission that killed Blake's late husband.

Bellz (Blake) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
[Others are welcome into the pub]

Alex King's Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~
​

Spencer King

Although Spencer and Damian had been getting acquainted with each other prior to the contract with the Morettis becoming official, the last couple of weeks had been quite full on. When he wasn't meeting with Bruce, Damian was arranging meetings with Spencer in order to become more familiar with London and the Kings' presence there. With Shona spending time with Shirley, Spencer had been able to commit some of his day to business with Damian. However, he'd made sure they were done relatively early so he could hang out at Alex's place for a bit.

By the time Spencer reached his brother's house, Callum had already gone to sleep. Spencer would make sure he was around the next morning so he could see Callum before the boy was taken back to Savannah in Dublin. Spencer lightly knocked on Alex's front door, but didn't wait for a response before letting himself enter the house. "Evenin'," he greeted his brother. He headed straight to the fridge to grab two beers before joining Alex in the lounge, handing him a can before sitting down. "Have you met Damian properly yet? That bloke is pretty full on," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Don't get me wrong. He knows what he's talking about and he's got a lot of good ideas for our business, but he's not all there," he said, tapping his forehead. "Damian's a good name for him. Like that film from a few years back. 'The Omen'. But hey, at least the Devils are on our side," he remarked, referring to the help the Morettis were giving them. The fact they had a shared dislike for the Sullivans was certainly going to be useful.

"Alright," Spencer said, a sudden shift in his tone. "How have things been for you, looking after Callum? He's leaving us in the morning. How do you feel about that?" he asked his brother. "It's not right him having to go again, but you're not going to fuck this up, are ya? Soon enough, we're going to make sure he stays here full time. This is where he belongs, not in that bullet-ridden Sullivan shithole."

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

Wycliffe Family Home
~ Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn ~
​

Valentina Wycliff and Gabriel Moretti

It was Valentina's 37th birthday today and despite the occasion, she wasn't feeling in entirely good spirits. She'd spent the afternoon at a funfair with Teddy and the children, then they'd returned home to prepare for the small number of guests they'd invited. Even if she'd wanted a big affair, neither of her siblings would be able to join them. Nor was she in any mood in invite most of her own friends over, not with Gabriel's judging presence. She figured they could save the more exciting celebrations with her friends for the weekend.

With the food, drinks, and rest of the lounge set up for the gathering, Valentina was able to finish getting ready in the bedroom. She opted for a strappy black dress that stopped above the knees, along with black stilettos. Even if they were just hanging around the house, she was still determined to dress up for the occasion. When Teddy joined her in the bedroom, she looked at his reflection in the mirror whilst she put her earrings in. "Why does Papa always manage to piss me off before we have a family party?" she complained. "Only he would send Tatiana to London right before my birthday and still have Marcus working in Italy. If he makes you miss your own birthday, I will not be amused."

Turning to face her husband properly, she flashed a devious smile. "Not to worry, I invited Ricky and Julia over. Seeing as they're some of the only friends we have who already know how to deal with my father."

There was a light knock on the room door before Cristina stepped inside holding some pink clip-in hair extensions. As soon as the girl asked if she could wear them, Valentina smiled brightly and nodded her head. "You sure can, kiddo. It's my party and you get to wear your hair however you want to. Send Grandpa to me if he complains," she playfully told her. Just as she started doing Cristina's hair, Valentina heard the front door being closed, followed by Rocco the puppy barking. Looking to Teddy, she playfully pouted. "Would you great our guests, love? I have important girly stuff to do right now," she said, holding her hand out to take the pink hair extensions from her daughter.

Gabriel had been feeling pretty pleased with himself over the last week or so. Following their meeting with Conor, the Kings had soon after agreed to Gabriel's deal. In return for their generous rates on the drugs supplies, Gabriel kept to his end of the bargain by having some of his men stationed in London to add extra strength to the Kings. If the Sullivans were to throw their weight around in London, Gabriel intended on making them regret it. Whilst Damian had already been sent to London weeks earlier to get a feel for the city, Tatiana had only been sent there a few days ago. Along with Damian, Gabriel expected her to organise and lead the team of heavies he'd sent to London to work with the Kings. Though Damian had unpleasant tendencies when it came to torturing enemies, it was his cunning attitude and eye for details that Gabriel thought the Kings could benefit from. Muscle was all good and well, but he believed the Kings had a lot of unexplored potential within London - many areas they could manipulate and capitalise on.

Another reason he was feeling upbeat was because of the idea Ricky had suggested a couple of weeks ago. If the Sullivans were on board with the deal, Gabriel would arrange for James' release from prison in exchange for the area of Queens the Irish still had ownership of. Granted, he got the feeling Teddy wasn't entirely happy with the idea of keeping James alive, let alone helping the man get out of jail. It was understandable, considering what Porter had done to Teddy all those years ago. Gabriel had no respect for James either, which was why he intended to speak with Teddy over the course of the evening and reassure him that the man wouldn't get off so lightly.

This evening, Gabriel and Elvian were on their way to the Wycliffs' home to celebrate Valentina's birthday. When the driver parked the car on the large driveway, Gabriel climbed out of the back seat and reached his hand to Elvian to help her out. "Are you going to protect me, tonight?" he teasingly asked his wife. "I have a feeling our daughter is not best pleased with me." When they reached the door, Gabriel pushed it open and entered the house. He and Elvian were suddenly greeted by Rocco, the excitable puppy. "I guess Rocco is our host for the evening," he remarked.

Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian, Teddy, Ava) BloodThunder27 (Harmony) Bellz (Julia)
[Any other friends/family are welcome to join the party. I guess Elvian and Teddy don't have much choice!]

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess BloodThunder27 @Fletchawk Mitheral​

​

 

[Pyroclast]

Chapter 7: Unpacking the Truth
Thursday 16th May 1985
...15 days later...
Dublin: Evening - Dry, Mild, Clear Skies
London: Evening - Overcast, Mild, Breezy
New York City: Evening - Dry, Warm, Clear Skies

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Erik's Apartment
~ Hackney, London ~

Billy King​

Ever since he was just a baby playing with building bricks, Billy had always been fascinated by logical puzzles and challenges. He would persevere until he found not just a solution that worked, but the best solution that worked, measuring his achievements by nobody's standard of perfection but his own. Through childhood into adulthood, his drive for such challenges never waned, even throughout the gruelling seven years of architectural study that he went to university for. Drawing up blueprints, doing repairs on the family's pharmaceutical buildings and solving construction issues were straightforward to him - no matter how many routes he had to go down, he knew there was an answer waiting to be found.

All in all, it took a great deal to pull his focus apart to the point where he couldn't finish a job. Yet, there he was, three new sets of stitches in his left hand, a welding burn and two bandaged fingers. After returning from A&E for the third time in a week, Billy sat himself in the corner of his workshop with a six pack of beer and stared at his half-finished project in defeat. Only at that point was he finally able to admit to himself that what was on his mind wasn't the kind of thing he could run from. No project was big enough to hold his focus - not even the rising tensions with the Sullivan gang nor the changes incurred by the recent agreement made with Moretti were at the front of his mind. No, he was utterly consumed by thoughts of Erik.

Unfortunately, this problem was one that Billy didn't feel at all qualified to solve. He knew how to keep a structure standing and stable, but keeping a person stable was something else entirely. He couldn't just engineer a solution using mathematics, a strong coffee and a bit of elbow grease. He wasn't even sure if there was a solution - that was the worst thing. All day every day, Billy's mind was whirring away, trying to figure out what the best thing to do was. How could he get the man sober without causing him further pain, or risk making Erik turn against him? How would he cover for him, to keep his condition a secret from the rest of his family? How the hell was he going to deal with the fact that Erik was in love with him?

Those were the kinds of questions he worked on answering until about his seventh or eighth drink - after that, he turned to dwelling. On all the signs he missed, on how clueless he had been, how blind he was to Erik's suffering. At that point, he lacked the mental capacity to even try to tackle the problem, and all he could do was let it get to him. So, he would drink himself to sleep, his last thought each night being of Erik, and would wake up again the next morning with him on his mind all over again. And so the day would repeat itself.

Still, obsessing over the situation at least meant that he never lost interest in being there for the man. He didn’t care if Erik got sick of him; he would rather let him believe that he was a nuisance than leave him to spiral downwards until God knows what happened to him. So, after making sure he himself was sober - or at least, relatively so - Billy went over to Erik’s apartment to check in on him, swinging by a pizza place on his way. Ash from his cigarette was littering the top of the pizza box as he stood by the front door outside the apartment block, but he was waiting to take his last draw before he would brush the evidence away. He pressed the buzzer a couple of times before Erik finally picked up. “Let me in, your pizza’s gettin' cold!” Though part of him expected Erik to turn down his unannounced visit, Billy couldn’t help but smile at the thought of seeing him again.

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

* * * * * * * *

The Royal London Hospital
~ Tower Hamlets, London ~

Shona King
​

No matter what hit her, Shona had always been able to stay on her feet. She thanked her upbringing for training her to cope with more than most - after all, she was sure there couldn't be many women who would settle so easily into a family of gangsters. Growing up in a neglected neighbourhood where crime and violence was rife had hardened her, made her strong in the face of adversity. Yet, listening to those voicemail messages almost broke her. She hadn't been there to answer Shirley's call for help, only to immediately after find out that her friend had been hospitalised from a serious road collision. Knowing the woman had no family nearby, Shona knew she had to step up.

In all honesty, part of her was relieved to have something to focus on beside her family's dispute with the Sullivans. As much as she wanted Callum to be able to regularly spend quality time with each side of his family, she didn't want to add to the tension by fighting with Spencer about how Savannah was being treated. She has meant to call up her friend to check in on her and make sure she was alright, but she figured it was probably wiser to focus her energy on looking after Shirley for the time being. Then, of course, Callum had ended up coming to London after all, which she had been trying to make the most of before he went back to Dublin. The situation was so precarious that she was never sure how long it would be until she would next see her nephew. Still, her mind was stuck on Shirley more than anything else.

Whenever she had the time, Shona would pay a visit to Shirley to see how she was. It was pretty much the same every time: she was comatose, bound in bandages and casts with her legs both fixed in traction. After two weeks of visits, Shona was now used to seeing her in her current state, and came to see her as looking peaceful rather than broken. At least asleep she wouldn't be able to feel the pain.

One of the nurses let her into Shirley's private room, allowing them a few minutes of alone time. Once the door was closed behind her, Shona moved over to the chair beside Shirley's bed and sat herself down, bringing her handbag into her lap. "Hi, sweetheart," she greeted her with a smile. She had heard that it was possible for people in comas to hear nearby voices, though in how much detail she wasn't sure. Still, she liked to talk to her, hoping that she or the babies could at least recognise her voice. "I brought a hairbrush this time," she said, withdrawing the brush from her handbag. "The one with the soft bristles, for your nice sleek hair."

As she gently brushed Shirley's hair, the sight of her dormant face threatened to bring her emotions to the surface. Quickly, she shook them off with a smile. "Just think how well rested you'll be when the twins arrive," she said. "You'd better be storing all that saved energy somewhere because you'll be needing it very soon!" With a sigh, she leaned back into her chair and placed the hairbrush on Shirley's bedside. Her hands came to rest atop her belly. "My little nephew Callum is visiting at the moment," she told her. "Big ball of energy, that one. When I left to come and visit you once, I ended up telling him you were hibernating like a hedgehog, so have fun explaining that when you meet!" She let out a small chuckle, but after a moment her warm smile became hard to keep up. "I almost envy all the sleep you're getting, Shirley… Especially with the back pain keeping me up at night. You're sleeping through the worst of it, you know. Just wake up soon, okay? Be here when your twins arrive…" Feeling her emotions begin to stir again, Shona reached forward and took Shirley's uninjured hand into hers.

The sound of a door opening made her head turn, and she watched as the nurse entered the room. "Hello," Shona said, her smile instantly returning. "Have you got any updates? How's she doing? How are the babies?"

Interactions
BloodThunder27 Shirley

 

[Bellz]

Chapter 7: Unpacking the Truth
Thursday 16th May 1985
...15 days later...
Dublin: Evening - Dry, Mild, Clear Skies
London: Evening - Overcast, Mild, Breezy
New York City: Evening - Dry, Warm, Clear Skies

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Lorelei Costello
Starry Nights Bar
- Dublin City Center, Dublin - ​

It had been a little while since Benjie and Lorelei had shared a jail cell but it seemed Lorelei's dad didn't want to let it go in the slightest. Despite the many petty arguments the pair had gotten into, neither of them was willing to back down. Lorelei didn't see the point in continuing to be upset about something that didn't harm her in the end, it wasn't like she was on her way to Alcatraz or anything and the incident wasn't even on record at the station. No harm, no foul. Her mother even insisted on just letting the situation go but Lorelei knew well that when her father got into a rut about something it was going to be blown way out of proportion before it finally simmered out. Rolling her eyes to herself as she placed another earring on, she let out a forced sigh before moving towards the door to slip her heels on.

Making it perfectly clear that she wanted her space after their last argument, Lorelei was just looking forward to having some fun with Benjie tonight. They had been seeing each other on a regular basis for some time now and she didn't want to jinx anything by saying that they were getting pretty serious but the atmosphere was starting to feel that way. The redhead hadn't been in a serious relationship before so it made her a bit nervous to think about, especially with Jason having a cow like he was. She wasn't going to let him spoil her good time and her love life just because he felt the world was his stage and everything had to be melodramatic. Actors, can't live without them and certainly can't live with them, she didn't know how her mother dealt with such drama. She loved her parents either way though and despite the rough spot they were in currently, she didn't have any doubts that eventually it would all work itself out.

Looking at the digital clock in the living room, Lorelei realized that if she didn't get going she would be late meeting Benjie at one of the nicer bars in town. So she looked over her appearance one more time in the hallway mirror before grabbing her purse and keys.

***​

She made it right on time as she pulled into the parking lot of the bar. Quickly hopping out, she made sure to lock the car before walking as quickly as she could in the shoes she was wearing towards the place. Once inside, she did a quick once over before her eyes landed on the person she had been waiting to see all day. Smiling widely, she waved at Benjie from the entrance of the bar before signaling that she would be making her way to him. She had to push through quite a few people but managed to get to him. "Hey you!" Lorelei said happily, moving in to kiss Benjie's cheek lightly before looking around the place. "It's a lot more crowded than I thought it would be here but I love the atmosphere. I haven't been out to a bar in a really long time, so thank you for thinking of coming here!" She had to raise her voice slightly so that he could hear her well enough over the music playing.

"How have you been since I saw you last? How's Aidan doing? I'm sorry I haven't had the time to call in the last few days, I've just been so swamped with work and the renovations being done there that I've been crawling into bed still dress at like 3 am." Lorelei was determined to keep the date they were having tonight as light and airy as possible, she wanted to keep the focus of the conversations they had on topics that wouldn't bring them both down so starting by asking him how he was doing was a good place to start.

She had neglected to tell him about the arguments her parents had been getting into with her about him because she knew that it would put him in an awkward position and it would make her even angrier to see him upset at the hands of her father. Any conversation that they've had has mostly been about work and things happening in his life along with the fun conversations they had just about anything else.
with: Benjie Misty Gray
mentions: Jason (Aka BUTTHEAD) Pyroclast

Thomas Porter
His Place lol
- Dublin - ​

Well, Thomas had finally done it. He had finally worked up the nerve to invite Elena over to his place. He had been wanting to hang out with her on his own for a while now but he DID NOT want his mother to find him hanging out with a woman. Her overbearingness would go from 100% to 1,000% if she even got a whiff of him liking someone. Thomas did not want to put the pressure of having to deal with Lucy on Elena though he was sure Elena would think his mother is sweet just like every other person on the planet. Thomas never said his mother wasn't a sweet person she is just...a lot to handle sometimes. Some people need that overbearingness like Syd, but Thomas liked to do things on his own terms. If he wanted his mother's opinion he would ask for it.

He had the day off from work which wasn't very helpful in terms of getting his mind off Elena coming over so, of course, in a true Porter man fashion, he sat and obsessed over it for hours and hours on end. In that time though he did manage to get everything out of moving boxes and into its right place and the apartment was so spotless that it would make his mother extremely proud. It would only stay like this for so long though because once he got back to work, the messes would pile up quickly. Currently, Thomas was deliberating what shirt to wear, something he normally didn't fuss over but looking at his shirts he realized that he didn't want Elena to think that he was some sort of slob who didn't care about his appearance. It was driving him absolutely insane how much this little woman had an effect on everything he was currently doing. Who the hell was this person? Taking almost an hour to choose a fucking shirt to wear! Looking at himself in the mirror, Thomas scowled in loathing wanting to shout at himself to just pick something.

Finally, he just closed his eyes and pointed to a random spot on the bed where shirts were scattered everywhere. Opening his eyes, he grabbed the randomly chosen shirt and shrugged it on. Surprisingly, he was okay with what he had picked and quickly moved to shove all the shirts he had torn out of his drawers back in. Once that was finished he forced himself to look away from the mirror and head into the living room to wait for Elena.

At first, he was almost sure that she was going to flake on him. Looking at the time, the seconds and then minutes ticking by, Thomas was getting more and more anxious that she wouldn't show up. He had never looked forward to someone coming over to visit him like this before and he was constantly telling himself not to get his hopes up but he couldn't fucking help it. Now as the clock indicated that she was 5 minutes late, Thomas was sure she wouldn't show and the ache in his chest started to hurt so much that he placed a hand to his heart.

Thomas never let anyone in and this was the exact reason as to why. He forced himself to stand and just as he did, he heard a knock on the door. All the anxiety and sadness he had felt literally seconds ago was washed away with a rush of adrenaline and excitement. Lucky who had been curled up in the second bedroom asleep immediately rushed towards the door to see who was there and Thomas knew then that he hadn't just been hearing things. Lucky whimpered as she looked to Thomas, begging him to open the door and Thomas shook his head softly before letting out a laugh. "Alright alright, back up Luck, let me open it." He said to his dog before opening the door. A natural smile fell upon his lips at the sight of Elena in his doorway. "Hey." Thomas said, before Lucky barreled past him to sniff Elena's legs. "Lucky! Give her some room!" Thomas berated his dog playfully, though he was happy for the distraction from trying to greet his guest properly, he was never really good at hosting things like his mother was.
with: Elena Pyroclast

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Sullivan's Pub
~Dublin City Centre, Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan​

Fifty-three. Aliana Marie Sullivan would be turning 53 in just a few hours and she was dreading it more than when she turned 50. She was getting older and getting older meant more health problems and wrinkles and everything else that followed. Up until her 50th, she was fine with the idea of getting older but it seemed like something changed when she reached that milestone. Perhaps it was the heart attack or her mother's death or even her father's deteriorating health and memory that triggered. Sometimes the thought of her husband wanting a younger woman crept into her mind despite Aliana herself looking relatively good for her age. All the negative emotions she held about her birthday took her out of the celebratory mood every time. She hadn't had a proper party in two years and this year was going to be no different. Going out for drinks was enough for her since it felt less like a birthday and more of her just going out for the hell of it.

With all the drama and emotional outbursts from her family members the past two weeks, it was nice to be able to take a break. With the talks she and Conor had, it seemed as if something was brewing in the distance and Ali wasn't blind to what it meant in the slightest. The Sullivan-King-Moretti dispute was only getting worse with the latter two causing more problems than a little. When Ali heard about the visit Bruce and Alex paid her home, she was furious. The fact that her niece had been doing more for Callum than Alex was made her sick and detest him more than she already had. In the beginning, she was rooting for Alex only for him to disappoint her in the end. Now he had the audacity to bully her into letting poor Callum go to London without Savannah. A part of her understood why Alex wouldn't want to stay in Dublin alone, but his feelings didn't matter to her as much as Sav's. Ali tried her best to comfort her and make her feel better but she knew that until Callum was back in Dublin she wouldn't be able to rest properly.

But tonight Aliana was trying her best not to think about that. She wanted to relax, spend time with her family and friends, and see if she could hold her liquor the same way she could two decades ago. She sat across from Blake running her fingers through her hair, pointing out the grays she had given up on trying to dye in her black hair. "I swear I wake up to more of these. Soon enough, my whole head will be this color," she half-heartedly joked. Really, the area of gray looked nice in her hair but it was another sign she didn't want to acknowledge. Soon Conor rejoined them and kissed her cheek, to which she smiled. She was happy he had found time in his increasingly busy schedule to spend with her. There were plenty of missed birthdays she had looked the other way on so it was nice not having to do it again. "You don't have to flatter me, babe, I am... Coming to terms with it. Slowly. I think the day Leo makes me a grandmother is when I might lose it." Immediately she drank from her glass and set it back down, ignoring the slight tingle in the back of her throat.

"Conor," Ali said, looking directly at him. She knew exactly what he was doing and made sure her tone warned him against grilling her best friend. "Women don't kiss and tell, okay?" She teased, turning her gaze back to Blake. "At least, to the men anyhow. You'll be sure to tell me everything though, right?"

Blake ( Bellz )
Conor ( Misty Gray )

***

Alex's Home
~Bethnal Green, London~
Alexander King​

The first week of Callum's visit ended with the poor kid puking on the boardwalk. For days Alex had allowed Callum to eat whatever he wanted, even if nothing matched. Burgers for breakfast and huge rainbow lollipops for dinner. In the end, Alex saw that perhaps it wasn't the best idea to let a child choose what they ate for their meals, but he couldn't bring himself to tell the kid no. It was the same when it came to watching tv late at night or even watching R-rated movies like 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' - which scared him so much he didn't sleep for two days. Alex had told Savannah he'd be fine when it came to his son being with him for two weeks but really he was struggling. Though he had convinced Callum they'd always be able to sleep in late, Callum was still this big ball of energy that was up at 9 am. The kid always wanted to do something and Alex was running out of things to entertain him with.

The second week was easier now that he knew he couldn't just let him do whatever anymore. He still let him choose stuff but when it sounded crazy, Alex would tell him so. Just the other day Callum had asked for a KitKat at 2 in the morning. "Mate, go to bed. You're not getting a KitKat." He told him. It was easier to do when he was half asleep anyway. Alex had even forced himself out of bed in the morning before his son woke up to have breakfast ready. Honestly, it was a lot of work but he wasn't about to let anyone know; especially Savannah. He had been so sure of himself that it would be easy to take care of Callum for just two weeks. Now, he knew it was hard but still. Just as he had gotten Callum settled into bed, he heard a knock at his door. Alex quickly answered it, his hair disheveled and dark circles slowly disappearing from under his eyes. When he saw it was Spencer he let out a deep breath. "If you're just goin' to walk in then don't bother knocking! I just got the kid to go down and don't want him getting back up." He harshly told him, keeping his voice quiet.

His brother walked further in, heading straight for his fridge and not bothering to even ask first. He was used to it by now as he just sank into his sofa. He was talking about Damian, someone he had only met in passing but hadn't really sat down with. "What d'you mean he's not all there? Like a loon?" After popping open his beer he drank from it and turned his body so one ear was listening to his brother and the other for any signs of Callum. It had become something subconscious he started doing when his son was sneaking back downstairs. The comparison between the Devil and Moretti made Alex snort then let out a quiet chuckle. "Agreed."

Spencer quickly changed the topic before he could make any more comments, asking about his time with Callum. "The kid is more energetic than I remember," he said, scratching his head. "Or has he always been that way?" The fact that he even had to wonder about it made him feel bad but for the moment he wouldn't dwell on it. "I'm annoyed that he's going back after we've gotten settled into a good thing here." He paused for a moment, tilting his head to see if he could hear the young boy. After a few seconds, he continued with their conversation. "No, Spence, I'm not. If these two weeks have shown me anything it's that I... May have been a shitty dad. He doesn't think so but I'm basically Dad. And I don't want to be."

Spencer ( Misty Gray )

***

Wycliff Family Home
~Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn~
Theodore 'Teddy' Wycliff & Elvian Moretti​

Teddy was not happy with the outcome of his meeting with Gabriel, Julia, and Ricky. James Porter would be spared and given back to his family in one piece. He wasn't just upset with Ricky for suggesting the idea but he was also upset with Gabriel for agreeing to it. James Porter had attacked him - brutally so - and nearly killed him yet he was about to walk away scotfree. The mere thought of it made Teddy sick, but of course, he couldn't argue with the man about it. At the end of the day whatever Gabriel said was law, so what was the point? After the meeting, he had confided in his wife about it through rants and venting. He was grateful she had allowed him to do so even though there was nothing she could really do about the situation.

Today he was going to put on a neutral face for his father-in-law. Sure there wasn't anything to be done about the situation, but he was going to pout until he felt better dammit! With a small glass of scotch in hand and his shirt nearly buttoned, he walked into his bedroom to check on his wife. It was her birthday and he was going to make sure she enjoyed herself, even just a little. With her siblings unable to attend he knew she was feeling down and didn't want to make anything worse with his sour attitude. He chuckled at her comment about making him miss his own birthday shaking his head. "Ah, I'd still celebrate it just to piss him off." His tone was light and joking, though he was being very serious. When she mentioned Ricky and Julia coming over he was half-relieved and half-annoyed. A part of him still didn't want to see Ricky since it was he who had made the stupid suggestion but he knew he couldn't hold such a grudge for too long. "Oh good, fun adults!" He smiled and kissed the top of her head before handing her his drink, seeing if she wanted a taste. His daughter soon came into their room with her hair extensions, Val setting out to help put them in. "Yes, ma'am, I sure can." He said before leaving to answer the door.

Grabbing onto her husband's hand, Elvian let out a playful scoff before shaking her head. "Oh, my dearest, not this time. I can't keep getting my hands dirty digging you out of your own holes." Once she was fully out of the car she straightened herself out before linking her arm through his. Valentina hadn't been the only person upset with the absence of Marcus and Tatiana. The woman was aware business was important especially now but this was also one of the only times the family was able to be together. However, she had already said her piece and would leave it at that. Nearing the front door she could hear Rocco's familiar barking and a smile instantly grew on her face. She loved dogs but after the death of her last one had opted out of furry creatures to care for. With Rocco, she could play with him and leave him to his humans. "Oh, but isn't he just the cutest little doorman you've ever seen?" She carefully knelt down to rub the puppy's head as Teddy appeared, pushing the dog away with his foot. "Alright, that's enough." He told him before greeting his in-laws. "He's a noisemaker and that's all. Nothing cute about him." He joked, kissing Elvian on her cheek. "The makings of an excellent guard dog!" Teddy just nodded his head in agreeance before turning to Gabriel.

He had managed to keep the grimace off his face when greeting him, reminding himself to let it go and that this was his wife's night. Clearing his throat he smiled, gesturing inside their home. "Come inside, come inside. Val is finishing Cristina's hair and the boys are around here somewhere." He moved out of the way to allow the two of them inside before leading them to the lounge. "How was the drive over?"

Gabriel ( Misty Gray )

***

Erik's Apartment
~Hackney, London~
Erik Snowden & Ava Moretti​

For the past two weeks, Erik Snowden had been agonizing over how he acted towards Billy. Not only had he confessed his feelings for the man, but he had also attacked him for not reciprocating his feelings. As if that weren't bad enough Billy had borne witness to Erik's withdrawal and it wasn't pretty. He was sure those two things, along with his emotional breakdown, would sway Billy's perception of him. Erik had worked so hard to hide it all and to have it all ruined in just a few minutes was devastating. Honestly, he didn't know how he was going to make up for it or how they would even move forward with Billy knowing all of this about him. Additionally, he was worried about who he would tell. Billy was an honest person whose loyalty lie within his family. It was reasonable if they no longer wanted him in London, especially now that Damian was here. Erik was a drug addict and the King's main business was just that. They didn't need someone they couldn't trust around.

Luckily, it didn't seem like anything of that magnitude would happen. If Billy were going to tell his brothers he would have told them the day after. He took this as his friend not being as upset with him as he thought - understanding even - which only made him feel worse. Billy King was far too good for him and Erik knew it. The man had even been by his home nearly every day since the incident to check on him. Though he would only stay for a few minutes, Erik was extremely grateful for it. He knew they needed to have some sort of talk about what transpired but he wasn't going to bring it up until Billy did. For starters, he was too embarrassed to start the conversation. He had built up this persona of himself of being cool, calm, and collected when really he tended to be very emotional. His behavior was abysmal and he would never be able to take it back. Secondly, he wasn't sure how Billy felt about it. Upsetting him once again wasn't on his list.

Erik had spent the day rearranging his apartment, as he often did when he couldn't sit still. It took the entire day and by the end of his endeavor, he was all sweaty. A knock on the door stopped him from going to immediately take a shower. Erik was sure he knew who it was, but asked for confirmation anyway. Hearing Billy's voice brought a smile to his face despite everything going on. His feelings about the man didn't change and if anything only made them stronger. Opening the door he immediately smiled and looked down at the pizza, the evidence of ashes on the top present. "Ash flavored pizza, my favorite." He joked, stepping to the side to allow him inside. Once the man was inside he closed the door and jerked his thumb towards the bathroom. "I was just about to take a shower." He paused for a moment, deciding against his dirty comment considering their strained relationship. "Um, you know the place." Remembering he had just finished changing it around he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I did, um... A little redecorating. I-I couldn't sit still so get reacclimated? Anyway, I'm going to shower." He was nervous now as he walked away. The moment he got towards the doorway he turned around and looked at the ground. "Don't go anywhere? I wanna talk."

Tapping the wall with his hand he nodded and disappeared again, hearing the phone ring. "Answer that!"

Ava had been just about to leave her home for Valentina's party when she remembered she was supposed to call her cousin that day. She had nearly forgotten and wanted to check in with him, seeing as their last phone call about been weeks ago. Sitting on the edge of her couch she twirled the coils of the phone cord around her finger, waiting for him to answer. "Oh, fuckssake Erik, answer the damn-," the sound of a male saying hello caught her off guard. It wasn't Erik's voice. She was sure she dialed the right number so she craned her neck to look at the clock. It was getting late there, so could this person be one of his late-night partners? "Uh, hi. This is Ava Moretti. Is this Erik Snowden's place? I'm his cousin and I was calling to check on him."

Billy ( Pyroclast )​

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Savannah Callahan's House
- Dollymount, Dublin - ​

Despite reassuring Gabriel that she would step up to the plate with her new position, Roxie had forced herself to take a step back for the sake of her kids. Going to New York without them was both taking a toll on her and them. She wasn't oblivious to that fact but it had been presented to her during a phone call with the kids' therapist. It wasn't just her they were upset with being constantly gone or working, they were also upset with Syd for the same reasons but Roxie knew she couldn't necessarily change what her ex was doing so she decided to work on changing herself for. After asking him if she could have the kids for one weekend, Roxie decided to take them on a camping trip despite wanting to do nothing more than stay inside the safety of her house. She understood that the kids needed some normalcy after everything that had transpired recently and was determined to make that happen for them. The trip was a huge success and things were running smoothly with the four of them until the other night when Roxie explored the idea of moving into a different home with them.

Being that the home they were currently living in was the home they had grown up in, Roxie knew she would be met with arguments but it still hurt having to let the kids know her boundaries and what she was comfortable with. This home had been hers way before Matthew had ever stepped foot into her life, but his death was a constant reminder every single time she stepped through the doors. Her therapist said that it wasn't good to run away from those feelings because it wasn't practical to do that all the time but Roxie was 40 years old, she'd had her fair share of putting up with what she was uncomfortable with for a long time.

With all this going on, Roxie had been trying to keep in contact with her cousin to get an idea of what was happening in New York. He kept reiterating how important it was that she come to the meetings but she made a point that her children needed her, which was something they both agreed on but knew Moretti wouldn't be as forgiving or understanding. She was going to arrange a call with the man in a few days to catch up and talk things over. Yesterday, Roxie had gone house hunting and had tried to invite Savvy to join her as she had heard that her best friend was having a hard time with Callum being away in London with his father but the woman never picked up the phone and at one point just sent her directly to voicemail. Roxie gave her the space but today had decided that it was worth her just going over to Savvy's house to try and talk with her.

After dropping off the kids with Lucy for the evening, Roxie headed to Savvy's house in Dollymount. She was sure she would catch her friend by surprise but Roxie had tried multiple times to set something up and she hoped she wasn't catching her at a bad time. After getting out of her car, Roxie moved to the backseat to grab the several bottles of wine she had bought along with a bunch of VHS movies she had rented from the local rental store. Lugging all that towards the front door, she managed to move them into one arm before ringing the doorbell. When the door opened, Roxie placed an easygoing smile on her face, "Hey, babe!" Immediately taking in Savvy's atmosphere, Roxie's smile faded slightly. "I uh know that I kinda pop up here out of the blue but I've been calling you since yesterday! Are you busy? I thought I could bring over a couple of bottles of wine, a few rom-coms and help you with anything you need! Can I come in?"
with: Savvy Misty Gray

 

[BloodThunder27]

~Chapter 7: Unpacking The Truth~

Thursday 16th May 1985
...15 days later...
London: Evening - Overcast, Mild, Breezy​

~Pregnancy Tracker~

Pregnancy Progression: 39/42 Weeks

Countdown to Labor & Delivery: 274/294 Days

Weight Gain: 70/71 Kg

~Shirley Kwon~ London, England | London Royal Hospital, Intensive Care Unit

For the past two weeks, Expectant Mother Shirley Kwon had been in a coma following a serious car accident. But that didn't keep her pregnancy from progressing, although she may not know it yet, she was well overdue with her babies and the Doctors caring for her currently were surprised that the accident did not trigger the onset of labor. What left them even more surprised was how she sustained absolutely zero injuries to her abdomen and that the babies were unharmed. A miracle, many of them thought. But it saddened them very much when she didn't awaken the first few days, and it broke their hearts whenever Shona King, who was her Best Friend and also heavily pregnant, came to visit. Because their Mother hadn't been talking to them, the twins slowly became more and more familiar with Shona's gentle and loving voice and they would kick whenever they heard her voice, even more so whenever they felt the other woman's touch.

In more positive news, her babies were doing very well all things considered and Shirley was healing up very nicely, mainly the burns she had sustained in her upper back and her left arm. Her broken leg and wrist however, lagged behind a bit. Nonetheless, she would remain in the Intensive Care Unit as Doctors wanted to keep a close eye on her as well as monitor the babies for the time being, at least until she woke up. Though by that time, she'd probably be going into labor, but there was no real way to tell. Would the onset of labor wake her up? Who knows. But since she was thirty-nine weeks pregnant, which was three weeks longer than most twin pregnancies, those babies were certainly very stubborn and content about staying inside their Mommy's tummy

One of Shirley's primary nurses, Nurse Xiulan, was on her way to check on the sleeping Mother-to-be. She overheard Shona's voice, talking to Shirley once more as she slept. After a few minutes, Nurse Xiulan proceeded to open the door, facing Shona as she entered through and she was quickly given three questions. "Oh, no updates at this time, Mrs. King. All things considered though, Ms. Kwon has been doing very well in terms of recovery and it is still shocking to the Doctors that have treated her, especially since her babies were not harmed in the car accident. They've both been doing very well, though there are some concerns from her Midwife because she's well passed her due date, as twin pregnancies last thirty-six weeks on average and we do not wish to act against her wishes by inducing labor, especially since she is not awake to have a say. Other then that, we are hoping that she wakes up soon. I'll be back in about an hour to check up on her again." She said before writing a few things on her clipboard and then quietly exiting the room, closing the door behind her.

As soon as the door closed, Shirley's eyes fluttered before groaning and it wasn't long until she started feeling pain practically everywhere. Her leg, her wrist, her lower back, her huge belly and worst of all, a head-splitting migrane. Taking a deep breath, she looked over to see that Shona was holding her hand. "S-Shona...W-Where am I? What happened?" She asked, as much of the pain subsided. "The last thing I remember was being upside-down in a car before I passed out. H-How long have I been here?"

Shirley's heart started beating a little faster, but took another deep breath to calm down, knowing that her mood spikes could trigger the onset of labor. Carefully, she took the blanket off of her belly before guiding Shona's hand towards it. The babies would kick at their Aunt's touch and were now kicking a little more now that they heard their Mother's Voice. "How long was I asleep?" She asked, worried.

Interactions: Shona King ( Pyroclast )

 

[Mitheral]

Woodlands/Farmland Area
~ The Baskins, Dublin ~
Katsya Grey​

Dad was right. This was amateur night, every night. But Dad also constantly reminded her that these ‘amateurs’ - Dad didn’t use that word - were the ones who had graced Katsya and her father with anonymity from the political world of the Cold War. That had included helping them maintain the alternate identity as the Greys. So it was either cater to the Sullivans - or face the wrath of the USSR.

For the most part Katsya liked the Sullivans, respected them even. But their method of information gathering was like something out of the Stone Age. Then again, they weren’t retained spies, private investigators, or police. They relied on guesswork, primitive torture, and mob tactics. Well, they WERE the mob.

Ever since she had taken up helping Stella, Katsya had taken to wearing Second Chance body armor and black combat boots. For the most part she had stuck with Level iiA. But for working with Adam, a considerably more important member of the Sullivan family, she had opted for iiiA multi threat. If it came down to it, she fully intended to take any bullet meant for the man. It wasn’t that she had any great love for the man. It was a matter of respect. Dad had told her to respect the Sullivans; that’s exactly what she would do.

In addition to her body armor she had started keeping a black Go Bag filled with an assortment of gear - primarily weapons, extra ammo, grenades, pepper spray, and B&E gear. For weapons she had taken to some serious firepower. First, there was her Ingram Mac-10 with suppressor and laser sight. She loved the combination and preferred the 9mm option despite the smaller 30 round magazine capacity. Her standard load was 6 magazines duct taped in pairs for rapid reload. Her second weapon of choice was a riot shotgun designed for firing plastic bullets. This was for less than lethal work. It was a weapon very much disliked in Northern Ireland. Its predecessor had used rubber bullets which had killed or critically injured more than a few targets. Of course, that was mainly because the idiots using them weren't trained properly. Next she had three ‘holdouts’ - a 1911 on her right ankle and Kbars on her inner left thigh and right hip.

She had wanted to bring “Baby” - her name for various things she liked to show off with. But Baby was an M60E3 (that machine gun used in Rambo). But the weapon was just too damned big and seriously overkill. Even Dad might have raised an eyebrow. But she could have argued that it would settle any arguments very fast. Okay - maybe not the best tool for a personal engagement.

She had removed her black bag from their vehicle and found a spot very close by to conceal it. This way, if their vehicle was stolen, she would still have her bag. Or she could retrieve it quickly in the event they needed to leave in a hurry.

To Katsya sending so many people for only 9 thugs struck her as overkill. It would have been safer to just send her. But that wasn’t a well known fact - and the Sullivan men would have probably found a woman doing that somehow insulting - damned male egos. Hell, Stella could probably have handled the whole bunch - not that Katsya would have admitted it. She would have used the excuse of safety in numbers for THAT argument.

Aiden’s remark about cremation made her raise an eyebrow. “Bonfire won’t be hot enough for that. Takes about 1000 C. But I brought plenty of treated sheets for disposal work. If we kill them all, they will have to share sheets though.” It was only after she explained this that she realized that Aiden might have been joking. She turned to Adam instead and asked, “So Mr Harper, do you want Toothpick or Snubnose?”

Misty Gray , Pyroclast , BloodThunder27

 

[Pyroclast]

Elena Velazco
​

Having only been in Dublin for three months, Elena wasn’t sure how well established it was normal to be for an immigrant like her - and an illegal one, at that. She was pleased to have got herself a job so quickly, especially one that allowed her to interact with Adam in a social environment and that she had somehow managed to make a friend in Thomas Porter. Yet, in all the three months she had been making a new life for herself in Dublin, she had never been invited to somebody else’s house - besides, of course, the hotel manager whom she now had to sleep next to each night. To her, the invitation from Thomas was a big deal.

The chemistry between them was obvious to her from the moment they first laid eyes on each other, but she had done her best not to rush into exploring it for fear of compromising her place in Adam’s life. It was getting harder to pretend that there was nothing between them and so when Thomas invited her round to see his new place, she just couldn’t turn him down. Still, she didn’t know him very well, and she believed that the more mysterious a person was, the more likely it was that things would fall apart. And if it fell apart, then she might end up seeing less of Adam, or worse still, Adam’s impression of her could become tainted.

All she had to do was not get ahead of herself. If she had learned anything so far from being in Adam’s life as nothing more than an acquaintance, it was to take each day as it came. She would go to Thomas’ place without expectations - just as a friend. Of course she put an effort into her appearance anyway. She couldn’t help but care what he thought of her.

As soon as the door opened and Thomas appeared before her, Elena beamed. “Tomás!” Her instinct was to spring forward into a hug, but before she could do something to embarrass herself she was pushed backwards by an extremely friendly dog. Elena gasped with delight and knelt down on the front step to receive the animal’s enthusiastic welcome. “You have a dog!” she exclaimed, welcoming the border collie into her arms. “I always want a dog all my life. They are so happy, they just want to love you!” She was interrupted by a kiss from Lucky, which made her giggle. Once the dog let her go, Elena stood up and returned her attention to Thomas. He looked so handsome, somehow even more than usual. She supposed given how reserved he was, perhaps in his own home he looked and acted more like himself. “Am I late? I go to the wrong house...two times.” She laughed at herself. “I’m so happy to see you! Can I come in? You show me your place?”

Without waiting for further invitation, Elena let her excitement drive her onwards, slipping out of her shoes in the process and leaving them by the door. She slowed down as she reached the centre of the room, turning on the spot to take in the space that surrounded her. “Wow…” she exhaled. “It is all yours?” Her eyes found Thomas and she smiled spontaneously, which triggered a blush to come to her cheeks. She walked around slowly, and traced her fingers along the surface of a coffee table. “This is your table?” It amused her to imagine living in such a place and she looked up at him again, on the verge of laughter. “And it’s your chairs?”

In all honesty, it impressed her that Thomas had a place of his own. Back in Havana she hadn’t known many people at all who lived by themselves, at least in the area that she came from, so it was a novelty to her. The man she now resided with of course lived on his own, too, but she was far too uncomfortable there to be impressed. With Thomas, however, she was purely happy for him. “You like it better to live here, more independent?” she asked. “If I live alone, I will do whatever I want...eat helado for dinner...bailaría, cantaría...and wear no clothes.” Ignoring the fact her cheeks were tingling already, Elena set her eyes on him and took some steps closer to the man. She could feel the electricity spark in the air between them, and it was drawing her closer. “Eres libre aquí, Tomás. You can do what you want, all the time.” She paused, but her gaze never fell away. Her interest in the apartment hadn’t gone away, but her interest in Thomas was always going to be greater. “So, what is it that you want now?”

Interactions
Bellz Thomas

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


Billy King​

Billy would find it much easier to cover for Erik if he was able to put as much energy towards his work and the business as he did towards worrying about him, but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't get him off his mind. It made him feel better to see him and make sure he was okay, even if he could only spare a few minutes to do so. In his eagerness to see him, Billy flicked the rest of his cigarette onto the concrete as soon as he was granted access to the building; by the time he got up to Erik's front door the man let him in immediately. It was only when Erik drew attention to it that he realised he had forgotten to sweep the ash off the pizza box. "Only the best for you," he teased back, but didn't hesitate to go to the bin and brush off the mess.

Noticing it was now in a different place, he looked around the apartment and realised the whole interior had been rearranged. "This is definitely your place, right?" he joked. He looked over at Erik with a smile but the man seemed to be struggling to make eye contact and stammered some excuse about rearranging his whole apartment for not being able to sit still. Placing the pizza boxes down for the time being, Billy leaned one hand against the counter and rested the other on his hip, refraining from quizzing Erik about his behaviour. "Sure, you go shower," he shrugged. "I'll stand here and not eat your pizza while you're gone."

Just then the phone rang and Erik told him to pick it up. Billy didn't go immediately, instead watching as his friend trailed off into the bathroom, noticing how he still struggled to make eye contact. He appeared nervous, which Billy still wasn't used to seeing in him, and he couldn't tell if what Erik was going through was recent or if he had always been this way and only now had become comfortable showing it - or otherwise simply unable to hide it.

Realising the phone was still waiting for him, Billy launched himself away from the counter and picked it up. "'Ello?"

It was Ava. Billy glanced towards the bathroom door, wondering if Erik would mind him speaking to her given the anxious mood he appeared to be in. The way he had spoken about her in the past suggested that she was important to him, perhaps somewhat influential over him. The first thing that came to mind when he heard her name was Erik, high on cocaine, freaking out in Victoria Park and urging Billy not to tell Ava. That he was high, that he was gay, that he was in tears - Billy wasn't sure what it was exactly that he wasn't allowed to say. Whatever she was checking on him for, however, Billy knew he had to stay out of it if he didn't want Erik to fall out with him again.

“His cousin, right, ‘course,” he said, rubbing his forehead lightly. “It’s just, your name comes up sometimes...but he’s a mysterious guy, Erik, never really explains himself or talks about where he’s from. Known him two years and I’m still figurin’ out who he is…”

For some reason she was making him nervous enough to ramble, and he quickly smiled as if she could see him. “Sorry, uh - you just missed him, actually, he just hopped in the shower. This is Billy, Billy King.” He hoped his surname would be enough for her to understand his relation to Erik without need for further explanation. He wasn’t really sure what he was to him these days. “You want me to pass on a message, Ava? Or I can go bang on the door, get him out here for ya’?"

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

 

[BloodThunder27]

~Chapter 7: Second Chances~

Thursday 16th May 1985
...15 days later...
Dublin: Evening - Dry, Mild, Clear Skies

~Stella Kwon~Dublin, Ireland | Irish Wilderness

Over the next two weeks since the altercation with the Sweeney Brothers and tracking Adam and Emery's attempted killers with help from Katsya, Stella had been carrying about her usual business, which was collecting debts from people who have borrowed money from Mr. Sullivan and refusing to pay up. Of course, this often resulted in the seizure of luxurious vehicles for the most part, a few of which, Stella drove herself to one of Conor's Impound lots, where they would be held until the money owed was paid in full. On her days off or whenever she got home from a long day's work, she started wondering about her younger twin sister, Shirley. Looking at the Calendar, she could only wonder if Shirley had even delivered her baby yet, the younger woman's last words echoing through her mind. "Because I'm pregnant! I am not bringing a child home to a Shady Aunt who doesn't even talk about what she does for a living! Or wonder why you're coming with gunshot wounds, knife wounds and bruises almost every night! No!"

On some nights, it made her cry, on others, it would mostly kill her mood and render her lethargic on her days off. If she ever felt this heavy heart during a work day, she would just ignore it, which wasn't healthy. But not like there was anyone she could really confide in. Sure, there was Emery, but she was too busy nowadays and the two almost never really saw each other anymore. Brushing all these thoughts aside, Stella began thinking about the task at hand. The Sweeney Brothers were in deep shit and so were whoever was involved in the Drive-By Shooting on Adam and Emery, as well as death threat on Lucy's now-Adoptive Daughter, Shinoa.

On this evening, Stella decided to go in very well armed, not just for an intimidation factor, but she was expecting a firefight, because surely the Sweeney Brothers had friends who would attempt to bail them out. Stella wasn't a stranger to killing, but she often avoided it due to the nature of her job as a Bounty Hunter. For much of the car ride into the woods, Stella, as usual, remained silent as Adam walked the team through the plan. At least tonight, she'd be working with Chase again, so that made her fairly happy as he was someone she was familiar with and worked with in the past. How long has it been since they last worked together? She could only wonder.

After what felt like a lengthy drive, Stella was happy to finally stretch out her legs. Of course, all her holsters felt empty, but that was going to change here soon enough. Upon being told alongside the rest of the team that the men were drunk, hopefully that would be where the Sullivan Gang would have the upper hand, since they were sober and in turn, much more focused without alcohol hindering their minds. Straightening out her jacket, she smiled once Adam opened the back of the Jeep. One by one, everyone grabbed their weapons and equipment. Stella proceeded to grab both of her M1911s, her Desert Eagle, a few Flashbangs and the latest addition to her arsenal, a Golden AK-47. Briefly out of the corner of her eye, she looked towards Katsya, who was armed to the teeth. Was that really necessary? The other woman had enough armaments to blow up the cabin! Stella on the other hand, was just ready for a firefight. When Adam asked if everyone was ready, Stella looked over and simply flipped the safety off. "Ready whenever you are, Boss." She responded before letting the AK rest on her shoulder.

Interactions: Adam Harper, Aiden Byrne Misty Gray | Katsya Grey Mitheral | Chase Zegarra Pyroclast
Mentioned: Lucy Porter Bellz | Emery Callahan Misty Gray | Shirley Kwon, Shinoa Bradford