Realistic or Modern The Oath - 1940s Gangster Drama - IC (Ended)

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano

Vinnie shook his head as Lorenzo whined on and suggested he should just leave the business now. When did everyone become so damn emotional?

When Lorenzo grabbed him and technically insulted Vinnie's dear mother, the man was a little surprised. Though on second thoughts, he wasn't really surprised he was drawing out this reaction. When his cousin let go of him, Vinnie straightened his clothes out and glared at the man. "Do that again and I will headbutt you." Vinnie observed long enough to see Lorenzo was defeated and clearly emotional about something.

"There are many things I have no right to know, but it doesn't stop me knowing them... Jack Reynolds, I believe, was a cardiologist. I know he died in a car accident, which I understand would cause you grief. To lose such an old friend is bound to have a lasting effect." Vinnie hadn't intended on his next conclusion and still wasn't sure if it was too unbelievable to be true, given it was so unheard of in these times to be a certainty. He could be right or wrong, so he would speak his suspicions in a humoured manner. "Still, the way you're going on right now, anyone would think you were screwing the guy," he said, letting out a light chuckle.
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ReverseTex

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[ReverseTex]

Lorenzo Romano

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Misty Gray


Lorenzo listened carefully to Vinnie, except for the headbutt part. The two had already fought, there was no need for another. But nevertheless, Vinnie knew about Jack.

“Yes it’s qui-...” He stopped abruptly when his cousin joked... Looking down at the ground for a moment, unable to really respond to the unintentional insult, he sighed. He knew that Vinnie had no clue, but now Lorenzo gave himself away...

“How do you feel about Gianna, Vincenzo...?” His emerald eyes lost all hardness, the facade of Lorenzo quickly slipping from his own grasps. He knew he was done. The Devil himself had figured out Lorenzo’s greatest sin...

 

[Enzyme]

Arlene Sullivan​

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Arlene looked out the window as the car pulled up to the gate. The Sullivan chauffeur merely had to roll down his window before the gates were opened. Arlene couldn't help but smile as an assortment of memories flooded back. The nostalgia hit her like a ton of bricks. The house seemingly hadn't changed since she left. The car pulled off to the designated parking lot, before coming to a halt. She eagerly climbed out of the car, looking around the estate. She looked back to the chauffeur, who was unloading her bags. "Oi, I have two arms, don't I?" Arlene, moved to pick up her bags, smiling to the man. The chauffeur happily stepped back, handing her, her luggage.

Arlene moved up the steps to the double doors. Letting out a deep breath, she pushed the double doors open. Lady instantly came running down the stairs, happily wagging her tail. Lucy's barking would surely alert the inhabitants of the house that a visitor was there. "Oh, hello, baby!" Arlene squeaked as she dropped her luggage. She got on her knees happily rubbing the dog's face. "Oh, aren't you gorgeous?" She asked in a baby voice, moving the dogs ears so she could look her in the eyes.

Moving off of her knees, she picked her suit case up off the floor. "Some party." She said to Lady, looking around the empty house. "Conor hasn't changed too much 'as he? Only a grumpy ol' man would throw a 'kickback' for his birthday." She shook her head, patting Lady on the top of her head.

Misty Gray Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Sullivan​

Misty Gray Enzyme
Lucy chuckled lowly and offered James a flirtatious smile as he complimented her appearance. Lucy nodded her head as he reiterated that he was getting drunk that night, completely understanding. "Well..I hopes its to have a good time and not for another reason..." Lucy hinted giving him a knowing look. "If you keep sweet talking me like that, you might just get a peek at what's underneath." she said in a low voice, making sure no one else would hear. Lucy laughed then and turned to look to Finn who James had playfully joked with about them owning a zoo. Lucy was delighted to see some emotion on the man's face and the remark he made in return. He even chugged down two glasses of whiskey! But just as Lucy was going to speak to Finn, Conor's voice came booming from the other room. Lucy shook her head and laughed. "Guess the birthday boy demands a drink." Lucy rolled her eyes teasingly to James before heading to grab her brother a drink. Whipping up his favorite drink, she moved towards the lounge smiling happily upon seeing her brother. "HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU BLOODY BRAT! I think you are getting old enough to make your own drinks, what say you?" Lucy walked up to her brother and handed him the drink before kissing him on the cheek.

Lady's barking signaled that someone else had arrived and she was now curious to see just who it was. Perhaps it was Aidan...or maybe Sinead returning home. "I'll be right back!" Lucy said to her brother, "Go to the kitchen! James Finn and Maggie are in there!" Handing him his glass, she moved towards the sound of Lady's barking. "Hey Sweet girl? Who's at the doo-?" Lucy's sentence was cut short at the sight of Arlene standing in the entryway with luggage and a happy Lady wagging her tail beside her. "Arlene!!" Lucy squealed excitedly happy to see her cousin from New York, having missed her dearly since Lucy left to return home. "What the hell are you doing here, luv?" Lucy moved in to give the woman a hug.

Finn Sullivan

Misty Gray Lamia myst.erion
Finn got up from his spot at the table and helped himself to a drink. A laugh escaped him as he passed at James' remark. "With Lions and Tigers and fluffy animals oh my!" Finn added softly, the humor in his voice was barely hinted but he offered James a smirk before grabbing himself a glass of whiskey. He downed it almost instantly and poured another glass, it too did not last very long. Sighing, the man nodded his head for a moment before going to sit back down, letting the buzz and warmth of the whiskey take over his own troubling thoughts, trying his hardest be upbeat for Conor's birthday. Finn stared at Maggie, admiring how strong his sister had been with him over the past few days. He hadn't expressed it, but he was truly grateful to have her in his life...he just had a funny way of showing it...by not wanting to live.

The sound of Conor's voice caused him to tear his gaze away from Maggie and towards the direction of his voice. He raised an eyebrow and shook his head at Conor's humor before standing once more to get another drink. Lucy left to get Conor a drink and then Lady was barking at the door alerting everyone someone had arrived. Finn made no effort to see who it was, not having the willpower to do so. Pouring himself another glass, he drank it a bit slower this time, sighing at the taste.
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[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans

James couldn't help but grin at Lucy's suggestive comment. "Just a peek huh? I guess I need to up my sweet-talking game if I want more," he said, with a wink. He then laughed upon hearing Conor's demanding voice. "Aww, make the poor birthday boy a drink. It's the least he deserves." Hearing the humour presented by Finn was a breath of fresh air to James and it reiterated there was hope yet. "Tigers... Now there's an idea," he joked, pretending to consider that as a next pet.

Conor accepted the drink from his sister and kissed her cheek in return. "Thank you, Luce. My favourite older sister," he remarked. When she told him Finn and Maggie were in the kitchen, Conor nodded and headed that way. He'd been hoping Finn would join them for the party.

"Evening James," Conor called out, almost startling the man who had fallen back into his own thoughts about the photographs. After James wished him happy birthday, Conor directed his attention to Finn and Maggie. "Hey there, cousins. How are you both doing? Ready to get drunk?" he asked. "You're going to have to go easy on me, though. It's been a while since I did this drinking business properly!" he joked. He looked to Finn's eyes, trying to gauge if the lad looked any better than the last time he'd seen him.

James topped his drink up before leaving the kitchen and entering the presently empty room. He sat down on the couch and placed the glass on the coffee table, just in time for Samson to wander in towards him. James scooped up the puppy and let him lay across his lap. James was frustrated thinking of who had sent him those photos and why now. He'd got by almost his entire life telling himself his mother was dead and never even seeing a photograph of her. Now someone had thrown all of it back up and he was left with Rayna's face in his mind. His mother had never had a face and that had been easier for him than seeing the face of someone he would never know.

Sinead opened the front door and stepped into the house. After closing the door behind her, she looked ahead to see Lucy with a familiar face. "Oh my God!" she excitedly said, her voice a little loud and an excited smile on her face. "Arlene! You look amazing," she said, giving her cousin the biggest hug a small lady could. She took a step back and glanced to both of her beautiful relatives. "Wow, this is so exciting. We're going to have so much fun for Conor," she enthused. Sinead was feeling in the best of moods this evening and hoped she could help lift everyone's spirits, given they'd all lived some kind of Hell this week. She'd had a good day at work, seen the man she loves and now she got to enjoy a party for Conor. She was so glad he'd eventually agreed. The family felt as complete as it ever could right now. "How the heck have you been, lovely?" she asked Arlene.



Enzyme Bellz myst.erion Lamia Lazy Taco​

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano

Vinnie raised a curious eyebrow at the way Lorenzo awkwardly responded and looked away. It was like he'd been caught off-guard and the joke had somehow struck a chord with the man. But that couldn't possibly be true as he hadn't been serious with his comment.

The question was then posed as to how he felt about Gianna. It appeared to be a genuine question, no malice or argument intended, so Vinnie sighed and placed his hands in his pockets. "When she was still alive, I loved her and worshiped the ground she walked on. She completed my life and took a big part of me with her when she died. I still love her now, but that eats away at me because there is no her to love. She doesn't exist anymore," he said, his tone for the briefest of moments sounding vulnerable. Nobody asked Vinnie how he felt, not how he really felt. People were only interested in him when it came to his negative actions and feelings. He cleared his throat and looked back to his cousin. "Have you felt the same way about a person before?" he suddenly asked, his harder tone returning.It may not slip Lorenzo's attention that Vinnie didn't use the word 'woman'.
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[ReverseTex]

Lorenzo Romano

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Misty Gray


Lorenzo was quite surprised to not have to hear Vinnie upbraid him, instead he answered the question truthfully. He let his cousin speak of his wife, knowing it would bring some emotion back into the ironclad known as Vincenzo Romano.

“We both know that only thing that has made the whole thing worthwhile has been those few times that we were able to truly connect with another person. You had Gianna. I had Jack...” Staring his cousin dead in the eye, there was a twang of sorrow, but mostly they were serious.

“Let's think of another minority. One that... One that can go unnoticed if it needs to. There are all sorts of minorities, blondes for example... Or people with freckles. But a minority is only thought of as one when it constitutes some kind of threat to the majority. A real threat or an imagined one. And therein lies the fear. If the minority is somehow invisible, then the fear is much greater. That fear is why the minority is persecuted. So, you see there always is a cause. The cause is fear. Minorities are just people. People like us...”

 

[Lamia]

Rayna Caito

Rayna Caitio had just arrived in the city of Chicago. The woman was stepping off from her private jet and entered into the chauffeur's car. "Good evening Miss." The chauffeur greeted. "Good evening." She replied, a friendly tone in her voice as she peered out the window. As the many streets passed by her, a feeling on nostalgia came over her. Everything was almost the exact. It was as if she never left. It was overwhelming coming back after so long.

Rayna looked down, opening the black purse in her hand and pulled out a small photograph. In the picture, there was a young 20 year old Rayna holding a newborn infant with Ronan at her side. She bit her lip, once again reminded just why she was sent away to Italy. As she thought about it, there was a pang in her chest. The woman always yearned and regretted not being able to raise her firstborn son and not watch him grow up like other parents were able to. "Oh Jamie. I miss you darling." She whispered softly, placing the photo back in her raven-colored purse.

She looked up as the car stopped. "Welcome to Chicago Miss."

The chauffeur got out and opened her door for her. She got out with a thankful smile as she looked ahead. In front of her was the home that she spent so much time in. She was unsure if things were different in town concerning business while Vinnie was in charge of the Romanos but she would soon find out.

Focusing her copper-brown eyes on the building, she walked forward. Steeping onto the front porch, she let out a sigh. Rayna rang the doorbell and waited holding two suitcases in her hands.

The light wind blew her ebony hair ever so softly whilst she awaited someone for answer.

Mentioned: Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano

Vinnie nodded his head when Lorenzo mentioned they'd been able to connect with other people. Vinnie had connected with Gianna, whilst Lorenzo with Jack. Although Vinnie had already suspected this was the case, receiving confirmation somehow still came as a shock. Perhaps he thought he was just being crazy and misreading things. But no. Lorenzo had Jack. Vinnie turned away and turned the dial on the hob to stop the pans from boiling over. Meanwhile, Lorenzo began his minority speech and though he listened it every word, it was only halfway through that Vinnie turned back to look at his cousin.

"You could have found yourself a nice woman and had children," he spoke up. "Hair colour and skin colour are natural, people are born that way. What you're talking about is a choice. A choice to go against nature and lay with other men." Vinnie was usually pretty decisive and black & white, but even he was struggling with this one. He'd been born to religious parents and remained religious throughout his life. For his whole life he'd been told homosexuality was wrong and he'd been content to believe it. In a way, he still did. It just made it difficult knowing one of his own family members was living that lifestyle. "I don't deny you loved Jack, but..." Vinnie fell silent. He was genuinely lost for words. Words which wouldn't result in more arguments.
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ReverseTex

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OOC: Vinnie is an old-fashioned bigot.

 

[Lazy Taco]

Luca had been getting ready to head over to the Sullivan household in order to go give a gift to Conor on his birthday. While at the same time he had been trying to get little Espresso to calm down, considering that he was barking outside his room window, at any strangers who passed by down the window. He had been really annoyed at him, mostly because he did it even when he himself was trying to sleep, it was like Res was so energetic that he couldn't even sleep. Once he had fully been ready and Espresso was sleeping, he had gone downstairs before waiting at the car, having invited Kate to come along. She hadn't fully reply if she was going, so Luca was gonna wait outside before he left.
Misty Gray

 

[ReverseTex]

Lorenzo Romano

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Misty Gray


Lorenzo watched as Vinnie turned his back to him, not surprised by his reaction. Although his calmness on the situation surprised him greatly, and his next words didn’t surprise him at all. He knew he’d disagree, which was completely fine, but his reaction surprised him. He wasn’t angry, more confused.

“You know Vinnie, I couldn’t have. I’ve never loved a woman in my life, and I never will. It’s not a choice being what I am, but I do accept it.” Lorenzo’s tone wasn’t cross, more calm. He was trying to explain this his cousin. “I’m fairly surprised Vinnie, I figured you’d be more cross.”

(sorry it’s short i think i’m temporarily blind)

 

[Enzyme]

Arlene Sullivan​

Arlene, looked to Lucy as she entered the room, raising her eyebrows and smiling ear to ear. She let out a laugh as Lucy finally noticed her, holding her arms out wide for her. Arlene hugged her tightly, resting her head on her shoulder. "Well, you randomly showed up on my front doorstep. I figured i'd return the favor." She held onto Lucy's palms, moving back to get a good look at her. "Look at you, you're gorgeous. Please tell me you're still the same badass from New York." She tilted her head, raising a brow. "Don't tell me Chicago made you soft, now." Her New York accent was extremely audible, like a fish-out-of-water.

Her eyes shifted to Sinead as she appeared in the hallway. She raised her eyebrows once more, smiling to Sinead and opening her arms to receive the hug. She pulled away as Sinead told her she looked amazing. "Oh, stop it. I barely had time to wash my hair this morning. Look at you!" She moved her soft fingertips to Sinead's face, pushing a rogue strand of hair out of the way. "The music business has been good to you!" She put her arm around Sinead's shoulder. "I've been alright. Just glad to be here. Chicago is a lot more green than that cement block of a city." As Sinead brought up Conor, her eye's scanned the horizon of the house. "Speaking of, where is the muppet? I hope he's still small enough for me to kick his arse."

Misty Gray Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano

Vinnie listened to Lorenzo said being gay wasn't a choice and also that he was surprised he wasn't angry. "I don't know what I am, Lorenzo. This is a lot for me to think about. At this point I should be condemning and throwing the Bible at you for what you are. It's harder because you're family." Vinnie sighed. "I can't turn you away or reject you. I just... I just need some time to get my head around this. Yes?" he suggested. Perhaps having the family around for dinner helped soften Vinnie's reaction, he wasn't quite sure himself.

Upon hearing the doorbell, Vinnie took it as a distraction even though he still expected one of the others to answer as they were closer to the front door. "That must be Rayna or Angel," he spoke up, his face softening up a little.

ReverseTex

Sinead Sullivan

Sinead blushed a little as Arlene returned the compliment and moved some hair from her face. "I'm not exactly doing what I wanted, but playing at the restaurant is still really nice. Thank you," she told her. "I've been told Chicago is somehow prettier than New York. I've yet to see it with my own eyes."

When Arlene called Conor a muppet, Sinead let out a small snicker. "I'm afraid you're in for a bit of a shock. Conor got big," she said, lifting her arm to emphasise his height. "Like, tall and muscly. I mean, you can still try... Find his weak spot," she playfully suggested. Having only just returned home, she wasn't sure where her brother was, so glanced to Lucy for the answer.

Enzyme Bellz

***************​

Lazy Taco Can we just say Kate joined him? I'm have a bit of a block writing for her at the moment.
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[Lazy Taco]

Carrick had decided to go outside of Chicago to go search up some kind of present that he could get for Conor, something that he would had liked. I mean sure he could had just stayed over there and celebrated with them somehow,but Conor was his older brother and he wanted to get him something, even if that meant he had to go outside, something that he hadn't liked to do at all. Once he had gotten the correct present, Carrick had gone to one of the store so that he could go buy a suit to wear before he started to head toward the car, where one of the Sullivan gang waited. Opening the door to the car, the drive back to the household didn't take long and not long, he was opening and walking inside through the back door, something that he always did.
Mentioned: Misty Gray

 

[ReverseTex]

]

Lorenzo Romano

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Misty Gray


Lorenzo studied Vinnie, his eyes spiraling in confusion. He knew this would be troublesome for his cousin, but he would learn to deal. His reply was better than he expected too, seeing as he was more so confused, versus trying to throw him into Hell.

“Fair enough.” Just as Vinnie was going to leave, Lorenzo put his hand on his shoulder as he passed, stopping him. “Now you don’t tell a soul Vincenzo, if I hear word gets out, i’ll make sure to unleash my unchristian hellfire on you.” Even though he was making hyperboles, the basic message was known. Tapping his shoulder, he moved out of his way to retrieve his scotch.

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Sullivan​

Misty Gray Enzyme
Lucy smiled happily as she embraced her fellow blonde cousin. She squeezed her tightly and offered her a laugh for her explanation as to why she was here. "Well I am definitely not complaining!" Lucy said and moved away from the hug, letting Arlene hold her palms as she examined Lucy's appearance. A blush came to her cheeks as her cousin complimented her. "Me? Soft? Never." Lucy said almost a little too confidently. Lucy had been a bit of a different person in New York, one that she wasn't sure would fit in well with the Sullivan crowd but she definitely wasn't soft. "You are still a whirlwind I see! I am going to steal that dress one of these times." Lucy had noted that she had seen it before back in New York and even expressed her appreciation for it. "I'll definitely let you raid my closet!"

Sinead entered the home, then and another smile appeared at the sight of her little sister. "Welcome home Sinead!" Lucy said to her sister, happier than she felt in a long time. She let the two women converse until Arlene asked where Conor had gone and Sinead looked to her for an answer. "I believe our Birthday boy has walked into the kitchen, Finn, Maggie and James should be in there too! Let me take your bags Arlene! I'll take them upstairs and meet you both in the kitchen." Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed her cousins' luggage and headed up the stairs with it quickly. Once she returned down stairs, she saw both Sinead and Arlene made their way to the kitchen and followed suit.

Passing through the lounge, she paused when she saw James sitting on the couch, with little Samson on his lap and a drink in his hand. Lucy smiled at him for a moment before it faded into a frown. She could see the frustration in his eyes and she was sure that he was thinking about the letter he had received. It was going to be hard for him to forget any of that just happened, but Lucy wasn't going to let him overthink it tonight. "Hey, I thought this was a party. Parties are suppose to be social, you are awfully lonely at a party right now." Lucy teased before coming and sitting next to him for a moment. "Need to talk?" She asked softly. "You always are so quick to offer your emotional support...can I do the same for you?"

Finn Sullivan

Misty Gray Lamia myst.erion
Finn was delighted when Conor stepped into the room, looking high in spirits about life. His eyes showed this delight only briefly before the light disappeared again. He did, smile slightly. "Happy birthday lad." Finn said to him with a firm pat on the back. "How does it feel to be an old man now?" He asked, trying to tease with him. Finn was conscious of what his behavior was like, he knew the effect that he was having on the whole family. It was hard to control, this feelings of self hate and guilt. One moment he would be perfectly fine and then the next moment he would be curled into a ball in the center of his room crying.

Finn didn't bother to hide the fact that he was on his 5th glass of alcohol as he poured himself another drink, leaning against the counter. He sighed and looked at the contents of the glass, swishing it around slightly as he was deep in thought.
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[Lamia]

Athena Archer

Athena was on the train, heading into town for the day. The girl was working but she didn't have that spark in her when she sang like normal. Lenny had noticed and asked what was going on. Athena told the man what was going on in her life at the moment. Since the two were extremely close, the man understood. He asked her that she could take about a week or two off with paid leave. The girl refused at first but with Lenny insisting, she was forced to accept. The train stopping at her destination, Athena got up, paying the driver and exiting. She stepped off, buttoning up her black jacket. Thena looked up, walking off. The city was busy as usual today.

Enzyme (could this be the part where Thena witnesses the altercation?)
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Aidan Sullivan

Aidan had spent the last few days at the Sullivan home, feeling a bit worried about Finn. He heard the commotion that was going on so he headed downstairs and was surprised to see a familiar face. He widely smiled as he walked downstairs. Aid walked towards his cousin. "Arlie!" he exclaimed. "I wasn't expecting to see you here. How's it going?" He said with a beaming smile. He pulled the girl in for a hug. He noticed all the others were down greeting the loved cousin.

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Enzyme
Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano

Vinnie listened as Lorenzo made the threat about what he'd do if word got out. The man simply smirked and shook his head. Vinnie couldn't think of a situation where he would enjoy telling people about his cousin's secret. Even so, he didn't take such a threat seriously, other than mild irritation that his cousin had bothered to make it.

Vinnie walked into the lounge as the doorbell rang again. "I'll get the door, don't any of you bother getting up," he sarcastically remarked as he walked passed the others. He opened the front door and saw his cousin standing on the doorstep. He immediately reached to take Rayna's two suitcases and carried them inside, leaving them by the stairs. Once she had entered the house, Vinnie outstretched his arms and gave his cousin a welcoming hug. "Rayna, it's a joy to see you," he honestly told her as he took as step back to look her over. He cared dearly for his cousin, so he was genuinely pleased to see her. It was the fact she was in Chicago and wanted to see her long lost son that he didn't like. How such a good woman got herself caught up with Ronan Porter in the first place always baffled Vinnie. The fact they'd then produced the pain in the ass known as James was even more difficult to stomach. "Italy must be treating you well. You always look so youthful - perhaps I need to spend some time there." He placed his hand on her shoulder and pointed towards the lounge. "Come on, I made sure we had a few people over for dinner."

As they stepped into the lounge, Vinnie regarded those present. "Now, we have Nicolo and Alex, who I'm sure have grown a lot since you last saw them. And my dear cousin Lorenzo, who you also know." He then gestured towards Olivia. "This is Olivia. She's practically family and I'm sure you'll both get along."

"Hi, Rayna," Olivia greeted her, with a bright smile on her face. "It's lovely to meet you."

Lamia neverbackdown ReverseTex


James Porter

James looked up as Lucy spoke to him and he let a small smile creep onto his face. "I'd got myself all psyched up for socialising and drinking," he mused aloud. He looked admiringly to her as she sat next to him. He knew he wasn't going to get out of bottling this one up, not after he made her share her feelings and be honest with so many times. He gently placed his hand on Samson's chest to stop the puppy from climbing onto Lucy and doing any damage to her nice dress. "I feel like I should talk, but I don't know what even needs to be said," he told her, looking to her as he spoke. "I've never seen a single photograph of my mother before and I don't know why someone would do this. It was easy to understand I'd never know or even have a mother when she didn't have a face. She was dead and I felt nothing for her, like she never existed. Now I've seen what she looks like and I have this memory that doesn't mean a thing but hurts because now I know she did exist. She was real and she fucking ditched my father; left her own bloody kid!" James bit his lip and shook his head. This was hurting more than he wanted to show.

Bellz


Conor Suliivan

Conor smiled at Finn as his cousin wished him happy birthday. "Never mind calling me old, mate. You're always going to be a few months older than me, so you already know what it feels like," he joked. It was nice to see his cousin joking, but Conor knew it wouldn't last and it was hard for Finn to stay upbeat. "Do you know what I have noticed about being old? There's a distinct lack of presents being handed to me!" he said, gradually raising his voice so the others around the house could hear his hint. "It's shocking, is what it is."

Conor noticed Finn pouring yet another drink and raised an eyebrow. "I hope you're going to let me catch up. This isn't fair if you've already downed a bottle before I've had chance to take off my shoes," he noted. Conor wasn't about to stop his cousin from drinking - he knew what it was like to need that escape. At the same time, he hoped he could get Finn to open up a bit more and he didn't want him drinking so much that it made him ill.

Bellz
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[Bellz]

Lucy Sullivan​

Misty Gray
Lucy gave a small laugh as Samson tried to climb onto Lucy but James stopped him dead in his tracks, for which she was grateful, those tiny puppy paws would not be very nice to her dress of delicate fabric. Reaching out, she stroked the pups fur before listening intently to James words, looking into his eyes as he spoke about his true feelings with her. She knew this was all very hard and new to him, Lucy wasn't even sure what to say at first when he finished speaking. The bitterness that he felt towards his mother for leaving was understandable. Lucy felt a pang of guilt, realizing she had basically done the same thing...Lucy's leaned in and hugged the man tightly not caring if people saw their moment or not. He needed the support and she was going to give it to him.

"I'm so sorry James." She whispered softly, placing a delicate kiss on his cheek, after a long moment she pulled away and sighed. Lucy wasn't sure why a woman would leave her entire family behind, unless it was for the reasons that Lucy had left...perhaps.."Do you think...do you think she left because she thought it would protect you?" Lucy wondered out loud. It was treading on dangerous grounds, but she wondered out loud regardless. "I know it doesn't excuse it...at all, you have every right to be upset, hell...I'm pissed. What woman would leave such a handsome young man behind? I sure as hell couldn't stay away." Lucy offered him a smile, but she knew it might not help. Lucy heard her brother's voice complaining about not having presents and Lucy rolled her eyes. "Jesus Christ he is demanding." Lucy shook her head and laughed lightly.

Finn Sullivan

Misty Gray Lamia myst.erion
Finn rolled his eyes at Conor's joking and shrugged his shoulders. "Ah I guess you got me there huh." Finn almost spit his drink from immediate laughter as Conor shouted that there was no presents being handed to him. Finn hadn't left the house much, but he did manage to get something for him asking his dear sister to pick the man up what Finn had decided to get him. "I think presents wait till after the cake, if I remember correctly." Finn said jokingly before nodding at Conor's words about his number of drinks.

Finn knew he was pushing it already with the amount of drinks he had consumed, it was more to drown out any thoughts of his parents death and the words that fucking Romano had put into his head. Finn couldn't remember the last time he had been drinking for sadness. "Aye mate, I'll let you catch up. But if I recall correctly, you are the best drinker this side of the city...but if you want me to go easy on you. I can do that." Finn was determined to have fun this evening, the alcohol was already getting to him and he was feeling the warm and happy buzz of it moving through his body.
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[Enzyme]

Arlene Sullivan​

Arlene strolled to the kitchen, following close behind Sinead. Just as she was about to walk in, she heard a familiar voice behind her, looking up upon the stairs. "Is that you, Aidan?" The last time she saw him, he could barely stand on his own. "By-jesus, you're all grown up." She accepted his hug, pulling him in close to her. "I'm just glad to be back in Chicago with you guys." She rested her arm around Aidan's shoulder and walked into the kitchen with him.

"Alright, where's the birthday boy?" She asked, scanning her eyes around the kitchen. Her eyes fell on the muscular, tall man, somehow able to recognize him. "Well, you grew like a bloody sprout." She chuckled, walking over to Conor and wrapping her arms around him. "You use to be under my chin. You're not even givin' me a chance anymore, are ya'?" She pressed her head against his chest. "Happy 22!" She pulled away briefly, looking to her purse. "Speaking of..." After some digging, she managed to retrieve a small present. It was a rather slim box, a red ribbon holding it together. "Here," she said, smiling. After Conor opened it, he'd find a celtic 'love' cross necklace. The metal looked worn, the color faded. "It was your father's lucky charm. Back in New York, he had this wrapped around a picture of you lot." She rubbed Conor's shoulder. "He would've wanted you to have it. So, consider it a present from him and I both."

Misty Gray Bellz Lamia myst.erion

 

[neverbackdown]

Nicolo and Alexandra Romano

Alex smiled "yeah isn't he so cute". Nicolo looked at the dog and then back to his sister's grinning face. "He is very cute" he assured her before hearing the doorbell ring. Nicolo went to get up to answer it when his father walked in and sarcastically commented on them all staying put. Rolling his eyes, Nicolo leaned back into the seat.

When their father arrived in with Rayna, Alex and Nicolo both smiled up at her. Alex gently put Rocco on the floor before standing up and giving Rayna a hug "its lovely to see you" she said before taking a step back to allow Nicolo to also hug her.

Misty Gray Lamia ReverseTex​

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

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James closed his eyes as Lucy hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. He briefly and gently rubbed her shoulder with his free hand. Hearing her say she was sorry and generally the way she was supporting him touched him quite a bit, so much so that when she pulled away he opened his eyes which were now filled with tears. This whole situation was clearly too much for even a man as closed-off as James to keep locked away.

When Lucy posed the question of whether his mother could have left to protect him, he shook his head. "No, I don't see how leaving me could have possibly protected me. My old man said she just walked out on us one day without even giving him an explanation. She abandoned me and I'm not going to pretend it was for my benefit." James managed a smile when Lucy called him handsome and said she couldn't stay away. "That's because you're a good person," he assured her.

Hearing Conor's demands managed to draw a chuckle out of James. "All of this power has gone to his head. I don't think I'll give him his present just to teach him a lesson," he joked.

Bellz


Sinead and Conor Suliivan

Conor raised an eyebrow as Finn mentioned cake. "Woah, woah. There's cake?!" he asked, exaggerating excitement. "I'm ready for my cake and presents now," he playfully grumbled. He then laughed as Finn commented about going easy on him with the drinking. "No, no, no. I'm perfectly capable of taking on anyone in this house. I will out-drink the lot of you!" Conor was pleased to see Finn able to at least try to laugh and have fun. He knew it was a struggle for the guy, but the fact he was trying reflected his strength.


Conor's attention was then drawn to Sinead as she entered the kitchen, gift bag in one hand and a bright, infectious smile on her face. The healing wound on her forehead was the one thing that reminded him of what had happened to her earlier in the week, at the hands of Steve - a man he would quite like to have words with. It warmed him to see her look so happy, especially as witnessing her mental breakdown a few months ago still hadn't left his mind. Regardless of how fragile his little Tinkerbell appeared, he was grateful to see what he believed was genuine happiness on her face.""Happy Birthday, big brother!" Sinead told him and handed him the gift bag.

Conor wasted no time in opening the gifts; one a pair of square gold cuff-links and the other an expensive-looking black tie. "Thank you, Tinkerbell. They're perfect. You always did have a good eye for style," he told her. He then pulled his little sister in for a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. "I'm so proud of you," he reassured her.

"Oh, don't get soppy," Sinead said, despite enjoying the moment. They then pulled away from the hug and she stepped on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. "I figured you need to look the part for all of those business meetings you have to attend now. "


Conor grinned when he heard Arlene's voice and her comments about him growing up. When she wrapped her arms around him, Conor returned the gesture with one of his signature hugs. "Ah, I'm bigger than you now, lass," he remarked. "It's bloody good to see you, Arlene," he said, rubbing her shoulder as she pressed her head into his chest. When she broke away from the hug, Conor watched curiously as she reached into her purse. She then handed him a gift which he wasted no time in opening. He carefully pulled the chain out of the box and looked closely at the cross. As she explained it had belonged to his father and had been a lucky charm, he bit his lip and quickly nodded his head. It was difficult to not let his emotions overcome him as he came to the realisation this was his first birthday without Emmet present. These family gatherings would never been the same without his father, but Conor was genuinely grateful his family had still made sure to be here tonight. Things had changed and he was still getting used to being the head of the house. "Arelene, this gift is... it's amazing. It means a lot to me," he said, his voice for a moment faltering. He displayed a bittersweet smile before fastening the necklace around his neck. "Thank you," he said, placing a kiss on his cousin's cheek.
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Enzyme Bellz Lamia myst.erion Lazy Taco

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[Bellz]

Lucy Sullivan​

Misty Gray
The tears in James' eyes were unexpected and it ripped Lucy in half as it was rare to see such emotion coming from him. Nodding as James quickly shot down any possibility of his mother being a person who only wanted to protect James, she couldn't help but feel that their was somehow more to this story than he was willing to believe. He was hurt, and that hurt was keeping him from thinking objectively about what actually happened and why his mother left them. It of course could all be narrowed down to her just being a terrible person, but if she was related to James, she couldn't see how that was even possible.

She swiped a thumb under his right eye just as a tear managed to escape him despite his joking,her thumb caught it quickly and wiped it away. "He might fight you for it if you don't give him what he wants, but I'm sure you'd be able to manage, muscles." She said and gave his bicep a light squeeze before turning her attention to the kitchen. "You wanna come with me, drink all our worries away?" Lucy was trying to make sure that James had a good time, tonight was probably the only night that one of them wouldn't be wounded physically, and that was something to celebrate.She knew that it would be hard for James though, the man was emotionally wounded, and those were harder to heal.

Finn Sullivan

Misty Gray Lamia myst.erion Enzyme
Finn watched as his cousin Arlene showed up in the kitchen and couldn't help the smile that showed on his face, it wasn't as bright as it usually was..but it was something for the man. Sinead had returned as well and the pair was exchange greeting and birthday wishes with Conor. He decided that he would take a step back for a moment, moving to sit back at the dining room table. Normally he would have joined in such conversations and intimacies, indulging in all that his family life had to offer. But the fears were what kept him at bay. It was hard explain just what he was so afraid of, but it was dangerous.

He took a long gulp of his drink before slamming the glass down on the table a little too roughly. He winced slightly and tried to avoid making eye contact with anyone. The feeling of dread sunk into his chest again, squeezing the very life out of him, whatever was left of it anyway. He desperately wanted to make it through this night without any problems, wanting to break the habit of his family always having terrible memories of events. Taking deep breaths, he gripped the table and squeezed his eyes shut, anxiety gripping him in its tight vice like hold.
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[Lazy Taco]

Carrick looked over at the gift that he had gotten for his brother. Honestly, he had spent a lot of money trying to buy it, considering that some had called it an antique. He looked over the watch with a small smile, at the same time he had been lucky that the man had discounted or else he wouldn't had been able to get for him. Once he saw that the rest had given him the present, at the same time raising an eyebrow when he saw that he didn't recognize the girl who had been hanging out with Sinny. He walked forward and carefully placed his gift on his brother hand. "Happy birthday." He said to him before turning around and heading to go stand by his mother side.
Misty Gray Enzyme

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter

James faintly smiled as Lucy wiped the tear away form under his eye. He felt so glad she was back home and with him again. "I like to think I'd have a pretty good chance and stopping Conor from getting the present off of me," he half-joked, smile widening as she squeezed his muscly bicep. When Lucy suggested going into the kitchen, James nodded his head. He knew he was dragging her down and spoiling the atmosphere of the party, so would try to act normal for the sake of the Sullivans. He made Samson jump down onto the floor before standing up himself and following Lucy into the kitchen.

Bellz
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Sinead Suliivan​

Sinead watched as Arlene presented Conor with the gift, but when Emmet was brought up, she decided to go pour herself a drink. She knew if she thought too hard about her father, it would only upset her at Conor's party. As she poured some wine into the glass, she was distracted by the sound of Finn slamming his own down on the table. She turned her head to see her cousin on his own in the dining part of the room. She delicately held the wine glass in one hand before approaching Finn. She set the drink down on the table before pulling out a chair and sitting next to her cousin. The way his eyes were shut and he was gripping the table was it clear he was having a hard time right now. She gently placed a hand on the top of one of Finn's which was gripping the table. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze as she looked at the troubled man's face. She wasn't sure if he was gong to relax to look at her, but she would speak anyway. "You and others might think I can't take it, but you can tell me whatever it is that's on your mind," she softly told him. "Whatever it is that's trapped inside your mind, you need to let it out and share the burden. I know enough of this world for me to hear of the horrible things that you have seen, heard or even felt. You can talk to me, darling," she assured him, placing a kiss on the side of his head. "You saved me from my grief the night my dad was killed and you've helped your family so much with their problems. You need to talk to me so I can repay you for helping me to see the light in the world again."

Bellz​