Realistic or Modern A Family Affair: The Irish Mob - IC (Ended)

[Bellz]

Gwen Sheehan​

Gwen smiled widely as Jason asked if he should open another tab, ”Well you already know the answer to that, I assume.” She murmured before she ordered her usual whiskey. Raising her own hand, Gwen smiled, saying ”Sláinte!” in return before also taking a long sip from her glass. When she set the glass on the bar, Jason asked if she would be aright watching his drink while he used the restroom. Gwen waved a hand at him, ”I can take care of it, I’m a big girl.” She stated before nodding her head when he said that he wouldn’t be long. Watching him leave, another man stumbled into her sight from out of nowhere. Gwen let out a small scoff as she turned in her bar stool, trying to look away from the man already having a bad feeling about being around someone who was that intoxicated.

The redhead had been minding her own business when the man suddenly grabbed her arm and her bare leg as he pushed himself off of her. Gwen irritatedly turned towards the man, ”What’s your problem?!” She hissed to which he slurred out a half assed apology. Gwen was about to turn away from the man when she noticed where his gaze had looked towards. Gwen gasped out as she moved to cover her noticeable cleavage. The man commented on her looks in a way that made her skin crawl and all she wanted was out of the situation. ”Well that very…observant of you isn’t it.” She commented before the man harassed her even further. His comment made her cheeks turn pink but when he hooked his finger inside the seam of her dress, all she could see was red.

”EXCUSE ME!” Gwen shouted, enough to grab the attention of most people in the pub. Her hand moved quicker than the drunk man could register, her palm connecting with his face harshly with a loud, Smack! before she threw her drink forward at the man’s face, dousing him with whiskey as some of the others hollered at the scene. ”Don’t touch me there! That’s not for you!” She screeched, shoving the man forward as she hurriedly looked for a way out now, shoving through a small group of people to try and find Jason.
with: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

Seeing Finn blush was always something George couldn't help but find alluring. The fact such an attractive, intelligent and well-rounded man still displayed modesty at times made Finn all the more attractive to George. He'd never found cockiness or an over-inflated ego to be attractive. To him, seeing a man unafraid to show his emotions and even his vulnerable side was far more appealing. Despite his patience, George couldn't help but hope Finn would become comfortable enough with their relationship, wanting nothing more than to hold the man in his arms.

George chuckled when Finn told him he was also hard to forget and that he'd been on his mind too. "I'm glad I left a good impression on you, mate. You're definitely someone I hoped would remember me..." he admitted.

George turned serious as they discussed Peter. Hearing Peter wasn't doing well didn't come as a shock to George, but he was still surprised at how much it all continued to affect his former cellmate on the outside. He rested his head back against the sofa and sighed, remembering certain events Peter had gone through. "I'm sad to hear that. Peter didn't belong in that place. It was his wife and kids who gave him the determination to survive it all." George recalled the time Peter had attacked him, during some kind of hallucination or anxiety attack. It was something he'd hoped the guy could have got help for, but it didn't seem like that was the case. "I saw first hand that he had a terrible time in that place, Finn. They were even harsher on him because of his ties to the mob. I really feel for the man. It was brutal and I imagine those memories will stay with him. Hell, it still creeps back on me and I wasn't the one they laid into."

Bellz (Finn)

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

Upon reentering the main room, Jason heard Gwen shouting and immediately sensed trouble. Concerned for her safety, he picked up his pace, and as he rounded the bar he almost crashed into her as she came rushing towards him through the crowd of customers. "Gwen, are ye okay? What's going on?" he asked, catching her by the arms and looking into her eyes, gently pushing a strand of her hair to one side. Looking up over the crowd, he added under his breath, "Where is he, the bastard..."

It wasn't long before he found him - his dripping face and sopping shirt gave it away. Jason drew a deep breath as he observed the lad. His friends were laughing and jeering at him and soon the lad himself joined in. After taking another long sip of his whiskey, Jason reached out and grabbed the drunk young man by the shirt as he stumbled back against the bar. "Oi, what the fuck -" the man aggressively started, but before he could finish his sentence Jason threw his fist into the man's face. Already unstable from the amount of alcohol he had consumed, he fell from Jason's grip, attempting to break his fall by grasping onto the bar. While the stunned man struggled to regain his balance, Jason finished off his whiskey, sending the bartender a dirty look for not doing anything to help Gwen.

As his mates cheered him on, seemingly finding the whole situation hilarious for some reason, the Englishman put his right foot forward and swung clumsily at Jason. However, being near blind drunk, he missed the stool that was in his way and tripped over it, his fist flailing up in the air and missing his target entirely. His now damp jacket flew open as he fell forwards and Jason caught him in his arms and pushed him back to his feet. Once the man was stable enough to stand, Jason released his grip, but not before dipping into the inner pocket of his jacket and retrieving his wallet. "Think it's time ye fucked off home, mate," he firmly advised as he patted the lad on the back, to which the rest of the group howled with laughter. The young man, still dazed from the hit he took, didn't seem to know what was going on anymore, and obliged without arguing as if he had forgotten everything that had just happened.

With the man and his friends now gone, Jason approached Gwen once more. "Are ye alright, love?" he asked her softly, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "Did he hurt ye anywhere at all?"

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

Jackson smiled and lightly rubbed Blake's shoulder as she scooted closer to him. The distant sounds of live music and laughter could still be heard through the thick clouds below them. Despite the foggy scenery, his mind couldn't be more clear. No matter how much he enjoyed the thrill, he had been looking to step away from it all since retiring from his hitman days. He had been in the game since he first stepped out the doors of Saint Lua and into the con man's shack.

Jackson had always wondered what it'd be like to live an honest life, surrounded by a supporting and loving family. Before her, it seemed like a dream. He had dated plenty of women in the past, but they were hardly the missing puzzle piece. With Blake in his life, the picture was getting less and less hazy.

"I've missed you too," Jackson purred, placing a soft kiss on her head. "This mess is all temporary, it is. Soon, it'll just be you and me, and the only thing we'll have to worry about is finding the perfect flat that's closest to the pubs."

He watched as their feet touched down to the clouds and another cart slowly rising to where they had been sitting. Their cart pushed through the dense fog, and the carnival below became visible once more. At first, Jackson paid little attention to the two men standing by the entrance. As they drew closer, however, he recognized them as Porter guards. His smile slowly faded, as it was apparent they weren't there to enjoy the festivities.

He stepped down onto the metal sheet from the cart after touching the ground. He helped Blake to her feet as well and stepped in front of her. He looked to the two men, immediately switching to a serious expression that came with work-related inquires. "Is everything alright, lads?" He asked, pushing through the small gate.

"It's Mr. Porter," they replied. "He was battered pretty bad by the Union hooligans." Jackson bit his bottom lip, swearing to himself. "Where is he now?" he immediately shot. "General with the wife and kids." Jackson nodded, briefly thinking to himself. "Alright, we'll get back to the property."

Bellz (Blake)

Mentioned: Misty Gray (James)

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue​

Ryan only nodded when Peter made the effort to accept the keys from him and offered his thanks, but something about exchange made the man's chest feel a little lighter, as though a weight had been removed. When Peter followed up by apologizing for his actions, Ryan just smiled a bit. "Don't worry about it, sir. Nobody is perfect, not even God himself, and especially not us."

While the air between them started to stagnant, Ryan prepared to take his leave since Peter seemed to recover enough to take care of himself for the time being. When he opened his mouth to part ways, Peter struck first. It caught him off guard to hear the man suddenly gush about Sinead, and it stirred up the bit resentment that he harbor towards Peter for having the woman that Ryan yearned for. He knew that the feeling wouldn't likely go away any time soon, if ever, but it didn't quite hold the same weight it had a few months ago.

Peter then moved on to thank him for helping Sinead out of her haze, and his comment on her hardheadedness elicited another small smile out of Ryan, as he was very much aware of the redhead's stubbornness. Although the blond's reaffirmation of love for his wife tainted Ryan's smile, it didn't disappear entirely.

"No need to thank me, sir. Your princess and I go back quite a way, and she's someone I'll always hold dear, as most of us around here do. She just forgets that sometimes. So I think your words would ring a bit better in her ears than mine, especially in uncertain times like these. People in our line of work are never promised a tomorrow, ya know?" Ryan said, ending his spiel with a cordial pat on the shoulder, "Now, you go do what you need to, and if you need something, I'll be by the bar, keeping the whiskey company."

After saying what needed to be said, Ryan gave Peter a curt nod and made his way towards the house. He wasn't quite sure what make of his encounter with Peter, but it left him feeling oddly refreshed despite the envious feelings that the man seems to bring out in Ryan. Already having his fill of troubles for the day, Ryan pushed his stride a bit faster towards the Porter Manor.

The moment Ryan entered the house, he could feel it. While he knew it was a wake, the tension in the air was so palpable it set him on edge.

Something was very, very wrong.


Bellz [Peter]
Open for Interaction: Misty Gray Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan​

Finn felt touched that George had wanted Finn to remember him. Finn had felt the exact same way. It was crazy how much could change between people in the blink of an eye, one minute you are barely meet and the next you are looking to find your life with that person…it was all so incredible really.

Peter was always a difficult topic for Finn to discuss, just like it had been for Sinead when she was going through all of her own hardships. When it came to family and treating them medically, Finn had more of a hard time dealing with the affects of his treatments. It was a more delicate situation when you are dealing with family, knowing that anything you do to alter them could also alter their entire life. He had been very hesitant to place Peter on anxiety meds at first, knowing that the medication in its own right was harsh and that there would be tones of side effects from it.

Finn nodded his head in agreement with George when he said that Peter didn’t belong in Prison. It was true, his cousin certainly didn’t belong in that place and he was glad that he had gotten out but as he looked at George he couldn’t help but think about how much he didn’t belong in a place like that either. Finn stared a bit horrified as George went on to explain that he had saw first hand what had happened to Peter in that place. It made Finn cringe as he thought about poor Peter being harmed in anyway, he was one of the nicest guys Finn knew.

”Neither of you should have had to go through such horrible things.” Finn murmured after a long moment of silence, his head slowly shaking as he let out a long sigh. ”For what you two boys did, you should have just been sent to a correctional facility for only a few weeks in my opinion…it wasn’t fair that they put you in there with all those other thugs.” Finn paused, noticing what he had just said and wishing to correct it. ”I mean, I hope you don’t have any friends in there that I’ve just offended. I’m sorry if I did…but you shouldn’t have been in that place George and it makes me so upset…” His voice trailed off as he looked away from George, now feeling what he had said was totally out of line.
With: George Misty Gray

Gwen Sheehan​

Gwen had just rounded the bar when she ran into Jason a little too harshly. Her eyes were lined with tears and her cheeks were tinted a dark pink from embarrassment over what just happened. She shook her head quickly as she tried to get the words out about what happened, ”That guy over there, he grabbed me.” Was all she could get out before Jason began to search for the guy. She quickly followed behind as he made his way over to the bar again. Gwen tried to control herself as she wrapped her arms around her chest, feeling completely wrong and exposed now. Jason grabbed the man by the shirt and before the guy could even register what was happening, Jason threw a punch at his face.

The redhead couldn’t help the smile and the cheer that came from her lips. She watched as the drunken man fell like deadweight towards the bar, catching himself in a slippery grip before Jason turned back towards her, taking another long sip of his whiskey. Looking back at the men who’d been with that drunken man, she could see that they were not effected by the fight going on, seeming to find it amusing more than anything which really ticked Gwen off as she stood there.

The drunken man boldly and clumsily tried to fight back, but it ended up being a complete mess and the man tripped on the bar stool that had been in his way. Gwen let out a small gasp, thinking that he would go crashing to the floor when Jason grabbed the man quickly and pulled him to his feet. Gwen watched closely as Jason released his grip but her eye caught something that she couldn’t register at first. As she stared at the scene, she tried to think about what it was. A wallet? Why would Jason be pulling out his wallet during a fight? Blinking a few times in confusion, Gwen watched as Jason sent the man and his friends on their way before his attention turned to her.

She bit her lip as she thought about the wallet more, unable to get it out of her head. She was almost 100% sure of what she saw but she just didn’t want to believe that the man in front of her was that kind of person. The softness in his tone to the way he placed a comforting hand on her arm, he couldn’t have taken the wallet…He deserved it Her mind tried to reason but her mother’s voice also told her how wrong it was to steal..to commit any sort of crime.

”I’m fine,” Gwen murmured softly as she hugged herself even tighter now, covering her chest from anyone and everyone’s view despite her being properly covered. ”He just touched me inappropriately, tried to pull down my dress.” Letting silence fall between them, Gwen hesitated for a long moment before finally blurting out the question that was on her mind, ”Did you take that man’s wallet?” Her tone had gone from weak and soft to one of conviction, her eyebrow raising lightly as she stared at him.
with: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Peter nodded slowly as Ryan told him that his words would do Sinead a lot better than it was him, especially with how things were going right now. He reminded him that there wasn’t always a tomorrow promised which Peter thought about on a daily basis. His words gave the man a sense of hope and raised Peter’s spirits quite a bit now. With a pat on the shoulder, Ryan ended his speech and told him that if Peter needed anything, he would be by the bar. Nodding his head lightly, Peter offered the man a light smile before letting the man head on his way. Peter watched him walk away for a moment before turning towards the house again.

Ryan’s words had given Peter a lot to think about. Deep down, Peter knew how hard it was for Sinead to deal with him, how hard it was to deal with herself…things between them hadn’t gotten any better and Peter really hadn’t tried anything out of his comfort zone. Shuffling towards the house slowy, it felt like Peter was coming down from the high of his life. His body tired and his eyes heavy. The social interaction though quite helpful had weighed heavily on the man and now he was just ready to have a bit of alone time before returning back to the rest of the people at the Porter house.

He knew that Sinead was most likely worried but Peter couldn’t bring himself to turn around and head back, not without taking his pills first. The slight twitch in his hands and the accelerating heart beat indicated that he was not in the clear with his panic attacks yet. The walk to the house was uneventful the rest of the way, Peter didn’t take his time and soon he arrived at the Callahan home.

There was a sigh of relief that escaped Peter. Even though being home had been hard for him for a while, it was still so relieving to be home compared to anywhere else. Unlocking the front door with the fluffy pink key, he pushed it opened and stepped through quickly. Emery’s cat, whom Peter hadn’t paid much attention too, was already waiting in the entryway, letting out a long and slowly meow before walking towards the den. Peter ignored the little beast and headed towards the stairs, closing the door behind him as he jogged up them towards Sinead and his room.

Walking through the open double doors into their bedroom, Peter walked by a bunch of pictures hanging on the wall and sitting on their dresser before finally ending up in their master bathroom. Grabbing the pill bottle from where he had left it, Peter opened it quickly and placed a small tablet into his hand. Popping it into his mouth without any water to wash it down, he swallowed the pill before putting the cap on the bottle and setting it down.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath as he knew he would finally be able to find some control. When he opened them again, he moved back towards the exit of their room, walking by the pictures on the wall once again. There was an image that caught his eye, which caused him to slow down his steps and backtrack to see what it was. The image of Sinead’s young and smiling face along with his own stared back, causing a small smile to form on Peter’s face.

He remember that day as if it was yesterday, Savvy was just a baby yet and Sinead had just been heartbroken by the loss of Angel. Peter had been trying to lift her spirits and offered to play some tunes on the piano…that’s when they really connected…that’s when he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life her. Lifting a hand up, Peter reached out to touch the glass on the picture frame, stroking Sinead’s face ever so gently.
mentions: Ryan Fletchawk ; Sinead Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

Jason could see how self-conscious Gwen had become by the way she was trying to cover herself up. It angered him that someone would touch her like that and make her feel insecure and unsafe. Glancing towards the exit to make sure the men weren't coming back, he sighed before turning back to Gwen. "Well, he's gone now," he assured her, placing a hand lightly on her back and beginning to guide her back to the bar. "Let me get you another drink -"

He was cut off when suddenly she asked him outright if he had taken the man's wallet. It came as a bit of a shock to him that she had noticed. When he first started hustling money at the age of 10, he hadn't had much of clue on how to do it besides the simple "grab and run" technique. Over the years, however, he had learned how to be crafty, how to trick people, distract them, fool them, manipulate them. It was so rare that anyone caught him in the act these days that for a second he simply stared at her, wondering if he had heard her right. But her voice had changed, and she now held a stern, fixed gaze on him. Maybe after what the man did to her, she wouldn't see it as such a bad thing?

"You mean this?" he asked, pulling out the man's black leather wallet. His drivers license was inside, along with a couple of condoms, a scrap of paper with the phone number of some unlucky lass called Sandy - or lucky, considering the escape she had very nearly missed - a few bank notes and some loose change. "You ever heard of karma, Gwen? Well, don't ye think he ought to be payin' for what he did?" While he was talking, he quickly extracted the money and pocketed it before chucking the wallet on the ground, somewhere out of sight. "This guy's gonna be buyin' your next drink, since your last one went all over his face." He grinned to her, showing absolutely no remorse for what he had done, only hoping that she would understand.

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Having made all of the calls he needed to, Conor found himself pacing James' office for a time as he waited for one of the guys to call him back. Soon enough, the phone rang and he was informed Jackson was making his way back to the house. Until then, Conor left left his brother-in-law's office and headed back into the main house. He found Aliana in the kitchen with Sinead and rushed to his girlfriend's side, placing a kiss on her lips as he briefly rubbed her shoulder. He felt bad that he wasn't able to give Aliana his full attention at her own brother's wake, but he hoped she understood the severity of the situation involving James. "Ali, love, I'm sorry for abandoning you. I'm just making sure everything's covered and secured. The last thing we need is those IWU pricks attacking more of us and our businesses," he explained to her.

"Sorry, Ali. I... I need to go," Sinead suddenly spoke up, before rushing out of the kitchen.

Conor watched Sinead rush off but was sure she wouldn't go too far, certainly not away from the safety of the Porter and Callahan homes. He looked back to Aliana and sighed. "Listen, I need to get back into the main house in case there's any calls or Jackson gets back. You're welcome to join me," he invited her.

With or without Aliana, Conor returned into the main lounge in time to see Ryan enter the room. "Have you heard anything, mate?" he asked his friend, not realising he was unaware of what had happened to James. Still, the penny soon dropped and Conor let out a heavy sigh. "Big problem, Ryan..." he began. "The job over at the Duncan place didn't go as planned and the lads walked into a trap. The Head Fuckface over at the IWU did a real number on James and has put him in hospital. It's pretty serious, Luce is in bits, and I expect our boss is going to be out of action for a little while." Conor glanced in the direction of the front door before looking back to Ryan. "I've got some guards down at the hospital and doubled up on security around the city. Jackson should be back soon too." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his own neck. "Sorry to pile this one you after a heavy enough day..." he apologised. Truth was, he hadn't yet had time to process what had happened to James and acknowledge how worried he was for his loved ones. Generally, his automatic emotional response to many situations was one of anger and impulse. In a way, it worked in his favour, as the sudden heavy increase of responsibility that had fallen on his shoulders was preventing him from flying off the handle.

Fletchawk (Ryan)
Mentions: Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Enzyme (Jackson)

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead had watched on when Conor entered the kitchen to lovingly reassure Aliana and apologise for not giving her his full attention. She couldn't help but find it sweet seeing her brother and her close friend together. Granted, it should have happened a long time ago, but she was just glad they'd truly found each other at last. With the James situation being so serious, Sinead couldn't help but feel worried and afraid. She feared for James' life, for Lucy's heart, and generally for the safety of their family as a whole. It was scary to think James had been beaten so badly when she'd always seen him as one of the most physically and mentally strong people she knew.

As her nervousness caused a lump to form in her throat, she decided she needed to find Peter. He'd been gone too long and she was worried about harm coming to him too. "Sorry, Ali. I... I need to go," she spoke up, before rushing out of the kitchen. She rushed to find Skye, confirming with her that the children were all still behaving and the nanny was happy to stay with them. If anything Skye had been happy for the distraction whilst Syd was out on his job.

*****​

Sinead made it to her house and pushed open the front door that Peter had unlocked a short time earlier. She stepped into the hallway and removed her shoes, knowing how clumsy she could be trying to walk up the stairs in a high heels. Ozzy the cat greeted her and she lifted the animal up, taking a moment to hold him against her chest for a short time, feeling comforted by his smooth fur. She carefully put the cat down before making her way upstairs to look for Peter. Her dainty, bare feet were light and so she didn't make much sound at all as she ascended the stairs.

When she reached the doorway of the master bedroom and saw Peter touching one of the pictures on the wall. She took a few steps into the room and looked to see which photograph had caught her husband's attention. It was one of them both together, when they first started to grow close to each other. She nervously folded her arms and glanced to Peter before looking back to the picture. "We were so young there," she pointed out. "And so happy," she added, firmly nodding her head as she spoke. She wasn't sure if Peter had taken his medication, but he certainly seemed less anxious in that moment, which in turn made her feel more compelled to keep speaking to him. "I never thought I'd be happy again and I didn't believe I deserved to be. Then you came to me and showed me I could still smile and that I was allowed to love again." She diverted her attention to the wedding photograph below and shook her head. "I'm losing you and I don't know how to stop it..."


Bellz (Peter)
Mention: Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Bellz]

Blake Walsh​

Everything was perfect tonight and Blake couldn’t think of a single thing in that moment that could ruin it for them. Everything was so beautifully laid out right before them, the laughing families below, the live music playing off in the distance, the way the Ferris wheel made it feel like they could both just reach up and touch the stars. Blake was smiling from ear to ear as she took in everything around her, her eyes only briefly taking in the things slowly passing by before they landed on Jackson’s face. This was the most relaxed she had seen him in a while.

The blonde closed her eyes gently as Jackson placed a kiss against her head, stating that everything, the mess they were having to deal with was just a temporary thing. The picture he painted for her, of it just being him and her together…she wanted it more than anything else in the entire world. Jackson was without a doubt the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with…she had been filled with uncertainty at first, not sure if the man was just using her as another passing fling. But this was all too real for her not to believe he was the one for her, the light at the end of the tunnel.

”I can’t wait for that.” She murmured softly cuddling closer to him as the cart began to descend through the fog again. Blake didn’t want the ride to end, fearing that they would have to go back to the real world all too soon. She had been right unfortunately, as her eyes glanced to Jackson, she saw his smile slowly fade away and she looked to where he had been. Seeing two familiar Porter men, they stood tall, looking grim and out of place amongst the children running about. Swallowing hard, Blake sat back in her seat and sighed softly as the ride came to a close.

Jackson hopped out of his seat before turning to help Blake. She watched him closely as he took her hand before he stepped in front of her. Blake knew that he would be less causal now that James’ men were around. She looked to the two men and nodded her head towards them lightly, listening in as Jackson asked them if things were alright.

When they were informed that James had been injured, Blake couldn’t help but let out a small gasp in surprise. She had only known the man for a short while but it had been proving difficult for the IWU to over power him. She wondered what had happened for them to finally succeed. Knowing that he was at the hospital was a relief but Blake felt for Lucy and the kids, unable to imagine how horrifying that all was. Despite his seriousness, Blake snuck her hand over his, giving it a soft squeeze of reassurance.
with: Jackson Enzyme

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Once he had finished speaking, Syd continued to stare down at his father. There was no sign of him waking up anytime soon, so he didn't torture himself expecting a response. Somehow, he knew James had got the message anyway. Only silence followed, measured by the intermittent beeps of the heart monitor, and he gave a small sigh before turning away to focus on his sleeping baby brother.

His attention hadn't strayed far, however - one slight stir from the man immediately caught his eye, causing his head to snap up. He would have thought he had just imagined it, but the look on his mother's face told him that she had seen it too. Sure enough, James turned his head towards Lucy and opened one eye. Syd couldn't believe what he said to her - he exhaled a sharp breath of relief and smiled broadly, shaking his head. "Didn't I tell you, mam," he said.

Holding Thomas close against him, he walked around the bed towards his mother and crouched down beside her. "Hey, dad," he softly spoke, offering him a supportive smile. There was still a hint of emotion left in his voice that he couldn't do much about. "Glad to see you awake...You scared us all." The smile that he wore threatened to fade from his face the longer he looked his father in the eye. It was hard to see him in such bad shape, but he knew that he would want him to be strong. Syd wanted him to focus solely on recovering - it would do him no good to be worrying about his family. "You're gonna be alright. And don't worry about us - I'll look after mam while you're in here, okay? Just...get yourself better."

Interactions
Bellz Lucy, Rayna
Misty Gray James, Shannon
Shireling Rudy

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Sheehan​

Gwen hadn’t expected Jason to react the way he did. Instead of apologizing, he pulled out the wallet and showed it to her. She was silent, fuming on the inside as he went on to speak of karma. Sure, she agreed that the man should get what was coming to him but that was beside the point. Her eyes locked on the wallet as he spoke, he quickly pulled out the money from the wallet before throwing the thing as if it was useless. He grinned in her face one again showing no sign of remorse for what he had just pulled. The redhead felt deceived. Here she was thinking that this was a good and honest man, and it was difficult to tell. The way he treated her was better than she could have asked for, he fought for her, bought her drinks…but who’s to say that money wasn’t somebody else’s. Gwen’s cheeks were pink as she felt overwhelmed with what had just occurred all at once.

Her eyes watered, as they often did when she was angry and she had to turn her head away from Jason to try and hide the embarrassment from her face. ”You can’t just go and do that kind of thing!” She huffed out in frustration. She dropped her arms to her side before lifting one hand up to wipe away at a few tears that had fallen. ”Damn you!” She growled, her mind was fighting to determine if this man was dangerous. No way had that been his first time stealing, the way he talked about giving what the man deserved, showing no remorse.

”I thought you were one of the good ones!” She said, turning to face him completely now, having dried her tears. ”I agree that man deserved something but you can’t be the one to say what he gets and when he gets it!” Her eyes pleaded with him to understand where she was coming from, praying that he would agree with her. She didn’t want this to be just some fling. The feelings she had tonight were different from any others that she had felt before…

”Look, you helped me when I needed it and you’ve been an absolute gentleman to me all night but what you did was going to his level, do you really want to be on that level?” Despite her trying to get him to give the right answer, Gwen felt terribly hurt by what he had done. She had lived with a person who constantly lied and hurt others and she just couldn’t bring herself to be around people like that anymore. Looking down, Gwen licked her lips slowly before shaking her head, ”I shouldn’t have come here. I think I need to head home…Thank you for the drinks.” Gwen eyed him closely before turning away. Without another word, she pushed her way through the crowd, wanting to get out as quickly as she could.
with: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Peter hadn’t noticed Sinead until she spoke up, causing him to jump slightly before turning to look at her sharply. His expression was harsh at first, clearly having been startled by her. But it softened after a moment and he turned back towards the picture, a small smirk forming on his lips. The part about being happy was clearly pointed at him, or at least it seemed that way. Both Ryan and Sinead had now reminded him that it was important to just be happy…”That was such a long time ago…look at Savvy.” Peter murmured gently, not turning to meet Sinead’s glance. She spoke to him some more and her words caused his heart to melt. He couldn’t imagine how such a beautiful soul could feel that way about herself, like she didn’t deserved to be loved. When Peter had found her, she had been broken. Slowly but surely, he picked up the pieces and mended her broken heart back together. The love he shared for both her and Savannah knew no bounds…they were his girls.

His eyes looked to the wedding photo now, that had been the happiest day of his life, knowing that he wouldn’t be alone for the rest of his life, much like he had previously thought as an unwanted orphan. When she spoke again, shaking her head, he hadn’t expected those few words to hit home with him…but they did. Peter’s eyes once again welled up and he let out a slow sigh as he tried to gain some control over himself. ”It isn’t fair, you know…being the way I am.” His voice was hollow as he turned to face his wife, ”I haven’t been fair to you…or the kids. When I was in that place…all that could get me through the days was you all, being able to hold you all again…kissing you, feeling your warm embrace..” Peter shook his head as he allowed his head to drop forward, looking to his feet. ”That’s all I wanted…was to come home.”

”And now. This.” He lifted a hand to gesture between the two of them. ”I can’t even look you in the eyes…I can’t kiss you…I can’t hold you. And I’ve been trying so so hard Sinead..” His voice cracked as his chest tightened up, threatening to break into a sob. The man lifted both of his hands and ran them through his hair, pulling at it lightly as he frustratingly thought about what was taken away from him. ”Not only was I humiliated in that fucking place…I was taken away from you..and I still am.”

Looking back up at his wife, Peter’s eyes pleaded with her, wanting her to see that he was being honest. ”I need you Sin. I need you like I need air to breathe. I can’t be alone in the dark without you, I’ve figured that out now. No matter how far I push you away, you will never leave…and I fucking love that about you.” He took a step forward, his hand shaking as he slowly reached it up to caress Sinead’s cheeks. ”Please…please let me back into your life and I promise I will do better…I won’t push you away.”
with: Sinead Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

It wasn't hard to tell that Gwen was struggling to process his actions, but Jason couldn't exactly go back and deny them. Perhaps he could have at least acted remorseful, but his pride was stopping him. He watched as tears began to well up in her eyes, and the grin instantly fell from his face. "Gwen..." he started, but she turned away and began to lecture him. Even if he didn't feel bad about swiping the man's wallet, he was beginning to feel guilty for ruining their night. If she only hadn't caught me, we wouldn't be in this mess, he thought, not even admitting responsibility to himself. Still, he remained composed, in hopes that she might calm down after a minute and forgive him. To him, it seemed she was making mountains out of molehills; he could have laughed, but he didn't want to make things worse.

"Hey..." he said gently, noticing the tears falling from her eyes. He edged forward slightly with the intention of turning her to face him again, but then quickly moved back when she spun around, accusing him of not being a good person. That he couldn't deny, but he still didn't see why it had to come between them. When she argued that it wasn't up to him to decide if, how or when someone should get their comeuppance, he jumped to defend himself before even acknowledging the pleading look in her eyes. "I don't see why not," he frowned. "That little piss head's after touchin' ye, embarrassin' ye, and ye don't think I get to do anything about it? We don't owe him shite, Gwen. Even if he doesn't remember what he did, when he wakes up tomorrow with empty pockets it'll teach him not to get so fuckin' drunk."

Jason was determined not to lose this girl, but even if giving in and apologising would have been the best way to keep her, he had already set out to argue his case and make her understand why he did what he did, and now he couldn't change his course. What upset him was the fact that this little misdeed didn't even come close to the worst things he had done - if she couldn't handle him stealing from someone who had wronged her, what chance would he have with her once she found out the kind of man he really was?

"I've never stooped to his level, Gwen - I would never treat a woman that way!" he argued, desperately. Jason's chances with the woman were slipping through his fingers like sand. Before he could figure out what to say next, she told him she was going to go home and turned away from him. His heart sank. Naturally, he began to go after her, but then cursed to himself when he remembered the unpaid tab he had opened. Reaching furiously into his pocket, he rushed back and slammed the stolen money on the bar, not even bothering to count it. The bartender glared after him, but he didn't care - his priority was not letting Gwen get away.

"Gwen, wait, please!" he begged, as he pushed his way through the crowd and ran outside to catch up with her, moving in front of her to try and get in her way. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? Please, don't go," he said. "We were havin' a good time, weren't we? Why would you let this ruin our night? It's still early, we could keep it going - we could go back to the jazz bar." He paused, wishing there could be a positive way out of this. He was waiting for her to smile and laugh and say,"You're right, it's fine - let's see where the night takes us!" But inside, he knew that the night wouldn't take them anywhere from here. He had blown it. "Come on, Gwen, ye can't be walkin' home like that," he tried to reason. "What if you run into those guys again? At least let me give you a ride."

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright
&
Seana Cartwright

Just as Ali was about to enjoy catching up with her friends and her newest nephew, they were interrupted by the news of James being attacked. Lucy quickly dismissed herself, as to be expected upon hearing about James. The news hit Ali as well, annoying and angering her more. How dare they do something like this on a day of mourning? Whilst most weren't necessarily mourning Leo like she, they could still respect the fact that it was still a day meant to be quiet. She understood Lucy's need to depart and was left with Sinead, watching and gauging her reactions. To say it was difficult for her to put aside her emotions about her brother was an understatement; it was incredibly hard. But, she knew that everything was going on was much bigger than just the death of Leonard McGrath.

Her thoughts interrupted and her emotions steeled, she looked to Conor when walked up to her. He kissed her and apologized for leaving her alone. Of course, she understood the reasoning behind it. Whilst everything was happening faster than she could process, she managed to keep up with it. Watching as Sinead left, she reached out and grabbed Conor's arm. She was shaking, not out of fear but because she was angry. Keeping that inside was really going to be difficult. She was frowning, but you could see the determination on her face. The IWU had done enough to her and these people she now knew as her family. Well, Seana was lucky. She was perhaps going to get a front row seat at what she had taught her daughter.

Following behind Conor, she Ali had grabbed her mother, instructing her she was to stay within the compound where she would be safe. Of course, there was a lot of protests, Seana believing she would be fine without all the protection. At the end of it, the mother gave into the daughter and she would stay put. Seana would also tell Ali to be careful in whatever it was they were going to do. The eye contact she made with Conor said enough, basically referring back to their conversation and making sure he was keeping her daughter safe. "You stay safe too, Mr. Sullivan." She instructed before wandering into the kitchen herself.

Ali stood next to Conor while he explained things to Ryan. Listening in, she could hear the hurt in his voice and turned to look at him. She wasn't going to address it, not yet and not in front of Ryan, but she could tell. Conor was hiding his feelings about what happened to James, perhaps because he had to step up. Kind of what she was doing about Leo at the moment so she understood what he was feeling. "So... We wait until Jackson and Blake get here and discuss a plan, right?"

Conor ( Misty Gray ) Ryan ( Fletchawk )
​

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue​

Even though wakes were known to be somber affairs, Ryan could tell that it wasn't the source the seriousness that marred the faces of those attending. Before Ryan was able to ask someone why, he noticed Conor, tailed by Ms. Cartwright, making a beeline towards him. Their dour looks adding gravity to already thick atmosphere of the room.

Meeting the pair halfway, he shook his head while answering Conor's question, "No. What's happened?" he asked with a grim tone. A few possibilities had already popped into his head as for what, and with none of them being good by sense of the word, Ryan naturally steeled himself for the worst. As Conor filled him in on what happened and what's been done so far, Ryan's features started to mirror theirs as his blood started to simmer.

"You have nothing to apologize for, nobody is dead, and it sounds like you're taking care of things, so don't dwell on it too much." he said firmly before switching his attention to Ali, "Suppose so, but we need to not go off half-cocked. I've heard the word "trap" and "IWU" in the same sentence too many times, and it's never ended well for us," Ryan warned, eyeing the pair of them. He'd heard that Conor's temper had cooled a bit of late, but it wouldn't surprise him if the brashness that the man was known for back in Chicago decided to show. It was the Cartwright woman he was more concerned about though. Ryan had heard that she had not been overly involved in the line of work until Tommy's death, only a few months ago, and they were currently at her brother's wake. He couldn't blame Ali for the anger and grief, but they often led to subpar decisions if left unchecked.

Looking back at Conor, Ryan could see that he was strained by the suddenness of the event, "Besides, we should wait until after the reception to talk about it, so how about we all have a nip of whiskey to take the edge off until then, yeah?" he suggested, nodding his head to the nearby bar.


Misty Gray [Conor] Melanin-Gxdess [Ms. Cartwright]

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead frowned and slowly nodded her head when Peter pointed out that the way he was wasn't fair. She knew she couldn't blame him for the way he'd been with her and the children, especially not after what he'd been through in prison. He went on to say that their family was what got him through those terrible days. At mention of them embracing, Sinead tightened her folded arms around herself, rubbing the tops of her arms for comfort.

When Peter gestured between them both, Sinead loosened her folded arms and reluctantly dropped them to her side. As he spoke of being unable to look her in the eyes and make physical contact, she couldn't stop the stray tear from escaping her right eye and rolling down her cheek. "Oh--" the word escaped her mouth upon hearing his voice crack. She raised her hands, about to reach out and touch him, but she hesitated before awkwardly retracting her arms. She wanted so much to comfort him but the last few weeks had taught her against that, to give him space and not smoother him. It was difficult to fight as she watched him tug at his hair. "Peter..." she began. She hadn't called him her affectionate addressing of "Petey" for some time and was still afraid to do so. She didn't get any other words out as he mentioned how he'd been taken away from her and humiliated. His use of profanity wasn't important, it wasn't relevant in these circumstances. "I'm still here. The only thing keeping you away from me now is fear. But I'm here and I would never hurt you. You just need to trust me and let me in."

Sinead met his eyes and look deep into them. "You came to me all those years ago, when I was broken and afraid I would never love again. Despite my depression and insecurities, you stayed with me and you helped me to feel happiness again. I won't leave you, Petey. We can fight the darkness together," she softly told him, her voice faltering as she reined in her emotions. Peter stepped forward and when his hand touched her cheek, she let out a gasp, slightly overwhelmed that her husband finally made contact. She moved her face so her cheek pressed firmly against his hand. "All I want is for you to be with me again," she assured him.

Taking Peter's words and actions as confirmation he wouldn't reject her, she moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. She pressed her face into his chest and let out a deep breath, taking great comfort from the warmth of his body. "I love you, Petey," her muffled voice spoke into him. She then lifted her head to look up to his face and stood on her tiptoes as she leaned in to kiss his lips...

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

George listened carefully to Finn's opinions on who should and shouldn't have been locked up in that prison. He loved that the man believed in him and cared enough to say he hadn't belonged in the place. He sent Finn a reassuring smile before quickly shaking his head. "Don't worry, you haven't offended me. It's sweet, if I'm being honest," he admitted.

Deciding to address Finn's points, he made himself comfortable on the sofa, twisting his torso so he could face the other man directly. "You're right about Peter. For what he did and that he hadn't been in trouble before, he should have been sent to a low security correctional facility. I suspect they made an example of him due to his mob ties. Which isn't right when they're messing with a man's whole life." He took a sip of his tea, which had gone cold due to Finn being so interesting he'd forgot all about the drink. "I had some friends in there. Most of them I'm going to rush to visit or see on the outside, but in that place, I realised not everyone was as bad as their crime. Some had become victims to their circumstances; turning to crime for survival more than anything." He let out a fond smile as he then thought of his old friend Dale. "I learned not to judge a book by its cover. There was this big, physically intimidating guy in there who had murdered a man, but he was one of the most interesting and level-headed guys in there. We'd swap books all of the time..." he fondly trailed off.

"As for me, I..." he began, taking a moment as he thought back to his behaviour that led up to his eventual arrest. "I guess my biggest mistake was stealing from the rich - the big businesses. I'm sure had I gone around mugging people on the streets my sentence would have been much shorter." George quickly shook his head at his own words. "No, the truth is, I took a lot of money from those rich folks and I knew what I was doing. It was calculated and I repeatedly committed fraud over the space of three years. I thought it was justified because I was taking from those who had made their own riches by taking advantage of the poorer classes and I showed no remorse during my trial. It was my own fault I ended up in that place and I soon acknowledged the error of my ways."

George looked to Finn to gauge how he was taking his words. "I hope none of this makes you think any less of me..." he awkwardly told him. "Peter changed my opinion on some things too. I'd heard all kinds of stories about the Porters throughout my sentence. I saw them as the worst kind of people - violent, heartless bullies. Talking with Peter made me realise there's two sides to every story. The crime aside, I realised the Porters - your family - are still very much human and have so much love within them. The world isn't the black and white place my younger self believed it was."

Bellz (Finn)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James' vision followed Lucy as she sobbed and bowed her head down onto his bed. He wanted to hold his wife and reassure her, but the cast on his left arm weighed heavy and the pain in his ribs prevented him from moving into a position to do so. He felt restricted, physically and mentally, and that added frustration to every other thought going on in his mind. Still, hearing her speak about him coming back to her filled him with a slight warmth. For a time back in the pub, he'd though the'd never see Lucy and their family again. He'd closed his eyes and wished to see her face in his last moments. Now he was waking up, he was glad it was her face he able to see first.

James was initially glad to hear more members of his family were present. He was still coming around and still a little confused, but he soon remembered Syd and Rudy had been held at gunpoint in the pub. He was glad they'd both made it out of there alive. It was comforting to know Thomas, Shannon and Rayna were also present. His younger self had always expected he would die alone and leave nothing behind when he did. Now, he had family and friends who cared for him. People who relied on him... With that thought, his already distant and neutral face took on a serious hint. He turned his head so he was staring up towards the ceiling. He'd let everyone down and now they would be left having to fight without him. Gideon's words about him having to watch on from his hospital bed filled James with anger. The strong need to get out of bed and do something took over him. However, as soon as he attempted to sit up, the pain in his upper body reminded him he had little choice in the matter. He tightened his jaw to inhibit the discomfort, which in turn triggered the pain in his face. He relaxed his body and let out a deep breath, now hearing the beeping sound of the heart rate monitor had sped up in response to his futile attempt at getting up.

Hearing Syd's voice address him, James turned his head back to look to his son and wife, noting the smile on the lad's face. Seeing both the teenager and baby Thomas he was holding caused James' features to soften again. When Syd said he would look after Lucy, James gave a small and careful nod in response. He knew he had to focus on his recovery and he had enough people to rely on where the business was concerned. The most difficult part would be lying back and not helping.

James moved his uninjured arm as he felt around for Lucy's hand. Thomas had only just been born and he hated that his hospitalisation would burden Lucy during what was meant to be a happy time. Of course, Syd and his sisters would help out, but things should have been different this time. Lucy deserved to have good memories that for once hadn't been tainted by the actions of enemies.

Bellz (Lucy, Rayna) Pyroclast (Syd) Shireling (Rudy)

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Sheehan​

Gwen rushed outside, running her hands through her long red curls in frustration as she fully intended on walking herself home. Before she could get very far however, she heard Jason’s voice calling her name and he caught up with her quickly, moving in front of her. ”Move. Jason.” Gwen demanded, refusing to look him in the eye as he tried to apologize, asking her not to leave. This was only making it harder on Gwen as she tried to stick to her words. His pleas sounded sincere but the way he hadn’t sounded sorry before…it just left a bad taste in her mouth. When he asked why she would let this ruin the night they were having, the woman’s jaw dropped in slight shock. She groaned at him and tried to shove him out of the way then, not wanting to deal with him anymore. ”You think I ruined our night?! After what you did! You don’t go stealing from people just because you think they deserve it Jason. You ruined our night by doing that. It wasn’t my fault that I caught you in an act that you made the decision to do.”

Clearly Jason didn’t know how to take responsibility for his actions and Gwen could stand to be around people like that anymore. She had to deal with a stepfather who only did things to better himself, who lied and stole from her mother…”i’m going home, Jason. If you can’t see what you did and truly feel remorse then I truly don’t think that this is going to work out.” She started to shuffle away from him backwards, ready to turn on her heels and head towards home. But the back of her heel got caught in a crack in the concrete, causing her to stumble back and for it to break with a snap. ”Well that’s just perfect!” Gwen hissed out, too many things were going on and she couldn’t find a moment to control her racing thoughts. Stepping out of her heel and placing bare foot onto the sidewalk, she picked up the heel before sliding off the other as well. Carrying the shoes in her hand, she turned and started to make her way towards home.

Jason tried reasoning with her and she slowed down a bit, pausing as she took a moment to look down at her appearance. At mention of the men she’d ran into…Gwen turned around to face him. She watched him silently for a long moment as she tried to think about what she should do. Gwen couldn’t lie to herself, she wanted to go back with him…she wanted to continue the night possibly into the morning. What if this turned out to be some sort of trick? What if he stole from her? These questions popped up in her head and they were ones that she just couldn’t ignore.

She wanted to try hard to believe that Jason was different from the likes of her stepfather, that he didn’t fit the mold that Gwen had created to warn her of trouble. All signs pointed in the opposite direction and she knew that she couldn’t stay. Gwen bit her lip and the hot angry tears once again stung at her eyes. ”I’ve got to go.” Gwen told Jason once again and without waiting or slowing down she walked in the direction of home.
with: Jason Pyroclast

Peter Callahan​

Peter sucked in a shaky breath as he held his wife’s cheek in his hand, she pressed her face firmly against it and he ran his thumb across her skin lightly. Her words filled him with hope but it was hard to not feel anxious about all of it. She said she would stay, that she would never leave him and so far in their relationship, she hadn’t done anything to steer him wrong. Why was it so hard for him to just believe in what she said? She never lied to him about anything, their relationship was open and for a long time…perfect. His jaw tensed as there was only one place he had to blame for the way he was now. It seemed like these medications gave him a clarity…he was able to think about his problems on a different level than before.

He smiled softly as Sinead assured him that all she wanted was for him to be with her again and that was enough for Peter, something seemed to click in that moment. He accepted who he was now because Sinead accepted him. She had been accepting him for a long time but it had taken him even more time to come to the conclusion. As great as the contact felt, when Sinead wrapped her arms around him, the man froze. She pressed her face into his chest, letting out a deep breath, content with the closeness. Peter held his arms out awkwardly at first, looking down at his wife closely. She seemed to be fine but Peter was worried that he might do something to hurt her…after all, he’d been doing so for weeks now.

Her voice was muffled but the words she said were as clear as day. She had called him Petey earlier but the name she had for him was just now hitting him. ”I love you too Sinny.” His eyes watered lightly and slowly, he moved his arms down and wrapped them tightly around his wife’s small frame, burying his face into the crook of her neck. They stayed like that for a few moments before Sinead lifted her head. Peter did the same and as they looked each other in the eyes, he knew what was coming. His heart jumped and his breathing hitched as his wife reached on her tip toes, her lips leaning in. Peter was terrified but he knew that he needed to get over the fear…he wasn’t going to hurt her. Slowly, he met her in the middle and their lips touched together lightly.

That seemed to do the trick because the small flame inside of Peter ignited and engulfed him as he pulled Sinead even closer now, deepening the kiss as he moved his hands up her body and through her hair. They kissed a few more minutes before Peter pulled away, gasping for breath. Eyes wide and the return of that boyish smile on his face, Peter nodded his head towards the bed. ”Long overdo I know…but better late than never right..”

Fades to black
with: Sinead Misty Gray

Finn Sullivan​

Relieved that he hadn’t offended George, Finn reached for his coffee, which was nearly gone now, and took a final sip from it before finishing it off. As George spoke about his opinions on where they should have put Peter as well, Finn nodded his head up and down, listening very closely with great interest. When hearing that Peter was put into a higher security correctional facility due to his ties with the mob, Finn frowned. Despite being related to the Porters, Finn hadn’t had many problems, though he was assuming that it was because he also stayed out of trouble. Listening as George spoke about his friends in prison, he was surprised to hear that he would rush to see them either in prison or on the outside. Finn had a certain idea of prison that was correct in some ways and wrong in others. From Peter’s perspective, it closely fit what Finn thought prison was, a dog eat dog world where you don’t make friends and you are only there to be punished. It was also interesting to hear that he believe that not everyone was as bad as their crime.

Finn believe that George was a good man but he wasn’t so sure what he would think if the man turned out to be a murderer. He had a hard enough time as it was dealing with what his family did, he wasn’t sure if he would accept if a stranger did those things. Turning to crime for survival was something that he was familiar of hearing, especially in his family. A fond smile formed on George’s face and Finn couldn’t help but smile as well, he spoke of a friend and Finn honestly was intrigued to meet such a guy as well, though he also wanted to know who he had murdered..

Things got a bit more personal as George came back to his own crimes. Finn’s smile slowly faded a way to a more serious expression as he continued to listen. The fact that George was sitting here, speaking honestly about what he had done…blaming no one but himself…it was incredible and Finn found that attractive.

”That doesn’t change a thing.” Finn spoke immediately as George spoke again, a bit awkwardly this time. His brows shot up as George explained that Peter had changed his opinion on things. It was no surprise to him to hear that he thought the Porter’s were bullies at first. He was sure his family didn’t have a great reputation in Prison. A smile formed on his lips as George admired that his family was human and had so much love. ”Its true. But its not odd to find it strange, I even feel weird about my family at times…they tend to contradict themselves naturally. “ The Doctor let out a soft laugh and shook his head lightly.

”You are such a wise man George, well beyond your years. When you say you’ve never met anyone like me…I can honestly say the same. You have this sight that no one else has…this way of seeing the world. I love it…really.”
with: George Misty Gray

Lucy Porter​

Lucy lifted her head slowly as she felt the bed shift slightly, her eyes looking to see James looking up at the ceiling. His face still looked so distant but she knew that this had to be so hard for him. Despite her constant reassurance, her husband felt as though he had the whole world on his shoulders, that everyone was depending on him. Although that may be true, it was important for him to take care of himself…which was one of the hardest things for him to do, especially when it involved resting. James’ then suddenly shifted again, trying to sit up. Lucy gasped and shook her head at her husband, ”James Ronan Porter, you lay back down!” She scolded him gently, watching as his face was etched with pain before relaxing again. Lucy looked nervously to the heart monitor, which was beeping a bit faster now. ”What am I going to do with you?” She murmured softly just as Syd came over and crouched beside her.


The woman placed her hand on his shoulder and nodded her head, ”You certainly did.” She said softly, her hand then moving to stroke Thomas’ head, the babe still sound asleep in his brother’s arms. Syd spoke to James’ softly and the tears continued to pour down her face. She was beyond relieved that her husband had woken up. She was sure she was the only one in the room who wasn’t surprised by what he said to her, having said it to her for years now whenever he was in pain. Lucy looked to James as he silently watched Syd, nodding his head lightly as Syd promised to look after her. Lucy sniffled lightly, ”And I’m going to be looking after you.” Lucy told James.

His good arm moved and Lucy immediately took James’ hand in her own, moving her head down, she planted a kiss against the back of it gently. Looking to Syd, Lucy wished that her son hadn’t witnessed what he did. She was worried about James but she was just as worried about the mental health of her son. Her free hand moved up and lightly swiped a few strands of hair from Syd’s forehead. ”We love you.” Lucy told him gently. She knew that James didn’t have to say it to know it was true, they loved their children more than anything on this earth. Her eyes then looked to Thomas and she let out a soft sigh, a part of her couldn’t help but wonder what life would be like for him. There was a time when she thought that they would all be safe…no more fighting.

He slept so peacefully and all the while he didn’t know how beaten his father was…what that meant for the family, for the business. Thomas was oblivious to the evil around him and Lucy wished for it to be that way for as long as possible. ”We will get through this…just like before.” Her voice was certain as her eyes looked to James again. The way he looked, his bruises and bandaging, the cast on his arm…she should be frightened for what was to come, but she wasn’t. James was the strongest person she knew, a great leader and amazing husband and father…he was going to get them all through this.
with: James Misty Gray ; Syd Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

When Aliana posed the question about waiting for Jackson to arrive so they could discuss things, Conor didn't immediately answer. His mind was already going back to the IWU guys who had been there when Leo was shot, wishing there hadn't been witnesses so he could have got at them first. His thoughts shifted to the man responsible for putting James into hospital and he couldn't help but wonder who Gideon was. Was he really the strong, brutal giant he'd heard about? In the present moment, all he wanted to do was meet the bastard and cave his head in himself. He looked between Aliana and Ryan before unconvincingly nodding his head. "Yeah, of course. Just like when James took a break before, we don't do anything without discussing with Jackson first." Whilst Conor believed in his words and knew that was the best course of action, it was hard to shift the niggling aggression that was building up at the back of his mind.

Ryan's words were firm and level-headed, managing to encourage Conor let his head take the lead rather than his emotions. He nodded his head, grateful for his friend's input. In all honestly, he was generally grateful to have regained his friendship with Ryan and put their past 'feud' behind them. With the suggestion of getting drinks and waiting until after the reception, Conor reluctantly agreed. "Yeah, I guess I could do with a drink," he agreed. He placed a reassuring hand on Aliana's lower back and walked with her and Ryan to the bar. He retrieved a bottle of whiskey and slid three glasses towards them. He poured them all drinks, given each of them perhaps more than he should have, but he didn't much care by that point.

"This family has lost so much. It's starting to feel like Chicago, all over again..." Conor took a long drink of whiskey before slamming the glass down on the bar. He subconsciously moved his hand to his collarbone, rubbing the skin underneath his shirt where the old bullet hole scar remained. He remembered the night Emmet his been gunned down and how Angel then turned his gun on him to disable him from fighting back. His family were either slaughtered or tortured by their Italian enemies during their time in Chicago, and he couldn't let it happen all over again. "It fucking pisses me off that Luce and James can't have just one thing go right for them. They'd been so happy since little Thomas was born." Conor let out a deep breath before catching Ryan's eye and then looking to Aliana. "I'm sorry, love," he apologised to her, softly rubbing her back. "I know all three of us have lost a lot. It's why we can't let these wankers win."

Fletchawk (Ryan) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

The tension between them escalated when Gwen read into his words, her jaw dropping in shock and disgust. She gave him a shove to get him of her way, but he stood his ground and continued to block her, determined not to end the night on such a sour note. Her reaction drew a frustrated laugh from him and he brought his hands to his head with a groan. "Jesus, Gwen, you know that's not what I meant!" he spoke over her, now raising his voice. "I don't fucking believe this. You're more upset with me than you are with him, and I didn't even hurt you!"

Despite his growing frustration at their argument, Jason still jolted forward to catch her when the heel of her shoe suddenly snapped and caused her to fall backwards. His grip on her fell instantly when she bent down to remove her shoes and he took a few step back, pinching the bridge of his nose. After seeing her begin to walk away, Jason was glad that his comment made her stop in her tracks and turn back to him. A silence fell between them and he took the opportunity to study her expression. It appeared that she was contemplating his offer to give her a ride home, and the anger in his heart simmered at the thought of her wrapping her arms around him again. However, any hope was soon shattered as she told him, with tears in her eyes, that she had to go.

"Gwen -" he tried, his voice softening. But she didn't turn back this time. Jason cursed to himself some more and raked a hand through his hair. Watching her walk away, barefoot on the cold damp ground, he felt terrible for everything. Not only was he genuinely concerned for her safety, but he was conflicted about his own actions. Stealing and scamming was all he knew, and he was good at it. During his adolescent years, he hadn't had much choice - now, even with the hardship of finding a straight job with a criminal record, he surely had more options. The idea of becoming an honest man wasn't so far out of reach, yet something was always there holding him back: some ingrained hatred for the system, that he had always been at war with in some way or other. What he had to decide was whether it was all really worth it. Because of his criminal ways, Gwen was now walking away from him - this woman who, after only a very short evening spent together, had made his heart sing with excitement. He longed to hold her hand again, dance with her again, hear her sweet laugh. Instead, he would be left to stew in his guilt, kept awake by taunting memories of an almost-perfect encounter.

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright

At the idea of suggesting the three of them got a drink, Ali nodded her head. Anything to calm her nerves and distract her from everything that was going on. Her brother hadn't even been fully put to rest and the IWU were out there causing nothing but havoc. Well, it was time they suffered their own losses and understood the Porter's and their kin were not to be trifled with. Feeling Conor's hand on her back made her feel a bit better. To be honest, Conor's entire presence was making her feel better. Just like with Tommy, however, she noticed that he was putting his feelings aside to tend to her. She could tell he was working hard to continue making up for not being there for her months ago when Leo first got hurt. It was making her realize she was falling for this guy more and more every day, but it also made her feel bad that he continued to put his own feelings aside.

Watching as he poured the liquor in her cup, she listened to him mention Chicago. Ali knew very little about that time, being a newcomer to the family and not wanting to open up old wounds. It was always something she was curious about, but she would never ask as no one liked to be reminded of their past. She also noticed him messing with the scar she'd run her fingers over so many times before. Now that, that she vaguely knew about as well and again, would never ask for more details unless it was brought up. Hearing him talk you could tell how hurt and angry he was yet he wasn't going to lose his cool this time. She agreed with him on the front of Lucy and James not getting any peace. Really, she felt like they could need some with all the work they had to deal with. "We should send them away. To like, Ibiza or something..." She stated, playing with the cup in front of her.

Conor's sudden apology took her by surprise though it shouldn't have. "You have been apologizing all day, stop. If anything I'm sorry for shutting you out. Trying to be better about that but you know how it goes." After taking a sip of her drink, she nodded her head in agreement. While she didn't know Ryan enough to understand what went wrong, she still felt like he understood as well. She nodded her head at Ryan before offering him a soft smile. "I know we don't know each other that well, but thanks for being you know. Around."

Conor ( Misty Gray ) Ryan ( Fletchawk )
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[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

George let out a relieved breath when Finn told him his story didn't change anything. The man was so accepting of him and it seemed too good to be true, if George was being completely honest with himself. He nodded his head, understanding when the doctor admitted he felt weird about his family and how they contradicted themselves. "Well, like I said, not everything is so black and white. I suppose I'd rather the city was under the control of people like them than some of the men I encountered behind bars," he reasoned.

George blushed when Finn told him he was wise. He let out a shy kind of laugh as he pointed out his rare way of seeing the world, going as far as to say he loved it. George looked into Finn's eyes as the man spoke, still unable to believe he could be so lucky to have such a good man wanting to be with him. It was hard to believe and he briefly considered he might be dreaming. He reached his arm out and placed his hand on Finn's shoulder. He wanted so much to kiss the other man, but he felt like there was still something getting in the way. He didn't want the other man to think he was so good when he didn't believe he was. "Finn, I'm not quite as wise as you think," he awkwardly began. "You've obviously gathered I'm working at the library. I only started this week, but..." he paused, briefly looking away as he remembered his desire to keep nothing from the other man. "You have to know that I got the job dishonestly. I got desperate after being repeatedly turned down and I decided just one more lie was all that would be needed before I could make an honest go of it. So, I never told them about my criminal record."


Bellz (Finn)

 

[LateForDinner]

Nathan Bennett
​

When she gave Nathan her name, it flourished in his chest and found itself a spot in his mind that will never fade. He couldn't help but smile at her words and nod along intently; taking in each detail of information as of the upmost importance. It still never occurred to him as to why he felt this way towards her. The reasons will never be explained nor will the marksman look for an answer. He rarely finds moments like these, thus he'll simply relish in them. As she mentioned her lack of importance within the Porter business, it struck guilt into his chest. Nathan understood that James and his business were concerned with pressing matters, yet there were plenty of able-bodied employees who could - as well as should - be dealing with such innocent souls as Saoirse.

"You may not be James's biggest priority, but you've definitely become mine. I know that we have a lot on our plate but... you're still loyal to our business and pay well." He smiled with reassurance, hoping to comfort the thoughts that are no doubt festering within her mind. Nathan observed her subtle features; watching her delicate cheekbones and plush lips twitch under the doubts and fears. When Saoirse mentioned her brother, it only confirmed his assumptions. It explained why he received an absurd amount of suspicious glares from the sibling. "Your brother, right."

The bodyguard then continued to hear her story, taking in the emotions that carry her words. It inspired him even further. Nathan felt her desires resonate with his own; sustaining loyalty when an easier solution could've been reached. It showed strength within her, despite how frightened she can seem. He felt even more obliged to help her, considering she kept vital details from the police. "I can tell that you've been through a lot. This must mean... everything to you, Saoirse." Nathan spoke his words with a soft tone, once again hoping to comfort her. Saoirse's final question essentially summed up his entire reason for being her. It was a pinnacle moment in their entire dinner. In all honesty, he wasn't sure how worried she should be. He felt uneasy going forward without James knowing, yet it didn't stop his resolve to help her. "No, you shouldn't, Saoirse. If we know, then we'll stop them. I will not leave your side until you and your brother are safe. Now, how about we enjoy our dinner? I'm sure this conversation has tired you."




Interactions & Mentions
Saoirse Fitzgerald; Misty Gray