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

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead couldn't help but smile to herself in the moment they stood with their arms around each other. After all of the time they'd spent apart, physically and mentally, she felt like they had a lot of catching up to do. She also believed it was up to her to keep Peter happy and content; to keep him steered away from the darkness his time in prison had left within him to torture him. She had many dark thoughts of her own that forced her into self-destructive behaviours. Peter had been there to pull her away from those nightmares and so it was only natural she would wish to return the favour.

Sinead giggled at Peter's feigned shock towards her accusation. "Hmm. Well alright... I guess I believe you." She then looked upwards to meet his gaze. "I finally made it into Good Looking Club? This is amazing news!" she exclaimed, faking over excitement.

When Peter took his next shot, he only managed to knock four pins down. She frowned on his behalf before sending him a soft smile. "Maybe you will be cooking dinner tomorrow, after all!"

Sinead once again walked over to collect a purple bowling ball. Even as she approached the lane, her eyes were fixed on the pins in steel determination. She stood at the line and took some time to focus. When she finally took her turn, the ball rolled directly down the centre of the lane before crashing into the pins and knocking all ten down. Sinead turned on the spot to face Peter and threw her arms up into the air in celebration. She brought her arms back down and skipped back to her husband. "Yay! Looks like I've still got it," she remarked, followed by a wink.

Bellz (Peter)

George Sanderson​

George saw Finn lift his hand and was sure he was going to reach out to touch him. However, the other man instead put his hand down on the table with a thud. George sent Finn a gentle, reassuring smile, knowing it was hard for both of them but certain they could make things work. They at least had the privilege of being able to spend time together in private when they could. Privacy and freedom were something George would never take for granted again.

George couldn't help but blush upon the confirmation the waitress had got the wrong idea. "Damn, well maybe next time she's around I should let her overhear me talking about the fact I'm already in love... Does Faye sound like a suitable codename for you?" he remarked, with a wink. He then shifted back to the other comment Finn had made. "Oh, I did notice her chest, so close to my face that I couldn't avoid noticing. She's an objectively beautiful woman," he said, not ignorant to the fact even if he was only interested in men. He couldn't help but laugh when Finn said she had excellent taste for fancying him. "Hmm. I'm pretty sure if her taste was so good, it would be you she'd be flirting with. I dare say I'm punching above my weight with you," he said before letting out a chuckle and displaying a bashful expression.

When Finn told him he was his dose of happiness, George felt the man's comment go straight to his heart. It was a warm feeling knowing someone appreciated him as much as he did them. Despite everything that had happened in the past, in the moment, he felt like the luckiest man alive. "I could say the same about you, Doctor Sullivan. I finally feel like everything is falling into place. I have a job I like and I have freedom. More than that, I have you and because of that, I feel happier and my truest self than I ever have. So we can't show our affection in public... But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to try making. We know we have each other, right?" George gazed around the restaurant before looking back to Finn. "We should take a trip out to the coast one day. I haven't been near the sea in quite some time."

Bellz (Finn)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James lightly nodded hid head when Gwen said she didn't know about Elijah. As she pulled up a chair, he made the decision to tell her a little more about their brother - perhaps a condensed version for the time-being. "Elijah is a few years younger than me. He's not well, though. He had an accident when he was just a kid and it caused permanent problems for him," he said, pointing to his forehead in hopes she would understand what kind of difficulties he meant. "Unfortunately, he's locked up nowadays, but I'm sure he'd be real curious to know he has a sister."

Gwen's tense behaviour and body language when her stepfather was brought up stuck out to James like a sore thumb. But his train of thought was disrupted when she called him "sir". The man quickly shook his head before studying Gwen's face, searching for a resemblance to Ronan. He could certainly see some similarity in her eyes, but was curious as to whether she shared any if their father's mannerisms. "Please, call me James. We're family, right?"

Gwen went on to speak about her stepfather, which brought James' thoughts back to were they had been heading not long ago. When she said the man was responsible for her mother being dead, James shuffled up so he was sitting a little more upright. Despite briefly tightening his jaw to block out any discomfort, Lucy would soon recognise a familiar spark in his eyes and stern expression on his face. Apparently picking up on the anger-laced tone of the redhead, his own face took on something of a coldness. Hearing Erick pushed Lila to breaking point did nothing at all to ease the his tension. Gwen finished up by mentioning her mother wouldn't tell her anything about Ronan and the rest was history. Lucy would easily be able to tell James wasn't so eager to accept that as being enough information. Even beneath his discomfort and exhaustion, something had been switched on in his mind and he couldn't ignore it.

"Hold on... What exactly did Erick do to your mother? You said he pushed her. Why is it his fault?" His tone remained calm, but if this Erick guy had done anything harmful towards Gwen, he wanted to know he hadn't got away with it. She may not have been in his life thirty minutes ago, but she was his flesh and blood now. He hadn't been able to help in the past and in a way felt he owed her for their father's potential failings.

Bellz (Lucy, Gwen)

 

[Pyroclast]

Adam Morgan

Adam's expression didn't waver when Griffin scoffed at his words and pointed out the IWU's apparent lack of interest in protecting the public. Instead he locked eyes with him, his calm, professional smile still on his face. Saoirse added to her brother's concerns with her accusation of the Union being responsible for the murder of their sister.

"You don't know the half of what the IWU are capable of, Mr. Fitzgerald," he replied. "You see, we are a collective only growing in power. When we reach out to the public in ways such as this, to offer our service, what we are really doing is building a network. Our priority is to get to know the workforce that keeps Dublin thriving and moving forward so as to understand their concerns - your concerns, as it were. Like I said before: we are not a selfish party. The reason we are building this network is so we can do more to help the people, those oppressed by higher institutions of power." Adam looked over to Saoirse, noticing the anger in her eyes, and let his own gaze soften. "I'm afraid your impression of the IWU has been tainted by a traumatic experience. What happened to your sister was unfortunate, but it was in no way representative of what we stand for. It was an anomalous circumstance triggered by the Irish Mob that should never have happened, and, if we can help it, one that will never happen again. From the bottom of my heart, I truly am sorry that your sister happened to be there that night."

Minnie piped up then to add to his argument. It seemed that the two of them were speaking on a very similar wavelength, and Adam was sure that between them they could make a good sales pitch. He glanced back to Evan to make sure that the man seemed happy with the way things were going but he didn't look as though he was about to step in and interrupt him or Minnie, which he took as a good sign. With this being his first job as a member of the IWU, he wanted to make a good impression on the man.

"Think of this as...our way of compensating for your sister's unfortunate death," he gently offered the couple, stepping forward to stand beside Minnie. "The Porters have been causing a lot of upset within the city recently. They are becoming chaotic, reckless and irresponsible as their fear of losing their power over the city to us grows. They are coming undone, and as a result more and more violent outbreaks are occurring in the area. Stories like yours are a reminder to us that Dublin's establishments needs better protection, to avoid a repeat of such devastating events. If you want your store to stay safe, then taking our offer of protection is undoubtedly your best bet. So, what do you say?"

Bellz Minnie, Griffin
Misty Gray Evan, Saoirse


Syd Porter

Syd walked in silence beside his girlfriend, breathing in the salty sea air and feeling the warmth of the sun soak into his skin. Living so close by, he had made a lot of memories at the harbour over the years - there was plenty of mischief to be had as a teenager, jumping across parked fishing boats, exploring abandoned vessels and swimming dangerously close to incoming cargo ships. But he also found it a calming environment, and the lighthouse especially to be a somewhat romantic location, so secluded and far away from the bustle of the city. Even if Danny was around.

When Skye voiced her concerns for his safety, Syd kept his gaze fixed ahead and simply listened. Her comment about his aunt's well-known anxiety drew an amused smile from him, but he remained silent for a few moments as he mulled over her words. Eventually, he drew a deep breath and slowed to a halt. Gently placing both hands on her arms, Syd looked into Skye's eyes and offered her a smile. "I love you, too," he uttered, raising one hand to caress her cheek. "I've seen how Sinead gets about Peter. I'm lucky to have someone worrying about me in the same way. Before I had you to think about, I'd get myself into all sorts of shit. I didn't care much about being safe - it was too much thinking, and I was always a "do first, think later" kinda guy. But I can't be that guy anymore, not with the kind of stuff we're dealing with now. Besides, Jackson makes us take extra precautions when we go out. I know it's not nice to think of it like this, but we are at war here - if we let ourselves get hurt, it's points to them, you know? Dad getting put in hospital was great for them - I don't want to give them that satisfaction ever again." He paused briefly, biting down on his lip as he thought about the risks that came from confronting such a powerful, brutal enemy. "I don't know," he shrugged, looking down to the ground between their feet. "I'll be careful, 'course...but it's worth the risk I think, trying to take them down. 'Cause I think we can do it, and, like you said, they deserve to suffer. If you ask me, they deserve death."

Syd raised his head to meet her gaze and let his hands slide down her arms, finally taking her hands into his once more. "I always think of you when I'm on my way to a job, Skye. It reminds me to be careful, because I want to come home to you at the end. So you shouldn't worry too much...in a way, you're the one keeping me safe. Have that on your conscience!" he joked, sending her a wink. Looking out onto the horizon, Syd took another deep breath of fresh air, before smiling back to Skye and beginning to slowly amble towards the lighthouse again. "It's brave of you, you know, to stick with me while I do these things. I know you said you've accepted it and that you wouldn't be with me if you weren't okay with it. But I care about you, too, Skye...it's important to me that you're okay. Worrying too much can do bad things to your mind..." He rubbed the back of her hand affectionately before adding, "Maybe you should talk to Sinead about this? Like you said, she goes through a lot of the same anxiety with Peter. I'm sure she'd have advice for you."

Interactions
Misty Gray Skye

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Peter chuckled as Sinead suggested that he would be making dinner tomorrow, shrugging his shoulders and nodding his head. ”Hey doll, I don’t mind making dinner tomorrow. It sounds like you want me to.” He teased lightly before watching her walk over to collect her purple ball once again. The determination on her face caused Peter to smile widely and he continued to watch as she looked towards the pins, ”I have a good feeling about this one baby,” He commented, giving her reassurance as she lined up the shot.

When she finally took it, the ball went rolling down the middle of the lane, getting to the end and was sent crashing directly through the middle of the pins. Peter started clapping as soon as he saw it, Sinead turned to face him and the man expressed the joy he felt for her one his face, ”That was amazing!” He cheered as he walked forward towards her. His wife threw his hands up in celebration and met him halfway, skipping towards him. Peter opened his arms out wide and let her jump into his arms before wrapping them around her tightly and leaning back to lift her up gently. Placing a kiss against her lips for a few moments, he then set her back down but continued to hold her. ”I really think you are going to kick my butt in this one love, my concentration isn’t right tonight.” He said, trying to make up an excuse when deep down he knew what his problem was.

Squeezing her one more time, Peter released the woman before heading over to grab his own ball again. ”Alright, lets try this over. The boys at home can’t figure out that I was beat by Tinkerbell, they will never ever respect me again. ”He told her in passing before making his way up to the line. He took his time concentrating a little more, looking and lining up the shot before tossing it down the lane with a little more precision. The ball rolled down the middle most of the way, but towards the end it spun to the left and only knocked down half of the pins. Peter groaned and shook his head, not wasting time grabbing another ball to take the rest of his turn. Concentrating again, he eyed the pins and shuffled a bit to the right, that way if his shot was more to the left it wouldn’t miss the pins completely.


His plan worked, but only knocked out the first 2 pins, leaving the rest on the lane. ”Damn!” Peter said before turning to Sinead, despite his terrible game, the man had a smile on his face. ”It looks like I’m really making dinner.”
with: Sinead Misty Gray

Finn Sullivan​

Finn smiled at the suggestion of George speaking about already being in love when the waitress returned, when he spoke of the name Faye, Finn nodded his head. ”I could be a Faye in another life I think…if I were a woman, I would want to be a redhead, like Sinead.” At the observation George made about the waitress, Finn nodded his head in agreement. He couldn’t deny that the waitress was a looker, but there was only one person at the table who had his eye tonight and he was sitting right in front of him. Finn rolled his eyes as George tried to say that Finn was the better looking one, again. They had this argument all the time and although it was in good fun, Finn wanted the man to know just how good looking he really was. ”I say not, Mister.” The doctor said firmly.

When he spoke of George being his dose of happiness, he truly meant it. Even though it had been a short time since they officially had gotten together, Finn’s life was already beginning to turn around because of the man across the table. The doctors cheeks turned a slight pink color as George returned the kind words, going even further to say that Finn made him his truest self. At the mention of not being able to show affection in public, Finn’s smile only faded slightly. It was hard for him at first, the man was an affectionate person by nature and it wasn’t unusual to hug both men and women when he wanted to. But with George it was different, it was tempting to just want to hold onto him forever.

”We do have each other.” He echoed in agreement. He watched George as he looked around the bar before looking back his way. Going to the coast sounded like a beautiful idea. Back in the states, Finn had taken the time to travel out to the east and west coast with Eleanor. He loved the ocean. ”Well that’s certainly something we can do, I love the sea. I actually haven’t been out to the coast here yet…Back in the states I use to go all the time.” Before he had a chance to talk about more, the waitress hurried back with their drinks, making it a point to once again get way to close to George. Finn accepted his drink with a smile and tried to cover his laugh as he took a quick sip.
with: George Misty Gray

Gwen Sheehan​

Lucy Porter​

At hearing about her other brother, Elijah, Gwen tilted her head in curiosity. He was only a few years younger than James and he mentioned that he wasn’t well…due to an accident. The redhead’s brow furrowed together at news of this, clear concern showing on her face. Hearing he was locked up, the redheads hopes of meeting him were squashed a bit but it was good to know that he may be curious of her. As Gwen grew more tense speaking about her stepfather, she noticed that James’ expression was changing rapidly. She nodded her head at him insisting she call him James, silently letting it sink in that this was actually happening, that she would have a family…from the looks of it.

The man shifted up and Gwen sat up a little straighter as well, noting the tenseness on his face from the movement. Lucy was silently observing both of them, taking in everything that was happening. With James’ injuries and another death in the family, things felt like they were beginning to pile up. She shifted sleeping Thomas in her arms as she leaned back in her chair, her own face was tense as she listened to Gwen’s story. When James had shifted she turned her face to look at him, noting the particular look in his eyes now. The blonde reached her free hand out, placing it on his hoping to calm him somewhat.


When Gwen finished, she could see something in his face that was similar to one she wore when angered…it was eerily calm and collected, which made him look unnerving. It surprised her that this man seemed to already care about her wellbeing and they had just been in each others lives for mere minutes. Swallowing harshly, Gwen cleared her throat and blinked twice, making eye contact with her brother before looking away quickly. ”He was an abuser…physically, mentally. He put my mother through hell everyday and in the end, she couldn’t handle it…She took her own life three months ago. For years before that I wasn’t allowed to be with her, often taken care of by the maid we had.” It was still difficult for Gwen to talk about and it showed as she inhaled a shaky breath, lifting a hand to wipe under her eyes. ”You don’t need to be hearing this, James. Look at you, you are hurt right now, not me.” She said as she turned back to face him.
With: James Misty Gray ; Lucy (me)

 

[Misty Gray]

Saoirse Fitzgerald and Evan Shaw​

Evan's focus shifted from Saoirse and onto her brother instead when the man spoke up. He claimed to have seen what the IWU was capable of and that he didn't think they cared about protecting the public. Though his face remained calm and his smile somehow neutral, in Evan's mind he was studying Griff to determine how easy it would be to take him down. He concluded it wouldn't be much trouble at all, but that wasn't his intention for today's visit.

Evan hadn't started to react to Saoirse's accusations about his organisation's involvement in her sister's death as Minnie spoke up on his behalf first. The woman assured the Fitzgeralds he wouldn't hurt a fly. Deciding to play along with Minnie's words, Evan adopted his charming and friendly smile. His presence seemed warm and even reassuring. "Ma'am, I fought in the war to help protect good people such as yourselves," he said. His tone was courteous and the kind he would have used to address sweet old ladies back when he hadn't been tainted by the very war he'd just mentioned. He had no pride in himself for fighting a war he'd been forced to act in. Whereas, the IWU was a cause he believed in and would voluntarily put his life on the line for. Evan looked Saoirse in the eyes, able to expertly put a softness into his own. "I understand your loss, Miss Fitzgerald... But I must ask you to consider this: did you see me shoot your sister?" he asked. He knew he hadn't shot Bridget. He knew exactly which people he had shot, Grace particularly memorable to him.

Saoirse knew the man was right and that she hadn't seen him shoot Bridget. She hadn't seen him shoot anyone on account of everything turning to chaos and very quickly, that night. "No. I didn't see you shoot her," she confirmed. She'd caught the way her brother had spoken to her, understanding it was safer to be friendly with the three unwanted IWU members, so she was holding her tongue. She knew it was members of the IWU who had killed Bridget, Tommy, and they had killed Leo too. So, no matter how convincing Minnie's and Adam's sales pitches were, she couldn't trust them. Despite her doubts about the Porters, they hadn't killed her sister and Nathan had convinced her he was going to help them now. When Adam finished up by asking them to make their 'choice', Saoirse knew it was up to Griff as it was his business at the end of the day. She placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She would refuse, that much she knew, but she trusted Griff would do what he believed was best for them.

Evan allowed both Minnie and Adam to make their pitches to the Fitzgeralds, keeping to his word about not intervening. In all honesty, he didn't believe he needed to do so. Both of them had impressed him. He hadn't been sure about bringing Adam onto their side, originally wishing to slaughter him with the Armstrongs, but he was glad to have been wrong on that occasion. The Fitzgeralds had been an easy target to ease Adam into it, but Evan was now convinced he would have shone with tougher subjects too. Regardless of the outcome, he was pleased with Minnie and Adam. Now he just needed to see if the Fitzgeralds would take the peaceful option or not...

Bellz (Griffin, Minnie) Pyroclast (Adam)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan
​

Sinead's smile grew even wider when Peter told her she was amazing after scoring a strike. When he opened his arms out to let her jump into them, she brought her face close to his ear, giggling as he lifted her up. "No. You're amazing," she corrected him and pecked his cheek. The wine perhaps had a part to play in it too, but Sinead was having so much fun that she didn't register any other people around them. The only person who existed in the moment was Peter. She felt like he had finally come back to her. "Oh, I know I'm going to kick your butt," she said, still oblivious to the fact his anxieties and traumas were still very much affecting him, even during their date night.

Once her husband released her, Sinead turned on the spot to watch him take his turn. "Go, Petey!" she encouraged him, despite her competitive nature having kicked into overdrive. She grinned when he made his comment about not wanting the guys at home to know he lost against her. "Ah, if my brother gives you any lip, just ask him how many times I've beaten him at pool. I can tell you you, it's a lot of times!" she assured him.

After taking the two shots, two pins remained standing. She grinned when he commented that he really was going to be making dinner. Sinead took her next turn, knocking five pins over and then four. "Ahh, close enough!" she remarked, having left only one pin standing.

Sinead approached Peter and stood opposite him, quirking her head to the side briefly. "Going back to the subject of making dinner... Yes, I really do want you to," she informed him, her tone free of any humour and laced with a tinge of desperation. "Some days, when it's just me and the kids, I could pull my hair out! Savvy is going through what I hope is just a fussy phase. Different foods are not allowed to touch and apparently she doesn't like beef anymore." Sinead rolled her eyes. "But she had beef at Luce's house and those damned peas were touching that meat, I can tell you!" She sighed. "To be honest, I think it's me she's just being fussy with me. Like it's my fault when bad things happen to her." Sinead let out a deep sigh, having clearly held in her rant for quite some time. She hadn't wanted to burden Peter with what could be deemed as trivial complaining in the grand scheme of things. "I'm sure you'll have more success with that princess of ours."


Bellz (Peter)

Skye McKendrick​

As they walked, Skye looked over her shoulder to see Danny was staying back a little to give her and Syd some privacy. She found it pretty sweet seeing how he was doing his best to keep an eye out for them without actually keeping an eye on them. If she didn't know better, she'd think he was just a guy having a peaceful walked by the sea... even if she did catch a glimpse of the semi-automatic pistol his hand was hovering over at his hip. She turned away and returned her focus to Syd, a content smile on her lips as she chose to make the most of their evening together, as alone as they could be.

Syd stopped and placed his hands on her arms. Him telling her he loved her too cause her to draw in a deep breath. She softly smiled as he stroked her cheek. As he spoke, he told her how having her worrying about him caused him to take more care for his own safety. She was glad to know she had that kind of effect on him and that he was trying harder to look after himself when out on jobs. She quickly nodded her head when Syd said he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of harming another family member, not after what they'd done to James. She mirrored his body language, biting her own lip as he said making the IWU suffer was worth the risk - that they deserved to die. "I think this is where I'm supposed to talk you out of fighting them... To tell you it's wrong to kill or harm other people, but... Well, they deserve it. When we went to see Sinead singing, last year, those bastards opened fire in that club. Sinead could have died... you and me could have both died. I was bullied in the orphanage but I didn't back down. I wouldn't expect you or your family to cower to the IWU. Hell, I'd put a bullet in any of them, given half a chance," she admitted.

Skye glanced down when Syd held her hands, but then looked back up to look into his eyes again. "I'm glad you make the effort to return home to me and that I'm in some way protecting you," she echoed his words. She shrugged her shoulders when he said it was brave of her to stick with him. "I love you, Syd. It's worth all of the danger to be with you. I'd rather takes risks and be happy with you than play it safe without you. And the Callahans and your parents, they accepted me into their homes and trusted me with their children when I barely had anything to my name. They're the only family I have now. I don't think I could ever abandon you all." Skye nodded her head when Syd told her worrying was bad and that she should talk to Sinead about it. "You're right, I know. I'm sure if Sinead can get through this, then I should be able to as well," she agreed. If anything, Skye figured Sinead had it harder. The redhead was an idealist and the kind of person to strive for happy endings, whereas Skye was more of a realist and one who knew the world was generally an unforgiving place. She softly smiled as she thought of the Callahans. "I think things are finally getting back on track for Peter and Sinead, though. It doesn't take a genius to pick up on the chemistry between them now, especially as up until a couple of weeks ago the atmosphere had been uncomfortable, at best."


Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

George smirked when Finn said he'd like to be a redhead if he were a woman. "Oh, I can definitely see it," he remarked, enthusiastically nodding his head. "From what I've heard from Peter, Sinead is sweet, just like you," he observed. He'd still not seen Peter since the day he was released, but from what he understood, it still wasn't a good time to do so. He just hoped his former cellmate was doing better than the last time he'd discussed him with Finn.

"That settles it, Doctor Sullivan. We will have to arrange a trip together soon." He briefly closed his eyes as he imagined walking along the shore with Finn by his side. Opening them again, he sent a longing gaze towards the man. "I used to dream of the sea when I was locked up. I figure the imagery of the big, open waters could be interpreted as some kind of metaphor for my desire for freedom. Whilst that might be true, I also just really love and miss trips to the seaside."

When the waitress hurried back to the table with their drinks, George turned to face the pretty young woman and sent her a grateful smile. It didn't escape him how close she was and noticing Finn trying to hide his laughter only made his own cheeks turn red with embarrassment. "Thank you, Miss," he told the young woman. He awkwardly cleared his throat to buy himself a little time as he thought of what to say. He nodded towards Finn before deciding to casually speak to the waitress. "This one here is supposed to be keeping me out of trouble," he told her, pointing to Finn. "If I return home drunk, my other half will have one or two things to say about that. I fear I'll be banned from drinking again," he said, letting out a casual laugh as he hoped the young lady took the hint and determined from his words that he was already spoken for.


Bellz (Finn)

James Porter​

James felt Lucy's hand touch his and he turned to meet his wife's gaze for a short time. He knew she could see the burning deep within his eyes and didn't doubt she would want him to remain calm. Whilst he wouldn't overreact in that moment, he wouldn't make any promises not to react at all. Still, he turned his forearm so he could take hold on Lucy's hand, stroking her skin with his thumb as he hoped to channel some of her warmth into himself.

James looked back to Gwen, still trying to get his head around the fact he had a sister and a whole lot to learn about the younger woman. Before she even began to speak, he could tell what she was going to say would be serious and that made him listen with deep intent. As soon as he heard her say Erick was an "abuser", his hand that was holding Lucy's tensed up a little. He had no patience or understanding for men who abused women, whether the victims were family or not. The fact Gwen was family only made his contempt for the abuser in question run deeper. He remained silent, listening as Gwen told them how the man had put her mother through hell to the point that the woman resorted to killing herself. His eyes shifted to stare at the ceiling as his sister continued, mentioning how she wasn't allowed to spend time with her mother. He remained silent after she'd finished talking, only brought out of his many thoughts when she addressed him again, pointing out that he was the one presently hurt and not her. He turned his head to the side again, glancing to Lucy before looking Gwen in the eyes again, slowly nodding his head.

"Don't worry about me, Gwen. I'm glad you told me," he assured her, his eyes giving off the signs that many thoughts were circling in his mind in that moment. "It's not right that you and your mother had to go through that, and that she was driven to taking her own life," he told her. "Men like your stepfather are pieces of shit and I'm sure, one day, Erick will get what's coming to him," James calmly reassured her. James was certain of it, being that he would quite like to meet the man once he was back on his feet.

James cleared his throat, knowing this wasn't the time or place for such dark conversations. Instead, he looked towards Thomas and allowed his face to soften upon thinking of his baby son. "Have you met your nephew yet, Gwen?" he asked her. "Thomas is a little miracle, ain't he, Luce? And now it seems like he has two redheaded songbirds for aunts," he remarked.


Bellz (Lucy, Gwen)

​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Syd looked away when Skye brought up the shooting at Sinead's club back in October. That had marked the beginning of a series of life-changing events for him, including the beginning of his relationship with Skye. They had shared their very first kiss that night, before he had even admitted his feelings for her. Thinking about it now made him briefly reflect on how far the two had come as a couple - it hadn't even been a year, yet he already couldn't imagine life without her. He gave her hand a quick squeeze of appreciation. "Let's not talk about right and wrong," he sighed. "I don't think that's a path I wanna go down. They're not people, anyway - they're monsters. Rules don't apply. We're not showing mercy anymore."

Her mention of being bullied back at the orphanage made him squeeze her hand again in sympathy. Whenever she talked about the awful place she had ended up in, he could only imagine his own - except that in his compound, he had been the one doing the bullying. Emotional and physical abuse from the social workers had turned him into a little terror and the only way he could think to hold himself up throughout it all was by treading on the other kids. Fortunately by now, thanks to Lucy and James' parenting skills, he had grown out of that behaviour. Hearing about what Skye went through reminded him to stay on the path he was now on and never go back to the way he had once been. Not only that, but it reminded him of how strong she was; his smile returned when she confessed to wanting to shoot the enemy herself. After seeing the way she had handled the shooting at Sinead's club, he had no doubt that with her bravery, she would have what it takes to be a part of the mob too. But he stopped himself from offering her that half a chance.

Syd felt a strong fluttering in his chest when Skye told him she would rather take risks to be with him than to be safe without him, and he had to take a deep breath to subdue his blushing. To him, she didn't deserve to have to make that choice. She didn't deserve to live in fear, to be surrounded by danger, to have to sacrifice her own safety to be with him. But he didn't have it in him to force her to leave him - selfishly, he needed her. And to hear that she was willing to make that sacrifice for him filled him with an indescribable happiness.

Skye moved the subject over to the Callahan's marriage then, and Syd turned his head to look at her with a look of mild curiosity on his face. "Are they?" he asked. "Well, I know I'm far from a genius, but I haven't noticed a thing. Honestly, I've been trying to keep out of their way a bit. Everyone's dealing with their own problems right now and Uncle Pete's been so...unpredictable lately, I've mostly just set my focus on dad and the business. It can't have been easy for you being around them when they were going through that. I'm glad things are looking up for them now."

By now, the pair were far away from the coastline. Syd stopped and loosely wrapped his arms around Skye from behind, resting his head against hers lightly as he took a moment to observe the incoming ships. "I'm surprised we haven't hit trouble yet, you know," he said, with a light laugh. "My parents kept apart by dad's injuries, Sinead and Peter kept apart by Pete's mental state, Uncle Finn separating with Eleanor...just doesn't seem like there's much luck going round for couples. Guess we gotta savour our moments together, right?" Of course, he was only teasing, but after the words left him he wondered why he had said it; in hindsight, it sounded kind of dark. Standing there out in the open, Syd suddenly felt exposed, as though someone could have a gun trained on them from somewhere on the shore. Or on one of the boats. His eyes cautiously scanned their surroundings and his body stiffened when he saw a silhouette of a man moving inside one of the faraway boats, before telling himself he was just being stupid. Nevertheless, he kissed Skye on the temple and tightened his embrace around her protectively.

Interactions
Misty Gray Skye

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

Jackson brought the lighted cigar between his middle and ring finger. The burning tip briefly illuminated his features in a soft amber, before fading away behind the accumulating ash. His eyes trailed to the large bookcases beside him - the smoke carelessly tumbling over his bottom lip. He rolled the cigar between his fingers and nodded his head subtly as Rudy spoke. Notes had been gangs' bread and butter since they first formed. The Porters' relationship with law enforcement and the populace had always either been silver or lead. The IWU wasn't so simple. From their past interactions, it had been made clear that they couldn't be bought, so money didn't hold as much significance as it usually would to an organization.

As Jackson nodded his head, he heard Ryan's voice from the corner. The man reinforced what he already knew. As much as he hated to admit it, The Porters were catching punch after punch, and no matter how brutal their retaliation had been, it hardly fazed the IWU. Bodies didn't appear to be an issue for the group, but maybe they had been looking in all the wrong places.

Jackson held the cigar beside his face, lightly rubbing his temple with his thumb. While he agreed with Rudy, he also saw the truth in Ryan's statement. They weren't like any gang they had ever dealt with before.

"I agree," Jackson spoke, blowing the lingering smoke from his mouth. "The IWU can't be bought, can't be spooked - it seems like the only thing they want is what we're not willing to give up." He shoved the cigar head first into the ashtray. A loud hissing sound emitted from the glass bowl, along with a string of smoke peeling from the smoldering stick.

"Frankly, there hasn't been a window to parry their aggressive behavior. We need something to shake their foundation to change momentum." His eyes slide to Rudy, pointing his ringed finger at the man. "I like where your head is."

Jackson shoved his finger down onto the desk. "I wanna know where they store every pound, every penny." He looked up to the men, nodding his head. "Then I want that facility bloody incinerated."

Misty Gray (Conor) Shireling (Rudy) Fletchawk (Ryan)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor took a drink of his beer before taking the opportunity to speak up next. "So, we need to get some of our lot onto the matter of finding out where their funds are coming and to destroy it; to deprive them of their biggest source of income," he echoed the others. "Any ideas as to who would be best at finding out such information?" he posed the question, knowing it wasn't his expertise at all.

He then sat back in his seat and took a moment before speaking, gathering his thoughts about what he had been experiencing himself and hearing from the gang members out protecting their businesses. "So, we've got people out in the city; security, bodyguards, snipers... They're there protecting our businesses, those of the people loyal to us and those paying for protection. For the most part, we're doing well on the defensive front," he pointed out. "But what about in terms of attacking? Ryan is right about the attack on the factory not dealing much damage to the IWU. So, perhaps it wasn't explosive enough," he said, not expecting his use of "explosive" to be taken literally, but also not bothered if it was. "If we're going to attack them, we need to make sure it's something big enough to cut deep into them."

Conor knew one of his biggest downfalls when he'd tried to run things in Chicago was his inability to act. He'd been afraid of innocent lives being affected and his own family being attacked if he'd prodded at the enemy too much. Even though James had succeeded due to his ability to detach his emotions, Conor still knew that over the years his brother-in-law had developed concern for the well-being of innocents caught up in their fights. He'd visited James earlier in the day and he'd seen first hand more signs of the 'lone wolf' James he'd known all those years ago. "Whilst I feel we are men of conscience, I'm not sure how far we're going to get treading so carefully anymore and I believe James sees it that way too... To hold Gideon and the rest of those pricks in the IWU back - or even to take them down permanently - we're going to have to accept that some innocent parties may come to harm in the crossfire." Whilst it was difficult to say those words, he knew civilians had already been harmed in the IWUs attacks in the past and if action wasn't taken, the deaths would continue regardless.

Enzyme (Jackson) Shireling (Rudy) Fletchawk (Ryan)

 

[Bellz]

Minnie Abernathy
Griffin Fitzgerald​

Griff saw Evan staring at him and it was clear to him that the man was sizing him up…or at least that’s what Griff was pretty sure of. The grocery store owner wasn’t much of a fighter…so if things turned sour then he wasn’t sure how he was going to be able to protect his sister. What he did know was that these people were not going to get their business, no matter how good of a sales pitch they were making. It was frustrating, it felt like nothing was getting done, no justice was being served for the death of their sister. The Porters had offered their protection even further but where the hell were they now, with the IWU breathing the same air as them in this moment. Griff wasn’t sure what to believe as Evan sympathized with the loss of their sister, but he hadn’t shot her.


Shaking his head slowly, there was a long silence between the group as there was now a decision that had to be made. The man looked towards her sister, his arm wrapping around her lightly as he tried to think about what was best for them both. The Porters weren’t proving their worth to them…but he was sure that the IWU would be no better, he just couldn’t justify trusting them. ”I’m sorry to say this…but all your efforts are pointless. We are allied with the Porters. They have done nothing but treat us with dignity and respect and once again looking back at your track record, that’s more than you can offer us.” There was a finality to his words, making it clear that the conversation wouldn’t go on any further. Their mistake was giving him the option to choose. The small brunette woman took another bite out of her apple, chewing slowly as she stared daggers at Griff. Obviously his answer was the wrong one.


Minnie finished her bite before walking towards the apple display. She examined it for a few seconds at first before her hand reached out and swiped at the delicate pile that must have taken a while to put up. The apples tumbled to the floor immediately, and she watched casually as they spilled past everyones feet. Looking up at both Saoirse and Griff again, she smiled slowly, before dropping her half eaten apple. ”Oopsies.” She giggled lightly before taking a few steps towards the siblings, her arms crossing as she swayed her hips. Coming to a stop only a foot away from them, her lips formed a pout, ”I hope you know that you won’t get this opportunity again. And its such a shame, I was really rooting for this place.” Her voice took on a babyish tone before she reached out a lightly patted Griff’s cheek. The man flinched and took a step back, causing Minnie to laugh again. ”Oh don’t worry big boy, I’m not coming for ya…yet.” She murmured before her head turned to look back to Evan and Adam. ”Let’s go. I’m afraid there isn’t anything we can do to save these poor people from themselves.” With that, Minnie spun on her heels, not even giving the Fitz siblings a second glance as she slowly walked towards the door. ”How long do you think this place would take to light up?” She curiously asked the two boys on the way out, reaching into coat pocket for a cigarette and match box.
with: Evan + Saoirse Misty Gray ; Adam Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Blake Walsh​

Blake reached into her bag and pulled out the dress she had brought as a cover up. Slipping it on quickly, she let out a laugh as Ali asked if she was asking her on a date. ”Can’t blame me can you? Conor and I got the same taste.” She said with a wink before letting out another laugh. ”Oh god, I’m sure the boys would have a ball with the thought of us going on a date…men, savages I swear.” She rolled her eyes. After packing up the last of her stuff she sighed and looked back out towards the ocean one last time. The sun was setting and the sky was illuminated with pinks, oranges and purples…it reflected beautifully in the water, like a painting.

”Milkshakes sound so good right now too.” She commented, down for the whole sweet and salty experience. They trudged their way back towards the parking lot, wanting to put their things away before heading over to the diner. ”Thank you for coming out with me today Al, I was hoping that this trip would be amazing and it was just that!” She smiled towards the woman, unlocking her trunk before opening it. Placing her bags inside, once her hands were free, she ran them through her hair. ”I absolutely love what ocean water does to hair, natural waves and all. It makes it so soft too!” She gushed. When everything was in the car the girls headed towards the diner where they took a seat on the outside patio to watch the rest of the sunset.

Looking over the menu, Blake already knew what she was getting. Of course she spoke of just getting fries but she was actually ordering a whole meal. Once decided, she set her menu down and looked to Ali with a mischievous grin on her face, ”Sooooo, tell me more about you and Conor. How are things?”

with: Ali Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Pyroclast]

Adam Morgan

A short silence fell amongst them once Adam asked the pair for their final decision. He watched patiently as Saoirse placed her hand on Griffin's shoulder, clearly waiting for him to make the call. Before the man had even finished speaking, Adam knew that he wasn't going to accept their proposition. Despite his disappointment, his facial expression barely changed, only emitting a small sigh in response. Griffin's stubbornness annoyed him; he couldn't help but feel that the Fitzgerald's were being closed-minded. For some reason they were willing to look past all the violence that the Porters were responsible for, yet refused to give the IWU a second chance. There was so much Adam wanted to add, but he had already argued for long enough and the tone in Griffin's voice suggested that he had made his mind up for good.

Adam stepped back and watched with interest as Minnie approached the apple display. He knew her character, how erratic and mischievous she could be...how unpredictably violent. She put on a childish facade and decided to knock over the apple display to show them what she thought of their decision. Even though he was still trying to retain a professional appearance, he couldn't help but smirk. He wished he could act the way she did. She skipped over to them and teased the man with a provocative pat on the cheek. When she turned back to him and Evan and suggested they leave, he sent the Fitzgeralds a hard stare. "I see you two have made your decision," he said, coldly. The smile had now gone from his face. He drew a deep breath as he looked around the interior of the shop one more time before turning back to them and adding, "I look forward to the day when you realise it was the wrong one."

With that, he gave them a conclusive nod and followed Minnie through the door along with Evan. Her comment about setting fire to the place made him laugh, not doubting that she was being serious. "Don't worry," he told her, confidently. "This place is tiny, it's insignificant. We wouldn't have got much from having them on our side, anyway. After the way they treated us, I think we deserve a nice bonfire."

Interactions
Misty Gray Evan, Saoirse
Bellz Minnie, Griffin

 

[Misty Gray]

Skye McKendrick​

Skye grinned when Syd told her he hadn't noticed a thing with the Callahans. "Oh, trust me, things seem to have improved there. I'm still not sure Peter's 100% himself, but he and Sinead seem to have patched things up. There's just a warmer and more friendly atmosphere in the house. Also, Sinead is an open book and it was always easier to tell when she was hurting or if she'd been crying. She seems happier," Skye confirmed, clearly relieved by that news relieved herself. As she looked after the children, she was aware of how it had all affected them and had spent a lot of time trying to reassure the three of them that everything would be okay. "It wasn't easy at all. I felt like we were all walking on eggshells and the last thing I wanted to do was get in the way.

Skye stopped walking when Syd did and allowed a content smile to fix itself onto her features when Syd embraced her from behind. She leaned against him and allowed him to rest his head next to hers. "Yeah, it's really sad to see them all going through so many problems. But your parents will be back together soon, I'm sure of it. As for Finn... It really surprised me when he and Eleanor split up, but he's such a sweet and handsome guy that I'm sure he'll have the ladies flocking to him once they know he's single." she remarked. She scoffed when Syd talked of savouring their moments together. "Hey, come on now. We're going to be fine. As long as you keep making the effort to come home to me and as long as i keep myself out of trouble, we'll be perfectly fine.

Skye felt Syd tighten his hold and was sure he was worrying in that moment. "Relax, Syd. We're safe out here and Danny's keeping an eye out for us.


Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

"Yeah, dad's getting better, I'm sure he'll be out soon. He's getting so impatient," he laughed. "Thinking about it, I haven't seen Finn around much lately...Either he's thrown himself into his work or he's already found himself a new secret girlfriend!" When Skye confidently reassured him that they wouldn't have trouble like many of the couples around them, he added, "Ah, you're right, I know. And I'll always make that effort - I've got a motive that I doubt those IWU assholes have. They probably don't even know what love is."

Syd was always learning about how perceptive Skye was, how easily she was able to read him. It surprised him a little when she picked up on his body language and told him to relax and that they were safe. Almost defensively, he replied, "I know, I know...Sorry." But he didn't know - how could he? Even though he had specifically chosen the bay because it didn't hold any resemblance to the places where he had encountered the IWU before, his uncontrolled mind had already imagined a few dark scenarios. He couldn't help it. Releasing his grip, he raised a hand to her jaw to direct her into a kiss and then gave her a warm smile to prove to her that he wasn't worrying. "Come on, beautiful, let's keep going," he suggested, lacing his fingers through hers again so that they could continue their walk. "Won't be long now 'til sunset!"

He glanced back to the docks one more time and exhaled. As usual, Skye was right - of course there was no one there watching them. Just regular civilians, fishermen and dock workers going about their daily lives. The walk to the lighthouse was long, but they had already made it quite far away from the shore, so he was able to focus on the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks at their side to distract him from his thoughts.

Shortly after they had turned away, however, a loud bang echoed from the docks behind them as one of the larger vessels began to unload its shipping containers. Already on edge, Syd mistook the sound for a gunshot; he threw his arms around Skye and dived towards the ground. In a flash, he rolled onto his back and withdrew his gun, fully prepared to return fire - but before he could work out where to aim, he was able to witness the cargo ship unload another container with an identical banging sound. Breathless and confused, Syd put his gun down on the concrete beside him and stared at the vessel for a few moments as he realised the mistake he had made. His heart was racing, adrenaline still pumping aggressively through his veins even though it now seemed that they weren't in danger after all. He sat forward, resting his arms on his knees as he tried to catch his breath and process what had just happened. There had been nothing unusual about the noise they had heard, nothing out of the ordinary for a shipping port. So why had he reacted the way he had?

As he began to understand and accept that they weren't being shot at, Syd grew conscious of himself and his surroundings. He quickly pulled his gun in towards him and slotted it back in its holster, glancing over to Danny and to the few other people walking down the same narrow bank as them. Turning his attention to Skye, he crawled over and knelt at her side. "Skye," he said, trying to level his voice. "I'm sorry, I don't know what...I just -" His heart was pounding heavily and his breath caught in his throat, making it hard to speak. He wasn't sure how to explain his reaction, anyway. He shook his head, running a hand through his hair in an attempt to calm down. Part of him wanted to laugh at himself, perhaps to allay his embarrassment. "You alright?" he asked her. "Did I hurt you?"

Interactions
Misty Gray Skye

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan​

Hearing that George use to dream of the sea while he was in prison made Finn feel sad for the man, it must have been horrible not being able to go where he wished…confined to that place. Finn swore in his mind that he would take the man to the sea soon, sooner than he might think. ”Well then, we best get there soon.” He murmured lightly, giving the man a smile before falling silent.

His silence was cracked by the ridiculous waitress and he was currently trying to hide the laughter off of his face, seeing that George was turning a bright pink color. His love was polite as ever with the woman and he could swear he heard the waitress purring at his words, ”You’re welcome, luv.” She said and Finn had to turn his head away, his hand moving up to cover his mouth lightly. The doctor’s eyes looked back towards George, daring to see the look on his face when he noticed the man nod in his direction. This caused Finn to look back towards the pair as George spoke up. Hearing his words, Finn nodded along, playing into George’s words as he caught what he was doing.

”Oh really? Can’t have fun without a little trouble…” The waitress purred to George, her hand settling on his shoulder. Finn looked to the woman’s face, already predicting what she would look like when George spoke of someone else. And just like that, the woman’s face turned from sweet and seductive to something of mild disgust. Her hand slipped from his shoulder and she cleared her throat. Before the woman could get any sort of ideas, Finn decided to speak up as well. ”Oh don’t worry, mate. I wouldn’t want you gettin’ into trouble. My love almost nailed me to the floor for coming home the way I did the other night. Such a shame you weren’t there to save my arse.” The woman’s face was one that Finn wished he could’ve gotten a picture of. ”Enjoy.” Was all she said before she turned on her heels and practically ran away from the table.

When he was sure she was out of sigh, Finn began to laugh, picking up his drink before taking a long sip. ”That was too much fun!” He said as he moved the glass away from his lips. ”I think she got the hint, don’t you?” He asked before setting his glass down. He went quiet for a moment as he simply stared at George, memorizing all of his features and the way he looked. While this was all fairly new to him, he was trying to be as open as he could and so far, it was working. Being with George was as easy as breathing, which he had felt he hadn’t done in a very long time. ”This is so nice…thank you.” He said quietly, ”I feel different, but the best kind.”
with: George Misty Gray

Gwen Sheehan
Lucy Porter​

Gwen gave a light smile as James told her not to worry about him, recognizing the stubbornness that she was also born with. He assured her that he was glad she told him and her brows raised, curious to know why. He went on further to explain that it wasn’t right what her mother and herself had to go through and that Erick would get what’s coming to him. James’ voice was so calm as he said this, but Gwen couldn’t help but feel as though his words would somehow become true in the future. She may not have know all of who her brother was but she knew enough to guess that he wasn’t the type of man to sit back and let the innocent suffer. Gwen nodded her head slowly at his words, unable to say anything as the heaviness of his reassuring words hung in the air.

There was a beat of silence before James cleared his throat and Gwen looked up from the floor she had been staring at. He looked towards Thomas and Gwen could see his face immediately soften, which caused a wider smile to form on her face. Upon question of whether or not she’d met her new nephew, the redhead shook her head slowly. Little Thomas had woken up only a few minutes prior, now moving his arms around, reaching out for his mothers hair, who was looking down at her son with nothing but love and pride.

”Our perfect little miracle.” Lucy murmured before looking up to James with a smile, ”And all the more aunties to love!” Which earned a small laugh from Gwen. Even though she had known about this potential family for months, it was still hard to believe that she was being accepted into it, just like that. After coming from a home that tried hard to push her away, it was strange to find one that would finally let her in. ”Gwen?” Lucy asked a second time and this time, the woman snapped out of her thoughts, looking towards the happy couple. ”Would you like to hold him?” The blonde asked to which Gwen gave a small gasp in excitement. ”Really? May I?” She asked, looking between James and Lucy for confirmation to which Lucy laughed.

Standing up, the blonde took a few steps towards Gwen, who also stood up, ready to take hold of her nephew. Once Thomas was placed in her arms, Gwen made sure to cradle him carefully before sitting back down in her chair. Big blue eyes stared back up at her and Gwen’s heart instantly melted, ”He’s so perfect.” She murmured happily before cooing, ”I’m going to spoil you rotten. Don’t tell Sinny, but I’ll soon be the favorite auntie.” This caused Lucy to laugh before she looked over to James and squeezed his hand, her eyes watched him closely, hoping he was now settling down. She wished to help poor Gwen as well, but her husband needed time to heal yet. ”You alright?” Lucy murmured to him.
with: James Misty Gray ; Lucy (me)

 

[Enzyme]

Darius Rogers​

Darius slumped back in the plastic chair as one of his mates catapulted the bowling ball down the lane. The sounds of pins exploding bounced off the walls and were soon followed by the cascading noises of the sticks collapsing. The group cheered for their friend as he pumped his fist in the air in celebration. The man with the booklet between his legs sat up straight and pressed the pencil to the paper. "Bloody hell. Anotha' strike?" He muttered, finding his own name with the least amount of points beside it. Darius clenched the burning cigarette between his fingertips, chuckling along with his friends.

He hadn't bowled since he was a small child. Back then it had been nothing short of terrifying. The heavy balls speedily ripping down a narrow floor, loud banging sounds once they connected with the pins. He used to flinch every time the ball grew closer, feeling his gut wrap around his heart. He would clench his eyes shut at the loud sounds that resembled bombs being dropped. Gripping onto his mom's shirt sleeves, she'd push him aside and tell him to stop being ridiculous.

Now, all grown up, he didn't tense a muscle. Years of prison did its part in desensitizing him. Whatever innocence he had going into the cage died there shortly. After experiencing the horrid sounds of painful screams and bones crunching, what good could a ten-pound ball against some pins do in spooking him? He watched on with mild disinterest as his other friends stood up to take their turn. Bowling didn't do anything for him, but remind him of simpler times. Unlike most, he had no desire to reminisce about his childhood.

Looking away from his crowd, he spotted a young couple at their lane. The tall, lanky man had a partial halo enveloping him, illuminated by a dim wall light. It didn't take further inspection for the man to recognize him. Darius had studied his mannerisms for months; the way the man walked, the way he distributed his weight while he stood. That was Peter alright.

Darius stood up from his seat, letting his friends know he'd be right back. As he walked through the dark catwalk to the couple, his partial limp slowed him down. The two had been so absorbed in their conversation that they failed to notice the man standing a few feet away. "Well, if it isn't Preppy," Darius announced, flicking the accumulating ash off his cigarette with his thumb.

"What a small world we live in." Darius pressed the cigarette between his lips, the burning tip exposing his features in the shotty light.

Bellz (Peter) Misty Gray (Sinead)

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

Even though he'd done nothing at all to put himself into such a situation, George still couldn't help but feel bad when he felt the waitress put her hand on his shoulder and she continued on with her flirtatious words. When he'd told her about his "other half" he looked to the young woman and saw the disgusted expression that suddenly formed on her face. For a brief moment, he felt his stomach turn and had the urge to somehow backtrack on his words, but logic soon prevailed and he reminded himself he owed the lady nothing. Thankfully, Finn spoke up and played along with his story, allowing George to ease into it all a little easier. "Women, eh? Can't live with 'em..." George lightly trailed off. Before he needed to finish his sentence, the waitress made a very fast departure, clearly disappointed with the outcome of their exchange.

George focused to Finn and grinned at the man's observation about it being too much fun. "She certainly got the hint. I'm not sure we'll keep getting the same great level of service, anymore. We'll have to start flagging down the waiters now," he remarked. His face softened as he noticed Finn looking at his face. He couldn't help but blush a little as Finn pointed out how nice their evening was. "Well, thank you too, Finn. I couldn't have had this date without you," he remarked. He took a sip of his gin before slowly nodding in agreement of how different he felt. "This is fairly new to me too, mate. I've never been out like this... not with someone I honestly care for," he assured him. Though he had been engaged to Emily all of those years ago, he'd never loved her the way she had him and he had practically been pushed into the relationship by their families.

"How has work been?" he asked him, hoping to shift any thoughts of those years out of his mind.

Bellz (Finn)
Enzyme ?

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James managed a small smile as Lucy echoed his words about Thomas being a miracle. With the thought of Gwen being a part of the family, James knew he hadn't considered things like introducing her to the rest of the family and how Elijah might possibly take such news. There was so much thinking going on in his head and paired with all of the medications the nurses were forcing onto him, he found it all quite mentally exhausting. It was frustrating not being able to have control, to make decisions and take action. He had to force himself out of his deeper thoughts as he focused back on those around him, realising Gwen had asked him a question about something. With Lucy laughing he could only assume the redhead's question was nothing to worry about. As his wife and sister both stood up, James soon worked out Gwen wanted to hold Thomas.

"Yeah. Of course you can..." James answered, though by that point it didn't matter as Gwen was already cradling the baby in her arms. He nodded his head when Gwen mentioned she would be the favourite aunt. "Ah, good luck with that one. If you and Sinead start scrapping, I'm standing well clear of both sets of claws!"

Feeling Lucy squeeze his hand, James looked into his wife's eyes and let out a deep breath when she asked if he was alright. "I'm fine. I should be at home already," he grumbled. As soon as he'd spoken, he expected some kind of lecture, especially as he knew they'd been through this before. "It's just frustrating. You know how bored and restless I get just sitting around," he pointed out.


Bellz (Lucy, Gwen)

Skye McKendrick​

Skye couldn't help but smile brightly after Syd kissed her and as they held hands to continue walking, she maintained the same happy expression on her face. "I'm a sucker for a pretty sunset. You made a good decision bringing me here this evening," she praised him. They eventually made it to the lighthouse, but the walk felt like a breeze seeing as she was in Syd's company. It wasn't often she could get her boyfriend all to herself, so she was happy for their evening to last for as long as possible.

Hearing the loud bang caused by one of the vessels unloading behind the docks, Skye thought little of it and would have continued on without giving it any acknowledgement at all. However, Syd took perhaps too much notice of the bang and flung his arms around Skye, dragging her down onto the ground with him. Taken by surprise, she let out a yelp and then gasped as she saw Syd pull his gun out. Her eyes darted around them, but she couldn't see anything at all she felt concerned about. "What is it?!" she called out to Syd. She then heard the second innocent bang and her eyes fell on Syd, realising he may have mistook it for gunfire.

Skye sat up and watched as Syd did the same. She observed him returning his gun to its holster and awkwardly bit her lip as she took in what had just happened. Her boyfriend crawled over to her and she sent him a small, reassuring smile. "It's okay," she softly told him, by now certain she understood what had happened - in Syd's mind, at least. It saddened her to know he was so jumpy and clearly scarred by everything that had happened over the last few months. When Syd asked her if he'd hurt her, it prompted her to actually register whether she had been injured or not. A mild stinging sensation caused her to look to her right elbow where she saw the bleeding graze on her skin. "Technically, the ground did that," she reassured him, practically laughing it off as she brushed the dirt off of the wound with her fingertips.

Danny awkwardly approached the two, having not seen anything happening that should have concerned them but wanting to check on the couple nonetheless. "Are you two alright?" he calmly enquired.


Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

When Sinead walked over to him, her eyes wide and full of life as she stood in front of him. Chuckling at her confession of wanting him to make dinner, he nodded his head lightly, ”Don’t worry baby, i have it all under control.” He told her with a smile. She went on to explain the struggle of dealing with their rowdy children, which caused him to smile even more. The man nodded his head along, understanding well that Savvy was a picky eater. It was like World War 3 when it came to getting her to eat the right foods. ”She’s nearing that difficult age, Sin. You remember what it was like to be 11 years old. The most awkward time of your life really.” He murmured.

Peter could tell that his wife had been holding this rant in for quite some time, and he would be there for her when she needed him, an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on, like it had always been for them. ”I’m sure she’ll give me a hard time too, luv. Savvy loves you and she doesn’t have a grasp on how it affects you. I’ll be there to back you up and tomorrow night she’s going to eat all of her dinner.” He reassured her. He took a step towards her and placed his hand on her hips lightly, bending down and forward to place a kiss on her forehead. Things were finally starting to feel normal for Peter, his troubles still lingered but the noise was beginning to fade away with each day that passed.

”I love you.” He murmured to her, letting the silence fall between them, he shut his eyes. Listening to the sounds of people shouting with joy, laughing and balls knocking into the pins, he was more at peace than he had been in a very long time.

"Well, if it isn't Preppy,”

Peter tensed, his shoulders lifting slightly and his hands tightening on Sinead’s hips as that familiar voice went on to speaking of living in a small world. It was way too small, so small Peter already felt like he couldn’t breath. His eyes opened slowly and he looked to Sinead closely, he didn’t want Darius around his sweet wife…he couldn’t tell her to leave, she would ask questions. He couldn’t answer questions about what happened to him during his time in prison, not when he was trying to forget.

Aware that his back was turned to Darius, Peter rolled his shoulders lightly before releasing Sinead. He stared into her eyes as he turned, until his view settled on Darius. Exhaling deeply, Peter tried to remain neutral, his head nodding towards the man in greeting. ”Darius. Its a small world, after all.” He remarked. ”How’s life treating you on the outside?” He asked, part of him hoping the man would confess that it was treating him horrible…wanting karma to have swung around full circle. If that were the case, Peter wasn’t sure how he would feel..better? Maybe.

With: Sinead Misty Gray ; Darius Enzyme

Finn Sullivan​

The doctor laughed and waved his hand at George’s words about the waitress not giving them good service. ”If the only service she gave was to flirt with other men, possibly taken men, then she wasn’t a good waitress anyway.” He told him, a hint of jealousy in his tone as he looked in the direction the waitress had gone. ”Flagging down the waiters seems like the right outcome…I don’t think we are going to get a second round of drinks from this place.” He teased before turning back to look at George.

Finn smiled a bit wider as George confessed that the whole thing was new for him to, that he’d never been out with someone he honestly cared for. Although Finn didn’t physically react to it, he couldn’t help but notice the way George spoke. There had been someone else before, he knew that but he wasn’t going to press further about it. George seemed to want to get off the topic very quickly, shifting the conversation to focus on work for Finn. Clearing his throat, the doctor took a long sip from his drink before setting the glass down

”Work is going well. My patients are happy that I am permanently out of my funk and getting back to my work. Cases have been pretty easy but there is just one that’s been keeping me busy for the past few weeks, one that I’m unable to solve myself Naturally being a Sullivan man, I have far too much pride to admit when I need the help.” Finn shrugged his shoulders and sighed gently. ”I’m sure I’ll have a nervous breakdown or two before I finally break. But that’s all apart of being a doctor right? Losing yourself over the life that’s been placed into your hands” Finn had always been willing to make this sacrifice for the ones that placed their trust in him. Most doctors frowned upon such emotions, stating it was a dangerous game for both the doctor and the patients to have any sort of connection beyond that of medicine, but Finn had always been different.
with: George Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

George caught the way Finn spoke of the waitress and her apparent approach to the job being flirting with men. The way he pointed out the possibility of those men being taken stood out to George. It sounded like jealously had been stirred up within him and whilst he didn't want the man to suffer such feelings, there was a part of him that was flattered. Finn's feelings for him were genuine and it warmed George's heart to know it. "Well, this taken man right here only has his eyes on one person," he casually reassured Finn.

George listened attentively as Finn answered his question about work, any other noise or movement around them was blocked out as he focused on the other man's words. He smiled encouragingly upon hearing he was out of his funk and keeping his patients happy. He then folded his arms and leaned forward a little at mention of a difficult case. "No, we can't have you suffering a breakdown. Are you sure this isn't something you can ask for help with? Whilst I don't know the intricacies of the matter, my default advice would be that it's better to seek help than to struggle and risk being unsuccessful," he honestly told him. He sat back a little and sent him a gentle encouraging nod. "Without breaking confidentiality, is there anything you can tell me about this problem?" he curiously asked. It wasn't that he believed he was at all knowledgeable in medicine, but he thought it might just help for Finn to offload the problem to an uninvolved party.



Bellz (Finn)

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead nodded her head, unable to deny that it made sense Savannah was approaching a difficult age and how awkward a time it was. "Yes, I suppose that's true. I mean, I had Conor to protect me and Luce to take inspiration from, but I was still awkward as hell," she admitted, with a grin. Savannah didn't have any older siblings, or at least, none she knew well enough to look up to. As she thought more about it, Sinead couldn't help but nervously bite her bottom lip. "It's all crept up too fast, hasn't it? We've got years of mood swings ahead of us. Ugh... teenagers..." she scoffed. Despite pointing out was stress was yet to come, Sinead was glad to hear that Peter supported her on the issue with Savannah, having been worried it might have just seemed like more clashes of personality between mother and daughter. "I would really appreciate your backup, tomorrow," she assured him.

When Peter stepped closer and placed his hands on her hips, Sinead soon got sucked in to the moment. She felt completely content as he kissed her forehead and remained close to her. When he told her he loved her, it felt as powerful as the first ever times he'd told her. It never felt old or meaningless to hear those words from her husband. Her thoughts were broken away upon hearing a stranger's voice, but the fact she didn't recognise him nor the nickname he was using made her inclined to ignore it and assume it was nothing to do with her or Peter. However, her husband's tensing and change in posture told her the stranger had been addressing him. She looked into Peter's eyes, seeing he was unsettled by the newcomer's presence.

When Peter let go of her, Sinead looked to Darius and studied his features, trying to work out if she'd seen him before and if she should be worried. Given the tensions with the IWU, her instinct was always one of caution, which was why she'd had to resort to carrying a concealed gun with her for months now. Hearing Peter's controlled reply to Darius, Sinead read the situation as best she could and determined that this occasion called for her to remain silent until appropriate to speak. She doubted Peter nor the situation would appreciate her getting lippy and sassy with Darius, even if she was sensing his presence wasn't exactly welcomed by Peter. She remained by her husband's side, naturally placing her arm around his waist and keeping a friendly smile on her face, hoping to help keep the interaction a civilised one.

Bellz (Peter) Enzyme (Darius)

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan​

Finn gave another sigh as George asked if he could ask for help with his case. He nodded thoughtfully at the advice the man had to give. It made sense for him to approach his cases that way but that just wasn’t the kind of man Finn Sullivan was. When asked if he could tell George about the case, Finn made a small face that showed he couldn’t say much. He lifted his glass to his lips and took another long sip, emptying the glass before setting it back down on the table gently. Biting his lip, he knew that he would have to break it down in a way that George would understand. Not that he didn’t think George wasn’t smart enough, there was just terms that were used in the medical field that could be confusing to those not in that field.

”Well, I’ve got a case with a small child, been in a coma for about 6 months now. I’ve exhausted every single angle, tried everything I possibly could to wake this child up…and nothing.” It was clear that this effected the doctor greatly, his face twisted up in disappointment with himself. ”I want to help this child but as a doctor, I have to live realistically. In the beginning there was hope, but now…” He paused and looked down at his empty glass.

”Do you think the waitress will come back around anytime soon, or did we blow it?” Finn asked suddenly, shifting the subject for a moment as it felt like he needed to catch his breath. His head turned to look for their waitress and from what he could see she was no where in sight. Turning back to George, Finn felt okay enough to continue. ”She’s not going to make it. Morally, I can’t push the parent to let her go…it would break so many laws. But they are using all of their money, going broke for this girl. Poor dear is gone.”
with: George Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Sheehan
Lucy Porter​

Gwen looked up from baby Thomas a moment to look at James when he said he’d stay clear of the scrapping aunts, laughing at the thought of that. ”I would never ever fight Sinead.” She said honestly. ”She seems like the type of woman that has a few tricks up her sleeve and I don’t want to find out what happens.” The redhead looked back down at Thomas just as the couple started talking, hearing James grumbling about wanting to go home was something she could really sympathize with. Hospitals were not the greatest places in the world, especially if you didn’t want to be there.

Lucy tilted her head in concern as James took a deep breath, she knew exactly how he was feeling. ”I know, love.” Lucy murmured in response to his words about wanting to go home. James was a man of action and when he was out of the action, he grew restless. ”Only a few more weeks and you’ll be as good as new. Your health is first and foremost the priority, my priority.” She lectured him seriously to which the man seemed to already be prepared for, stating that she knew how bored and restless he could get. The blonde nodded her head lightly in understanding, ”That’s why Thomas and I are here.” She murmured before her eyes glanced over at Gwen, who was cooing to Thomas sweetly.

As much as Gwen wanted to stay and get to know her brother and his family, she knew just by taking another glance at him that he was exhausted. She had said what she wanted to say and now it was probably a good idea for her to take her leave. After another few minutes until the baby started to grow fussy, Gwen leaned down and placed a kiss against the infants head before standing. ”I think that’s my cue to head out.” She murmured to the pair with a small smile. Lucy stood as Gwen handed Thomas back to her and the blonde nodded her head in understand. ”Probably best for now, it seems both of my boys are getting fussy again.” Her tone was teasing as she bounced her baby boy in her arms gently as she looked to James.

”Hospitals can make anyone fussy.” Gwen said in return before she too looked to James. ”Thank you for hearing me out, James.” She said sincerely. ”I’m so sorry you are in this dump.” Her face was sincerely apologetic about the fact that he had to stay in the hospital. ”I’ll visit soon but I think maybe no flowers next time. Don’t really seem like a flower guy but that was the default get well soon item. So maybe food?” The redhead said her goodbyes before heading out of the hospital into the warm night air.

***​

After her hospital visit, Gwen wasn’t really sure where she wanted to go or what she wanted to do. After having a taste of what her new family was like, she felt a sense of emptiness now that she was gone and away from them. She knew she would have to keep up the visits while James was in the hospital, now that the truth was out, she was afraid to lose the only family she had left. It was on the drive home that she had decided to go out on the town for a while, the night was still very young. As she pulled into one of the many bars down on the strip, she couldn’t help but think about Jason. She hadn’t seen him since she’d left him out in the dark outside of the Sullivan’s pub and a part of her wondered where he was now.

Noticing she was hesitating to get out of the car, Gwen quickly removed her keys from the ignition and got out. Heading towards the bar, she noticed that this one in particular was quite crowded. Shuffling her way through the flood of people who were standing on the outside of the bar, she headed inside taking in the different groups of people she past as she made a beeline for a drink. Grabbing the bartenders attention fairly quickly, she ordered a whiskey neat before sitting herself in a stool. Upon observation, she noticed that she was one of the only people alone in the bar, taking in the different small groups of people who were gathered tonight. Normally, she wasn’t one to drink alone but maybe tonight she didn’t have to be alone.

with: James Misty Gray
Mentions: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Enzyme]

Darius Rogers​

Darius watched Peter subtly push the women behind him. He had seen Peter visit with Sinead back in prison and immediately recognized her as his wife. The only attention Darius gave her was a brief look over before he looked back to Peter. He bit down on the end of the cigarette and took another drag, causing the amber tip to burn brightly, before falling dull once more. At Peter's question, Darius rolled his shoulders, blowing the smoke from his lips. "It's indifferent," Darius admitted. "It feels weird to walk around wherever I want - not to be told when to get up, when to eat, or what job to do."

He looked down to the ground as he flicked the tip of his cigarette. "I'm sure you felt it too." Darius lightly shrugged his shoulders, as if disappointed at what the outside world had to offer. "They didn't wanna' let me out. Every time I stepped in front of the committee, they kept pushing my release date back. April 26th, May 2nd, May 10th, May 15th," he shook his head, aggravated by the memory.

"They had finally broken me," he admitted, looking back up to Peter. Darius had fought back against the system, refusing to give up hope. He hadn't thought about the past or the future in prison, only taking it one day at a time. He had seen many men succumb to their despair and become hardened, murderous convicts. Darius had finally cracked when they refused to let him go.

"I walked up to this one new bloke who had been beaten up bad on the yard, face all covered in blood," Darius described, lost in his recounting. "I told him that if I wasn't out by the 15th, I was gonna kill him. Give them a reason to lock me away for good." He quickly snapped out of it, his face relaxing. He shrugged lightly, pushing the cigarette back into his fingers. "But, as you can tell."

"As for the outside," he looked around. "Tensions are a lot higher than I remember." He crossed his arms, looking to Peter. "A lot of talk about some Union. They tried to shake down my buddies pub, but we weren't havin' any of it."

He eyed Peter briefly, sizing him up as he had the first time he saw the man. The look, however, was far less intimidating. "How about you?" he asked

Bellz (Peter) Misty Gray (Sinead)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Darius wasn’t as threatening as Peter was use to and it confused the man greatly. He watched as Darius rolled his shoulders, speaking of it feeling weird to walk around wherever he wanted to, do whatever he wanted to. It had felt the same for Peter when he had gotten out, but Darius had been in prison way longer than he…so he couldn’t imagine how it really felt to have freedom back after all that time. The blonde hardly noticed his wife behind him as he was fixed on Darius, listening as he told the story he was willing to tell. It must have been frustrating having to wait like that, Peter knew a bit from George how that must have felt. He wasn’t sure what he felt for Darius as the man stood across from him, taking long drags from his cigarette, he swore that if he ever saw him again…he would fight for himself.

A chill visibly ran down Peter’s spine as Darius recalled a story from the yard of prison, recounting how he would kill a man if he wasn’t released. Peter’s muscles tensed and he turned slightly to look at Sinead, noticing her for the first time in a minute. This wasn’t any story for his wife to be hearing but he couldn’t shield her away from everything. He lifted his hand to rub small circles on her back lightly. Luckily, Darius hadn’t been able to carry out his promise as he was now on the outside, saving both himself and Sinead from the gruesome details that he was sure the man would have shared.

He shifted the conversation back to talk of the outside and Peter wasn’t surprised to hear that the IWU had been in contact with Darius and his friends, but he was surprised to hear that they weren’t having it. He didn’t miss the way the man eyed him and Peter had to force himself not to shift from foot to foot under his heavy gaze. Being questioned on how he was doing on the outside, Peter hesitated before looking to Sinead. ”Hey love? Would you mind getting us a drink or two? I’m parched.” He murmured softly before pressing a kiss to her temple. Once she was on her way, Peter watched her go before turning back to Darius.

”Its been…an experience.” Peter said with a sigh. ”I definitely left prison a different man. Still trying to figure out if that’s a good thing or not.” He wasn’t going to give the man too many details, feeling as though he still had to protect himself somewhat. ”Got back into the swing of things with work, as you know.” Darius was well aware of the fact that he worked for the Porters…that having been the main fuel to the fire he started with Peter. ”Wife and kids are happy to have me back I think..”

”As for tensions, I would be careful. The Union is stirring up trouble and I wouldn’t trust any one of them.” He offered the advice, figuring that he would take it or leave it.
With: Darius Enzyme ; Sinead Misty Gray