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

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan and Finn Sullivan

Peter cracked a smile as Sinead brought up the day that they really hit it off. He was being practically tortured by James, being a new recruit to the Sullivan Family, training was intense. Sinead played it off well as if she hadn't been staring at Peter rather than reading the book that was in front of her, however, Peter was a clever young man at the time, not slow and tired as he was now. He knew. The fond memory was cut short when Finn moved his good arm over his shoulder and was ready to transport him to the kitchen. Peter tried not to visibly wince when he was so suddenly moved, clenching his teeth as they moved. Finn tried to set him down gently in a dining room chair before getting back to work.

"Sorry mate," he apologized to Peter as he set him gently down in the chair before grabbing his medicine bag once more. He reached into his bag to grab a few supplies along with his glasses, to help him see a little better. Like his father, ole Finn was starting to have bad vision and required glasses for most of his procedures now. In a way, it made him feel horribly aged, remembering the days where he could see without stupid glass in his face and frames on his nose. Placing the frames on, he then moved to look at Peter's face for a moment before offering him a smile. "Good news, you are going to live." He let out a small chuckle before grabbing a chair and sitting. Threading the needle, he placed both the thread and the needle down before looking to Sinead. "Well aren't you just the sweetest thing." He teased her lightly, though his cheeks burned red at her compliment. He did what he could to help others and he loved the selflessness behind it all. Eleanor was at his side, and he could imagine doing it with anyone else. "Lots of blood, sweat and tears...but I'm glad to help." He told them. Grabbing a new cloth and the alcohol from the medicine bag, he poured some on the cloth before looking to his chest. Grabbing scissors, he made quick work of cutting the shirt quickly, causing Peter to frown and scoff. "That was a good shirt mate!!!" He shouted a little too loudly, irritated yet amused that Finn did such a thing. Rolling his eyes, Finn laughed. "Only a shirt." He mumbled before grabbing the cloth and wiping at the blood around his wounds. Finn looked closely, searching for any bullet fragments left behind...

"Alright, the bad news...I'm gonna have to dig around to grab two pieces that I see right now..."
With:Sinead Misty Gray Mentions:

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter

The blonde bit her lip delicately as James mentioned something they had to do before Alex arrived. Lucy's brows knitted together in slight confusion for a moment before she released her lip and formed a slight 'o' with her mouth. She then gave her husband a knowing smile as he mentioned her mother, and not tackling her alone. Perhaps Shannon Sullivan was the only person on earth to shake her husband so fiercely, it was amusing. "Oh don't worry, darling." Her smile fading into a smirk, "The Elephant just needs a peanut...and by peanut...I mean about three or four more drinks.." Lucy gave a soft laugh, though her eyes showed she was worried...Her mother was, of course, just one obstacle they would have to face tonight. Though at the moment she wasn't sure if Ciara or Shannon was the bigger threat, though she made light of it, for poor James' sake...she was indeed a very fiery woman.
Lucy was confident that James would be able to take care of that witch. Lucy moved her hands and strayed away from James moving towards the liquor collection and picking up a few bottles. Pawing for a glass, she found one over to the right before pouring herself a drink. Lucy knew that James wouldn't want to postpone any wedding plans, she agreed with him that the occasion didn't have to be huge and expensive. Her birthday was amazing the night before and Lucy enjoyed every moment of it, but if her wedding could be intimate, between family and close friends...that would make her the happiest. Despite the news that has come their way, their family was around...well...at least her family. James had yet to contact his mother and Eli seemed to be appalled with the style in which his brother now lives. The blonde walked back over to her husband, nodding her head and sighing heavily. "You are right my love, family and friends...including your family. " Giving James a gentle reminder to call his own mother. Lucy moved in closer, gently kissing James' lips before pulling him close one last time. "There's a lot of people down stairs..."
James Misty Gray (On my phone, sorry if its short!!)

 

[Misty Gray]

Skye Maisie McKendrick​

Skye was pretty pleased to hear Mallory promise Syd liked her, with his fumbling over his words being a sure sign. She laughed at her friend's mention of wedding arrangements already. "Mal, you are quite right. You will definitely be my maid of honour! As for things we can get up to - we will run rings around everyone," she joked. A fond smile grew on her face as she thought of how she'd never expected a life like this. A few years ago, she felt completely alone and the orphanage staff always said a girl like her would have no future. She was so glad they were wrong. She adored the Porters and Callahans, thinking of them as her own family. After the horrible life she'd had after losing both of her parents, she was determined to have as much fun as she could now.

An excited grin crossed Skye's face when Mallory brought up the planned night out again. Her smile dropped at mention of poor Jackson's place being destroyed and she sighed at the thought of her friend being on lockdown. Or having minders! "You're right, we'd best keep this to ourselves. It's not like we have anything to do with the business anyway and we'll be out in public, drinking in busy bars," she reasoned. She deviously raised her eyebrows as Mallory asked if she still wanted to do it. "Um, excuse me?! Of course I still want to. We deserve a night out on the town," she confidently told her. "You know your family better than I do, though. So how will we sneak out? Well, mostly you... I'm sure I can still come and go as I please, it's not like I'm real family. Just the nanny," she noted.

neverbackdown (Mallory)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Shannon Sullivan​

James watched on as Lucy went to pour herself a drink. He figured tonight people were drinking for very different reasons to last night, when getting drunk had been purely for the fun of it. He smiled when she said he was right about the wedding; having their family and friends there with them. He briefly looked away when she mentioned it would include his family too. Elijah was a given to be invited, whether he chose to attend or not, given his distaste for James' home. But Lucy clearly meant James' mother and that side of his family. Young siblings he hadn't seen in ten years and had barely got to know when he did see them. "I know I need to call Rayna," he assured her. "I'm just not sure what she'll think when she learns I couldn't stop another member of her family from being killed. I know she doesn't blame me for killing Vinnie, as well as the deaths of Salvatore and Nicolo, but now Fallon's dead because she ended up being linked to my business, no matter how indirectly."

James softened when Lucy kissed him and held him close. "We need to find some time to ourselves at some point," he told her. Seeing Jackson's heartbreak had hit James hard and reminded him of how little time he spent just being with the woman he loved, having let business take over too much time. It felt like the IWU were threatening to occupy even more of him time now. "You're right, though. We should return downstairs."

As soon as they returned downstairs, they were met with Shannon who had been about to go unpack. "There you both are," the woman flatly greeted them. "Come give mum a hug," she told Lucy, but didn't give her chance to refuse as she pulled in her for a quick embrace. "I'm sorry I missed the party. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do to make a flight happen. Not that I didn't want to give that entire airline a piece of my damn mind." Shannon stepped back and nodded to James. "Congratulations. I heard you proposed again, you soppy bastard," she teased him.

"Yeah, I took advantage of your not being there to embarrass me whilst I did it." James eyed Lucy, making it clear they needed to get what they had to say out of the way. Otherwise, they would risk Alex arriving before Shannon had been warned. "Shannon, we need to talk to you about something. Can we all go to my office?" he asked.

"Hmm. This sounds ominous," she remarked. Regardless, Shannon headed to the office, practically expecting Lucy and James to follow her. Once inside, she helped herself to a glass of whiskey before focusing back on the couple. "Well, I feel like I've been summoned to the Headmaster's office. What's wrong?" she suspiciously asked, taking a sip of alcohol.

Bellz (Lucy)

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead faintly smiled as she watched Finn put his glasses on. She hadn't seen him wearing them before and she thought they suited him, but she chose not to comment as she didn't want to distract him from tending to Peter. When he blushed at her compliments, she simply nodded her head, knowing it was a fact and he deserved praise for helping out their family so many times before. "Oh, Petey..." she said, playfully rolling her eyes as he commented on his good shirt being ruined. Though it was a joke, Finn was right. It was only a shirt and nothing compared to her husband's health. She would surprise him by buying a new one for him the next time she was out shopping.

Sinead pulled a disgusted expression when Finn said he'd have to "dig around" for the pieces of bullet. "Ugh, well that sure does sound unpleasant," she remarked. She took a deep breath before stepping closer to the men, pushing back her apprehension so she could be ready to help if needed, or just be there to distract Peter from any unpleasantness whilst Finn finished tending to the wound. "You don't have to tell me, but what were young doing this evening? Apart from getting shot, it seemed like you guys were successful. More to the point, who shot you? Maybe I'll go and give them a piece of my mind!" she playfully spoke, hoping to distract Peter and herself from Finn's delicate, but gross, fishing operation!


Bellz (Peter, Finn)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Hearing that James would possibly retaliate not only worried her, but made her stomach do flips. Usually she was a tough girl, ready for anything; but that was before Leo came into her life. Everyone had something that could be used against them and that could be taken away. It already happened to her father , she wasn't going to let it happen to her brother, not matter the fact that he was adopted. Her sole focus in life was to protect him at all costs.

Nodding her head in agreement, she crossed her arms. "And I do appreciate it, Tommy. You seem to be the only level headed one around here at the moment and it's exactly what I need." She gave him arm a pat before stretching her arms over her head. "I say we start our fun investigative project first thing tomorrow. The quicker we look into it, the quicker it's over yeah?"

Shaking her head at his playful comments, she smiled. "Spending time with you? From what I hear, that is a dream come true." She was teasing, of course, trying to make light of a serious situation. Even though she hadn't really known Fallon, she still felt bad that she would never get the chance to. Not forgetting the fact that her friend's girlfriend was know dead, she didn't know how to conduct herself. Which brought about the only thing she did know how to do; seduce and flirt. "Well if we start again, it won't be as entertaining."

Having a sister of his own and watching as many men tried to woo her, Leo understood why Syd was probably going to give him a hard time. Here was some guy trying to talk to his sister, or in his own case, dating his sister without telling anyone in the family or anything like that. So when Delilah came up to him, wanting to go to the kitchen, he thought he would be prepared for any type of question that was thrown at him. He actually hoped that he would be and that he wouldn't say anything too embarassing or stupid.

He gave Del a a kiss on the forehead as they walked in the kitchen, telling her not worry about anything. Listening to Syd speak, he couldn't help but agree. He wasn't sure where Ali would be, both mentally and physically, if she weren't involved with the Porter's. She would probably be one of those women Syd described working in a regular workplace and he couldn't help by nod his head. "Oh yeah, I totally get that. Some of the time, I hate when Al leaves that house wearing make up. It means guys are going to hit on her and I'll have to get involved." With another shrug of his shoulders, he smiled at Del to show her how easy this was before turning his situation to Syd.

"Oh," he started "I do. Everytime I come over, actually. I love it."

(Sorry they're short! Just wanted to get these guys going before I passed out again)​

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

After being told the news about what had happened to Fallon, Shannon had been shocked by the death, but mostly because she liked Jackson and was sad for his loss. Sympathy was soon overshadowed by rage when she was told about Conor and Alex having a kid together. Many expletives passed the woman's lips, no doubt heard from anyone near enough to the office. After calming herself down, she was informed Alex and Michelle were going to be staying at the Porters' house for their own safety. Deciding she needed time to get her head around the news so she wouldn't throttle Conor or shoot Alex, Shannon informed Lucy she would be staying at Sinead's house. She was in no mood to set eyes on Vinnie's daughter right now and even in her anger, she didn't want to upset little Michelle. As for Conor, she would give him a piece of her mind tomorrow.

After Shannon had marched out of the room, James turned to Lucy and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, that went..." he began, scratching his head. "Better than expected, actually. At least she's retreating to Sinead's place rather than standing by with a shotgun waiting for Alex to arrive." Despite it being a joke, James was rapidly running out of energy to smile. He was about to ask Lucy how she was holding up when the telephone began ringing. James quickly answered it and spoke relatively calmly to the guard calling from outside by the main gates. Once the call ended, he took a deep breath and gently placed the receiver down.

"Detective Donnelly is out waiting for me by the gates. I'm to accompany him to the station for questioning. It's no surprise, but my patience is worn enough without having to deal with the cops digging for information tonight." James approached Lucy and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I'll be fine, but don't wait up, Luce. I expect it's going to be a long night at the station... Tommy and Rudy are still around the house, and there's plenty of guys guarding the place. I'll make sure they know none of the kids are to leave the house."

James offloaded the handguns he was still concealing, figuring the Detective would have a fit if he entered the station armed. After locking the weapons away in his desk drawers, James headed out of the house, informing everyone not to wait up as he had business to sort out. He then headed straight outside and to Donnelly's car, not giving the cop chance to offer him a seat in the back as he got into the front passenger side without a second thought.

Bellz (Lucy)
Mentioned: neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle)

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 4: A New War
Monday 5th October 1959
Evening - Mild, Dry
********************************

James Porter​

James had spent hours at the station as Detective Donnelly tried to drag information out of him. First he'd attempted to accuse the Porters of the explosion, which did nothing for James' patience, just as the cop intended. Knowing it wasn't their doing, Donnelly then persisted to demand James told him who was behind it. It wasn't simply that he refused to tell the cops anything, but the reality was he didn't have proof himself of who did it, despite him having very little doubt of Ciara's involvement. The questioning finally ended when James turned things around on the detective and his department's ineptitude at their own jobs. He also reminded Donnelly not to involve himself with the explosives the Porters did have, considering they were being sold to the military and the Irish government - their word outweighed his on any matter. Donnelly would risk getting himself into trouble if he meddled in that side of things.

James finally strolled into the house around 3am and tried his best to climb into bed quietly, not wanting to disturb Lucy. Only then having some peace and quiet, he spent some time thinking everything over before finally falling asleep. He woke up around 6 hours later, telling himself he needed to start getting up at sunrise again before he could get used to staying in bed into the mid-morning. He'd had time to think and one thing he did need to do was let Syd take a more active role in things. As a result, he told his son he would be giving him his own revolver and they would spend time out in the garden doing target practice, as soon as he could find some free time in his day to do so. He also told his Syd he was ready for him to start working for the family business properly, but he offered him some time to think it over first. James felt like he hadn't spent even a minute with his son since the returned home and he was hoping to be able to find the time today.

James was also aware he'd intended to get Leo to look over the books that day. Knowing he would be in various meetings before having to head out, James asked Rudolph if he would stay with Leo to help him look at the financial logs in question. James would still make sure to catch up with Leo later to discuss his findings.

By late afternoon, James began preparing for the two meetings he was expecting. Nikolai was due over at the house soon and after that, James and Lucy would be going downtown to meet the sour-faced bitch, Ciara. For now, he had another matter to tend to, following on from his conversation with Rudolph the previous evening. James approached Kieran and asked him to speak with him privately in the office. Rather than sitting at his desk, James offered the man a seat at on one of the armchairs by the coffee table whilst he took the opposite one. "I'm going to get straight to the point, mate. Rudy spoke with me last night and mentioned something that caught me by surprise," he explained, rubbing the back of his head. "Did you both discuss the idea of us planting a mole within the IWU? And what did you honestly think of that suggestion?"

Interaction: Shireling (Kieran)
Mentions: Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Lucy) Enzyme (Nikolai) Melanin-Gxdess (Leo) Shireling (Rudolph)

Conor Sullivan​

Conor and Jackson returned home quite late the night before, but that wasn't a surprise considering what had happened to Fallon. When they did arrive home, Conor showed his friend to one of the empty rooms where he could stay for as long as he needed to. Knowing it was late and Alex had likely taken Michelle to sleep in one of the spare rooms, Conor headed to bed too. He struggled to fall asleep, thinking of how hard it was for Jackson, Alex and Michelle to have lost someone they cared about. He also couldn't help but think of what he'd like to do to those involved. If James was going to retaliate, Conor wanted in on it.

The next day, he checked in on his businesses, though all he really wanted to do was go home and see those he cared about. He arrived home in the early evening, having been asked by James to keep an eye on everyone at home later. James and Lucy would be going out to meet Ciara; Tommy was out with Aliana; and Jackson wasn't in any state to be working. When he entered the house, Conor greeted those who were around but then looked around for Alex and Michelle so he could spend time with them, as well as to support them after their loss.


Interaction: neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle)
Mentions: Enzyme (Jackson)

Thomas Demspey​

Tommy hadn't been able to meet with Aliana the next morning, but he'd let her know that was the case. James needed him to do some jobs and Tommy couldn't tell him he couldn't work. He would have either had to lie or tell him what he was really going to be doing with Aliana. He didn't want to do either of those things and risk pissing James or Aliana off.

It was the late afternoon when Tommy finally left the Porters house. He swung by Aliana's place and parked up outside before knocking at the door. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't dressed up a little for their plans and he'd definitely be fibbing if he said it wasn't at all to look good for the attractive lady. Still, this was a serious matter and he knew not to let himself get too distracted in Aliana's presence. They needed to find who had been stupid enough to attack one of Sinead's security guards in her own club and to make sure they wouldn't do it again. The last thing anyone wanted was for the sweet lady to be at risk or scared in her own club.

Tommy grinned at Aliana when she opened the door. "Evening, Ali. Sorry I couldn't get here this morning. I decided I was a little bit more scared of James' wrath than yours," he remarked. "So what's the plan? Where are we heading first?"

Interaction: Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz neverbackdown Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess Shireling Pyroclast ElectricDandellion

Shannon is currently available for interaction. She's at the Callahans' house.

Damn, there was a lot to cover... I hope I've given you all some things to do. If not, perhaps you could find interactions with each other or I'm happy to help if you really are stuck. Another post will follow any minute now...​

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead had spent the next morning at home with Peter and the kids. When they went downstairs, they were both treated with the gifts the children had made for them the night before. Little poems from Savannah, drawings from Braden and the usual rainbow-colourings of cats from Emery. Sinead felt a little guilty when she realised it was because the kids had picked up on her being mad with Peter the day before. Luckily, she'd already decided to back down the previous evening after her talk with James and realising it was what her husband wanted to do, despite the injury he'd picked up whilst doing it.

After preparing and eating lunch, Sinead needed to head to the jazz club for a few hours to cover a shift, but she was grateful that it meant she'd have the evening at home. With Shannon offering to look after the kids, Sinead was glad to know the kids wouldn't pester Peter too much, especially if it involved the usual rough-housing which could cause him more pain to his shoulder.


As the evening approached, Sinead was ready to end her shift and knew Kev had arrived to take over from her. Just as she was fastening her coat to leave, a single knock was heard at the door before an average-looking 40-year old swaggered inside. It was Grant, her music/gig manager. She wasn't overly found of him as she found him slightly creepy, but he was good at getting her the gigs she enjoyed. "Sinead, I just popped in to let you know I've got you a job. It's all official. Saturday 17th and it's in a fancy bar in Dublin, so you don't have to travel away from your family!"

"You'll have to make it no longer official, Mister. You can't just go booking me in without asking me first." As much as she did want to perform, she didn't like not being consulted and right now there was too much going on with her family for her to think about doing it. "I'm serious," she firmly told him, knowing people often thought she was easy to ignore.

"Sinead, you have to do it. They wanted you specifically and I signed the contract. You love singing..." he said, hoping to smooth talk her. When she folded her arms and made it clear on her face she wouldn't give in, he took a step closer to intimidate her with his taller stature. "You have to do it because you'll never get another chance if you don't. I'll see to it that you'll never get a gig again. My word can get around faster than you think." Seeing Sinead's worried expression, he couldn't help but soften. "Please? We all need you there and it could lead to something much bigger for you." He cocked his head to one side and pouted.

"I'll think about it and let you know tomorrow. I do have a family, remember. Can't just go committing to things without consulting them first." Although she smiled, it was forced and beneath it Grant's use of threats had set her a little on edge.

**********

When Sinead returned home, she was first greeted by Savannah who ran towards her for a tight hug. Braden followed but wasn't as eager for a cuddle, so Sinead caught him and gave him a tight hug whether he liked it or not. He did like it, but still liked to protest that hugs were for girls! Emery was fast asleep on the sofa, having met her match with Grandma Shannon, who could outdo the kid where talking and yelling were concerned.

Letting the kids go off and play again, Sinead sought out Peter. "Good evening," she greeted him, with a kiss on the lips. It felt good to be home after the unwanted exchange she'd had with Grant. Funny how he'd never been pushy when Peter was around the club. Sinead soon realised she'd got a little lost in her thoughts before she snapped back and looked to her husband again. "How's the shoulder? You good?" she casually asked him. She didn't want to suffocate him, but still wanted to know he was alright. "I hope my mum hasn't been causing you any trouble." She bit her bottom lip as she contemplated what to do about how Grant had spoken to her and the fact she would have liked to have discussed things with Peter before being forced to perform.


Bellz (Peter)

Skye McKendrick​

Skye had been out shopping during the day, with Shannon happy to take care of the kids. The girl had returned home with an outfit perfect for a night out in town and she couldn't wait to show it to Mallory. She barely touched down in her room before heading over to the Porters' place to find her friend.

"Heyyy everyone," she called out to anyone around. If he was there, Syd would get an extra bright smile from the cheerful young lady. As soon as she found Mallory, Skye pulled her to one side. "Mal, we need to go to your room so I can show you the new outfit I just bought," she said, waving the shopping bag in the air.

As soon as they were in private, Skye folded her arms as if waiting for her friend to speak. "Come on, then. How are we going to sneak out?" she asked. Mallory would know James and Lucy were due to head out, which might pave the way for the best opportunity to escape. "Also, do you think Delilah would like to join us? Would she be on board with us sneaking out?"

neverbackdown (Mallory)
Mention: ElectricDandellion (Delilah) Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

Delilah stirred on the sofa in the hallway, her body sprawled out onto the large, suede sofa as she slept. Her hair was tousled, curtaining the side of her head as she slept, falling in her natural curls. Delilah hadn’t been able to sleep knowing that her father was in the police station, being targeted for the blame for the bombing. It made her sick to her stomach knowing that he was automatically one to be questioned at an instance with a murder or anything that was slightly irregular within the city. Her blood boiled. Although her mother had said her father had told her not to worry and to go to bed, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to. She wanted to be the one to offer her father a coffee or a tea upon his arrival in hopes to calm him or reassure him when he arrived, or to comfort him after the heart-breaking series of events. Delilah had thought it was the least she could do. But, before she had known what she was doing, at about 1 in the morning, she had slowly drifted into a sleep, the dim hallway likely to make her unnoticed.

With a stir, she woke, rubbing her eyes as she stretched. There was a small pain in her neck where she had slept slightly awkwardly, but apart from that, she was fine. The lack of light in the hall had left her to believe it was much earlier than it was, and she turned, facing the back of the sofa and drifting back off to sleep.
​

 

[Shireling]

Kieran Joyce
​

The young man's sober demeanor of the evening prior had carried over into the next day. He had slept little that night and prayed much. That evening, he was dressed in his typical conservative fashion with a warm, brown-coloured waistcoat and a reddish cravat. He turned a glass of wine around pensively in one hand and rubbed his fingers along the top, producing a soft musical tone every so often. He didn't make eye-contact with James, for whatever reason, and instead looked at a decoration on the wall.

"Herr Meyers suggested it, yes. He had a very intense affect in favor of doing so. I think this was motivated primarily from his own embarrassment at being in the dark in regards to the sale of explosives in the city. Herr Meyers regards himself as an expert in the business, as I have no doubt he is to some extent. Either way, the matter was discussed..." He looked into his wine glass. "I told him I would entertain the suggestion."

Before James could respond, Kieran broke in again, "On the one hand, this squabbling of yours is none of my business. I had no stake in your enterprises when I arrived here in Ireland, this is not my home, and moreover I still have no stake in your enterprises. My aunt, mother, and various other relatives would be paralyzed with fear and disgrace to know that I had gotten myself mixed up in such business. My father would be sorely disappointed, and the Diocese would not approve of a deaconate candidate involving themselves in criminal activities on foreign soil..." He paused. "That being said, you are, in both the literal and metaphorical context, family. Nay, I shall use the Irish word, you are a fellow clansman. And, as the old saying goes, blood is thicker than water. Furthermore, it is evident to me that in combatting the IWU you have noble, perhaps moral goals in mind. My status as a minor clergyman engenders respect among some of the lower-class workers employed by the IWU, and intelligence gathering activities would provide me with the opportunity to be of service to the family without, hopefully, shooting anyone. Lastly, I would regard it a breach of my duty as your kinsman to eat your food and drink your wine without contributing something to the security of your household."

Kieran turned his chin up and smiled. "Oh, and Miss Hennessey made a rather poor impression on me with her rude, accusatory questions the other night. I believe the Lord will begrudge me this one small vengeance. That being said, if you need a mole you have found one in me."

Misty Gray

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra and Michelle Romano ​

Alexandra woke up and rubbed her eyes gently as the thoughts of the previous day came back to her mind. Her whole body hurt from the sobs she had let out the night before but that was nothing compared to the pain of her broken heart. She heard a sniffle beside her and turned to see Michelle sitting up in the bed quietly crying to herself.
“Oh sweetie” Alex said gently as she sat up before pulling Michelle into her so Michelle could bury her head into Alex’s chest. “It’s going to be ok, it will get less painful” Alex reassured her daughter.

Eventually the sobbing stopped and Alex brought Michelle downstairs to make her something to eat. Alex herself had a coffee as she couldn’t bring herself to eat, her stomach felt nauseous but Michelle did need to eat even though she tried to fight it.
When the food was ready Alex and Michelle’s made their way outside into the garden and sat down on the grass beside each other. Michelle ate her food while Alex had a cigarette her mind still spinning as she tried to come to terms with what had happened. While she was glad that they had somehow managed to avoid Shannon last night and so far today, she knew it wasn’t going to be long until she saw her but that was the last thing on her mind but she did hope that when it happened, Conor was with her to try and lessen what she knew was going to be a horrible encounter

Mentioned: Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

It was becoming clear to Syd that the Porters were entering something seriously dangerous. He didn't know who was behind the attack on Jackson's apartment but now that someone had been killed he was sure that things were going to have to get more violent before they would feel at peace again. Peace was always short-lived, with new danger around every corner. But Syd liked to chase danger. With the life he'd been dealt, it suited him by now. However, having that youthful naïvity that all kids have, he walked through life with a sense of invincibility that shielded him from fear when it's most needed. So when James told him he would be teaching him to use a firearm and that he would gain some footing in the family business, Syd felt only confidence and excitement. Not least for finally getting the chance to join his father's side, but also for getting to spend some quality time with him. The two of them had both been so busy lately and although he understood that his family was going through a lot right now, Syd did miss his dad. Struggling to contain his excitement, he decided to go out with the dogs and burn off some of his surplus energy. Of course, he knew he wouldn't be allowed off the property so he instead took them out onto the grounds of the house. It was a cold October afternoon so he turned it into more of a run, which the dogs seemed to enjoy just as much. After an hour or so of playing, fhe dogs were all so filthy that Syd had to give them a proper wash before going back inside. Being away for a full two weeks, he'd missed the animals greatly. When everything in life got too dramatic, the dogs were always there keeping things a bit more normal, a constant innocence among all the scheming, drama and pain.
Suddenly Syd heard Skye's voice and without thinking, got up and ran through the house to greet her. She flashed him a smile and he gave her an uncharacteristically bashful "Hi" before realising he'd not taken off his muddy shoes or left outside the dripping sponge. He left her to go about her business and got started on cleaning up the mess he'd made, but she still didn't leave his mind.

Mentions Misty Gray James, Skye

(sorryy it's a bit rushed! Just an intro I suppose)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter

Lucy had told her children to not worry about their father as he was going to be out for a while, yet Lucy found herself doing just that for the rest of the night after he left. It didn't settle well with her that the police were questioning her husband, seeing as he was an innocent man in this incident, they were almost sure it was Ciara behind it all. But the police never were the brightest bunch; she just hope everything would be explained...and that her husband would actually be listened to. She had stayed up for as long as she could, mindlessly wandering around the house, cleaning things that were already cleaned to perfection but after she moved upstairs to bed, unsure of what time she actually fell asleep at.

The next morning, she woke up when the bed shifted slightly. James was just getting out of bed and the clock on the wall followed by a quick look outside showed it wasn't before the sun came up. Lucy stayed in bed, letting herself wake up a bit before climbing out of bed herself. She got ready for the day, knowing that they would be meeting with the bitch that decided to challenge them, Ciara. The blonde tried to spend most of the morning and her afternoon not thinking about her, mindlessly cleaning again where things didn't need cleaning. Finding plants to tend to in the garden and preparing lunch for the family in the kitchen. On her way to the storage room in the house, where they kept a lot of other pantry items Lucy found Delilah sleeping in the hallway. Her face etched with concern, looking at the uncomfortable way she was laying. Despite being told by herself the night before that James would be returning home safely...Delilah had waited for her father. Lucy smiled softly before shaking her head, it was late in the afternoon and the poor girl was still snoozing away. Lucy continued to grab a few items from the storage room before heading back to the kitchen, passing by her daughter again, she grabbed a spare blanket and covered the girl before placing a kiss on the side of her head. Heading back to the kitchen, she continued to prepare lunch for those who would be around for it.
Open for interaction (peter will be up later, have one class rn )

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James listened as Kieran explained Rudolph had been the one to suggested planting a mole in the IWU. He figured as much, doubting Kieran would have been the one to come up with such a risky idea. James hadn't once thought to blame Rudolph for not knowing other explosives were in circulation around the city, being that there were plenty of dodgy people and dealings creeping into the city the place days. Ciara being the worst of all, it seemed.

"Kieran, this is far more serious than squabbling by now and you're well within your right to want no part in it. I understand what your family and the Church might think," he agreed. James had been surprised when the man changed the path of his words, speaking of the importance of family. James would never claim to be a man of morals, but he believed him and his family stood up for noble causes. The likes of the IWU were a danger to Dublin, not just his loved ones, so it made him all the more determined to subdue the group. He couldn't help but smirk when Kieran mentioned the bad impression Ciara had left him with. "Yes, she has a way of leaving people with a bad taste in their mouth," he noted.

"Whilst I believe you have the ability to get the IWU to trust you, I need to be sure you really want to do this. It's dangerous and Ciara has shown herself to be ruthless. Are you really willing to take this risk, Kieran?" he asked him. "If they really were behind the explosion, then they've shown they're willing to kill and harm innocent people." James sat back in his seat. "I feel I could benefit from a mole and your service would be appreciated... but I need you to consider this and only do it if you want to do it. Think about how risky this is and what could happen if they caught you out."

Shireling (Kieran)

Conor Sullivan​

Conor entered the kitchen and looked out of the window to see Alex in the garden with Michelle. As he headed to the back door, He felt something nudge into his leg and when he looked down he saw Rocco looking up to him. As soon as the door was pulled open, Rocco shot outside and ran towards on of the Porters' dogs, Duke. Conor shook his head before approaching the two people he'd been looking for.

"Well, Rocco seems happy to be back here," he spoke up, remembering the dog had been looked after by James and Lucy for a time some years ago. "Savvy and Emmy will be glad to see another dog around the place. They'll both be even more pleased to have you around, Michelle."

Conor sat down on the grass where he could face both Alex and Michelle. "Are you both managing alright?" he softly asked. "I know this is really hard for you both, so please know we're all here for you... Is there anything I can do for you? I'm afraid I'm all out of donuts, though," he lightly told them.

neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle)

 

[Shireling]

Kieran Joyce
​

Kieran sighed and took a small sip of wine. "I'll be honest with you, Mr. Porter, I've never really risked my life for anything. I was too young to have gone to war in Europe or Korea, and I've lived fairly comfortably all my life... I think there's a time in every man's life when he does place himself in harm's way for something he really believes in." He smiled slightly. "Well, I haven't known you very long, Mr. Porter. I know you've killed people and had people killed, that your money isn't exactly clean, but nevertheless... I believe in you, moreover I believe in your family."

He raised his glass slightly as if proposing a toast. "I'm your mole."

Misty Gray

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra and Michelle Romano ​

Michelle was distractedly eating her toast when she felt something at a high speed shoot past her, she looked up in confusion until she realized it was Rocco and watched as her old dog ran around happily with the other dog, a slight smile playing on her lips as her dog seemed to be having fun.

Conor spoke up and sat down in front of them causing both Alex and Michelle to divert their attention towards him. Alex gave him a faint smile but Michelle beat her to talking. “He does look happy and it’ll be nice to have people to play with here for me and him” michelle spoke up as her eyes lingered on Rocco for a few seconds. Alexandra raised an eyebrow at the way Michelle spoke, she really did sound like an old woman at times. Alex looked back at Conor and gave him a small nod “thank you, you’d think I’d have gotten used to this feeling by now” she said absent mindedly, Michelle thankfully did not pick up what Alex meant by that.
At the mention of donughts michelle nearly dropped her toast but allowed a small frown on her lips when he informed her he didn’t have any. “It’s okay, chocolate works too” she chanced.

Misty Gray

 

[neverbackdown]

Mallory Porter ​

Mallory had eventually gone home that night and catched up on everything that had happened, her heart went out to Jackson not only had he lost all of his belongings and his home he had also lost the love of his life. She also felt sorry for Alex and Michelle, which she didn’t know them personally yet, her heart still stung at the thoughts of what they had lost.
..............................
Mal was sotting in the lounge when she heard a familiar voice enter the house, with a smirk on her face she watched as Syd ran through the house making an absolute mess of the place. She shook her head in an amused way before making her way out to the hall to greet Skye. “Hello dear” she greeted. A grin taking over her features as Skye flashed her shopping bags.

Once in the room, Mal closed the door and sat down on her bed. “Right well Mam and dad are going out soon, Granny is still at the Callahan’s and Conor will be distracted by Alex and Michelle so I saw we break for it when my parents leave” Mallory informed Skye “I still have that hole in the fence from when I used to sneak out years ago so I say that’s our best bet so the guards don’t grass on us” she looked towards the shopping’s bags “so show me” she urged excitedly. While Mal wasn’t really into fashion, she’s always thought that Skye had a good fashion sense. When Skye mentioned her sister, Mallory bit her lip in thought “Ah sure we’ll say it to Delilah she might come with us”

Misty Gray
Mentioned Pyroclast ElectricDandellion

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana couldn't spend too long at the home of the Porter's.

While she loved being their and being in their comfortable bed, the thought of being under the same roof as Conor and his family was too much. After not being able to sleep, Ali had assessed herself and the reasoning behind why she was feeling so weird lately. It all came down to her having slight feelings for the man. It wasn't an, "Oh I love him," type of thing either; more like I'll settle. But, that part she hadn't figured out yet. She decided she wasn't upset with him, but more with herself for even getting into a situation where a man could make her feel this way. Then again, she was upset with him for abruptly ending their relationship, no matter how serious. She hadn't known that the two of them were possibly getting back together, and therefore didn't understand why they couldn't keep it up.

Regardless, she now had Tommy to worry about. He was another person who was making her question everything her parents taught her about emotions. Tommy was a sweetheart, and a very nice distraction over something she couldn't help nor control. The thought of spending the day with him was actually something she was looking forward to, even if it was for work related purposes. She was also looking forward to the whole investigation, not having been in the field for years. She always thought about telling James she was happy to do more, but her life was nice as is without getting shot at. That and she had to be around for Leo. He wouldn't be able to handle another person in his life dying.

Speaking of Leo, the two of them were currently in a very heated conversation. She had waited until the afternoon time to bring up him being at the Porter's and then what she had seen at the party. At first, Leo was beating around the bush until finally he got tired of lying. The fact that he had lied to her is what made her blow up.

"For fuck's sake, Leonard! You could have told me. I asked you, every single time if you were dating someone and here we are, the two of you dating for months." She was pacing in front of him while he sat on the couch rubbing his face. Knowing what it meant, she rolled her eyes and shook her finger at him. "Oh no, no no. You don't get to do that. You don't get to be frustrated, that's my job."

"Why is it such a big deal, anyway? So Del and I are a thing." With a groan she looked at him.

"Because he is my boss! Her father is my boss and do you know what could happen if you hurt her or get her hurt? He'll try and kill you which means I obviously have to kill him and it'll be this whole big mess. I don't like whole big messes. Not to mention the fact that you lied to me." Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and stopped, just looking at him. "But, you are an adult, right?" Her tone of voice sort of hit Leo and he felt bad. Not because he was dating Del and didn't tell her, but because he was now working for James and didn't tell her. But, it was for her won good. Before he could say anything, there was a knock at the door. Aliana swiftly answered it and the frown that was on her face was replaced with a smile. She raised a brow at his statement about James' wrath being worse than her own.

"Well, he does have a temper. And I wouldn't want your pretty face to get pummeled, so I'll let it go... For now." She grabbed her jacket and started to walk past him. "First things first. We go get the name from the bouncer. With all the.. Unfortunate events of last night, I forgot to follow-up."



After his heated argument with Ali, Leo got himself dressed and over to the Porter's. Today was the day he was going to basically 'audition' for his part in the gang. He was still feeling bad about lying to her about this, which was way bigger than the one about he and Delilah. But, he couldn't bring himself to tell her just yet. After he graduated, he decided, was when he was going to inform her of his plans. She would have no choice but to support him, considering that was the deal in the first place. As he knocked on the door, he took a deep breath. For the first time, he wasn't there to see his girlfriend, but instead was there to see his future employer.

Mentions: Thomas, James ( Misty Gray )[/imagefloat]
​

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor faintly smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah, it's nice to make new friends. Whether you're a dog or a human," he told Michelle. He then looked to Alex and frowned when she said she should be used to losing people by now. He slowly nodded his head and briefly diverted his eyes down to the grass. They'd both lost people and most of it had been down to their two families being at war with each other. This time it was different. Conor's family were not fighting the Italians anymore.

Conor looked back up to Michelle and smirked when she mentioned chocolate. "Hmm. You're a crafty one, aren't you?" he remarked. "There's a bowl of tasty looking fruit on the dining room table. Surely that's better than chocolate?" he teased. He then turned his head to get a better look at the figure approaching from the distance. He was pleased to see it was Savannah making her way towards them. "Hey, Savvy. You alright?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I'm okay," the child replied, catching her breath back. "Shelly, I'm allowed to play out for a bit and I heard you're staying here, so I thought we could play together?" she asked. She'd heard Michelle's aunt had died and decided she could try to cheer her up. "Have you seen the horses yet? We could do that."

Conor watched the girls interact and found it sweet to see. He would let them both go off and do their own thing before turning back to Alex. "You can tell me everything, Alex," he suggested, figuring she was holding back for Michelle's sake.


neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle)

James Porter​

James was admittedly surprised to hear Kieran speaking positively about him at the same time as acknowledging the crimes he'd committed and continues to do. He nodded his head and smiled when he said he believed in the family. "It means a lot to hear that, Kieran. You're a part of this family too, perhaps now in more ways than we could have imagined just yesterday." He apprehensively sighed as he processed the man's confirmation that he would be his mole. "Your aunt's going to string me up if she finds out about this," he remarked, thinking of Shannon's likely reaction.

"Lucy and I are meeting Ciara later this evening, but as far as I'm concerned, we're still going to need eyes on the inside. I don't trust Ciara one bit," he told him. "Have you thought of how you'll first come to be in the presence of the IWU?"

Shireling (Kieran)




Enzyme Feel free to have Nikolai arrive any time now.

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan

After a pleasant morning spent with his wife and children, Peter was finally given the opportunity to properly rest for a few hours while Shannon offered to watch the kids whilst Sinead went down to the jazz club. He was skeptical about her going there by herself but his stubborn wife certainly wouldn't take no for an answer, probably more so now since he decided to work for James again. Guess it would only be fair. Peter reluctantly let Sinead go and sat with the kids and Shannon for a short while, enjoying the company of his mother in law and his children for a while. Soon however, the pain meds that were prescribed to him by Finn began to kick in, making him feel a bit lethargic. Peter excused himself for a while, telling his children and Shannon that he would be upstairs taking a short nap, unable to really keep his eyes open much longer.

Peter was unsure of how long he had been out for, but he awoke to the sound of someone coming through the front door down stairs. Sitting up quickly, he wondered what time it was as he stretched out his sore limbs, letting out a low hiss as he stretched his bad shoulder a bit too far. Taking it easy, he hoisted himself out of bed and headed down the stairs. He watched as the children greeted Sinead with a warm smile before greeting his wife with an embrace of his own. "Evening? Is it really night time already?" He mumbled to himself more than to Sinead as he looked towards the nearest window. When he looked back towards his wife, he instantly noticed something was off about the way she appeared.

She was as beautiful as ever of course, but there was something else about her that he just couldn't place. The expression on her face was hard to tell, he couldn't see what she was feeling, what she was thinking. Normally she was so much more open than this, she was hiding something, or at least waiting until they had more time to talk alone. "No trouble at all my love, actually, I went to take a snooze because the meds make me incredibly sleepy." His cheeks warmed slightly with embarrassment, wondering how he could have allowed himself to sleep the day away. "My shoulder is sore, but the medication is doing its job with the pain...it just feels bruised." He admitted to her. His brows knitted together with concern as he continued to take in her expression. "Everything okay with you sweetheart? How was the club? Everyone behaving in my absence?"

With:Sinead Misty Gray Mentions:

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra and Michelle Romano ​

Alexandra watched as Rocco ran around happily and bit her lip, Conor was probably right about Rocco the dog seemed happy to be back here, Alex supposed if you spent a lot of time in one place you’d miss it when you left.
Michelle shook her head at the mention of fruit “sweets are always nicer , fruit is okay I suppose” she sighed in a playful way. Alex smirked “you eat way to much sweets” Michelle shook her head forcefully at her mother’s words “there’s no such thing” before Michelle could rant on about the importance of sweets, a rant Alexandra has heard many times before, she was distracted as someone came up beside them.

Alex smiled at the little girl “hi Savannah” she greeted the girl before letting Michelle converse with her. “Hi Savvy, yeah I’m staying her and Rocco is with me” she said motioning to the dog “can we try teach him tricks now?” She asked her, wanting something interesting and time consuming to do. Michelle left her plate sitting on the grass beside her parents before running off alongside Savannah towards the dogs.

After the girls had left earshot, Alex turned back to look at Conor “who did this?” She asked in reply to his statement “who was behind the explosion?” Alex frowned “I just don’t know how to feel to be honest, I need to hold it together for Michelle but it hurts more then when Nicolo, dad, Olivia and Salvatore and Angel died and I think that’s because it wasn’t her war” Alex sighed as she rubbed her hands down her face “it sounds horrible to say but Nicolo and them, they were involved in the gang it was inevitable but Fallon she wasn’t interested anymore it’s just not fair” she groaned

Misty Gray

Mentioned: Enzyme (R.I.P Angel ))

 

[Misty Gray]

Thomas Dempsey​

Tommy nodded in agreement when Aliana mentioned James' temper. It wasn't that he'd ever been on the receiving end of his boss' anger, but he'd still heard about or witnessed the man when he was angry. Well, it wasn't like he blew up and yelled, but he was very calm and collected when conveying his anger, whilst still holding a sense of coldness and intimidation. Tommy found that more more scary than just being shouted at. He simply hoped he would never have to personally face any form of James' temper.

In the meantime, Tommy was about to embark on a job with Aliana that was going behind James' back and basically doing exactly the kind of thing that would piss his boss off. "Alright, Ali. Let's get to the jazz club."

After a short drive, Tommy parked up near to Sinead's club and climbed out of the car. He walked to the main doors with Aliana close by his side. "Evening, lads," he greeted the two bouncers on the door. Neither of them was Harrison, the man who had been beaten up the previous evening. Aliana would notice Kev was managing the bar in Sinead's absence and Harrison was keeping watch from behind the bar - perhaps also keeping a low profile so he didn't have to explain his black eye to James.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

((More later. Just squeezed this in before my shift starts.))
((Aww, I miss Angel. The lovely psychopath.))

 

[Misty Gray]

Skye McKendrick​

On the way upstairs, Skye couldn't help but think about Syd and how good he always looked. She had considered inviting him on the sneaky night out, but she didn't want to put him in an awkward position. She got the feeling he wanted to help his father out with the business and she didn't want to make him decide between lying to James or grassing on her and Mallory.

Once they were in Mallory's bedroom, her friend explained the plan and the perfect opportunity to sneak out. She was sure Conor and Shannon would be too distracted to notice them going. "Once your parents are out, it will be perfect," she agreed. She laughed at the thought of escaping through the secret hole in the fence. "This is going to be quite the adventure!"

On request, Skye removed the dress from the shopping bag and unfolded it. She then held the clothing out in front of her, flashing the knee-length blue dress she was planning on wearing that evening.

"Go ask Delilah now. She might need time to get ready," Skye suggested. "If she doesn't join us, she has to promise not to tell anyone else."

neverbackdown (Mallory)
Mention: ElectricDandellion (Delilah)

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead softly smiled as she listened to Peter telling her about his sleep. "Aww, well you deserved a rest," she assured him, briefly touching the side of his blushing face with her fingertips. She then pulled her hand away and removed the clips that had been holding her hair to one side, allowing her wavy red locks to flow freely. "I'm glad the pills are working their magic, Honey. I don't like seeing my family in pain," she told him.

Sinead was interrupted when Savannah brushed past them and said she was going to the Porters' place to find Michelle. "Make sure you go the normal way - through the gate. No climbing walls," she told her. It was mostly so the guards would see the girl and be able to keep an eye on her as she cut through into the Porter's adjoining garden. Even though they shared the same land and there were men keeping watch, it didn't stop Sinead from being cautious. Braden then appeared, but he headed upstairs so he could read his comics in peace.

Sinead then walked with Peter into the conservatory so they could relax and talk. She'd already noticed Emery fast asleep in the lounge with Shannon nearby, so didn't want to disturb them. "The club was good. I helped out behind the bar and then went through the books before Kev arrived to take over. Everyone was behaving," she said, with a short laugh. She then sat on the sofa, close to Peter so she could rest against his uninjured side. "I don't doubt Kev will make sure the hard work continues this evening. Even Harrison showed up for work. I didn't expect him in after last night," she casually added, not realising what she'd said and that Peter didn't know about the trouble in the club last night. They'd all had a stressful night with Fallon's death and Peter's injury, that she hadn't given her own evening's events much thought. And now she was preoccupied with Grant's actions. "I'm alright, love," she distantly told him. She didn't exactly want to tell him her troubles and cause him any stress, but she also knew how much trouble she'd gotten herself into by lying in the past. She looked up to Peter with her big eyes and sighed. "Grant stopped by at the club earlier. He's got me a gig in a couple of weeks. Reckons it's a good show and they really want me there," she said, but her smile didn't convey the usual excitement she would have. "But he didn't ask me first and when I told him to cancel it, he refused. As much as I want to do it, he should have consulted me and given me chance to discuss it with you first. He was a real jerk about it and basically made it clear I haven't got much choice in the matter now. Stupid creep," she complained.

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor watched Michelle and Savannah rush off to apparently train Rocco. A faint smile crossed his lips as he thought about them already being friends. His niece had always wanted friends her own age to play with, especially as Sinead wouldn't let the kids go to school. He was equally glad Michelle had someone to distract her from thinking about what had happened to Fallon.

Conor frowned when Alex asked him who was behind the explosion. As he thought of the prime suspect, there was an anger building in his eyes. "We think a woman named Ciara Hennessey is behind it. She's one of the people running the Irish Workers Union. Real hard-face, miserable fucker, if you ask me," he bluntly answered. "James and Luce are meeting with her soon, to see if she tries to deny it or gives away any signs.

He closed his eyes when Alex mentioned the family she had lost, as well as Olivia and Angel. When Vinnie and Angel were alive, Conor would have gladly told Alex the men were psychopaths and sick fucks, but that was a long time ago and both men were dead now. It also also helped in Angel's case, as Sinead had told her family to watch what they were saying about him in case Savannah ever overheard. "No, you're right. They were all part of our war and being killed was always a strong possibility. Same for me and most of my family." Conor dragged a clump of grass out of the ground in frustration. "Fallon was innocent in this... Whatever this is. I honestly never expected it to happen. Everything had been running smoothly and peacefully. We've had the odd few dickheads trying to throw their weight around, but they're easily subdued. This is different and the fact they would attack Jackson's place has me worried there could be a new war on the horizon." He looked Alex in the eyes. "I'm going to fight this one. They won't get away with what they've done," he firmly assured her. Seeing how upset she was, on top of watching Jackson break the previous evening, motivated him to fight in this war... if that's what it was going to be.

neverbackdown (Alex)

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

Delilah woke with a start, hearing a knock at the door that shocked her into consciousness. Eyes lazily peering around, she stretched her legs out and sighed, breath hushed and slow. The presence of a blanket seemed to make her pause midway through her stretch, frowning at the sudden material tugging against her toes. Had she grabbed a blanket herself? She certainly thought she would’ve remembered such an action, having to get up and reaching into the storage and taking a blanket. The process would’ve wired her back to consciousness. Through slight contemplation, she realised that either her mother or father had placed it on her earlier that morning. And, judging from the way her hair felt so rough, she realised she didn’t quite look alright enough to answer the door to anyone. She would risk herself the embarrassment. Reluctantly, she sat up from her position, rubbing her eyes to wake herself up after the several hours she had been sleeping. By now, she surely had slept enough. Standing, and taking the blanket with her, she began to walk towards the hallway. “Mama!” Delilah called, eyes glazing slightly as she began to yawn. “Padre! The door!” Delilah thought it likely that both parents would understand why she wasn’t getting the door. Or maybe, she thought, they would believe she thought it somewhat dangerous to open it, but that was certainly not the case. Holding the blanket over her shoulders, she began to make her way up the stairs, bare feet pattering as she walked up.

As she made her way into her bedroom, she immediately rushed to the en suite, taking off her clothes and showering. The shower was about due given she had rushed the previous day and hadn’t quite managed to have one. It was relaxing, just allowing the water to wash her down and cleanse her from the odours and dirt that could’ve been clinging to her flesh. It held a comfort for her to be able to know she was now fresh and clean. Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped a dressing gown towel over herself and made her way to the dressing table. Something deep within her wanted her to go out for the first time in forever, it had been way too long and she was bored of just hanging around at home. Someone her age should be going out, enjoying themselves, not stuck inside dogsitting.

Sitting down in front of the mirror, she began dusting on her makeup, putting on a dark lip and subtle eyeliner wing. Delilah knew Leo would be working for her dad that day, so she wouldn’t be asking him to go with her out somewhere. Perhaps Mallory and Skye would be free. Her mind scrambled for a second, trying to figure out what to do. Sliding across the room, she began to get into her dress, one she had had in mind before doing her makeup.

Spoiler: Dress & figure