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

[Misty Gray]

James Porter
​

Before he managed to step out of the front door again, James saw saw the headlights of a car at the security gates and after focusing on the vehicle, he knew Lucy had returned. The closest room to him was the lounge and he was aware there were people present in there. Figuring Savannah and Michelle shouldn't be around for the family drama, he went into the room and asked Alex to take the children to bed. He was at least grateful Shannon hadn't caused a scene with Alex as his own patience was wearing very thin.

Just after the others had gone upstairs, the door was opened and Lucy stepped inside. She remained standing in the doorway, a few feet from him. He listened as she told him the kids had gone out into town and then demanded to know where it was they'd managed to escape out from. It was more than clear how hurt she was by their actions and the worry they'd caused her. "Luce..." he began as he walked towards her. He hated seeing his wife so upset. All he wanted to do in that very moment was hold her and reassure her. He didn't get that chance as the kids and Conor started to enter the house, causing Lucy to rush towards the kitchen. As she past him, James only managed to place a brief, soft hand on her hand before she was out of his reach.

James looked to Syd, Delilah, Mallory and even Conor. "In the lounge. Now!" he ordered them. For now, his voice was controlling and commanding. He wouldn't take no for an answer. James grabbed the front door before Conor could close it and looked to Skye who was awkwardly standing outside as she wondered if she should just return to the Callahans place to sleep. "Skye. You too. Get inside," James called to her, clearing up any confusion on the matter. "You're just as involved in this as the rest. Considering you're responsible for the Callahans' kids, you need to act responsible."

It wasn't James' intention to berate Conor for anything and he was sure that would be a discussion for later. For now, he just wanted him present so he was aware of how serious the matter was and also to make him realise he had all of this to come with Michelle. "Sit down," he told the four youngsters, pointing to the large sofa which would fit all four of them on. He then sat on the opposite sofa so he could see them all at once. His eyes lingered on Syd for a time as he thought of how he'd trusted his son was ready to be trained and even had Lucy fall out with him over it. He watched as Skye quickly placed herself at one end of the sofa, beside Syd.

"I made it very clear to all four of you that you were not to leave this house without my permission," James firmly began. "Yet, you all went ahead and did that tonight anyway. Your mother and I have been extremely worried about you. Your mother is devastated and heartbroken that you would do this to her. Do you understand how betrayed this makes us both feel?!" he asked, his voice raising slightly. "The city is a dangerous place right now. I don't know if it went over your heads, but Jackson's apartment was intentionally blown to pieces and his girlfriend was killed. If the people responsible for doing that had seen you lot out, half drunk and completely defenceless... You're not even old enough to be out drinking yet, Mallory!" James shook his head. Though his voice reflected the trouble they were in, he was still keeping the cold but controlled tone he was known for. "Was I not clear enough?! Anything could have happened to any or all of you. Did you stop and think about that? If you don't care about your own safety, did you stop and think of how it would affect your parents?" James shook his head. "What were you all thinking? Why did you do it?" he questioned them. He would give them a chance to speak up before really hitting the message home. Once again, he shifted focus to Syd. He wasn't as surprised the girls had done it, but he genuinely believed Syd wanted to help him and was ready to learn everything.

Bellz (Lucy) Pyroclast (Syd) ElectricDandellion (Delilah) neverbackdown (Mallory)

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

Delilah had rammed the phone back into its holster by the radio as soon as her mother edged closer to the car, fearing her words and her wrath. Anger was practically rolling off of the woman as she headed towards the car, and Delilah’s slow gaze watched the way her mother slipped into the seat and ignored the fact that they were all in the back. Clearly, her mother was upset as well as mad, and the thought crushed Delilah internally. She didn’t set out to intentionally upset her family, and she was sure that none of the others did either. They all wanted to have fun, and being on lockdown wasn’t fun at all. It was like being punished for no reason. Quite frankly, Delilah would rather go out and be in mass danger rather than be bored and stuck inside without anything to do.

Upon pulling up, Lucy seemed very quick to get out, and Delilah slumped towards the window in shame, waiting for the others to leave before she did. There was no way she was going to be the first to see her father- she knew he was worried enough already, and if he figured out that his kids were escaping and putting themselves into likely death or dangerous situations, he wouldn’t be happy. In fact, the young girl has determined that dying would’ve been a much safer escape than the upcoming situation. It made her cringe to think about it.

Gingerly clambering out of the car, she leaned against the frame for a second, trailing after her family quietly but trying not to express her shame. With legs like water, she was almost certainly going to fall. And, without a moment’s notice, she felt herself tumbling forwards, knees and hands suffering from the fall with scratched and likely future bruises. At least she had held her hands out quick enough that she hadn’t smacked her face or stomach. That would’ve been painful, not to mention even more embarrassing. Though, she couldn’t help the quiet laughter roaring through her diaphragm.

Luckily for her, she was behind everyone, and so it made it easier to disguise her fall for slowness and the inability to want to go inside the house. Stumbling to her feet, with the remnants of her vodka bottle smashed in her clutch, she continued on, wincing at her father’s intimidating silhouette in the doorway. She could hear the harshness in his tone and hurried her pace, having to lean on the wall to balance herself. Being such a light weight was an embarrassment.

Avoiding her gaze with her father, she followed the others into the lounge, setting herself on the furthest part of it and watching as Syd and Skye sat together. Neither of them deserved to be in trouble. Her brain couldn’t comprehend the words he was speaking at the pace he was and with the alcohol circulating her system. What she did understand was that he was mad. Very mad. The way he spoke was burrowing a pit into a stomach, from which her enjoyment from the night was sleeping out extremely quickly. Running a hand through her hair, and biting her inner cheek to refrain herself from speaking up.

Delilah knew that what he said was true, but she already had gathered what he was going to say beforehand when they planned going out. “Skye and Syd,” Delilah began with a frown, her words slurred. “Papa, Skye and Syd aren’t drunk, they came out to get me and Mal,” The young girl couldn’t care less if she had gotten Mal into trouble too, at least the other two would potentially escape the drama. Better two than none. Besides, Mal had already proven her guilt when she attempted to run away from their mam, so there was no way she was going to wiggle her way out of this one. For a moment, Delilah had even considered pretending not to know English in her state of intoxication, but now she had already talked, that option wasn’t quite as hopeful anymore.

“So you expected us all to just sit in the house with nothing to do and no one else to see until the world stops being dangerous? We shouldn’t have to live in fear, and by locking us all up and awaiting another attack you are all showing how you’re letting the others win,” Delilah remarked, voice gentle as to not seem rude, given her mad her father seemed to be. “The world isn't ever going to stop being dangerous, and we can’t all wait for it to be baby-proofed. You should know that more than anyone, papa,”

Misty Gray (James, Skye and Connor) Bellz (Lucy) neverbackdown (Mallory) Pyroclast (Syd)​

 

[neverbackdown]

Mallory Porter ​

Mallory stayed quiet during the car ride home as did they all. It was an extremely uncomfortable silence as it was obvious there mother was both angry and upset with them.

Once in the house they were quickly ushered into the lounge, unsurprisingly by a very angry father. Mallory followed in standing between Delilah and Syd. She didn’t know how her siblings and Skye would take getting given out to but Mallory herself was quite used to being on the harsher side of her parents, if only they knew the other half of things she got up to, they would lock her in her room and throw away the key. She listened as her dad yelled at them before Delilah drunkingly started talking back to him. She bit her lip as she watched Delilah before deciding to help her fight their case.

“Why do we have to hide?” Mallory suddenly asked her father staring directly at him as she spoke. While Mallory was a little tipsy she was in no way drunk and was very aware of the situation and what she was doing. “I’m sorry that we scared you and I do feel bad about it but I am not sorry about going out and being a normal teenager” she looked to her Mam as she apologized but quickly looked back to her father for the next statement. “I am not going to be under lock and key for something I have nothing to do with” she stated calmly “I have wanted to be in on the business for years now and you always shut me down so how does it work that I can’t be involved but it can fuck up my life?” Anger was beginning to seep into her voice but she decided to keep it at bay. “They blew up Jackson’s house for god sake, if they want to get to us it makes no difference whether we are in the house or outside they will and can get to us and that’s what they were proving to us with their theatrics” she looked towards her mother as she knew how against her next statement Lucy would be “if you want us to be safe you need to train us all in combat and weapons not trap us in a house, we will never be safe unless we can defend ourselves , they could get through our guards and then what? we’re sitting ducks just waiting to get gunned down” Mallory stopped talking allowing her parents to get a word in if they saw fit. “You have every right to be disappointed and angry in us but I promise you the feeling is mutual”

Misty Gray
ElectricDandellion
Bellz
Pyroclast

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra and Michelle Romano ​

Michelle sat beside her grandma with a huge grin on her face, unaware of the tension between her mother and grandma. “Mam says I can be charming when I want to” Michelle stated proudly “especially when I want something” she added and nodded when her granny said Flattery will get her everywhere. She started to feel more relaxed as she felt Shannon like the rest of her new family accepted and liked her.

James suddenly arrived into the room looking annoyed and both Alex and Michelle turned to face him as he talked about it being their bedtime. Michelle went to protest but one look from her mother made her stop immediately. She stood up with Shannon and quickly turned around giving her a small hug, a stray tear would be seen to escape her eye but the grin still present on her lips would show that the child was just overwhelmed. “I finally have a grandparent” she loudly whispered to her mother as she took her hand. “I know and you can talk to her more tomorrow” Alex told her gently before holding her hand out for Savannah to take aswell “cmon girl let’s go up to bed and you’s talk abit up there before you’s go to sleep” she told them as she led them out of the room and up the stairs. “Do you want to pick a room for you’s to stay in Savannah?” She asked since the girl would know better where they could stay.

Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

Lucy had stormed to the kitchen to escape snapping at everyone in that moment, she knew if she didn’t level herself, the whole house would be turned upside down. Grabbing the bottle of whisky, she didn’t even bother grabbing a glass before opening the bottle and drinking straight from it. The alcohol saturated her nerves and calmed her only slightly after a moment. Forcing herself to take a few deep breaths, she leveled herself again before slowly walking to the lounge, not saying a words as she moved to sit by James.

The blonde stayed silent as she listened to her husband begin speaking with the children, her eyes stared them down for a long while, hoping they would feel guilty about what they did. When James finished and the girl’s began to speak, Lucy had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from interrupting both of them. Once Mallory was finished, Lucy shook her head harshly. ”And you honestly think that’s going to solve all the problems of you going out?” She asked Mallory, looking to each of her children. ”Your father is more experience than any of the men working on this property and he gets injured on a regular, you think if we put a weapon in your hands that you will be invincible!” Her voice raised a bit.

”What you should be doing instead of trying to negotiate with something that will not change, is apologizing to your parents!!” Lucy shouted then not able to deal with the fact that her children were being so terrible in that moment. ”We chose years ago after I was told that I couldn’t have children of my own to adopt you three. We love you as if you are blood and as far as we are concerned you are. Your father and I have worked hard to create a comfortable life for you here, we have worked hard to shelter you from such dangers, living in fear every day of not knowing which of your love ones will be next.” She paused as the tears started to form in her eyes again. ”You three are our everything dammit, this isn’t punishment, this isn’t because we don’t want you to live a normal life, its for your protection. Did it even occur to you that if trouble would have arrived at the club while your uncle and I were there that we would have been the ones to deal with it? Possibly putting our lives on the line in addition to your own!” She shook her head, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. ”No because right now, its all about you and what you want to do with your life! Never mind if your parents want you safe and sound, to live a happy life without all the bullshit that we were put through.”

Looking to Syd now, she shook her head before looking to Mallory who had so graciously pointed out that they should all be trained. ”Only Adults are trained to protect this household. The decisions you three have made today reflect just how unready you truly are to be trained.” Lucy’s throat clenched as she swallowed tears. ”If anything were to happen to you three—“ Lucy’s voice broke as she covered her mouth and turned away, burying her face into James’ shoulder, unable to fathom if something would have gone wrong tonight and she hadn’t made it on time Misty Gray neverbackdown Pyroclast ElectricDandellion

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James listened on as Delilah defended Syd and Skye, suggesting they went out to get her and Mallory home. He wasn't sure if he believed that was true, but even if he did, he thought Syd had made the wrong choice going to get them himself. Whether he thought he was doing the right thing by his sisters, Syd had made the wrong decision, one which was dangerous. He should have gone to Conor who could have picked them up and taken backup.

The man's attention remained on Delilah, who was being argumentative, even if trying to do so in a gentle manner. He'd never set out to make them feel like they were being punished for nothing, but it was either that or risk their lives by letting them roam around the city with targets on their backs. "You're right, the World won't stop being dangerous. Right now, the danger is specifically on us and I would not have imposed these rules without good reason. Right now, this family is at risk and I needed you all to stay here until I could put a stop to it." He stared right back at his daughter. "You have to hide so your mother and I don't have to lose you... I mean, I could tell you all about the things we suffered in Chicago when our family was at risk and I don't think you'd like to go through that kind of torture." Conor shifted uncomfortably as he knew the stories James could tell them. One of his personal experiences in particular still taunted the back of his own mind.

James shook his head when Mallory said they needed to train them all in combat. He'd been through this with Lucy already and his case had been completely beaten down now the kids had gone behind their backs. His argument that Syd was an adult had been contradicted by their actions. He shook his head when Mallory said she was disappointed in him. He'd done nothing but protect and love his kids, so he wasn't sure what Mallory had to be disappointed in him for. Unless, of course, she was disappointed in his entire lifestyle but that wasn't going to change and it didn't affect how much he cared for the teenagers.

James didn't say anything, giving Lucy chance to speak up as she remained seated beside him. He looked down and briefly shielded his eyes as Lucy explained how they loved their children as if they were blood and that they'd given everything to make their lives comfortable. It was true and James' job had only become more difficult since adopting; having to protect even more vulnerable family members than ever. It didn't mean he resented them for it, because he was protective for them out of unconditional love. He'd put his life on the line for family in the past and he wouldn't hesitate to do it again. He and Lucy had lost too many people before to lose anyone else.

James moved his hand away from in front of his face, his expression revealing their betrayal hadn't only made him furious, but had genuinely upset him too. He turned to Lucy as she addressed Mallory's comment about training them. He already knew her stance on that matter and he wasn't going to argue with her this time. Their kids had shown they weren't ready for it yet. "There will be no training until we feel you're all ready for it. Including you, Syd. No need to get up for 5am tomorrow," he sadly added. Conor was curious about James' comment, taking from it that he had intended on training Syd, something he thought should have been happening by now anyway. Perhaps not so much the girls, but definitely Syd needed training. He wouldn't show that or say it out loud, as he knew how Lucy would react to that! It would not be pretty.

James heard Lucy swallow back her tears before she started to speak. She couldn't finish her sentence and was instead reduced to burying her face into his shoulder. "Luce, it's okay," he quietly told her. He wrapped his arm around her back and softly rubbed her shoulder to soothe her. He placed a kiss on the top of her head before looking back to the others. "Please tell me you understand what we're trying to say? Can you see that your actions could have severe consequences and we're not being assholes?"

Bellz (Lucy) Pyroclast (Syd) ElectricDandellion (Delilah) neverbackdown (Mallory)

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

Delilah listened to her sister argue, a lot ruder, upfront and more confident that she had. And, for that, Delilah admired her. What she didn’t admire was the fact that their parents were very clearly upset with them and she had managed to twist the situation to self defence, something that all the siblings had requested and had each time been denied and been told why they weren’t to be involved in such matters. What her sister had suggested was somewhat true though, and her parents deserved to hear it. Lips curving downwards without permission, Delilah roughly flickered her vision elsewhere when her father spoke to her, her own frustration making her eyes shine with briny tears although she fought very hard to keep them down. She wasn’t about to show any means of remorse through tears. Clenching her jaw and facing the shelves, obviously avoiding looking at anyone, she shrugged. “When that sneaky bitch dies, who else will it be? Someone else will soon come along, someone who will cause us all to have targets on our backs again and...and,” Delilah couldn’t muster her words as she struggled to calm herself down, visibly agitated and uncomfortable that they had to all sit down and get told about the dangerousness of the city and those within it. Shaking her head when her father mentioned Chicago and she noticed her uncle’s discomfort, she denied the rights and willingness of her father to talk about it. There was no need to punish herself by listening to it.

“I know danger- I lived amongst heroine needles for 8 years, I’m perfectly fine and would’ve been with my siblings in town! It just- I don’t?...I know you guys have created an amazing place to live, and you are my parents. I am always going to be grateful that you pulled me away from that dump and brought me here with siblings and-“ A stray tear fell down her cheek as her eyes darted anxiously around the room, the way her mother crying breaking her heart. “And you gave me the best possible life I could’ve had. Its not about that though, is it?” Standing now, pressing a hand to the sofa to hold herself up, she took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, mama, papa,” Her voice was so hushed it was almost inaudible. The way her parents had been angry for their safety, for what could’ve happened almost made her jump out in tears. Delilah hadn’t quite realised the extent of their love. Given the first 8 years of her life, she hadn’t quite been used to the affection, though life with James and Lucy had shown her that she was adequate enough to be loved by others, despite how sad that had sounded to her own ears. Thoughts like that she tended not to express.

Walking towards her mother, she gave her a hug, and the same to her father before walking towards the door. “You’re not assholes,” She mumbled, opening the door. “I think it’s time I went to bed, I’m tired and my head aches,” and, with that, her heels clanked against the floor as she rushed to her room before anyone could stop her. Throwing her shoes across the room and wiping a few stray tears from her eyes, she climbed into her bed.

Pyroclast Misty Gray Bellz neverbackdown​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter


Sitting on the sofa between Skye and his sisters awaiting a lecture from his parents, Syd was reminded heavily of his times spent in detention at school. Of course he had a endless amount of love and respect for the two of them, but he still had a deep, ingrained feeling of contempt towards authority and couldn't help but feel weary at the thought of having to spend his evening being made to feel guilty about something he'd done that he didn't believe to be wrong. Despite his natural tendency to land himself in trouble out and about, it wasn't often that he found himself in deep trouble with his parents. Yet now, the shaking in his mother's voice and the hard stare that his father was giving him caused him to wonder if his perception of the relationship he had with his parents was perhaps different to theirs, and whether they actually understood each other as much as he had previously thought.

Not wanting to add any weight to that idea, he tried very hard to remain composed and not to argue back too much when his father began his lecture, which seemed to be - as Syd had anticipated - an extension of Conor's. The alcohol in his system was keeping him fairly subdued, so while his sisters fought back fervently Syd simply listened, looking up only to meet his father's eye whenever he felt a cold, hard stare land upon him. Deep down he wished that they wouldn't fuel the fire, though he appreciated Delilah's defending of himself and Skye and actually agreed with everything she and Mallory were saying. It only thickened the tension in the room. The conversation quickly descended into a chaos as people started raising their voices, and though he had his own arguments to add, he felt that at this point they would never be listened to properly. Everyone was too angry, too upset. The whole thing was giving him a headache, and when Lucy returned to the lounge from the kitchen and started reprimanding the four of them, he leaned forwards, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. Her words were strong, emotional, and he hated to hear her be so upset, especially knowing that he had played a part in doing this to her. When she inferred that there would be no training, Syd looked up.

"Mam..." Syd piped up, rubbing at his temples. "It's okay. No one's hurt. We're all here together, and we're all fine." He paused for a moment, hoping his impatience at the situation didn't show in his tone. He wasn't sure whether his next point would comfort or anger her, but he made it anyway, looking to his dad after she had turned away. "I get that we're a family at high risk right now, but the explosion that killed Fallon only happened yesterday. That means the next move is ours, not theirs. Whoever they are, I'm sure they'd rather spend a little more time revelling in the satisfaction of having just caused our family pain and waiting for a reaction from us than to...haphazardly kill your children." He bit down on his lip for a second, wondering if that phrasing was a perhaps a bit too strong. "Why would they make another move when the effect of their last one is still so fresh?"

When James turned his way and said there'd be no reason for him to get up in the morning to train, Syd practically jumped up from his seat. The sudden movement made his head spin and he grimaced, taking a moment to stabilise himself. He hadn't stopped thinking about the earlier conversation he had had with his dad all day. Even though he had tried to convey it as a joke to Conor, Syd had fantasized about the day he would join the family business for years. It really hurt to have that opportunity torn away from him so soon. Suddenly he wished that Skye wasn't there, worried that she would see how upset he was. It made no sense to him that his parents were both against the idea of training him and his sisters to defend themselves, especially given the argument they were currently having. But his mother was already upset enough, and despite this sudden anger that had come over him, he didn't want to see her get into a worse state. He took a deep breath to try to calm himself back down.

"I'm sorry for scaring you," he said. But that was all he could get out for the moment. Perhaps he'd return to this conversation after sleeping on it. He began to move towards the door, but then glanced back at Skye. He felt sorry that their night together had turned so sour, and didn't want to leave her in the room while things were still so tense. When he turned back to his parents, his eyes didn't quite meet theirs. "Congratulations, by the way. On the wedding proposal. I didn't get a chance to say it before."

Interactions / Mentions
Bellz Lucy
Misty Gray James, Skye, Conor
ElectricDandellion Delilah
neverbackdown Mallory

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor could see how much the worry and fear was upsetting his sister, but he was grateful she had James by her side to comfort her. Whilst he could see why she was worried about training the kids, he could also see why she should be worried about not doing so. Some eventualities were unavoidable, even if in the safest confines of home.

Delilah had left the room first and once Syd was leving, Conor decided to do the same. He figured soon enough it would just be James and Lucy, so he didn't want to still be present in the middle of that. Conor left the room and quickened his pace up the stairs to catch up with Syd. Before his nephew had time to enter his room, Conor stopped by the door frame. "If you're sure you want to train," he began, making sure to speak quietly. "Perhaps I could teach you? But I don't do early mornings, so none of this 5am bullshit. And it would have to stay between us until your folks calm down a bit."

Pyroclast (Syd)


((James post hopefully to follow after Mal/Lucy))

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

After Syd left the room he decided he would go straight to bed, wanting nothing more than for this day to be over. It wasn't often that he felt so down and defeated, but then again arguments with his parents were not that common either. Especially ones so heavy as that one. Clearly his parents were under more stress than he realised, because although he knew that getting caught sneaking out would lead to a scolding of some kind, he hadn't expected his mum to have a breakdown. When he passed Delilah's bedroom door he thought about popping in to make sure she was okay after the emotional speech she had given, but in the end he continued on to his own room, thinking she probably needed to rest more than she needed to have it all brought up again. She was a sweet girl and a loyal sister to him and he didn't like to see her so upset. Maybe he'd check up on her tomorrow instead, after everyone had got some sleep and calmed down a bit. As he reached his bedroom door however, he was surprised to find Conor approaching him.

Upon hearing his offer, Syd wasn't sure how to respond at first.
"I don't know, Conor..." he said, keeping his voice hushed so as not to attract attention to themselves. "You saw the way dad was looking at me. If I went behind his back again..." He looked to the floor and sighed. It felt awful to have his father look down on him and lose his trust. All he ever wanted was to make him proud. Syd frowned as he thought about the irony of it all again, about how it didn't make sense to not prepare themselves for the danger that was so evidently surrounding his family. The next move had to be theirs, and he couldn't believe that his parents would put him and his sisters under house arrest from day one until the day this was over. Things were only just beginning, he could feel it, and for his own peace of mind, he decided that he would feel safer learning how to use a firearm. Of course he would rather do it with his parents' knowledge, even more so their approval, especially given what had gone down tonight. With clear remorse in his tone of voice, he quietly admitted, "They said I'm not ready, but...if I'd been trained some already, perhaps they wouldn't have been so pissed off about us being out unsupervised. I don't want to spend my life getting locked indoors every time this kind of thing arises like I'm some useless child." He looked up to face Conor. He realised that if he ever had a chance to change his father's mind and prove that he was worthy of joining the business, it was now. They'd just have to be very careful about it. "If you can find a time and a place where we won't get caught, tell me, and I'll meet you there." On that note, he opened his door and began to walk through. Although he still felt conflicted about the decision he'd made to further betray his parents, he didn't want to linger long enough to change his mind. Turning back to his uncle one last time, he said, "Thanks, Conor. I really appreciate this."

Interactions
Misty Gray Conor

 

[neverbackdown]

Mallory Porter​

Mallory watched as her mother broke into tears and it hurt to see her mother so distraught but Mallory was not going to cave in on this situation especially the self defense as she felt so strongly about this point.
She looked between her parents and pulled a confused face as they said that they were not ready to be trained “Im sorry but how does that show we are not ready to be trained?” She asked in response to her mother’s ludicrous statement “if anything it shows we should be” Mallory knew that she would not win this argument but she also knew the points needed to be driven home to her parents “we all leave this house to go to school or to go to the shops, we can’t be kept in here so why on earth should we not be trained in self-defense, you might look at us as though we are still babies but we aren’t Mam, Syd and Delilah are adults, I’m nearly finished school and I’m only a few months off being officially an adult so why are you treating us as though you still change our diapers” she asked her mother before looking at her father “not ready? you will never think we are ready for this because you will never see us as grownups and I don’t mean that in a bad way but you need to start seeing us as that” After Delilah and Syd walked off she looked back at her parents “look you saved us from terrible lives, Delilah has already brought hers up and you already know I had to fend for myself from I could walk , I was the best fighter in the orphanage and growing up in one I believe that self-defense is a nesseciaty in life not even just to do with the family business but the amount of women that are attacked at night, robbed, raped I could go on with my list but I won’t , we are aware of how dangerous life is but you more than anyone should understand the importance of a somewhat normal life and that we shouldn’t spend our lives hidden and locked away in a house because what happens when we move out?” she took a deep breath as she decided to finish her rant. “All I will say is you wouldn’t have been so worried tonight if you knew that we could defend ourselves from trouble so please just think that over” she bit her lip as tears stung her eyes, her past still held a considerable amount of power over her and she still had flashbacks to it but she usually brushed it off and pretended it didn’t happen however bringing it up herself made it feel real again.
Mallory went to walk off but stopped “I’m sorry that you were worried for us and I’m sorry we made you feel that way but I’m meant everything I have said tonight” she eventually looked back at her parents “you’s aren’t assholes you’s just haven’t let us grow up in your eyes and you’s need to realize what age we are “

Misty Gray
Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

Lucy's tears controlled themselves after concentrating on her children words. She didn't like how she was being told off, like she had personally done something wrong to affect the way their lives were right now, the short lock down was too much to ask for her children apparently. The blonde eventually looked up, wiping under her eyes to capture any stray tears. She shook her head slowly as each of her children still only showed little remorse for what they did. Each of them explained how they were able to handle such dangers, which Lucy scoffed openly at. Most of the time, the adults could barely handle it, and here her children were thinking that they were an exception to that. She wasn't sure if it was the family name and being left alone for so long that made her children think they would be fine in a dangerous situation, but that type of cockiness irked her to no end. Of course, she would listen to her children, respect their words and feelings, but at the end of the day, as much as they could take care of themselves if it came to life or death in a situation...her children would not know how to choose.

The experiences that her children had in the homes they were in before they arrived with the Porters was saddening, but the dangers they were experiencing here would be nothing like that. Ciara was a mad woman, their children have no idea how the meeting went, how they were basically threatened. She would hit closer to home if she had to. Once Mallory had finished with her speech, Lucy nodded her head, "I realize what age you are Mal, sometimes, you need to trust us as more than just your parents who want your best interest at heart. We've been doing this for longer than you could imagine. Trust your father as the Boss of this business, like you should. She said before she waved her hand in dismissal towards her daughter and whoever was left in the room. "I need to speak with your father privately, and its time for you to head to your room." Lucy told her daughter. Once Mal left the room, Lucy placed her head in her hands.

After a long moment of silence, the woman lifted her hands and clasped her hands together as she leaned back against the couch. Anxiety swelled in her chest as she thought about everything that had just occurred. "The children should be able to train..but not right now. Ciara is a ticking time bomb, and you heard her...she's not afraid to hurt our family." Lucy looked a bit helpless. "And they,"Her hand raised to point to where their children had headed,"think that they can handle the dangers." She shook her head and a small smirk played on her lips. "I think we have little monsters on our hands, all seemed to pick up on our stubborn ways." The blonde sighed before turning to James more, already have missed him terribly finding it always hard to give him the cold shoulder even if she really tried.

"I just want to enjoy my kids as long as possible James, our kids. We are in our mid 30s and we are done raising kids. I guess its just crazy to think that this is it. And I guess some old feelings are coming back, I'm just emotional." She admitted and bit her lip. "If we lose any of those children, we don't miraculously get another one, and I wouldn't want another if it meant they would replace one of ours." Her eyes felt puffy and tired as she looked to her husband. "I swear these kids might kill me before anything else does."

Misty Gray neverbackdown Pyroclast ElectricDandellion

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James listened as Syd reasoned that the next move was in the Porters' hands. Whilst it wasn't a completely unreasonable suggestion, James knew for sure that wouldn't help matters and he was intending on making his next move very soon. "They're not going to have much time to wait for my next move, Syd. That's why I urgently need you three to stay put." James bit his lip before deciding to continue, figuring perhaps Syd and Mallory might appreciate having some of his plans shared with them. "Ciara intends on causing another explosion and I cannot be sure how many people are at risk. I intend to get in her way to stop it from happening and we've already seen proof she doesn't like not getting her way. If stop what she has planned from happening then she may well make another move. Seriously, mate. Don't be mistaken on this - the woman doesn't follow logic or rules." James shrugged his shoulders. "So resent me all you want for putting you into this position, but I'd rather my kids were pissed at me than dead or injured."

James watched on as Syd apologised to Lucy for scaring her. The faintest of smiles grew on his lips seeing their son comfort her. As Syd left and congratulated them on the second engagement, James nodded and gave him a casual thumbs up. "Thanks, mate," he simply told him.

As Mallory continued to speak up for herself, James let out an exhausted sigh. This day had gone on too long for his liking and his patience levels were pretty low. "I don't want to use scare tactics, love, but not all attacks can be stopped by punching or shooting. What happened to Jackson's place made that all too clear." When Mallory stopped walking away to apologise for worrying them, James nodded his head. "Okay, Mal. We'll talk about this more when we've all slept on it," he reassured her.

On that note, Skye awkwardly stood up too. "Sorry..." she awkwardly told James and Lucy. "I'm going to go sleep. Thank you..." she said. She quickly left the room and the house before walking back to the Callahans, asking herself along the way why she even said thank you... other than being overwhelmed by the uncomfortable situation.

Alone with Lucy, James listened as his wife began to speak to him about not wanting to train them right now. "Training is a discussion we'll save for another time. Right now we have to sort out the Ciara problem. He returned her smirk. "Yup, we have monsters, alright. I guess it's our punishment for being such awkward little shits when we were younger," he joked.

When Lucy turned to him, James placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and weakly smiled to her. They'd had a rough night before the kids had gone missing, funnily enough that had also been an argument about the kids training. As much as he wanted to train them, he respected Lucy's feelings and would compromise to give it more time. At least until they knew how to deal with their IWU problem. A bit of training wasn't going to help the kids enough against those people. "We have to accept that our kids are growing up, but that doesn't mean we don't stop protecting them. We won't lose them, Luce. We've just got to stick to our guns on this one and not let them get their way so easily. They train when we're both ready for them to." Seeing her eyes were puffy from the crying, James pulled her in closer and softly kissed her head. "Come on, love. We should head to bed and get some rest. Unless I'm still sleeping in the doghouse," he joked.

END OF CHAPTER
​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 5: A Fatal Decision
Saturday 17th October 1959
Evening - Cold, Dry, Clear Sky
********************************
...Two weeks later...


Melody's Bar and Club
Sinead, Peter, Lucy, Jackson, Aliana, Syd, Skye

​

Sinead Callahan and Skye McKendrick

​

Despite all of the drama surrounding Grant not consulting her before booking the gig, Sinead had agreed to perform this evening and she was excited to be up on stage singing. In the club dressing room, she made the finishing touches to her make-up and she sent her reflection a satisfied smile. She couldn't ignore what was going on behind the scenes of what should be a normal evening of working and performing. James was still being extra cautious this evening and she knew it was something to do with him trying to get through to that Ciara woman. As a precaution, Peter, Jackson and Lucy had been told to attend the event armed, as well as to remain on high alert. Aliana, Syd and Skye had also been invited to watch the event. James having decided Syd deserved a night out, albeit with his mother present.

The part of it all that made Sinead feel most nervous was the fact she had a gun of her own strapped to her inner thigh, hidden beneath her flowing knee-length dress. She'd been taught to use the gun by James years ago and every so often forced to practice again, be it with Peter or James himself. Tonight, she was on strict instructions to carry it on her at all times. She just hoped Grant's face wouldn't piss her off enough to make her use it! Sinead glanced to the wall clock and saw she still had a bit of time before she needed to start. To distract her mind, she decided to go out to see her family until she was called to the stage.

The seating area at the front was reserved for Sinead's guests as it was closest to the stage and gave them the best view. Sinead greeted everyone giving Syd and Skye a quick hug. She then moved to Jackson, making sure to hug him a little tighter and for longer. It had been poor Fallon's funeral the day before and she knew well enough how much the man had lost. She then moved on to Lucy and Aliana, embracing each of them and placing a kiss on their cheeks. "I'm so glad you're all here," she happily told them. Normally she'd be a little nervous or shy about her loved ones watching her, but something about taking control over Grant had given her more confidence. She perched herself on the seat next to Peter and placed a kiss on his lips before putting her arm around his waist. "I'm especially glad you're here," she told him. Both because she loved when her husband watched her perform but also because she knew if he wasn't there, he'd likely be with James doing whatever dangerous job he was on this evening. "I've got my gun, before you ask," she quietly assured him.


Skye was always interested in seeing Sinead perform, and when she heard Syd was going to be attending this evening's gig she jumped at the chance to be there too. Obviously, she'd play it down saying she was supporting Sinead, but it was probably obvious to most why she was really there. As she sat next to Syd, she leaned closer to him and smiled. "I'm glad you're allowed out tonight. How are things going with your mum and dad? Have they eased off a little?" she asked. She was fully aware of how much he'd wanted to train, figuring it would have helped him get closer to his father and the business. "You know. I'm allowed to train and I had badass boxing skills now! Maybe I could teach you," she quietly joked with him, so nobody else could hear her - especially not Lucy! She was unaware Conor had already offered to train him on the sly.

Bellz (Lucy, Peter) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Enzyme (Jackson) Pyroclast (Syd)

The Textile Factory
James, Rudolph, Tommy
​

James Porter and Thomas Dempsey


James had received on good authority from Kieran that the IWU had called off their planned public protest, but the bomb they had planned would still be happening. Ciara had remained very tight-lipped on where she intended on the explosion happening, so Kieran had been unable to learn anything on that front. This was to be expected and James did not want the man to push his luck and draw attention to himself by trying to find out too much at this early stage. James had instead had his own men asking around to find out where he would be able to find Ciara this evening and hopefully make one last attempt to stop the crazy bitch. He'd managed to track her whereabouts down to the textile factory the IWU often used as a base of operations. It was a good fifteen minutes' drive from Melody's Bar, which is why he made sure Jackson and Peter remained there in his absence.

James had asked Rudolph to join him, considering the man's expertise where explosives and weaponry were concerned. It was unlikely, but if that kind of knowledge was needed, the man would be there to assist. Tommy had also proved himself as able to remain level-headed and take an accurate shot if needed, so James had decided to bring him along too. Still, this was a big risk he was taking and he would not let them come to harm in the process. As he drove the three of them near enough to the factory, he saw the figure of Ciara standing outside alone. It crossed his mind it was too easy finding her alone, but he also knew exactly how cocky that woman was. He parked the car around the corner, so they were out of view. He then turned to address both men. "I'll go up ahead and you two only join me when I have her." He then bit his lip as he thought things over. "I need to try get through to that head of hers and there's a chance that I may have to let her think she has the upper hand to do it... If I tell you both to leave, do it. No arguments. I know this is a risk and I don't want you two to get hurt because of it. You have to trust me and do what I say, yes?"


Tommy listened as James gave them their orders and he took in the man's very strict instructions to leave if he told them to. He'd by now realised Ciara was a little unhinged and had to be dealt with creatively. He just hoped they could stop her from potentially killing more people. He could see James was willing to put himself on the line to try stop that. Tommy just wasn't sure if he could just walk away to let him, not without good reason. For now, he knew to pay attention and agree with his orders. "Of course, Boss," he simply agreed. In theory, it was easy to follow orders and leave James when told to, knowing the man was fully capable of defending himself. He just wasn't sure if things would work out that simple.

Tommy glanced to his loaded gun before slotting it into the holster. He would have preferred to have been on watch at Sinead's gig, but that was mostly for personal reasons as he knew that's where Aliana was going to be. He didn't doubt the woman he had feelings for looked amazing tonight and he was missing out on it!



Shireling (Rudolph)
Mentioned: Shireling (Kieran) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

The Porters House
Conor, Alex, Leo, Delilah, Mallory, Finn, Eleanor, Shannon, the children!
​

Conor and Shannon Sullivan

Conor had been working around his own businesses for most of the day and told the others he would head over to Harmony's Club a little later into the evening, figuring he should spend a little time with Alex and Michelle first. The day before, he'd attended Fallon's funeral, along with Alex, Jackson, Michelle, James and a few others who chose to join them. When he returned home, he found most of the others had already left, be it to watch Sinead or to go out on James' job. Part of him wished he'd been offered the chance to go along with James, but apparently his idea of just killing Ciara on sight hadn't gone down well and James needed information from the woman first. Maybe next time!

Conor was pleased to see Shannon was in the lounge entertaining the smallest four of her grandchildren - Michelle included. He didn't even needed to ask the kids if they were behaving for the their gran as they'd be incredibly dumb not to. After briefly greeting his mother and the four little ones, Conor sought out Alex, leading her to the kitchen so they could talk in private. "My mum seems to be bonding with Michelle," he began. "Has she been alright with you?" he asked. Other than the odd stare and passing remark, Shannon had been surprisingly civil to Alex.

They likely still had a long way to go, but the older woman's restraint so far was promising. "Mum and Finn are happy to watch the kids and James has enough men guarding the house tonight. How about you and I have a night out? A few civilised drinks and then catch a bit of Sinead's performance?" he suggested. He was aware Aliana would be present, which is why he didn't want to make things awkward for her by being at the gig for too long and he certainly wouldn't shove his "date" with Alex in his friend's face.

Delilah and Mallory were still grounded. With Shannon home and extra guards, they'd be insane to attempt to sneak out tonight. Still, James had invited Leo over to the house, hoping he could take a look at the books, but knowing he'd likely spend much of his time with Delilah. He was cool with that, though James and Lucy had been clear the two weren't to go off upstairs alone! None of those naughty shenanigans!

Before she'd gone out, Skye had handed Mallory a piece of paper with a phone number and "Adam" written on it. Skye had been in trouble with both the Porters and the Callahans, but they couldn't exactly ground her, only advise her against going out unsupervised. For the most part, she had taken their advice, but she'd gone out the night before and made a point of dropping into the bar Adam worked at. She'd got talking to the guy and managed to get his number so she could pass it on to Mallory, should her friend wish to follow up on it.

neverbackdown (Alex, Mallory) Bellz (Finn) ElectricDandellion (Delilah) Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)

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

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter and Peter Callahan​

Lucy had been glad that she was able to come to Sinead's performance, she had been working up the nerve all week to do so, finding it hard to go out like she use to. The instructions to stay armed and on high alert didn't ease her worries when they were given, especially with Syd joining her this evening. The club atmosphere was a contrast to what her own was at the moment, everyone seemed relaxed and to be enjoying themselves. She was glad that her family could feel that way...another perk of having a family who cares so greatly for everyone in it. The gun strapped to her right thigh weighed down heavily on her as she walked to the bar to get a drink, only allowing herself one, in case anything were to go wrong. Syd had thought that the people they were dealing with would have absolutely no reason to attack them again when they had just done so...but that was because he was a rational and sane young man. To any normal human being, even doing what Ciara wanted to do was extreme and wrong. Syd did not know just how off her rocker Ciara was, what she could potentially be capable of. She hoped for his sake that he didn't have to see it any time soon. Ordering herself a drink, she had returned to the group where they had reserved seating. Lucy smiled with ease at Sinead expressing how happy she was to have everyone here. "Its been a while Sinny, I'm ready to see you shine again." She said honestly to her sister before letting her and Peter have their moment, only slightly feeling envious that she couldn't spend time with James tonight.

Her nerves bundled at the thought of where he was headed and what he would be doing tonight, being fifteen minutes away was too far for her liking tonight. She settled into a seat beside Jackson, choosing to give Syd his space with Skye, who seemed to have been catching his interest lately. Lucy had given a lot of thought to what her children had said to her the night they were caught, about how they weren't babies anymore. Lucy knew that, of course, but in her mind, they would always be as small as when they first came home with them. She couldn't help but think about how they all seemed so taken aback by her emotional reaction to them having not been home, as if they had no idea how much she loved them all. It concerned her to no end and she wondered if she was too late to prove it to them more. There was nothing more she could do, they were outgrowing her and their home they grew up in and soon they would have their own homes and families. Deep down, Lucy wanted more time, to have little ones to take care of again, but she knew adopting was a long process and she wasn't sure how James would have taken it, wanting to adopt another. About a week and a half ago, Lucy had found some information on something that she had yet to bring up with him, she just hoped he would make it home. She always made him promise he would. Her eyes scanned the nearest exits and escape routes as she sat deep in thought, making sure everything was secure. Once she finished, her eyes looked to Jackson, who had been pretty quiet since arriving. She was aware of Fallon's funeral being the day before, and only felt sadness for the man despite what she may have thought of his choice in partner. Lightly reaching out a hand and touching his own, Lucy offered a soft smile. "Glad to see you back with us, Jackson. We missed you. And he might not admit it, but James missed you like crazy."
with: Jackson Enzyme mentions: Syd Pyro ; Skye Misty Gray ; Aliana Melanin-Gxdess

Peter had been worried about this gig that Grant had set up for Sinead, and when she accepted the job he had protested a bit at first. He personally just wanted her to ditch the asshole and move on, but he would do anything to make his Tinkerbell happy, even if that meant placing her in a situation that he didn't feel comfortable with. Still he braved a happy face while checking out the club top to bottom first and by the time he was finished, Sinead was making his way over to him. "Hey baby." He murmured softly and opened up his arms to her as she kissed him on the lips and wrapped her own arm around his waist. He chuckled as she admitted that she was especially glad to have him here. "Well I'm especially glad to be here, love." He wondered if she had actually strapped her gun to her thigh when she leaned in a bit closer and told him that she did. A mischievous and boyish smile played on his lips as she knew him far too well. "You are a mind reader darling," He leaned in to kiss her cheek before pulling back and looking at her face closely.

"You are glowing with confidence tonight, like a star. You feel good about this performance?" He asked hoping that her feelings didn't reflect his own. He wanted her to be as happy as possible tonight and let it be all about her. His eyes momentarily broke from hers to look around the club again.

with: Sinead Misty Gray mentions:

Finn Sullivan​

Finn had been taking extra care of making sure everyone was happy. The atmosphere around the Porter's home lately was grim and tense and Finn could not handle when people were down. "Are you sure I don't look odd Savvy? I think these shoes are a bit too small, your Aunt Lucy is going to kill me if she finds out I stretch out her heels!" He chuckled as he sat down in a chair while the girls poked and prodded at his head, pulling his hair up into pony tails and what not. Finn grimaced only slightly as they pulled his hair a little too roughly. "Ow Emmy, careful, I'm still attached to my hair!" He before he stood up. They seemed to have finished the task at hand and Finn couldn't help but laugh at himself in the mirror. "Oh my god, oh my god. I look hilarious!! Lets go show Grandma Shannon!" He said excitedly and took both of the girl's hands as he tried to walk in the heels. Stumbling all over the place, he laughed at himself. "I'm going to break an ankle!" Shockingly enough he made it into the other room where the others seemed to be.

"The Queen has arrived!" He announced to the room as he stumbled into it with the girl's in tow. He smiled widely and allowed everyone to laugh and make fun of him. As long as it put a smile on someone's face, he couldn't care left if they made fun of him. "Well, how do I look?" He asked as he smiled happily and struck a pose. "Shannon what do you think, i think the blue heels are a bit too sparkly, don't tell Lucy."
neverbackdown (Alex, Mallory) ElectricDandellion (Delilah) Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)

 

[neverbackdown]

Mallory Porter​

Mallory had spent the majority of her day sitting in bed studying for her upcoming finals, while they were still a while off she decided to use the time that she now free (thanks to her grounding and that miserable cow Ciara) to do something somewhat useful, that and she had also run out of things to do to procrastinate her homework and studying.

Mallory knew that her grandmother was downstairs and was well aware of the extra guards that her parents had employed so to stop her and Delilah’s sneaking out again but yet she couldn’t stop thinking about the number she had been given from Skye earlier. Adam was very good looking and she was surprised that he ever wanted to see her again after her mother’s incredibly embarrassing outburst in the bar but still she wasn’t one to complain about a good thing.

Mallory did notes for another hour and eventually couldn’t take it anymore. She threw her books down onto her bed and reached over grabbing the piece of paper on her dresser before standing up of the bed and sneaking down towards her father’s office while keeping an ear out to hear where everyone was in the house. She quietly opened the door and snuck inside before closing it gently behind her. Mallory sat down in her father’s chair before picking up the phone and dialing in the number that was scribbled on the piece of paper. She bit her lip nervously as she listened to the dial tone before the phone began to ring, maybe this was a bad idea , before she could hang up the phone, she heard a voice from the other end “Adam?” She asked “hi it’s Mal”

Alexandra Romano ​

The last few days and especially the day before had been very hard on Alex and she was glad that she had the Porters/Callahan’s for support in getting through burying her baby sister. Shannon was also being surpringly civil with her but she didn’t mind how Shannon was to her, it was how she treated Michelle that mattered and it seemed as though Shannon had accepted her as her own grandchild with filled her with delight at seeing her daughter finally have the family she always wanted and deserved.
Alex was standing in the doorway of the sitting room watching Shannon entertain the younger children before being pulled away to the kitchen by Conor.

“Yeah she’s really taken a liking to Michelle and Michelle to her thankfully” she commented with a small smile on her face. It really did mean a lot to her that Shannon was getting to know Michelle but she knew the woman had compassion in her hence why Alex was still breathing ok. “She’s been very civil with me which is a little surprising but I’m sure you’s all gave her an earful” Alex laughed. When he mentioned a night out, Alex visably perked up, it had been so long since she had gone on a night out and after the last few weeks she would love a drink. “Oh I’d love that” she told him, her happiness showing on her face. She loved the idea of going out with Conor and not having to hide and sneak around in the shadows

Misty Gray

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

Delilah had been pissed at both of her parents for keeping her and Mal grounded so long after the incident. It was ridiculous, though she understood why they had done it, she didn’t understand why they had continued it out so painfully and for so long. It was irritating and it was beginning to mess up with her mind- not being able to leave the house was cruel imprisonment, and it made her want to sneak out more rather than it being a deterrent.

For most of the day, Delilah had settled for setting up her Vinyl in the back garden and had been dancing with a small glass of whiskey in her right hand. Playing her music obnoxiously loud, she danced to herself, twirling in the cold weather with a wide grin. At some point, interrupting her dancing, a guard tapped her on the shoulder and inquired whether Delilah should have been drinking so early. The stare she gave him was enough to make him go back to his place on the border, directly in front of the hole her and her siblings and Skye had managed to so easily escape from. The dogs patterned excitedly around Delilah’s feet, seemingly dancing with her as she absorbed the little light there was outside. The sweetheart neckline dress she was wearing that puffed out slightly at her waist was a little too summery for the weather, but that didn’t stop her.

“Mrs Delilah,” Delilah’s attention had snapped back to another guard, a scowl planted on her face as he had interrupted her dancing and caused her to have to reset her favourite song for the 3rd time that hour. “Leonard is here, I thought you would like to know,” suddenly slamming her glass onto the outdoor furniture, though being gentle enough to keep it sturdy, she grinned. She hadn’t had much to drink and so wasn’t even tipsy. It just allowed her to deep in a little more confidence. “Thank you, George,” The young woman smiled as she hurriedly rushed into the house, looking around for her boyfriend. Whether he was even in the house yet, she didn’t know.

Delilah found herself edging into the lounge, suddenly spluttering at the sight of Finn. “Oh..my..god!!” She squealed, having to lean against the doorway as to not fall over from laughter. “Wow...We all have competition now, don’t we, abuela!” Grin spreading onto her lips, she crossed her arms across her chest. “You girls have really made Finn look very.....well, interesting. You’ll have to do Leo’s makeup next,” she teased, knowing full well her boyfriend probably wouldn’t know how to deal with the situation. Now, where was he?

“Have any of you seen Leonard? I’ve been looking everywhere,”

Misty Gray (Shannon) Bellz (Finn) Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)​

 

[neverbackdown]

Eleanor Sheridan ​

Eleanor had finally given in and decided it was best for her and her mental health to meet up with some of her family that remained in Ireland. She had spent a few days traveling around to visit her cousins, aunts and uncles hoping to put the bitterness she held for her relatives to rest. Feeling both proud of herself for going to see them and also relieved to finally be coming back to Finn she drove up to the gates of the Porter residence with a huge grin on her face.

The increase of security did not pass her mind but she would ask what she had missed once she had catched up with everyone. Eleanor arrived into the house and left her bags in the car, deciding to get them all later. The first sight she saw however was princess Finn and she couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of her boyfriend, he never ceased to amaze her.

“Why aren’t you stunning” she teased arriving into the room before her eyes caught sight of the heels on his feet “they better not be mine?” She asked acussingly a fake sternness to her voice . “Shannon how are you” she greeted pleasantly , having not been there when Shannon had arrived.

Misty Gray
Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead sent Peter a smug smile when he said she was a mind reader. "Perhaps it's my special power," she suggested. "So you'd better be careful what you think, Mister," she playfully teased him. Since he helped her to confront Grant, she'd felt a different kind of closeness to Peter, like a fresh new take on their relationship and she loved it. She felt less insecure and her intrusive thoughts about losing him had been toned down significantly.

After he'd kissed her cheek, Peter seemed to study her face and she was about to bashfully ask him what he was looking at, or looking for. He answered her question before she had to ask it. When he told her she was glowing with confidence, she brightly smiled at him and quickly nodded her head. "Thank you, baby. I feel really good about it. I'm super-excited to be able to sing and even more made up that some of my favourite people are here too. I used to feel nervous about having my family here, but now it just makes me feel even more determined to do it." Sinead had experienced a couple of traumatic experiences when performing back during her life in Chicago, but this was a new place and as new a life as one could have. Even the knowledge she had of Ciara didn't sour the evening for her very much at all. That woman just sounded like a miserable jerk... like the Wicked Witch of the West.

Sinead followed Peter's gaze around the room and sighed. "I know you and Jackson especially are here to watch the club more than to watch me, but please try to relax a little, yeah?" she sweetly asked him. She then scanned the club herself, noticing Grant standing by the bar on his own. "Man, Grant is such a loser! He doesn't even need to be here. A least I'll be ditching him after tonight. I just feel sorry for the others stuck working for the lecher."


Bellz (Peter, Lucy)
Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Enzyme (Jackson) Pyroclast (Syd)

Conor Sullivan​

It made Conor's heart melt to know Shannon was accepting Michelle as her granddaughter. He knew she'd come good in the end, but he expected it would have taken her longer. He wondered if she was going soft in her old age, not that he would ever suggest such a thing to his mother's face. "I'm glad she's taken to her, especially as Savvy is loving having a little friend to play with now." He grinned at the mention of Shannon been given an earful. "Well, yeah. James, Lucy and I all gave her a warning. Although, I think I'm still in her bad books for now. I'm just going to keep treading carefully," he said, but smiled throughout. He knew the woman was tougher and less forgiving on adults. Considering how furious she'd been with Sinead all of those years ago, he did feel like he'd got off a little easier, so wouldn't push his luck with his mother just yet.

Alex seemed excited and happy at the thought of a night out with Conor. He flashed her his charming smile and placed his hands on her shoulders, looking directly to her face. "I'd love that too. No secrecy or danger. Just our first normal date, yeah?" he asked. "Not that you don't look hot enough, but do you need to get changed or anything first?"

Hearing the voices get louder in the lounge, Conor placed his hand on Alex's shoulder and curiously walked to the hallway so they could look into the room. There, he saw Finn walking around in heels. "Looking fabulous, Finn, love!" he heckled his cousin before chuckling loudly.


neverbackdown (Alex)

Shannon Sullivan​

Savannah couldn't stop giggling as she helped Finn get dressed up in Lucy's heels . "The shoes are just right, it's your feet that are too big. If you've stretched them then Aunt Lucy might let you keep them now." The girl tried to carefully tie sections of Finn's hair into ponytails whilst Emery grabbed at his hair in her unintentionally rough way.

"Don't be a baby, Finn. I'm telling Gran you're a baby!" Emery teased him as she continued to unintentionally tug his hair. She and Savannah then held his hands as they went to find Shannon. "How don't you know how to even walk yet? Even I can walk and I'm little," curly-haired four-year-old teased him, a cheeky smile on her face as she did.

Shannon was sat with Michelle when Finn entered the lounge with the girls. A grin crossed her lips as she covered her mouth then snickered to herself. "Ohhh, Finnian," she began taking her hand away from her face. "You look just wonderful. You're definitely the prettiest queen in this house, love. I'm sure Lucy will let you keep the heels when she sees how much the sparkles bring out your eyes," she played along. "Really, girls. You've done a wonderful job on your Auntie Finn."

Emery looked to Delilah and smiled proudly when complimented for the makeover she'd helped give Finn. "Thank you, I'm good at doing makeup." She looked up at her cousin with a cunning expression. "Is Leo your boyfriend? I can do his hair for your wedding. Oh my god do a wedding with him now!" she excitedly suggested.

"I'm sure Leonard will get here soon, dear," Shannon reassured Delilah. She knew exactly why the girls had been "grounded" as she'd had to "ground" her kids too at one time. Lucy, Sinead and Carrick had been no strangers to having to stay in the house during their war with the Italians. Still, she also knew how boring that would be for teenage girls. At least Delilah could have Leo over for company if her family weren't entertaining enough.

Shannon then looked to Eleanor as she greeted her. "I'm great, love," she said, giving the younger woman a quick hug. "Looks like you've got competition in the glamour department now. Finn will be using up all of your makeup," she remarked. Having watched Finn suffer torture and heartbreak in the past, she'd been glad when he met Eleanor and their relationship became a serious one. He was like another son to her and right now, he was in her good books, unlike that actual son of hers!

Bellz (Finn) neverbackdown (Eleanor) ElectricDandellion (Delilah) Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)

 

[Misty Gray]

Textile Factory
James, Ciara, Elijah, Michael, IWU NPCs
Rudolph, Tommy
​

Outside the textile factory, Ciara stood alone next to the entrance, smoking a cigarette as she took in the cool air. She knew she was exposed out in the open, but she also knew nobody would be stupid enough to kill her if they really wanted to get her to call off the explosion. On the inside of the factory, Michael, Elijah and four armed IWU members were waiting for the woman to return. When she finished her cigarette, she stubbed it out against the wall of the building and turned to return inside. She heard the sudden sound of footsteps and discreetly smirked to herself. The next thing she knew, an arm was wrapped around her neck and the barrel of a handgun pressed firmly against the side of her skull. "Mr. Porter, you and I both know you can't pull that trigger. I can't talk if my brains are splattered all over the street, can I?"

James didn't move the gun, but forced her to turn around so they could both see Rudolph and Tommy. "Maybe I've decided I can't prevent the explosion, but killing you will stop you from killing any more innocent people."

Ciara maintained a crooked smile as she shared her eye-contact between Rudolph and Tommy. "Just give me a few minutes to tell you why you can't kill me and then see if you still want kill me," she calmly suggested. "I managed to get Sinead Callahan a gig and I happen to know she's performing there as we speak. I also know you have family and friends watching her. You see, I'm friends with the owner of that club and right now I have men there just waiting for my signal. Your loved ones won't see it coming and they won't be able to react quickly enough. It'd be a shame, because Sinead's a great singer and I'm sure the others are nice people." Ciara moved her head closer to the gun, allowing the barrel to bore deeper into her skin. "I have to call to check in with the club every ten minutes, otherwise they starting shooting and your family starts dying. And by my estimate, I've been standing out here for six minutes already, waiting for you to show up."

"You're bluffing," James hissed at her. He looked to Rudolph and Tommy, his face remaining neutral despite his head being in overdrive. "Where is that damn bomb?"

"You don't have long to release me, James. You have a choice of saving your family or stopping some explosion that won't even affect your life. Don't be an idiot," she firmly told him.

James reluctantly released Ciara from his grip and lowered his gun. He removed the car keys from his pocket and handed them to Tommy. "Rudy. Tommy. Get in the car and drive straight to the club. Now!" he firmly ordered them. "I'm staying here to make sure she makes that damn call to the club. Please, go now. Get them all out of there."

Once the two men were walking away, James aimed his gun at Ciara's head again. "Shall we?" he asked, motioning for them to go inside to make the call.

"Give me that gun, otherwise I won't make any such call," Ciara firmly told him. "You mistake me for someone who doesn't stick to her word. You think I'm bluffing, despite the things I've already done. Don't let your arrogance jeopardise your family. Give me the gun and we can go inside." Reluctantly, James handed Ciara the gun. He was willing to put himself at risk if it meant there was a chance at buying the others some time. He entered the factory behind Ciara but had barely stepped inside when he was set upon by three heavy set men. They were to beat him enough so he couldn't fight back so easily, but Ciara wanted James to remain fully conscious.

The next thing James knew, he was being dragged into the main floor of the factory and tied to a chair, surrounded by the large machinery. In addition to four IWU goons, Elijah and Michael were present.

"Are you cool with this?" Michael quietly asked Elijah, taking him to one side. He glanced to James, whose mouth and nose were bleeding, in addition to a wound at the side of his face. "They had to rough your brother up to keep him down so he couldn't jeopardise our plans. You know he can take a beating and some bloodshed. Ciara meant it when she promised you she wouldn't kill him."

James struggled in his restraints, but groaned at the dull pain in his likely bruised ribs. He turned his head to see his brother speaking with Michael. "Is this really what you want to be involved with, Eli?" he called out. "Ciara's just using you, mate."


Enzyme (Elijah) Shireling (Rudolph)
((OOC: Rudolph/Tommy scene to come. I have something else planned for them, but needed to get the ball rolling on this.))

 

[Enzyme]

Eli Porter

​

The construction site was dark and ominous. Most of the light was natural, coming in from the beaming moon. Eli kept his arms stiff by his sides and stood by the surrounding IWU thugs. There was no doubt that James would be disappointed to see him here. Eli knew the importance of the explosives, though - Ciara had made it fairly clear to him. He had to convince himself that if James truly cared for those struggling on the streets, like they had, he wouldn't resist. If he continued to put up a fight and try and foil their plans, then the brother he once loved was truly gone.

The first sight of James was surprisingly shocking. James had been Eli's heroic idol when they were growing up. Here he was, being dragged by his arms with blood pouring out every orifice on his face. It was strange to see him so... Human. Eli kept a disgusted look on his face, more out of the uncomfortable sight of James, when Michael called him over. "I'm fine, mate. Do what eva' you need to do to bring him on our side," Eli muttered, looking over Michael's shoulder at James.

As they walked back into the circle, Eli made it a point to look anywhere, but at his tied up brother. As James started calling him out, he kept his eyes pinned to the half moon. From the spiteful tone in his brother's voice, it didn't sound like he was going to be easily convinced. He'd have to though. If not, then what was the whole point of this? Perhaps if they kept beating him, James' ego would finally break. After that, they could be family again.

Misty Gray (James)

 

[Misty Gray]

Textile Factory
James, Ciara, Elijah, Michael, IWU NPCs

​

After checking in with her contact at the club, Ciara returned to the centre of the room where James, Elijah and the others were. The seat James had been forced to sit in was facing directly towards the window. Ciara stood to one side, so she could see James but wasn't blocking the view of the night sky. "Well, you look fucking terrible, James," she scoffed. "You really could have spared yourself all of this if you'd just kept your nose out of the IWU's business. But, hey, at least you got front row seats to my show." Ciara shrugged her shoulders. "To think, I used to defend you to Eli. But he's right. You're just a weak man hiding in your fancy house with your fancy parties."

"Untie me, make this a fair fight and I'll show those guys who's weak," James snapped back, eyeing the men who had attacked him. "You've lost you--" James was cut off by the sound of the loud explosion nearby. The bright flash of light illuminated the sky in a fierce orange glow. "What the fuck have you done?! Where was that?" James asked her, his voice raised and deadly serious.

Ciara's eyes had been fixed on the explosion and the burning mess that followed. A wide grin was still etched on her face as she turned to James, rolling her eyes at his questions. "Calm down, James. You worry too much." She glanced to Elijah and sent him a reassuring nod. "That was the old steel factory. The city had just about finished refurbishing it and kitting the place out. It would have taken business away from places like this textile factory. Rich men would have been sat in their offices whilst exploiting the immigrants and the poor. Paying them next to nothing whilst taking in the profits. Meanwhile, they would have put places like this one out of business and the people I look out for - the working class - would have become unemployed." Ciara stood by Elijah's side and sent him small smile, expecting he realised she'd done it for the sake of the IWU. "I told you nobody was going to be killed in the explosion and I stuck to my word. All you had to do was give me what I asked for when I came to see you, or at least stay out of my business. We might even have still been able to work together."

James studied Ciara's face, trying to determine if she was being honest. He concluded it didn't matter if nobody had just died. She'd still blown up Jackson's place, killed Fallon, and was currently threatening his family. "And when that doesn't work and another building is used to house a business that rivals this one? How long before you do start targeting innocent people?" James shook his head and looked to his brother. "Eli. Surely you can see how dangerous Ciara is?" James persisted, looking directly to the man's face.


Enzyme (Elijah)

 

[Enzyme]

Eli Porter

​

Eli shifted his hands behind his back, finally letting his eyes fall on James. Ciara was right, he looked horrible. "Why did they have to beat him so bad?" Eli couldn't help, but cringe once Ciara brought him up. James may have changed in some ways, but he was far from weak. Eli still saw him as the resilient man he had always been. Even with thugs surrounding him and his hands strapped to a chair, he was still giving Ciara a run for her money.

The thought was quickly thrown from his head at the sight of the bright explosion. He felt the ground shake in a similar fashion as to when they were in the cafe. The bright light temporarily blinded Eli, before the maroon mushroom cloud rose above the tall buildings. The shaking was soon followed by a wave of dust and debris, which smashed up against the factory's windows. His surprised expression shot to Ciara.

The justification seemed right, but how could they possibly get away with all this chaos? Ciara had always told Eli to lay under the radar if he wished to stay out of the asylum. Yet, here she was, leveling buildings. He looked James in the eyes after being addressed once more. What could Eli possibly say? He had always put his faith in Ciara, she changed his world. Eli didn't believe for a second that she was using him, but maybe she had finally lost it. He looked off from his brother, back at the smoldering cloud over the city.

Misty Gray (James/Ciara/Michael)

 

[Misty Gray]

Textile Factory
James, Ciara, Elijah, Michael, IWU NPCs

​

Michael had kept a neutral expression on his face when the building had been destroyed, only flinching when the explosion tore through the building a short distance away. He'd been well aware of what the plan had been and why the rival factory had to be destroyed. He was grateful it had gone as intended. As he listened to the back and forth between Ciara and James, his jaw tightened. He looked over his shoulder as Elijah was brought into it, apparently being tugged at from both sides. It weighed on his mind that Ciara was becoming more unhinged and less focused on the IWU with James in the mix. The Porters were clouding his sister's judgement. He felt Elijah was a liability too, especially if there was any chance his brother would be able to use him against Ciara. If he had his way, the nutjob would be in a padded cell, but he knew how much Ciara liked him. She'd be furious if Michael was to have Elijah removed from their group. But enough was enough.

"Ciara!" Michael snapped, approaching his sister. "It's done. The building's destroyed now. Go make that call to the club. Call off the attack on Porter's family," he firmly told her. He'd hated the fact she was threatening to kill James' family in such a way, so was thankful everything had worked out this way. Michael made eye-contact with one of the IWU gang members. "Go with her, will you?" he asked. The man had already been instructed not to let Ciara out of the small office once she'd called off the attack at the gig.

James looked over his shoulder as Ciara walked away to apparently make the call. Relieved, he let out a deep breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding in. He hoped to God she was going to make that call. All he could think about was his beautiful wife and the rest of their family sat completely unaware of the danger around them. He wished he was there right now to get them out of that club. Even if he wasn't getting out of danger tonight, he hoped his family would be safe. He was broken out of his thoughts as Michael walked towards him and stopped a few feet away, facing him directly.

"I wish you'd just stayed out of this, James," Michael calmly told the man. "The IWU has only good intentions and my sister is a good person." His words caused James to let out a mocking scoff at such a suggestion. This made Michael to grip tighter onto the handle of the gun he was concealing behind his back. "She's losing her way and it's because of you... She cares for Elijah but your presence is a complication and I believe it causes a conflict for your brother too. I didn't see it before and I tried to keep some peace among us all, but I now realise you're the problem, James." Michael brought his hand and the revolver into view before aiming it directly at James' forehead. "Ciara promised she wouldn't kill you, but I never did. You shouldn't have come here..." Michael took a deep breath as he prepared himself to squeeze the trigger and remove James from the equation, completely.


Enzyme (Elijah)

 

[Enzyme]

Eli Porter

​

Eli looked onward as Ciara walked off, a part of him relieved that the attack would be immediately called off. He knew James would never forgive him if he were even remotely involved in the massacre of his family. He looked over to Michael, however, hearing the familiar click of a hammer. His eyes widened in surprise, now able to see the revolver in the moonlight. He felt his vision weaken, as the figures around him started to blur. Eli had been accustom to these symptoms by now, feeling his antipsychotic medication beginning to wear off. He felt the warm blood under his chest begin to boil as the revolver raised to James' head. An unintelligible, primal grunt was all that escaped Eli's lips as he wrapped his arms around Michael's waist and lifted him off the ground. The loud bang of the pistol next to his head made his left ear ring, most likely bursting his eardrum.

The two bodies slammed into one of the metal supports, immediately bringing it crashing down with them. Eli pressed his knee against the side of Michael's arm, disabling his ability to reach for the dropped handgun. Eli felt Michael's cheekbone break into three separate pieces under his knuckles. He, however, didn't let up, immediately meeting his face with another right hook.

He gripped Michael's bloody shirt collar, lifting him up for leverage. The rapid belts of his fist resembled something almost mechanical, a rhythm to the violent jabs. With every hit, he spat out an emphasized word. "You! Stupid! Fuckin'! Wanka'!" He felt his knuckles begin to split on the man's skull, feeling warm blood run down his hands. It was obvious at this point that he was trying to beat the bastard to death before the IWU men intervened.

Misty Gray (James/Michael)