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

[Misty Gray]

Shannon and Conor Sullivan​

Shannon watched the doctor make a rapid exit from the room and couldn't help but faintly grin at the man's discomfort. Clearly he was of a more uptight persuasion. She then listened as the nurse gave Lucy the information and paperwork she needed. "Pregnancy leaflets, really?" she asked, once they were out of the room and away from the nurse. "I've had four of you little shits and even Sinny has had three children. You just ask us anything you need to, love."

As they were on their way out of the hospital, Shannon and Lucy saw Conor, Finn and Michelle. They all looked pretty serious and upset. "What's going on?" she suspiciously asked.

Conor carefully placed Michelle in the seat next to Finn, sitting her close to the man. He then approached Lucy and Shannon so he could quietly speak with them. "I... Um... It's Alex. She's been beaten up and mugged. She's got a severe head injury and bleeding on her brain. She's in a coma... The doctors don't know what's going to happen to her. She might not even wake up," he said, struggling to get any more words out as he choked back his tears. The last thing he wanted was to appear vulnerable in front of his young daughter. "Luce, Mam, can... Can you stay with them for a few minutes?" he asked, glancing back to Michelle and Finn. "I need air. I just need to breathe and I can't let Shelly see me like this. Please..." he said. He didn't expect they would refuse and he needed to get out of there fast. Despite the urgency inside of him, he left the room in a slow and calm fashion. All the while his mind was racing as he tried to process the day's events and get himself under control before he return to support his daughter.

Bellz (Lucy, Finn) neverbackdown (Michelle)

Conor made his way down the corridor of the A&E department as he sought out the nearest exit so he could stand outside and take a breather. He sent absent-minded glances to the rooms as he passed by. There was a man in one room, visible through the gap created by the half-opened door, who seemed familiar but Conor didn't immediately register who he'd seen. It was only when he'd passed the room that he realised who it was. He quickly stopped and turned on his heels, stepping inside without hesitation.

"Jackson?!" he asked. He stopped at the end of his friend's bed as he took in the injured man's appearance; bandaged, bruised and connected to an IV drip. "Fuck, mate? Not you too..." he said, the shock clear in his voice. "What the hell happened? Shit!" he said. He covered his mouth with his hand and paced the room for a moment before stopping to look back at Jackson. "Please tell me you're going to be alright!"

Enzyme (Jackson)

 

[Misty Gray]

Skye McKendrick​

When Syd asked how his parents could have put up with him for so long, Skye grinned. "Aww, how could they not? How could they resist that cute little face of yours?" she teased him, putting on a exaggerated babying voice. She smiled encouragingly when he reasoned James and Lucy didn't see him as a disappointment. "Don't be silly. Even bad-boys need to have their moments. I don't think I could trust a guy who never cries or worries. You're human," she reassured him. She let out a snicker. "You're still a cool enough for me. Don't you worry!"

Skye quickly nodded her head as Syd told her why he went after her that night and that he hadn't wanted her to be in danger. It made her feel good to know people cared and worried about her. Since her mother had died, nobody had looked out for her, and even in her mother's last few months of life it was Skye doing all of the caring.

"What are you grinning at, huh? Up to no good, you are!" she playfully berated him. "Damn, I'd best think of something interesting to tell you before I send you to sleep!" she joked. "Okay, so I'm half Scottish, part English and part Irish. I don't remember my dad though, as he left to fight in the war when I was 6 months old and never came home. But I know he was a hero - he died helping civilians during the Blitz." Her mind drifted to her mother, but she wanted to try keep the conversation upbeat. "Oh! Did I ever tell you I love fancy dress parties? My favourite character to dress as is Wonder Woman. She's tough and I like that! How about you, Syd? What would your favourite costume be?"

Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter
~ Detective Donnelly ~​

James had noticed the fire a distance away, but he decided there were enough cops on the scene to deal with that. The main reason for his attendance today was to support and keep an eye out for the commissioner. Still, the sound of the exploding fireball caused James to momentarily cringe. He focused back on Philip, noticing the man was shellshocked in that moment. This caused Porter to instinctively take a few steps forward, bringing himself further out in the open and potentially unwanted exposure, but he wanted to be standing closer to the stage. The Garda had the same idea and they rushed closer to the commissioner's side. It was too late as the sudden sound was heard as a bullet ripped into the man's shoulder and the crowd screamed even more.

James immediately snapped to attention and placed his hand to his holstered gun, prepared to use it if needed. The commissioner was surrounded by his guards, so James trusted them to tend to the man. As Donnelly was about to rush up onto the stage, Porter intercepted him and pointed in the direction of where the ambulance was parked. Paramedics soon rushed from the vehicle to help the injured man. "Make sure some cops go with him to the hospital and make sure they're not dodgy fuckers," he suggested. James turned back to look at the chaos, placing his hand to the back of his head and cracking his neck in a moment of frustration.

James' eyes fell on Ryan, who he'd moments earlier noticed looking a little distracted by the fire. Ryan asked what his orders were and there was a short pause as James surveyed the scene. The cops would tend to helping the public get away and he trusted Donnelly to oversee the commissioner's journey to the hospital... if he'd make it that far. His eyes snapped to Arlene and the Armstrongs, causing him to tighten his jaw for a moment. "First off, I could do with you getting Arlene away from that poisonous man's family. Be as discreet as you can, though. I'm inclined to play on Arelene's anonoymity within the city for as long as we can," he admitted. Before Ryan could turned away, James called him back. "Mate, are you alright?" he asked, wondering if the fire still held deep significance to him, considering what had happened to the young man's father.


Fletchawk (Ryan)
(Sorry for the short post. I'm getting sleepy and didn't want to jump too far ahead anyway.)

 

[Misty Gray]

Thomas Dempsey
Outside the Rose and Crown Pub, a minute's walk from the parade.​

Tommy stood, leaned back against his car as he smoked his cigarette. He'd been tempted to head into the pub and get himself a drink to have outside. That was until he heard the gunshot and saw some of the parade spectators rushing away from the area a distance away. His instinct had told him to run over to the parade to see what was going on and perhaps give his friends a hand. He decided against it as James' very strict order was for him to stay by the car, no matter what, in case he had to drive any of them off without time to waste. Still, even though the was following his boss' orders, the thought of doing nothing made him feel a little edgy and desperate to know what going on at the other side of the apartment block that prevented him from seeing any of the parade. The cigarette was certainly appreciated and fulfilled one of his minor cravings - one that was only outdone by his mild addictions to jogging and gambling - but it did nothing to ease his fidgety mind.

Tommy looked forward to see a familiar man approaching from down the street, in the opposite direction to the parade. Seeing Leo distracted him a little from his concerns for the Porters and brought a smile to his face. He'd always liked Leo, but now he was finding himself getting closer to Aliana, he'd made a point of trying to get to know the lad a little more and felt a need to look out for him as he was aware of Ali's concerns for her brother.. "Afternoon, Leo," he greeted the younger man. The fact he knew something wasn't right at the parade made him more concerned for Leo's presence than he would be. "What are you up to, then? Not planning on getting pissed in that pub, are you? The blokes in there are kind of ancient," he remarked, with a smirk.


Melanin-Gxdess (Leo) Enzyme
((Just want to get this bit going and I have a bit of my lunch break left to post in!))

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter


When Skye put on a baby voice for him, Syd lifted a hand to his chin effeminately and gave her his sweetest smile, then broke into laughter. It felt good to have moved past the nerves that had held him during the build up to their relationship. Besides his sisters, Syd usually felt a kind of pressure to act cool around girls, but now more than ever he felt he could be silly around Skye, and more open with her.

"Human? Damn, I always kind of hoped I was from outer space. Way to shatter my dreams," Syd sulked, still unable to control his smile. "Don't expect to see much crying from me though. It's not the kind of thing I'd do around people."

Syd listened attentively as Skye told him about her background. Considering they'd known each other a little while now, he was surprised that he didn't know this much about her already. "I bet you're good at putting on accents, with that mixed heritage you have! I don't know if my accent's changed since we first met, my old one only comes back to surprise me every now and then. But I reckon I could pass as Irish now," he said, his look softening as she spoke of her father's heroism. "Your dad sounds like a great man. It's a shame he can't see what a great person you turned out to be. He'd be proud of you for sure." Syd was fairly sure that he could say the same for her mum, but having picked up on Skye's not mentioning her, he figured it was best to let her return to the subject when she was ready.

The conversation quickly turned back to something positive, and Syd couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm with which she described her love for dressing up. "Wonder Woman, huh? I can definitely see that. Tough, strong and sexy as hell...if anyone can claim that role, it's you," he said. Naturally, his mind straight away conjured up an image of Skye dressed in the heroine's skin-tight costume and he looked away to clear his throat as if that would help him to recompose himself. "Wow...you gotta stop doing that," he lightly joked, voice low with mild embarrassment. "Your superpowers work too well on me."

When the question turned to him, Syd immediately knew the answer he'd give and sat up with some enthusiasm of his own.
"That's easy - I'd go as the Lone Ranger. Sometimes at the orphanage they'd put the TV on, thinking they could away from us for a while. It didn't usually work on me, but then this old serial of the Lone Ranger came on, and it was the first thing I ever managed to sit still for from start to finish," he said with a laugh. "I was really into cowboys and stuff back then. I went to my first party here in Dublin when I was 9 and took the chance to dress up, but hardly anyone knew who I was - they all thought I was Zorro. I didn't care though. I was definitely the coolest kid there." Syd pretended to whip out a pistol and fire it at Skye before slotting it back into its imaginary holster.



Interactions
Skye



(Sorry for the lack of formatting and tags, site's playing up a bit on my phone)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

As Jackson's nails attempted to peel the gauze off of the catheter, his head shot up at the sound of a familiar voice. At first, he blamed his concussion for the shocking image of Conor standing infront of him. Once the man stepped closer, however, he knew this wasn't just a hallucination. "The hell are you doin' here?" Jackson asked, resting back in his bed. Despite how much his mind was urging him to bust out of the hospital, his body begged to differ - sinking into the comfortable bed.

He let out a sigh, seeing how horrible he must've looked. "I'm fine, mate. I'll survive." He sat up in his bed, in order to keep his heavy eyelids at bay. "I was walkin' Blake home when we got jumped. I did my best to fight 'em off, but they just kept coming and coming; dragged her away from me and threw me in the boot of a car." He shook his head, wishing he could've held a little more stamina to keep her safe. In reality, he knew there wasn't much he could've done to change the outcome. If she was dead, then she was dead. He'd just have to come to accept the outcome, like he had for Fallon's death.

He suddenly looked up to Conor, now processing his presence in the hospital. "Why are you here? Is everyone alright?" Jackson assumed that he and Blake were the only ones being targeted. With Conor shackled up in the hospital, maybe that wasn't the case.

Misty Gray (Conor)
Mention: Bellz (Blake)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor didn't answer Jackson the first time he was asked why he was at the hospital. He didn't know why his friend was laid up in a hospital bed and if the news about Alex would do nothing to help him. Though they'd both had their share of fights and injuries, Conor didn't like seeing the other man look the way he did in that moment.

Conor listened as Jackson explained about what had happened to him and Blake. He couldn't hide the anger from his face as he asked himself how many more people would be hurt in one day alone. He had to wonder if the IWU were also to blame for Alex's attack. "I'm glad you managed to get out of this one, mate. Those fucking..." He took a deep breath and reminded himself to stay calm. "What about Blake? Did she get away from them?" he asked, unsure what her fate had been.

When Jackson asked why he was at the hospital, Conor looked to one side as he thought of Alex. It also dawned on him that he had a bruise on his face, under his eye. "I'm not here for me. I got into a fight with Ryan, so that's what this is," he said touching his own cheek. "It's Alex... She was jumped, beaten and left for dead. She's in a coma... The, um, the doctor said she has a bleed on her brain and they ain't sure if she'll wake up." Conor bit his bottom lip as he tried to hold back his emotion. "I don't know what I'm going to do... I can't lose her and neither can Shelly. It should be me in that coma. I'm the one who gets into fights and invites violence." He shook his head, knowing Jackson didn't need to be bombarded with his current emotional offloading. "Armstrong and his fuckwits need to pay for all of this."

Enzyme (Jackson)

 

[Bellz]

Blake Walsh​

***Monarch Hotel****​

Blake stood there numb as Jared told her that she had done well. His hand reached down a moment and slid towards his side pocket, her breath hitched as she wondered if this would be it for her. If Jackson had been finished off by him, then she would definitely meet death as well. Instead a pair of keys jingled and waved slightly with the fast movement as he tossed them towards his goons, where one of them caught the keys with ease. She gulped and let out a sigh of relief. But that feeling was ruined just as he spoke to her. She pressed her lips together tightly and followed Jared’s words as her eyes looked to the gun that he had made visible. Blake followed behind the man as they were leaving the room. Goosebumps moved up her skin, starting from her feet all the way up to her neck. She reached a hand up slowly, noting that any quick movements might give them the wrong idea. As much as she wanted to make a getaway, she wasn’t stupid. She had to play smart, as desperate as she was to find Jackson, to get to him before it was all too late.

After following them down the stairs, they were led towards a basic Ford Anglia that had been on standby. Something a little less flashy than what Mr. Armstrong liked apparently. Blake wanted to roll her eyes as the man told her to get in. She moved all the way to the end and was careful of the night dress she was wearing. She wrapped her arms around her chest before looking out the window. Once the driver decided to drive, Jared’s reflection showed that he turned his face towards her. Blake turned her head slowly just enough to meet his eyes. Blake mustered a small smirk herself at his comment before dropping it as he mentioned that he would drop her off at her place, mentioning the clothes that she didn’t have on. He spoke of hope. Placing his trust in her as he was a very busy man, and simply didn’t have time to check if she was being loyal. Everything he told her in those moments were things that she could tell Jackson. But why tell him all this when she hadn’t told him most things in the past few weeks.

Blake turned completely as Jared spoke of Ciara. ”Well, we are friends.” She interjected as he continued to speak of why he was interested in her friend. Blake nodded her head slowly as she saw were he was getting at. Her eyes narrowed slightly, wondering what she would really do but knowing that showing weakness would most likely get her killed. She wanted to find Jackson, she wouldn’t be able to do that dead. Her eyes looked past Jared to where she was separated from him. Biting her lip, her eyes widened slightly as the scene seemed to play back in her head.

”-see to it she suffers tenfold.”​

Blake thoughts snapped from the memory she was sucked into a moment and she blinked before nodding slowly.

”I’ll make sure the reminders are clear, Mr. Armstrong.”She said, a soft smile forming on her lips.

***​

***Her Apartment****​

Blake stood there as the Ford Anglia pulled out onto the road and slowly disappeared out of sight. Turning towards her apartment. She stumbled up the steps before opening the entrance door with some effort. Going down the right hall, she continued to stumble towards her apartment door where it soon came into view. Standing in front of her door, she reached for her key that normally sat in the inside pocket of her coat. Looking down at her body, she cursed when she confirmed that her coat was gone and no where in sight. Her door mat caught her attention and luckily, she wasn’t a fool. Reaching under, the cool metal of her key was relieving as she pulled it out and moved to unlock the door. The air inside was warm and welcoming but now wasn’t the time to relax, as tired as she was. Moving towards her room, she quickly undressed and walked towards her closet, reaching for actual clothing that was suitable for the cold weather. Finally, after changing, she grabbed a coat and wrapped herself in it. Moving to her washroom, she looked at herself in the mirror wondering just how bad she was injured. Blake’s blonde roots were colored a brownish red now, earning a gasp from her. There was no time for her to worry about herself, at least at the moment. Leaving her bloody skull, the way it was, she quickly moved out of her apartment, locking up and headed towards the cool outside. Her eyes glanced down the street for her car and reached into her purse for her keys. Quickly getting to it and unlocking it, then letting it roar to life before heading to the first place she could think of. The hospital.

***​

***Dublin Hosptial****​

Sneaking past the receptionist was one of the easier things to do. It wasn’t until she came face to face with one of the nursing staff that things became...challenging. Ditching her was easy at first, but apparently the word of a wandering patient had traveled fast and finding Jackson had been proving difficult. Poking her head into each room with the door open, she whispered softly, ”Jackson?” Her voice shaking lightly, with fear that he wouldn’t be here, that he wasn’t alive and saved from those men. Hearing a huge buzz of voices, she sneaked into a maintenance closet quickly. She peaked through the slightly open door as a group of nurses passed. Jared wanted him dead, and she was most likely a fool for thinking that the man wouldn’t get what he wanted. When she was in the clear, Blake stepped out of the closet and continued her search down a few more doors. ”Jack-?” Her voice fell into stunned silence as she saw a familiar face inside a room, looking pretty horrible. She leaned against the doorway, weak with relief. A warm feeling spreading through her as her hand gripped the wall. Hearing her name in the conversation from Conor, her brows furrowed together as she was about to make herself known. But she was silenced as the conversation went on. Conor speaking of his love and daughter. His voice cracked with emotion and Blake couldn’t help but shake at such a thing. When he finally finished, claiming that Armstrong needed to pay for everything they had done, Blake cleared her throat. ”I second that.” The same annoying buzz of nurses searching for her came from around the corner and she stepped inside the room to stand next to the doorway and a trashcan. She watched as they passed by before stepping out from her hiding spot. She was sure she didn’t look all too great at the moment, with blood matting in her hear and some of it dripping down her face still, but a smile appeared on her lips as she stared at Jackson, ”You look like shit.”


With: Jared Misty Gray ;
Hospital: Conor Misty Gray ; Jackson Enzyme
mentions:

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

With Ali on her 'mental health vacation', Leo had a lot of free time. The two of them had yet to discuss him working for James fully, but he knew that when she got back later that evening, they would. So, to have some sort of peace of mind before it all happened he decided to take a trip to the parade alone. He started to rethink not taking Ali upon her offer to tag along and get his mind right as well. Though if we're being honest, Ali's mind was weaker than Leo's meaning she would need more of a break.

Breaking him out of his trance, he looked up to see Thomas. Part of him was still pissed he had told his secret, but the other half knew better. Eventually it would have came out and besides, it wasn't like the guy had done it on purpose. The fact that he and his sister were getting closer sort of made him protective and look him up and down when he approached. Lately they were spending more time together and he hadn't exactly had a talk with him just yet. "Oh, hey Tommy. What's going on, buddy? Not spying on me for Al are you?" He joked. ​

 

[Enzyme]

Carter Dresden​

Carter secured the baking apron around his waist, before pulling a cigarette out from his back pocket. The group casually strolled through the connected alleyways as the sniper shot echoed throughout the block, followed by distant shouts. Carter couldn't help the sinister smile from curling onto his lips as he pressed the naked cigarette between his teeth. Despite how far they were from the plaza, they didn't have much time to spare. They quickly crossed through the small park towards the car lot. "Get the car rolling. Let's get the hell the outta' here," Carter ordered the two men beside him, looking to Minnie to share the successful moment.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the two figures by an idling car. Porters. He moved the open flame of the match to the tip of his cigarette, before flicking the stick dry. He figured Minnie would recognize them as well, confirming this with their eye contact. He walked through the packed parking lot until they were within a couple yards of the men. "Causing trouble?" He asked with a smirk, pulling the cigarette from his lips.

He looked over his shoulder, spotting his men pulling the car out onto the open road. His eyes slid back to Tommy and Leo, resting his hands behind his back. "Tell your boss enough is enough," He spit on the ground infront of him, looking up to the men with one cocked eye. "Amateur hour is over - Ciara ain't calling the shots no more." He looked to Minnie, his smile reappearing, before looking back to the men. "Stay out of our way, if you lot know what's best for ya' health."

Misty Gray (Tommy) Melanin-Gxdess (Leo) Bellz (Minnie)

Jackson McCarthy


​

Jackson could see Conor's features soften as he explained the situation Alex was in. "Mate, I'm so sorry," he slowly drew, shaking his head. He missed the simpler times, where no one would dare step toe-to-toe with the Porters. Leave it to a pack of psychopaths to disturb the hierarchy within the city. "She'll make it through this. She's a toughy, she is." He cringed lightly when Conor admitted that it should've been him in the coma. "Don't say that. No one deserves to be in that position." No matter how many violent disputes they had gotten into together, they were always fair. They'd never target anyone who wasn't asking for it, let alone someone who couldn't stand their own ground. These people had no boundaries, no morals. He nodded his head - they'd all pay, if Conor and Jackson had something to say about it.

His eyes shot to the door as Blake made his presence known. A flood of relief overcame him, his head resting against the pillow. "Fuckin' aye," He muttered, letting out a small chuckle as the nurses rushed past the door. "I bet I look like shit," he agreed, rubbing his fingers against his aching jaw. "C'mere. Let me make sure you're real." He raised his hand for her to accept, slightly restricted by the IV catheter,

"How'd you get away? Last I remember, we were both a little overcome." He looked to her, examining her wounds. The fact that anyone laid a finger on her was enough to boil his blood. At the time, however, he was just glad she was alive. "How come you get to look beautiful all roughed up?" He shook his head, resting against the pillow once more.

Misty Gray (Conor) Bellz (Blake)

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue & Alexander Quinn Armstrong​

"Yes, sir. Keep your head down as well, there's nothing stopping the IWU from taking a shot at you as well, sir." Donahue said as nodded to James and Rudy. His focus was sharpening by the second after receiving an order. It helped him block out the inferno that was starting to rage, even though the smell of the building burning was growing stronger. Making sure his sidearm was secured, Donahue turned away from his comrades to complete the mission set forth.

He scanned the now panicking crowd for Ms. Sullivan, her blonde hair making the search easier than expected. However, Donahue soon found getting to her was quite the endeavor. He made a little head way to start but was soon slowed as the crowd compacted away from the fire and the stage. For quite some time, he struggled against the crowd to little avail and all Donahue could do was keep track of Arlene's fair head through the crowd. God dammit! His temper was starting to flare as his patience was being quickly drained by being crushed from all sides by the people around him and the smell of fear and danger around him. It didn't help that the whiskey was wearing off and the dull ache of pain in his shoulders was gradually increasing.

Although it had only been about ten minutes, it felt like hours before the crowd started to bleed into the alleyways and other streets and Donahue was starting to gain on Sullivan and Armstrongs before they ducked into a storefront. "Fuck me..." The words trailed off quietly as he realized where Arlene had followed them into.

​

The crack of the gunshot sent a chill down Quinn's spine after he visibly flinched. He disliked firearms for a number of reasons, mainly for their ability to multiply the amount of violence that can be directed towards one or more people in a fraction of a second. This however didn't cross his mind as fear started to invade his mind as he searched Grace and their mother for any obvious injuries. "Is everyone okay? Is any...." The tremble in his voice was apparent although it didn't diminish the volume. The fireball that exploded from a visible cafe interrupted Quinn's query as he instinctively ducked at the noise. Quickly gaging that they were not in immediate danger, he returned to full stature to take in the scene and it wasn't pretty by any means. Quinn had seen a few crime scenes and the aftermath a couple street fights, but nothing on this level of chaos. The hellish imagery surrounding him burned itself into his mind.

Quinn shook his head in an attempt to derail his stupor and started taking stock of his options and priorities. "Mother and Lily." He stated it allowed to remind himself that he needed to look after them first, but as he looked around, Quinn's eyes fell upon the blonde that had introduced herself as Arlene before the bedlam ensued. Seeing as his mother and sibling were alright, he addressed the woman who was now helping the first convince the latter to leave. "Thank you, miss. I know of a safe place nearby if you would come with us..." Quinn's voice was steadier while his eyes were still wide from the shock of the sudden onslaught of violence. "...if nothing else then to help me make sure I get them there." He nodded towards his family, implying the difficulty of moving through the crowd that was now already starting to carry them away in the primal retreat from danger.

The location was well known to the Armstrong family, so he knew Grace and their mother could find their way there if they seperated. Even so, Quinn took the rear of group after conveying where to go with them, as he didn't want to lose track of them in the crowd. Although one might think it would take longer than usual, Quinn was rather pleased that while they were crowded for most the journey, they made it to their destination in good time. Directing Arlene through the door of the store, he spoke to his mother as he followed her and his sister through. "You know where the telephone is, so you can call Father unless you want to see if Miss Arlene wants to use it first." He handed her the key to manager's office before briefly addressing the few employees that watched the door pensively. "No. My father is not paying a visit as of yet. So continue as you were." Quinn watched them relax a little and their eyes drifted to their visitor, Arlene. "Welcome to Armstrong's Absolute Attire. My father's shop that I manage..." Pausing to give a little more thought, he added a more honest addition. "...occasionally."


Misty Gray [James + Grace + Arlene] Bellz [Faye] Shireling [Rudolph]

 

[Misty Gray]

Skye McKendrick​

Skye shrugged her shoulders when Syd suggested she'd be good at doing accents. "I guess my normal accent is Irish with Yorkshire English mixed in. Though, I can do Scottish too as I make a point of trying to visit there as often as I can," she told him, putting on the accent as she spoke. She smiled when he said He could pass as Irish now. "Yeah, from everything I was told, my dad sounded great... What about your parents, Syd? It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, but I just wondered how you ended up being adopted by the Porters."

She blushed and giggled as Syd explained why Wonder Woman was a good fit for her. "Well, thank you! I think she's the best role model to dress up as. That's what I like about your family. None of this women having to stay home, cooking and cleaning, doing whatever the men say. I love how tough everyone is here! No doubt your grandmother had a hand in that. I think the rest of the world is slowly catching up too." She grinned at Syd as his thoughts of her dressed up seemed to embarrass him. "And if it's going to get such a good reaction from you, I guess I need to find an excuse for fancy dress. Especially if going out to parties is still off the table." As Syd explained the characters he would dress as, she faintly smiled as she nodded along. "Well, I've never watched either of those movies the whole way through, but I've seen bits when Brady has been watching them. I think you'd make a pretty hot cowboy," she told him, sending a flirtatious expression as she studied his face. "Oh yes, you sure would, Sir! Now I'm picturing you in the hat and costume... you could even borrow Savvy's horse!" she playfully suggested.


Pyroclast (Syd)

Thomas Dempsey
Outside the Rose and Crown Pub, a minute's walk from the parade.​

Tommy walked a little further away from his car to meet Leo in the middle, taking a long drag of his cigarette as the younger man addressed him. He got the feeling Leo was still annoyed about him letting slip that he was working for James, but he wasn't going to apologise for an accident and figured it would have come out anyway. It was just unfortunate it had escaped his own lips rather than someone else's. He removed the cigarette from his mouth and allowed a crooked smile to show on his face. "If I were spying on you, I'd be doing a pretty poor job of it. Standing out here waiting for my subject to find me!" He couldn't even be offended by Leo's joked, given that James often had him keeping an eye on the Porter kids. Still, he wasn't going to cross the line and spy on Leo, no matter how much he cared about Aliana. Keep him out of trouble, sure, but not actively tail the guy. "I'm actually on a job, believe it or not. I drew the short straw and get to sit here in case I'm needed," he drily remarked. "Seriously, what are you doing out here, though? If you're planning on going to the parade, I suggest you turn around and go the opposite way. I've seen people fleeing the area and heard a gunshot. I'm just hoping James and the others have this shit under control," he seriously told him. He was itching to head over and see if he could help, but knew all too well how James hated people deviating from his instructions.

Tommy heard an unfamiliar voice and when he looked to the source, he saw the familiar face of Carter. He recognised the man from the casino - the same man who served the drinks that poisoned the mayor and Sinead. The latter being someone Tommy cared greatly about. "Leo, how about you go wait in my car or get us both drinks," he said, nodding respectfully to his vehicle and the pub, both a dozen or so strides away from where they were standing.

"I don't cause trouble. I recognise it far too often, though..." Tommy coldly replied, flicking what was left of his cigarette butt onto the ground. He glanced to the unfamiliar woman, before looking back to the man who was to blame for Sinead almost dying. "How about you tell your boss the same message. We've done fuck all to you lot and I don't give a shit about Ciara." Tommy hoped Leo was smart enough to get himself out of the way, as he'd asked. "People like you don't intimidate me. Hell, you poisoned an innocent woman, so why would I be intimidated by a coward?" Tommy was itching to reach for his gun, but was hoping the arseholes would just walk away. The area was a little too public for his liking and he didn't want Leo caught up in it all.


Melanin-Gxdess (Leo) Enzyme (Carter) Bellz (Millie)

 

[Misty Gray]

Grace Armstrong and Arlene Sullivan​

Arlene looked to Quinn as he made his offer of showing her a safe place nearby. She opened her mouth as she was about to say something, most likely to comment that she knew how to protect herself. Being a Sullivan in New York and Chicago had meant Arlene was no stranger to shootings, fires and violence, so the chaos right now was practically normal for her. However, Quinn went on to mention he wished for her to help get his family to safety. She quickly nodded her head. She knew James would want her to protect the innocent, especially as she was in no position to attack the guilty. "Of course. Lead the way," she agreed. Arlene placed her hand on Grace's shoulder to keep the stunned girl moving forward with Faye whilst Quinn kept close behind them.

Arlene entered the tailors shop with the family and briefly surveyed the area around her. Her mind briefly flicked to the fact Lucy and James were getting married again soon, reminding her she would need to buy herself a fancy new outfit. Luckily, it would seem like her daze was due to the chaos outside rather than being sidetracked by ceremonies which would seem unimportant given the current situation. Arlene shook her head when Quinn offered for her to use the telephone first. "No, I'm good, but thank you for the offer," she told him.

Grace took the key from Quinn and went into the manager's office herself, to attempt calling her father. She would try their home, the textile factory and the distillery, but all she managed to learn was that Jared was out having meetings relating to his election campaign.

When Quinn formally introduced her to the Armstrongs' business, Arlene was a little shocked upon hearing the surname of the man who was causing trouble for the Porters. She reasoned in her mind that it was hardly a rare surname, but that didn't mean she could ignore it. "Armstrong, huh? Not related to Jared Armstrong, are you?" she asked, planting a casual smile on her face. "I haven't been here long, but I understand a man named Jared Armstrong is running for mayor." Of course, she wouldn't mention the main reason she knew of the man was because of his work for the IWU and the fact he'd been attacking her family. If these people really were related to Jared, she knew the safest action would be to get herself out of the shop as soon as possible. However, Arlene wasn't known for playing things safe and if these people were related to the enemy, she was sure she could get something out of her current position. Still, seeing how Grace had especially reacted made her willing to accept they were not as guilty as Jared and possibly not involved in his unsavoury acts.


Bellz (Faye) Fletchawk (Quinn)

Conor Sullivan​

Conor took a deep, exhausted breath as Jackson assured him none of them deserved to be in Alex's position. He nodded his head as he tried to form some words to respond with. He didn't need to reply as Blake arrived on the scene to bring a change to the atmosphere. Her presence certainly brought a sense of relief, no doubt more so for Jackson. "Are we glad to see you, Blake," he told her. Though his sentiment was entirely genuine, his voice lacked strength and his usual humour. "You had Jackson here worried sick," he noted.

Conor briefly observed Jackson as he told Blake to move closer to him so she could check she was real. It was clear to see his friend was smitten with the blonde and no doubt beyond happy to see she hadn't been killed by Jared's men. "You two look after each other," Conor suggested, as he took a couple of steps towards the doorway. "Jackson, don't leave this hospital until the doctors say so. And make sure you tell James about all of this," he suggested. "I'm made up for you both," he added, managing the faintest of smiles before he left the two to talk privately.

Enzyme (Jackson) Bellz (Blake)

 

[Shireling]

Rudy Meyers and Kieran Joyce
​

Following the crack of the rifle, Rudy drew his handgun and discreetly positioned it in his coat pocket for later use as he went traipsing about with Ryan trying to locate Arlene. He should have admitted, he had a bit of a savior complex that he wanted to keep in check. They went over to where the blonde had been seen earlier, but she was nowhere to be found. Just as they were scanning the scene, Kieran arrived with a look of dismay and dread on his face.

"Is the commissioner dead?" He asked.

"No way to know for certain," Rudy shouted back over the din of the crowd, "look, Kieran, we need some eyes on the inside with the Garda Commissioner's condition. You think you could oblige us? Also, have you seen Arlene?"

"Arlene Sullivan? She walked off that way with some couple with a camera," he said, still not aware she had been spirited away by the bulk of the Armstrong family.

Rudy turned back to Ryan, relaxing a little bit, "No follow-up shots. The assassin has probably already moved on. Let's see if we can't find Arlene," he murmured before motioning for Ryan to go first in the direction Kieran indicated.

Kieran fought his way through the crowd, throwing the press card out of the band of his hat in the process and approached the ambulance, immediately being pushed back by a uniformed police officer.

"Stand back, sir," the policeman entreated, pushing him back with a hairy hand.

"I'm a private detective, hired by the Commissioner's family to protect him," he bluffed.

"Pretty lousy at your job then, huh?" The policeman asked. Surprisingly, the bluff worked and he let him clamber through the police cordon. By the time he got to the ambulance, it was being loaded with the unconscious commissioner's body on a stretcher. He mounted the back of the ambulance and got a sure grip on the metal bars that ran horizontally over the roof before banging on the top with his hand. The ambulance lurched forward, and he braced to ride it for the hospital.

Fletchawk Misty Gray

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

Delilah’s gaze flew to the side of the road, eyes peeled to find a parking space. Originally, she had wanted to meet Leo at the parade. Whether he was there or not yet, she didn’t know. She didn’t know much and hadn’t for the past few days having had separated herself from the scenes she had recently witnessed. Her night visions were regularly filled by the gargling silhouette of the mayor- such gory scenes she hadn’t taken so well. The very thought had her stomach sink. Grasping the wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white, she turned her gaze towards the nearing parking lot of a pub. That would surely be a good place to park, given it wasn’t already stuffed with cars. The refreshing breeze the open windows allowed brushed through and combed her curls, giving her some means of comfort whilst fishing through her thoughts.

Delilah felt the happiest she had for a while, and that delight was heightened upon knowing that she’d be able to visit Leo soon. The young woman had felt a little desperate to see him as he was always seemingly buried in work and she didn’t want to disturb or distract him from such important business. A sigh escaped her lips, brushing out into misty air that, momentarily, covered her vision in a haze. Her eyes zoomed to her surroundings, investigating the slow traffic in front and, in a sudden impulsive manner, struck the horn on her car as if expecting the cars to move any faster. Rolling her head back lightly to press against her seat, her nimble fingers turned to twist the volume up on the radio. The calming buzz of music allowed her to relax and instead focus on turning into the parking lot.

Had she not been concentrating so hard on reversing into a narrow parking lot, she probably would’ve noticed her boyfriend and Tommy further out into the car park. The keys slid out from the ignition with a stiff clank and fell into her purse just as slowly. Lifting the chain on the plain black bag, she stepped out of the car. Her hip slid out to close the door in one swift moment.

Chunky black heels roamed across the floor as she peered around, forest-green gaze simmering in the sunlight, she began to make her way towards the pub entrance before a similar set of voices had her halt in her steps. One voice she definitely recognised to be Leo’s, and it took her turning around to even associate that the other voice was Tommy’s. And, before she could even step that way, cigarette lolling from her mouth, a man, one she had recognised from the casino, accompanied by a woman. Slamming her fingers onto her keys and locking the car, she tried her best to look intimidating as she strutted over with no remorse or consideration for her health. After all, she had started learning defence techniques and she wasn’t about to let her father’s employees go down with her watching.

Whether she was or was not told to move didn’t mean she would, and she made sure with a quick glance in her purse that her glock was safety tucked into the pocket. She had stolen it from her father and he had yet to notice. “How about you tell him yourself, or are you too spineless to do that too?” Her last few lessons in defence had made her a lot more unnecessarily confident in her words and ability to protect herself. The way he spat on the floor upon talking about her father ignited a fire within her that was only fed by the endless insults conjuring in her head and the desperate desire to punch him straight into that ugly nose of his. Her eyes narrowed visibly as she locked her gaze on the man. Feeling her fingers itch with the desire to hit him was becoming too overwhelming so she took a step back, leaning her side into Leo’s. “Let’s go?” She whispered to her boyfriend, pulling out her phone with the intention to call others to assist Tommy if need be. There was no way she was letting Leo get involved in the violent side of things. It wouldn’t be fair.

“Tommy, I’ll give you a lift if you need. We don’t need to listen to their cowardess.” As she spoke, she lightly entwined her fingers with leo’s.

Melanin-Gxdess (Leo) Misty Gray (Tommy) Enzyme (Carter)​

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

After Ryan and Rudy had left to find Arlene, James turned back to Donnelly in time to see him instructing a group of cops and pointing up towards the higher floors of the hotel. He approached the detective and was informed some members of the crowd and police force had suggested the bullet originated from the higher floors of the building. Cops had been ordered to check the exits and investigate who was in the rooms that could be potential sources of the gunfire. James wasn't going to ask for permission to enter the hotel to investigate, but Donnelly granted it in the form of an accompanying officer anyway. One Officer Barnes soon volunteered to assist James. Porter glared the detective's way but chose not to argue. Regardless, he rushed into the hotel ahead of Barnes and sprinted up the nearest staircase, preferring them over a restricting elevator. The cop struggled to keep him with him but James wasn't about to slow down for the guy.

James reached the fifth floor and stopped as he saw a burly man heading towards the nearby fire emergency staircase. He recognised the man from the IWU. He was one of the guys who had laid into him the night Michael was killed. It made sense the goon would ally himself with Jared now Ciara was out of the picture. "Stop right there," James calmly ordered him. The man turned to see James aiming his handgun directly at his skull. He was about to order the man to slowly get down onto his knees, but was caught off-guard when Officer Barnes tackled him to try force him onto the ground. James dropped his gun as his elbow collided with the side of the wooden bookcase and he stumbled onto the floor. Jared's thug made a quick escape through the fire door and down the stairs that lead to the underground parking lot.

James briefly acknowledged the pain in his side, but it was nothing he couldn't shake off. As the cop attempted to follow his apparent accomplice, James grabbed his ankle and caused Barnes to trip over, landing face-first on the floor. James rushed to his feet and approached the dirty cop, placing a heavy foot down on the man's lower spine as he retrieved the police issue firearm to disarm him. He slipped the gun securely in his belt, then retrieved his own gun, keeping it tightly in his hand as he sprinted off after the IWU goon.

James reached the parked lot in time to see the suspect still running a distance away. A screeching sound could be heard as a police car drove into view and stopped, seemingly blocking the escapee's path. James didn't lower his gun, but he slowed his pace as he knew he wouldn't be able to do what he wanted to do to the guy with the cops around. However, the goon simply opened the passenger door and got into into the vehicle. "Motherfucker..." James spat. He fired a couple of shots, out of frustration rather than expecting to make any impact from such a distance. He wouldn't waste his time in informing the detective of Barnes' betrayal to the force, but he had no idea who was driving that cop car. All he could do was memorise the number plate as the vehicle sped off.

When James made his way back to the main entrance of the hotel and outside to the now much emptier parade, he looked around for the detective. When he found the man, he removed the police firearm from his belt and placed the handle firmly in the palm of the other man's hand. "That belongs to Officer Barnes. The guy tackled me to the floor so the suspect could get away," he angrily informed Donnelly. James walked away in search of any of the others, hoping they'd managed to at least locate Arlene.

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Syd laughed when Skye put on a Scottish accent. "That's not half bad, you know. You'd definitely fool me!" he said, smiling. He admired her playful personality, and felt lucky to be with someone who didn't take themselves too seriously and had a good sense of humour.

"My parents?" Syd asked, a little surprised. It wasn't often that he bothered to give them much thought, so when Skye showed an interest in them, Syd's first response was simply to shrug. "It's not that I don't want to talk about them, I just don't really have any memories of them since I was only 3 when I was taken away. I know they were both drug addicts who neglected me right from the start. The carers at the orphanage were constantly reminding me how I should be grateful to them for rescuing me from my lowlife parents, and how lucky I was to live there instead. I didn't feel very lucky, but I guess they were right in a way. I was really, really sick when I was little, all malnourished and...well, pretty close to carkin' it, if I'm honest. Don't know if my mam was on heroin or coke when she was pregnant or what, but I've got all my fingers and toes and a brain that works at least half the time, so it's not really worth wondering. I don't have any pictures of them - I don't even know if they're alive. Guess it doesn't matter though, does it?" Syd explained this all in a casual manner, keeping the smile on his face with ease. "As for why mam and dad chose to adopt me, I have no real idea. They must have thought their new house would lack the energy of a boisterous 8 year old boy and wanted the challenge. But the way I see it, they're the ones who really rescued me. My life started when I came here."

For a moment, Syd sat nodding his head thoughtfully as he reflected on his parents' kindness, the unconditional love they had shown him from the day they had met. He had no reason to be unhappy now - he had everything he had ever dreamed of having. The seriousness of the conversation seemed to dissipate from the air soon enough, and Syd looked up at Skye with a loving smile.

When she went on to admire the strength of the women in his family, Syd nodded some more. "You're right, there are plenty of powerful female role models around here. Practically all my friends' mams were made to live in the shadow of their husbands! Can you imagine Sinead and my mam being like that?" He laughed then, the concept so unimaginable to him. Skye then teased him some more about dressing up for him, and Syd tutted at her, shaking his head. "You can dress up any day of the week, Skye. Dress for dinner, for playing with the dogs, hell, even for fighting me down here in the gym - you wanna see me get hot and flustered? Then that's your excuse right there. Just so long as you know I'd be the real winner in that scenario."
Her look of allure didn't go amiss when she herself pondered over the thought of Syd dressed up, and he held her gaze confidently, returning her seductive smile with one of his own. He got up, made his way over to the bench upon which she sat and perched just behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and gently kissing her shoulder. "If I did have a horse, I'd jump the gates and ride off somewhere with you - somewhere quiet and beautiful - and there'd be nothing those guards could do about it!"

Interactions
Misty Gray Skye

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan ​

Peter's cheeks turned a light pink as Sinead complimented him about being a dad. It was hard work, but he wouldn't be able to do it without her in his life. If it was just him on his own...well he couldn't even imagine such a thing. As she went on to explain that the Sullivan siblings worried about each other despite being reassured. He really didn't know what that was like, having siblings that really worried about him. Sure he had his in-laws and that was definitely more than he had before, but he never grew up with people that he was really close to. As a child, most of the children he met were temporary friends who normally would only lookout for themselves, much like he had to do. Sinead was very fortunate to have such a relationship, but it was Conor who was ten times more fortunate to have his sisters. The man had been reckless for a long time, it was amazing to see how quickly all was forgiven at the end of the day. It was also amazing to see how one little girl could change him so quickly, children were a blessing in disguise.

He raised an eyebrow at his wife as she shifted and chuckled at her words, rolling his eyes as he shifted Pistol to rest against her leg. The yorkie perked his ears up at him to which Peter chuckled, "Sorry rat dog, wife is thirsty for a drink." Grabbing her glass, he moved for the kitchen hearing her other words, he was relieved that she couldn't see his red face. "Hey, I like spoiling you baby, but I just don't have time to do it like I use to. James keeping me busy and all." He hollered from the kitchen. Once he returned, he had a full glass in hand which he returned to her. "I'm not keeping tabs on what you owe dear...but you always seem to make it up to me, I'm sure I won't be disappointed." He hummed her way before lifting up her feet again and sitting back down.
With: Sinead Misty Gray
mentions:

Minnie Abernathy​

As Carter glanced her way, Minnie was already smiling from ear to ear at him. Success was something she thrived for. "You heard the man boys, let's go." She purred to the men, waving her hands lightly to usher them away. Once the men were gone, Minnie immediately turned her head to Carter while flipping a long piece of chocolate brown hair behind her shoulder, she noticed his intense stare and she followed the direction of it. Minnie recognized the two men. If they weren't playing for the wrong team, she would have had them any day of the week. Carter's head turned to look to her, and their eyes met, confirming she understood who they were. She silently followed him to them, where she then assessed the two men. Minnie watched them both smugly as Carter spoke, a smile growing as he turned to look at her. She nodded once firmly as he ended his sentence. Tommy was quick to speak which caused Minnie to giggle flirtatiously at him. "Oooooh I like him Carter, he's got a bit of a snap to him." She murmured lightly. Shifting her coat, the handgun on her weighed heavily in the inside pocket, it would be such a shame to use it on him. "Don't want to see a pretty boy like you get hurt honey, best leave it to the professionals! And besides! Accidents happen! Too bad your boss isn't fond of wine! Not Italian hmmm?"

A young woman who was late to the party seemed to gather up enough courage to speak up, it was far too comical for Minnie, who let out a series of giggles as she covered her mouth, holding her hand up to excuse herself. "Oh dear, oh god, please its all too much!!" Minnie chuckled at Delilah as she held her stomach in a dramatic effort to contain herself. After a moment, she allowed herself to calm down before looking at Delilah and cooing softly. "Looks like someone's wandered out of the day care." She tilted her head and pouted softly. "Need us to call mommy and daddy little bird?" She cooed to her, teasing and taunting Delilah, hoping to get an extreme reaction from her. Noticing that her hand was intertwined with Leo's, she smirked, looking to Carter a moment, knowing he would only allow her to go so far. "Your boy there is delicious, I'll take him and the other one off your grimy hands."
With: Carter Enzyme ; Tommy Misty Gray ; Leo Melanin-Gxdess ; Delilah ElectricDandellion
mentions:

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

As he walked away from the detective, James couldn't shake off his frustrations about letting the IWU member get away. Without the cops around to stop him, he would have made sure the guy could barely walk, never mind run away. It wasn't just the fact the man apparently helped shoot the commissioner - it barely was. It was the fact he'd been one of the men responsible for helping Ciara get him beaten up and held in the factory so she could have her silly explosion. If the guy was willing to do that for her, James could only imagine what he would do for Jared, a man with even higher goals and motivations than his unhinged predecessor. The simple fact of the matter was that the cops were getting in his way and it had become clear to him by this point that Donnelly had more to benefit from the Porters' cooperation than the Porters did from the cops.

James noticed Rudolph and caught up to the man, intercepting him so he could stop and talk. "You good? Found anything?" he asked, though his tone was flat and reflected that he likely didn't care either way by this point. "It's time for us lot to get out of here. This isn't our mess and we're done propping up the likes of Donnelly and Commissioner Morris." James looked around in search of other familiar faces. "Any idea where the others are? Kieran, Ryan and Arlene?" he asked.

Shireling (Rudolph)

 

[Bellz]

Faye Armstrong​

Faye jumped visibly as the sound or an explosion was heard nearby. Her heart raced in her chest as she look to her two children, doing what her son had been doing before and looked for any signs of injury. ”We need to go.” Faye’s voice spoke once more, the hoarseness in it was caused by a mixture of emotion. Faye looked to the blonde woman as Quinn invited her to head with them to a safer place. Her eyes narrowed at the woman slightly as she spoke with her son, wondering if she was a danger to her family. Quinn spoke of heading to the tailor shop which Faye was quick to approve of. Keeping her arm looped with Grace’s, Faye pushed and shoved through the crowds that were trying to get away from the horrific scene of the parade.

Hearing her son’s words as she walked through the door with Grace, she nodded her head, already having the plan to call Jared. She wanted to know if he was safe and had heard of what happened. Taking the keys that he handed to her, she lead Grace towards the office quickly. Sitting in the office chair, she let Grace call her father. Faye watched intently as her daughter called every place that Jared would possibly be. When she told her that he was still out with meetings, it relieved her, but only slightly.

Faye leaned back in the chair a moment and sighed heavily. Her eyes watered ever so slightly as she thought about what was happening to her little family. Jared was becoming unavailable in situations like this, situations where his children needed him. Hell, she needed him. Turning the rotating office chair slightly, she sucked in a breath as she wiped under her eyes, making sure to hide her feelings from her daughter. Their children needed to see a strong family foundation. ”Well, I think it would be best to stay here until he’s out of the meetings, or at least for a little while longer.” She murmured before turning the chair back to face her daughter. ”Are you okay sweetheart?” She held open her arms for a hug, she needed one.
With: Quinn Fletchawk ; Arlene + Grace Misty Gray
mentions: Jared

Blake Walsh​

Blake smiled lightly as Jackson finally looked her way. Her eyes looked to Conor as he spoke about being happy to see her, it was genuine that much she could see, but he wasn’t his usual self. ”I am so sorry to hear about Alex.” She murmured to him, being sincere about the apology as she walked over and took Jackson’s hand. Her eyes looked to Conor again as Jackson began to ask questions of her escape. She couldn’t speak about it in front of him, especially with what she had to do for Jared. Conor then told them to look after each other, making sure to tell Jackson not to leave the hospital without doctor’s permission, which made Blake raise a brow. Blake smiled at Conor as he left, though she felt so terrible about what he was going through at the moment. Turning back to Jackson, she let out a small laugh as he complimented her. ”That’s because Jared didn’t really want me roughen up.” She murmured softly, looking towards the open door. Knowing she needed to shut the door, Blake turned back towards Jackson and lifted the hand she was hold to her mouth, kissing it lightly before resting it at his side. Standing, she walked towards the door and closed it slowly. Pressing her hand against the door, she sighed. ”He wanted you dead.” Turing to face Jackson, she walked back to his bedside. ”I shot the Commissioner, to prove myself to Jared, as he wanted me to.”

Blake’s hand reached out and stroked his hand lightly. She looked at him closely, tears welling up in her eyes. ”How the hell did you escape?” She asked, her tone showing that she was a bit amazed that he had. ”When Jared wants someone dead…it happens. He isn’t like Ciara was.”
With: Jackson Enzyme
mentions: Conor + Jared Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead laughed at Peter when he called Pistol a rat dog again, briefly placing her hand to her throat as the laughter caused her to acknowledge the dryness that hadn't yet shifted. "I know James keeps you busy, Petey. That's why I'm squeezing you for everything I can now. I don't care if I sound like a brat, I just love being spoiled by you." As she spoke, the small dog walked over her legs and then on her stomach, thankfully the animal was so small and weightless he didn't cause her any discomfort. The animal then curled up on the sofa next to Sinead's waist. She gently stroked Pistol and let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry Emmy keeps pestering you, doggy," she spoke to Lucy's pet. "She's just found someone in the world who's smaller than she is and I guess she wants to cling on to that... literally. But I know how you and Emmy feel. I was the tiny one when I was younger... she'll grow out of it soon."

Sinead stopped talking to the dog when Peter returned and she happily accepted her drink, taking a long drink from the glass and instantly feeling it work it's magic on her gravelly throat. "Oh, you won't be disappointed, baby." Whether it was the thought of her flirting with Peter or just a random wake up call in her head, she remembered something Shannon and Lucy had mentioned before they left for the hospital. "Oh, Petey. Have Syd and Skye been upstairs yet? Mum told me they'd been in the gym a while already and we shouldn't let them spend too much time down there alone. Do you think we should go check on them? By we, I mean you, of course," she said, letting out a playful laugh. "Mum's probably right though, even James doesn't spend that long in the gym. If they overexercise, they might do themselves an injury and the last thing we need is Syd walking around with a broken leg! Although, I suspect them being injured isn't what Mum was getting at," she added, on this rare occasion caught on to the real meaning behind Shannon's words.

Bellz (Peter)

Skye McKendrick​

Skye's playful expression changed to one of interest and reassurance as he listened to Syd speak about his parents. She felt quite sad at the thought of a 3-year-old child being taking away from his parents because they were addicted to drugs. Even worse was knowing it was Syd who had been through that. Her face turned to one of distaste when he mentioned the carers had told him he was lucky to live in the orphanage. She knew all too well how rough those places could be. She looked to her hands and nodded. "No, I guess it doesn't matter if you don't know about your parents. I mean... I guess I'd be curious if I were in your position, but at the same time, they didn't look after you the way they should have. No matter what their excuse, they should have looked after you." She wasn't sure if her comment would offend him, but she'd had friends whose parents had abandoned, neglected or abused them. She saw the terrible effects that had on those kids. "I know it's only your thoughts that matter in this, but in my opinion, Lucy and James are the best parents anyone could have. I can see how much they love you and this home they have is such a warm place. You deserve the be with these sweet people."

"Your mum?! James is a tough guy, but if he told Lucy to get in the kitchen and make his dinner, I think she would tear him a new one!" She laughed when Syd said she could dress up for him any day of the week. "I think the others might have something to say about me just walking around the place dressed like Wonder Woman. At the very least, I'd have to pretend it was a game and get the kids to dress up too. Savvy would be a princess; Brady likely a cowboy just like you; and Emmy? Gosh... that girl is so unpredictable I couldn't even imagine. It would be something completely unexpected." With mention of the gym, she raised an eyebrow. "Or yes, maybe I'll just come down here and work out dressed as Wonder Woman... just for you!"

When Syd sat behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, Skye leaned back into him and let him kiss her shoulder. She then turned her head and looked upwards, placing a kiss on Syd's lips. "Oooh. I'd love for you to take me out on a horse, cowboy!"

Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Enzyme]

Carter Dresden​

Carter smiled in amusement as Tommy fed him the reaction he was craving. He bit down hard on the butt of the cigarette as the lad went on to call him a coward. "Ironic, is it not? Because here you are, hopeless." He cocked his eyebrow, offering him a gnarled smirk. He rested his hands behind his back, his wild eyes bewildered by the aggressiveness shown by Tommy. "No, you're not afraid of me 'yet'." He shrugged slightly, shaking his head. "You will. Don't feel bad - because you fuckin' should be." His attention was drawn to the brunette in high heels, moving to the side of Leo. Interesting. He looked to Minnie, to see if she was just as intrigued as he were. He sat back and watched as the two women spit venom at each other. Minnie was as competent as she was bold, which reminded him of the sub machine-gun laying in the back of the cruiser.

He slowly nodded his head, ominously prowling towards Delilah as she tried to leave. "Y'know, Ms. Porter, you're right. What is talk truly good for?" He tilted his head, stopping in his tracks. He suddenly turned to Tommy to see if he'd concur. After catching the deathly eye of the man, Tommy clearly uncomfortable with how close he was getting to James' daughter, he turned back to Delilah. "You wanna' know what we need?" His retinas flared up, a sinister smile peeling from ear to ear, "Hm?" He edged closer to her, his deadly stare piercing her skull. "A message." His hand glided towards the front of his apron, brandishing a beretta from a concealed pocket. He hadn't bothered to fully extend his arm before pulling the trigger. Due to his abrupt movement, the bullet didn't land exactly where he intended, striking Tommy in the right rotator cuff. As the sickening sound of the bullet slicing through the air bounced off the cars, the empty shell was replaced by a fresh 9mm round.

The bottom of his left hand slapped upon Delilah's head, his fingers intertwining with her hair. As he pulled her out of Leo's grasp, he raised the handgun up to him. Two bullets chased after each other, as if racing to hit Leo's chest first. Every round had personality, the first one deciding to reside in Leo's stomach. The other, however, made it's presence known dead center, in the left lung to be exact. Their haste decisions were made in the blink of an eye, only a split second between Carter pulling the trigger and Leo collapsing on the asphalt.

Smoke tumbled out of the barrel of his handgun as Carter pulled Delilah towards the car. Every resisting kick she threw was countered by a savage yank at her scalp. The men inside quickly threw open the door, allowing Carter to aim to where he thought Tommy was laying. He emptied five shots, into what he believed to be the car Tommy was behind, before throwing Delilah into the back of the cruiser. He then climbed in himself, giving Minnie just enough time to climb in before violently slamming the door shut.

Misty Gray (Tommy) Melanin-Gxdess (Leo) Bellz (Minnie) ElectricDandellion (Delilah)

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

The way the random woman started laughing wrenched her guts tightly, eyes piercing through the girl with utmost venom. “If it’s all too much, perhaps you should take a sit down, sunshine,” Delilah spat, crafting a smile as she spoke. “Besides,” she began, pushing her bag away from herself as to not suddenly grab the gun. “Who knew dogs could speak?” Feigning surprise as she looked around, she twirled a lock of hair around her index finger. “Or...is it a rat? I’m afraid I can’t tell,” with a pretend pout, one she’d brought from daycare, she looked the girl up and down. IWU. Delilah couldn’t decide whether they should call for backup or leave there and then- the situation was just too intriguing to leave. “Could you call them?” She asked, still holding a pout. “I need to ask them for the number of the pound,” Her eyes glared at the woman, trying to fight back as best as she could verbally. Either way she probably wouldn’t really win- verbally or physically.

As the girl spoke of Leo, she dropped his hand immediately. Delilah didn’t want them to hurt him on account of her. “Funnily enough, I don’t believe either of them are into bestiality,” Cocking an eyebrow, she turned now to face the man who had decided to attempt to make himself relevant too.

Upon turning and realising Carter had followed her, she suddenly halted in her steps, reaching warningly into her bag. When he said she was right, she knew something bad was about to erupt. Something really bad. The feeling coarsed through her veins like lava; sticky and slow but sharp and painful. Eyes glued to the man as he smiled, a smile that shook her to the core, she pressed a hand into Leo’s chest and hard, hoping he’d fall out of danger or get the message to run for help. Her hands began to shake a little as she saw him reach into his pocket. She screamed involuntarily as she saw Tommy get shot at. “You fucking wanker!” Delilah shouted, sprinting towards the man bleeding on the floor before a slimy grasp had her at the skull. The way he had suddenly grabbed at her made her come tumbling backwards at a force that made her slam into Carter’s chest. In that moment, she lifted her heel to kick him in the groin- or what she hoped was given she couldn’t see where she was aiming. When she lifted her head, though, tears stung her eyes. The gunshots were so close to her that they’d become deafening and white noise started twinkling in her ears. All she knew was that Leo had been shot and that it was practically her fault. Taking a sudden intake of air and ignoring the pain at her sculp, she grabbed the gun, still seemingly held tightly in Carter’s grasp, and pressed the steaming barrel into his throat where she hoped the flesh would sizzle.

Delilah struggled as much as she could, kicking at the car so that she couldn’t get it and kicking at the others in order to injure them enough to prevent her from being thrown in the car.

As they threw her in, Delilah found her entire body shaken up and she felt herself incapable of breathing. She tried to hide this externally as she hid her face away, jaw clenched as she remembered Leo and Tommy laying on the floor. “You assholes will get what’s coming to you,” She said in an anger so calm that it scared even her. And, in a quick movement, she lifted the gun out of her purse and shot at the driver, not looking where she shot. The bullet dived into the flesh of his shoulder, and in a sudden movement, he swerved the car. Next, though, Delilah turned to Carter, trying to shoot him in one kneecap. The bullet would, if it hit him, invest itself there with pride, and she quickly grabbed at the gun in the moment of surprise. Minnie really wasn’t of her concern. She didn’t wish to shoot someone she didn’t directly see as a threat, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Without looking, not wanting to look, Delilah shot at the girl. Not anywhere too damaging if it hit her at all, but likely enough to postpone her reaction for a few seconds. Diving into the front passenger’s seat, Delilah attempted to open the door. It responded with a loud clank, making it obvious that it was locked. In a moment of hurry and with no bullets left, she smacked the barrel of the gun at the window. It slowly, extremely slowly, began to crack but it wasn’t taking long enough. Just as she smacked it and it started to break again, the car swerved so ferociously that the hot gun landed in her lap and burnt the flesh. Yelling, Delilah swiped the gun away, choking further on her breath.

Her breath seemed to halt as the car, with immense force, crashed into a nearby building. Body jolting forwards, she lost her breath completely. And, without a belt on, she flew forwards and smacked her head against the door before the airbag had even been released. The blow knocked her unconscious almost immediately. A trail of blood seeped from her head where she had been hit.

Thick smoke arose from beneath the crushed bonnet.

Melanin-Gxdess (Leo) Misty Gray (Tommy, James) Enzyme (Carter) Bellz (Minnie)​

 

[Enzyme]

Carter Dresden​

Carter had initially ignored Delilah's spiteful words as he looked over his shoulder at the lot. Cops wouldn't be there anytime soon, but the further they got away from the scene, the better. His throat had still burned from when Delilah forced the barrel against it, but he did his best to ignore the pain. As his eyes dragged back to her, the loud sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the car. The vehicle immediately swerved into the adjacent lane as the drive slumped against the door. Before he had time to react, the second round had dug it's way into his leg and rested just above his kneecap. "Fuck!" He instinctually spat as his hands shot down to cup where the bullet had hit.

Carter's hands glided up to the pistol's slide once Delilah moved to aim it at Minnie. He twisted the barrel as the trigger was pulled, the bullet making a small hole in the window beside her, instead of striking her head. Somehow, the injured goon managed to control the wheel of the vehicle with his other arm - saving them from an inevitable crash. Carter watched as Delilah dove into the front seat and began smashing the window with her pocket pistol. The cracks on the glass grew larger, not able to hold together much longer. Seeing this, Carter reached out into the front seat and yanked the steering wheel to the right. Quickly throwing himself back into his seat, he attached his buckle just in time, before the vehicle lodged it's self into the brick wall of a mail station.

Bricks had fallen onto and covered the nose of the smashed vehicle. The office had been closed for the day, due to the parade. Luckily too, because the debris soon filled the office, triggering the smoke detectors and unleashing the fury of the sprinkles above. Carter looked around at the damage from inside the vehicle. Minnie was alive, but the driver had blown past the airbag and through the front windshield, crushed by the falling bricks. Delilah, on the other hand, wasn't moving. Carter forced open the damaged door, stumbling due to the small bullet lodged in his leg. He limped over to Delilah's blown out window, using her hair to drag her out onto the glass shards. "C'mon, ya' fuckin' whore." To his dismay, she wasn't responding. He assumed the airbag had done it's work in subduing her, or the force had broken her neck and killed her on impact. Either way, she'd deliver his message. He pulled the stiletto from his pocket behind the apron. Flicking up the switch and releasing the four inch blade, he pulled Delilah's shirt up to her stomach.

He managed to stand up, towering over the unconscious girl. Blood dripped down from the tip of his blade as he examined his work. In large letters, "IWU" covered her stomach. It was sliced in just enough to where it wouldn't cause any damage to her organs, but would surely scar. He looked back to Minnie through his frizzled hair. "The safe house isn't too far from here," He spat, looking back to his art. "Let's get a move on it," He said, stepping back onto the street with Minnie. As he had predicted, it wasn't far. They made there way down the road, where they could seek medical attention and remain hidden.

ElectricDandellion (Delilah) Bellz (Minnie)

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue & Alexander Quinn Armstrong​

"Oh? You know of my father?" He answered with a quasi-rhetorical question as Quinn raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the fair-haired woman that he'd initially taken for a tourist. It also provoked him to watch Arlene with a bit more attention, since her serene attitude came off as a little odd to him. Especially when the events that just happened not even a quarter of a hour ago. Even though his voice had reverted back to its natural tone, the hands that were clasped together behind his back still shook from the anxiety of what he saw. "How long have you been in here, in Dublin, if I may ask?" It was an innocent sounding question, but there was much he could gage from its answer.

Not even a moment had passed after Quinn made his inquiry did the bell above the front door ring to announce a newcomer. It was a man of similar height to himself but but with a bit stockier build. His apprehension was not overtly apparent, but the man's body language combined with the slight crease on his brow gave it away. Quinn excused himself from the woman, as he turned to approach and welcome the man to the store. "Salutations, sir. How might I assist you today?" The tone of friendliness that imbued the question was well practiced and it took very little effort for Quinn to change into his business persona. However, before he'd even finished, he could tell the man was not there for business as he followed the man's eyes.

Almost every aspect of Ryan's training was screaming at him to either retreat and come back with reinforcements or to kick in the door and go in hard, but James' request to be "discreet" forced him to ignore the blaring alarms going off in his head. While the first option would've fallen under the category of "discreet", he had no way knowing just how much danger Arlene was in, so Ryan decided to do recon in order make a more informed decision. At least that's what he told himself when really it just the only decent option he had that fulfilled the required subtlety that was he being held to.

The normalcy of the scene that Ryan walked in upon was even more worrisome to him and the paranoid soldier that inhabited his part of his psyche. It took almost everything within in him to keep himself from shooting the young man that approached him, particularly because of his identity. It's a trap! SHOOT HIM! No. Don't. That would not be discreet. Ryan's view drifted quickly to take in the store as a whole before stopping on the blonde woman. While the fact that he was outnumbered wouldn't have deterred him from opening fire, Arlene's calm demeanor helped quell his unease enough to prevent Ryan from taking drastic measures, but he still had an incredibly strong urge to shoot the Armstrong lad that was currently addressing him.

A strained smile was Ryan's only response to the greeting as he walked past him, fearing that any legitimate conversation would push his self-control beyond its limits. When he spoke to Arlene, it's relieved tone didn't match the seriousness that was painted across his face. "My dear Arlene! I thought I lost you!" Ryan slowed his stride as he threw open his arms in an obvious intent to embrace the Sullivan woman, giving her enough time to hopefully pick up the cue to play along as he approached her. He loosely wrapped his arms around the woman as not violate her boundaries as he whispered urgently into her ear.

"Sorry, but we need to leave. Now."

It was very apparent to Quinn that the man didn't like him for whatever reason, although he was very sure that he'd not done anything to deserve such ire but he left it alone as he didn't want to antagonize the fellow. Still, after watching a somewhat awkward hug, doubt creeped into him. "I assume you know this man, madam? If not..." While Quinn didn't like having to potential remove someone from the store by force, it wouldn't be the first time and his adrenaline started up again but this time it left him a little queasy as he wasn't used to this much excitement in such a short amount of time.

Misty Gray [Arlene]