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

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James nodded his head when Ryan voiced his thoughts that Jared had lost control or perhaps never had it to begin with. Whilst some may be inclined to find amusement or pleasure in such a thought, it wasn't something that filled James with confidence. As controlling and ruthless as Jared seemed, James at least knew the man's weakness by now and whilst he himself was a family man, he'd been pushed far enough to where he would be willing to exploit Armstrong's loved ones.

Ryan wasn't as close or attached to Tommy to share James' desire for vengeance and that was why he deep down had to admit to himself that he wasn't the one who should kill Sergeant Higgins. James had been employed as Emmet's hitman on many occasions because he was always emotionally detached, which meant he was completely focused and had a near perfect record of eliminating all targets. James was not detached from Tommy and he knew that could blind him. Ryan had proved himself time after time and regardless of how he felt about Tommy, he was certain the man would successfully execute the Sergeant. "Thank you, Ryan. I'll get you the information you need," he assured him. He would find out everything he could about the cop; his habits and any strengths it would be useful for Ryan to know of.

The sound of knocking brought James out of his thoughts. He called out for whoever it was to enter his office. He observed the man, who he recalled he'd only seen very briefly once or twice, back when James himself was just one of Emmet's soldiers. Though he barely recognised the man, Kennedy was the only newcomer he was expecting that evening and judging by the way the man regarded Lucy, he was certain it was her cousin. "You must be Kennedy," he greeted the man, though his face remained serious. He stepped away from the desk he'd been leaning on and shook the newcomer's hand. "Have you seen Finn yet?" he asked, doing his bit to make him feel welcomed with the kind of small talk many liked to adopt. "You've not visited the family in quite some time. What brings you here now?" he asked. He glanced to Lucy, who no doubt may have cringed at James' straight to the point question. Still, it had been an exhausting day, so James felt there was little point in dancing around the subject.

mpower (Kennedy)
Fletchawk (Ryan) Bellz (Lucy)

 

[mpower]

Kennedy Sullivan​

Nervosity picked up in Kennedy's body as he looked upon the small meeting in front of him, apparently, there was important business going on, he recognised Ryan briefly from a survey people made, completely useless anyway as they never were directed upwards due to bribes and whatnot. Even though he wished for them to finish before dragging attention to his arrival, everyone seemingly had the interest to either let him speak or greet him, in James' case, Kennedy stepped forward and shook the hand of the mob boss, trying for a firm grip as a good first impression, his eyes responding to those of James, although they broke off the contact shortly to inspect the general appearance of James and the rest in the room. Kennedy noticed the rather serious demeanour of the male, which made his own mood swiftly turn again, his facial expressions turned into a stern and serious gleam.

Even though he wished to greet his cousin, Kennedy firstly spoke to James. "Kennedy Sullivan. I have met my dear brother, although he seems in the need of /rest/ right now, think my absence disgruntled him, by right. Aunty Shannon kept me busy, she's a lovely lady.". He quickly let his mouth angles drop to the thought of his brother, shrugging then as he took a step backwards, waiting for a moment as he noticed the direct approach of the husband of his cousin, which lead him to answer in the same way: "I've tried my best to make a living out there for my family, but I never got settled due to unfortunate elements hitting me and my life, yet I am settled back in Ireland and wished to come back to home, to family, for the sake of unity and the sanity of one of my siblings...even my own, as I have missed you, folks. Thing is, I think I can be of use for you guys, my profession's...it's difficult to explain and I kindly ask you to keep it back..-", he switched gazes with everyone in the room, quirking an eyebrow on Ryan as he was unsure whether it was wise to talk it out now or not, but after all he let out a deep and long sigh, continuing straight forward with the feared words.

"-...I am a Detective of the Garda and I am willing to work for you in whatever way I can help my family, I am willing to prove myself and earn trust and respect from anyone", his tongue moved out to wet his lips, his skin felt dry and for the first time since many years he could not figure out if this was a wrong decision or not, but he put a high amount of trust in his family and the Irish bloodline principle. His survival instincts let him think of his empty spot on his hip where his weapon, which he had in his car, usually rests, but the logical and emotional sections of his brain blocked these heated thoughts, the family does not harm their own kin, usually.

There he stood then, his arms next to his hips as he sligthly rotated his palms to the rest, a sign of being honest which he subconsciously used to emphasise with his words.

Bellz Misty Gray Fletchawk

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

When Rudy called back to confirm his identity, Sinead relaxed her shoulders and glanced down to Duke who had remained calm anyway. Even the young, boisterous dog had learned who was safe and permitted to be on the property. In a way, Sinead envied the dogs for having such an easy life where their only worry was if the humans were gone a little too long or dinner was late.

"Hi, Rudolph..." she softly greeted the man as he approached her. She shook her head when he casually suggested she returned inside the warm house. "I'm sure I'll be fine. I just needed some air so I could breathe," she said, placing her hand to her chest. "It is cold out here, but it's providing some respite from the overpowering feelings trapped within those walls," she said, gesturing to the house behind her.

Sinead could see the man standing before her was also troubled. The toll of the family business was heavy on all involved, regardless of their role within the family or their closeness to any of its fallen members. When he offered her the beer, she shook her head to decline the offer. "Thank you, but I've never enjoyed the taste," she explained her reason for refusing the drink. Usually, the use of any kind of profanity would evoke a ticking off from the redhead, but the word flew over head her this time. Whether it was the context or the more important worries they had, she didn't react in her usual manner. "Drink the second one on my behalf, won't you, Rudy?" she suggested, mirroring the way he'd called her by the shortened and more personal version of her name. "Tommy was a sweet guy. I remember he always ordered brandy at the jazz club. I guess I'll always think of him when I see brandy," she pointed out. She look to the ground and shook her head. "There's so much death and destruction in our world. This may be a life, but none of us are truly living." She looked up to Rudy, though she wasn't exactly commanding an answer from him. She doubted there was any response or answer that could make their burdens disappear.

Shireling (Rudolph)

 

[Shireling]

Rudy Meyers
​

"Sure, I know what you mean," Rudy said fully immersed now in melancholia. He withdrew the proferred beer, swigged down the one he was drinking, and clinked them together saying, "For old Tommy, what a bang-up guy," before finally tossing the empty one in a nearby trash bin and popping open the second. He took a long swig of the now-opened bottle and leaned against the patio railing.
"I don't mind the toting pistols, acting tough, beating up on idiots in underground gambling dens, that's like my Army-boy days. But losing people? That's tough. It's supposed to be peace time. The war's been over for fifteen years..." He trailed off, muttering to himself in a manner which was barely auditory. He looked back at Sinead. "You know, I always thought you were alright," he paused, "for a redhead," he added teasingly. "How's Peter? I haven't had a chance to visit him. I'm not really sure I should show my face at a prison either, otherwise they might realize I belong there too." He chortled briefly and looked to her for her response.

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor gently rubbed Aliana's back when she accepted his hug. He never thought much of his ability to offer emotional support or advice, but he'd been told he gave great hugs and so he made sure to always share those with people. The suddenly apology from her caught him by surprise, causing him to look down to her face before she continued to speak. He wasn't expecting her to be showing concern for him, figuring she had enough on her own mind to be worrying about him too. "Let us not argue, Ali. This isn't about me. You have every right to be upset and to be focused on how you feel. Don't apologise."

Aliana continued to emphasise that she was there for Conor and he shook his head, believing he didn't deserve to be comforted over Tommy's death. Then, she stroked his cheek and kissed his forehead, before telling him he could let go. Conor looked away but tightened his hold on her. She would feel his body shaking before she would notice the tears rushing out of his eyes. He tightly closed his eyes as if it would stop Aliana from seeing he was failing to hold in his own upset. "It shouldn't have been him..." he said, his voice cracking. It wasn't simply that he believed Tommy had been too nice to have ended up working for the business, but he had offered to attend the meeting and James had refused on account of Conor's tendency to fly off the handle and show his aggression.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead knew Rudy's comment about peace time refered to actual wars, with real armies, where men fought for their countries. Still, couldn't help but feel it was just as relevant to their personal lives. Up until recently, Dublin had been the most peaceful home she'd had. Her family hadn't had to fight to survive like they had in Chicago. Her children had been shielded from the darkness of the world. When Savannah was just a baby, she'd promised to only show the child the good things in life. Now she felt like history was trying so hard to repeat itself and it broke her heart to see it all unfolding again. She'd never seen Jared up close and in person, but she had no doubt he was just as grotesque as the monster she had once stared into the eyes of: Vinnie Romano.

"I've always tried to enforce a life of peace and to draw out the good in people, but it never works, does it? I'm sure you've seen more people fall than I have, but I don't think losing people is ever something a person can get used to. I've been to too many funerals of people stolen before their time, and now my eight-year old boy will be attending one too. I had hoped to spare my children from such an experience." Sinead bit her lip as she thought of Braden. "I told Brady he couldn't be a gangster and so now he wants to be a soldier. It's too late to shield him from our world."

When asked about Peter, she let out a small sigh. "Petey's not doing so well. He's always been so good at protecting me and reassuring me, but there's nothing I can do to return the favour to him. He's in a terrible place and with awful people. I'm worried about him, Rudy. I could see it in his eyes, not just in the bruises on his face. He needs help in there and there's nothing I can do to give it to him." A faint smile crossed her lips at Rudy's comment. "No, you don't want to end up staying in that awful place, I'm sure of that."

Shireling (Rudy)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

The blonde smiled lightly as James told her he loved her too. Things grew quiet again and Lucy looked at her husband as he was lost, deep in his thoughts. She didn't disturb him, finding it better to let him work it out. She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes just as there was a knock on the door. Lucy slowly raised her head and James gently kissed her lips causing another small smile to grace her features. When the door opened Ryan was standing in the doorway. Helped to her feet, James stood up as well before offering Lucy his chair behind the desk. She took it as he went to turn on a few more lamps, brightening up the dimly lit room Making herself comfortable in the chair, she slipped off her shoes and curled her legs underneath her.

Ryan had said Sinead was returned back safely and Lucy found herself being able to breathe a little easier, always finding it a relief when her baby sister was safe. James thanked Ryan and Lucy nodded his way silently. Upon the talk of her sisters stubbornness, Lucy shook her head, a small smirk on her face. Her sister could be a fuss when she wanted to be. Something that she was very good at as the youngest one in the family. Things took another sad turn as James asked Ryan how he was doing. Lucy leaned forward slightly, trying not to look too obvious as she was interested in hearing what Ryan had to say. Ryan's answer was interesting, unexpected. Something seemed to click however as he spoke about Tommy instead of his injuries, seeming to realize the conversation was about the young man who died earlier. It wasn't surprising that Tommy's death didn't effect Ryan like it did James, Jackson and Ali, like he had said, he didn't know him for very long.

The man took a deep breath and changed the conversation to a much darker subject. Lucy swallowed hard, finding it difficult to think about the meeting being a trap, something that her husband had been unprepared for and walked into blindly. The subject of war had always made her blood run cold, causing her to tremble. She rested her hands against her stomach, looking to James as he glanced her way. As much as she wanted to talk, she was finding it hard to. Listening to what her husband had to say was more important that anything she could have said. He confirmed that they were at war and Lucy had to close her eyes to keep the room from spinning. 10 years, they had been able to stay away from war. Things were peaceful, they were comfortable and had everything they could have wished for. It was true what people say: what comes up, must come down. The fall was going to be horrifying if they didn't win. James rounded the desk to look at the file that was laying there, speaking of fulfilling Tommy's final request. Ryan agreed to look at the file and help James as he was about to reach forward for the information on the desk. There was another knock on the door and the man who stepped through caused a small smile to form on Lucy's face.

She was about to greet him when James got to him first. She sat back in the chair as he made small talk, only to sit forward again when James bluntly asked Kennedy why he was visiting. She cringed at such bluntness and the look she gave him was a piercing one, narrowing her blue eyes at him. Kennedy didn't seemed phased as he went on to answer her husband's question. He had seen Finn and her mother, which was a good thing. It had been a long time since she'd seen Kennedy, she knew how Finn felt about his brother and she wasn't surprised with the reaction Finn had given him. Lucy glanced to James and Ryan briefly as Kennedy went into details about why he was visiting. Her brows furrowed as she turned her attention back to Ken, he was speaking about his profession, and how it was difficult to explain.

The way Kennedy was speaking, it couldn't have been good. There was a long sigh from Ken before he revealed his line of work. It was poor timing really, for Ken to reveal that he was a Detective, with Tommy's final wish needing to be fulfilled. Lucy was up out of her husband's seat as she quickly rounded the desk to step in between James and Kennedy, looking from James to Ryan as she slowly held her hands up."Alright, before this turns into something that will ruin our furniture, I'm stepping in." She had been silent for long enough and it was time she had a say. "Kennedy, thank you for being so very honest with us. I believe that shows we can trust him, at least a little bit?" Looking to James, she wondered if he would hear her out. Kennedy was her family after all. "I think this information could actually be of some use to the family...Kennedy could be of use. He is family first." James wanted to help Tommy fulfill his final wish and Kennedy could be the intel he need to do it. "This intel you need, why not use Ken?" She question as her eyes turned to stare at James. It had been a while since she immersed herself into the business, leaving her husband to make the decision as he really did know best most of the time. But she had a feeling that this could work.
with: James Misty Gray ; Ryan Fletchawk ; Kennedy mpower

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James listened as Kennedy spoke of Finn being disgruntled by the man's absence. He could understand where the younger brother was coming from, but he had also become aware that Finn wasn't himself lately and there was some trouble in his relationship with Eleanor. Mention of Shannon being a lovely lady managed to draw a brief, dry smirk out of James. "Of course. Stay on the right side of her and she'll be an angel," he knowingly remarked. James listened as Kennedy continued, explaining what had brought him back to Dublin and that family was important. That was something James agreed with him on and made him more willing to hear the man out. He folded his arms and leaned back against his desk.

Kennedy seemed to be overcome with awkwardness as he gazed around the room and let out a deep sigh. James quirked an eyebrow, wondering what this complicated profession could be. He figured everyone had to make a living, so nothing could be too embarrassing, unless the man felt overshadowed by his younger brother's profession as a doctor. However, as Kennedy informed them he was a detective, James' unfolded his arms and stood up straight. He heard the man say he was willing to help the family - or something - but James' mind wasn't getting past the fact Kennedy was a bloody cop. Bent in the right direction, cops had their uses, but cops and the family were meant to be separate. James' distaste for them was intensified by the fact he had just finished discussing killing the one who had got away with murdering Tommy's mother.

James moved to step closer to Kennedy, ready to let out his disapproval for the man's profession in the most profane and aggressive of manners. Before he knew it, Lucy was standing between him and Kennedy, causing James to practically bite his tongue before his barrage of words could end up directed into his wife's ears. James took a deep, controlled breath as Lucy informed them that she was stepping in before violence ensued. She knew James too well by now. He gritted his teeth as she thanked her cousin for being honest and then suggested to James the man's honesty meant they could trust him a little. James could see his wife was trying to gauge if he was hear her out, which caused him to hold his opened hands out and take a step back, inviting her to continue. When Lucy suggested Kennedy could help them get the intel needed to help them get to the Sergeant, James looked back to the file on his desk before glancing to Ryan. James then diverted his vision forward again, but seemed to look past both Lucy and Kennedy as he mulled things over. He always considered and respected Lucy's opinions, which was why he hadn't attacked Kennedy already.

"Had to be a fucking copper, didn't you?" James grumbled, before eventually resting his eyes back on Kennedy. "You're willing to prove yourself and earn our trust?" he asked. "How far are you willing to go to do that?" he asked. If Lucy was right and Kennedy could be used to get at Sergeant Higgins, he'd have to be willing to be an accessory to murder.


mpower (Kennedy) Fletchawk (Ryan) Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue
​

Initially, Ryan wasn't sure what to make of the new Sullivan. While the man was obviously uneasy as he walked into the room, his steps were naturally measured. A sign that usually meant some sort of training was involved, whether it was high brow etiquette, military, or even a mix of the two. Although the man known as Kennedy obviously had some reservations about revealing it, the way he said it, as if it was an unfortunate circumstance, kept Ryan from drawing on the man immediately. Ryan did however unbutton his coat for if the need arose.

The scene was almost comical to watch as Lucy verbally leash her husband with practicality and reason, despite the Kennedy's ill-timed confession. This did however, not completely tame James as his words implied a heavy cost for his willingness to accept the man. Ryan wondered if James would been more accepting, had the timing been better.


Misty Gray [James] Bellz [Lucy] mpower [Sheriff or Deputy?]

 

[mpower]

Kennedy Sullivan​

In the beginning, Kennedy smirked slightly, even though he noticed his agitated cousin, who was seated a bit in the back, he found it funnily enough how honest and familiar James described his aunt. As soon as James leaned back, a relief came through Ken's body, still feeling nervous but clearly more backed up by the fact that the man in front of him was a listener not an interrupter, a trait which many men in high positions usually obtained, such as their boss in the Gardia, but the Detective quickly warned himself to not get distracted by an inner monologue again, his eyes signalised that he fully paid attention to his surroundings again as he went on.

A small alarm went off in Ken's head as the body language of James shifted, he seemed surprised but sure as hell angry, the sight of James created goosebumps on the skin of Kennedy, accompanied by an, to the other people, silent shiver which ran through his body. Adrenaline was on its max right now, basically, this moment was either defeat or victory, if one made this conversation and life itself an arcade game. Before anything could have happened, his cousin stood up which created a real relief for Ken, even though James had closed their distance a bit, not a single step back was made by the Sullivan in the room, a sign of will and braveness, yet he did not say anything as Lucy spoke for him, just inspecting the two and their interaction briefly.

Clearly interested now as he had heard of intel and his possible involvement in it, a good chance, Kennedy thought as he raised his eyebrows, listening to James speaking out his distaste for his profession in a far more civilised and verbal manner, probably something which might have been different if Lucy hadn't been there. Kennedy gazed at her for a second, his eyes squinting lightly in a form of "Thank you" manner, before he redirects his gaze to James, returning the eye contact now.

"Times were hard, I've been partially forced after the army and my stay in the hospital...got drafted in, it was all rushed and I used an opportunity.", he coughed up once and continued: "Well, I am willing to do anything. I've actually done you guys a favour once or twice in the Garda, but I've been too busy in the West to actually have helped you more. My loyalty is there for family, not my profession, which means that I am willing to do anything, it's not like I haven't killed before. Killing for my country or for my family, working for my country or my family? Some would say where is the difference, I say family's more important, I am still a Sullivan, dead honest." His right hand moved in front his heart as he stood there, his cold and sad eyes staring at James.

Bellz Misty Gray Fletchawk

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Conor hadn't exactly given her the reassurance she needed at the moment with his words. Just as she was about to go at it again, asking if he was sure about not needing her, his grip around her tightened. Even though he hadn't told her, this gesture was proving that he did need her. All of his actions were showing her just how much he was hurting at that moment. From the way, he was holding her to crack in his voice gave her what she needed. From that moment, she decided to focus on him and his grief instead of her own. It gave her a reason not to come to terms with how she felt about Tommy's death, being as emotions weren't her strong suit.

He began to blame himself it seemed, saying it shouldn't have been him. "And what, it should've been you? Stop thinking like that." She gently whispered. Ali would let him hold her as tight as he needed, as long as he needed, and be there for whatever he needed. Her heart would break even more seeing the tears fall out of his eyes. She gave a deep sigh, rubbing the back of his neck in comfort. After sitting in silence for a while, she pulled away from him and moved her hands to cheeks where she wiped away his tears. "You don't have to be strong for me, Conor Sullivan." She shook her head and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the room she originally was going into. Once the door was closed, she kicked off her shoes and got into the bed, waving him over. "This all has to be a dream, right? When we go to sleep we'll wake up from it." There was still a part of her that didn't believe Tommy was really dead, even though another had accepted his death. Once her head fell on the pillow her eyes closed, but her mind didn't stop racing about the events of the night. Good thing she didn't see Alex standing in the hall otherwise she wouldn't have been able to sleep at all.

Conor ( Misty Gray ) Alex ( neverbackdown )​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 13: Vengeance
Friday 5th February 1960
...3 weeks later...
Afternoon - Mild, Clear skies
******************************

******************************

Police Station
​

Detective Donnelly

Donnelly had been busy for the last few weeks, having had to try to pick up the pieces following the attack at the restaurant. The fact that the Porters were not behind it had motivated the man more to investigate. Jared seemed to do well at taking the heat off himself and had managed to turn it in his favour to reinforce his pledge to cut down on crime if he were to be elected. Donnelly didn't buy it and found it in poor taste that Jared had even used his daughter's injury to bring some sympathy his own way. The man was charming and able to hide behind his perfected public smile. Donnelly wasn't sold and he never had been, especially not when he believed in the Commissioner and knew his colleague was the right man to be the Mayor of Dublin.

Donnelly has also been busy trying to distract any heat from falling on the Porters, knowing some of his colleagues had been motivated by their superiors to keep tabs on James in particular. He suspected Detective Kennedy was also aware of this and was no doubt working hard himself for the same cause. Regardless, Donnelly was still frustrated as he expected there would be some kind of retaliation against those responsible for killing Thomas Dempsey. James never told him anything...

As Donnelly completed some paperwork on a separate case, he decided to give himself a break to grab a coffee. On route to the canteen, he sent a friendly nod in Kennedy's direction and brushed passed Sergeant Higgins as he continued on his way for his long overdue hot drink. He was completely unaware that Kennedy was planning to lure the Sergeant to a secluded location where Ryan could then murder the cop...

mpower (Kennedy) Enzyme (Sergeant Patrick Higgins)

Textile Factory - Jared's Office
​

Jared Armstrong and Evan Shaw

Following the shootout at the restaurant, Jared had been forced to question some of his employees and try to seek out if the betrayal of his trust was an infection throughout his organisation or if it was an isolated incident. He'd determined that most of him men were still loyal and the attack had been Carter's and Evan's idea. The former had been a close ally of Jared's for some time and one who had up until that moment proved himself useful. That was the reason why he was giving Carter and Evan the opportunity to explain themselves that morning.

Carter, Evan and Jack had all been asked to come to his office, with Gideon and Oliver invited along to oversee the meeting as more objective witnesses as they had not been present during the restaurant attack. Once all of the men had arrived in Jared's office, the man rounded his desk and stood in front of it, so there was no furniture between him and his employees.

"I'm sure you all know why I've called this meeting and after taking some time to assess the situation, I think it's best to get straight to the point." Jared's eyes scanned the room of faces but his vision mostly rested on Carter and Evan. "The meeting with the Porters was meant to remain a civil one, to try to ease the tensions until after the election. Whilst it may not have been heading in the direction of success, it would have aided our cause greatly to have left that restaurant without violence nor commotion." Jared cleared his throat. "Whilst the three of you voiced opinions that differed to mine," he began, including Jack in his present words, "I still sat back and allowed you to speak them. I'm not a dictator and I believe all voices in this cause deserve a platform to be heard." Jared then looked to just Carter and Evan, knowing Jack hadn't been a part of the attack on the Porters. "So tell me, why did you think it was a good idea to go behind my back and start shooting at those bastards?" he asked, his voice, slightly raised. "Innocent people were killed and my daughter was injured. I believed the two of you were committed to this cause, yet your actions may have had dire affects on what we are striving for. How does the IWU gain support and understanding if the public starts linking us to shootings and explosions?"


Enzyme (Carter, Gideon) Shireling (Jack)

Dublin County Prison
​

George Sanderson

The last few weeks for George had been just another few weeks. Same cell, same crappy mattress, same assholes locking the cell door every night. The days followed the same routine as they had for years now. For some time, he'd found the predictability comforting. Every night he'd go to bed knowing what to expect the following day and he didn't have to worry about having a roof over his head or having food on a plate, even if it was all substandard. However, as the days went on, it all became tiresome and boring. Ever since he'd spoken to Finn he'd found a new lease of life and a reason to start dreaming of the outside again. Hearing about the man's travels and flourishing career made George thirsty for a life outside of the prison. Since yesterday, those thoughts had been met with a nervousness and a sense of fear, thanks to the letter that had been handed to him. George had received a date for his next parole hearing and as excited as he was, he was silently terrified. The thought of having to sit in front of a panel of miserable bastards in suits took him back to his last hearing. The way they ripped apart everything he'd done and focused on even the smallest misdemeanours. The way they'd rejected his appeal and just dismissed him with a careless point towards the door, like he wasn't even human... He felt like a a piece of shit, to put it simply.

As visiting time once again came around, George found himself sat at the familiar table as he waited to see who was visiting him today. He suspected it was his brother and that was never a bad thing as he liked seeing his siblings, but there was always a part of him hoping Finn was paying him a visit. George turned to his side to see Peter sat at the table to his right, as was usually the case. He expected to see the man's pretty red-haired wife again and wondered if perhaps Finn would at least be present with her. He hoped Peter would be in a better mood than he was a few weeks ago. Dale was someone George got along with and had fun trading books with. He hoped putting the man into contact with his cellmate would help Peter and perhaps even give Dale an interesting project to work on. Ten years was a long time in jail for George, but he always wondered how the hell Dale had managed more than double that time already.

Bellz (Finn)

** Fletchawk and Bellz - I believe Ryan is having a quick visit with Peter. I'll let you two arrange this scene. **

Lake Windermere, England
​

James Porter

The last three weeks for James had been a stressful mixture of arranging funerals, planning attacks, gaining intel and avoiding drawing attention to himself. Those around him were demanding action and James wanted to be out there with them when the retaliations got underway. However, information from Donnelly and tip-offs from Kennedy made it clear to James that others in the police department were keeping a close eye on him. As much as he hated it, James knew he had to step away until the heat was off him, rather than risk the planned jobs being compromised.

James had been in a bad mood for the days that followed Kennedy's revelation. His mood only got worse when Blake came clean about the fact she and Jackson had kept secret her position within the IWU. He felt betrayed that Jackson hadn't told him sooner and it took some persuading to bring him to a point where he would hear them out. As with Kennedy's admission, Blake's confession had benefits and great opportunities to obtain intelligence. Lucy had talked James into letting Kennedy help them, with the intention of the Detective helping out by luring the Sergeant to a secure location where Ryan could kill them. Meanwhile, with Blake's inside knowledge, Jackson, Rudy and Aliana would lead a team to carry out an attack against the IWU. James had been clear that he didn't care about the destruction and body count, as long as it was only members of the IWU who were harmed. Preferably the likes of Jared and Carter...

Tommy's funeral had taken place on Monday, just a few days earlier. James took the day after to ensure business was looked after, trusting Jackson and Ryan to lead the tasks they'd been assigned. With many of his most trusted gang members tied up with their jobs, Conor was left to manage security at the house and work from the office to keep in communication with James' main business contacts.

(Mentions: Enzyme (Jackson) mpower (Ken) Fletchawk (Ryan) Bellz (Blake) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Shireling (Rudy) )

James had decided to take Lucy, Syd and Sinead on a short holiday. His son needed a break from the tragedies back home and Sinead needed a break from the four walls she barely left in weeks. Not only that, it would serve as an alibi when the police would no doubt come sniffing around after the future attack on the IWU. Yesterday morning, James, Lucy, Syd and Sinead left home for their trip to Lake Windermere, in England.

The old hotel they were staying in was located by the lake, with a studio apartment consisting of three bedrooms. James had woken early Friday morning, as he usually did, having had one of the most comfortable sleeps he'd had in a while. Business wasn't completely left back in Dublin, so James had started his day meeting with a businessman operating in the East End of London. After discussing future business partnerships and sharing details of their suppliers, James make a swift exit from Mr. Russell's company.

As agreed, James met with his family on the quiet sandy beach by Lake Windermere. James greeted Lucy with a hug from behind and loving kiss on her cheek. As he held his wife, he rested his hand on her stomach, trying to focus his mind on positive thoughts before he became trapped in overthinking what could possibly be going on back in Dublin. "Are you enjoying yourself, love?" he asked Lucy. "It's so peaceful out here and I figured we need a little bit of that right now. Especially those two," he commented, regarding Syd and Sinead.


Sinead Callahan

The air by the lake was cool and there was a slight breeze, but the overall temperature was mild compared to the last few months. Sinead stood with her hands in her pockets as she closed her eyes and took in the serenity of the peaceful lakeside beach her family presently had to themselves. Despite the mild weather, it wasn't spring for a few more weeks and the bright winter sunshine was a refreshing change for Sinead. With the exception of attending Tommy's funeral, the woman had kept herself locked away at home and so hadn't seen much sunlight at all. The days following the events that took place weeks ago, Sinead had barely been able to force herself out of bed and that in turn had knocked her out of her routine of taking he medication. She worried for Peter and she worried for Ryan. Her heart broke for Aliana and Braden, two of the people closest to her who were deeply affected by Tommy's death. It wasn't until Savannah let slip to Conor that Sinead wasn't taking her pills that her family intervened to get her to take her medication again. When James and Lucy suggested she joined them at the lake, Sinead initially refused, but eventually came around to the idea. Satisfied Shannon and Skye would look after her children, she agreed to go on the break in the hopes the change of scenery would help her to clear her head and pull her out of her troubling thoughts.

Sinead hadn't realised James had returned until she looked over her shoulder to see him cuddling with Lucy. She then waked back towards the others and placed her arm around Syd's shoulder. "Are you alright, honey?" she sweetly asked him. She was aware he was now doing jobs for James and also knew that meant he'd already seen men killed. She figured he too needed this holiday and a chance to get a clear head. "Are you missing Skye? I know for a fact she'll be missing you..."


Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Lucy)

Porter House
​

Conor Sullivan

With most of the gang out on jobs and James himself having a perfectly timed vacation, Conor had been left in charge of things back at the house and overseeing business from James' office. He was concerned for all those going out on the respective jobs, especially for Aliana knowing she too was placing herself in potential harms way in the name of revenge. Conor understood everyone's need to retaliate, he just hoped everyone would come home safely. He didn't wish to attend anymore funerals for quite some time. Despite his thoughts on funerals, he had made sure to be there to support Aliana during that time. He still wasn't quite sure how she felt about him and he knew it wasn't a matter to push, not with Tommy barely even buried. He was also concerned for how Alex might feel about the whole thing. She had regained her memory but he wondered if she too felt the barrier between them - the spark that they'd seemingly left behind them back in Chicago.

Conor wasn't used to such a quiet house. Skye was at the Callahans' place homeschooling the children and no doubt making sure they completed all of their chores. Shannon was in the conservatory painting. After checking the perimeter of the house and having a quick chat with Brian, Conor returned indoors and laid back on the sofa, soon enough joined by Samson and Lady. Pistol had been the only dog small enough to join Lucy on their trip across to England. Conor took some time to enjoy the quiet, knowing Alex would be bringing Michelle home from school soon. His daughter had a lot of energy and a lot of questions, so he didn't doubt today wouldn't be any different. Apparently he was the same as a child, so the girl could have inherited it from him!


neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle)

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

​

Pyroclast and neverbackdown - I will leave you two to arrange a scene with Adam and Mallory
Shireling - I believe we discussed Aldous but let me know if you need assistance.
Melanin-Gxdess Shireling - Bellz will be getting a post up involving Rudy and Aliana

 

[Bellz]

Blake Walsh​

Friday 5th February 1960
…3 weeks later…
Afternoon - Mild, Clear skies​

Blake’s heels clicked against the side walk as she quickly walked down the busy street. Standing at the edge of a walkway, she waited for traffic to slow before making her way out into the street, looking both ways to make sure cars had come to a halt. As she quickly headed into a large two story building, a sign that read Library gently swayed in the soft breeze. Raising her sunglasses, Blake nodded to the librarians behind the front desk, her eyes on a mission. She stepped in front of the desk and smiled gently to the little ladies behind it, ”Pardon me ladies, but would you happen to know where I could find the archives for the local paper?” The brunette to the left adjusted her glasses and took a closer look at Blake before nodding her head slowly, ”Second floor, to the right of the stairs… Blake smiled widely this time, pleased with the information she was given. ”Thank you very much.” She chirped happily. Making her way to the stairs, she gracefully climbed to the second floor, as she reached the top, she looked to her right. Stepping slowly, she made her way towards the right. Eyes scanning each row of shelves that she passed. Historical Romance, Historical Fiction Historical Nonfiction…

Just when she was beginning to lose hope, she found the archives of all the local newspapers and magazines, preserved in the library, protected from time. Blake had been fishing for the blueprints to the building that was HQ to the IWU for weeks, coming up short every single time. The library was a last ditch effort and she wouldn’t’ stop looking until she searched the place up and down. After making the promise to get even with the IWU with Jackson, she had made it her mission to get all the information on her former employers as possible. Grabbing a stack of the many folders protecting the old local newspapers, she began searching for anything she could find, blueprints, description, pictures of the building where the meeting would be held. Builders and contractors would place any of those in the paper to grab the attention of buyers. Although it wasn’t necessarily needed for the attack, it would make things a lot easier. Page after page, folder after folder. It was becoming increasingly hard to find. Eyes glancing through every page, there was something that was familiar about each one. The Porters seemed to make the headlines a lot, Blake couldn’t help but smirk with slight amusement as a photo of James popped up with Lucy by his side. It was clear who was the more photogenic one. Snapping that folder shut, she moved on to the next one. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed but she knew how little time she had left.

Grabbing a pile of folder that had been stacked on the table near the shelves, she placed each one back in their correct place. Once there was no more folders on the table, she turned to a new section of the shelves. 1930s seemed like a good section to continue on. She flipped through a few folders, having no luck before grabbing one last folder to look through. Flipping through the folders laminated pages, she found the print that she had been looking for, in a section that had placed it for sale. The blueprints laid flat on the thin paper, with level, measurements, everything. Blake wanted to dance around as she stuffed the folder inside her purse. Smiling widely, Blake left the archives section of the library and made her way down the stairs to the first floor. She nodded towards the librarians as she passed through the doors and headed towards her car.

***​

Everyone had needed time to heal. It had been a sad three and a half weeks for all as Tommy was laid to rest. But the sadness melted away and today was the day some had been waiting for. Blake walked through the door of her apartment, grinning from ear to ear. She had been set on find all the informations she could the past couple of weeks and she was ready to share what she had with the small group that was ready to get vengeance on the IWU. Looking for Jackson in the apartment, she found him in the bedroom. She practically skipped over to her love as she dipped her hand into her purse, searching for the blueprints. ”I finally have them.” She said, her tone prideful. Pulling out the leather bound folder, she held it out to him. ”They are poorly printed, a bit damaged despite being laminated, but it was the best I could do. The city had trashed the original blueprints to save space in public records. The building was built around sometime in the early 30s.” Blake blue eyes lit up like fireworks as she spilled all that she had found to Jackson. ”You know what that means? The age? It means that destroying the ancient thing will be a piece of cake!”

The blonde bounced on the balls of her feet excitedly, as she grabbed the folder from Jackson and snapped it closed. Stuffing it back in her bag, she then threw out her arms and looped them around Jackson’s neck, leaning close so that her lips grazed the skin there. ”Hey baby.” She breathed against his neck, smiling mischievously as she pulled away to stare into his eyes. ”You ready to do this?” She asked. They were missing a few team members, Ali and Rudy would need to be called but Blake took the opportunity to have a moment alone with Jackson. ”I love you.” She murmured, another smile playing on her lips. Leaning in, she kissed his lips lightly before quickly darting to the phone, making the call to Ali and then Rudy. She gave them both an address and stress that it was important to meet her at the apartment as soon as possible. After hanging up the phone, she turned to Jackson, ”So, I assume you have everything ready to go weapons wise? The structure is practically made for an explosion."

with: Jackson Enzyme
mentions: Ali Melanin-Gxdess ; Rudy Shireling [/b]

 

[mpower]

Kennedy Sullivan


​

It had been stressful days, mostly due to his family, one way or another.
First of all, he had established himself in their big mansion, and a good bunch of folks were very excited to meet him and get to know everything about him, especially the little ones.
Second of all, the funeral which he attended like the rest was not exactly sad or heart taking for Kennedy, after all, he did not know Thomas really, which lead him to stay silent and emotionless during the whole ritual, having to look at crying or angry men and women, who all murmured their prayers, but those negative emotions surely brought down his own. Prayers didn't help poor Thomas' father, and the son didn't last long either, Kennedy had thought with his cynical way of thinking towards the church.

Third of all, the family again, his own department had folks looking after them, especially James of course, due to their participation in the shootout which followed after the small gun down of civilians and a few head figures of that meeting. Sadly Kennedy had heard of this only the next day after his visit by the Porters, else he could have forged some evidence on the scene to hint more on the IWU, but now it was time to concentrate on exactly those. Kennedy was in the middle of a briefing, standing and explaining his team on why they have to concentrate on the workers and the higher-ups. His four Detectives understood that they had to investigate further into that direction, they were loyal to him and thus partially loyal to the Porters, the usual coppers in his team though questioned why they should focus on IWU only and not on the Porters, knowing of the blood running through their superior's veins. To that Kennedy simply replied that another team focusses on other participants, but the main hints and witness reports lead up to the fact that the Porters didn't do anything.

Exhausted of those useless discussions, Kennedy headed out of his section and into the main halls, leaving them up to discuss further nonsense, they had their orders from him after all. Chatter and telephone ringing surrounded his clouded mind as he made his way to the tea machine. Noticing the Sergeant he almost forgot about, or tried to push to the back of his mind, he did not greet him yet, but he had mentioned to him a few days ago that he might need him for an observation later on for a human trafficking ring.

He took his cup of tea and sipped on it, nodding to Donnelly, who he had worked with a few days ago on some cases, as promised. After all, he didn't have anyone to talk with right now and simply headed over to the Detective, greeting him while he sipped on his cup of tea. "Did you get any success in those cases some day ago? I couldn't work on mine due to this big incident. My team's totally looking for vengeance because of those killed civilians, but they're like bloodhounds, wild and looking out for anything which ain't on the tree as soon as they bark", he hinted on them and other members of the Garda who had interests in taking action against the Porters as well, tapping them together with other observation methods.

Enzyme Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

In the aftermath of Tommy's death, a shadow had fallen over the Porter household. Over the past few weeks the focus of the mob had been on deciding the best way to move forward, both emotionally and in terms of revenge. Syd wanted to do right by Tommy and so did his best to stay in the loop, but allowing such sombre events to occupy his mind all day everyday began to take a toll on him. Skye was the only thing that drew a genuine smile from him these days, yet he couldn't help feeling that spending time with her was in some way selfish, like he wasn't allowed to be happy until Tommy had been avenged. It wasn't until after the funeral that Syd decided he needed to pick himself up and stop wallowing in sadness. So when his parents proposed a holiday to get away from it all, Syd agreed, in hopes that it would clear his head a bit.

Sitting at the edge of the lake, Syd closed his eyes and listened to the breeze, the water, the distant gulls. He had never been to England before, but so far it was making a good impression on him. It reminded him of lakes in Ireland he had visited on previous getaways, but he had never truly appreciated the peaceful effect of being in nature. Having always lived in cities, he had developed a taste for action and lively, bustling environments, but now he was beginning to understand why people often called the countryside an escape. When his aunt sat beside him and placed her arm around his shoulders, Syd opened his eyes and gave her a serene smile.

"Yeah, I'm alright, Sinead," he said, bringing a hand up and placing it lightly over hers. He breathed in the fresh air and looked out across the lake, watching the sunlight dance across the shimmering water. "I think being here is going to do us good, don't you? Like a reset. You can't run business properly unless your head's in the right place..." When she brought up Skye, Syd gave a light, dismissive laugh. "It's only been a day!" he said - but of course he did miss her. His face fell back to a neutral expression as he added, "She's been missing me for a while, probably. I've been thinking so much about...you know, other things, I just haven't found the energy to give her the attention she deserves. When we get back, I'm gonna be better to her." He nodded to himself in determination. "I'm sure she'd love this place. The people here sound like her, don't they?"

Syd looked to his aunt and smiled. "What about you, aunt Sinead? How're you keeping?" he asked. Although he had Skye around to offer a bit of brightness in this dark period, he knew Sinead didn't have that anymore now that Peter was in prison.

Interactions
Misty Gray Sinead

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan​

”Alright everyone, what is the first thing we do when setting up to draw blood?” Finn called out to the 10 medical students who stared back at him, raising their hands high as they waited to be called on. Finn pointed to a female who shouted out, ”Wash your hands” Finn smiled widely at the girl before giving her a thumbs up. ”Beautiful Karie.” Finn rounded his desk so that he could pick up all the supplies that were needed. ”So today is going to be rather fun! We get to poke each other with needles.” This earned a groan from the class, and some students turned a little pale. ”Oh come on, it’ll be great! Alright buddy up everyone!”

***​

Slipping in his car, Finn was read to leave the hospital to head home for the rest of the day. It had been a hard few weeks, with Tommy’s death and Kennedy’s return, not to mention Eleanor and him still needed to properly end things.Turning on the car and buckling his seat belt, he fiddled with the dials on the radio for a moment until he found the station he wanted. Turning it up, he backed out of his parking spaces before driving down the parking lot to head towards the exit. Finn stopped as he was suppose to and looked right, then left. He could turn either way, one would take him on the route to home. The other could take him to the prison.

He had been thinking about George for some time. The man had some sort of effect on him that Finn couldn’t explain very well. He wanted to learn more, talk more, they couldn’t end it all with that simple conversation. Making up his mind, Finn made a left turn.

***​

Finn had signed in with the prison as a visitor to see George. As he waited to be let into the visiting room, he tapped his foot against the floor nervously. There wasn’t a chance that Peter would be in the room today, Sinead was on vacation with the Porters. That was a good thing but it was also unnerving. As they were let in, Finn’s heart raced inside his chest. His head snapped up to look through the sea of tables. When he saw George, a smile grew on his lips. Walking towards the man, his smile grew larger and larger until he stopped in front of the table and took a seat. As excited and confident as he was before, Finn found it hard to speak once he was seated face to face with the man. ”H-hi.” He stuttered as he stared at George with big wide eyes. ”I thought…I could come see you on my own.”
with: George Misty Gray

Lucy Porter​

It was hard to stay together when so many were falling apart. The three weeks that had passed were trying, everyone was either still mourning over the death of Tommy or planning to get vengeance. Lucy had thought that things would slow down a bit, allowing time to really remember Tommy, but things took off running. James was constantly kept busy and there was a lot of business to be done. When Tommy’s funeral finally did come, the day was silent and still. The only good thing about that day was that Sinead had made an appearance, before she disappeared inside her home again. Lucy worried for her sister when word came that she wasn’t taking her medication. The plan was to take a small vacation away for a short while. With the attack going on, the police could easily turn around and point fingers. Within the three weeks, things had started to change a lot pregnancy wise. The blonde was getting wider definitely showing more bump and turned into a bit of a crier, even finding herself hard to live with.

She couldn’t imagine what the vacation would bring, but her first night there had been a surprisingly peaceful one. The morning flew by, not feeling ill or the urge to cry at any moment during it. She had enjoyed a nice book and a extended stay in bed before it was time to meet James at the beach.

Lucy, Sinead and Syd had arrived at the beach a bit before James had arrived. Everyone was silent as they enjoyed the views that the lake brought. Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, Lucy tugged her light coat tighter to her body and sighed. The light splashing of the water hitting the shore, the gulls calling out to one another farther away. Lucy looked to Syd who was sitting near the edge. She hoped that this vacation would do him some good. Peace for a little while would help heal him. Her glance moved to Sinead and she also hoped that the time they had by the lake would heal her. Stepping up behind her, James wrapped her in his embrace and it caused Lucy to gasp out in surprise.She chuckled sweetly as he kissed her cheek, holding her as his hand moved to rest on her belly.

Lucy nodded her head slowly when he asked if she was enjoying herself. She silently agreed that it was peaceful, having thought that earlier before he arrived. She looked to Syd and Sinead again, who were now together this time, speaking to one another. ”I hope they will heal.” She murmured to James as she rested her hand against his. ”Its incredible here, the lake looks like it could go on forever.”

with: James Misty Gray

mentions: Syd Pyroclast ; Sinead

 

[Misty Gray]

Detective Donnelly​

As multiple thoughts filled his head at the same time, Donnelly found himself stirring his coffee a little bit too much and it was only the irritating sound of his metal spoon hitting the sides of the mug that snapped him out of it. He'd been told to help keep an eye out during Thomas Dempsey's funeral earlier in the week, on standby should any violence kick off during the ceremony. The funeral was peaceful, but it reawakened the memories of his wife's death and so close to the third anniversary of his loss. He'd lost his son that day too, but not through death. The father and son had always been at each others' throats and losing her had been the final straw, as the detective's work had always been put before his family. Given that Donnelly was involved in such complicated and dangerous cases, he figured having no family was the best way. Nothing to lose but his own life.

Donnelly turned around to face Kennedy and listened as the man addressed him. "No success as yet. The Ballymuns are maintaining that they don't know who they've been shifting the drugs for and the more I hear it, the more I'm starting to believe it. There's no strong leads and I'm certain it's not the Porters pulling those strings. I've put a couple of my guys onto the case, so they'll be watching the Ballymuns and any other peddlers very closely." He nodded his head in agreement about the big case taking up more of their time. "The Porters are always going to be the prime suspects in anything big that happens, which we have to stop ourselves from getting blindsided by." There was clearly something pissing Donnelly off. The fact that he was aware of Kennedy's relationship to the Porters made him more inclined to voice his frustration. "If you ask me, Jared Armstrong is the one who we should all be focusing on. The bloke is slimy and I don't trust him one bit. But hey... some here think I'm being biased because I don't want to prick to win the election. Those will be the same guys who I believe to be working for Armstrong instead of doing what's best for this city." He then cleared his throat as he realised he was perhaps going on. He forced a smile to Kennedy before taking a sip of his coffee. "Have you made any progress on the incident?" he curiously asked.

mpower (Kennedy)

 

[Shireling]

Rudy Meyers
​

"Dinah, is there anyone finer? In the state of Carolina? If there is and you know her, show her to me!"

The record spun on the ancient Victorola like the wheels on a sluggish transit bus. Rudy, glancing at the device from his space at the kitchen table, hummed a bit along to the tune. Maximilian, who was growing to be a bit skinny due to Rudy's absence and inconsistent feeding by his Romanian cleaning lady, chittered as he scurried from Rudy's shoulder down to the cuff of his left arm which held the book he was reading whilst polishing off a bowl of cereal. The German, melting with fondness for the creature, plunged his fingers into the bowl and retrieved a piece of sugar-coated oat which the rat took gratefully and hungrily. "Poor boy," he murmured, caressing the rodent's head with his finger, "Mrs. Botezatu neglects you, doesn't she? She doesn't like rats." Rudy tutted disapprovingly and held out his hand towards the nearby countertop that contained the animal's cage. The rat dutifully shuffled inside and Rudy clasped the door shut behind him, smiling approvingly at his pet. He turned his attention to finishing his bowl of cereal.

The ancient phone that Rudy kept in his apartment on the telephone sofa sprung to life with a violent bbbbraannnng! bbbrraaanggg! Rudy, who had been washing his dishes in the sink, practically sprang to answer it. On his way into the living room, he turned down the phonograph and, taking the old-fashioned microphone-stand in one hand and the earpiece in the other, he held up the phone to answer it.

"Meyers Residence, this is Mr. Meyers."

He was greeted immediately by the excitable blonde that Jackson had been shacking up with. He produced a small notepad and pen from his vest pocket and jotted down the address that she gave him. In the background he could hear Bing Crosby singing somewhat ironically, "Every night, why do I...shake with fright? Cause my Dinah-mite changed her mind about me!" He glanced to the carpet bag that he had brought in with him from the warehouse last night, and underneath the blankets he could make out the shape of his Stoeger side-by-side and a few bundled charges of dynamite. "I'll be right there, Ms. Walsh." He said in parting, clicking the earpiece back to the receiver.

Spoiler: Ambience Music

---

Rudy arrived about twenty minutes later dressed in a tastefully-checkered waistcoat and light brown slacks, wearing a long brown overcoat and carrying a large carpet bag in his hand - both of which were covered with tight-fitting leather gloves. The only thing that detracted from his "professional murderer" look was the battered, creme coloured flat cap that insulated his head from the cold. After Blake or Jackson let him in, he placed his bag down gingerly by the sofa and remained standing, his eyes betraying the steeled, grim dullness of a man who knew precisely what he was premeditating. "Careful with that," he warned to dissuade anyone from touching the bag although the dynamite was not volatile, as he unbuttoned his topcoat and put his hands in his pockets. He realized that he hadn't said anything else and quickly added, "Pleasure to see you all..." He swung his watch quickly out from his vest pocket and caught it by the fob, flipping the cover off to read it and just as abruptly putting it back into place with the motion of an automaton. "Ms. Cartwright is supposed to be here as well, I believe? She'll be along soon enough. Let's have a look at those blueprints shall me, Ms. Walsh? Also, a cup of coffee perhaps?"

He walked towards the nearest table and motioned for Blake to bring him the requested items. Seeing as he was the family's expert on explosives, he wanted to pour over the documentation before discussing anything else.

Bellz (Blake) Enzyme (Jackson) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, mentioned)

Jack Brady
​

The last three weeks had seen Jack Brady the ever-present fly on the wall among the rank and file of the IWU. His internal investigation, to see who remained loyal to Jared and who had flaked, had produced roughly the same results that Jared's own assessment had, so he felt confident in standing by the boss. Especially now, as he stood across the desk from Mr. Armstrong and could barely contain his glee at the tongue-lashing that Carter and Evan were about to take. He intended to remaining riding Jared's coattails for the moment as the timing was still not right to remove him as leader, and instead of turning to the other two trigger-happy baffoons he turned his attention to his own internal speculation and accounting of what he had done in the past three weeks.

He had published a small portion of his book as a pamphlet through a radical press in Cornwall. It was published under a pseudonym and was, if the news was to be believed, garnering some attention in England by radical and far-left groups operating there. It had also gained him a bit of money in "donations," one comrade to another, which had financed a new suit and a few nights on the town. Jack had never been the partying type, but his stipend from the IWU was usually more than enough to cover his living expenses so he did a bit extra. He even went to the cinema, something he rarely did. It was something bourgeois, of course, but fun is fun.

He came back into reality, still waiting and expecting an answer from Carter and Evan.

Misty Gray (Jared) Enzyme (Carter)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright

The time Aliana had been waiting for had finally arrived.

For a few days, she decided she was going to go and prepare for what she knew was coming. Being as she hadn't gone shooting since her days in America, she was a bit rusty. She didn't want to be the one who held the team back, so she practiced until she was comfortable with a gun in her hands again. The only issue would be her actually pulling the trigger on another human being, but that was an issue she would come back to later. When she got the call, she was cleaning up the remnants of Leo's stay. He had returned to school, taking a lot of her worrying with him. Especially knowing she was about to participate in something that could perhaps bring trouble for him. When the phone rang she couldn't help but run down the hall in her boots, basically diving to answer the phone. Once she confirmed it was Blake and this was it, she took a deep breath. Ali was actually about to retaliate against those who took something valuable from her and she was ready for it. The only part about it she wished she could change was Conor not being there apart of it. He was there throughout her grief period, from beginning to the middle and she hoped he would be there for the end. She understood the circumstance of why, but it didn't mean it didn't suck. The two of them hadn't spoken on their relationship, out of respect of just putting a friend and potential lover in the ground. But once the bastard who had killed him was dead, then they were definitely going to have to have a conversation.

|||

It didn't take her long to find Blake's apartment. Before she walked in, she clutched her leather jacket around her as she had another fight with her subconscious thoughts. Is this what she really wanted to do? Stoop down to a level that matched the IWU's in so many different ways? Her legs started moving in her black pants, the gun strapped to her thigh weighing down on it. It was like a nervous twitch that she was trying to fight against. "C'mon Ali, you're here already..." With a final sigh, she made her way into the building and to Blake's door. Once there she gave a soft knock and walked in to see everyone already in attendance. She gave them a faint smile, having met up before with them already. "Looks like the team's all here." She tilted her head when she looked over to Blake. "Okay, Bebe. You sounded super excited on the phone, let's see it."

Blake ( Bellz ) Rudy ( Shireling ) Jackson ( Enzyme )​

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead was glad to see the serene smile that Syd sent her way. It made it clear to her that she wasn't the only one finding their surroundings so peaceful and others were sharing this moment with her. She gave hiM a warm smile when he placed his hand over hers, glad to hear he was alright. "I haven't felt calm like this in quite some time. A reset sounds like a wonderful idea to me and it's something we all need. I hope someday all of our friends and family can't share this with us."

"It may have only been a day, but the first day without someone you care most about can be one of the hardest. She misses you, alright," she teased, moving her arm from around his shoulder so she could lightly nudge him. She sighed when Syd mentioned he'd had a lot to think about lately and hadn't had the energy. "You know, the people here really do sound like her," she said, with a short giggle. Sinead fell silent for a moment as she mulled over some of Syd's words. "You know, you don't have to be a part of the family business, Syd. Lucy and James will just want you to be whatever makes you the happiest. When they adopted you, it was because they wanted children, to share their love and their home with you. I just hope you don't feel obliged to do the kind of work the other guys do." She stopped to push some hair back that had been blow in front of her face. "I'm sorry. I guess I just worry about you all and I don't want you to get hurt, especially not if it's doing something you feel it's your duty to do."

Sinead looked out across the lake when Syd asked her how she was doing. "I'm not doing as well as I should be, which is why I really hope this break will help me. I don't want to be like this. I want to be strong and happy, so I can give strength to Peter and reassure the little ones. But my head - it just doesn't let me. Every time something bad happens, I can't get it out of my thoughts and the longer I think about it all, the bigger a catastrophe it all becomes in my head." She took a deep breath and closed as eyes as she absorbed the clean air. "This place is really helping though. The beauty around us, the brightness, it's all reminding me of what's good in this world. I know I need to hold on to that... We should all come live here. Leave the dirty cities behind us and spend our lives in peace. Savvy would love it here," she suggested, a twinkle in her eyes accompanying her bright smile. She knew it wasn't so easy for her family to move and she wasn't sure if she could ever leave Lucy, Conor and everyone else behind.

Pyroclast (Syd)

James Porter​

James was glad when Lucy confirmed she was enjoying herself on their little vacation. He was certain he was enjoying himself too, if he pushed back his concerns for long enough. It unsettled him knowing he couldn't be in Dublin doing his bit. He always did feel like something was missing if he didn't have a gun in his hand and a target in sight. He would love nothing more than to be the one to slaughter Jared and Carter, but as long as someone took them both out today, he'd be pleased. As he thought of other bosses and enemies he'd crossed paths with in the past, he couldn't understand how they were happy to sit back at their desks and let their employees do all of the dirty work. He believed leaders should be willing to get their own hands dirty and share the workload with their soldiers. It was why he was having such a hard time switching his mind off to relax and enjoy the rare holiday he was having. It didn't matter how many people agreed with him leaving, it still didn't feel right to him.

James observed Syd and Sinead, slowly nodding his head. "I'd hoped for Syd to be spared witnessing loss so early into his work. The job on Christmas Day was meant to be straightforward - it usually is," he explained. "But he's a tough lad and with all of our support, I'm sure he'll overcome this... As for Sinead, we've always said she'd strong and can spring back from things. She's always going to have blips, but we just have to make sure she breaks out of them and keeps following the doctor's advice. In three months, Pete will be out and that will make the world of difference to her."

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he said, as Lucy spoke in admiration for the lake. He was glad he'd opted to visit the Lake District, rather than taking his associate's offer of staying in the busy city of London. "It's nice to do something that normal families do, for a change, and to be away from the busy cities. We'll have to do this more often. Next time, we bring all of the kids, including the tiny one..." he suggested, softly stroking Lucy's stomach with his thumb. "I can't wait to meet him or her," he whispered into Lucy's ear.

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

As the visitors began entering the room, George lifted his vision from down on the tabletop to looking up towards the door. He couldn't help the curious smile that grew on his lips as he saw that handsome face belonging to Finn. The small redhead was nowhere to be seen, but George still assumed Finn would walk over to sit at Peter's table. Much to his surprise, Finn approached his table and took a seat opposite him. Caught by surprise, George let out something of an awkward laugh, not doing well to mask his sudden moment of shyness. When Finn stuttered his greeting and looked at him wide-eyed, George sat up straight and cleared his throat, mentally telling himself to get his act together and not embarrass his visitor.

"Dr. Sullivan, I'm honoured," he replied, upon hearing the man had chosen to come see him. "I have to admit, I wasn't convinced you would come see me again. I'm glad you did, though. I found our last conversation very interesting and I'm excited to know more about you. How have you been since we last spoke? Have you resolved the troubles with your lady?" he curiously asked.

George opened out his hands on the table in front of him, gesturing to the four walls around them. "I'm afraid I haven't been up to much of interest in the last few weeks. No vacations or anything like that," he joked. "I've read a couple of good books, though. And this morning, I got a date for my parole hearing. So that's given me a fair bit to think about."

Bellz (Finn)

 

[Enzyme]

Carter Dresden​

Carter had been summoned to Jared's office by two slackjawed goons. He hadn't objected, well aware that Jared would need several fleshed out conversation until he was able to settle down. Carter hadn't been the one to shoot his daughter but was sure that it had heightened Jared's paranoia. After sitting in the small office with his friend beside him, there was a small silence where only the ticking clock did the talking. While most would find it awkward, Carter sat comfortably in his seat with a burning cigarette between his fingers. His real reassurance came from the powerful man behind him, who was leaning against the drywall. The power structure of the room laid like a layer of dense cake, but almost half of the inhabitants sat completely unaware.

Once Jared spoke, his voice seemed stitched with betrayal. Carter withheld to urge to roll his eyes, as he truly felt that they were the ones who had been betrayed. Carter casually inhaled the cigarette as Jared closed his accusations. A string formed from the burning tip, soon disturbed by the cloud smoke blown from Carter's lips. "Right, you don't mean the public." He sat, crunching his nose and shoving the cigarette into the ashtray on Jared's table. "You mean the wealthy lil' pricks and politicians." He blew the remaining smoke from his mouth, his beady eyes carving up to Jared. "No one who died in there was innocent and the fact that you'd say as such is disgustin', frankly." He looked to Oliver, who had pressed himself so hard against the wall that he was sure it would swallow him. Without any objections, he looked back to Jared. "Look what this election has done to yous'," He said raising his hand to Jared.

"That meeting wasn't about standing our ground, it was about shaking hands and maybe securing yourself some votes." Carter shook his head, well aware he was speaking to his superior, but unable to tolerate the lies. "We sat in a high-end restaurant, surrounded by the enemy, and yet I had never seen you so comfortable. If Evan and I had offered the idea to you, you'd shut it down immediately because you're startin' to go off the rails." He leaned back in his seat, shrugging lightly. "But if you are so deeply offended by our actions, then it won't happen again."

Misty Gray Shireling

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

Jackson had spent the majority of the morning tucked away in bed. His racing mind had stopped him from catching much sleep the night before, so he rolled back into the covers to make up for lost time. His last memory was Blake rolling out of bed - until he awoke in a bright, empty bedroom. He sat up in the bed, taking a few seconds to settle into what the day had in store. He then spent the next half hour over the sink in the bathroom, washing the night away from his face and staring at himself in the mirror. He recalled towering over Tommy's grave as they filled it in with dirt, his face void of emotion. He had gotten it all out of his system by that point, all he could think about was biting back like Tommy would've wanted. He swore on Tommy's soul, he'd avenge his death. He swore no mercy upon them, and he'd follow through to a tee.

Once Blake had returned, the living room had warmed from the natural light and "Hound Dog" blared from the radio. Crates had been dropped off the night before, now stacked upon one another beside the couch. Jackson moved out of the bathroom at the sound of the door opening. Before he could step out of the bedroom, she appeared in the doorway. He smiled at her as she gleefully informed him that she had the documents. Putting down the wet rag he had slugged over his bare shoulder, he moved to inspect the documents. He placed the blueprints upon one another, forming the outline of the building. No matter how much Blake downplayed the quality of the papers, they were perfect. Jackson couldn't hide his smile, already forming ideas of where they could enter from.

Before he could inspect it any further, Blake snatched the papers from his fingers. As he looked back up at her, he felt her weight fall upon his shoulders. "Hi," he responded with a chuckle, leaning back so he could get a good look at her. He took a few moments to look at her, his gaze shooting between two equally beautiful blue eyes. "I've been ready for weeks." He insisted, dropping an eyebrow. His serious expression was wiped away as she kissed him. She then quickly disappeared into the living, to which Jackson assumed he was calling up the rest of the party. "Yup'. Everything's here." He leaned on one of the crates, which held the firearms and ammunition.

***
​

The house quickly filled with Porter men, who casually chattered over the radio, which had seamlessly switched to "Come fly with me". Frank Sinatra created a friendly atmosphere, upon the endless weapons and boxes of ammunition which were now strewn about the living room. Still shirtless with only suspenders touching his torso, Jackson stood in the middle of the living room with a group of men. At the sound of Rudy's voice, Jackson looked up off the blueprints, which were laid out on the table. His attention was drawn back to the papers, as one of the men pointed to the various entrances. "Rudy," Jackson called out, keeping his eyes on the paper. "Help yourself to a drink." He cocked his head toward the bottles on the counter. The cases had been cracked open, revealing an arsenal of weaponry. One held trench coats and dusters, already deciding the apparel for the attack. Jackson caught sight of the carpet bag as Rudy set it down on the sofa. A few men moved to inspect the bag but stopped at Rudy's warning.

After calling Rudy over, Jackson pushed aside the disassembled Beretta M38, along with its drum mag. He pressed down on the paper to rid of the creases, allowing Rudy to get a clear look. "Alright, this is the joint." Before Jackson could go on further, he was interrupted by Aliana entering the room. "Ali, come take a look." Once they were all at the table, Jackson pointed to the north wing of the building. "These prints are old and Blakes said she's never seen this entrance, so I assumed they've covered it up. We'd expect the least amount of security here. Along with your explosives, we should have a clear path to both the parking garage and the elevators."

Jackson moved the papers around so everyone could see the entrance he was talking about. "James was very clear, anyone there is an enemy and should be treated as such. We've had our chances in the past to puff our chests and we missed it, so now it's time to shove it down their fuckin' throat." His steel eyes looked to Rudy, and then all those at the table. "We have enough firepower to reduce this building to rubble and I plan on doing so." His motives were re-enforced by the sounds of magazines being slapped into rifles and slug shells being loaded into shotguns.

Bellz Shireling Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan​

Smiling widely George’s way as he called him Doctor Sullivan, the surprise on the man’s features had been well worth the trip. He leaned forward, interested in hearing about his time over the past few weeks, but instead George asked him a few questions about his time since they last spoke. Finn smiled lightly as the man went on to speak about his time by offering a joke to which Finn laughed. When George spoke of getting the date for his parole hearing, this caused a surprised wide smile to spread on his face, ”Well that’s exciting! He said probably a little too excited for being a bit of a stranger yet. ”Not going to forget about me once you get on the outside right?” Finn asked lightly, making it clear that he was only joking. But deep down, Finn wasn’t sure how he would feel if he never say George again. They were practically strangers, things between them were simply casual…

”Eleanor and I are still trying to figure things out…the last few weeks have been hell at the house…” Finn started, ready to answer George’s questions. ”A young man very close to my family passed away due to violence…its been hard on everyone.” Tommy’s death effected Finn quite a bit despite not knowing him very well, he was a man who mourned for every lost soul. ”Sinead has been missing Peter more and more. She’s on a little holiday right now, its been hard for her to deal with all the stress, the family thought it would do her some good.” Lifting his hand, Finn rubbed at his chin in thought. ”Not sure how I’ve been handling it all though, I think I’ve just been getting through it the best I can…” He murmured. ”I’ve just started to teach classes at the hospital again, figured I should be making use of my time instead of wallowing around all day.” There was a part of Finn that searched for that smile that George gave him, whenever he spoke of his accomplishments. It was one that seemed to be so proud and impressed, and the man barely knew him. It was a smile he had missed for the last three weeks.

with: George Misty Gray

Lucy Porter​

The blonde smiled as James agreed with the lake’s views. The shimmering water rippled under the afternoon sun, making it almost too bright to look at in some directions. When James spoke of normalcy, Lucy nodded her head slowly. With the idea of doing something like this more often, it brought another smile to her face. In four months, they were to greet a new little addition to the family, and they would be able to bring him or her on all their family trips. Lucy’s cheeks warmed as James rubbed her belly. Whispering his excitement to meet their little one, she smiled warmly. ”I can’t wait either.” She murmured, though her tone revealed that she was a little nervous. Four more months to go and she was already beginning to become a bit antsy about it all. It was hard not to worry about everything, wondering if they were prepared enough for the baby. She always worried about James and the dangers his job brought but now she had to worry about Syd as well...

The lake that brought peace was beginning to bring anxiety. Lucy bit her lip softly as she leaned her head back against James’ shoulder. She knew how her husband was feeling, despite his best effort to cover it up. He was missing out on the action. He was a man always willing to fight. The fact that he was here on a relaxing vacation instead of planning an attack against the IWU must have been hard. Sometimes Lucy wished that time could standstill in terms of the job her husband had to do. He was always on edge, worrying that things would take a turn for the worst, and to some degree, Lucy felt the same way. They could never really enjoy their time. It was a sacrifice that was made for the sake of the business, one that they had both been willing to take 10 years ago, a decision that they had to carry through to the end.

For years, Lucy struggled with the battle of never being normal. She use to fight for it, finding it being a important part of life. She gave up on the idea of normal a long time again because she accepted the beautiful life she had. ”What do you think the baby will be? I want to say a girl…but I can’t shake the feeling that it’ll be a boy.” Lucy wonder, trying to distract herself and James. It wasn’t working out very well because Lucy ended up asking on the same breath, ”Feeling homesick?” Lucy wanted James to be honest with her, because lying about how he really felt wouldn’t do any good.

with: James Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Blake Walsh​

Despite the casual conversation and music playing in her living room, the area was covered with weapons and ammunition. Blake had just broken away from the group a moment to look out for Rudy and Ali. She opened the door for Rudy first, smiling gently as he walked through her door. Ali still hadn’t arrived so Blake shut the door and followed behind Rudy into the living room again. He said something about coffee, ”Just this once, mate. After that, refills are on you.” Blake headed to the kitchen for a moment before coming back with a warm cup of coffee. She set it on the side table beside Rudy before Ali entered the room. ”All aching to start.” She said to Ali, she smiled the woman’s way as she firmly nodded her head towards the prints that Jackson had in front of him. ”Those prints were hard to find, sent me to the library though, found me a lovely book.” She then fell silent as Jackson went on to explain what she had told him earlier. Heading into the entrance with the least amount of security would give them the best shot of catching the members by surprise.

The intensity that came from Jackson’s voice had an effect on everyone around the table. Tommy’s death was it in the eyes of everyone in the room. They weren’t going to be pushed around any longer. Blake stared down at the blueprints as Jackson ended with his motive to turn the place to rubbled. The sound of magazines and shells being loaded echoed in the room. Blake looked to Jackson for a moment before clearing her throat. ”With that being said, we are splitting up into teams, the first team will be watching the east, second will be watching the west. Get in, take them down.” Blake then looked to Rudy before her eyes rested on Ali, open to any thoughts or ideas they may have. ”We will be taking the north wing.” This plan had been discussed over the past few weeks, but it all needed to be carefully discussed once more before they moved out and executed it. This was important to all of them, Blake wanted to make sure it was done right, she didn’t doubt a single person in this room and their ability to get it done.

Blake was ready to see the surprise on the assholes faces when everything they worked for was going to shit. Jared had been so cocky the last time she saw him, it would be refreshing to see that smug look wiped off that pretty face of his. Carter, she wanted to handler personally if given the chance to, but she knew that a few others in the room had something against him as well. He was as good as dead if this group got to him.

with: Jackson Enzyme
mentions: Ali Melanin-Gxdess ; Rudy Shireling [/b]

 

[Misty Gray]

Jared Armstrong and Evan Shaw​

As Armstrong started lecturing him and Carter, Evan sat comfortably back in his seat. He took a pencil from the edge of Jared's desk so he could fidget with it to occupy the hand he would rather be using to hold his gun. He was sure he'd feel like a naughty schoolchild in the headmaster's office, if his thoughts weren't taken up by imagining slaughtering Jared right in the middle of the room right now. Evan snapped out of his satisfying thoughts and sat forward in his seat, making it clear he wasn't intimidated by Jared or the general atmosphere of the meeting. Once Carter had spoken, he placed the pencil back on the desk and made a point of voicing what was on his own mind too. "The Porters weren't budging and James was looking pretty smug about that fact." And you were all just droning on. "I feel it would have harmed our cause to have walked out of there with the Porters pleased with themselves and having an upper hand. You didn't bring me along to that meeting to talk politics or to listen to my opinion, after all. You wanted me there as muscle." Evan believed Jared underestimated him and that it was mistakes in judgement like that which would lead to Armstrong's undoing. Though he wasn't confessing to being the one responsible for Grace's injury, he decided to offer something to Jared. "For what it's worth. I'm sorry your daughter got shot in the arm..." I should have aimed higher and finished the job.

Jared's eyes remained on the two men, who had until the restaurant proved themselves and done everything he'd asked of them. "You misunderstand my point, Carter. I don't care that little old 'Edna' took a bullet to the chest beneath her diamond necklace. Nor do I care that some waste of space Porter thug got shot in the neck. What does concern me is that you picked the wrong time and place to do it - and behind my back. It's not important whether it's the rich people or those we care about who give us the votes, as long as we get them. People took a vote for me to lead this organisation and nobody protested when I announced I'd be running for mayor. If I win the election, our voices will have a much bigger platform, we will have stronger influence over this city, and the likes of the Porters will be wiped out." He looked over his shoulder to where Oliver was quietly standing against the wall. "I need you all to be patient, for just three more months. Oliver and I have been working tirelessly through this. The things we can achieve and the opportunities that would be opened up to the IWU are huge."

"Well, alright. As Carter said, it won't happen again. You do your little mayor thing and I'll be patient, as you've asked. You'd just better make sure you win this fucking election because I'm sick of hearing about it now," Evan calmly told the man. "And then we can all focus on what we're all meant to be doing."

Enzyme (Carter, Gideon) Shireling (Jack)