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

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 1: A New Beginning
Friday 2nd October 1959
Evening - Mild, Dry
********************************

The Porter Residence

Spoiler: The Porter/Sullivan Residence

1. The largest house is where the Porters live. There's lots of guest rooms so family and friends can stay over - there's no better feeling than a house full of friends! There are also a couple of offices/meeting rooms for those all important business meetings. Let's not forget about that indoor swimming pool - the kids love that. There's also access to the rooftops, because everyone loves a good view... In reality, James loves a good vantage point for security purposes.

2. The smaller, but still fantastic, house is where the Callahans live. It's close enough to the safety and warmth of the Porters but gives the Callahans their own living space. There's still room for guests too.

3. By the main road there's the only two ways vehicles can enter and both have security gates which are kept guarded. Near to the Callahans' place there's a small building which tends to be where the guards can rest whilst remaining "on-call". This lifestyle requires high security and James Porter is a stickler for protecting his family!

4. Cut off from the right corner of the image are the stables, for the family's horses.

James Porter

​

The day had been a relatively calm one, even if it had still been busy. After having his eye on a vacant property for some weeks now, James decided to take Jackson with him to look around inside. The place was near some popular pubs and a couple of banks, perfect for attracting the kind of customers who would flock to a betting shop. If they were dumb enough to gamble drunk, the Porters may as well profit from it. It went without saying that his trusty bookie, Jackson, would be managing the new place too. Once they'd decided the place was suitable, James decided to leave the paperwork until another day, which was a rare move for a man who was known for taking decisive action and sealing deals as soon as possible. He was sure nobody would beat him to it and he was even more sure he'd still get that property from them if they did. James detoured on the way home to collect the gift he had ordered for Lucy's birthday, letting Jackson wait in the car whilst he was in the shop checking the expensive piece of jewellery over ever so meticulously before finalising the payment.

When James finally drove his car into the driveway, the sun was already starting to set. As he parked the vehicle, he shook his head. A noise had been bugging him the entire journey and he was now certain there was something wrong with the car exhaust. He wouldn't have time to look at it tomorrow, as much as he loved fixing up his own cars. Luckily for him, he was paying someone to fix the cars and by now he trusted Kat to even touch his own vehicles. As he stepped out of the car, he scanned the area to see if Kat was in sight, but his attention was diverted to the figure standing on the public sidewalk at the other side of the security gates. James nudged Jackson, expecting him to follow but to only observe and listen.

"Chief Inspector Conway," James greeted the cop, not even the faintest sign of a smile on is face. "How's the promotion going? It's a shame about your predecessor, but the dirty cops never do last long," he knowingly remarked.

"I'll keep this short, as I'd rather not been seen spending too long around here," the middle-aged inspector began. "Tell Conor his hall pass has expired. The next time he gets into a fight or even breaks the law at all, I'm not saving him from a night in the cells. Get him under control, Mr Porter. He's-"

"Alright, shut the fuck up, Conway," James interrupted, not bothered to hear the cop's assessment of Conor as a person. "I'll deal with Conor and you can deal with your own job. You go focus on your own little corner of the city." James turned away from Conway, making it clear their conversation was done. He walked towards the house with Jackson before stopping to look at his friend. "Any chance you can have that word with Conor and tell him to get his shit together? I've been through this with him already and he got all defensive. He's more likely to listen to you," James suggested. As much as he loved his brother-in-law, Conor's drunken antics were starting to get on his last nerve right now.

When they stepped into the house, James called out to see who was home...

Enzyme (Jackson) Bellz (Lucy) viridity (Kat) RabbitQueen (Arlo) EllaaaEllaaaa (Jocelyn)

The Callahan Residence​

Braden & Emery Callahan

Vittoria had been asked to look after Braden and Emery for the day, whilst Sinead and Peter took Savannah out for a few hours. Braden was usually pretty well-behaved and he'd asked Vittoria to help him with his spelling quiz whilst Emery was content playing with her dolls. As the nanny read with the boy, she would notice the house was silent and silence in the Callahan house was usually suspicious, especially where the youngest daughter was concerned. This didn't escape Braden's attention either. "Uh-oh. I think Emmy went exploring again," Braden said, rolling his eyes and closing the book.

The girl wouldn't be found inside the house, even with Braden helping to look for her. "Last time, dad found her feeding aunt Lucy's dogs through the fence," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Emery would eventually be found at the bottom of the garden, pointing up into the tree where a grey cat was perched. "I want a cat!" she cheekily announced, grinning whilst her brother let out an exasperated sigh. "Please can I have that one, Vit-o-toria?" she asked, still struggling with the nanny's name. "Can we see the dogs now?" she excitedly asked, referring to the Porters' pets.

heycarmilla (Vittoria)

Sky Haven Restaurant
​

Sinead & Savannah Callahan

Sinead had intended to have a few hours to relax with Peter, but Savannah had been sad lately and it seemed like she was feeling overlooked. It was easy to feel that way in such a chaotic and hectic home. Between the jazz club and Emery's hyper behaviour, Savvy perhaps hadn't been getting the attention she was used to. After taking her to buy a new toy, Sinead and Peter then took Savvy to Aliana's restaurant for a relaxed dinner together. They frequented Sky Haven as the restaurant was next door to All That Jazz, the live music venue the Callahans owned. As they finished their dessert, Sinead made eye-contact with Peter and sent him a warm smile. She hoped they'd get to spend some time together once the kids were all fast asleep later. But really, she was just happy to know he was safe since he stopped doing what she considered to be dangerous jobs, for James. Peter was managing the jazz club and spending time with the kids, so things were as perfect as they could be right now. Peace felt good.

"Ah, shit..." Savvy mumbled as she dropped some ice-cream on the table.

"Woah, girly. Watch that potty mouth, will you?" Sinead was quick to gently berate her. "Which of your uncles was it this time?" Sinead began, but was cut off when she saw Aliana nearby and she beckoned her over. She got up from her seat and gave Ali a quick hug. "Hey beautiful. How are you?" Sinead sweetly asked her friend. "It's Lucy's birthday tomorrow. Are you going to come over for some drinks?" she curiously asked. She wasn't entirely sure what James and Lucy were doing for her birthday, but she was sure they'd be doing something. She expected it would be something fun around the house rather than some special party venue. James and Lucy hadn't had much luck celebrating birthdays and weddings in the past.

Whilst Sinead was distracted, Savvy leaned towards Peter and spoke quietly. "I'm not telling her who said it. I'm not a grass..." she cheekily told him, referring to her mother's questioning about which of the guys had been cursing this time. "Is that even a bad swear anyway?" she curiously asked.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Bellz (Peter)

The Sullivans Pub
​

Conor Sullivan

The pub was already full of life and happy drunken souls. Conor had only shown up there to check on his bar staff and draw up the week's rota, but he figured he might as well stay for a few drinks seeing as he was now there. He leaned against the bar as he lifted his pint glass, the bruises on his knuckles coming into view as he did. After taking a long drink, he placed the glass down just in time to hear one of the regulars ask him what he'd done to his hand. ""Ah, shit. This? Some guy was hassling a friend of mine last night, so I taught him some manners." He knocked back the rest of his beer before setting the empty glass down and sliding it to one side. "And, before you ask, I wasn't defending her to get her into bed. Besides, the cops kind of killed the moment," he added, with a playful wink.

Conor had drank far too much the previous night that he decided to stay sober this evening. Besides, it was Lucy's birthday tomorrow and he intended to stay over at the Porters' place tonight so he'd be with the family for the full day. It was best to avoid being lectured again and even better to wake up in the morning with a fresh face. With that in mind, he grabbed his jacket and headed out of the pub to walk to the Porters' place. He had his own car at his apartment, but he often preferred to walk and rarely spent time at his own place. Having spent most of his life with living with his crazy big family, going home alone to his own apartment wasn't appealing at all.

Conor wasn't really paying attention as he walked in the direction of his sisters' homes. He did this walk so frequently that he didn't really need to focus. Therefore, he wouldn't really see who was walking towards him...

neverbackdown (Alex)
nymphadora. (Fallon?)


If I haven't tagged you, please still post and put your character where you want them to be. I mostly just want you all to get your first posts up and set some scenes for you to utilise.
I haven't tagged if your CS isn't finished yet either, so as to avoid confusion.

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 2: Happy Birthday, Mrs Porter
Saturday 3rd October 1959
Early evening - Mild, Dry
********************************
The Porter Residence

Spoiler: The Porter/Sullivan Residence

1. The largest house is where the Porters live. There's lots of guest rooms so family and friends can stay over - there's no better feeling than a house full of friends! There are also a couple of offices/meeting rooms for those all important business meetings. Let's not forget about that indoor swimming pool - the kids love that. There's also access to the rooftops, because everyone loves a good view... In reality, James loves a good vantage point for security purposes.

2. The smaller, but still fantastic, house is where the Callahans live. It's close enough to the safety and warmth of the Porters but gives the Callahans their own living space. There's still room for guests too.

3. By the main road there's the only two ways vehicles can enter and both have security gates which are kept guarded. Near to the Callahans' place there's a small building which tends to be where the guards can rest whilst remaining "on-call". This lifestyle requires high security and James Porter is a stickler for protecting his family!

4. Cut off from the right corner of the image are the stables, for the family's horses.

When the party guests arrived at the Porters house, they would be lead into the large living room at the back of the house. A whole assortment of snacks and drinks were already set out. James had talked his kids as well as all of the Callahans into helping him set everything up. The room had been decorated in a pretty blue and purple colour scheme. The record player was sounding in the background, though with the piano in the corner of the room, it was likely the musicians of the family and friends would be playing something by the end of the night. James had wanted the present opening to take place at the start, which probably made sense so everyone was free to get drunk or muck around after. What was more curious was that he was intending on saying a few words. James wasn't one for speeches and entertaining, so most would be surprised...
​

James Porter


James had decided to stay in bed that morning, deciding spending time in bed with Lucy on her birthday was far more important than his usual workout routine. Really, there wasn't even any question about it. The day had been relaxing and though Lucy had opened her cards, James suggested she opened her presents during the party. As the day went on, he regretted that idea as the thought of all of their family and friends watching began to sink in. Business meetings, dealing with the cops and even aggressive rivals were within whatever one might call his comfort zone. Standing up in front of his family, with the likes of Conor and Jackson sat smirking away, was what really made him uncomfortable. Social gatherings were not his comfort zone and they were the occasions where his introverted side crept out.

As the evening approached, James had a shower before he could get himself ready for the party. In the bathroom, he stood drying off with just a towel around waist as he stood facing the mirror, the scars that covered his body reflecting back at him. Permanent marks on his body from the torture he'd survived in jail and the further pain he'd suffered at the hands of his enemies, the likes of Vincenzo Romano. Each scarred gunshot wound told its own story too. A lasting mark on his shoulder from the night Lucy's father had been murdered during his own birthday party. Then there was the the permanent reminder on his lower back of the day he and Lucy were shot by Angel at their own wedding - the day that stole his wife's chance of bearing her own children. He would have taken ten more bullets to stop Lucy from taking just one. Right now, he would live through the pain of all of his scars all over again if it meant ensuring not one member of his family came to harm. No matter how bad he might feel about it, he believed what he asked to be done to Alec Finnegan was what had to be done to regain control and maintain everything the Porters had worked for.

Once he was all dressed up and looking rather handsome, he waited for Lucy to finish getting ready too. She knew him by now to see he was nervous about the evening, but she would also know he wasn't exactly a party animal and it had taken until after they were married for him to feel comfortable dancing in public. "You're going to be spoiled so badly tonight, my queen," he remarked, sending her a playful wink.

When they were both ready, James walked with Lucy downstairs and to the party itself. Upon sighting Mallory, James gave Lucy a kiss and then approached his daughter. He hadn't believed her excuses the previous night, but he just wanted to put it behind them on this occasion so everyone could enjoy the party. "Are you doing alright, kid?" he asked his daughter as he put his arm around her shoulder. "I hope you're in the party spirit, because someone's got to dance tonight so it distracts from the fact I won't be!"

Bellz (Lucy) neverbackdown (Mallory)


Sinead and Savannah Callahan

Sinead had woken up with a slight hangover the next morning, not really remembering how she got into bed. Still, she couldn't feel sorry for herself for too long as all three kids were up bright and early, wanting attention from their parents. Emery had told Sinead that Savvy had been yelling at her the night before, but luckily Peter had been present to tell her what had happened before Sinead could tell Savvy off. Sinead asked Peter to speak to Braden and get the boy to apologise for being mean to Savvy.


By the time the evening approached, Sinead was looking forward to going to Lucy's party and having a break from the kids squabbling. She was excited to be getting dressed up for a second night and so put on a cute little orange dress and her usual pair of heels which would no doubt cause her to stumble at least once over the course of the evening. In all of her years of wearing high heeled shoes, she still managed to be clumsy in them.

Once everyone was ready, Sinead, Peter and the kids all headed over to the Porters. Emery asked Peter to carry her into the party, doing her usual thing of being nervous about the potential of there being strangers present. Usually, she would forget all about that after a few minutes and be all over anyone she could find to talk at. And that's exactly what she did... though she rushed off in search of the "doggos".

"Good evening, everyone!" Sinead's sweet voice melodically called out upon entering the Porter house. She had an A3-sized gift bag hooked over her arm but that wouldn't stop her from hugging anyone who might happen to approach her.

Bellz (Peter + kids)






Conor Sullivan

Conor woke up the next morning and had to double-take for a moment as that whole concept was a surprise even to him. Sure, most of the house was probably up and ready, but the fact was, he was awake before noon. After grabbing a bite to eat he went out to check up on his businesses as he wouldn't get the chance later. It was partly to get some air and clear his mind too, as he was feeling quite nervous about what the evening had in store. Alex and Michelle would be there, with the whole family. Ali would be there too and he really hoped everyone could get along. Conor hadn't had chance to talk to Jackson alone, but he hoped he'd get the chance to tell one of his closest friends the truth about Michelle before he ended up finding out himself.

As the family and guests started to enter the party, Conor hovered in the doorway as he kept an eye on those arriving. He was briefly broken out of his thoughts when Savvy rushed over and called out his name just in time for him to place his hands under her armpits and lift her high into the air. Savvy took after her mother in that she had a tiny frame and didn't weigh much at all, so to a muscular man like Conor it was like holding a feather above his head. "Ahhh, I've missed you, Princess Savvy." Conor lowered the child down so he could give her a cuddly Conor hug and a kiss on the cheek. Savvy smiled brightly at her uncle and whispered into his ear that Sinead was drunk the previous night, which made him chuckle to himself. He would make sure to tease his sister about that later. "Your mam's a troublemaker, kiddo. Even I wasn't drunk last night." The welcomed distraction hadn't lasted long enough for Conor's liking as Savvy soon rushed off with Emery to find the Porters' dogs. Conor once again returned to his own thoughts.



Thomas Dempsey

Tommy had worked until the early hours of the morning and he then crashed in one of the guests rooms, as agreed with James the previous night. He headed home for a few hours before the party and it was during his walk that he found out more information than he wished for. He'd learned of Conway's death and he couldn't help but feel like he'd be robbed. The man had been one of the cops who had covered up his mother's death and then swept the whole case under the carpet when they shot down his father. Conway's was the only name he'd been told of and his only path to vengeance. If he picked up enough confidence, he would demand James gives him another name to focus his attention on.

The other news was that of the murder of Alec Finnegan and the fact his body had then been hung up on display. He didn't doubt it had the desired effect, but he was still quite surprised by the action. He only wished it had been Conway found hanging from the store window. Tommy did have to wonder if Jackson was behind the killing as he'd gone off alone. Or perhaps it was Morgan, the guy who was acting oddly and covered in blood. At least he got Mallory home safely, even if she did end up lying to her parents. Still, he reminded him to start being more vigilant where all of the family was concerned.

With people arriving at the house, Tommy offered to guard the gates and make sure only welcomed guests were granted access. He didn't have long left to work and then he'd be able to join everyone at the party anyway. Honestly, he found himself looking forward to seeing Ali there tonight.

Bellz neverbackdown Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess RabbitQueen viridity BeyondDandy heycarmilla nymphadora. Xanto @Fluffyflyinggrape ReverseTex Aoire Shireling
​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 3: Not the Day of Rest
Sunday 4th October 1959
Late Afternoon/Early Evening - Mild, Dry
********************************

The Porter Residence

Spoiler: The Porter/Sullivan Residence

1. The largest house is where the Porters live. There's lots of guest rooms so family and friends can stay over - there's no better feeling than a house full of friends! There are also a couple of offices/meeting rooms for those all important business meetings. Let's not forget about that indoor swimming pool - the kids love that. There's also access to the rooftops, because everyone loves a good view... In reality, James loves a good vantage point for security purposes.

2. The smaller, but still fantastic, house is where the Callahans live. It's close enough to the safety and warmth of the Porters but gives the Callahans their own living space. There's still room for guests too.

3. By the main road there's the only two ways vehicles can enter and both have security gates which are kept guarded. Near to the Callahans' place there's a small building which tends to be where the guards can rest whilst remaining "on-call". This lifestyle requires high security and James Porter is a stickler for protecting his family!

4. Cut off from the right corner of the image are the stables, for the family's horses.

James Porter and Ciara Hennessy​

It was long past midnight when James finally got the guests to leave the party. His family and close friends were permitted to stay over. Some made it to their guests rooms and others ended up crashing out on the couch, too drunk to make it upstairs. James had practically carried a drunken Lucy up to bed to sleep off the alcohol. He was a little drunk himself and ready to just crawl into bed so he could get some much needed sleep. The next morning, he skipped his 5am workout in favour of staying snuggled up in bed with Lucy and recharging his batteries.

When James eventually rolled out of bed that morning, he remembered the state of the house and suggested to his wife that she left it a little while before venturing downstairs. Once showered and dressed, he headed downstairs to start cleaning up. The likes of Conor were still asleep in the lounge, whether on a couch or just curled up on the floor. James nudged them awake and made them help tidy the house. The Callahan kids made the mistake of excitedly running downstairs that morning, so they too were enlisted to help with the chores.

The rest of the morning had gone by smoothly. James was hoping Sean would be able to work on his Bentley today, seeing as the exhaust was in desperate need of replacing and James himself was lacking the time to commit to his precious vehicles. He had even less time when Ciara showed up on his doorstep and demanded a few minutes of his time.

"Before you ask, I don't know how Eli is doing this morning. I went straight home after leaving here," Ciara told James. She had her hands in her coat pockets as they walked around the garden out of anyone else's earshot. "We didn't get the opportunity to discuss business last night." She stopped walking and turned to face James. "The pressure is on for my colleagues and I to make an impact on the politicians ruining this city. The IWU have a protest planned and I would appreciate your help to make them hear us loud and clear." She removed her hands from her pockets so she could fold her arms. "I'm not asking you all to join us on the front lines, because we've both had that conversation before. What I am asking is for you to provide us with some resources which will aid us in making sure we're heard this time. I know you have something I need and what I need is some explosives."

"Absolutely not!" James immediately refused. "We've worked well together and I know we can continue to do so. But I will not be providing you with explosives. I can provide you with extra security and backup to keep the law from stopping your rally, but I won't give you tools as destructive as what you're asking for. The risk to innocent lives is more than I'm willing to take."

"Oh, Mr Porter. Nobody is going to get hurt or die. We're just going to make a point and cause a distraction long enough for us to do what needs to be done. You're right, we have worked well together. You know by now you can trust me." When James refused again, Ciara shook her head and made it clear she was disappointed. "I'm going to give you a little more time to think about my request. I think you underestimate me. I have more people around this city than you realise and the IWU is growing. I'd prefer for us to remain on good terms, because you're different to most of the others and I like what you stand for." She placed her hands in her pockets and was about to turn to leave when she looked back to James. "Your brother is a dangerous man and it's only a matter of time before he does something terrible. I'm just grateful my friends and I are there to keep him sane..." she trailed off. The last thing she wanted to do was use Elijah in all of this, but she knew it was only a matter of time before her hand was forced by those in her organisation. "Until tomorrow, Mr Porter," she said, before leaving the grounds of the Porter residence.

James returned inside the house and sat back in his now tidy living room. He already had enough on his mind today, most of all being the task he had to assign to Jackson, Peter and Tommy. He was expecting them to show up at the house soon so they could receive their instructions. He could have done without Ciara's irritating visit and her finally trying to cash in on their alliance, as well as attempting to use his brother if she didn't get what she wanted. He'd have to make sure Rudolph kept even closer tabs on the ammunition and explosives they had safely stored away.

For now, James wondered where his wife and kids were...

Mentions: Enzyme (Jackson, Elijah) Bellz (Peter, Lucy) neverbackdown (Mallory) nymphadora. (Delilah) RabbitQueen (Arlo) Shireling (Rudy)

Conor Sullivan​

Once Alex and Michelle had departed from the party, the temptation had been too much and he'd happily join Finn and Eleanor in getting drunk. He wasn't as drunk as he was known to become, but it was enough. He'd been warned by Tommy about Sinead seeming upset, so he'd made the decision to crash at Lucy's place rather than bothering the Callahans. Even when Conor woke the next morning, James told him to stay away from Sinead's place until he knew it was safe. As soon as he found out Peter had agreed to start working for James again, Conor agreed he didn't want to be around his little sister if she hadn't calmed down yet. Instead of that, Conor was forced into helping clean the house up. Afterwards, he ended up babysitting Savannah, Braden and Emery. Whilst it was nice playing outside and getting some air, he was exhausted. He also found himself wondering what Michelle was up to and what she thought of having him as her father. His mind then wandered to how Alex was feeling about all of this. In his efforts to try make his daughter feel comfortable, he was aware he hadn't been able to give much time to catching up with Alex.

As he sat on the doorstep with a napping Emery sprawled across him, Conor was mulling over his chat with James earlier in the day. Peter wasn't the only one James wanted helping out more and Conor had been given his orders to start pulling his weight again in the business too. Whilst he wanted to help his family out, he wished it wasn't happening right when Alex and Michelle had walked into his life. He wanted to give them some of his time and also try not to get into too much trouble, for the sake of being more than just a thug in his kid's mind.

Mention: neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz neverbackdown Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess RabbitQueen nymphadora. ReverseTex Aoire Shireling

Everyone: Feel free to post a summary of the previous night before writing what they're up to now, writing an intro, etc. PM me if you want to discuss/arrange something for this chapter.
James and Conor are currently around the Porters place, open for interaction at the moment.
Peter, Jackson and Tommy will soon need to be making their way to the Porter house to discuss plans with James.
Currently holding off Sinead post so Peter can catch up. She will be heading to the jazz club later though, if anyone wants to be in that scene.
I intend for James to speak with Leo and Rudy individually at some point in this chapter too, once he's got the others off on their job!​

 

[Misty Gray]

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

James Porter​

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

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

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

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

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

Conor Sullivan​

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

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


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

Thomas Demspey​

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

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

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

Interaction: Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

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

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

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

 

[Misty Gray]

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


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

​

Sinead Callahan and Skye McKendrick

​

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

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

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


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

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

The Textile Factory
James, Rudolph, Tommy
​

James Porter and Thomas Dempsey


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

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


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

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



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

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

Conor and Shannon Sullivan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 6: Knowledge is Power
Saturday 7th November 1959
Afternoon - Cold, Dry
********************************
...Three weeks later...
********************************


The Porters House
​

James Porter

The weeks following the attack on the club and Michael's death had gone by surprisingly quietly. That didn't mean James was about to let his guard down nor would he let Ciara get away with trying to kill his family. He just knew he had to plan his attack carefully rather than rush in with a gut reaction. Still, he had lifted his his ban on the kids going out. They were allowed out but under the supervision of their parents or James' most trusted gang members. He wanted the kids to be able to do normal things, but he was still cautious and worried for their safety. On the subject of others' safety, he'd allowed Blake into the family home and given Jackson the task of training her up so she could protect herself if needed. The last thing he wanted was an innocent woman getting caught up in the IWU's mess.

One of James' biggest concerns was the weapons the IWU had and if he knew where the majority of their firepower was being kept, he could weaken them by relieving them of the dangerous arsenal. He'd asked Kieran to see if there was anything he could find out from the IWU without drawing attention to himself and he was now ready to check in with the man. From inside his office, James dialled the number for the hotel and asked to be put through to Kieran's room. He listened to the ringing tone as he waited for Kieran to answer the call.

As he sat back in his chair, James looked to the photograph of him and Lucy. He wondered how his wife was getting on with Mallory and Delilah. She'd been wanting to start planning the wedding and taking the girls out to the shops in town with her would serve as a good moment of bonding for them too. He hoped he'd get some time to spend with Syd at some point, especially as he'd been given no choice but to give up on the plans to train him. At least they still had the car mechanics to bond over.

James had asked Conor, Peter and Rudolph to come to the by the evening. It was hoped that Kieran would have the information he needed so the three men could head out tonight to take the weapons right from under Ciara's nose.

Interaction: Shireling (Kieran)
Key mentions: Bellz (Lucy, Peter) Shireling (Rudolph) ElectricDandellion (Delilah) neverbackdown (Mallory)


Sinead Callahan

Savannah had been asking all morning if she could go spend time with Michelle, but Sinead had wanted all three kids to spend some time with herself and Peter. However, as the afternoon drew later, she knew Peter would be heading over to Lucy's place to find out what job he was doing that evening. Skye was happy to stay back with Braden and Emery so the more reserved Savannah could play with Michelle without worrying about Emery taking over the play date.

Once Peter was ready, Sinead called for Savannah to come downstairs. Whilst she waited, she planted a kiss on her husband's lips and straightened out his shirt. It was already neat enough, but it still made her feel better to show him she cared. "You be careful tonight, Mister. And if you do see the Wicked Witch of the West - Ciara - shoot her in the foot from me!" she half-joked. If she'd known how awful the woman was back at Lucy's birthday party, she'd have made a point of 'accidentally' spilling her drink all over her.

When they got to the Porters house, Savannah rushed around the place to find Michelle. Sinead meanwhile sought out Alex, having not had much chance to speak with her since... since ever. Even back in Chicago they'd never really exchanged words, other than one Halloween that always stood out in her mind. With Michelle being her niece and Alex apparently sticking around, she figured it was time to break the ice. "Hey, Alex. Savvy was really wanting to play with Michelle for a bit. Instead of asking you, she's rushed off to find Michelle, so I'll ask instead. Is now a good time for the girls to play?" she asked the woman. Sinead had been scared of Vinnie, always thinking of the man as a monster, so she'd always been apprehensive around his family in general. But she'd only heard positive things about Alex now and Conor was clearly still in love with her. "I don't know what Conor has planned for the rest of today, but Peter is working. I wondered if you and I could get to know each other. You've been here a few weeks now and we've never really talked." She offered her a bashful smile.

neverbackdown (Alex) Bellz (Peter)


Conor Sullivan

Conor had been instructed by James not to make any plans that evening as it was his turn to go out and do a job, along with Peter and Rudolph. It wasn't that he minded helping the family business, he just preferred to spend his Saturday evenings relaxing. Or more specifically, he would have preferred to have spent some more time with Alex. Still, he knew James did a lot for them so it was only fair he gave something back in return.

When Peter and Sinead arrived at the house, Conor was curiously surprised to see his sister finally approaching Alex. He couldn't help but smile to himself as she was the last one to reach out to Alex - even Shannon had sort of beaten her to it. Conor placed his arm around Peter's shoulder and led him over to where Jackson was, all the while a devious smile was planted on his face. "And where are you heading this evening, mate?" he asked Jackson, in a playfully suspicious tone. "You wouldn't happen to be spending more time with Blake, would you?" he curiously asked, having seen Jackson training the blonde. "I mean," he began, placing his hand over his heart and pouting, "do I need to be worried, my love? Because I thought you and I had something special, baby," he joked.


Enzyme (Jackson) Bellz (Peter)

Sky Haven​

Thomas Dempsey

Tommy hadn't enjoyed his night in the cells three weeks ago. It wouldn't have been so bad had he simply had time to rest and take the time out to think about the things he'd been easily ignoring as James had been keeping him busy. He'd killed a man a few weeks ago whilst helping Nora get out of the country, but nothing ever followed. His life, Nora's, and the Porters' lives simply went on. The fact he'd moved on so easily and shown little regard for taking a man's life was an unsettling surprise. Granted, the man had it coming and Tommy had to shoot him to save Peter, but it was still a life snuffed out at his own hands. He didn't doubt he would do it again and he figured that wasn't what normal people did. Regardless, those thoughts hadn't surfaced too much during his time locked up. Instead, some of the cops had spent the time making it pretty clear they had it in for him because his dad had murdered one of their colleagues. A corrupt cop killed and now honoured by more corrupt cops. Tommy would have loved to have reacted to them, but he owed it to the Porters to stay quiet, get released the next morning and cause them as little trouble as possible. James had initially been annoyed with him for smashing up the cop car, but he soon understood it was to distract them from finding anything incriminating that would lead back to the family.

Tonight, Tommy had the evening off, so decided to stop by the Sky Haven to pay Aliana a visit. Things had been busy for both of them recently, so he hadn't seen her as much as he would have liked. Dressed in a smart but casual suit, he stepped into the restaurant and looked around for the beautiful manager. He hoped she would be getting off work soon or would at least be able to spare him some time.


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

The Textile Factory​

Ciara Hennessy

Grant sat at the canteen table, facing two male IWU members. He slouched back and smoked his cigarette as though he was some kind of big shot. Or even as if he was someone of any relevance at all. He balanced the cigarette on the edge of the ashtray as he let out a small chuckle. "Honestly, I used to manage Sinead Callahan. The little fool went and ruined things for herself when she came onto me. All over me, she was, but I'm a professional and so I had to let her go. Plus, she couldn't handle a guy like me," he persisted to fib. "The whole family's a bunch of freaks... I like Ciara, but what's she keep that retarded loony around here for?" for asked, in reference to Elijah.

Before the man could continue, he felt the impact of Ciara's hand hitting his skull as she harshly gave him a backhanded slap. As he groaned in pain, she rounded the table and grabbed the lit cigarette from the ashtray. Without warning, she grabbed the man's hand and stubbed the cigarette out in the middle of his palm. Grant screamed out in pain before pulling his hand away. "Just remember who's stopping that bunch of freaks from killing you," she threatened him, though that comment wasn't the one that had annoyed it. "If I hear you speak about Eli like that again, I'll slit your throat." She shook her head and snorted as she thought of what she'd overheard him say about Sinead. "As for Mrs. Callahan, she wouldn't go anywhere near you. I don't think any woman would if they heard you talking like that. Show some damn respect!"

Deciding to leave before Grant started sucking up to her again, Ciara left the canteen to see if Blake had arrived yet. When she saw the blonde had indeed arrived and was waiting in the office, she quickly joined her and sent a warm smile her way. She made sure to lock the door behind her so nobody could walk in on their private conversation. "Blake, it's lovely to see you," she told her. She hopped up onto her desk, sitting so her legs were dangling above the wooden floor. "How are things going? Would you say the Porters have accepted you yet? I hope they're protecting you from me," she joked.


Bellz (Blake)
Mention: Enzyme (Elijah)

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

Shannon and Skye are available for interaction.
This won't be a long chapter. Other than a couple of things that I need to happen, I was hoping to use this one as a character/relationship building chapter, especially as I know some members are quite busy or absent over the next week or two. I have bigger plans for the chapter after this one. ​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 7: The Luck of the Irish
Monday 9th November 1959
Evening - Cold, Dry
********************************
...Two days later...
********************************


The Clover Casino
​

James Porter

Since Ciara's arrest, things had been quiet as far as the IWU was concerned. Although Ciara was locked up on an attempted murder charge, James knew better than to assume his troubles with the IWU were over. With the help of Kieran's intelligence on the organisation's structure, James was aware the group was know being led by Jared Armstrong. The two men had interacted with each other on occasions and though they had been civil, James recognised in him a man who could potentially be dangerous with enough support. For now, James had made a mental note to become more acquainted with Jared and see if the mess Ciara had created could be repaired, being that he had assisted the IWU in the past.

This evening, there was a charity event being held at the Porters' casino, with the profits going towards charities for the local orphanages. The Mayor would be attending the event, which was why James and Lucy had made a point of arriving early, to ensure the casino was secure and they were both present to welcome the man. James was on good terms with the Mayor, seeing a man who cared about Dublin and also understood the work the Porters were doing to control the more dangerous groups in the area.

Once everything was checked over, James linked his arm with Lucy's and led her to one of the booths in the area he'd reserved for his family and the Mayor. One of the waiters rushed over to pour them some drinks, before returning to his post at the bar. James glanced to his watch and realised they had a little time before they needed to greet the Mayor. "You look stunning, Luce," he complimented her, even though he'd told her pretty much the same earlier. He couldn't help but smile as he looked to her. She'd been his rock the last couple of days when much of his focus had been on making arrangements for Elijah and ensuring his brother would be looked after. "After tonight, I think we need more nights out, but just the two of us," he suggested. He knew not to expect everything was now peaceful with Ciara's absence, but he wanted to make the most of whatever kind of reprieve this was, while ever it lasted. James was fully aware there had been no reaction nor acknowledgement for the IWU's weapons that he'd had destroyed.

Bellz (Lucy)
Enzyme (Mayor)

Sinead Callahan

Spoiler: Sinead's Dress

The original plan had been for Ryan and Rudolph to go to the casino with Conor and Alex, but then Peter had been reminded of how that would be a bad idea considering Ryan's feelings where Alex was concerned. Instead, the two guys were going to share the car with the Callahans. Sinead let Rudolph sit in the front whilst Peter drove, figuring the two men were by now friends with the amount of jobs they did together. Besides, she'd barely had chance to speak to Ryan since he'd arrived. He'd spent much of his time being driven around Dublin with James, who had been pointing out the important locations and businesses, as well as things around the city to avoid.

Sinead sat in the back with Ryan, her infectious smile present on her face. "So, what have you been up to since we last saw each other? It was soooo long ago," she curiously asked him. She had been innocent as far as the Sullivan business was concerned, but she'd still known Ryan a little, even roping him into driving her into town on a couple of occasions. Though she was now older and had children of her own, she still had her young and free spirit about her which would likely resonate familiar to the man. "I hope James hasn't been working you too hard yet, considering you probably had a long and rough journey. My brother-in-law is a slave-driver!" she playfully exaggerated. She then glanced to the two men in the front. "Just asked Petey and Rudy. They're always out working these days!"

Fletchawk (Ryan) Shireling (Rudolph) Bellz (Peter)



Conor Sullivan and Thomas Dempsey

Tommy had first been to pick Aliana up before swinging by the Porter house to take a couple more of the family members to the casino. "Are you ready for an evening of gambling?" he happily asked her. "I'm not blowing my own trumpet or anything, but I've got a lucky streak when it comes to gambling. How about you? Maybe you're going to be an extra good luck charm for me," he suggested.

They soon reached the Porters' house and Tommy pulled up to wait for a couple of the others to get into the car. As it happened, Rudy and Ryan had already left with the Callahans, so Conor and Alex were still in need of a driver.

Conor led Alex out of the house as he saw Tommy's car pulling up. "You look hot, love," he told her. "I'm not even bothered about putting on any bets. I just want to get pissed out of my head tonight. How about you?" he asked her. "It won't be a good night out if at least one of the family isn't pissed up and sprawled out on the floor. The only bet I'll make is that it'll be Jackson... No, wait. He's probably focused on trying to get into Blake's bed. Let's go with Pete. Tinkerbell's been wrecked a few times lately, so I say Pete's overdue a hangover." Things at the house had been so hectic, he hadn't even heard if Finn and Eleanor were planning to make it across to the event. Finn would easily be the drunkest then.

Tommy was fairly oblivious to any reason why this could be awkward, so he happily invited the remaining couple to hop into the back of the car. However, Conor was aware this may be uncomfortable, given his history with Aliana and the fact he was now effectively being driven out on a date with Alex, whilst Aliana was present in the front passenger seat. "Are you two alright?" Tommy asked the couple in the back, glancing into his rearview mirror as he drove to the casino.

"I'm spot on, mate. How about you?" Conor replied to Tommy, who was sat directly in front of him. He then looked to Aliana and faintly smiled. "How about you, Ali. Are you good? I hope Tommy here hasn't been boring you with how great he is at poker. He's won way too much money from me in the past, so I'm not getting involved in that tonight!"


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) neverbackdown (Alex)




***
Bellz Enzyme I figured Jackson and Blake will show up together?

The Armstrong House​

Jared Armstrong

The Armstrong home was a large, five-bedroomed house with a relatively large garden, but modest when compared to the Porters' residence. There was an adjoining garage to house their two cars, but nothing that would draw too much attention to the family. Jared knew he could afford much more, but he chose not to draw attention to himself and felt his family was more than provided for. Most things the man did were calculated and with long-term plans in mind. Right now, his home was perfect for all concerned.

In his study, Jared sat back as he ended his call with Carter and placed the receiver down. He remained in his seat for a short time as he finished off some paperwork he'd brought home with him. Mostly, his thoughts were cast towards the Porters and the fact they'd destroyed weapons which belonged to him. He didn't care for the explosives, as he hadn't been approving of Ciara's desire to have them. But the firearms were expensive and they belonged to the IWU, so he took their destruction as an act of provocation. Jared had been willing to push aside the petty war Ciara had started with the Porters, but now he was aware they were more than likely to continue to get in his way. He would have to knock them off of their top spot soon.

By the time he left his study, Jared displayed only a relaxed state and one which gave off a sense of friendliness. As far as anyone was or needed to be concerned, he was the picture of a perfect family man. It was partly why he'd gifted Faye with a puppy very recently - another addition to be seen out walking with the family. That, and because he simply loved to treat Faye. It was the same puppy that he was very nearly about to trip over but he stopped himself just in time. He crouched down and lifted the small dog in his arms, playfully rubbing behind its ears. "Did Faye give you a name yet, boy?" he mumbled to the animal.

Jared entered the lounge in time to find Faye present. Suddenly, the dog took a back seat as far as the man's interest was concerned, so he carefully placed the pet down on the floor. "Well, good evening, beautiful," he greeted her. He approached her, placing a kiss on the back of her hand and then another on her lips. "My apologies for attending to work, but I'm all yours now," he assured her. Soon the family would be going out to dinner. Somewhere public, where people could see the perfect family out and about. Where the Armstrongs could maintain their public persona in time for when it would matter the most. "Are the kids nearly ready too?" he asked his wife.

Bellz (Faye)
Mentions: Fletchawk (Alexander) Enzyme (Carter)

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

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 8: Fresh Challenges - Part 1
Friday 27th November 1959
Morning - Cold, Frosty
********************************
...Two weeks later...
********************************


The Porters House
​

James Porter

There was a chill that morning, cold enough for those outside to see the vapour of their own breath in the air. By all accounts, most people would likely leave the house with at least a coat on to keep themselves warm. James' coat wasn't in sight as he worked through his warm-up exercise out in the Porters' back patio garden. Dressed in a t-shirt, jogging pants and trainers, it was almost as if winter wasn't approaching in his world. Still, he was at least wearing fingerless, leather gloves to protect his hands as he pushed through another set of press-ups on the cold patio floor tiles. He tilted his head to the side as he continued with the exercise, allowing an amused smile to cross his face as he saw Braden a few feet away. The boy was dressed in his coat, hat and woolly gloves whilst trying to copy James by doing his own attempts at press-ups.

Since Sinead had been poisoned and Peter was focusing a lot of time to helping his wife recover, the three Callahan children had been staying with the Porters. Ever since that day, James had made a point of getting back into his strict exercise regime, which was his way of regaining control and ensuring he was prepared for whatever was thrown at the family next. Unless Peter had been over to spend some time with the kids, Braden seemed to have taken a shine to both James and some of his closest gang members. A week ago, the boy had seen James working out and had been joining him every morning since. James thought it was adorable and it reminded him of his three kids, who had been around Braden's age when they were adopted.

James stood up and gave himself a breather from the exercises. He and Lucy had both agreed that their kids should be trained, so James had asked Syd to join him when he was ready to work out with him. The man looked to his watch, expecting his son would join in any minute if he intended to do so. His attention was briefly pulled away when Braden asked if he could teach him to fight too. "No can do, mate. Your folks would yell at me if I did that," he assured him, chuckling at the question. He then ruffled the boy's hair before pointing back into the house. "Go on back inside, Brady. Have a rest," he kindly suggested. The boy reluctantly agreed and returned in the house. James, meanwhile, continued on with his warm-ups, buying a little more time for Syd to join him.

Though she had been upset to hear her mum was sick, Emery soon came around and bounced back to her high spirits. In a way, she was as resilient as Sinead was, able to bounce back from hard times. She'd enjoyed the 'extended sleepover' and the fact Lucy wasn't so strict on the 'no sweets' policy. Savannah hadn't been as accepting of the situation. When she'd been told Sinead was sick in hospital and then overheard the adults taking about her being poisoned, it had upset the child. Savannah had been very quiet and kept to herself, barely speaking with those around her. One of her biggest fears was losing Sinead or Peter, just like she'd lost Angel and Michelle had lost Fallon. She was starting to worry her mother wouldn't want her to go back home or wouldn't be able to care for her if she did. Due to her shrinking into herself, she'd perhaps proved the most difficult for Lucy and James, being that they were unable to do anything to evoke a smile, enjoyment or conversation from her. This morning, however, Savannah sought out Lucy and when she found her aunt, she gave her a tight, unexpected hug. "Can we do some baking or play a game?" she softly asked Lucy, clearly still a little overwhelmed.

Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Lucy)

The Callahans House​

Sinead Callahan

Sinead repeatedly gasped for air. Her throat felt like it was rapidly tightening up and her chest was caving in on itself. She tried to call for help, but her throat burned so much that she could only let out a pained yelp. She couldn't breathe and the world around her seemed to be fading to black as even her vision seemed to shutdown on her. She was sure this was it. This time she was dying. With another sudden gasp and a jolt, Sinead woke up from her nightmare. Her arm had reflexively lashed out, knocking the plastic beaker and its contents onto the floor.

Much to Sinead's anxiety, she had been forced to spend the first four days of her recovery in hospital before she was finally permitted to be discharged, on the condition that Finn took care of her. Tests, injections, medicines and observations had fallen onto Finn's shoulder, for which Sinead was truly grateful. It also helped that he was a sweet and fun person to have looking out for her. Between Peter and her cousin, Sinead felt safe and hopeful. It was when she was alone that she lost her faith.

"Finn? Petey?" Sinead tried to call out, her voice still quite hoarse along with the sore and gritty feeling in her throat. She was aware she hadn't left her bedroom and the en suite since she came home nearly two weeks ago. She had barely had any energy to hug her own children. Though she still felt like she'd been hit by a truck, she hoped today she could leave her room for a bit and get some fresh air, before she went crazy. "Would this weakling be able to go out for some air? I'm going stir crazy and I miss my babies," she asked whoever could hear her.

Bellz (Peter, Finn)

The Armstrong House
​

Jared and Grace Armstrong

Following the Mayor's death, an interim had been appointed until an emergency special election could be held in January. It was only a day ago that everything was finalised and Jared informed Faye, Quinn and Grace that he was running in the Mayoral Election. Whilst it may have come as a surprise, it had really been something in the making for some time. The charity work, the businesses, not to mention the support of the working class. There was much Jared had done that had been calculated and with purpose. The city would wake up to the news of Jared presenting himself as another contender to the popular candidate - Phillip Morris, the Garda Commissioner. Morris had a campaign parade planned for that afternoon and if Jared had his way, the whole thing would be a disaster.

Jared closed the newspaper and set it down on the dining room table before taking a sip of his coffee. "How are you doing this morning?" he asked Faye, sending her a flirty smile. He sat forward and allowed his gaze to linger on her pretty face for a time. "I think 'Mayoress' would look good on you, my love," he assured her.

Jared sat back in his seat and waited for Quinn to show his face. He'd had the feeling his son had something he needed to get off his chest and he wondered if today would be the day Quinn would decide to speak up. He was practically willing it. He was certainly curious as to how the teenager felt about him running in the election. Grace's response had been a mixed one, both excited at the prospect whilst disappointed it would mean business would take up even more of his time. She also figured it meant she had to be on her best behaviour so as to not embarrass or belittle her father's campaign. She eventually showed her face in the dinning room and made herself a bowl of cereal. She hoped she would get the chance to speak with her mother today.

Fletchawk (Quinn) Bellz (Faye)

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

(( If I haven't tagged you directly, please still post your character up and I'll see if I can throw something your way.
Or, head over to the OOC to see if anyone wants to arrange a scene/interaction.
Conor, Shannon, Tommy and Skye are all available for interaction. I'll try get something up for them soon, but happy to arrange something with them in advance. Let me know! ))​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 8: Fresh Challenges - Part 2
Friday 27th November 1959
Afternoon - Cold, Sunny
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...Later that day...
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The Monarch Hotel
Dublin City Centre

Jared Armstrong

Jared reached for the bottle of brandy, pouring the liquor into both of their glasses. He hadn't asked Blake if she wanted the drink or not and frankly couldn't care less if she didn't touch it. He held the empty bottle out to the side so one of his men could take it out of the way. She mentioned Carter and her assumption that he had spoken with him about her loyalties. He gave no reaction to confirm her words, as accurate as they might be.

"I understand you've been having sleepovers at the Porters' house. Really, by this point, McCarthy isn't needed for you to continue that. I'm sure you'd do a stellar job at acting as the grieving girlfriend, attacked by the IWU. Hell, you've even got the marks on your face to back your story up. The bonus is that you don't have to sleep with the guy anymore to do your job," he told her. His voice was continually calm and perhaps unnervingly so.

Blake explained that Jackson had provided more information than she'd taken from the rest of the Porters. A brief smirk crossed his lips as she told him McCarthy was lonely. He sat forward as she said she had to work hard to get her information and that Ciara trusted her. He took a sip of his brandy as she went on to explain about Carter wanting to kill her and being jealous of her interactions with Jackson. "Honestly, do you think I have time to think about you and Carter having petty little squabbles? I'm sure if Carter had really wanted to kill you he would have."

Blake assured him her loyalties were with the IWU and that she was offended he doubted her. "Here's the thing, Blake. I don't feel like you've given me anything to work with at all. As for Ciara, her word means very little to me since she started blowing buildings up and trying to get into bed with Porter's mentally ill brother." Jared placed the palm of hand down flat on the table a rapped his fingers on the surface for a brief time. His eyes then fixed squarely on Blake's. "I have very little concern for whether or not I have offended you. My concern lies with the fact I don't believe you've done enough to prove yourself to the IWU. Even Elijah Porter proved himself and he was doped up on medication most of the time." Jared turned back to the window, looking down on the street that would soon be much livelier. "I see great potential in you, Blake," he said, turning his head back so he could look to her. "This afternoon, you're going to kill someone. If you really are loyal to the IWU, you will remove one of our biggest threats. You can do that, can't you?" he asked her.

Bellz (Lucy)
Mention: Enzyme (Carter, Jackson)

Mayoral Election Parade
Dublin City Centre​

James Porter
~ Detective Donnelly ~

With Conor having to get Michelle from school and Jackson apparently choosing getting cosy with Blake over business, Ryan and Rudolph had been drawn in to attend the parade with James. He knew Ryan might not be fighting quite as fit as normal, but for the most part he just needed the extra eyes on lookout for any danger and the ability to still fire a gun would be preferable. The march that would begin the parade wasn't of too much concern to James, but he still wanted eyes out in case anyone in the crowd was suspicious. The National Guard would be present during the march, but it was above the Porters to check the legitimacy of each of the men holding the issue rifles. The part which concerned James the most was the candidate's speech as only then would the Garda Commissioner show himself publicly. Both James and Detective Donnelly had tried to talk the man out of making such a public appearance, but it fell on deaf ears with Philip Morris. Even without the possibility of Jared being elected a the Mayor, James held respect for the commissioner and deemed him as one of the few corrupt figures within the police force.

Tommy was parked up nearby, should anything happen that would require an emergency getaway. James was happy to know the young man was taking on more jobs as each day passed and he had proved himself on a number of occasions recently. His only concern was the lad's recklessness whenever the cops were involved.

James had asked Ryan and Rudolph to stick together or at the very least not lose sight of each other during the parade. There would be members of the police force also keeping watch, but James trusted his men to do a better job and frankly, he didn't trust all of the cops supposedly loyal to the commissioner. As the march began, Ryan and Rudolph wouldn't notice anything suspicious, but they would need to navigate through the crowd of supporters standing in the designated areas at either side of the road the march was being led down. They were also expecting to see Arlene somewhere in the mix. When she heard what was going down, she demanded to help out and reminded James he had no right to stop her. She wanted to help the family business and get back on the front lines. She believed the fact none of the IWU knew who she was couldn't make her much more inconspicuous in the task of looking out for any suspicious behaviours.

James, meanwhile, stood in the lobby of the Monarch Hotel. By his side was Detective Donnelly and two armed police officers keeping watch behind them. Standing opposite him was the Garda Commissioner. "Are you sure about this?" he asked the man. There was a big chance absolutely nothing would happen and he knew how unpredictable the IWU could be, but it didn't stop James from being cautious. "It's not that I don't have faith in your team, Commissioner Morris, but..." he began, glancing to Donnelly. "Actually, I have very little faith in them, if we're being honest."

Shireling (Rudolph, Ryan) Fletchawk (Ryan) Enzyme (Garda Commissioner)

Dublin Hospital​

Shannon Sullivan

Shannon had offered to take Lucy to her hospital appointment, knowing Sinead wasn't well enough to be venturing out and certainly wouldn't enjoy being back in the place regardless of circumstances. Shannon had driven them to the hospital and surprisingly only had two moments of yelling out profanities to other drivers. She never did have time for idiots on the roads. Soon enough, she parked the car up, pointed out some of the poor parking skills of other motorists and then walked with Lucy to the reception desk. When asked to take a seat in the waiting room, Shannon put her arm around her daughter as they walked to the seating area.

Once they were sat down, there was still something bugging the woman and she couldn't help but vocalise it, at least figuring it would cut through any tension. "Today is a busy enough day without her pissing about. Does she realise James needed as many of his men with him today? Conor shouldn't be doing the school run right now." The 'she' being spoken of was Alex, of course. "Michelle's a good kid and I wouldn't want to think of her left on her own thinking nobody wants to pick her up from school. If Alexandra is going to start taking the piss, I will not hold my tongue. Conor can sulk all he wants." Shannon wasn't going to comment on the fight between her son and Ryan. She'd known since Donahue had come to Dublin that there was tension and the bust up had been completely expected. She loved Conor, but she felt Ryan was within his right to feel the way he did. She known and attended the funeral of Ryan's father, James' father, and obviously her own husband - the father of her children.

Shannon took a deep breath and reminded herself of why she was really with Lucy. She put her arm around the blonde's shoulder and placed a kiss on the side of her head. "How are you feeling, love?" she asked her. "If anyone deserves this, it's you and James. You've done the best job with your kids back home and you're a natural with the younger ones." Shannon had watched her own kids go through all kinds of hell and even now they were all adults, it didn't stop her from wanting to protect them.

Bellz (Lucy)

Conor Sullivan

After leaving Ryan and James behind to discuss things, Conor walked back to the house, trying to shake off the pain in his leg that was causing him to limp a little. He thought his fight with Ryan would be the lowest point of the day, but when Tommy handed the telephone receiver to him his day was apparently about to get worse. When the teacher told him Alex hadn't arrived at the school to collect Michelle, his gut reaction was to think the worst, as was the most reasonable reaction considering the life he'd had so far. Figuring it would be best not driving in his own dented car and facing questions from his daughter about the cause, he figured he needed to borrow someone else's. He wasn't enthusiastic about asking James for one of his cars, so he instead grabbed the keys for Finn's and asked Shannon to let his cousin know he'd bring it back in one piece.

When he'd left to pick Michelle up, Conor asked a couple of the gang members to go out for a drive and see if they could find anything out about where Alex was at. When he returned home with Michelle, Conor was immediately met by Brian who had the vague message that something had happened to Alex and she'd been rushed to hospital. Brian hadn't been very subtle with the message, causing Michelle to overhear. Conor was unable to stop the child from worrying and wanting to go with him to the hospital. Knowing exactly how agitated he could get and how anxious he was, Conor asked Finn to go to the hospital with them. He needed someone to keep him in check so he could in turn keep his daughter in check. Also, to cut through any medical jargon the doctors often liked to throw at him.

Conor couldn't keep still as he paced the waiting area inside the hospital. He'd gathered she'd been attacked and mugged, which in itself only fuelled the anger he'd already had to suppress for one day. It was only his worry for Alex and his need to be strong for Michelle that stopped him from lashing out at the dismissive staff. Still, he was growing impatient waiting for news. "How long do these jackasses take?" he asked Finn. "You should go and show them how to do their job!" he flippantly commented. All he knew for sure in that moment was if he found out who had hurt Alex, he wouldn't hold back any punches and his car would be in a much worse shape, no doubt.

neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle) Bellz (Finn)

The Docks

The burlap sack had remained over Jackson's head throughout the drive to the docks and even when they reached their destination, Jared's thugs didn't remove it. With his hands zip-tired in front of him and his vision obscured, he wasn't in the greatest position as the men dragged him out of the car and walked him to the front of the docks. There was a damp smell and low sound of splashes hitting the the side of the wooden supports which would tell Jackson he was near water. He would feel one of the men let go of him upon being given the order to get the cement blocks to tie to his legs. He was still being held by one of the men standing behind him, but perhaps didn't feel quite so helpless. Not for the next few moments, at least...

Enzyme (Jackson)​

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

((More to follow. Didn't realise how big a task involving everyone was!))

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 9: Break a Leg!
Saturday 5th December 1959
Evening - Murky, Drizzly
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Killiney Bay Hotel
Killiney Bay, Dublin​

Jared Armstrong

It had been over a week ago since the commissioner had been shot and the man was still in hospital. Jared hadn't been overly happy to hear his competition would recover from his injuries and he'd cursed Blake for failing to make the shot count, but he would simply have to find other ways to win the election. Perhaps next time he would leave the task in the hands of someone more competent. Still, other positives had come out of that day. Though his family had been unsettled by the events of the parade, Jared had managed to make a small breakthrough with Faye. He'd told her he was going to be going against the Porters and she'd been on board with the idea rather than telling him to back away from the mob. Faye didn't know his way of fighting the criminals was to use methods that were illegal and brutal. He wondered if she could ever understand that side of him - the side that craved wealth and power. Control.

Today hadn't been a day for mulling over work and his darker side, for Jared had spent all of it in the company of the woman he adored. He had hoped Quinn and Grace would have stayed at home whilst he and Faye were away at the coast, but his daughter had been very assertive about attending the theatre that evening. He was relieved to hear Quinn would be joining Grace, but he still wasn't comfortable knowing they were out on the streets with the Porters still in action. With that in mind, Jared asked Carter and Minnie to keep watch as well as to drive them home after the show. Jared had assured his kids it was to ensure their safety during the election campaign, using Commissioner Morris as an example of why he wished to ensure their safety.

Jared and Faye had checked into the spectacular hotel earlier in the day. He'd made sure his wife was well pampered in the salon and spa before they'd returned to their room to get ready for their evening meal. Jared had gone all out to spoil his wife, even as much as to ensure they had the best view in the hotel that overlooked the sea and cliffs. Jared had dressed up very smartly in his tailored suit as he was sure Faye would look a million dollars. Their dinner table overlooked the beach and it was difficult not to get lost in the moment, with the live pianist playing in the corner and the waiters very attentive. Jared had hated to hear that Faye thought they were drifting apart or that she worried he would forget his family. He wanted to prove to her that was far from the case and when he succeeded in his goals, he wanted his family to benefit from his achievements. He wondered if Faye would ever understand the lengths he'd gone to or if she would be horrified to know of the things he'd already done.

After finishing their fancy four-course meal, Jared sat back in his seat and took a sip of his whiskey before placing the glass tumbler down on the table. He sent a warm smile Faye's way before drawing her attention outside. The weather wasn't as clear as he'd hoped, but even he couldn't claim to have any control over nature. Still, he thought it would be a shame to miss out on the view. "I noticed a fancy-looking gazebo at the end of the hotel gardens, with a view over the cliffs. What do you say about us getting our coats, finding shelter under the gazebo and taking advantage of the beauty this coast has to offer?" he asked his wife.


Bellz (Faye)
Mentions: Enzyme (Carter) Bellz (Minnie) Fletchawk (Quinn)

Dublin Hospital​

Conor Sullivan

Conor had forced himself to spend some time checking up on his pubs and making sure everything was running smoothly. He'd spent much of the last week at the hospital at Alex's bedside but yesterday he decided he needed to attend to his other duties. He also decided it wasn't healthy to let Michelle spend so much time at the hospital, so he'd tried to get her to go to school the previous day and asked Savannah to spend time with her cousin.

After catching up with his businesses, Conor had returned home for dinner before taking Michelle with him to the hospital so they could spend some time with Alex. It had been eight days since the woman had been attacked and she'd spent that many days in a coma. As the days passed, Conor's faith in her waking up and recovering lost its strength. He was starting to acknowledge the fact Alex may never wake up and he wasn't sure how he or Michelle would move forward from that.

As Conor sat in the chair next to Alex's bed, he began to doze off, dropping the book he'd been holding and in the process likely catching Michelle's attention. He hadn't made a big deal of it, but after putting Michelle to bed the previous night, he'd headed out to one of his pubs where he'd been drinking into the early hours, only to be up early that morning to tend to his daughter. He'd needed to lose himself for just one night and alcohol always seemed to do the trick. Besides which, he was frustrated that he was having to stay out of what James and Jackson had planned for their retaliations. So many people, possibly including even Alex, had been hurt by the IWU and Conor wanted to know they would pay for their actions.

neverbackdown (Michelle, Alex)

Porters House​

Sinead Callahan

A few days ago, Lucy had shared with Sinead her secret about being pregnant. The red-head had been overjoyed and excited by the news, to the point where she burst out into uncontrollable sobs. Sinead had spent over a decade feeling guilty that her sister couldn't have children because of the injuries Savannah's own father had inflicted on her. Her heart broke every time she thought of what Lucy and James had lost. She often worried the couple resented her for falling in love with Angel - the man who had made their lives hell back in Chicago. But Lucy's happy news had finally lifted some of the huge weight from Sinead's shoulders after feeling its toll for so long. She was ecstatic that Lucy would finally get to have a baby and the teenagers could have a tiny brother or sister. The warmth inside of her heart was greatly welcomed by Sinead and the only downside was making sure she didn't let such beautiful news slip out of her mouth. She knew Lucy wanted to surprise her family, so she was determined to keep quiet on the matter. Still, she couldn't wait to see General Porter's happy little face when he found out.

Finally able to get up and walk around, the only thing that was affecting Sinead's mood was her worries over her family. Delilah had been hurt and Alex was in a coma, not to mention what had happened to poor Leo and Tommy. She knew James and the others were ready to retaliate. She also knew the enemy had gone too far this time, so it was clear James and the others weren't going to hold back with their revenge. She put on a believably brave face for Peter so as not to burden him, but she was extremely worried about him tonight. She was worried he could get hurt or get in trouble with the cops. She was scared of how far her family would go to get back at the IWU. She hated violence, but it was more than clear to her that it was how James intended to get revenge. To top it all off, the children had been playing up worse than normal and Sinead found herself wishing Skye would come back from her friend's house soon, just to give her some sanity.

Savannah and Braden were presently arguing over whose turn it was to dry the dishes. Sinead had already told them to help each other out but they'd continued to fight. Other than Finn who was busy elsewhere in the house, it dawned on Sinead that pretty much every other adult was out of the house that evening. As she sat at the dinner table, she rested her elbows on the surface and buried her face in the hands. "Kids. Remember just last week when I was super sick and you were all so well behaved? Any chance--" She was cut short by the sound of the plate smashing on the Porters' kitchen floor.

"Muuuuum! Savvy dropped it!" Braden protested.

"Stop being jerks!" Emery bossily shouted at her brother and sister. "You'll make mummy cry. Fools!" She let out an exasperated sigh before leavining the dining room and hunting down the first person she could find. "Syd? Where's your girlfriend?" the child asked, with a playful smile. She then pointed towards the dining room. "Will you tell Brady and Savvy to be good? I think my mummy's going to cry and I can't be dealing with this at my age."

Pyroclast (Syd)

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

OOC notes:
Sinead, Tommy, Shannon, Skye... all open for interaction. If you haven't been specifically tagged you in a scene, please post your character and I can take it from there.
Posts from Enzyme and Bella to follow...
Grace will be at the theatre with Quinn but that post will be coming up in a my next post.

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 10: A Change of Scenery
Saturday 12th December 1959
Early Afternoon - Cold, Sunny, Clear Skies
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Dublin Hospital
​

Thomas Dempsey

Tommy had been discharged from the hospital 6 days ago, after being pretty firm with the doctor about him wasting a hospital bed that he didn't even need. Even though he was no longer a patient, he still spent quite a bit of time at the hospital so he could spend time with Aliana and keep updated on Leo's progress. The young man was still in a stable condition but hadn't yet woken up, which Tommy hoped would only lead to good news.

Last night, Tommy hadn't made it home and instead had crashed on one of the Porters' sofas. He'd ended up going out for drinks with Conor. Conor had done most of the drinking and he'd clearly needed it. He'd spent much of the night getting things off of his chest, which Tommy didn't begrudge him of and made sure he was just there as a supportive ear to be chewed off. From his worries about Alex's memories to his anger at James for letting Peter get arrested, Tommy finished the night with a pretty detailed account of everything Conor was being forced to keep to himself, hidden behind his usual playful and charming demeanour.

After a conversation with James that involved nothing that Conor had said the night before, Tommy had been asked to take Delilah to the hospital so she could visit Leo. He waited outside for Delilah, smoking a cigarette as he leaned against his car. Every time he lit up a smoke he couldn't help but hear Aliana's voice in his head telling him to quit the habit. Thinking about her always brought a smile to his face. He was hoping they would get to go on their date later in the day, but at the same time he wouldn't force Aliana to leave her brother's side if she didn't want to. "Come on, Delilah. I'm sure you look fine!" Tommy impatiently called out, grinning to himself.


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Leo) ElectricDandellion (Delilah)

Christmas Fair
Dublin City Centre​

Skye McKendrick

Yesterday evening, James had told Syd he could take one of the cars out over the weekend and get out of the house for a bit. Despite the many cautions that came with the reprieve. it seemed like his father was having a change of heart about his kids' curfew, for now, at least. Skye had been thrilled to hear Syd was finally allowed to leave the house without a bodyguard and she excitedly suggested going to the Christmas fair. She remembered going there every year before her mother died and had never been back since. She loved Christmas and wanted to spend as much of it with Syd, especially as it was their first one as a couple.

As Syd drove to the city, Skye fell silent a little from gushing about all of the cool things she expected to see at the fair. Her mind had snapped back to the poor start she'd had to her day. "Is everyone okay at your house?" she curiously asked him. "It's really not okay at the Callahans' place. Sinead is really struggling to pick herself up and I'm scared if I say anything to her, she'll snap at me. Peter gave me my job and I don't want to get fired, but I really want to tell her how much she's upsetting the kids. Emmy was really excited about decorating the house for Christmas today, but Sinead refused." Skye sighed and glanced to Syd, a slight smile forming on her lips. "I know what we should do. We should buy some pre-Christmas gifts for Sinead and the children. That might help get them into the spirit, right?"


Pyroclast (Syd)

Shamrocks Cafe
Outskirts of Dublin City Centre ​

Arlene Sullivan

Arlene had been away from the Porters' place for the last four days, having decided she needed to catch up with some friends in Dublin and also avoid the tensions around the place. It wasn't just the fallout of Peter's arrest or seeing Conor so troubled because of a damn Romano that was suffocating her. She was also on the verge of confronting James about him not giving her anything to do. It made her restless to be doing nothing for the family when she knew there was a lot that needed doing. She'd spent most of her life fighting and running business back in New York that it frustrated her that James had yet to give her a job she could sink her teeth into. She wanted to make Jared and the rest of his cronies pay, but she'd only been told to stand back from it all.

Arlene had checked into a bed and breakfast on the outskirts of Dublin a few days ago but she hadn't decided how long she'd be staying there. She told Lucy she'd be back in time for Christmas and would return with plenty of gifts for the family. Whilst she was enjoying catching up with her friends and exploring Dublin, she had to admit that she was missing the chaos of her family. Everything right now was so peaceful and she wasn't used to that.

Arlene left the hotel and walked a couple of blocks until she reached Shamrocks Cafe. She'd had lunch there with Veronica yesterday and enjoyed it so much she decided to head there again today for something to eat, even if by herself. When she entered the cafe, she walked toward a small table by the window and took a seat, placing her shoulder bag on the empty chair opposite. After eating her lunch, she then ordered another coffee, enjoying people-watching from her spot.


Enzyme (Carter)

Callahans House
​

Sinead Callahan

It had been a week since Sinead had last seen Peter. She'd waited up for him that night, with Savannah fast asleep on the opposite sofa. It wasn't until James returned home at around 2am that she learned her husband had been arrested. As the man expected, his sister-in-law reacted with anger and he let her slap him across the face, just the once, mind you! She had calmed herself enough to ask if he'd be home in the morning, but was heartbroken to learn it wasn't going to be that easy. She'd been so used to Conor spending the odd night in the cells for punching people that she struggled to understand that James couldn't get Peter the same kind of treatment. Not only had they slapped more charges on Peter, but James' alliance with Detective Donnelly was fragile and the cops involved this time weren't budging on the charges. Sinead eventually returned to her own house, carrying an unaware Savannah with her.

When it came to Peter, her second worst nightmare had become a reality and the only thing that could be worse was if she'd been told her husband was dead. Sinead had spent the rest of the night crying, until she was disturbed the next morning by the sound of Emery screaming out from downstairs asking when they were having breakfast. Sinead had to force a brave face as her children asked where their daddy was and she knew she couldn't lie to them. Savannah was upset by the news, having always linked cops to being bad people after she'd learned it was the police who killed Angel. Braden wasn't happy with the news as he was closer to his male role models, but at the same time he thought his old man was a badass for it. Emery didn't have the best concept of time, so whilst she fed off of her sister's upset and demanded someone brought her daddy home, she expected he'd only be gone for a short time, like the times her parents had gone away together for short vacations.

Sinead knew she had to be strong and put on a brave face for the sake of her children, but no matter how much she told herself that, her mind wouldn't let her. The whole situation had dragged her Bipolar Disorder down into an episode of depression and she wanted to fight it before being forced to start taking medication again. Instead, Sinead has stayed in the house for the last week, forcing herself to wake up every morning to tend to the children's meals, but other than that she'd been lounging around the house like ghost of her former self. No matter how much her children pleaded with her to play, she just couldn't put her heart into it. Skye had thankfully been there to help and to distract the children, but even she hadn't avoided the effects of her boss' sadness and irritability.

Earlier this morning, the children had asked Sinead if they could trim up the house with Christmas decorations, but Sinead refused. She didn't see much point in wasting energy decorating the house when there wasn't going to be a Christmas for them this year. This resulted in Emery calling her mother a "grumpy bitch" before Skye quickly ushered the kids over to the Porters house.

Sinead was upset with herself for failing to overcome her own sadness and to instead support those who needed her the most - her children. She wanted to fight it but she felt like she'd lost the motivation to keep fighting everything that was thrown at her. She hadn't worn make-up or her usual pretty dresses all week, figuring she didn't need to make the effort to merely exist around the house. She knew Peter had been transferred from the station holding cells to the city's prison during the night and she had been granted permission to visit him later today. She was scared to go to the jail, especially if Peter was relying on her to be both smiling and coping well. She curled up on the sofa, hoping to find the strength to do what her husband would need of her in his and their children's time of need.


Bellz (Finn)

Porters House
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Conor Sullivan

Conor had been out late with Tommy and spent much of the time getting things off of his chest, thankfully to a willing listener. Any plans to sleep in late were scuppered when the hospital called to inform him Alex was ready to come home. If there was ever a good reason to get up early, then bringing the woman he loved back home was at the top of any list. With the door of his own car not yet repaired - and Conor not about to rush Ryan - he needed to use someone else's car. It seemed like everyone had places to be that day and with James a car down, he decided the easiest option was to use Sinead's car, one of which he felt he could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen her drive all year. Others had driven it, but rarely the owner herself. As he got into the Chevy Dreamer convertible, he could only find himself thankful that Peter and James had talked her out of getting the car in the colour pink.

After bringing Alex home and surprising Michelle with her mother's return, Conor returned outside to inspect Sinead's car whilst it was still daylight. During his drive to and from the hospital, Conor had been irritated by the grinding, screeching sound which he figured was coming from the brake pads. Conor wasn't a mechanic and he'd long since learned he lacked the patience and dexterity to start fiddling with car parts. With James as busy as always and Syd finally being allowed to leave the place, Conor knew his choices were limited. Were it his own car, he would have just left it until he could ask someone who wasn't pissed off with him. However, this was Sinead's car and on the off-chance she would decide she needed it, he didn't want to put her at any risk, nor did he want her to have the extra stress of having to worry about a faulty car. He was angry that Peter had been left to get arrested but more than that, he was worried about his younger sister's silence and aloofness around him.

Finally swallowing his pride, Conor headed around the place in search of Ryan. When he eventually found his former friend, he cleared his throat to alert the man of his presence. "I guess I shouldn't be asking you for any favours right now, but is there any chance you can do me one?" he asked, a slight awkwardness in his voice as he spoke. "Any chance you could take a look at Sinny's car? I've just been out in it and the brakes sound fucked. Grinding kind of sound," he noted. Perhaps he was playing down his knowledge of the car's problem, but he wasn't undermining his lack of skill to fix it. Having not spoken to Ryan since their fight, he decided to approach the current interaction cautiously, especially as he was keeping back his anger and upset about Peter taking one for the team, so to speak.

Fletchawk (Ryan)


Shannon Sullivan and the Callahan kids

When Conor had asked her to look after Michelle whilst he went to pick up Alex, Shannon didn't hesitate to agree. Whilst it was because she liked her granddaughter, there was also a part of her that simply had to be present when Alex was brought home. It had crossed her mind that the memory loss could be an act, but either way, Shannon was curious more than anything to find what the Romano woman could or couldn't remember.

Shortly before Conor returned with Alex, Shannon heard the voices of the Skye and the Callahan kids, but stayed aside with Michelle as they found Lucy first. She didn't get much chance to hear what was being said as Conor entered the house with Alex. She allowed Michelle to greet her mother and listened to Conor as he explained he had to go back out to check on Sinead's car before it was too late. Once Michelle had greeted Alex, Shannon stepped forward, and despite her smile there was still a hardness to the older woman's face. "Good afternoon, Alexandra. I'm not sure if you already know, but I'm Shannon - Conor's mother. Can I get you a drink or show you to your room?" she offered.

neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle)

*****​

Skye had explained to Lucy about what had happened with Sinead as the three kids seemed to flock around their aunt. The nanny left the children with Lucy as she was heading out with Syd for her date. Savannah hugged her aunt and pulled a sad expression. Though she wasn't crying, it was clear from her red eyelids and glistening eyeballs that she had been. "Mum won't let us put up the Christmas decorations and Emmy called her a 'grumpy bitch' and she didn't even yell at her for swearing. I know Mum's sad, but so am I. Can we stay here today?" she asked. "When are you going to put your tree up? We really really want to help you."

"Brady thinks Daddy is the bestest and he stood up to the coppers. But I think that's naughty and I should give my Daddy a piece of my mind. He's naughty, isn't he?" she asked, with a small smile. "I'll kick his ass when he gets home... will he be home tomorrow?"

Savannah let out a groan at her siblings. "My dad who died stood up to the police and they killed him. So it's not cool, Brady. You're such a moron!" She looked to Lucy and shook her head. "I know he won't be home tomorrow," she dejectedly told her.

Bellz (Lucy)

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

Others TBD:
Adam
Mallory
Oliver
Quinn, Faye, Grace

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 11: The Unexpected Gifts
Friday 25th December 1959
Afternoon - Cold, Snow, White Clouds
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Porters House
​

James Porter and Shannon Sullivan

James had woken up early that morning, but didn't rush out of bed, deciding to spend some time alone with Lucy before the house would inevitably turn to chaos. The daytime he'd intended to be relatively relaxed, but in addition to the Callahans and the rest of the Sullivans, he'd also invited their closest friends over for the party due to start in the late afternoon and run onto the who knows when! Ryan, Jackson, Blake, Leo, Aliana, Tommy, Skye, Alex and Michelle were all expected to be at the house.

When James finally did get out of bed that morning, he started off by taking the dogs for a walk. It had snowed the previous night and left the everything covered in a festive white blanket. He was glad to see the snow wasn't too deep and the road conditions were still drive-able. He expected they'd be even clearer for the evening, meaning the small job he'd arranged for Syd, Ryan and Tommy to go out on could still go ahead. Syd had been crying out to help with the business and be given jobs to carry out. The job today was going to be relatively quick and straightforward, with them able to take advantage of the quiet streets and people busy, distracted by Christmas. James intended on briefing the three on the task after dinner, but it was to be a case of simply escorting a truck carrying a large import of alcohol to one of their warehouses.

James spent a little time in his office in the early afternoon, making a few calls to check everything was going smoothly across his businesses. His mind briefly wandered to the Armstrongs, but any doubts in his mind were cast aside as he heard the cheerful voices of his family out in the main living area. To ensure their safety, he'd had no other option but to take more drastic steps. When he entered the lounge, he looked around, still aware he hadn't seen Conor all day. This caused him to retreat back to his office and call the pub where he knew the man had been working the previous night. He was irritated that Conor wasn't at the house where Michelle would be expecting him, so he made that crystal clear to the barmaid who had answered his call. As he entered the lounge once again, he looked around to see who was already present, a content smile on his face as his eyes rested of Lucy and their rapidly growing teenagers!

Arlene's absence hadn't gone unnoticed, but for now he was giving her the benefit of the doubt. She'd said she would be back for Christmas Day and knowing her, she would show up just in time for dinner. If she didn't, he would no longer hold off sending some of his men out to investigate. He'd gathered she was annoyed with him for not letting her help out in attacking the IWU - a danger he wasn't willing to throw her into so early into her arrival - but he believed even someone as unpredictable as Arlene would still show her face for the rest of the family's sake.

James approached Delilah and Syd, stepping between them and placing an arm around each of them. "How's it going, kids?" he asked them, with a warm smile. "Are we expecting Leo and Skye this evening?" he asked, a stupid grin on his face. "Can't be having all of our lovebirds apart on Christmas, can we?" Syd would know Skye was presently out delivering gifts to her friends, but she would be over in time for dinner.


Shannon was sat on the carpet with Michelle as she watched her granddaughter play with some of her toys. She knew the Callahan kids would be over soon enough, but they weren't the ones whose absence was presently missed. The more the woman looked to the clock, the more likely she was to kick the living daylights out of Conor. He was in for an earful for not returning home already, that much was guaranteed. Shannon sent Alex a reassuring smile before focusing back on the child. "So, Shelly, tell me. What is Christmas usually like for you? As crazy and noisy as in this house?"


Interactions: Pyroclast (Syd) ElectricDandellion (Delilah) neverbackdown (Michelle, Alex)
Mentions: Bellz (Lucy) neverbackdown (Mallory) Fletchawk (Ryan)

Callahans House​

Sinead Callahan

The couple of weeks since Sinead had first visited Peter had seemed to pass her by in a sudden blur, though those around her would say it had been an important time for her recovery. Alhough she could never stop worrying about him, visiting her husband the first time had lifted her spirits and given her the motivation to pull through the next six months for his sake and the children's. She'd followed up on her talk with Finn by returning to her counselling sessions and taking her medication again. Having practically starved herself for a week when Peter was first arrested, she'd now got her appetite back and with it came the bright energy she was typically known for. Though she and Peter had already bought most of the presents, Sinead had still been into town a few times to buy the rest, with her asking (or begging) Aliana or Ryan to drive her to the shops whilst her own car was out of action.

A couple of days ago, Sinead had been disheartened when she arrived at the prison for her weekly visit. The warden had denied her visit, giving a vague reason about visiting privileges being temporarily revoked for all prisoners on Peter's prison wing. She'd been unable to drag more out of the warden but James had told her it was likely some of the prisoners had broken the rules and everyone was being punished for it. Sinead accepted the reason and knew she had to stay positive so she could focus on making sure the kids had the best Christmas possible.

Yesterday evening, Sinead spent time with the three children decorating the Christmas tree. They always finished the tree off by adding their own star baubles to the front and this year Sinead lovingly tied Peter's to the tree on his behalf. Other than the tree and some Christmas cards, the house looked quite bare compared to previous years. After putting the children to bed, reminding them they weren't allowed to disturb Santa, and having Skye guard the upstairs of the house, Sinead then put her plan into action. She'd earlier begged Aliana, Ryan, Jackson and Finn to help her trim the house up properly so the children would wake up to the most outrageous Christmas wonderland in their own home.

A few snowball cocktails later and the job was complete. Sinead hadn't made it to her bed on Christmas Eve, instead falling fast asleep on the couch. This also meant that she got to see the looks on the children's faces the next morning when they rushed downstairs to be completely amazed by fantastical scene that greeted them. Sinead watched on as they excitedly opened the presents she and Peter had got for them, making sure to take as many photographs as she could. Having not expected anything for herself from her immediate family, she was touched to find the children had managed to get someone to take them into town so they could get her some presents too. They'd got her a sparkly silver bracelet and a new book of piano sheet music, to which Savannah pointed out she didn't play enough music lately.

As the afternoon flew by, Sinead realised it was fast approaching time for them to start getting ready to head to the Porters house for dinner and likely even more presents for the little ones. She was secretly excited for the evening as she expected Lucy would finally reveal her own news. And, as much as the children kept her on her toes and showed their affection, she was starting to feel quite lonely as the afternoon went on. She carefully plaited Savannah's blonde hair as Braden and Emery were tasked with putting their toys into a neat pile at one side of the room. Sinead's bad moods over the last few weeks had been like water off a duck's back for the two youngest, but she knew Savannah was more sensitive to it, so she was making an extra effort to make it up to the girl.

"Muuuuum! Brady's being a giantgantic jerk!" Emery shouted. Before Sinead even had time to react, the youngest two children began chasing each other around the house, having put away approximately one toy. The sudden excitement also caused Savannah to pull forward, mid-way through having her hair plaited, and then rush off to chase the other two around the house. Sinead groaned and slumped back on the sofa, shaking her head in amused exhaustion. She couldn't wait for adult interaction, and perhaps some assistance...

[OPEN FOR INTERACTION: Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) and Fletchawk (Ryan) ?? ]
Mentions: Bellz (Peter, Finn, Lucy) Fletchawk (Ryan) Enzyme (Jackson) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

Textile Factory Apartments​

Arlene Sullivan

Arlene hadn't left the apartment she was being held in since the day she had been drugged and taken there by the IWU, on Jared's instruction. For the first three days, Carter had shown his face and the two had shared a number of conversations with each other. He'd been the only person she'd spoken with over the last two weeks. However, after the third day, Jared had ordered Carter not to visit Arlene for a full week and during that time, she'd had no human interaction whatsoever. Even the goons guarding outside the apartment door hadn't responded to any of her shouting and verbal abuse. Although she didn't see it, Jared had been very calculated in his approach to the situation and in the end it had the desired affect...

When Carter finally did show his face again a week later, Arlene found herself pleased to see him, against her better judgement. A mixture of finally interacting with someone again and her growing interest in the man's stories, she was grateful when he showed up again. Still, she was disappointed that Armstrong wasn't letting her leave, but she was growing less resistant to Carter's presence as the days went by.

Arlene had spent Christmas Eve standing by the window watching the snow falling. It wasn't quite the heavy snow she'd grown used to in New York, but it was still a beautiful and peaceful sight, regardless. The realisation that she was going to miss Christmas with her family had hit her and it was that thought that kept her from getting more than a couple of hours sleep that night. On Christmas Day morning, she once again found herself standing by the window, smoking a cigarette, as she wondered what her family would be thinking. She'd always been independent and one not to get involved with the sentimental side of things, especially with children running around the house. She wondered if they would all just think her absence was a normality. Did they even care she wasn't there?

Enzyme (Carter)

The Sullivans Pub​

Conor Sullivan

Conor woke up to the sound of heavy knocking on the door. It took him a short time to adjust and figure out he was in the small apartment above his pub. He rubbed his eyes and groaned as he felt the pounding in his head. Christmas Eve was a busy night at the pub, so he'd had to work to help his bar staff out. One drink had led to another and even after the pub had closed, he and his staff had continued drinking until the early hours of the morning. He'd known already it would only be a matter of time before he ended up in this state again. With Alex's injuries, Aliana's words a couple of weeks earlier, Peter's incarceration, not to mention Tommy being quite a "moody little prick" as of late, he knew he was heading to this point. As the date came flooding into his mind, he knew he'd fucked up and picked the worst day to let everything catch up to him. "Ah, bollocks..." he grumbled.

"CONOR!" the voice of the Irish barmaid shouted from the other side of the door. "James was just on the phone. You need to get your drunken arse home. He sounded pissed off, mate!"

"Jesus Christ! I can hear ya. Stop shouting..." he called back to her. Sure, James was going to give him some lecture about being irresponsible. It was nothing new. Besides, Conor was already aware of how much worse this one was as Michelle would be back at the house wondering where he was. He was just thankful that he'd managed to be organised in buying everyone's presents in good time. Hopefully that would count for something...

[OPEN: Anyone fancy driving Conor home? Enzyme (Jackson)?]
Mentions: neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

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

OOC: If I've tagged a 2+ of you in an interaction, would the players be kind to agree in the OOC thread who wants to post first? Same goes if I've left something open for interaction. I don't want to boss you all around too much and I'm not sure who is free to post.
Armstrongs post will follow later, so we can get things started with the above first. I may even leave it for a day or two to post them.
Morgans I will leave up to ReverseTex and Pyroclast to arrange. I had intended that they could join the Armstrongs if you didn't have something else arranged. It's in your hands.
I'll also have Skye and Tommy show up when I decide the time is right... perhaps in time for dinner. So post awayyyy...

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 12: Devil in Disguise
Monday 11th January 1960
Evening - Cold, Frosty, Clear skies
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Garda Station
​

Detective Stephen Donnelly

Donnelly stood at his desk as he was handed a file by one of the police officers who had made an arrest just a few hours ago. He quickly read through the report, shaking his head as he did. "That's an awful lot of drugs for anyone working for the Ballymun brothers, don't you think?" he asked, glancing up to the cop.

"Do you think he's shifting it for the Porters?"

"Why would I think that?" Donnelly asked, handing the paperwork back to the young officer. Whilst the Detective favoured the Porters over the rest of Dublin's scum and found it useful to have James on side, that wasn't his reason for brushing off the cop's assumption. "The Ballymuns don't like the Porters and that feeling's mutual. They're not going to start selling gear for them and this doesn't fit the the Porters' usual behaviours. I will look into it and see who's really pulling the strings on this one. In the meantime, you get back into the interview room and keep at him. Chances are he won't intentionally give you anything useful, but the Ballymuns aren't known for their intelligence, so there's a chance he'll let something slip accidentally."

Donnelly grabbed his coat and slotted his firearm into its holster at his hip as he prepared to head out onto a separate case. As he walked towards the exit, he noticed Detective Sullivan who was finishing up his shift for the day. Donnelly knew of Kennedy's familial relationship to the Sullivans and therefore potential ties to the Porters. Given his own on and off alliance with James Porter, Donnelly believed his colleague could be an asset to helping keep the city under control. The Porters were criminals and thugs, but they were the lesser evil when it came to the city's corruption and James seemed to show more humanity than the other rats crawling out of the woodwork.

"Have a good evening, Sullivan," Donnelly told the man. He stopped at the door, keeping his hand rested on the handle whilst he turned to face his colleague. "Sadly, my shift doesn't end for a few hours yet... I think we could both find it beneficial if we discuss some of our related case files the next time we're both down here," he suggested. Once Kennedy had responded, Donnelly headed out to his police car, signalling for one of the cops on duty to join him.


mpower (Kennedy)

Porters House
​

Shannon and Arlene Sullivan

Shannon had been enjoying a smoke in peace when Arlene joined her in the conservatory, doing nothing to hide the irritation from her pretty young face. The older woman sat back on the sofa and took a long drag of the cigarette as she glared at the blonde who had sat herself on the opposite seat. "Fuck sake, Arlene. You've got a face like a slapped arse. You haven't cracked a bloody smile since your disappearing act at Christmas."

"I suppose I didn't expect Dublin to be so boring, Aunt Shannon," Arlene pointed out as she glanced towards the window. The lack of work from James was certainly a driving force for her boredom, but her mind was also still on Carter. That 'beady-eye bastard', who also happened to have presented her with one of the most meaningful gifts she'd ever been given. It wasn't just the music box that caused her to feel conflicted about the man, but it had been the conversations they had and the similar dark pasts they'd endured. The man also happened to be a fine dancer. Shocking taste in women's clothing, but a smooth dancer, nonetheless. It could be easy to get lost in those thoughts, but Arlene had other concerns she would voice to Shannon. "It seems like everyone's out working whilst I'm sat her bored to tears... Really, a meeting between our family and the IWU? They're all too stubborn to come to any agreement and nothing good will come of it. James should have invited me along to stop it from turning into a dick measuring contest..."

"Jesus... Stop bloody whinging before I slap you so hard you'll end up back in New York!" Shannon impatiently stubbed out her cigarette into the silver ashtray. "Here's what we're going to do, Arlene. You're going to get a shower and get dressed up. I'm expecting Kennedy any minute and I promised I'd help him settle in until his dear brother Finnian returns home from the prison. Once he does get back, you and I are going out for drinks. No arguments, darling!"

Once Arlene had left her alone, Shannon lit up another cigarette and sat back in her seat as she listened out of the doorbell which would signal Kennedy's arrival...


mpower (Kennedy)
Mentions: Enzyme (Carter) Bellz (Finn)







Callahan Children

Tommy had asked Aliana to meet him at the Porters house so he could spend some time with her and perhaps even take her for that dinner they'd discussed at Christmas. However, one thing had led to another and Tommy had found himself agreeing to attend the meeting with James and the others. He'd promised Aliana he'd be back before the evening was done so they could at least have a few drinks and a chat together.

The children were being looked after by Lucy but had also begged Aliana to stick around too as they were all very fond of Sinead's friend. Soon enough, Emery was fast asleep on the main living room sofa and Braden was alone in the kitchen playing with his colouring books. Savannah popped herself next to Aliana and when she mistakenly thought Lucy wasn't listening, the child decided to ask something that had been on her mind for some time. "Ali, do you have two boyfriends?" she asked. "I saw you kissing my Uncle Conor, but I thought Tommy was your boyfriend. I think they're both pretty cool," she trailed off, not realising she may have said too much, too loudly...

Bellz (Lucy) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

Dublin County Prison
​

George Sanderson

George hadn't managed to sleep well over the last three nights, due to the fact he'd been forced to try sleeping on the freezing floor of the cold, dark cell, with only a thin blanket to curl up beneath. Solitary confinement, or "the hole", was the worst place a prisoner could be thrown into within the walls of the jail. No light, no heat and certainly no company. For a sociable person like George, the lack of human interaction was probably worse than the horrific conditions of the tiny, windowless room he'd been suffering in for the last few days. This wasn't the first time he'd found himself in solitary confinement, but it never got any easier. George hadn't meant to get into trouble, but it wasn't always easy to avoid in prison. He'd been working in the kitchen when three prisoners sneaked in to beat another man to an inch of his life. The wardens didn't believe George's story that he hadn't seen anything and when Officer Frost persisted to drag information out of him, George ended up using profanity to tell the warden where to go with his accusations. Long story short, Frost had never liked George and the prisoner was now suffering in the small, damp cell. Still, the alternative would be much worse and George knew if he'd told the wardens anything about the attack, he'd be in the infirmary or even dead by now. Squealers rarely survived.

George finished forcing down the food that had gone cold long before it reached him. It was probably a good thing it was too dark to see what he was eating as whoever had been working in the kitchen during his absence was an appalling cook. He placed the empty tray in the hatch, ready to be collected and taken away by the staff. Right now, he'd settle for even a conversation with one of the wardens. As he thought about human interactions, he once again found his thoughts returning to his cellmate. He hadn't seen Peter since the brutal beating he'd received on Christmas Day, at the hands of Darius and his friends. George wondered if Peter was out of hospital yet and was eager to see the man again, believing him to be a decent guy despite his mob affiliations.

George was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard footsteps down the basement corridor and then the sound of jingling keys approaching. The powerful voice boomed from outside the cell for George to stand back against the wall. Soon enough, the door was unlocked and pushed open, allowed the light from the corridor to burst into the dark cell. It wasn't that bright, but still seemed to blind George for a moment as his eyes had already grown so used to the pitch blackness of the cell. Any complaints he would voice were pushed aside when the guard informed him his punishment was over and he was to shower before seeing his visitor. It had been a few weeks since he'd last seen any of his family, so the news managed to bring an overdue smile to his face.

The shower had been surprisingly warm and George felt like he was defrosting beneath the water. It wasn't long before it ended and the prisoner was led back to his cell. George stepped inside and the first thing he did was toss himself down on the mattress, his aching back enjoying the soft landing beneath it. "I never thought I'd appreciate this grubby bed, Peter," he finally spoke up, turning his head to look to his cellmate. He looked the man over for a moment, checking to see if he'd recovered well from his terrible beating. "Am I glad to see you... How long have you been out of the hospital?" he asked. "You alright?"

"Callahan! Sanderson!" a voice called from the corridor. "Visiting time. You've got five seconds to join the line," he bluntly warned them.

"Oh, thank God..." George said, rushing to his feet and ignoring his backache. "I bet you're looking forward to seeing your wife... I hope she brought her cousin with her," he joked, raising a suggestive eyebrow. He then wiped the smile from his face as he joined the queue and began walking to the visiting room with everyone else...


Sinead Callahan

Sinead had tried to keep herself busy since Christmas, hoping to get the next few months out of the way as soon as possible and finally have her husband back home. Really, all her plan had managed to do was make her more exhausted and so she'd spent less time over at Lucy's house than everyone was used to. In addition to looking after the children and the furry addition known as Ozzy, Sinead had also been spending more time at the Jazz Club, hoping taking an active role would distract her from the whirlwind of emotions that was constantly occupying her mind. As well as managing the club, she was also looking to get herself some gigs lined up thanks to something Savannah had recently said to her. The child had become obsessed with the roller skates Conor had bought her for Christmas. The explanation the child gave her mother was that doing the things she was good at and the things she enjoyed made her feel happier whenever she felt sad. Aside from making Sinead realise how much Peter's absence was affecting the children, it also made her realise she needed to do some nice things for herself to help ease her own aching heart. Singing always helped in the past.

With Skye sick and resting in her room at the Callahans house, the three children were staying at the Porters place for the evening to allow Sinead and Finn to visit Peter. The two cousins hadn't seen Peter since before Christmas as visits had been cancelled every time something big kicked off on his prison wing, some of which Sinead was unaware related directly to her husband being beaten up by the other prisoners. Today was the second time Sinead had been searched by the prison staff and it felt just as uncomfortable as it had the first time. Still, she'd decided not to dress down on today's visit as she felt Peter would want to see her in her usual clothes. Therefore, she'd put on a pretty yellow dress, a pair of heels and had made an extra effort to style her hair. She hoped the bright colours would bring them both a little light today.

As they stood waiting to be let into the visiting room, Sinead linked her arm with Finn's and stood close to him. "How am I going to stop myself from running in there and jumping right on top of Petey? I miss hugging him and being held in his arms..." she trailed off. She knew she couldn't go ahead with her desires as she would most likely be removed from the visiting room before she could have any time with Peter. She let out a sigh before looking up to Finn, knowing he'd not been having a great time himself lately due to his troubles with Eleanor. "I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately, Teddy. How are you feeling, honey? I don't like to see you down. We're both loving souls with big hearts and I know how much it can hurt to feel alone. You deserve to be so, so happy and the World will realise that," she softly reassured her cousin.

Bellz (Peter, Finn)

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

Shireling - Enzyme will follow up with a couple more scenes which will feature Jared, Jack, Carter, Evan, James, Jackson, Alduos, Tommy... and Syd, Rudy, Conor.
Pyroclast Fletchawk - I believe you are planning the Adam and Quinn scene which Pyro will introduce.
Bellz Melanin-Gxdess - I'll leave Lucy and Aliana in your hands.

 

[Misty Gray]

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

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 14: The Big Day
Friday 6th May 1960
...3 months later...
Afternoon - Sunny, Warm, Clear Blue Skies
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The Armstrong Home
​

Jared and Grace Armstrong

The aftermath of the Porters' attack on the IWU had been testing for Jared and not just his own recovery from the gunshot wound in his thigh. The loss of Oliver Morgan hadn't just left a hole in Jared's election campaign, but the fact he'd lost a friend had also weighed heavy on his mind. He'd done everything he could to help Adam, offering the young lad a spare room at the Armstrong house and assisting with the funeral arrangements, as well as the financial affairs. Meanwhile, Jared had also had to switch his charm and magic into overdrive, by playing on the factory attack as the IWU being the victims of a disgusting act. Whilst he may have been the man to have the former mayor assassinated and he may have arranged the unsuccessful hit on Commissioner Morris, Jared did a stellar job at making the attack out to be an attempt on his own life - to prevent him from becoming the next mayor.

The polling stations had been opened the previous day, with the votes being counted throughout the night. Earlier today, the results had been announced and Commissioner Morris had been elected as the new Mayor of Dublin. Despite Jared's strong campaign, the bad press that had surrounded the IWU in recent weeks had unsettled the public and redirected their trust back in the direction of the Gardai. Whilst the Porters were an obvious choice to put his blame on, Jared believed it was the acts of his own men that had led to his failure. Carter, Evan and anyone else who had instigated the restaurant shooting were most at fault. He blamed them for the attack on the factory and Oliver's blood was on their hands too. However, Jared was a perceptive man and he knew he wasn't going to get time for revenge, certainly not without planning and recruiting trustworthy allies. For now, he knew he needed to get his family somewhere safe. at least until the dust was settled.

As they left the office in the town hall, Jared waved off his associates and campaign team. With one hand on Faye's waist and the other on Grace's shoulder, he led them to the Rolls Royce where his driver was waiting to take them home. He'd asked one of his men to now locate Quinn and Adam, having previously suggested his son took Adam out for the morning to lift the lad's spirits given that he'd recently lost his father. Jared kissed Faye's cheek as he held the rear door of the car open for her and Grace to climb into the vehicle.

"Dad, slow down," Grace said, hugging the man instead of getting into the car. "You might not have won the election, but I'm still proud of you. You tried to be a voice for those who need one and even if you didn't win, you were still heard. I'm sure of it. Plus, we get to go on that holiday now," she playfully told him, before getting into the car beside Faye.

Jared smiled at his daughter's words, but as he turned away, his face fell completely. Seeing Jack, he approached the man before he had chance to get in his own vehicle. "Jack, could you follow us straight back to my house? I have some matters I need to discuss with you before I accompany my family to London - it pertains to that funding you requested for publishing your work."

Jared then climbed into the passenger seat of the vehicle and asked the driver to get the car moving. He didn't want to worry his family, but he knew there were members of the IWU who had only held back in case he won the election. Some had been vocal enough about it. He needed to get his family to London as soon as possible, before anyone could get hurt. "We need to pack as soon as we get home," he spoke to Faye and Grace as the driver set off. "Things went on longer than I anticipated today and the flight is in just a few hours," he reminded them. He'd told his family they were having a two-week holiday, but it was indefinite and he would tell them the truth about that once they were safely with his business contacts in the English capital.

Bellz (Faye) Shireling (Jack)
Mentions: Fletchawk (Quinn) Pyroclast (Adam) Enzyme

The Sky Haven
​

Saoirse Fitzgerald

The last few months had flown by for Saoirse, but the void Bridget's death had left was still felt. She wanted those responsible to pay for what they'd done and she knew the Porters had been the ones attacked at the restaurant. She wanted them to do something. Anything. Why should Griff have to pay rent and insurance to them if their sister had been killed? No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shift such thoughts from the back of her mind. She'd volunteered at church only three times in the last few months and she was starting to realise she was losing her faith in God completely. People were still getting murdered and the streets were dangerous. What good was prayer doing? Only the powerful men around them could answer her wishes.

With the grocery store covered for a couple of hours, Saoirse had talked Griff into joining her for lunch at the nearby Sky Haven restaurant. She needed a drink and something good to eat for a change. Plus, she hoped the change of scenery would help distract her thoughts for a time. When they entered the restaurant, they would to be seated. Once at their table, Saoirse smiled to her brother. "This is nice, right?" she warmly asked. She looked around at the other customers before looking back to her brother. "We need to find peace, don't we? Then we can get some normality going again. I mean... when was the last time you had a girlfriend, huh?" she probed, despite having not being out on a date herself since before Christmas. "Seen any pretty waitresses around here?" she continued to tease him, a bright smile finally managing to grace her face.

As they spoke, Saoirse noticed a familiar man enter the restaurant. He'd been around the store many times in the past and they knew him to be one of the Porters. "Isn't that Conor Sullivan?" she asked, a strange sense of suspicion in her tone.


Conor Sullivan
The last few months had been tricky, with Conor and Alex finally sitting down to talk about things. With him putting closure to their relationship, which hadn't survived their ten-year separation as much as he first believe it had, she moved into her own placed along with Michelle. They all remained on good terms, with Alex and Michelle being a big part of the family. Alex was a Romano, but she was also James' cousin, even if somewhat distant, so that tie wasn't about to be thrown away because Conor had split up with her. Conor made sure to keep seeing Michelle, and Savannah was always asking for her cousin to have a sleepover. The friendship between the cousins had also brought Sinead closer to Alex, so the woman was often at the Callahans place, even if not the Porters house.

Conor had spent most of the day checking in on his businesses and making sure that all of the alcohol stocks were back on track. Following Evelyn's arrival at the Porters house in February, James had agreed to keep the business going with Evelyn and also made sure to have a couple of his trusted men assigned to assist her with the shipments, in place of the good men they'd lost on Christmas Day. Conor had also kept his offer open to accompany Evelyn on one of her visits to Dale at some point. He loved meeting new people and Dale interested him greatly as he was an old friend of Emmet's.

After his final stop of the day, Conor's ever-big appetite was calling for food and so he went to his favourite restaurant. Possibly his favourite due to the manageress, but still. He cheerfully greeted the security guard before walking straight ahead so he could hop up onto one of the bar-stools at a free spot at the bar. He glanced at a menu as he waited to be served, checking a couple of times to see if Aliana was around. To say he enjoyed spending time with Aliana was an understatement...

Bellz (Griffin) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) @Moka-chan (Darlene)
Mention: neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle) ?

The Archers Pub
The Duncan Gang: Johaan and Richard Duncan (brothers); Patrick (cousin); Vernon (cousin).​

It had been a few months since Conor, Rudy and Syd had shown up at the pub with some "crazy" idea the Duncans were running a secret casino in the basement. Though the interaction had started off hostile and violent, the three Porters and the Duncans had ended up having drinks and a laugh together. Conor had shown up a couple of times in March but it seemed the Porters had come to believe there was no underground casino at all. It was a relief for Richard, who didn't like any trouble in his relaxed and friendly establishment. Even more of a relief that the Duncans had got away with it and would be able to get their secret casino back in business.

The pub was quiet today, but Richard anticipated things would liven up in the evening - Fridays and Saturdays being the busy nights. The owner was standing at one end of the bar, having a rather interesting conversation with a couple of pretty female customers. Well, he was sure it was interesting, but he was mostly thinking about how attractive they were and they were certainly too classy to be drinking in his pub. He briefly broke off from the conversation as a regular entered the pub. "Down in the basement, mate. They're expecting you," he shouted across to the skinny man, then let him make his own way down the wooden staircase.

Inside the basement, Johaan, Patrick and Vernon were sat around the poker table with two other men. Cash and poker chips were stacked up around the table as the men played their game. "Ahhh, here he is!" Vernon called out as the their final player entered the basement. "Thought you'd wimped out, shitting yourself in case one of the Porters showed up, right?"


Despite the Duncans believing the heat was off them, Rudy and Ryan had been set the task of showing up at the Archers Pub again. James trusted his sources and still believed the Duncans were running the casino from the pub. Rudy and Ryan were to return to the establishment so they could check things out again. If they wanted to take a couple of men with them, there would be two available to join them. The Duncans were allowed to run their pub in Porter territory and a contract had been signed, but the casino was never part of that agreement and they all knew it!

Shireling (Rudy) Fletchawk (Ryan)
Enzyme (Johaan and Patrick?)

The Porter House
​

George Sanderson

George had a longer wait than he'd been expecting until he was finally put before the parole board. After a meeting every bit as painful and difficult as he'd expected, he'd been dismissed from the room only to have to wait another week as they reviewed his case. It had at least been better than the previous attempt, where they rejected his case without much deliberation or tact. When he was finally called back to the wardens office in the slowest week of his sentence, George was shocked to hear his release had been approved. It was a permanent release provided he was able to show "good behaviour" for a six week period. This all came on the condition he had a place to live and a job to go to on the outside. That was where Michael stepped in, along with his parents. As much as it pained him, George accepted their help. His brother paid for the first two months rent for an apartment above a pub and his father found him work in the kitchen of a busy diner. It ticked every box for his release and it even reunited him with his parents. Life was perfect?

George had been out of prison for 7 weeks now and for a few of those weeks, things had been just alright. It felt good to have his parents back in his life, but as time went on they began to suffocate him. Every time he was invited to their house for dinner, they would suggest he joined them in church and kept telling him about a lovely young woman he'd get along swimmingly with. After ten years of not wanting to know him, they suddenly wanted to control everything in his life. At times, he felt like he still didn't have his freedom. He certainly didn't have the freedom to choose his own path as long as his parents were fussing over him. He was living a lie every time he nodded along to them suggesting he took a lady out on a date.

Three days ago, George finally gave in, unable to keep up the act. The kitchen diner was even less fun than the prison kitchen. At least in jail, the prisoners were criminals too and he could talk to them. His colleagues in the diner didn't trust him and unless they were giving him the shitty jobs to do, they ignored him. He knew he had a criminal record, but he also believed he could do better than washing dishes and scrubbing ovens clean. The final straw came when one of the workers made a comment about him being a "piece of shit". George wanted to argue back but instead quit the job and walked out on the spot. News soon reached his parents and his father headed over to his apartment. In the midst of the heated argument, George realised he was never going to be happy as long as his father was in his life. As much as it pained him, George told the old man he wanted him to leave and made it clear he never wanted to see him again.

George had spent the last couple of days applying for jobs and seeking out other opportunities. One person who had been on his mind ever since he was released was Finn Sullivan. Initially, he hadn't been able to visit his friend, knowing if word got back to the courts that he'd been in contact with the Porters - known criminals - he could be in trouble. Then, as his parents had accepted him back, he worried he might never be able to see Finn, not with them butting into his life. But now, he was no longer on probation and his judgemental parents were out of the picture.

It had taken some courage, but today, George found himself walking along the street, through a couple of quiet neighbourhoods. He eventually stopped at the gates that led to the large Porter residence. He was pretty sure he was in the right place and he couldn't help but think how massive a change it had been for Peter, going from such a beautiful home to the cold cell they'd once shared. The voice of the gate guard, Brian, snapped him out of his thoughts. The questions were simple, yet George still froze for a moment. Who was he and why was he here?

"The name's George Sanderson. I'm hear to see Finn Sullivan. Were friends," he assured the man, flashing a friendly smile. George could fight the nerves and it wasn't because of the security - he was used to all that. It was the fear that Finn wouldn't want to see him. Why would he want to spend time with an ex-con?

Bellz (Finn)


Skye McKendrick and Shannon Sullivan

With Sinead gone to pick Peter up from the prison, Skye and Shannon were keeping the three excited children occupied as they waited. At the Porters house, Shannon was keeping Braden and Emery busy in the kitchen, having then help finishing baking the cake Sinead had set them off with. The excitement of the two kids was refreshing and Shannon was feeling quite relieved that Peter was finally coming home too. He'd been gone too long for her liking.

Skye didn't have to look after the children that afternoon, but she needed something to occupy her mind whilst Syd was training with Jackson. With Syd becoming more involved with the business, James had wanted him to spend time working with the key members, which included getting some of his training in with Jackson. It also meant Syd was generally spending more time with business, which she didn't worry about as much as she'd known Sinead to worry about Peter, but Skye did miss spending time with him and did have some fears about him getting hurt.

Skye was snapped out of her thoughts as Savannah waved her hand in front of the nanny's face to get her attention back. She snapped back to reality, remembering the two of them were standing at the far end of the Porters back garden. Savannah had wanted to collect some flowers for a bouquet so she could give them to her parents when they returned home. "Of course, Savvy. Those purple flowers will look beautiful with the pink ones, I'm sure of it," Skye assured the child.

"I'm really happy my Dad's coming home today. Hopefully Mum can be herself again too," she vocalised her own observations. "She had a real smile this morning, not a pretend one, and that makes me feel good too. I just want to have all of my family together again and I don't want to lose any more friends, either," she said, having been fond of Tommy and also missing having Michelle around as often. "Even Ryan doesn't stop by the house anymore."

[Skye and Shannon are open for interaction!]

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess Pyroclast Fletchawk Shireling mpower @Rusty of Shackleford LateForDinner
​

Posts to follow as soon as my fellow GMs can post:
Enzyme - Will be occupying Jackson and Syd; Gideon, Jack, Minnie and Evan; Carter and Arlene
Bellz - Will be occupying Peter and Sinead; James and Lucy; Gwen and Aidan
Pyroclast - Will be occupying Evelyn and Ken; Adam and Quinn

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 15: Upset the Apple Cart
Friday 27th May 1960
...3 weeks later...
Early Evening - Sunset, Warm
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The Archers Pub

​

James Porter and Richard Duncan

The pub was quiet, but that wasn't abnormal given the time of day. Evening was approaching and as it did, more customers would surely make their way there for drinks that often lasted into the early hours of the following day. Half a dozen male drinkers were around the place: a trio, a pair and a lone man seated at the bar. Also in the establishment were Johaan and Patrick Duncan, who were most likely ready for an evening of drinks themselves. Working behind the bar were Richard and his new employee, Howard. The glass collector was struggling to carry a crate of bottled spirits from the back room to the bar area. This caused Richard to roll his eyes at the lad. "Come on. Didn't I tell you to start working out? Get some meat on those bones of yours," he advised the lad. The well-built man towered the skinny employee as he took the box from him and effortlessly carried it behind the bar, placing it on the floor and inviting Larry to fill the shelves. "Sure you can reach, or do I need to get you a ladder?" he lightly teased Howard, evoking an awkward laugh from the teenager.

Spoiler: Richard Duncan

The man who had been sat at the bar finished off his pint before bowing his head and tipping his flat cap to Richard. "Thanks for the hospitality. I'd best get going before I return home to another domestic," he remarked. "See ya later, lads," he called out to the others before stepping outside. He took a moment to admire the orange sky caused by the sunset before casually walking along the pavement then taking a sharp right to the parked car James, Rudolph and Nathan were seated inside of. He leaned against the wall as he waited for James to wind the driver's side window down. "There's no sign of Vernon and I heard the Duncans mention he was out on a date with some unlucky lass. Richard, Johaan and Patrick are there, along with some scrawny young employee and five blokes drinking. The five customers shouldn't give you any trouble and will likely take the hint to get out of there," he informed the three men. "I'll wait here and keep an eye out until you guys get back."

"Cheers, Danny," James thanked the man. He then twisted around in his seat so he could address both Rudolph and Nathan. "Vernon will have to keep," James pointed out. "You guys deal with Patrick and Johaan while I sort Richard out... We keep Johaan's snitching a secret from his family and, please, try not to go too hard on him. He might prove useful to us again in the future."

The purpose of the Porters' visit to the Duncans was not about the underground casino they'd been running behind James' back - though that was certainly not something he wished to ignore. There had been a number of armed robberies in some of the city's restaurants and stores. The men had been masked and civilians had been killed or injured during the robberies. Johaan had very recently come clean to Conor that it was his own family - himself included on a couple of occasions - who had been behind the crimes. Johaan had pleaded with Conor not to kill him or his family, reminding the Sullivan man that he was soon to become a father. James had agreed with Conor to keep the promise and not kill the Duncans, but it didn't mean they wouldn't suffer for it. Though he wasn't about to deprive Johaan of fatherhood, James still felt the man should be punished too, for his own part in the robberies but mostly to stop the other Duncans from suspecting Johaan was the snitch.

As they walked towards the pub, James repeated a part of the plan to Rudolph and Nathan. "When we get inside, I want you to calmly get the customers out of there and the entrance bolted shut. I only want the Duncans left in the pub." He turned to the men and looked each of them in the eyes. "You both ready?" he asked, stopping outside the main entrance of the pub.

Nathan had been working with the Porters for a few weeks now, with James and the others helping to get him up to scratch with the business in and around Dublin. This would be the first time Nathan had seen the Duncans, but he'd been updated about the family and their recent rogue ventures. For Rudolph, this would be his third visit to the pub and this time there was no question of the Duncans' unauthorised activities. They had been caught red-headed three weeks ago, but circumstances had meant they were practically let off for the gambling racket - an action James felt was the most sensible decision for Ryan, Rudolph and Syd to make. Now the robberies had come to light, James wasn't willing to make any more bargains and today's visit was to show them their actions had consequences, with hopes they would get the message once and for all.


LateForDinner (Nathan) Shireling (Rudolph)
Mentions: Enzyme (Johaan) Pyroclast (Patrick)

"All That Jazz" Club
​

Conor Sullivan

Conor had been out all afternoon, stopping in on the businesses to make sure everything was running smoothly and there were no problems from those the Porters protected. After Cliff, the ageing butcher, had been shot during a robbery in his shop, Conor wanted to make sure his family's presence was made known should anyone else get any ideas. Of course, by now he knew the Duncans were behind the robbery and he was certain Vernon had been the one who shot the old man. Conor had promised Johaan the Duncans wouldn't be killed, but it didn't mean he wouldn't beat the hell out of Vernon if they happened to cross paths.

Sinead had asked Conor to stop in at the jazz club as she hadn't made it down there in a few days. Seeing as his sister's business shared the same parking lot as the Sky Haven, it wasn't out of his way at all, not that he'd refuse his little sister's request anyway. As he got out of the car, he was distracted upon seeing one of his friends. After a brief conversation with the man, he waved him off before slamming his own car door shut. It was only a few seconds before he realised he'd managed to lock his keys inside the vehicle. He quickly made his way inside the jazz club and asked Kev to let him use the telephone so he could call for assistance. He decided calling Sinead's place rather than Lucy's had the lowest probability of him being mocked for his foolishness. "Hey there, Tinkerbell," he sheepishly began. "Slight problem... No, the club is spot on, all is well there. But I've gone and locked my keys in my car, so I'd appreciate it if you could send someone over with the spare set."

"Conor..." Sinead began, letting out a short laugh that she wanted him to hear. "Of course I'll send someone over. You are such a dork! How did you even manage that?"

"Can you not send Jackson, or James, or anyone who's going to rip the piss out of me, please?" he pleaded with her. "Tell 'em I'll be in the jazz club or the Sky Haven. Thanks, love."

The Porters House
​

Sinead Callahan

The last three weeks hadn't exactly played out how Sinead had expected. For the six months Peter had been in jail, she'd imagined him coming home and everything going back to normal as far as their little family was concerned. She'd believed Peter would want to be close to her after so long apart, especially as she'd yearned to be close to him for so long. Whilst she was desperate to be held again - truly held, by someone who wanted her - deep down, she couldn't help but feel like Peter didn't love her how he used to. There had been some hope the previous week, when it was Sinead's birthday. Peter had spoiled her and taken her out of dinner, which she enjoyed and was truly grateful for. Still, the evening ended with them simply going to sleep, with her husband still unable to show her the intimacy she needed.

Sinead had repeatedly reminded herself to be patient with Peter and be understanding of how his time in prison had affected him. Despite acknowledging her own feelings, all she wanted was to show sensitivity to her husband for the awful experiences he'd had in jail. She'd been reminding Peter that she was there for him and that he could talk to her about anything. Then, she learned he was going back to work for James and she found herself struggling to support that decision. After everything he'd been through in prison and the ongoing effects both of them were struggling to overcome, she was shocked he would voluntarily risk ending up back inside again. Given that she was a woman who couldn't hide her feelings even if she tried, it was clear to Peter to see that she wasn't happy with his decision. Still, she'd also vocalised it to him, by telling him she didn't agree with his decision and questioned if he wanted to end up behind bars again. It hadn't been like all of those months ago when she was drunk and cried, pleading for him not to work for James. This time, she'd remained calm and collected, though clearly irritated. As much as she didn't want him to go back to working for James, she didn't want to deprive him of making his own decisions out of fear he might compare her to one of the prison officers who had controlled his life for six months. Sinead was torn between wanting to protect Peter and wanting to give him the freedom to choose his own path. Amongst all of the conflicting and confusing thoughts in her head, one thing Sinead knew for certain was that her heart was aching.

With Syd busy with work, Skye had offered to look after the three children to give Sinead chance to spend time with people her own age. The nanny had sensed all was not well for the Callahan couple, but felt it wasn't her place to ask about it or get involved at all. The best she could do was spend some time with the children and let Sinead unwind with some grown ups for a few hours. Sinead had agreed to Skye's offer, intending to spend the evening with Lucy and also inviting her friend, Gwen, over to join them. Sinead hoped her sister and friend would provide a needed distraction. With Lucy's due date only a couple of weeks away, Sinead was sure her sister's apprehension would provide enough of a distraction from her own problems. She was also unaware that inviting Gwen over to the Porter house could provide a little distraction of its own. Aidan had been asked to guard the Porters house and gardens for the evening, with most of the others out on other jobs. Sinead was unaware both Gwen and Aidan had already crossed paths.

Another man who was working at the Porters' place was Ryan, who was working in the garage. James had asked the mechanic to tend to some general repairs on a couple of his cars, having not had enough free time to take a look at them himself. Ryan's presence hadn't escaped Sinead's attention and she decided to detour to speak with him before she joined Lucy. As she entered the garage, she stood in the doorway and waited for an appropriate time to make her presence known, not wanting to startle him. "Knock knock!" she called out to him. She hadn't seen much of him over the last few months. They certainly hadn't chatted as much as they used to before that night when he confessed his feelings to her. Ever since, she felt like she'd lost someone else close to her and she'd hoped he would have come to her before now. She wondered if maybe she should be the one to approach him. "How's it going, Ryan?" she sweetly asked him. For all the familiar energy and friendliness to her smile and voice, there was no masking how downbeat and troubled she was behind the facade. "We haven't talked much in a while, have we?" she pointed out. The initial purpose of her visit was to see if Ryan would go help Conor, in her own way trying to get the two former friends talking, even if she couldn't do anything for Ryan and herself. But Conor's problem wasn't urgent and she didn't want to waste the fact she'd finally bit the bullet and struck up conversation with Ryan.

Fletchawk (Ryan)
Mentions: Bellz (Lucy, Gwen) @Rusty of Shackleford (Aidan)

The Textile Factory
​

Evan Shaw

Following the elimination of the Armstrongs, the Textile Factory had found itself in need of a new manager. Gideon had handed that responsibility over to Evan, who had gladly accepted it. With the place mostly repaired and back in functional order since the Porters' attack some months ago, production was fully up and running again. Evan's office had been redecorated and furnished, but that detail had been of little importance to the man. As far as he was concerned, the office was a glorified storage room for paperwork and reports to be filed inside of. The desk had been pushed up against the wall and basic round table with chairs around it placed in the centre of the room, instead. Evan wasn't the type of man to sit at a desk with his workers made to stay at the other side of the barrier. If he ever felt the need to address his workers in private, they would all speak freely with no allusions to his importance over them. He'd seen enough of that when Jared was running the place.

Evan had spent most of the afternoon busy working on the factory floor. As he finished up fixing one of the large spinning machines, he muttered an expletive before tightening the final bolt. He stood straight from his crouching position before tossing the wrench onto the nearby workbench. He glanced to the clock on the wall before looking at the group of men chatting nearby. Their break was 'officially' over but they hadn't yet returned to their duties. "Alright, guys. Five more minutes, then back to work," he casually called out. "Don't make me act like Armstrong and start calling it a tea break," he remarked, chuckling along with the others as his last few words had been said in an English accent that sounded very much like Jared's. With important IWU business to attend to, Evan decided to take his leave, trusting the more experienced employees to keep things running in the factory without him standing over them. "Make sure you're all out of here five on the dot - no later - and I'll see you back here Monday," he told the workers.

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess Pyroclast Fletchawk Shireling mpower @Rusty of Shackleford LateForDinner
​

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 16: Ashes to Ashes
Friday 10th June 1960
...2 weeks later...
Evening (7pm)- Breezy, Overcast
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Porters House
​

James Porter

The last couple of weeks had a been a chaotic mixed bag for James. The same evening Rayna and Matteo had arrived at the house, Lucy went into labour. The fact the baby was due for a couple more weeks only piled worry on to everything else he was already feelings by that point. It came as a great relief when Thomas Wayne Porter was born fit and healthy. Whilst everything else around them was being thrown into darkness, Thomas was the light that shone through in it all.

It hadn't been planned to happen so soon, but James had promised to take a week out from his full workload to spend time with Lucy and Thomas. Given the fact Leo had been killed, James couldn't commit to sitting back completely. He'd left Jackson and Conor in charge, with the former being the man to ultimately make the final decisions. Still, he'd made sure to pass on his own instructions, namely, keeping close tabs on the IWU and beefing up security in all businesses in Porter territory. He wanted to know more about the likes of Evan and Jack, as well as Gideon himself. The Porters' retaliation needed to be carefully planned and calculated well enough to wipe out as many members of the IWU as possible.

A week ago, James had returned back to his full duties and had managed to phone through to Gideon directly. The words exchanged were tense, starting with James questioning what the IWU were playing at and finishing on cold words as Gideon proclaimed he was taking over as many businesses as he could. This was clearly war and the Porters needed to plan their next move very carefully. It needed to be effective and final. The IWU needed finishing off, once and for all.

*****​

Today had been the day of Leo's funeral. James had woken early in the morning, making Matteo accompany him on his jog before going off to work out in the gym on his own. He'd then spent some quality time with with Lucy and Thomas, making sure to give his wife a breather from tending to their baby whenever he could. James and Lucy had then got dressed to attend the funeral, leaving Shannon at the house to babysit Thomas and Emery who were too young to be exposed to funerals. Much of the focus over the last few days had been ensuring the funeral ran smoothly and securely, not putting it past the IWU to try something even there. James knew that once today was over with, they would then be able to shift their minds onto wiping out the bastards responsible for it all.

After the funeral, most people had returned to the Porters house for drinks. James, Syd and Rudy didn't have long to spend around the place, as that evening they were returning to the Archers Pub. The Duncans had recently carried out another robbery and they were planning on one more that very evening. It was time to put a stop to it for good. Richard had been given enough opportunities to get his family under control and to follow the rules, but he'd used up his last chance.

James had changed out of his suit and into more casual clothes for the job ahead. Before leaving with Rudy and Syd he sought out Lucy, finding her in the kitchen preparing food for their guests who had returned to the house after the funeral. He walked over to his wife and stood close to her. "You should get someone to help you, love," he said, wishing his wife would relax a little more. He took Thomas, lifting the baby in his arms and placing a soft kiss on the baby's head as he held him close into his chest. With Lucy, their teenage kids and now Thomas, these kind of moments were what made James feel like there was still something good to take from his life. When he was with his family, he couldn't help but smile. Attending Leo's funeral made him realise how lucky he was to have such an amazing family and to never take them for granted. Now more than ever was it important to protect them all.

Bellz (Lucy, Thomas)
Mentions: Shireling (Rudolph) Pyroclast (Syd)


Sinead and Savannah Callahan

Whilst there was still something missing from their marriage, things between Sinead and Peter had been relatively peaceful since their argument a couple of weeks ago. Peter had continued to go to work, also helping increase security and intelligence for the Porters. Sinead hadn't put up any argument or anything that would be unsupportive of her husband's choice. The news of Leo's death had hit everyone pretty hard and Sinead had found herself distracted from her own issues as she wanted to help support Aliana during her grief.

Sinead had held off talking to Peter about Matteo until a few days after the news of Leo's death. Though he didn't blame her in any way, she could see he wasn't happy with the news and she'd expected that. They'd then told Savannah about her half-brother but told her they would arrange a time after the funeral for the two siblings to meet properly. In the meantime, amongst all of the other jobs they were on with, Peter and Sinead had been visiting some of the local schools before deciding where they would send their eldest two children.

Savannah and Braden had attended the funeral with their parents, both having known Leo and wished to be present during the ceremony. Meanwhile, Emery had stayed at the Porters house where the little girl was adamant she would be "helping" Shannon babysit Thomas. After the funeral, Sinead had stayed with Aliana, keeping Savannah close by her side to avoid any premature run-ins with Matteo. Braden and Emery had since gone off with Skye to play games away from the grieving adults.

As time went on, Sinead knew she and Savannah needed to go to the smaller guest lounge where she'd arranged for Rayna to accompany Matteo to meet with his sister. Whilst Sinead was nervous about the whole thing, her daughter was curious more than anything and that intrigue had stopped the girl from feeling much else. She'd always wanted to know more about herself and meeting a half-brother she didn't know she had filled her with so much interest. As she sat on the couch next to her mother, Sinead placed a warm arm around her, pulling her in close. "You worry too much, Mum," the blonde girl pointed out.

"No kidding, smarty-pants!" Sinead playfully replied. Her daughter was almost 11 years old and it scared her how independent the girl was already becoming. It had been a tiring few months and the funeral had been yet another thing piled on top of the woman's worries. She only hoped Matteo and Savannah would get along. The last thing she needed was for her daughter to be upset...

Bellz (Rayna) Enzyme (Matteo)


Conor Sullivan

Conor hadn't been his usual cheerful self since Leo had been murdered a couple of weeks ago. The first week, he'd been helping Jackson carry out James' instructions and helping pass down orders to the gang members. When James had returned to his full duties, he'd then been taking orders directly from James - and there had been many of them. The extra work didn't bother him as it served to educate him more on the IWU and get heavy handed where necessary. He'd also made sure to spend time with Aliana when he could, trying his best to support and comfort the woman who had just lost her brother. He was aware she had still been mourning for Tommy before Leo had been killed, but that was something he continued to leave unspoken unless she chose to bring it up.

The thing that stood out most was that in the alone time Conor did get, he didn't spent it drinking himself stupid and instead had been training far more intensely than before. He was never a fan of firearms, but any beliefs he held about them being a coward's weapon no longer mattered. If he was going to help take down the bastards responsible, he knew he too would have to become as open to shooting people as he was with beating the shit out of them.

As soon as the funeral was over and he'd driven some of the guests back to the house, Conor left again to take a drive around the city to make sure everything was running smoothly. With many of them at the funeral, he wanted to make sure nobody had tried to take advantage of the situation. He eventually returned to the house and was about to slam the front door shut when his attention instead fell onto Lady who had greeted him straight away. He instead closed the door calmly and took a moment to stroke the dog behind her ears as she stood up on her back legs to greet him.

Conor eventually broke away from the animal's greeting and made his way into the main lounge, his mind focused on finding Aliana again...

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

Dublin City Library
​

George Sanderson

It had been two weeks since George had last seen Finn. He'd known at the time it was a huge risk telling his friend about his feelings for him, but he still maintained that honesty was the course of action to ensure there were no secrets infecting their friendship. Despite knowing Finn might not take the confession favourably, it was still hard to take when it did happen. In an instant, he'd lost one of his few friends and no doubt the most interesting person he'd known in some time. As the days had gone by, the wounds grew less painful, but Finn was often still on his mind no matter how much he knew he had to move on.

A few days after he'd last seen Finn, George had a very successful interview at the city library and he was offered the job. Granted, he'd been more creative with the truth on his application forms that time around; giving no mention to his time in prison and providing false references. He felt a little guilty about lying, but he was running out of options if he wanted to keep paying his rent and he believed he would prove his worth to his new employers.

Today was George's fifth shift at the library, having started the job at the beginning of the week. He was enjoying his work and found it was a great distraction from his personal troubles. The city library was huge, especially compared to the tiny library room in the prison. Now, he was surrounded by thousands of books and he loved it. Every now and again, he'd even manage to strike up conversation with the library members about all kinds of books and topics. As a man who loved to talk, it had cheered him up somewhat, enjoying the social interactions after being cooped up in his lonely apartment for some time.

The library had closed over an hour ago, but George had offered to stay back until Margaret, his supervisor, was ready to leave and lock up. It would be less time for him to spend alone in his apartment and the extra pay was a bonus. The man continued to return the abandoned books to their rightful places on the shelves. He'd already eyed up half a dozen more titles to borrow once he'd returned the ones he already had out on loan. He eventually heard Margaret call out to him that she was ready to go and he quickly returned the empty trolley to where it belonged.

Once outside, George stood next to the woman at the top of the library steps whilst she locked the large, heavy doors. "You have a good weekend, Margaret. Go easy on the wine!" he lightly teased, evoking a laugh from the older woman. The two then walked down the steps outside, going off in opposite directions.

Bellz (Finn)

The Oak Tree Restaurant
​

Saoirse Fitzgerald

As tough as she tried to be in the months following Bridget's death, being present during the shooting at the Sky Haven had shocked Saoirse. The sound of gunfire and the screams in the restaurant had taken her back to the night Bridget was killed in front of her. This led her to staying inside for the days that followed Leo's death. She couldn't eat and barely slept, unable to stop thinking about her sister. With Griffin's help and the promise of being put in touch with the Porters, she eventually managed to spring back and made herself get back to work with her brother at the grocery store. Seeing people had done her some good and she started to get her confidence back again.

Nathan had also been in touch over the last couple of days and had arranged a business dinner to discuss their concerns. Saoirse had spent some time getting ready for the meeting whilst Griffin had continued to work in the store downstairs. She'd made sure to dress smartly, opting for a white blouse, black knee-length pencil skirt and matching heels. She wanted to make sure she presented herself as serious and in control... Though it still crossed her mind that there might have been something more behind her extra efforts to look good for the meeting.

Griffin got held up at the store and it didn't look like he was going to finish up any time soon. The last thing Saoirse wanted to do was be late or cancel the meeting altogether, not after the trouble they'd gone to to secure it in the first place. She stuck to her guns and assured Griffin she could handle it, not entertaining the thought of rearranging.

As arranged, Saoirse arrived at the Oak Tree Restaurant at 7pm. After paying the taxi driver, she climbed out of the vehicle and made her way inside the Porter-controlled eatery, looking around to see if she could find Nathan...

LateForDinner (Nathan)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess Pyroclast Fletchawk Shireling mpower @Rusty of Shackleford LateForDinner
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[Misty Gray]

Chapter 17: Sailing Close to the Wind
Saturday 25th June 1960
...2 weeks later...
Early Evening (6pm) - Warm, Cloudy, Dry
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Dublin City Hospital
​

James Porter

James had spent the last two weeks in the same hospital room. For the first week, he'd spent a lot of the time sleeping or not fully aware of his surroundings, due to the side effects of painkillers and other drugs being fed into him. Over the last few days, the dosages had been reduced and so he had being more alert, which brought on its own problems where James' mind was concerned. He'd had a lot of time to think, as well as the grow irritable and bored of his surroundings. He was glad the be sitting upright and that the dressings had been removed from his face, but the cast on his arm and the bandages around his torso remained in place. The doctors weren't happy to let him leave and following a surgery to his ribs a two days ago, he remained relatively immobile and connected up to the IV.

With Lucy and Thomas at one side of his bed, the nurse stood at the other side checking James' temperature and changing the fluid bag on on the IV. Satisfied everything was okay, she nodded her head and briefly looked to Thomas to flash the by now familiar baby a soft smile. "Is that it? Can I go home now?" James asked the nurse. Though his tone seemed light, deep down he was desperate to get out of the hospital and back home.

"The answer is still no, Mr. Porter, and I advise against pestering the doctor again too," the raven-haired young woman firmly told him. "Do as you're told and you'll be well enough to go home much sooner." The same conversation had happened before and so the nurse didn't stick around to continue it again. "You look after these two boys now, Mrs. Porter," she called back to Lucy as she stepped out of the room and closed the door.

"It that machine really necessary? I'm clearly breathing," James grumbled to Lucy about the heart rate monitor, before turning to face her. With the swelling around his eye now mostly gone, he was able to clearly see his wife and son with both eyes. Despite his mood, a smile still showed on his mouth at seeing them both. "I've got one good arm - I'd like to hold Thomas," he said, asking for Lucy to assist him, rather than requesting permission. He hadn't spoken much at all over the last two weeks and this was the first time he'd expressed his need to hold his son. He knew the small baby's weight on his body might cause some discomfort to his ribs, but he wasn't going to let it stop him.

"I've had a lot of time to think," he began speaking to Lucy. "I wasn't ready, Luce. I let my guard down and I walked straight into that trap. I was unprepared to face Gideon and I put our family in danger..." James couldn't shift the thoughts and dreams he'd been having during his time in the hospital bed. "I was so set on not becoming Vinnie that I held back and put the business at risk." James looked Lucy in the eyes and hoped she would understand that everything he did would be for the good of his family. "I killed a lot of people back in Chicago," he quietly reminded her, lowering his voice both due to their location and as if to protect Thomas's ears from it. "And now is not the time for me to hold back, is it? Whatever has to be done to protect our family..." James had decided he and his conscience would need to become strangers again if he were to stand a good chance at destroying the IWU.

Bellz (Lucy, Thomas)

Fitz Grocery Store
​

Saoirse Fitzgerald

Saoirse stood at the cash register and finished helping the old lady to pack her bag before carefully placing the customer's change carefully in her hand. "You have a beautiful evening, Mrs. Chalmers," she brightly told the woman, unable to keep the infectious smile from her face. She could never help but be cheerful when serving her favourite customers. Still, despite all of the bad things that had been happening lately, there had been a slight spring in Saoirse's steps over the last couple of weeks. She'd left her meeting with Nathan feeling somewhat accomplished in knowing the Porters were listening to her and that security would be increased in their part of the city. Whilst she knew the jazz club and Sky Haven were very close by, so no doubt protected by default, she liked to think the grocery store was considered significant too. More accurately, a secret part of her liked to think Nathan considered the store important. Knowing the man was often nearby since being assigned to area the grocery store was located in also made her want to smile for other reasons, ones she was certainly too embarrassed to tell Griffin about.

With the queue at the cash register cleared, Saoirse approached her brother and playfully stuck a price sticker on the side of his face. "Ah, you're so cheap, Griff!" she teased him. "It's been so busy today, don't you think? But time has gone by so fast and I don't know about you, but I feel better now I know we're finally being listened to." She folded her arms and leaned against the nearby counter. "I know we haven't been able to see Mr. Porter, but I think Nathan genuinely cared about what I told him. We're going to be okay now, I'm sure. What do you think?" she curiously asked.


Bellz (Griffin)
Mention: LateForDinner (Nathan)

​

Evan Shaw

Evan sat in the front passenger seat of the car as Carter drove them into the city. Seated in the back of the vehicle were Minnie and Adam. It had been quite an eventful few weeks for Evan and a successful one as far as getting at the Porters was concerned. Although the intention hadn't been for Leonard McGrath to be killed last month, Evan wasn't disturbed by it. They'd got away unharmed and the Porters had suffered another loss, which was always a good thing. Then there were the events at the Archers Pub, where Evan had the privilege of watching as Gideon and James finally had that "meeting" the Porters had been asking for. It all went as Evan expected and he wasn't at all surprised to watch as his giant, overpowering leader beat the crap out of James. Overall, Evan was confident that the IWU would continue to take power and expected it wouldn't be too long before they were calling the shots over the Porters. James been in hospital certainly gave him greater optimism, even if there were now more armed men out protecting the Porters' main businesses and areas.

With the car still moving, Evan briefly turn to look over his shoulder to Minnie and Adam, making sure the latter seemed alert. Turning back to face forward and to load his gun, he decided to speak up. "Don't forget, this place isn't run by Porters but they're still paying protection to them. You go in friendly and play it smart - they owe the Porters nothing. If they agree to ditch them and take our protection instead, it'll mean one less place we have to destroy and rebuild."

This would be a relatively straightforward job, so Evan was letting Minnie and Adam take the lead on it. Still, he would be joining them, mostly in case they needed back up, but also to make sure they didn't lose their cool. Whilst he wasn't so concerned with Minnie's crazy tendencies, he was unsure how Adam would be out of the field. As much as he trusted his leader's instincts, there was always a chance the kid could lose his nerve and become a liability, so Evan was prepared to step in before it could become a problem.

Pyroclast (Adam) Bellz (Minnie) Enzyme (Carter)

The Oak Tree Restaurant
​

Sinead Callahan

The last couple of weeks for Sinead had been the best she'd personally experienced in quite some time. Ever since Peter came back to her two weeks ago, she'd felt a deep warmth and great happiness within herself, not to the mention the pain in her chest and her anxiety had noticeably reduced. With her husband back in her arms, she stopped feeling like a piece of her heart was missing. The children had also noticed the changes in their parents and two youngest had been back to their usual energetic selves. A few days ago, the family of five had gone out for dinner and bowling to celebrate Savannah's 11th birthday. The fact her eldest daughter was growing up so fast frightened Sinead a little, especially as the girl seemed more interested in spending more time with Matteo rather than with her younger siblings.

The previous evening, Sinead had performed at the jazz club for the first time in a while, using it as a warm-up for her upcoming gig she'd secured for herself at a large venue in town. She'd been happy to see Peter in the audience though she suspected he was also present in a work capacity, seeing as security had been tightened since the IWU's attacks. Although she was still on a high from singing last night, Sinead still worried about Lucy and James. She'd paid a visit to the hospital that morning and though James appeared to be recovering, she still worried about him, not to mention the family business as a whole.

With Shannon offering to look after the kids, Sinead had talked Peter into spending the rest of the day together. In the afternoon, they'd been to see 'My Fair Lady' at the theatre. Presently, they were both in the Oak Tree Restaurant having just finished eating their main course. It felt good to be dressed up and spending time with her husband, so she could hardly keep the smile from her face and certainly couldn't get the songs from the musical out of her head. "I could have danced all night..." she sweetly sang to Peter. She then went quiet as she thought about Savannah and the girl's aspirations. "Savvy wants so much to going into musical theatre. I really hope the school we decide on for her encourages the arts," she seriously told him.

Deciding to leave those kinds of conversation for at home, she leaned forward, resting her arms on the table as she studied Peter's face for a time. "So, it was my idea to go to the theatre today. Have you decided what you want to do once we're finished here?" she asked. She lifted her hand to trace the rim of the wine glass with her slender index finger. "I really don't mind. I feel like I've got so much energy left and the night is so young - far too early to go back home. We should do something crazy and fun!" she playfully suggested.

Bellz (Peter)

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

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 18: Reach Boiling Point
Saturday 23rd July 1960
...4 weeks later...
Evening - Dark, Warm, Clear Skies, Dry
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Porter House
​

James Porter

It had been over three weeks since James had been discharged from the hospital and permitted to return home. The first week, on both medical advice and Lucy's orders, he'd spent much of the time still resting in bed. Gradually, he'd surfaced downstairs, spending time catching up with calls and paperwork from his office, as well as spending more time with the family. He'd slowly introduced exercise back into his daily schedule, figuring his legs hadn't been injured so there was no excuse for not walking the dogs and focusing his workouts on his healthy limbs. The discomfort in his ribs was by now gone and so he'd been able to increase his speed without worrying about getting out of breath and causing any tightness in his chest. The main hindrance to him was still his left arm. Though the cast had been removed some time ago and was now reduced to simply support dressing, he'd been heavily advised against putting weight on the limb yet otherwise he could risk slowing the recovery and causing further damage. It was frustrating not being able to get back into the full swing of things, to be able to get into his full body workouts and catch up with the weeks of missing exercise. For now, he knew the best course of action was for him to keep on top of things from his office and leave Jackson and the others to keep managing things outside of the office.

After a long shower, James returned to his office. The sun was almost finished setting and so he switched on the lights to give the room some illumination. He knew his family would be growing concerned for the amount of time he was spending alone in his office - he was aware of it too - but he knew his frustrated mood was best kept to himself. His family were both his strength and his weakness. Without them, he believed he'd have maintained the belief he had nothing to lose and would have been killed a long time ago. At the same time, he knew caring for so many people had made him more cautious for his own and their safety, but that also meant he'd hesitated and lost some of the unbreakable focus he'd once held. He wasn't sure how to find an effective medium, one where he wasn't held back by fearing of losing his loved ones and was able to shut off his feelings, whilst still returning home and opening up his heart again to his family. He knew it wasn't impossible, but how did Vinnie do it?

The door to the office creaked as it was very slowly pushed open, almost as if the person at the other side thought he wouldn't notice if they did it so carefully. James pulled open his top drawer and removed the object he'd stuffed into there earlier. As he brought the fluffy rainbow-coloured cat toy into view, the door suddenly swung open and the little red-headed child rushed inside, towards James. The man stood up and held his hand out to command the girl to stop in her tracks. "Emery, what did I tell you? My office is out of bounds. You've already been in here... and I know you have because I found your toy," he firmly lectured his niece.

"Yeah, but no. I was playing and the door wasn't locked and I wanted to hide from Brady..." Emery began to quickly explain.

"It doesn't matter if the door is locked or not. You do not enter my office. You, Brady, Savvy... You know the rules. This is where I work, so it's not for you to mess around in. Do you understand?" he asked her. This was another example of where his family and business needed to be kept separate. He didn't want the children around his office overhearing conversations or finding anything that could be considered dangerous. He'd been through this before with the kids and it was beyond tiresome by now. "I'll be speaking to your parents about this..."

"Oh wow!" Emery snatched the soft toy from James' hand when he offered it back to her. "You're such a grumpy old man. You're a spoilsport!" the child loudly shouted back at him. Without further argument, she rushed out of the room, grumbling to herself about how moody the grown-ups were.

James walked over to push the door shut behind his lovable, but exhausting, niece. He then returned to his desk and slumped down in his seat, trying his best to focus his mind back on the unopened mail which had piled up...

Bellz (Lucy, Thomas, Gwen) Pyroclast (Syd)

Callahans' Garden
​

Skye McKendrick and Savannah Callahan

Skye sat beside Savannah on the sofa as the young girl spoke about what she'd been up to over the last few days. The nanny closed her eyes as she listened to the blonde's words, having felt tired for most of the day and taking advantage of the relaxation time she was presently having.

"...and then we were shown the music room. That school was my favourite biggest it had this big piano and the teacher said there was a drama club after school two days a week. I think Mum and Dad like that school too, so I'm hoping they let me go to that one. If I do, I will start there in September! I can't wait, Skye. Skye?" Savannah asked, turning to see the nanny had fallen asleep. After brief consideration, Savannah nudged Skye's arm with her elbow to wake her. "Wake up, Skye!"

"What...? I..." Skye began, opening her eyes and looking altogether confused. She soon realised she'd let her tiredness beat her and quickly rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands. "Sorry, Savvy. I'm just feeling exhausted today and this headache is getting on my nerves now." Sitting up straight, she pointed to the front door. "Come on, let's go outside and get some fresh air. It's still really warm out there." With that, Skye led the girl outside and the two sat together on the bench on the front porch. "Tell me about your visit to the school again and I promise I won't close my eyes this time..."


[OPEN FOR INTERACTION]

The Clover Casino
​

Arlene Sullivan

Since James had been hospitalised and the IWU had increased the pressure they were placing on Porter businesses, Arlene had been asked to take a more active role in her family business. With the exception - to an extent - of Carter, she had no positive feelings towards the IWU. Despite that man, her loyalties remained with her family and she would do whatever she could to help those who had taken her in when she had nothing. She'd been spending much more time at the Porters' place over the last few weeks, catching up with her Aunt Shannon and supporting Lucy where she could, although she wasn't the best with kids, so she'd not been able to offer too much direct help with little Thomas. Babies were cute and all, but she'd decided some time back that motherhood wasn't for her.

Tonight, Arlene had offered to help out at the casino, keeping her eyes peeled for any suspicious activity and her trigger finger ready for any kind of attack against the Porter business. She was in her element, moving herself all around the large gambling house whilst chatting with the employees and customers alike. It was even more fun standing by and watching as some silly rich fool threw away their money like mere candy. If anyone deserved to be ripped off by the mob, it was those people. The wealthy, the politicians and crooked cops alike. Better in her family's pockets than theirs. She smiled to herself at that thought before stopping alongside one of the poker tables where five men played, voices raised slightly.

"I swear you're cheating, Brad!" one of the men grumbled. Recognising Arlene as working at the casino, he pointed to the shoulder-length haired man beside him. "This one's cheating, I'm sure of it," he said, though his accusation what accompanied by a smirk. The body language of the group suggested the men were all friends.

"Or maybe I'm just luckier and smarter than you lot. Did that ever cross your mind, Bill?" Bradley remarked.

Arlene slowly walked behind the men, her slender legs accentuated in her high heeled shoes. She peered over Bradley's shoulder at his cards and smiled as he sent her a glance. "Come on now, Bill. Accusations like that can get a man in big trouble. And I happen to think your friend here has got a face far too pretty to be getting messed up," she calmly warned the men who she hadn't set eyes on until tonight. "Play nicely, boys," she firmly told them.

"You're not local, are you?" Bradley asked, turning to face Arlene, picking up on her New York accent.

"Keep your mind on the game, pretty boy," Arlene snapped, pointing back to the table. She gave the younger man no answer to his question and instead walked away from the table, making a point of continuing to observe the group from a distance.


[OPEN FOR INTERACTION]

Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess Pyroclast Fletchawk Shireling
​

Shannon is also available for interaction at the Porter house. Let me know if you want to arrange something with her.

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 19: Unite and Divide - Part 1
Friday 2nd September 1960
...6 weeks later...
Evening - Dark, Warm, Clear Skies, Dry
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The White Horse Pub
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James Porter

Over the last few weeks, James had recovered from any remaining injuries and was able to restart his heavy exercise regime. He'd even warmed up a couple of weeks ago, using Gwen's stepfather as a punchbag. One week later, a van pulled up outside the redhead's apartment and she received pretty much all of the belongings she'd been missing. For James, getting back up to strength had motivated him and re-awoken in the full extent of his determination. There hadn't been a day when he hadn't thought about or discussed with others his intention to destroy the IWU for good, no matter how many of its members they would have to kill in the process. Gideon, along with the likes of Evan, Carter and Jack were high on his list, but the more members of the union they could take down, the less of them there were to crawl into the position of power.

James had been made aware the cops were starting to crack down on organised crime, in response to Commissioner Morris' pledges during his Mayoral victory. It had become apparent that focus was beginning to shift in the direction of the IWU, but James wanted their enemies dead and buried, where they couldn't continue to pull strings, be it in hiding or behind bars. Not only did he want to kill his enemies, but he needed to do it soon, before the cops could get to them. Some of the gang had questioned him on his decision to carry out an attack the night before his wedding. Their surprise and disbelief only confirmed his reasoning. He wished to secure their alibis and so the fact it seemed crazy to take such a big risk on tonight of all nights would work in his favour. They already had witnesses lined up who would place all of the men at one of Conor's pubs the entire evening. And, apparently, as soon as the job was done, the intention was to go out for those pre-wedding drinks that would form their alibi. The fact Conor and Jackson were involved in the drinking arrangements later was unsettling to James!

Presently, the group was hiding out in the White Horse Pub, only a few minutes' drive from the textile factory they would soon attack. They had received confirmation from one of their men on the inside that all of the key players were inside the factory, giving all of those present final confirmation that tonight was the night. An assortment of firearms, knives and small explosives were laid out on the table as their handlers took what they needed to do their job. The men had been split into two groups; one led by James and the other by Jackson. They would each be driven close to the factory where they would storm the building from either side. This was familiar territory for some of them, who had previously attacked the place during Jared's leadership.

James approached those who would be led by him into the attack; Syd, Ryan and Peter. "Are you lads all doing alright here?" he asked them. It was clear from his tone and the serious look in his eyes that he wasn't making small talk. If they had any reservations or even wanted out of the mission, this was their chance to speak up. Whilst he wanted as many trustworthy gang members by his side, he wouldn't force them to risk their lives, especially not against an enemy already proved to be highly dangerous.

Interactions: Pyroclast Syd, Bellz Peter, Fletchawk Ryan


Conor Sullivan

In the weeks since stabbing one of the IWU members, Conor had gradually come to terms with his actions and ceased dwelling over what he had done. Along with Peter's and Sinead's encouraging words, it had been mostly down to Aliana that he'd been able to crawl back out of his dark mindset. After they'd admitted their love for each other, Conor and Aliana had only grown closer in that time. They'd spent many nights together, in either of their respective apartments, and their strong relationship had certainly filled Conor with hope for the future.

Despite his initial panic surrounding killing for the first time, when James announced they would be attacking the IWU, Conor didn't hesitate to offer up his assistance. Not only did he feel he owed it to Leo and Tommy to take down their killers, but he also felt it was something he needed to do for himself. He wanted to take down his family's enemies and this time it would be planned - he would be fully in control of his actions and emotions. He had no reservations about supporting his family on this mission. Besides, he was more than aware of Gideon's strength and felt he wouldn't hesitate to step up if such an opportunity to confront the man arose.

Conor was happy to be led by Jackson on this mission, having always found it easy to work alongside his close friend. Rudy also struck him as a man with his head screwed on, so believed they would all be able to work effectively together. Another person who would be attacking to IWU by his side was Matteo. With James having so much going on, Conor had offered to step in and train up the teenager. It had been strange when the lad first showed up, with Conor having to get his head around Matteo being Angel's son. Any doubts he had were pushed to the back of his mind, with Savannah being evidence enough for him that he couldn't judge the kid based on his biological father's nature. Besides which, there had been a time when Conor and Angel had been on friendly terms - a time before the man started gunning down the Sullivans and [in Conor's mind] manipulating his little sister. Despite Matteo's unruly behaviour in Italy, Conor felt it wasn't too late for the lad and he hoped his guidance could shape him into a better man than his father had been. Not to mention, it had been no secret James and Lucy thought the responsibility of mentoring Matteo might have a positive effect on Conor himself.

With the weapons set out on the table in front of them, Conor stood alongside Matteo and placed a firm hand on the teenager's shoulder. "What are you thinking?" he curiously asked, acknowledging the choice of weapons. "Have you been working on your aim since the other day?"

Interaction: Enzyme (Matteo)

Group 1: Misty Gray (James) Pyroclast (Syd) Fletchawk (Ryan) Bellz (Peter)
Group 2: Enzyme (Jackson) Shireling (Rudy) Misty Gray (Conor) Enzyme (Matteo)

Porter House
​

Sinead Callahan

For the last few weeks, Sinead had been taking her position as Lucy's Maid of Honour very seriously. Having had to miss out the first time, when she was pregnant with Savannah, she was going to make up for it with her second chance. Organising the flower arrangements, dress fittings and catering had been plenty to keep Sinead occupied. Not only that, she'd had great fun being bossy along with her tiny sidekick, Emery. No doubt, they would both get to do more of the same on the big day itself.

With many of the men out working under the guise of drinking, Sinead's worrying had been set to go into overdrive, but thankfully, she had a girls night of drinks and pampering to manage. She wanted to make sure her sister and friends were all very relaxed the night before the wedding... more so, because each of their respective male partners was presently out on some death mission which she expected would only add to their nervousness.

Shannon had agreed to look after Thomas and the Callahan children. The woman hadn't been in the best of moods lately and Sinead had witnessed a frosty atmosphere between her mother and Finn. After Shannon was recently quizzing both Peter and Sinead about George, the redhead soon pieced together what she believed was going on. If she was right, it upset her to think Shannon couldn't be happy for the two men. Personally, Sinead thought the idea of Finn and George being together was sweet and no less acceptable than a heterosexual couple. For now, she knew to keep it to herself until she could talk to her sweet cousin alone.

"Alright, ladies. Who wants cocktails?!" Sinead excitedly asked the other women as they made themselves comfortable in Lucy's large bedroom. "And where's Skye? I told her to get her lovely butt over here tonight!"

Bellz (Lucy) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Bellz (Blake)

Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess Pyroclast Fletchawk Shireling
​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 19: Unite and Divide - Part 2
Saturday 3rd September 1960
...the next day...
Early Evening - Sunny, Warm, Dry
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The Porter House
​

James Porter

After the explosion at the factory, James and the other men had made a point of celebrating as normal. After drinking in Conor's pub, they'd moved on to various other popular locations, including the casino. There would be dozens of witnesses attesting to their whereabouts and in his naturally rowdy manner, Conor had made sure the group were noticed throughout the night. As such, it hadn't been hard for the cops to track James and the others down in Conor's apartment bright and early the next morning. Those who had been staying at Conor's to get ready for the wedding had instead spent a number of frustrating hours being interviewed about the factory explosion. In their slight intoxication, none of the men gave anything away. In their sobering state, they continued to give away nothing that could link them to the explosion, only then their responses were by then laced with mild irritation. They were eventually released as the likes of Detective Donnelly had no evidence to go on and apparently many witnesses were around to back up the Porters' story that they'd been drinking from the start of the evening.

Due to the delays caused by the hopeless cops, the wedding got off to a late start, which no doubt set the likes Lucy and Sinead off worrying. After a reassuring call from one of the guys and a rush to get ready, everyone was soon in place for the outdoor wedding ceremony. Once things got started, everything ran by smoothly. Mostly. As James spoke his wedding vows - for the second time - to Lucy there was a moment when he began to stutter as it appeared he might have lost his nerve. In reality, the wedding had brought back memories of when they'd got married the first time around and how they'd only just been pronounced husband and wife when the Romanos opened fire on the ceremony. Now, the IWU were gone and he'd seen it with his own eyes, but he still couldn't avoid the sense of déjà vu. With a little help from directing his focus into the eyes of the woman he loved, James was able to pick himself back up and continue with his vows then eventually seal the deal with the exchanging of rings and a passionate kiss.

Once the ceremony was done, James was finally able to fully relax and the guests were all free to get the party started! James wasted no time in wrapping his arms around Lucy's waist so they could dance closely to the soft music being play by the live pianist Sinead had booked in from her jazz club.

"This is a fresh start, Luce," James softly told his wife before placing another kiss on her lips. He kept his face close but moved his mouth to speak quietly into her ear. "The IWU is gone and we're taking this city back. Our family is safe now," he assured her. As far as he was concerned, any remaining members of the union could either scurry away or he'd make sure they disappeared for good. For now, he intended on pushing any more thoughts of business aside so he could focus on enjoying his wedding day celebrations.

Bellz (Lucy)


Sinead Callahan

The only thing that had stopped Sinead from going into overdrive worrying about Peter's absence that morning was that she was rushing around putting the finishing touches to the wedding decorations. It had taken a huge amount of self control for her not to throw any pink into her sister's day, but in the end, she adored Lucy's colour scheme and it certainly didn't call for any pink. Once she was satisfied with the decorations, she returned to assist the bridesmaids in helping Lucy get ready. She was beyond grateful that both Skye and Shannon were around to help get the children ready, especially knowing how fussy Savannah could be. In the end, she was happy that everyone looked perfect. She just hoped Emery would stay looking presentable and wouldn't dirty her cute little dress until at least after the ceremony.

Once James and Lucy had tied the knot for the second - more peaceful - time, everyone was invited to start celebrating. The wedding reception party was primarily set up out in the Porters' garden but also extended into the main lounge should anyone need to relax inside at all. Sinead's first point of call had been to share a dance with Peter and inform him of how good he looked in his formal suit. She chose not to ask about the night before and certainly didn't want to lecture him about being late for the wedding. She was just happy everything had worked out in the end.

When the dance ended, Sinead was going to make her way over to speak to Ryan, who she had missed over the last few weeks and months. However, her thoughts were intercepted as she noticed the cold glare Shannon had once again been sending in the direction of Finn and George. She didn't like the way her mother was acting, but she knew not to question the woman, especially not at the risk of causing a stir at Lucy's wedding. Instead, she decided she would go reassure her cousin.

Sinead approached the two men in question with a bright smile on her face and a glass of champagne in her hand. "Don't you two look handsome!" she playfully told the two men as she looked them up and down. "Oooh, follow me," she said, pointing to a small empty table away from anyone else. Once she, Finn and George were all sat down, Sinead awkwardly bit her lip before deciding to say what was on her mind. "I know about you two," she spoke up. "I know you're together. Nobody has told me outright, but all of the clues and signs have added up. One of which being the fact you and my Mum aren't speaking," she said, looking pointedly to Finn. She then allowed her features to soften and a small smile formed on her lips. "I just want you both to know you have my support and I will never judge you for your relationship. You should do whatever makes you happy and you deserve to find love more than anyone, Finn." She reached out to take hold of her cousin's hand and gently squeezed it. "Plus, you both look soooo good together."

Bellz (Finn)
Mentions: Bellz (Peter) Fletchawk (Ryan)


Conor Sullivan

Conor hadn't been happy about getting dragged out of bed so early in the morning to head to the station to answer questions. Still, it was familiar territory and walking back out of the station without a single charge was the same outcome as usual. He'd managed to keep his cool, knowing it wasn't just his own freedom at stake if he slipped up and gave the pigs too much information. All that remained on that front was being able to revel in the fact that those responsible for hurting his family and friends were dead. Even better, he hadn't had to fire a single bullet or stab another man.

It was the second time Conor had been James' best man, but this time the wedding went by without any trouble. Conor was beyond happy to see Lucy finally get the wedding she had dreamed of and he would be sure to spend some time with her once the newly married-again couple weren't occupied.

In the spirit of the day, Conor wished to spend as much time as he could with Aliana. He approached his girlfriend and put his arm around her waist. "There you are, love," he told her placing a kiss on her cheek. "Did I tell already that you look stunning?" he asked her, knowing full well he already had. "I'm going to need you to stick close to me for the rest of the day because I'm scared some bloke is going to try snap you up," he joked. He then pointed in the direction of the drinks table. "Do you want a drink? How pissed are we both getting tonight?" he playfully asked her.

Conor wasn't sure if he should mention it and sour the mood, but in his head, he hoped Aliana was feeling some kind of relief and closure. He hoped the end of the IWU would help her to recover from losing Leo and Tommy. All he wanted was for her to be happy and to let him be a part of her life.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)


Skye McKendrick

Skye had only managed to spend a couple of hours with the ladies the previous evening before deciding to get an early night so she would have enough energy for the wedding day. The last couple of weeks she'd been doing her best to hide her exhaustion and to keep a positive disposition about her. She'd wanted Syd to have a clear mind for when he helped attack the IWU and she certainly wanted him to be able to enjoy his parents' wedding.

She been up early that morning and the excitement for the day ahead had seemed to fill her with more energy than expected. After getting herself dressed for the wedding, she helped Shannon get the children ready by tending to Savannah's hair and make-up. She loved the Callahan kids and she felt like they were family to her. She was so sure they would all grow up to do great things. She hoped to one day watch Savannah pursue her dream of performing on stage.

The wedding ceremony was beautiful and Skye couldn't help but tear up at seeing Mr and Mrs Porter get married. The whole time, she held Syd's hand and kept glancing to him. She was sure he was the one; love of her life, and felt so lucky to have found her way into his heart.

Once she had watched the Porters get married and everyone was free to get up and start partying, Skye turned to Syd with a bright smile on her face. "That was so adorable. I love your parents!" she gushed. "It's such a beautiful ceremony and I'm so glad I could share this special memory with you," she told him. Before any tears or emotions could take over her, Skye leaned in closer and softly kissed his lips. "I feel so lucky," she told him before embracing him tightly.

Recently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess Pyroclast Fletchawk
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Shannon and Arlene are also at the wedding and open for interaction.