Realistic or Modern Empire City: The Irish Mob - IC (Closed)

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah appeared sheepish as Aliana told her she should let her family know when bad things happen. She quickly nodded her head, knowing her aunt was right. "Warren told my parents about me bumping into Steve, but I told them I was okay. I just didn't want to stress everyone out more by telling them how much it's affecting me. All this stuff with the business, Syd and Warren being in the hospitals, and my mum's anxiety. I just didn't think anyone needed to be worrying about me too. Roxie, Danny and even Brady were all there for me when I had the last panic attack, so I didn't need to drag my parents into that."

When Aliana said she would help convince Sinead and Peter to let her train, Savannah sent a grateful smile to her aunt. "I would really appreciate that. I'm worried they'd just shoot me down and talk me out of it, but if you and Conor can back me up they might take it more seriously. You both know what it's like working in this business, but I've just tried to avoid it all as much as I can. It turns out it's impossible not to get dragged into the gang, just like it had been impossible for my mum."

Savannah smiled as Aliana explained how she'd been in the family for most of her life. "I'm glad you didn't leave and I'm really glad you're with Conor again. We all love having you in our family, Ali." She fell silent as she listened to the ending of the song, lightly smiling to herself as she was sure if Gwen didn't already have a gig lined up at the club then she soon would. She glanced to the two men who entered and despite the fact her instinct lately was to sink into her seat to hide, she remained sat up straight as she felt comfortable in her aunt's company. "I don't want you to risk yourself protecting me, but I do appreciate that you've got my back on this." She let out a soft sigh. "I'm just trying to get on with my career without all of this gang stuff distracting me from it. I've been doing some photo shoots lately that I'm so happy with and now I just want to get back on the stage. I'm waiting to hear back about a part in Cinderella since the lead dropped out. But it's showing over Christmas, so there's not a lot of time to prepare and I'd really need to focus!"


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

"Trouble? Me?" he responded, smiling innocently as Gwen poked him in the stomach. "It's like ye don't know me at all." Her teasing helped to break the ice, but Sinead's warm smile melted it away altogether. Jason's lips formed a half-smile when Sinead jokingly asked him if his charm was an attempt to get his drinks for free. "Nah, I don't do that anymore," he quietly replied, hoping she would take it as a joke. She seemed pleased to see the couple together, as though she had been waiting to see Gwen with somebody on her arm for some time.

The only other time Jason had met Gwen's relatives had been the night he had driven her to the Porter mansion after she had suffered a bad beating in an alleyway in Manhattan. There he had met Finn and George, both of whom were far more pleasant than he had been expecting. However, in her condition, he hadn't got any impression of how she would act with him when in the presence of her family. That she was happy to kiss him in front of Sinead filled him with relief; she wasn't ashamed to be with him, which meant that he must have changed significantly since their first time as a couple - even since they had met at the auditions a few months ago.

He watched on with a proud smile as Gwen made her way over to the stage. Sinead invited him to sit with her and he eagerly obliged, wanting to make a good first impression. Before he could initiate any conversation, however, Gwen gave the band their cue and the music started. He recognised the classic tune in a heartbeat and sent Gwen a soft, knowing smile, eyes gleaming as he waited for the verse. When she eventually came in, he leaned back in his seat and let himself be carried away by her voice. He had never heard her sing in another language before; French had never sounded so beautiful.

Jason found himself applauding her before the song was even over, but the smile on his face quickly faded when he saw her turn away to take some deep breaths. So swept up in the music, he had forgotten all about her addiction; as she turned back to face the room, he noticed that she looked paler than usual in the stage light and grew concerned. "Gwen?" he uttered, in too quiet a voice for her to hear. While Sinead stood up from her seat with enthusiasm for her performance, Jason stood with caution, prepared to leap forward and catch her if she fainted.

But she remained standing, almost paralysed as her eyes widened in fear. Sinead commented on her nervous appearance and tried to reassure her about the size of the audience, but it didn't look like stage fright to him. Following the direction of Gwen's gaze, Jason noticed two intimidating figures standing near the entrance who hadn't been there before. Their presence brought a tension to the air that didn't sit well with him. From the petrified look in her eyes, he deduced that she must know the men - it wasn't a look of paranoia or irrational fear, but one of trauma, like she knew exactly the kind of trouble that they brought with them for having seen or experienced it before.

Not wanting to make a scene, Jason simply walked over and stepped up onto the stage to gently pull her away from the microphone. "Gwen? Are ye feelin' alright?" he asked her in a hushed tone, placing a hand on the small of her back. "What's goin' on?"

Interactions
Bellz Gwen
Misty Gray Sinead

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan ​

Admittedly, Finn was relieved to hear that George wasn't leaving his side. He couldn't imagine living life seperated from each other and was more than happy to stick by his family's side...he just hoped that nothing would happen to George. "Well, if you are determined for Emery then I suppose we shall just have to make it here. You're right." He murmured before sighing, taking a moment to look around the room they were in.

Keegan walked into the lounge and Finn almost didn't recognize him, grief having clouded his appearance. The doctor stood slowly and offered a small smile. "Keegan, its wonderful to see you." He had been to hell and back losing his brother and Finn knew what losing family was like. "Can I offer you something to drink? Its not my house but I will be sure to make you feel welcome in it the best way I know how." Finn offered before turning to look at George. "George? Have you and Keegan met before? I'll go fetch some refreshments while you two get acquainted." Not able to help himself, Finn wanted desperately to lift each and every one of his family's spirits, so he would start with Keegan.

After grabbing a cup of coffee for Keegan, regardless of his answer to his question from before, Finn prepared a small plate of various snacks before heading back into the lounge. Wearing a smile on his face, he set the tray in front of the men before taking a seat besides George. "I'm so sorry for your loss." Finn said simply as he reached for his cup of coffee to take a sip. "Losing family is the hardest part about this whole lifestyle..." Holding his mug in one hand, he reached to grab George's hand and gave it a squeeze.

Finn remembered losing his parents and it haunts him everyday, he could sympathize with Keegan on some level, that it too would haunt him. "It will get easier though, with time. Lots and lots of time. And you don't have to move on from this until you are absolutely ready."
with: Misty Gray ; Bugsy

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

When Keegan entered the lounge, George slowly got to his feet but remained in the background as Finn greeted the man. He didn't want to overcrowd the clearly grieving man so would wait for a prompt before stepping forward. The fact he was already in someone else's home - no less the head of the Irish Mob's - meant he didn't want to impose too much, regardless of how welcomed the Porters had always made him feel. Then the prompt came as Finn turned to him to ask if he'd met Keegan before. As his lover left the room to get some refreshments together, George stepped forward and offered a handshake to Keegan. "Morning, mate. I'm George. Finn and I live together." George wasn't quite sure if Keegan knew he was in a long-term relationship with Finn and despite feeling no shame in that, he didn't know enough about Keegan and the man's beliefs to explicitly drop it into his greeting. Shannon Sullivan had not been accepting of the relationship and George was aware her parents had been devout Catholics, just like his own family were. For all he knew, Keegan's side of the family could be just as committed to their beliefs.

"The Porters have employed me to tutor Thomas and Olivia," he added. It then occurred to him that Olivia's mother, Arlene, was Keegan's cousin, further highlighting how much the man before him had recently lost. "I'm sorry to hear about your brother," he sensitively told him. He was saved from potentially making things more uncomfortable when Finn returned to the lounge. George sat back down and watched his lover for a moment, always admiring how naturally comforting it was to be in Finn's presence. Finn sat beside him and gently squeezed his hand as he gave his condolences to Keegan.

Finn's own experiences of loss seemed to equip the man with an understanding of grief that George found himself lacking. Other than as a young child attending the funeral of great grandparents, George hadn't lost a loved one in a period of his life where he was old enough to understand it. Though he had lost most of his family two decades ago, it had not been through their deaths. It had initially been through his own actions of committing repeated, high-level fraud that his Catholic had disowned him. The shame of his crimes and his refusal to take any responsibility for them had severed his relationship with his parents. By the time he finished his decade-long prison sentence, George had matured, fully reformed and long since accepted responsibility for his crimes, becoming a better person and one who had no interest in lawbreaking. However, any attempt to reconcile with his parents was rapidly shot down when he told them the truth about his sexuality and they responded with disgust, once more disowning him. As far as he was concerned in that moment, his parents were dead. When his father actually died two years ago, George found himself lacking any emotional reaction at all and he had no intention of attending the funeral. George's family had long since been reduced to infrequent photographs of his brother's and sister's families; of nieces and nephews who only existed to George as pictures on paper. The wedge his parents had put between him and his siblings meant that was all they could be.

George didn't need to think or dwell on such matters. As far as he was concerned, Finn showed him more affection than all of his family put together ever did. The way Finn, the Callahans and the Porters had welcomed him into their lives meant any void left by George's own judgemental family was filled.


Bugsy (Keegan) Bellz (Finn)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Rebel Holt ​

Things had been going as well as they were going to go when shots fired, causing Peter to immediately duck his head and jump behind the car for protection. He lifted his head once he was safe and he saw the dealer's head explode upon impact of the bullet that went through his skull. Grabbing for his pistols, Peter cursed under his breath and made sure he was loaded before firing off a few bullets in the general direction of Kaladin and the rest.

Rebel had already been locked and loaded as she started firing off multiple rounds without stopping. The car was taking a lot of hits and from the looks of it, they would have to migrate somewhere else soon. Firing specifically towards Steve, she smiled widely with adrenaline as she moved to reload. "We are going to need to move somewhere else!!" Rebel shouted to her group as she reloaded her gun and knelt back up to gaze through the broken windows of the car. Seeing that their driver was still inside, Rebel made a move to grab the handle of the driver's side door and swung it open as best as she could before screaming, "OUT!" Once the driver was out of the car, Rebel kept the door open and decided to continue to fire through the car.

Peter's pistols had run out of ammo and it seemed like they were going to be overpowered by the enemy at any moment. Crawling on all fours, Peter looked to Rebel as she fired away before asking her, "Spare gun??" The brunette nodded her head and grabbed her pistol from her back pocket before tossing it to him. This distraction caused her to continue to keep her head and upper body up and soon enough a bullet lodged itself into her right shoulder, causing the woman to fall towards the ground and away from the door. "Shit!" The woman hissed out, "They are prepared for this while we are not! We need to get out of here!"

with: Misty Gray ; Enzyme ; Pyroclast ; RayPurchase

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

The feeling he got when he thought of Maddox was so intense that even hearing that Roxie and his little brother were safe wasn't enough to calm him down. The mention of his uncle caused him to visibly cringe and set him rocking in his seat. "Oh god, Conor..." he groaned, fists meeting to cover his eyes. His Uncle Conor was also being counselled by Maddox at Syd's recommendation. Now, he couldn't even warn the man of the danger and manipulation that he was surely involved in. James answered his question, assuring him that Maddox had done nothing to harm his family. Except, the name that he used wasn't Maddox Parker, but instead one that Syd hadn't heard since they had first moved to New York. In his distress, he couldn't work out why it sounded familiar to him.

"No, no, dad, not Moretti," he insisted, still not able to remember who the name belonged to. "I'm talking about -" He folded his arms and dropped them down on the table, leaning in close and lowering his voice. "I'm talking about Doctor...P-Parker. My counsellor. The man I've been seeing for four years." Almost aggressively, Syd reached out and grabbed Lucy's hand, pulling it closer to him and squeezing it tight. "He's going to kill you, us, all of us! He's the one behind all this, dad - you need to break me out of here so I can kill him first!" There were tears in Syd's glowering eyes, his jaw clenched in an effort to keep them at bay. "I'll bet he knows people in here, too, people he's told to watch and control me. Doctor Peralta, it's gotta be her - all he has to do is give her the word! Mam, I'm telling you, you can't trust anyone in here - i-it's in the food and in the sedatives they inject in me against my will, mam, I can't eat or do anything or talk to anyone because he's got this golden reputation... They'll all side with him and I'll be branded as crazy and then they'll never let me out of this goddamn place!"

Letting go of his mother's hand, he flung himself backwards and began to rock back and forth once again, unconsciously scratching at the scar on his chest. He was breathing heavily, having upset himself at the thought that there was no way of escaping Maddox's plot. The lights seemed too bright all of a sudden and he blinked hard several times as he felt a tension headache coming on.

"Syd, do I need to put you in your restraints?" It was the same nurse again, but his voice sounded different. Firmer. Syd briefly caught sight of the young man crouched beside the table before looking away and bringing both of his hands to one side to be out of the nurse's reach.

With a shake of his head, Syd replied, "Nah, I'm good."

"That's already the second set of stitches we've had to put on that wound of yours since you arrived. Let's not make this into a habit, okay?"

Syd's eyes were fixed on the ground somewhere between his table and the next one over, unwilling to look anyone in the eye. He hated to be spoken to like a child, but despite his position in the outside world, as an inpatient of a psychiatric hospital he was completely powerless. If he showed even the smallest sign of disrespect towards the staff, it could result in serious consequences. What few rights he had could be taken away in an instant, or his medication could be changed against his will. So he didn't dare attempt to stand up for himself and instead remained silent, the corners of his mouth twitching in anger. For his parents to see him in this way was beyond humiliating.

The nurse was all too aware of Syd's outbursts and after four days had learned some of the signs that he typically displayed during the build up. Noticing the trembling of his hands and the redness in his eyes, he was aware that Syd might snap at any moment. "You look like you'd benefit from a time-out. Come on -"

"I SAID I'M -" His hands balled into tight fists but he took a deep breath and, after a second, managed to force a smile and look over to the man. "I said I'm fine. I just want t-to have a conversation with my parents. I'm good, I promise." The effort it took to appear calm and composed made his voice sound strained.

"Good. I'm sure your mom and dad didn't come all the way out here just to watch you have another breakdown." With that, he got to his feet and wandered back to his position at the front of the room. Syd closed his eyes, brows drawn together as he tried to collect himself. Don't listen to him. Don't listen to him. Don't listen to him.

The humiliation that he felt made it impossible to make eye contact with his parents and he sat slightly to one side to make it look more natural for him to direct his gaze towards the floor instead. He ran his knuckles over his mouth, focusing on the slight stinging sensation around his stitches to remind himself not to act on the constant impulse. "Mam, dad...I really need to get out of here," he told them, managing to keep his voice low. "I want to protect you all from him. I can't stand not knowing...where he is, where you are...whether you're safe. Or alive." James' mention of Warren's hospitalisation returned to his mind and he almost raised his head to look his parents in the eye before he faltered and lowered it again. "Don't leave Warren unguarded at that hospital - he's not safe," he quietly warned them. "Please...if you can just help me get out of here, I'll kill Doctor Parker before he can do any more harm."

Interactions
Bellz Lucy
Misty Gray James

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter ​

Lucy could hear the distance in her son's voice and wasn't reassured by his answer. It had been a different facility before, so she wondered if this place would be any better but she knew she was living on false hope. She squeezed her son's hand gently as he came to the realization that they had sent him there. Lucy felt immense guilt as she looked away from him towards James. Syd explained that he was on a lot of new medications and that the doctors were going to give him some sort of electroshock therapy. This caused Lucy to sit up in her seat a bit more as she looked to one of the nurses for a moment, wondering if they even cared about the people who ended up in these places.

Suddenly, one of the other patients let out a wail, tipping his chair over in the process. The blonde kept her eyes on her son however, not wanting to make the scene any worse with her staring. When it was all over, Syd returned to look at the pair, asking how they were doing. He pulled his hand away and Lucy left her empty hand on the table, staring at it as he hushed his tone...

Looking to James again, Lucy creased her eyebrows together with concern. "He?" Lucy asked softly. James was quick to reassure him that things were okay, that Thomas, Roxie and Conor were okay. "There is nothing to worry about, love. We will take care of him." Moretti was a problem but it was one that Syd shouldn't have been aware of yet..."Is that who you are referring to, darling? Moretti?" Syd was clearly distraught but when he explained who was referring to, Lucy's mouth hung open for a moment as she took in the name. Doctor Parker was a man that Lucy thought she could trust with her son. She let out a small gasp as Syd suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled it closer to him. She leaned forward to allow him to do so, listening to every word Syd said. Lucy's eyes watered at how desperate he sounded, wanting to get out of the facility. Biting her lip, Lucy looked to her husband again as she tried to formulate her words carefully.

He let go of her hand again and soon he was scratching at his chest where his scar was. "Syd, please calm down, its alright-" She was cut off by the nurse to whom Lucy glared at as he threatened to put her son in restraints. The interaction between the two of them was tense and Lucy didn't know what she could say to make the nurse just leave them alone. But eventually he left and Syd had closed his eyes then. Lucy tried to meet his eyes when he opened them but he refused and it caused her heart to sink. "The best thing you can do for us right now is finish out the rest of your treatment, Syd." Lucy explained slowly, "It's not your job to protect us, its the other way around. We are suppose to be protecting you. Please understand that we are doing this in your best interest." As a mother, Lucy wanted nothing more than to release her son from this horrible place but she knew that there was no chance of him getting better if she did. Seeing the way he was acting was a clear sign that he wasn't stable. "Warren is safe. We are keeping a close eye on him."

Lucy wasn't sure if she believed what Syd said about Doctor Parker but it was no coincidence to her that something the Doctor said may have set Syd off, seeing as he had an appointment the day of his suicide attempt. "If what you are saying is true, then I think we will have to take a closer look at Doctor Parker and the work he has done with both you and Conor. I promise we will look into it." She would take Syd's words with a grain of salt given the state he was in, but she wasn't going to dismiss his words entirely.
with: Misty Gray ; Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James leaned forward when Syd confirmed he wasn't talking about Moretti, but when it was revealed who he was really talking about James in a way wished his son had been talking about the Italian boss. It would make more sense or at least come across as more reasonable and rational. Syd had grabbed Lucy's hand, causing James to instinctively look to his wife to make sure she was okay. "Your counsellor?" James repeated, gaining confirmation as he processed the accusation. His son followed up with warnings that Dr. Parker was going to kill them and that he was behind what had been going on. As much as James wanted his son to be right for the sake of his sanity, the things Syd was saying about the counsellor were easily attributed to Moretti - someone James knew for a fact was behind the family's troubles. It pained James to see Syd in such a state. He'd intended on visiting Syd so he could then throw his own weight around to try get him released from the hospital and back home where the family could take care of him. However, the longer he spent in the visiting room with Syd, the more James believed it would be too soon and that he couldn't provide the kind of help the doctors could give him. Where mental health was concerned, James believed he'd failed his brother, Elijah, as far back as when they were children. He knew he had to swallow his pride and admit that he didn't have the power or knowledge to help where Syd's present psychological state was concerned.

Syd was deeply intent on the counsellor being out to get them, even going as far as to suggest other staff in the hospital were out to get him too. But as his son's words seemed more in line with some kind of conspiracy theory, James was struggling to find it believeable that Dr. Parker was out to get them.

When the nurse joined them with threats of putting Syd in restraints, James tightened his jaw as he forced himself to hold his tongue. The man was only trying to do his job, but James didn't want him interrupting. James certainly didn't appreciate the suggestion of putting Syd on time out. James himself was about to tell the nurse to fuck off and leave them to have their visit in peace, but he was able to hold back from it, knowing it could only make matters worse. Thankfully, Syd managed to convince the nurse to leave him where he was. "Yeah, we're all good, mate," James told the nurse, flashing an amicable smile.

"Syd, your mum's right. All you need to focus on is getting better in here. We want you home but not before you've finished your treatment," James tried to reassure him. "We're handling things back home. I've got men guarding Warren at the hospital. I've bumped up security around our family and the businesses too," he assured him. It was easy to tell him that as it was the truth. Since his meeting with Moretti, James had taken the Italian's threats seriously, leading him to tighten security.

"As for Dr. Parker, we will look into him," he said, taking a moment to gently rub Lucy's back to reassure her too. "When we leave here, we're going to talk with Conor and get him to tell us everything he knows about the bloke. We'll all handle it, so don't you be shouting about wanting to kill him while you're in here, you hear me?" he asked. The last thing he wanted was for the doctors to believe Syd was homicidal and keep him in much longer. "I promise, we'll investigate your counsellor and we'll sort him out, alright?" The way Syd was behaving made it difficult to believe his accusations against Dr. Parker and the other staff. Despite Syd's concerning behaviour, James knew it would be foolish to ignore any kind of warning and so he wouldn't brush aside anything his son had told him. Conor had always spoken highly of the counsellor and James was able to see how much his brother-in-law had changed since his sessions with Dr. Parker had started. He was inclined to believe the counsellor was legitimate, but he wouldn't settle until he'd looked into the man and honoured Syd's concerns, no matter how irrational they might be perceived.


Pyroclast Bellz

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

The thought of convincing Savannah's parents that she should be able to learn how to defend herself and learn how to use a gun was nerve-wracking. While she had faith in her brother and sister in law, she knew and understood how protective they could be. She was hoping the whole thing would go smoothly and either her father or she and Conor would teach her the ropes. A part of her was slightly excited to teach her a few tricks of her own that she picked up, considering she didn't have a daughter of her own and Leo was far too young to learn this stuff. She had already decided at what age Leo would start learning defensive tactics and that was 16.

"You don't have to worry about adding on any type of stress to this big situation... Trust me, nothing can stress the family out any more than this whole Moretti thing." When she mentioned being sucked into the gang life, her heart went out to her. There had been plenty of moments where she wished she wasn't apart of it. There were also times where she tried her damndest not to get sucked in too, but that was her life. For Sav, like any good aunt, she didn't want that. The younger woman had so many other great things going for her to where she could live her life legitimately. Reaching across the table, she grabbed her hand and spoke softly. "It's hard not getting sucked in. I didn't even want to get sucked in. But back then, I didn't have a true opportunity to get out and life a normal life. You, on the other hand, do. Just because you're going to learn how to defend yourself doesn't mean you have to use those skills for the gang; use them to protect yourself from stalkers and shit like that."

The same way she didn't want to see her son in this life, she didn't want to see her niece in it either. They had so many more opportunities than just shooting people and doing illegal jobs. After letting her hands go, Ali gave her a soft smile before nodding her head. "Yeah, even though I hate this life, I am glad I married that hothead." Upon hearing about a new role, her eyes lit up. If there was one thing no one knew about Aliana it was that she secretly loved the theater. They also lit up at the prospect of her truly having a normal life. "I'm so happy for you! Be rest assured that we'll all be in the front row! Or, rather, somewhere we can see everything and you'll see us."



​

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Bryant ​

Faintly hearing what Sinead said about there being much larger crowds in the evening, Gwen nodded her head lightly as she stumbled back and away from the microphone and out of the spotlight. She stared at Alex and his friend for a moment longer until Jason blocked her view, pulling her even further from the microphone. The band continued to play a soft tune in the background as Gwen was pulled to the side of the stage. "They're here for me." She whispered to him, her hand running itself down to her upper thigh where a gun was strapped against it underneath the dress. Alex and his friend paused only briefly by the doorway before walking straight towards the stage. The redhead felt like she was going to choke as she pulled Jason behind the curtains of the stage.

The familiar backstage area was small, no place to hide, only enough room to try and buy herself some time. "They are both armed." Gwen told Jason as she pulled up the side of her dress to grab the Beretta handgun. Gun in hand, Gwen moved to look out of the curtains, keeping her face hidden as she scanned the audience area. Not seeing them, Gwen moved away from the curtain before grabbing Jason's hand, making her way towards the back exit.

Pushing down on the handle with gun still in hand, Gwen gave the door a shove and it opened to reveal another pair of men standing in the alleyway. Gasping, Gwen held up her gun. "Get out of my way!" She growled in desperation but the men just laughed at her before revealing their own guns, pointing them at both her and Jason. "Best be getting inside now, don't want to keep Alex waiting." The man to the left said in a deep baritone. Feeling trapped, Gwen didn't know what else she could do to escape. They were clearly outnumbered.

Alex and Regan had made their way around, well aware that Gwen had snuck off towards the back but they allowed her to discover that she was surrounded. Instead of pursuing the woman, the approached the other redhead with smiles on their faces. "What a lovely club, what do ya think Reg?" Alex looked expectantly towards his friend and the man nodded her his. "Would be such a shame if anything were to happen to it..." Alex mused, "I'm sure that's the last thing that should be on your pretty mind, right Sinead?" Alex had been given the owners name and face before coming to the club, their boss wanted to make it clear that no one was off their radar.

"Lot of you redheads around New York. I've never been a fan you see but I could definitely make an exception for you." Regan commented with a smirk.

With guns pointed their way, Gwen had no choice but to turn around and comply. Letting out a whimper, she turned to Jason. "I'm going to get you out of this." She promised to him as they were walked out into the main area of the club where Alex and Regan were talking to Sinead. Gwen clenched her gun tightly as the men surrounded them. 4 to 3 they were outnumbered. "Do we really have to involve them?" Gwen asked, looking to Sinead and Jason. Off further away, she took notice of Savannah and Ali who were talking to themselves. Ali had to have a gun, she was almost sure of it.

"We aren't here for them...as long as you can give us what we want, we will leave here no problem. If you don't have it, you come with us."
with: Misty Gray ; Pyroclast
mentions: Misty Gray ; Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead and Savannah Callahan​

Sinead observed as Jason made his way up to the stage so he could quietly speak with Gwen. Without any explanation, the couple then disappeared behind the curtains and presumably out backstage. Sinead snapped her head back into the direction of the two men who she was by now certain were the reason Gwen had appeared shocked. They decided to approach her rather than follow Gwen, which caused Sinead to instinctively look over her shoulder towards the bar. Of course, Scott wasn't present as he was by that point down in the cellar sorting through the deliveries and taking inventory. It wasn't that she would ever force Scott to carry a gun nor wish for him to risk getting hurt again in her family's business, but she expected she might have felt more confident with a friend present.

Sinead looked Alex in the eyes as he spoke up about how lovely the club was. That was followed by some kind of threat about something happening to the place. Given that Moretti had recently expressed interest in taking the club from her, she could only assume the men were working for the Italian. "Now you listen here, Mister!" she spoke firmly and loudly back to the man. "You don't threaten my club. None of you are getting your dirty fucking hands on my club!" Between having her family killed, hurt and threatened; being tortured herself; and now having her beloved business threatened, she was feeling deeply frustrated. She very rarely used profanity, but it managed to slip into her words on this occasion. Hearing Regan's comment about making an exception for her as a redhead disgusted her a little. There was something unsettling and distasteful about his smirk. Her hand instinctively reached for her gun, no longer willing to back down and let people bully her. She'd been given the gun to protect herself, after all. However, before she could grab the gun and bring it into view, she briefly set eyes on Aliana and Savannah. Seeing her daughter so close to danger made her think twice about acting hastily. Risking her own life was bad enough, but she could do something reckless and risk endangering her daughter too. Having intentionally not held her gaze towards Aliana and Savannah, Sinead was confident the men were not interested in bothering them. She hoped the attention would escape them both.

"Why are you--" Sinead began, her voice losing its edge. She was broken off from asking her question when Gwen and Jason returned to the scene, accompanied by two more intimidating looking men. Gwen questioned if Sinead and Jason needed to be involved, leading Sinead to wonder if Gwen was more involved in James' business than she realised. However, when one of the men explained he wasn't there for Sinead and seemed to want something from Gwen, she had to wonder if this was about Moretti wanting to take her club. Was this even about Moretti at all?

Sinead studied Gwen and Jason for a moment before looking to Alex. "What exactly is it that you want? This is my club, not Gwen's. So you need to tell me why you are in here and what it is you want. You know who were are, so you much understand how foolish it is to come in here threatening us. I'm a peaceful woman and I recommend you walk right on out of here, before you get yourselves into a whole heap of trouble." She was referring to the fact the Irish Mob had control over the city and though she suspected they were aware of that fact, she at least hoped they would think twice about making dangerous enemies.

*********​

Savannah eagerly nodded her head at Aliana's words. "That's exactly it. I don't want to get involved in the gang; I just want to have my own life and career. But I need to defend myself because I can't escape the fact that my family is what it is. I love them all and I wouldn't change any of them, but I'm always in danger because of their reputation," she acknowledged. She let out a brief, dry laugh as she thought over her words. "You'd think I'd be prepared for this by now, right? I mean, I've pieced together enough from my family's past to know my life was put in danger when I was still growing in my Mum's womb. Really, I should have been taught self-defence from birth..." she half-joked.

Savannah smiled when Aliana said she was glad she'd married Conor. "He's a major dork, but you two are so good together. I miss Michelle and everything, but I'm so glad Conor married you and didn't get back with Michelle's mum," she assured her, thinking back to their lives back in Dublin.

Though she smiled brightly at the thought of seeing her aunt watching from the front row should she get the role in the play, there was the niggling reminder in the back of her mind about what happened the last time she was on stage. One thing for sure was that she would never let so many members of her family attend one of her performances at the same time again. "You know, if I ever do Shakespeare you'll have to work overtime getting Conor to come watch me..." she began to joke.

Savannah froze as she noticed the scene close to the stage. As she didn't know Jason, she identified five unknown men standing with Sinead and Gwen. Her mother looked concerned and Gwen was holding a gun. In an instant, Savannah knew something bad was happening. "Ali, who are they? What do we do? My Mum..." she worriedly began. Though she stood from her seat, the anxiety prevented her from moving. "What do I do?!" she asked, looking her aunt in the eyes. She wanted to go help her mother but she was scared of making things worse.


Pyroclast (Jason) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Bellz (Gwen, The Jerks)

 

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper​

Adam had dropped back from the group by the time shots were fired from across the courtyard. Things happened fast, with Mitchel accelerating the car forward to provide cover for Peter and Rebel. The movement of the car made it easier for Adam to work out the direction the shots had been fired from. He rushed backwards, taking cover in an entrance to the maze that was the yard of shipping containers.

He peered around one of the metal containers to see the dealer's head had been reduced to a bloody mess from the initial gunshots. "Ahh. This is like being back in Cuba," he mumbled to himself, almost reminiscing at the thought. Seeing Peter, Rebel and Mitchel had taken cover behind the car gave him some reassurance. However, as the barrages of bullets persisted to rip into the side of their vehicle, Adam wasn't convinced it would provide the best form of cover for much longer. Rebel shouted out words to the same effect, causing Adam to whistle in his group's direction. "You all might wanna get your arses back here and fucking fast." Seeing the bullet rip into Rebel's shoulder led him to practically growl in frustration, annoyed the enemy had already managed another hit. "One at a time over there," he pointed to a container maze entrance further down from the one he was standing in and closer to the nearby water. "I'll do what I cant to cover your backs."

Adam quickly scanned the shipping containers he was standing between and swung open one of the unlocked metal doors of an empty container, preparing the door to use as a shield. He quickly stepped into view and aimed the AR-15 towards the group who had attacked them. With one of them (Steve) apparently hit, Adam expelled a barrage of bullets in their direction, hoping to steer their focus in his direction for long enough to let Peter, Rebel and Mitchel to find a better source of cover. Focusing in the enemy's direction, he made sure he would be ready step back behind the door before he could be hit by return fire...

Enzyme (Mitchel) Bellz (Peter)
Enzyme (Kaladin) RayPurchase (Tony) Pyroclast (Steve)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

Aliana enjoyed this, missed this even, sitting down and talking to her niece. Years ago she wouldn't have expected to have such a big family such as this and was ever so grateful that she did now. With a chuckled, Ali shook her head and smiled at her. "Oh, baby girl. Even when we're mentally prepared for all this craziness that our family is we're never truly prepared. That's just one of the unfortunate things I've found out after marrying into the family." Her smile faltered at the mention of Michelle, Conor's daughter, and her step-daughter. As much as Ali wanted to have a relationship with the girl now woman, she still found it hard to face the girl's mother after what she did. There were times she even thought about reaching out and talking to Alex but knew it was either too late or would do no good. She felt like she broke up a happy home or at least didn't give a broken home a chance to heal. It weighed in the back of her mind until she shoved it away to be thought about months or even years later.

As she was about to continue on their conversation, she noticed the look on Savannah's face. "What's wrong, love?" Following her gaze, she noticed the scene of 4 men surrounding Sinead, Gwen, and Jason. She didn't really know the other two personally and just by name, but just seeing Sinead around others that looked menacing sent Ali into protect mode. Her mind was racing on trying to figure out the best approach and it wasn't until she heard Savvy stand up that she sprung into action. "Hey, Sav, look at me okay." Ali gently placed her hands on the younger woman's cheeks to look into her eyes, in an attempt to calm her down. "Your mom is going to be fine, okay? Gwen is going to be fine. I'm going to get them out of here and we're all going to be fine." Quickly reaching for her bag, she dug around for a slight moment before finding her gun and sliding it carefully into her pants pocket. Thank you Leo, she thought to herself, for suggesting a lazy loose clothes day. Taking a deep breath she looked at Savannah again. "Alright, now I need you to get to your mom's office and call Conor or Jackson or James hell any one of them it doesn't matter. You call them and get them here, can you do that?" Without waiting for a response, she kissed her forehead and gave her a hug before sending her on her way.

With her hands in pockets, she started to casually as possible make her way over. In her head, she thought about all of the things that could go wrong and could only hope Savannah would get to someone fast enough. Sinead hated guns, so the possibility of her having her own were slim to none. She wasn't sure about Gwen or Jason, so she could only suspect they didn't have one either. Bad shit was about to happen, that much was clear, but she was going to try her best to make sure Sinead was okay. Approaching the group, she gripped the gun that was in her pocket and gave one of the men a smile. "What do we have going on over here? Sinny, these boys making you upset or something?"



​

 

[Pyroclast]

Alistair Sawyer

It interested Alistair to hear that Gabriel had managed to aggravate both James and Peter without much effort; moreover, when he was reminded of Syd's meek behaviour whilst held captive alongside his mother and aunt, he let out a chuckle. He remembered the young man's quivering form, speechless and crying as though he had never grown out of infancy. Given James' defensive response, it seemed to Alistair that the mob boss had a sensitive side, too. "Then now we know what buttons to press, let's keep on pressing them," he replied. "James Porter is insecure about his inability to raise a strong son and his inability to protect his family from the likes of us. He is also very aware of how much he has to lose - and how close he is to losing it. Right now, that makes him want to hold on. The way you describe it, it sounds like he's still defensive, still determined to get us off his back. But you're right, things are getting messier for him and it's only a matter of time before he crumbles under the weight of it all and is left with no choice but to hand the power over to us. Who knows? Maybe by then, there'll be no one left on his side to fill his shoes."

Alistair's concerns over their losses were taken on board by his two associates, but they were soon countered by the news of Stefano's proactive measures to form ties with other, smaller gangs who had already pitted themselves against the Irish Mob. It seemed to please Gabriel, too, as he then told them of his own efforts to bring men in from Miami, as well as some trusted associates from out of state. "Well, that all sounds great," Alistair smiled, looking between the three men. "Spies are just as valuable as soldiers. Keep us updated on their activity - I'd like to know the faces of our recruits so that I know who is on our side."

On the subject of Maddox Parker's relationship with Ani, Gabriel also admitted to having considered the effect it could have on their reliability. However, after threatening Maddox with Ani's life, the counsellor had managed to carry out his duty effectively. Alistair nodded, thrilled to think of the Porter son finally being locked up. With his own father having been the director of a psychiatric hospital in the early 1900s, Alistair had since retained an interest in the history of inhumane techniques that they often used to control the patients, even taking inspiration from his father's methods for the purposes of torturing his enemies. Despite progress and social change, he knew that the mentally unstable Porter would not have an easy time. Maddox Parker had done his job after all.

"I have no problem using Ammon to get to her, so that sounds like a good enough strategy," he replied with a nod. "It's going to take a lot to control him, but I have zero limits when it comes to inflicting pain and I'd certainly be willing to let him test me on that. With any luck, Ani would not." On the way to taking a sip of his coffee, Alistair added, "Thank you for that suggestion...and yes, when Maddox arrives, I'll be sure to have a word."

Stefano then updated the men on his daughter's response to Syd's institutionalisation, expressing his concern that the man's suicide attempt had not been a success. The conversation didn't get far, however, before Maddox himself arrived at the apartment. Alistair took another sip of his coffee, unsure quite what to think of the man joining them. Part of him didn't trust his loyalty, and even though he had driven Syd to breaking point, his success was questionable. He had to wonder if this was the first example of his relationship with Ani influencing his efforts at work. Still, he shook his hand, noting the confidence with which he appeared to carry himself.

Once introductions were out of the way, Maddox wasted no time in jumping into business. Soon Alistair was listening to a detailed account of Syd's breakdown and resulting suicide attempt, leading up to the present morning when Maddox had visited the psychiatric hospital where the young man now resided. The counsellor assured them that Syd was out of the picture for good, but after Stefano had voiced his concerns only minutes earlier, nobody seemed convinced. Knowing that Gabriel would have something to say on the matter, Alistair turned his attention to the Italian boss.

Sure enough, he pointed out the flaw in the results that Maddox had achieved. A subtle smile formed on Alistair's lips as he watched Gabriel employ an intimidating demeanour to assert authority over the man. Of course, the counsellor was quick to defend himself, but even though his argument was fair, that wasn't how Moretti liked to play. As though to demonstrate how little he seemed to care for fairness, Gabriel drew out the details of some of Maddox's most painful memories, which Alistair hadn't heard before. It explained in more depth the motives behind the reputable counsellor's actions. As the Italian went into further detail, obviously hoping to provoke the man, Alistair sat and waited for Maddox to get the message.

Eventually it was enough for him; he snapped, and Alistair raised an eyebrow at his sudden lack of composure. Despite his words, the attitude that he showed was again questionable, and made Alistair wonder how closely affiliated the man considered himself to be with Moretti. When Ani's name was brought up, he saw an opportunity to speak. After catching Gabriel's eye, Alistair set his coffee cup down on the table and linked his hands together.

"Yes, you and Ani..." he repeated, looking thoughtfully up to the ceiling and drawing a breath. His eyes soon landed back on Maddox and he pinned the man down with an icy glare. "It's recently come to my attention, Maddox, that you and a valued member of my gang have become...involved with each other." He took a pause, not to make any kind of movement but simply to observe the counsellor's face for any sign of a reaction. "While we're here, I'd like to make sure you understand the risks that relationships bring to this line of work. As Gabriel here has already said, the efforts you have made so far have been greatly useful. However, giving yourself something to lose can corrupt that work ethic of yours. In all the time I have worked with Ani, she has never let me down, and from what I've heard about you, Maddox, you have never faltered either. So if Gabriel or I notice any lapse in effort or attitude from either of you, it would be natural for us to put it down to the one thing that's changed. Wouldn't you agree?"

Interactions
Misty Gray Gabriel, Maddox
Melanin-Gxdess Teddy
Bellz Stefano

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti and Maddox Parker​

Maddox's attention was drawn to Alistair as his relationship with Ani became the focus of the discussion. Even for the counsellor, it felt strange sitting in a room where his romantic life was being brought into question. It made his past teenage worries about being introduced to a girlfriend's parents seem completely silly in comparison. This was more like being thrown into the middle of a pack of wolves and asked to defend his personal life to them. The way Alistair glared at him made it all the more uncomfortable. However, he didn't believe himself to be present in the room to fall victim to some kind of bullying. After everything he'd done for Moretti and even for the East Harlem Gang, by recruiting soldiers to their cause, he found it quite a offensive that he was now having his choices questioned. In light of the acknowledgement of their need of his services, his face showed no embarrassment or regret at mention of his relationship with Ani. Instead, he flashed a proud and defiant smile, one which he intended to show he believed he had no reason to be apologetic about loving the woman in question.

"It would appear we look at things quite differently, Alistair. One man's weakness isn't always the case for other men. Whilst having something to lose may be a weakness for the Porters, I would say it motivates me further. Knowing I have someone to live for, I have more reason to keep fighting and to survive." Maddox briefly rubbed his chin as he considered his next words. He let out a sigh before slowly shaking his head. "One thing that has always been true is that I like my profession and I care about my patients - those who are not affiliated with the Porters. When I first met Francesco and even when I first met Gabriel, they all knew I had a genuine interest in counselling." He briefly glanced to Moretti, gaining confirmation that bringing up the Italian's dead brother hadn't made the man at all annoyed. He then looked directly back to Alistair. "So, any faltering you detect on my part is down to the fact that even though Syd was my target, I intentionally went against my profession and used every trick I could to unravel that man into a suicidal mess. I don't care what happens to Syd Porter or anyone else loyal to his family. I simply respect my profession and the innocent patients who deserve to be helped."

Maddox sat back in his seat and cocked his head to the side as he thought about Ani's place in East Harlem. "Ani is a remarkable surgeon and she too cares for her patients. She is working extremely long shifts at the hospital and maybe you're confusing lapse in attitude with exhaustion. At the risk of causing offence, I don't believe you even need Ani working for you. Her loyalty is bound to you through your assertion of control over her brother. Retaining her is part of a power play, rather than through actual respect for her skills." He shook his head and once again shared his focus between all of the men. "There is no cause for concern over mine and Ani's private lives. The fact will always remain that we've all lost loved ones, close allies, or something of value because of those bastards. Having Ani in my life does not bring my father back nor does it weaken my desire for revenge. So I suggest we continue discussing how to do that, rather than finding excuses to scrutinise myself and Ani, who have done nothing to fail you."

Gabriel had been silently listening to Maddox, deciding to give the man the floor for as long as he took it. The longer a man was given time to speak, the more likely he was to slip up by saying too much or over defending himself. Although he believed he and Alistair were right to show concern about the counsellor's and Ani's relationship, the overriding factor was that Maddox did still desire vengeance for his loved ones. Gabriel decided to continue using reminders of the counsellor's dead family to ensure he stayed on track, whilst maintaining caution over his and Alistair's concern about having something to lose potentially causing a lapse in effort. Whilst Maddox may well have the best and loyal intentions, Gabriel knew how easy it was for even the most focused of men to become distracted by a soppy love affair.

"Bravo! Wonderful speech," Gabriel spoke up. Though his voice sounded jovial, his serious and stern features only contradicted any assumption he was trying to be humorous. "I think we all know where we stand on that now, don't we? If Maddox fails us, then we remove the likely distraction," he said, clearly not changing his stance about threatening Maddox with Ani's well-being. "And... If Ani disappoints Alistair, then she will learn her lesson through Ammon's suffering," he looked to Alistair and sent the man a knowing nod. "Maddox... Finish the job on Syd for good and complete your objective for Conor, then I will believe without any doubts that your relationship does not need to be brought into question..." He directed his next question to Alistair. "How does that sound?" he asked the East Harlem boss.

"Now. Before Maddox arrived, we were discussing striking the Porters whilst James is already troubled. Alistair raised a point that it's only a matter of time before he crumbles. Rather than have someone else step into his shoes, we want him in a position where handing the power over to us is his only hope." Gabriel briefly smirked before sitting back and pointing in Maddox's direction. "You did a great job at helping Conor and gaining his trust, so much that he didn't even give in to Teddy's and Tony's baiting. Now I need you to work on undoing all of that. I've practically reserved a prison cell and a nice big welcoming party for him, so the sooner you bring out the real Conor Sullivan - the lout - the better." He looked to Alistair and raised his eyebrow to invite him to add further details. "Is there anything you need doing on our part?" he asked the East Harlem leader, referring to the services of the Morettis and Maddox.


Pyroclast (Alistair)
Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy) Bellz (Stefano)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Despite not expecting a visit from his parents, Syd had been worrying about them enough during their time apart to have prepared what he felt the need to tell them. His mother, much to his surprise, didn't seem too shocked by his warning and instead told him to direct his attention to his own health rather than his plot to kill Maddox. "I will, mam, but -" He was interrupted as she went on to explain how it wasn't his job to protect them, but rather the other way around. It shouldn't have surprised him to hear her say it given that he had had this argument with her many times before, but this time he felt more desperate to be working than ever. James backed up her words, encouraging him to finish his treatment and assuring him that they were managing business on the outside without him, including Warren's safety.

Syd inhaled deeply and planted his elbows on the table before finally lifting his head and looking his parents in the eye. He needed to see that they were serious, that they weren't just telling lies to prevent him from worrying. Still, his anxiety showed in the way his leg bounced up and down and the way he chewed his bottom lip as he listen to them both make promises to investigate his counsellor. Now that he had finally verbalised his concerns over Maddox, he wasn't sure that he trusted himself not to let it slip again, so James' command to keep his homicidal intentions to himself seemed a lot harder now than it had before.

"Please, just - be careful, okay?" he pleaded. "He doesn't work alone...he has -" His throat suddenly closed up then as Alistair's face popped into his mind, cutting his sentence short. There was a brief moment of silence and Syd settled his gaze on his mother with an unmistakable look of guilt in his eyes. "Mam," he eventually spoke up, in a voice deep and quiet. "When we got captured and that man...there was a man there who said all that stuff to you, like he knew all about you - do you remember?" He brought his hands to his mouth for a moment before reaching out for her again, this time less urgently. "He got it all from me. It was me, it was me telling Doctor -" Again, the counsellor's name caught in his throat like it was poison. "Telling him things I shouldn't have. But I didn't know he would hurt you and Sinead, I just thought he was trying to help me and needed context. I thought I was safe talking to him but I wasn't, and neither were you or fucking any of us because he was faking it all for four FUCKING years!"

Tightening his grip on Lucy's hand and arm, Syd pulled himself forward and brought his forehead down onto the table with a hard smack. "I don't even remember what I've told him..." he mumbled, his strained voice falling to a whisper as his eyes glazed over with tears. "You have to tell Conor to stop seeing him. Tell him to stay far, far away..."

Interactions
Bellz Lucy
Misty Gray James

 

[Bugsy]

KEEGAN LYNCH​

"Scotch. Strongest they've got." Keegan replied. Of course, there was nothing that would ever pierce the pain that veiled his heart. Nothing that would compare to knowing that, deep down, he was responsible for both of his brothers' deaths.

He eyed up the second man as he came to introduce himself, his hand raising to meet with George's to shake. Despite all appearances sake, Keegan would still give the other man a firm handshake. The next few words out of the man's mouth clenched at his heart, the reminder that he had lost more than he was willing to admit. Keegan's jaw set, a harder look crossing his features as he went about schooling himself (and his own emotions). "Yeah. Thanks."

His words sounded as hollow as he felt. He had enough of sympathies and apologies. Perhaps it beat out the fact that he was hated by his ma, and perhaps his sisters who had taken a harsher stance against him.

Keegan fixed his blue eyes on Finn as the younger man spoke, noting the intertwined hands (but hardly finding the energy to broach the subject), feeling his anger bubble up to the surface before simmering again. Keegan disliked the cracks that appeared in his armor, the armor he had shown to the world that he wasn't capable of being scared, of being threatened, of losing control of his emotions but it had happened. Days worth of beard, his crumpled shirts, his hollowed expression from being on the drink too many nights. "Will it get easier fuck," He muttered, taking a large swig of the drink. "Nothing get easier, you're just fucking lying to yourself." Keegan balled up his free hand for a moment before releasing it and digging around in his jacket pocket for his cigarette packet.

Tag: Bellz (Finn), Misty Gray (george)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

The struggling had slowly ceased, until the Italian's body went entirely limp. With his neck-up submerged in the murky water and his tattered body littered across the tiled floor, Jackson could finally catch his breath. Collapsing against the toilet bowl next to the corpse, he ran his hands through the rogue strands of hair that shrouded his face. The first few gasps were heavy and burned like whiskey, but what followed were the most refreshing breaths of air Jackson could have ever asked for. The rushing adrenaline slowly seeped out of his sweating pours and with his head resting against the cool bowl, he soon found himself slipping out of consciousness

Through a sliver of his closed eyelid, he could see Conor approaching his stall. He cracked a weak smile to him, acknowledging that they had both survived their own fight with the armed men. When Conor made it a point of sneaking out, Jackson raised his head off the bowl, looking around at the destruction they had caused. "Mate, it looks like we wrestled a bloody great white in here." He looked to the corpse next to him, shrugging. "These guys just weren't as lucky."

Jackson had entirely forgotten about his wound. Raising his fingers up in the air, he could see Conor through the clear slice in his hand. While the injury wasn't too dire, it would certainly require some level of medical attention, less Jackson lose some of his favorite fingers. Conor's injury, however, looked a bit more gruesome, with blood gushing from his shoulder. "Seems like the perks of runnin' wit' the mob don't really pay off here, do they?" He chuckled through the pain. He raised his brow as Conor winded the belt around his torso, unable to wipe the smile off his face, considering what they'd have to makeshift for Conor's shoulder while being in an actual hospital.

He let out a heavy grunt, swaying to his feet as his bloody hands glided across the wet tiles. He used the sides of the stall to secure himself and gingery made his way across the slippery floor. Once he reached Conor, he held a tight grip on the tip of the belt with his uninjured hand. "Right mate, go ahead and recite the alphabet in ya' head for me." Without any notice, he ripped the belt down, clamping it around Conor's arm and cutting off the blood flow to his open wound. He quickly fitted the edge of the belt around the metal loop to secure it, before Conor could instinctively flinch away. "There ya' are," he said, patting his friend on the back. "Let's just hope it holds."

Jackson stuck his head out of the bathroom door, causing the 'Out of Order' sign to sway about on the single strip of tape. Seeing as the police officers outside had their attention elsewhere, Jackson motioned Conor to follow him out. Once they were outside the bathroom, he truly felt like a fish out of water. Both the men were completely soaked, along with the various bloodstains coating their once nice attire. It wouldn't require a double-take to notice how battered the men were, so Jackson didn't waste anytime in fast walking to the elevator.

Everyone appeared to have their backs towards the men as they escaped the narrow hall, except for the one woman attempting to catch a ride on the elevator. Jackson's rapidly tapped the close button on the panel, shaking his head at the woman. She looked up to scold him, but her expression quickly changed to shock as she got a good look at his state. Jackson pressed his finger to his lips as the metal doors closed, giving her a glare of his own. "Right, almost out," Jackson said, letting out a pent-up breath that he had been holding in since they left the bathroom. "You're doin' great, by the way," He joked, leaning to Conor.

As the doors opened, they were met with the reception desk, which was far too cluttered for many to pay the two any attention. As they made their way through the lobby, Jackson ears perked up at the sound of someone shouting for them. He glanced over his shoulder quickly to see who was calling for them, and to his dismay, it was a cop - because why wouldn't it be? He felt the atmosphere around them become more tense, and he was sure Conor could feel it as well. He hoped they could just keep walking and the cop would just leave them alone, but the man shouted for them once more. "This way," Jackson muttered to Conor, shifting his direction towards the side door of the hospital.

Misty Gray (Conor)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

"A B C..." Conor began to think as Jackson assisted in securing the belt around his arm. The bigger man's discomfort was expected but it didn't exactly help block the pain out. "Fucking... Jeez..." he hissed, quickly catching his breath back. "It better hold," he grumbled in agreement as his friend secured the belt. Once the wound was dealt with, Conor put his coat back on. Though the outerwear covered his wound well, even that item of clothing couldn't hide all of the evidence there'd been some bloodshed in his path, with red on his hands and the patches of discolouration to his dark blue jeans. It did, however, hide the knife he'd kept concealed on him.

Conor looked ahead to see Jackson beckoning him to follow him out of the bathroom. He glanced around, checking nobody was watching or paying enough attention to them. He placed his hands in his coat pockets, hiding his the bloodstained skin from view. Still, it was doubtful the woman wanting to join them in the elevator wouldn't be at all disturbed by the signs that were still visible on him and Jackson. She decided against it and soon enough the elevator doors closed with just the two men inside. Conor let out a deep breath as he took advantage of their brief moment of being completely out of view. He nodded his head at Jackson's joke about him doing great. Though he let out an amused chuckle, a serious look remained in his eyes and on his face. "If we can avoid getting locked up, that would be great. The coffee in this place suddenly won't seem so bad in comparison," he remarked. In reality, what he was really concerned about was not seeing Aliana and Leo again, as well as being unable to help the rest of his family out from behind bars.

The elevator doors open and Conor maintained a casual walk as he stepped out alongside Jackson. The lobby was thankfully in their sights and it seemed like they were getting out of the hospital without any hitch. Then a male voice called out to them and it didn't need a second glance to know the source was a cop, of all people. Conor's heart seemed to stop beating for a time before he took a breath and the organ instead began to rapidly thump in his chest. Keeping a level head despite his heart racing, he caught his friend's instruction and walked with him towards the side exit.

Once they were outside they sped up to a fast walk down the alley to the back of the hospital, all the while Conor making sure to keep his head down. The were dumpsters and some full trash bags littered down the quiet alley, but before Conor could think of the best way for them to disappear or hide out, he saw the cop was still hot on their tail. "Mate, I can't end up back in the slammer," he gravely told Jackson. "Shit!" he hissed as he glanced back to the cop again. Though his hand reached to the switch blade he'd kept on him, there was clearly some reluctance to use it. He'd been motivated enough to kill the Italian who had been about to finish Warren off, but that alone had been a drastic action. Conor had no respect for the law and especially didn't like the cops, but that didn't make it easy for him to consider killing the man who was pursuing them. "He just had to go and see us, didn't he?" he remarked, acknowledging the only way they were going to avoid jail was by murdering the police officer.

"Stop right there!" the police officer called out as he rushed towards them. "What are you both doing back here?" he suspiciously asked, his hand calmly moving towards his holstered police-issue firearm.


Enzyme (Jackson)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter ​

Lucy nodded her head softly as Syd pleaded for them to be careful. They had been in similar situations like this for as long as Lucy could remember and they were always careful. Syd went silent for a moment and Lucy took the opportunity to scan the room once more but when he eventually spoke up, calling her, Lucy turned to look at her son again. He urged her to remember when they were tortured by that man with Sinead and she didn't need to think too hard to remember every single detail from that time. Nodding her head once more, Lucy listened as Syd confessed that he had told Dr. Parker about her, hands reaching to take his, Lucy's brows knitted together. That was certainly no coincidence then.

His grip tightened on her hand and arm and Lucy squeezed his hand as well. "Hey..." Lucy murmured gently as she watched her son's forehead hit the table. "Syd, if what you are saying is true...none of this is your fault. You had no idea what was going to happen. You can't blame yourself for not having the foresight to see what would happen." Gripping his hand tighter, she ran her thumb over the top of it gently before reaching her other hand out to run it through his hair.

James had his hand on her back and that was keeping her together as she tried to deal with her son's anguish. "We will tell Conor about this but you know how stubborn he is, we will try to keep him away for the time being, okay?" She offered before looking to James a moment. Knowing that Roxie was most likely waiting to see Syd, Lucy cleared her throat, "Roxie said she was going to stop by today, she's been really worried about you." Lucy knew she wasn't going to be able to take Syd's worries away but she wanted to at least calm him down before Roxie came in.

"Like your father and I said, we will do what we can to look into Dr. Parker's place in all of this. That man who tortured us knew too much and if you feel it was because he is associated with Dr. Parker then we will not take this news lightly. But for now, I want you to try and relax...as much as you can in a place like this." Lucy knew that was easier said than done, but she had to urge him to try.

"Your father and I are staying at the apartment so we are in the city, I will be back tomorrow to visit you again and I promise I will not return home until you are out of this place and feeling better okay?" Lucy gave her son's hand a squeeze before leaning forward and placing a kiss on it. "We have to go for now, Syd. But we will be back tomorrow..." With that, Lucy released his hand after one final squeeze before looking to James and standing up slowly. Her eyes burned as she forced herself to breathe, "We love you, Syd, you are going to get through this."
with: Syd Pyroclast ; James Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau ​

4 days earlier...

Roxie had stayed at Savannah's for a while, enjoying the company of friends while Syd was busy with his appointment. But then it started to get late and Roxie didn't want him to worry about her being out in the city for too long, so she decided to head home earlier in the evening.

She was shocked to find Lucy waiting for her at the house with Syd's car no where to be seen in the driveway. Syd's mother looked like she had been through hell and before Roxie could invite her inside, she broke the news of her son's suicide. Clutching her chest, Roxie had to take a few steps back as the news physically rocked her. Her insecurities that she had been feeling lately had turned out to be very real and all she could say to Lucy was how sorry she was. Lucy invited her back to her home stating that Syd would want her to be looked after but Roxie kindly refused, knowing that everyone would feel much more comfortable in their own spaces for the time being.

Lucy had left shortly after that and Roxie was left on her own with a house and animals that didn't belong to her. The feeling of walking inside crept up on her, making her skin crawl as she felt like she didn't belong. The dogs greeted her expectantly and she could have swore they knew something was up. It was around midnight that she knew she couldn't stay in the house any longer so after making sure the dogs had everything they would need for the night and most of the day, she got in her car and drove to her parents.

***​

The bright lighting in the room made Roxie squint as she entered the front area of the psychiatric hospital. Pulling her cardigan a little closer to her, she walked towards the front desk and offered the nurse a small smile as she stated her business for being there, hoping to be sent in the right direction. After signing in, she was uncomfortably pat down for a weapon check, which only made the place feel more like a prison, then she was sent to the waiting area.

Taking a seat, Roxie kept to herself as she looked down at her hands clasped together on her lap. She was beginning to have second thoughts about what she was about to do. The last four days she hadn't stopped thinking about Syd, what he had tried to do to himself and what that all really meant. Part of her wondered if he would even be happy to see her. Anxiety made her chest tighten and she cleared her throat before deciding to distract herself by looking around. There wasn't much to look at, just nurses and a few other visitors waiting, but it was enough to keep her mind busy, if only for a moment.

The door to the visitation room opened and familiar faces appeared as James and Lucy walked out. Standing, Roxie walked towards the pair, Lucy surprisingly offering a slight smile in greeting. "How is he?" Roxie asked as she looked between the two. "He's...getting there." Lucy answered looking a bit disappointed. Roxie wasn't sure how to take that only able to nod her head slowly. "Does he even want to see me?" The brunette asked after a moment of silence. Lucy surprised her again and smiled wider this time, "More than he wanted to see us." She reassured the younger woman before sighing, "Please feel free to stop by the house when you can." Roxie nodded her head once before making her way to the door and opening it. Stepping inside the room, she tried to keep her focus on Syd as she walked towards him slowly.

Taking a seat across from him, Roxie gave him a nervous smile. "Hi." she said simply before moving to her bag to fish out the polaroids she took. "The dogs miss you, see?" She said as she pushed the pictures towards him. "Arrow is very photogenic." There was a pause before she added, "We have missed you."
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James listened on as Syd continued speaking about the counsellor. The torture Syd, Lucy and Sinead suffered through was brought up again, causing James' mind to briefly cast back to the time he was tortured along with Lucy and Conor. They had wondered how the present enemy had known about what had happened all of those years ago and Dr. Parker being involved certainly seemed plausible. Plausible and worth investigating, though James had to remind himself it was not the only possible explanation. With Moretti involved, there could be another explanation. One thing he'd considered was how easy would it be for the Moretti to get to Alex Romano given she was living in Italy and she had been present with Vinnie during the torture two decades ago.

"Syd, you can't blame yourself for this. Dr. Parker is meant to treat your sessions with confidentiality and you're supposed to be able to open up to your counsellor about the things that are on your mind. If the bloke is a dodgy bastard, then that's not your fault." James believed his own words, though it was concerning to think how much Syd or anyone else could have been telling the counsellor. Even if Dr. Parker was a genuine, he had to wonder how much the man really knew about the family business, even from innocent slip-ups and vague details. James nodded in agreement when Lucy said they would tell Conor to keep away. Although he was debating if Conor could prove useful in investigating the counsellor. It was something he would need to discuss with Lucy and Conor, deciding it was best to reassure Syd in the meantime.

James got up from his seat and gave Syd a gentle squeeze on the shoulder as they set about leaving the visiting room. "We'll deal with Dr. Parker and we'll talk to Conor. Focus on looking after yourself now, mate. The sooner you come home, the sooner you can help Roxie get through the pregnancy," he lightly told him, managing a smile. The argument with Syd had seemed like a long time ago, so much that he'd barely had time to sit down and think about the grandchild that was on the way. The way Roxie had responded since Syd's suicide attempt had thrown James' hostility out of the window and instead the focus was on Syd's well-being, which included making sure he was better well before the baby's arrival. "We'll see you tomorrow, Syd."

On the way out of the visiting room, Roxie approached James and Lucy. Though Lucy did most of the talking, James' presence was more relaxed and welcoming than Roxie had been used to. Once the women had finished speaking, James sent Roxie a single nod. "Look after yourself," he suggested, offering a small smile. Given that she was pregnant, he knew she couldn't let herself get too stressed with everything that was going on.

James and Lucy soon made it back to their apartment in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Though James was missing having Thomas and Olivia around, he knew the best place for them was back at the mansion with Finn or other family members stepping in to take care of them. James wasted no time in slumping down onto the sofa, practically sinking into the soft cushions. He was mentally exhausted, but he knew he needed to deal with the potential situation with Syd's counsellor. In the very moment, however, he just needed a few moments to sit back and try to clear his head. "Is it too early to start drinking?" he remarked. Under the immense pressure, James unable to distract his mind for long and his thoughts soon returned to business. "We can dig around about Dr. Parker, but Conor needs to get involved in this one. He seems to trust and know his counsellor, but I'm curious to know if he has any reservations about the guy."


Pyroclast Bellz

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

Jason's suspicions were proved correct when Gwen confirmed that the two men standing by the door had come for her. He didn't need to ask her who they were; she had been looking over her shoulder ever since getting beaten up outside Broadway Theatre. Now that they were here, however, Jason realised that he hadn't exactly prepared himself; having moved away from his past life of crime, he hadn't bothered arming himself the way other criminals in the US were armed. Back in Ireland, he had never needed a gun, but the moment the men began to approach the stage he knew he was at a huge disadvantage. How he was supposed to help Gwen with no weapon on him, he didn't know.

She quickly pulled him into the wings, where they were just out of sight. All too aware that the men could reach them at any moment, Jason only nodded when she clarified that they were armed. Even though he had never seen her with a gun in her hand before, he didn't react when she pulled one out from under her dress - not because he wasn't surprised, but because he simply didn't have time.

Their chances of escape only decreased when they discovered more armed men guarding the rear exit of the club. Again, Jason didn't react besides raising his hands slightly to show the men that they were in control of the situation. If he a gun on him, then they wouldn't have been outnumbered perhaps he and Gwen would have had a better chance of getting away. She seemed worried for him and guilty for having brought him into a dangerous situation. "Don't worry about me, baby," he whispered back, wanting to relieve her of any responsibility over him. After all, it wasn't her fault that he chose to be around her more often these days.

Jason could hear a man's voice coming from the main area and when they stepped out from behind the curtain, hands still raised, he saw the two men talking to Sinead. Her tone was confrontational when she spoke back to him, but he could tell she wasn't exactly at ease. Looking around, Jason noticed that there were still a few other people in the club; when Gwen asked them not to involve him or Sinead, he felt the need to add, "Can youse at least let everyone else go before we do this?"

Despite their attempts, one of the men told them that they were only here to collect what they were owed. Jason had to bite his tongue when they threatened to take Gwen; his initial reaction was to counter them, but given that they had guns pointed at them and he himself wasn't armed, he knew it was wiser to remain silent. Still, he was determined to do everything in his power to keep Gwen safe. He turned to her with a deadly serious expression on his face, trying to communicate with his eyes. By now he would hope that she understood how much he cared for her, the distance he would go to help her out. If she didn't, he realised that he might be about to prove it to her.

Sinead made a strong effort to threaten the men into leaving and Jason wondered if the men knew of Gwen's connection to the Irish Mob. If they did, would they surrender now or extend their threats to her family to take advantage of their wealth? To his surprise, one of the women who had been sitting a few tables away approached them, one hand in her pocket. Jason had no idea who she was, but when she spoke Sinead's name he understood that she was on their side and deduced that what she held in her pocket must be a gun...

Interactions
Bellz Gwen, Alex, Regan
Misty Gray Sinead, Savannah
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Bryant ​

Alex let out a hearty laugh at Sinead's attempts to be tough, it was just all too amusing to him. "The men in your family really have you brainwashed don't they lady? Sheesh, I'm not here for your tacky club." Looking to Regan, the two men shared a laugh before they both crossed their arms. Gwen looked embarrassed as she looked between Sinead, Jason and now Ali as she joined the group, asking if the men were upsetting Sinead. "They were just leaving." Gwen said with unexpected confidence in her voice to which Alex let out another laugh. "Are we? Because I can't come back to my boss empty handed and look," He stretched his hands out to reveal he had nothing in them, "Nothin'" Gwen growled before turning to the man abruptly, "I told you I'd have it in three weeks time, its only been two weeks." Regan nodded his head, "Boss doesn't like being on someone else's time schedule, especially the Porters'." So they did have some idea of who they were dealing with but regardless of that, they were wanting their money.

"Look, we aren't here to start any trouble, its real simple, give us what we want and we'll head out." Regan reassured the women but Gwen just scoffed, "You know damn well that I don't have the funds, if your boss would wait a week, I would have the money for you." This caused Alex to roll his eyes, before he snapped his fingers. The two men that were behind Gwen and Jason suddenly stepped forward and reached for her to which she quickly stepped away, but Alex was quick to grab her arm and squeeze it so harshly that she cried out. Gwen hissed and aimed her gun at Alex's skull but the other men were quick to aim their guns directly at her. Two barrels were pressed against the back of her head. "Times are changin' ladies, your precious husbands aren't around to protect you from what's to come and this will be the first of many scores that will be settled."

"Now I'm sure this place has a safe. We don't need Gwen's money but we sure as hell need some sort of loot to bring back to the higher up, you see. So is someone going to be kind enough to lend a hand, or should I just go ahead and allow Gwen here to be the first of many casualties on your side. The choice is yours. I will give you to the count of 10 and if there isn't exactly 2,000 dollars in my hands by the end, she's gone and you won't even have a body to mourn over because we'll be taking her as a prize for the boss."

Gwen squeezed her eyes shut as the barrels pressed harder against her head, "Don't listen to the Sin, I'm not going to take your money. Don't give them a cent." Her voice trembled as she reached out to take Jason's hand with her free one.
with: Misty Gray ; Pyroclast ; Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Pyroclast]

Alistair Sawyer

Maddox's confident smile intrigued Alistair; it wasn't the response he had expected and therefore couldn't help but interpret it as a façade. The counsellor insisted that having something to lose motivated him and gave him a reason to survive. It didn't quite make sense to Alistair, since the man had chosen to involve himself in such a dangerous business. The danger didn't put Alistair off, not only because he had climbed his way to the commanding position in his gang and established powerful allies during that time, but also because he had little to lose. He lived for himself and for the city, and trusted that if anything were to happen to him, Ethan would take care of business on his behalf. Maddox, on the other hand, apparently wanted more. It wasn't like Stefano's and Gabriel's marriages, which were already established and stable and threatened no change or outside influence - his relationship with Ani did seem to invite those things. The very things that could alter a man's outlook on life and cause his survival instincts to take control and eliminate all danger from his life.

Despite his disbelief in Maddox's words, Alistair remained silent while he spoke, his narrowed eyes set in a cold, unwavering glare. The counsellor went on to accuse him of mistaking Ani's lapse in attitude for exhaustion from her demanding job as a surgeon, which Alistair took as an insult to his intelligence. Furthermore, he pointed out that Ani's loyalty to the East Harlem gang was purely out of concern for her brother, whom Alistair apparently used to manipulate her. That time he couldn't deny that Maddox was right, but the fact that the counsellor was bold enough to so openly criticise his methods did not impress him at all. Fortunately, Alistair was secure enough to know that both Stefano and Gabriel would not take Maddox's side over his. Although he had thought of many responses during the counsellor's speech, he decided to follow Gabriel's method of letting him speak for as long as he wanted.

There was a brief silence after he had finished, but it wasn't that the men had been rendered speechless - rather, Alistair simply didn't want to give the arrogant counsellor the satisfaction of getting a rise out of him. In fact, he even let a faint smile show on his face, amused by Maddox's foolish assumption that neither he nor Ani were doing anything wrong.

In the end, it was Gabriel who spoke first. Alistair didn't move a muscle, his unrelenting gaze still trained on Maddox, observing the man's expression as Ani's life was once again so casually threatened. It was only when he was asked for his opinion that he tore his eyes away and set his attention on Gabriel instead. "Sounds to me like the best way forward," he replied, before looking back to Maddox.

The conversation soon turned back to James Porter and where the future of the empire lay. Gabriel gave Maddox his instructions to kill Syd and undo Conor's progress so that he ends up back in prison, and then he asked Alistair if he could think of anything else that needed to be done. The man inhaled deeply. "You know, I think our counsellor has plenty to focus on right now," he commented, giving a small, contented smile as his eyes once again bore into Maddox. "We all know the outcome we want from all of this, so it's just a matter of making sure we get there without any trouble."

Interactions
Misty Gray Maddox, Gabriel
Bellz Stefano
Melanin-Gxdess Teddy