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

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Elvian Moretti
Elvian could see that her interruption had annoyed Gabriel, but at the present moment she didn't care. This was much more important than catching up with Rhys in her eyes and needed to be talked about. Whatever he wanted to say to her later would be dealt with, even though she knew he would never raise his voice or a hand to her. More than likely it would be about his distaste of her doing so. Regardless, she watched the scene unfold in front of her leaning against the front of Gabriel's desk, arms folded. She was positioned so she could see Rhys and Teddy but also Gabe from her peripheral vision. In case he wanted to storm over and yank the younger man up, she wanted to be able to put herself in-between the two men. After Teddy finished speaking, Gabriel spoke up again but this time she could hear even more of that rage she initially heard. Fearing for his health at the moment, Elvian walked behind his desk and gently placed her hand on top of his. Granted, he was well within his rights to be upset; he'd technically been betrayed and tested by James Porter but she still needed him to be calm. If he wasn't calm he might do something regretful.

Hearing Rhys' comment, Elvian snapped her head to him, opening her mouth to speak before Teddy beat her to it. "Really did miss you there, Caddy-bear.." Teddy muttered under his breath. He knew how serious of a situation this was, it was no time for jokes but he couldn't help himself. "I'm sorry, boss. You know for a fact I wouldn't have opened my mouth if it weren't a dire situation; when have I ever given you cause to be concerned about my loyalty for you and this family?" Teddy knew that probably now Gabriel's concern for Teddy's loyalty was wavering but surely he understood since he wasn't already dead? It was determined right then and there that James Porter was to be killed immediately and while the battered man wanted nothing but the same, he still didn't think it was the right time to do so. There was a plan, a more calculated plan and Teddy believed his boss was speaking from a place of anger that caused him to deter him from that.

Theodore "Teddy" Wycliff
Rhys made another comment about Teddy just dying with the information like a loyal man would and this time Elvian spoke up. "Teddy is just as loyal as you are, Rhys. Had he not been, he would've left this country as soon as they let him go but instead he's here owning up for his mistakes. Granted, he gave information that should not have left his lips, but what choice did he have?" Elvian was understanding both sides to this argument and while she often tried her best to be neutral, she was on Teddy's side. Not because of his status to the family, but because she truly felt he had little to no choice. Gabriel giving him an opportunity to fix his mistake gave her some sort of hope that he wasn't going to kill him... Yet. The fact that her husband had done this told her what she already knew.

All eyes were on Teddy to tell them what he was going to do to fix what he's done. If he were to be honest, he didn't think he would get that fair. He half expected to be shunned, left out of all planning processes and the like; to be sent back to bed. "There really was no choice; I swear to you. I want to fix this, Gabe. I-I don't know how yet. But what I do know is you can't kill James Porter just yet." Elvian gave him a bewildered look, shocked that he, of all people, would say that. This was something she couldn't back up. A confused, "What?" escaped her lips. "Hear me out," he started, "I know it sounds crazy. But listen. He's angry and he's only going to keep getting angrier the more we push him and he's going to slip up and do something stupid. Grabbing me, in broad daylight, was risky and he didn't care. The man is not thinking. James Porter is going to crack and then it'll be our time to hit him." Whatever the response he was going to get, he was ready for. Something in him said Gabriel understood and that's all that mattered.​

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti​

Gabriel sat back in silence as he listened to the other three in the room. There was clearly no love lost between Rhys and Teddy, whilst Elvian was predictably stepping up to defend Teddy. Rhys raised valid points regarding Teddy's loyalty being thrown into question, but Elvian also made a point about Teddy having come forward to admit his discretion rather than fleeing the city when he had the chance. Then, there was Teddy himself, who pleaded that he wouldn't have opened his mouth were it not a dire situation. Gabriel took a moment too look Teddy over, seeing the physical evidence to back up the man's recollection of the torture. The missing fingers and beaten face certainly wouldn't have been faked. "And Porter was genuinely going to skin you alive?" he rhetorically asked. He worked with men who would go that far, but to hear James Porter himself had been willing to do it was an interesting development. Perhaps the rat truly was being pushed into showing his true colours; to stripping away his mask to show he was no better than any other criminal.

"Theodore has never disappointed me before and the fact he is considered family are the reasons his brain matter isn't currently decorating my office wall." Gabriel fixed his eyes on Teddy. "You have a lot of work to do to convince me of your complete loyalty and you can start by working out how I'm going to be compensated for the losses my business will suffer when the Porters get their hands on those drugs."

Gabriel then focused on Teddy's explanation as to why they couldn't kill James yet. "When I said I wanted James Porter dead, it wasn't open for discussion," he abruptly replied. He sent Rhys a glance before diverting his eyes down to his own hands. There was a silence but Gabriel's stern and contemplative demeanour showed it was a silence not to be broken until he was ready to do so. He eventually looked back up and glanced across the others in the room. "Theodore. When you walked in this office and I saw the state of you, the first thing that ran through my mind was that I would kill whoever was responsible. That man is Porter." He slowly shook his head. "I would like nothing more than to watch that man on his knees begging for my mercy and to be saved from watching his world crumble around him. However, how long before he sets his sights on my wife or my kids? If he's angry and taking risks, then I'm inclined to believe no act would be too far beyond his personal moral code." He stood up from his desk in a sign that the matter was closed from further argument. "There's nothing to say he won't suffer in the meantime. His son is still in a vulnerable position," he pointed out, expecting Syd's death to be imminent.


Enzyme (Rhys) Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy, Elvian)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan and James Porter​

James sat on the sofa directly opposite the one Lucy and Conor were occupying. As soon as Lucy told him Syd was right about Dr. Parker, James sat forward as he anticipated the next words that would come from her mouth. Perhaps Conor now needed help in hiding a body or needed ideas on how he wasn't going to be dragged straight back to prison on a murder charge. Simply put, he was waiting to be told Maddox was dead and nothing more. The man had brought harm to Syd and he deserved to be slaughtered for it. Those weren't the words that came from Lucy's mouth. Instead, he was told that Conor had spared Dr. Parker in order to have the man help get Syd out of the hospital. In the back of his mind, James knew it was true they were exhausted and it probably did make sense to use the counsellor, but for the moment he could only think about delivering justice for what had happened to Syd. "You really had to pick now to be sensible, Conor? No impulse to throw the fucking prick out of the window?" James fired out at his brother-in-law.

"Mate, I did lash out at him at first, but I knew it wouldn't achieve anything. Working with him is the only way we can get Syd out of the hospital. It's the only way I can keep my own arse out of jail. He's been working with Moretti but he doesn't want to be a part of that shite anymore. As long as we play this smartly, Moretti won't just go for Syd himself and we can use Parker to get information for us. As long as Moretti thinks Parker is loyal to him, we have an advantage," he assured James. "You should also know... Dr. Parker is from Dublin too. Richard Duncan's son."

James held his hand out, wanting to slow the conversation down. Whilst he was coming around to trusting what Lucy and Conor were putting forward, there was a lot of missing information. "Back up, Conor. I'm going to trust you to deal with this, but first I want to know everything Parker told you. Tell me the full story, including his ties to Dublin."

Conor proceeded to tell James everything that had happened in the counsellor's office, which in turn convinced James to trust Conor to press on with his plan. It was clear to Conor that James wasn't going to be quite so forgiving towards Maddox, even if he did help get Syd out. "...but yeah, I don't like the twisted lengths he went to in manipulating Syd and me either. But one thing all three of us in this room have in common with Parker is that we've all lost our dads and countless other loved ones in these gang wars. The Romanos were to blame for our losses, but we were the bad guys in Parker's world. I can at least understand that need for vengeance, even if I do want to smash his face in for what he did to Syd."

"Perhaps if and when he gets Syd out, smashing his face in is still on the cards," James replied. It was his way of accepting the plan but showing he couldn't see himself forging the counsellor for what he'd done to Syd.

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 12: Freedom's Taken, Never Given
Friday 22nd October 1971
...One month later…
Late Afternoon - Cold, Breezy, Overcast
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Callahan Family Home
~ Forest Hills, Queens ~
​

Sinead Callahan

The last month for Sinead hadn't been a kind one. She'd barely slept the night following her interaction with Alistair and Ethan. The next day, she was told of Ryan's murder and the news had plucked her into a depression she'd managed to fend off for quite some time before then. Though she was often aware of Ryan being an awkward subject for her and Peter, there had been no withholding how she felt about losing him. Despite the romantic feelings Ryan might have once had for her, one thing that had been permanent and mutual between them was the friendship they'd had since they were children growing up in Chicago. The knowledge that she would never get to see Ryan again broke her heart and she struggled to see beyond her grief for the first week. She didn't leave the house and barely ate a thing for the first seven days. She was tired of those she cared about being hurt and killed. The world once against seemed like a dark and hopeless place to her. With her family's intervention and her own concerns about ending up in the same place as Syd, Sinead returned to her counselling sessions and accepted she would have to start taking her medication again.

Ryan's funeral had taken place in Chicago a week ago, with Sinead and Savannah attending, along with Conor, Aliana, James and Lucy. She understood why Peter didn't attend, even if she did long for his embrace during the days she spent back in her birthplace. Not only was it hard attending her friend's funeral, but it was difficult being back in the city where she'd left so many difficult memories behind. It had also proved to be a time of reflection for both Sinead and Savannah, given that their biological fathers both died in the heart of Chicago.

*****​

It was now three days since Sinead had returned home from Chicago. Her mind felt clearer and she was able to get back as close to normal as she could, even if there were times when her grief popped back into her thoughts when she wasn't keeping busy. Syd was due to come home that day and whilst she was excited to see her nephew, she neither wished to overwhelm him nor feel overwhelmed herself. Whilst Savannah and Emery had gone to stay at Lucy's house for the night, Sinead was content to spend some rare time alone with Peter.

With the house to themselves and time off work for both of them, Peter had arranged a date night for him and Sinead. Even though the said date was taking place at home, Sinead was still excited about the occasion and was getting herself dressed up as though they were going out to a public venue. Having barely left the house or got dressed prior to the funeral, Sinead wanted to make an effort in order to feel positive and happy about herself. Not only that, but she wanted to make it up to Peter and to hopefully brighten his day upon seeing her in the little blue dress she'd been saving for a date with him.

As she did the finishing touches to her hair and make-up, she was drawn back into some other thoughts that had been lingering in her mind. Savannah was dating but the girl hadn't even told her about it until after she'd slipped up in front of Peter. Sinead had always been encouraging and excited by the prospect of her kids dating, so it had hurt to know Savannah had been keeping her relationship secret. Granted, she had once kept her relationship with Angel a secret, but that was for far more complicated reasons. From what she understood, Danny was a nice boy and he certainly wasn't working for the family's enemy. Sinead concluded Savannah was simply growing up and she no longer wanted to confide in her mamma with every detail as she had in the past. Everyone was growing up too fast...

Once she was ready, Sinead descended the stairs and called out Peter's name. "Mr. Callahaaaaaan! I'm here for our date," she melodically called out. By now, a bright smile was growing on her face as she began to feel an odd mix of excitement and nervousness in anticipation of their cute date.

Bellz (Peter)

New York Hospital
~ Manhattan ~
​

Maddox Parker

Maddox's last month had been tough. He'd been working hard to get Syd released from the hospital and at the same time having to keep Moretti from growing impatient and suspicious. All of this whilst doing everything he could to support Ani as she grieved for her brother. On Maddox's suggestion, the Porters had requested a new counsellor to take over Syd's treatment, which meant it was difficult for Maddox to get near to Syd, thus creating a good explanation for why he'd been unable to kill the young man on Moretti's order. Maddox had suggested to Dr. Henderson that he took over Syd's treatment in his place. All the while, Maddox would slip in ways his colleague could best appeal to Syd's better nature. Syd's family, his upcoming fatherhood, as well as his love for his pet dogs. They were all ways Maddox was sure would bring out a calmer, lucid and more hopeful side to Syd. Not only that, but Maddox had recommended Syd's medication returned to the dosage he'd been taking when he was at his best - before Maddox intentionally reduced it to enable the man's downfall. Whatever Dr. Henderson went along with, it seemed to work and Syd was expected to be released from hospital today.

Conor was expected to call Maddox that evening, so in the meantime, the counsellor was to act normal. With all of his appointments over with earlier than usual, Maddox had offered to drive Ani to work and pick her up at the end of her shift. They soon arrived at the hospital and Maddox parked his car up in one of the spaces, turning off the engine so he could speak to Ani a little before she had to start work. "It's nearly over, Ani," he softly reassured her. He held her hands in his own and looked her in the eyes. "Syd's going to go home today and the Porters will know I kept to my end of the deal. As soon as Conor confirms it, we can leave this place and go somewhere far away." He gently squeezed her hands as a stray tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek. "We'll finish packing our bags when you get home tonight and we'll get the Hell away from this shithole of a city. I want you to experience a better life than what this place has to offer and I want to explore it all with you. I love you, Ani," he assured her. He lifted both of her hands to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of each.


Bellz (Ani)

Gabriel Moretti's Office
~ Murray Hill, Manhattan ~​

Gabriel Moretti

It would have been easy to put a bullet in Teddy's skull or throw him to the dogs, were he not considered a part of the family. The likes of Elvian, Valentina and Tony fighting the tortured young man's corner made it even harder for Gabriel to shun the man. It was true that Teddy had to work hard to regain Gabriel's full trust again and to replace the missing stock, but all things considered, it could have gone much worse for Teddy. Along with Tony, Teddy had been sent out on various debt collecting jobs over the last couple of weeks. Teddy's smooth-talking needed to be taken advantage of and Tony would be there to finish up when the talking had failed.

Gabriel had other things to focus on today. Whilst he was preparing to bring Maddox in for a progress report in the coming days, there was another meeting that was to take priority for the moment. It was the matter of putting an end to James Porter. Any lingering doubts Gabriel had about killing James had been throw out a couple of nights ago during a conversation with Valentina. After berating her father for not being sensitive enough to Teddy's plight, she reminded Gabriel of who the real enemy was. Valentina hadn't held back in reminding her father of every family member who perished in the explosion the Porters set up a few years ago. She demanded to know how much longer she had to wait until the man responsible was dead. Whilst Gabriel put his daughter back in her place and forced her to back down, he did take her words seriously. Gabriel knew it was time to deal with James Porter.

With Stefano otherwise occupied, Gabriel had requested Rhys and Alistair attended the meeting. Gabriel and Rhys arrived at the apartment a couple of hours before Alistair was due, with the Italian boss taking some time to look over a map of the city as he pointed out their most valuable parts of the city, as well as the businesses he had in his sights to seize control over. When Alistair did arrive, he would be granted access to the apartment by the two armed guards standing in front of the door.

"Alistair, take a seat," Gabriel greeted his associate, giving the man a firm handshake. Though he kept in mind Rhys' previous concerns that the East Harlem boss may well betray them one day, he didn't acknowledge it as he offered them both a seat on the sofa. There were drinks on the coffee table and Gabriel didn't feel the need to invite them to help themselves, assuming they knew to do so without some pleasant invitation. "As I mentioned during our call, we're here to discuss the imminent demise of James Porter. My good friend Rhys has an idea of how to do so and I think it's something your men could assist him with, Alistair," Gabriel explained, prompting Rhys to elaborate...

​

Enzyme (Rhys) Pyroclast (Alistair)

Porter Family Home
~ Bayside, Queens ~​

Conor Sullivan

For the last month, Conor had been all over the place, mentally. He'd gone from feeling proud of himself for taking an intelligent route in dealing with Maddox, to grieving for the loss of one of his closest friends, Ryan. He'd felt himself being torn apart as he acted the controlled man in charge of getting Syd out of hospital whilst in the confines of his own home he was a mess. With so much weighing him down, it had only been a matter of days before Conor turned to the bottle just to block out his thoughts and to get some sleep for just one night. Although he'd made a point of drinking at home, to avoid any possible fights were he in the pub, he still felt like he'd failed. Not wanting to risk losing Aliana and Leo again, he knew he needed to fight to stop himself from falling back into his old ways.

Two weeks into his grief over Ryan's death, Conor attended his counselling session with Maddox. The sessions had been continuing purely to keep up the act for the benefit of the Morettis should they been watching. It had been Conor's intention to only use the appointments to check up on Maddox and to gain as much information as he could about the Morettis. As much as it pained him and embarrassed him to admit, Conor had ended up seeking Maddox's guidance to keep himself from becoming what he'd worked so hard to get away from. The counsellor found it easy to help Conor, despite the barrier that had been built up between them since he admitted to his deceit. He liked to think he was helping Conor to get through his grief in a healthy way, but he wasn't about to start congratulating himself. He knew he had more repenting to do before he could consider his conscience anywhere close to clear.

Conor had grown confident that Syd would be getting out of the hospital soon, having looked into the effort Maddox and Dr. Henderson were making. This gave Conor some time to attend Ryan's funeral in Chicago. He'd been aware of the enemies Ryan had collected over in California, but he knew any kind of retaliation would have dire consequences, so such a matter could never be rushed. Instead, he spent the days in his birthplace contemplating the loss of his close, childhood friend. After giving Ryan a good old send off, Conor had taken the opportunity to visit his father, Emmet's grave. He'd spent some time there alone, using the moments to remind himself of how much he owed to his family and how he could only succeed if he stayed level-headed. He eventually left Chicago without his good friend, Ryan, but gained further motivation to make sure his family won their war against the Morettis.

Conor had been back home a few days and today was the day Syd was finally getting out of the hospital. Maddox had kept to his word and had put in overtime to get Syd released, whilst trying his hardest to keep Moretti sweet. Now, Conor was sat in the lounge of the Porters house, along with Aliana, Jackson and Blake, as they awaited Syd returning to the house with James and Lucy. Despite his relief and joy at his nephew getting out of the hospital, Conor still couldn't shift the grief that was lingering within him. The children were in high spirits and usually Conor would join in to only further encourage their playful natures, but today the noise was grating on him. His head was pounding as his grief and concerns occupied his thoughts. How many more friends and loved ones would he lose before his family could relax? How would James want him to deal with Maddox once the counsellor had done his job in helping Syd get out? Would Syd resent Conor for not killing the counsellor? He believed he'd done the right thing and it had paid off because Syd was to be let out, but how could he explain that he now wanted to keep to his own end of the bargain and spare Maddox?

As the kids continued to play in the lounge, Conor massaged his forehead before glancing between the other adults, shaking his head to show the high-spirited commotion was draining him. "Kids! Go play out in the garden, would ya? Uncle Jimbo's dogs haven't been walked today, so give them all some exercise. It's an order, not a request!" he told them, though it was mostly aimed at Leo before the boy attempted to argue. Conor's eyes briefly fixed on the cigarette box on the fireplace which probably belonged to James. Smoking had never interested Conor and it still didn't. He always found it interesting that many of his family and friends smoked, especially when they were stressed. It was apparently a more socially acceptable output of stress than his methods of getting drunk were.

Conor looked at his watch before speaking up to no one in particular. "What time did they say they'd be back? I feel like I've been sat here for hours," he remarked, hoping nothing concerning was holding up Syd's return.

​

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

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Pyroclast Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess Fletchawk @RayPurchase Bugsy
​

@RayPurchase (Marcus) - TBA

 

[Enzyme]

Chapter 12: Freedom's Taken, Never Given
Friday 22nd October 1971
...One month later…
Late Afternoon - Cold, Breezy, Overcast
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Brooklyn - Shell Station​

The navy blue Chevy Impala materialized from the shadow of the Brooklyn bridge off of 3rd Avenue. The street housed a Shell gas station, which from the outside appeared to be a legitimate, family-run business. Behind the employee's only door, however, housed one of the Porters' various money-laundering locations. The gas station was run by the Nazari family, whose loyalty had been brought into question more than once in the past few years. So when a bag of unmarked bills had missed the delivery date, Keegan was sent to accompany the collector to help puff the Porter chest. While the wagging of an average mob mule's finger would prompt an eye-roll, the presence of a notorious enforcer would undoubtedly change their demeanor.

As the vehicle dipped around the corner, the sleek tires slowed it's pace until it bowed over the curb. The Impala pulled off into one of the empty parking spots, protected under the shade of the rafter. "Alright, let's get it over wit'," Chris, the mule, mumbled. Slipping his hand to the car door, he propped himself out into the October breeze. He kept his dark shades over his nose, which covered his deepened eyes, fatigued by the same boring routine. Chris shoved the Colt 1911 handgun into the back of his belt and moved off to the gas station he'd become all too familiar with. "Let's spook this asshole." Chris stepped in front of Keegan, opening up the door of the store and prompting the alert bell to clink.

"Hello, sir. How can I help you?" Basir, the overweight cashier, asked from over the register. Chris looked inside the store, seeing a few unfamiliar faces browsing the racks. He looked back to Basir, rolling the toothpick in the corner of his mouth. "You know what I'm here for." Chris pushed open the door, allowing Keegan to step in behind him. At Keegan's presence, the color nearly faded entirely from Basir's face as he immediately understood the gravity of his situation. Basir looked to the customers in his store and whistled to get their attention. "Get out!" There was a moment of confused silence as the customers looked around to see who he was yelling at. "All of you! Out!" It appeared he was yelling at the stragglers between the shelves. At his order, the puzzled customers did what they were told, without any protesting.

Chris pushed open the other glass door for the customers as they left, his shades not moving off the direction of Basir. He stepped closer with a devilish smile, which only caused Basir's nostrils to flair in bitter hatred. "What's he doin' here? What the fucks goin' on, Chris?" Basir asked once Chris stepped close enough, motioning his head to Keegan, whom he had been avoided eye contact with up until this point.

"You know why he's here. You owe us four stacks, Basir. Where's the cash?" Chris asked in a tantalizing tone. As if on cue, the massive police ham radio on the counter behind the register went off. "ALL UNITS BE AWARE OF A RED 1966 TOYOTA COROLLA INVOLVED IN A GANG-RELATED SHOOTING, LAST SEEN HEADING NORTHBOUND ON EAST RINKER ROAD." Chris's eyes shot to Keegan, suspicious of Amir's possession of the police radio. "The fuck is that?" He asked, pointing to the radio. Basir didn't respond at first, his nervous eyes sliding to Keegan instead. "Just... Just a police radio... Interestin' stuff's always goin' done on there."

Bugsy (Keegan)

 

[Bellz]

Chapter 12: Freedom's Taken, Never Given
Friday 22nd October 1971
...One month later…
Late Afternoon - Cold, Breezy, Overcast
**

**


Roxie Carriveau ​

The Day before
It was a miracle that her father was still allowing her to work at the company. Roxie was sure that she would have been disposed of by now, the words he said to her the night of their fight were ringing in her ears, You’ll learn your lesson soon enough. He said that to her many times before but something felt different about that night, something final about it. Roxie tried to shake off the nervous feeling as she walked towards the reception desk, having to hand in her event quota for the week. Smiling brightly, she greet the receptionist Angela ”Oh my god, did you do something different with your hair? I love it!” The fellow brunette smiled in return and nodded her head, ”How lovely of you to notice! Thank you! I just got it done yesterday!” Handing her the papers, Roxie looked over the woman’s hair noticing the highlights in them, ”I wish I was bold enough to put in highlights but I love my brown hair too much.” Angela looked over the paperwork before snapping her fingers, eyes widening as she remembered something she needed to tell Roxie. ”Your father wants you to meet with a new client at the restaurant across the street, he said he’ll be there.”

Roxie tilted her head but nodded regardless, "Alright, I guess I should make my way over there then, before he has a cow for me being late." Angela laughed and Roxie waved goodbye before turning and heading to grab her purse. Once she grabbed it, she made her way to the elevator and stepped inside of it. Relieved to be by herself for a moment, she looked down at her slightly bloated stomach and placed a hand on it lightly. She had started showing about two weeks ago and now it was quite noticeable, especially in her dress that was becoming a little too tight on her. Sighing, she looked up to watch the numbers counting the floor down above her. Finally arriving at the first floor, the elevator doors open and Roxie stepped out into a crowd of people, politely saying "Excuse me" as she tried not to bump into anyone. The outside air was warmer than usual and the sun was just beginning to set, the brunette wished she could evening but knew she would be cooped up inside the restaurant with the last person she wanted to see. Stepping out onto the sidewalk, she was just passing a dark alleyway when an arm suddenly moved across her shoulder, pulling her in tightly. Something pressed against her side and Roxie gasped before trying to see who had grabbed her so openly. "Try to run and scream. I dare ya." The man hissed in her ear, whatever he had in his hand pressed painfully into her side. Roxie's heart began to race as she was forcefully lead down the street, "Keep walking." The man told her and as she looked to see if anyone had taken notice, another man moved beside her on her right side. Panic began to set in and she started to struggle to get out of the man's grasp, but he just squeezed her should harshly and forced her to look straight ahead. A black car with tinted window's had its back door open and Roxie was forcefully shoved inside. She was about to fight the men but she noticed the gun in his hand and her face paled.

Forced to sit in the middle seat, the two men sat on either side of her, guns drawn as they closed the door and the car began to move. "W-where are we going?" Roxie croaked and the man to her left just chuckled, "It's a surprise." Her mind began to race, trying to look for a way out of the situation she was currently in but with the men armed and her being stuck in the car, there was no way out. She sat quietly for now.

***​

The sun was setting just behind the horizon as they pulled up to the docks. Roxie was forced out of the car and her hands were then securely tied around her back. "I-if it's money you want, I can give it to you!" The brunette said, her voice shaking as one of the men aimed the gun at her pressing it into her back, forcing her to walk towards a private boat. The two men just laughed, "Shut up will ya. We don't want anything from you." one of them said. As they walked along the dock, she was pushed onto the boat and told to sit down on one of the benches that was built in on the side. She obeyed, not seeing a way to escape. The boat started up and soon they were out in the middle of the ocean, the city getting farther and father away, lights twinkling in the night like stars. Roxie's eyes watered as she started to realize that she might not ever see it again and a sob tore through her as she thought about never seeing Syd again. Before she could see what direction they were headed in, one of the men placed a blindfold around her eyes.

***​

Without the ability to see, Roxie was stumbling as they led her down a staircase. Falling forward, a strong hand grabbed her arm tightly and harshly pulled her upright. Gasping out in pain, Roxie tried to wiggle free from the grasp but was met with a slap to the face. The hit was so hard that she saw stars and continued to stumble again until someone picked her up and carried her down the rest of the stairs. Her ears rang and she could barely feel the seat she was sat in and then tied to. Her blindfold was removed and she looked around to see a large room with cement floors and walls. There was large duffle bags that filled one side of the room and wooden boxes that filled the other. Two men stood in front of the only door that would lead the way out. "Where the fuck am I?!" Roxie screeched and bounced in her seat trying in vain to break free. The two men just smirked and one of them pulled out their gun again, immediately causing the brunette to freeze. "Please...please let me go." She begged quietly as she let her head hang. Blood dripped from her nose onto her lap and she gasped quietly. How was she going to get out of this? Syd would never know where she was. She didn't even fucking know where she was.

Suddenly the door opened and Roxie snapped her head up to see a large film camera being brought into the room...
mentions: Syd Pyroclast

Gwen Bryant

​

After being rejected, Gwen had made the rather easy decision to return to her old habits. Jason's reaction to her confession of love was not reassuring, she felt like she was losing him and it was all her fault. It had been weeks since she even heard from him which set her on edge. Fortunately, because of her continued usage, she looked and felt a lot better than she had before and her weight was returning. Able to look at herself in the mirror, Gwen wondered if this would be enough to prove to Jason that she was serious. She was smart enough to have the foresight to see that he didn't believe she would recover and while she wasn't clean, she was still alive. Today, though her heart was heavy, she felt like she was ready to go back to rehearsal. After giving a little white lie about illness to the director, Gwen was welcomed back with open arms, much to her understudies dismay.

The first thing she noticed when she arrived was Jason was nowhere in sight. Hiding the worry well, his understudy, Ben, walked up to her with a smile, "Looks like you and I will have a go at it. Welcome back." He said before moving towards backstage. Gwen hadn't said anything as he walked away but rather look towards the auditorium doors, hoping that Jason would walk in at the moment she glanced. Disappointed when he didn't show after a minute, Gwen sighed and walked backstage to get into costume.

***​

"Oh Cliff! Should I speak to her?" Gwen asked sounding a little frantic as her face expressed concern.

Ben looked at her hesitantly, "What would you say?" He asked.

Gwen's face broke out into a smile, "Oh, you know," She started, "That it will all work itself out. Remember how she was about my staying here? 'Its not possible! And I cannot consider...'"

"Shut up, Sally." Ben said giving her a tired look to which Gwen's smile fell into a deep frown. "What?" She asked innocently.

"It's not funny." Ben replied before walking over towards the typewriter in Cliff's staged room. "Well it seems nothing amuses you anymore. It was such fun today with Bobby and Victor. They laugh at everything. Especially the thought of you and me in a cottage at the end of a lane...they found that hysterical." Gwen moved to grab her over coat, "They're waiting for me this very minute--to rehearse my numbers. I really must go." Ben delicately dusted off the typewriter before taking a seat.

"The fact is--you're going a lot further than the Klub." Gwen placed her coat on, taking her hair and dusting it over her shoulders, "I am?" She wondered as she gave him a strange look.

"We're going home. My home." Gwen watched him blankly before he continued, "Pennsylvania."

The rest of the scene went smoothly, the pair ending their scene as Cliff leaves angrily and Sally sits, wondering if she had made the right decision. Gwen stayed seated after the director yelled cut not walking over with the rest of the cast as they surrounded the director. She critique the passion of their argument, telling both Gwen and Ben that they needed to have better chemistry. While she wanted to really give it her all, the whole scene just didn't feel the same without Jason standing in front of her. She fed off his passion, they bounced back and forth between each other, giving each other a soft push as they dived further into the scene. She didn't have that with his understudy.

Her eyes looked towards the auditorium doors once more as she shrugged off her coat, moving to place it on the rack once more for when they took the scene again. Seeing the mirror that was in the room, Gwen walked towards it to check if her costume was on correctly. The elegant red pantsuit was fitting for Sally, something so over the top and expensive, something she really couldn't afford. Gwen looked fuller, less hollow with all the make up and her hair straightened but once again she was wondering if that would even be enough for Jason to return his love for her.

Break was announced and Gwen decided to make her way back to the green room to sit for a while. Once she was inside, she grabbed a chair facing the wall and sat down in it, placing her head in her hands as she wondered if she'd made right decision.

mentions: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Chapter 12: Freedom's Taken, Never Given
Friday 22nd October 1971
...One month later…
Late Afternoon - Cold, Breezy, Overcast

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

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

Hudson Psychiatric Hospital
~ Morningside Heights, Manhattan ~​

Syd Porter

"All set, then?" Doctor Peralta asked when she spotted Syd sitting in the foyer, nothing but a small duffle bag at his feet. All it contained was a few changes of clothes, a pack of cigarettes and a month's supply of medication. He glanced up at her, but didn't smile. The truth was, he resented the woman for the role she had played during his time in the institution. As his doctor, it had been her job to deal him a suitable course of treatment, but he had hated every single aspect of it and thus hadn't given himself a chance to get along with her. "What's the first thing you're going to do when you're free, huh?"

"See my girlfriend," he answered, apathetically. "Go back to work." So used to having his guard up, Syd struggled to be open or even friendly with the woman. At least now that he was more mentally stable, he could trust himself not to say more than he wanted to and could therefore be more relaxed in the presence of the staff. The news of Ryan's suspected murder had shaken Syd's confidence greatly, making it even harder not to dwell on his suspicions that Maddox and whoever he was working with were set on taking out each member of the mob and his family one by one. Even though the treatment made him more stable, he still never learned to trust a single person around him. Ryan had been a role model to Syd from the moment he first joined the mob and so it had saddened him to hear about his death. More than anything, however, he was worried about his family's safety and well-being and was disappointed in himself for not being there for them.

To his slight disgust, Doctor Peralta came and sat down next to him. "So you've only got one more week of ECT to come back for," she clarified, to which he nodded. He would never get used to it, but he had to admit that despite the memory loss and torturous mechanics of it all, the electro-convulsive therapy had played a huge part in stabilising his mind. Whilst he still maintained his suspicions about Maddox Parker's plot to kill him, Syd eventually grew accustomed to eating the food on the condition that he be allowed to eat with everyone else to be sure that it wasn't poisoned, and had put back on the weight he had lost as a result. All in all, he was doing a lot better and was now just relieved to be going home. He and Doctor Peralta had already made a final assessment of his mental state that morning and confirmed his safety plan for what felt like the fiftieth time, so Syd was ready to stop talking about it and simply move on. Nevertheless, she continued to remind him of everything they had already discussed as if he might have forgotten.

Meanwhile, Syd was looking out of the window. For the first time in a while it looked cold outside, overcast and breezy - yet, knowing that once he walked through those doors he would be on his way home, it was more than inviting. Tuning out the sound of Doctor Peralta's voice, Syd smiled as he thought about returning home to Roxie. Imagining his dogs' reactions when they realised who was home. Seeing his brother, his family. He could put on a record, something to dance to while the cafetiere makes him a cup of his favourite coffee. A song by Elvis Presley spontaneously popped into his head, - the name escaped him, which was uncharacteristic, but he found himself nodding along to the rhythm anyway. Midway through the first verse, Syd felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped from his daydream back into the room.

"You've done really well to come this far, Syd," she told him, a flash of genuine care in her eyes, before letting her hand fall. "Good luck." Syd mumbled a quiet "Thanks," and watched her get up before glancing to the receptionist. The anticipation and excitement of almost going home was making him anxious and he began to tap against his knee as it bounced up and down. The receptionist kept her eye on him as he fidgeted and hummed along to the melody playing in his head. "Gonna leave right now and go back where I oughta' be..." he tunelessly mumbled, at which the receptionist did her best not to laugh. "Goin' home to the girl that I adore..."

Misty Gray James
Bellz Lucy, Thomas

The Lomax
~ Midtown Manhattan ~​

Danny Vaughan

The time between the explosion and the arrival of the authorities was so slim that Danny and Owen had had to come up with a plan to save themselves whilst already making their way back to the apartment. Pretending to have known nothing about it, Danny arrived alone, making enough of a scene to distract the cops while Owen was able to sneak in via the fire escape to remove all the drugs that were stored there. Danny was no actor, but it wasn’t hard to layer on the shock when there was a gruesome dead body of a man lying by the door. Fortunately they were still waiting for the forensic team to arrive so there weren’t too many people to occupy, and he managed to be truthful where it wouldn’t hurt while avoiding the parts that might land him and Owen in some kind of trouble.

There was a running investigation over Ryan Donahue’s death over the next month which, despite having no idea who the man was, demanded Danny’s participation. He was glad that he didn’t have to lie, though he did try to keep his answers as short as possible so as to avoid landing anyone else in trouble that he could be connected to. After all, the man had been killed at his apartment.

With nowhere to live, the two had had to get creative. Danny knew of one or two places in the city to squat, but they weren’t exactly safe. He did his best to stay out on the streets for as much of the day as possible, often working 20 hours a day to earn enough money to secure a new apartment. Despite managing to secure the load of drugs, his confession to the Porters had to some extent affected their trust in him, so he was now doing his best to repair his reputation. He managed to sell the week’s load twice as fast as before, which he hoped wouldn’t set a new standard. All he had to do was survive. Given the mob’s violent criminal history and his own first-hand experience of meeting Syd, Danny had no doubt that they wouldn’t let him go without a punishment to remember if he didn’t make things right.

Today, he and Owen had been called into a meeting in the nightclub’s boardroom with some mobsters involved in the drugs business. With no update on Syd, Danny had no idea who to expect. When Owen made his presence known, the two of them made their way upstairs and were directed into a room that Danny had never set foot in before. A man he didn’t recognise was there already waiting for them, with a heavyset bouncer-type at his side. Danny looked between them, and decided there was no point in being nervous before being presented with a real reason to be. After all, he didn’t know exactly how the situation was going to be handled. “Hey, how’s it goin’,” he greeted the men, reaching over to shake their hands as he took a seat across from them at the table. “I’m Danny.” The larger man stared at him with a stone cold expression and kept his hands where they were. So he’s playing bad cop, Danny thought, hoping that the other one would be nicer in comparison. After a quick glance towards Owen, he then set his eyes on the men and waited for them to begin the meeting.

Interactions
Misty Gray Adam, Guard
Fletchawk Owen

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

When once Gwen’s deterioration would fill Jason’s mind, it now barely passed through it. Instead, it swelled and sank in the dark, unpredictable depths of alcoholism. To be sober meant to think, and to think only lead him into a greater darkness. A world without Gwen in it wasn’t worth living in, and so as she grew gradually closer to death, the harder it became for Jason to see good in the world. Even his second greatest love, the theatre, could no longer spark joy in him, for it was now too closely associated with Gwen. Jazz music, dancing, sex, even riding his motorbike - they had all become about her. Without her, everything he had once loved would seem empty and ruined. He couldn’t do it. So, he drank.

Nevertheless, he still tried to go about his day. What that day was, he couldn’t always tell, since they often seemed to blend together - but today he decided that there was a rehearsal to attend. Halfway down the stairs from his apartment, Jason realised that he had forgotten his helmet. In his drunk state, however, his hands had lost a lot of their coordination and he managed to drop his keys over the railing as he climbed back up. Gladys and Bert Coleman, the elderly couple next door who owned the shop beneath their apartments, came out when they heard incessant banging on Jason’s door. They had been watching his behaviour change over the past month and it scared them to see him in such a state; while he used to be polite and charming, he was now loud and obnoxious. “Oh, Jason, dear,” Gladys sighed, Bert’s hands on her shoulder as he stood cautiously at her side. “What’s gotten into you now?”

“‘m locked out,” he panted, rocking backwards and placing his hands on his hips as he eyed up the unrelenting door. “What’s this feckin’ door made of, d’ye know?”

“It’s alright, dear, you can come in with us,” Gladys politely offered, to which Bert pulled a face. “I-I’ll get you glass of water -”

“No, no, no, no,” Jason waved her off, the motion of his hand throwing off his balance and causing him to sway even more. “I’ll just walk, ‘s fine. They’ll wait.”


Of course, they didn’t wait. Having barely turned up to any rehearsals for weeks, let alone the correct ones, the director of Cabaret hardly expected him to show up anymore. With Gwen’s long absence and then Jason’s, she was tearing her hair out trying to hold the show together. The two leads were both letting her down and opening night was only getting closer. When Jason finally did show up, there was a quick change of atmosphere in the auditorium as the present cast and crew caught sight of him. Not saying anything, the director, Deborah, simply glared at him, arms folded. Jason hopped up onto the stage and staggered a few feet across it, reeling at the stage lights as they shone into his eyes and blinded him. “Gah, sweet, merciful Jesus!” he exclaimed. “I felt that in my head…”

The room went silent as everyone took in the state of him. Ben watched from the sidelines, not quite sure what to make of his unexpected appearance. “Where’s we all up to, then?” Jason asked. “Is Gwen still not here?”

“Actually, she is,” Deborah answered, her voice stern. “In fact, it’s your understudy, Ben, who’s taking this rehearsal for you. Since you couldn’t make it.”

Jason glanced to Ben and laughed. “Well, there’s no need for you, you can go home, now,” he asserted, dismissing the man with another dizzying wave of the hand. “I’m here now, amn’t I? You jus’ tell me where t’start an' -”

“I don’t care that you’re here now, Jason!” Deborah yelled, approaching the edge of the stage. “You can’t just turn up when it’s convenient for you! This isn’t some children's play group, this is Broadway! How you made it this far, I just don't -”

“Hey, did you say Gwen was here?” Jason spoke over her, looking around the auditorium. “Where’s she at? Let’s do one of those dancing scenes…”

“We’re not doing those scenes today - you’re not doing any scenes! You either turn up drunk or you don’t turn up at all and I’ve had it, Jason!” Deborah threw her script onto the seats behind her and pointed her finger up at him. “You’re fired!”

A silence passed over the auditorium and even Ben felt himself shrink into the shadows. But Jason chose not to hear it. “Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” he mumbled, placing a hand out in front of him. “I’ll jus’ go an’ look for her an’ we can get that dance scene goin’...”


Paying no attention to the state of the room he was leaving behind, Jason wandered off through the wings and entered the backstage area, murmuring the tune to Perfectly Marvellous as he sauntered down the corridor. He swung open the door to the green room with such uncontrolled vigour that he practically fell through it, and it swung back to hit him in the knee. “Feckin’ shite, ‘m havin’ no luck wit’ doors today,” he muttered to himself. In his hand was a silver hip flask, and as he took a swig from it, his unsteady posture hauled him further into the room. It was only then that he caught sight of her.

“Gwen! Gwen, Jesus, you look gorgeous,” he exclaimed, staggering over to her without a moment's hesitation. “I can’t believe you’re here, I thought you’d -” He suddenly rocked back, then, an uncomfortable wave of emotion passing through him as he realised how much he’d missed her. “I thought you’d not be comin’ back.” In a predictably clumsy manner, Jason placed his hands, one still occupied with the flask, on either side of her head and gently pulled her into him, letting out a low hum of relief upon catching her scent. Despite not knowing how much time had passed since he had last seen her, he felt like there had been a great distance between them and so was pleased to have her in his arms again.

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Another month flew by seemingly but in reality, it had actually been a long one. Sinead had been harassed by Alistair and Ethan, he found out his daughter was dating, and Ryan had been murdered. Sinead had taken it as hard as was to be expected and Peter did his absolute best to be there for her. A part of him felt jealous but he pushed that feeling aside to take care of his wife. There was no use in being jealous of a dead man. Despite getting over his jealousy and ill will towards Ryan, he still couldn't bring himself to head back to Chicago. There was too many things he didn't want to address there, too many bad memories. It was difficult knowing that he couldn't be there for Sinead in that way but he knew it was for the best.

It had been a week since the funeral and everyone seemed to be in brighter spirits much to Peter's relief. Tonight, Peter had decided to do something special after having thought about certain things while Sinead had been away. He wanted her to be happy and he knew exactly how to make her happy again. Having prepared a candle lit steak dinner for his wife, Peter was now waiting in the lounge, sitting in front of the piano playing Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 12.
He's playing grew quieter as Sinead called his name. "I'm in the lounge!" He called back before continuing to play. Letting his finger's play while he looked up to see her coming his way, his playing grew louder as he smiled at her. The music flowed through the house a few more minutes before he finally ended it. "This is the first time I've played this since I was a boy. Ole Wolfgang really knew how to make the panties drop." He joked before turning look at her. "Clearly I'm no Mozart." He pouted before taking in her appearance and humming lightly, "You look incredible, love." Getting up, he walked up to her and captured her lips in his. The kiss was passionate and lasted a few moments before Peter pulled away and breathed, "Right this way, milady."

Taking her hands, he moved towards the record player for a moment before popping in an old jazz record. Then he guided her to the dinner table and pulled out her chair for her. Once she was seated, he helped scoot it back in before moving to take a seat in the chair opposite of her.

"I stole a few bottles of wine from James and Lucy's cellar. Figured they wouldn't mind. But I hope I cooked the steak the way you like it."

Once they had started eating, silence fell between them the music filling the room with its soft, elegant tune. After a few bites, Peter moved to take a drink of wine before smiling at Sinead. "So...I planned this dinner because I wanted to talk to you about something." Setting his wine glass down, he cleared his throat, "Do you ever feel like...we aren't needed anymore by our kids? I mean with Savannah into her own home and career, Braden doing god knows what and our little baby Emery ready to leave us...it just feels that way."
with: Sinead Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

Ryan's death came as a shock to the entire family but Lucy knew that her brother and sister were taking it especially hard. Lucy felt it was her duty to keep on top of them both, making sure that Sinead had enough to eat and Conor stayed off the booze. When she had proved to be useless it had sent Lucy into a sort of panic, not being able to make anything better or easier for them she didn't know what to do with herself. After telling James about Maddox and Conor's plan, there was nothing left to do but wait. Her birthday came and went but she didn't feel like celebrating much with all of the loss that the family was experiencing. The trip back to Chicago hadn't just been unpleasant because of the funeral, it had brought back a lot of unwelcome memories that Lucy had fought internally to push away for a long time. She knew that Conor had visited their father's grave but Lucy hadn't managed to do so until the last day they were in Chicago. Having asked to be alone, she sat in front of his tombstone and told him about everything that was going on. Wishing aloud for him to be there, she cried for a while until she couldn't anymore. The scars that had been left from Chicago were reopened but she managed to survive it.

This week was ending on a positive note however, because her son was coming home. Lucy couldn't thank Conor enough for what he'd done but he still seemed to be in sad spirits when she left with James and Thomas to pick Syd up. Lucy sat in the passenger seat as Thomas rambled on about how excited he was to see Syd and all the things they were going to do now that he was out. They pulled into the lot of the hospital and when the car came to a stop, Lucy opened her door, unbuckling her seatbelt quickly before hopping out. Looking up at the overcast sky, Lucy squinted. "Going to rain on our parade?" She questioned as Thomas closed his door. Reaching to grab his hand, Lucy rounded the car before falling in line with James. The family made their way towards the entrance of the hospital and before Lucy could even see Syd through the glass doors, Thomas was already running away from her.

"Thomas!" Lucy called but of course he wasn't going to stop. Chuckling gently, she took James' hand as they stepped through the doors. Thomas made a beeline for Syd and practically jumped into the man's arms. "SYD!" He cried happily before burying his face into the man's chest. "I've missed you so much!" He mumbled into his shirt. Lucy stopped a few feet away with a wide smile on her face. "He wouldn't stop talking about you the whole trip over." She murmured, a lump forming in her throat. Seeing Syd now compared to before, he looked like he'd improved 100%. The fact that he was able to overcome everything once again made her feel immensely proud of him. "How are you feeling, love? You got everything? Home is waiting for you."
with: Syd Pyroclast ; James Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Bryant​

Gwen had heard some commotion coming from the stage but didn't bother to see who it was, not wanting to involve herself in something that would only stress her out. Lifting her head, she looked at the wall for a while until the door came swinging open, slamming against the wall behind it. Turning around in her chair quickly, Gwen was surprised as Jason exclaimed her name, saying she looked gorgeous. "Jason?" Gwen asked, watching as the man staggered towards her drunkenly. He grabbed her head and pulled him towards him and Gwen just let it happen for a moment as she stood up. Wrapping her arms around him loosely, the stench of alcohol was strong on him. "Jase?" Gwen murmured as she pulled away, using her arms to stable him as she held his shoulders. "What are you doing here, like this?" She asked him.

Seeing the flask in his hand, she quickly pried it away before setting it down on tthe chair behind her. Her worse fears had been realized, he was suffering because of her. Shaking her head slowly, Gwen's hands moved down his arms to take his own. "It's been a month since I've seen you last? Do you have any idea how worried I've been about you?" She started. His appearances look disheveled and she wondered how he even got dressed and made it to the theatre in this state.

"I called you so many times this month, Jason. All I would get is a half mumbled answer before you accidentally hung up the phone!" Her voice becoming a little louder as she accused him of not answering her calls. "You said you'd come back by the house the day after you left but clearly you thought drinking was more important." Gwen wasn't meaning to be so cruel with her words, but the hurt she was feeling couldn't be ignored.

"Look what you are doing to yourself, Jase. Remember, remember when you said you wouldn't let anything stop you from following your dreams, becoming a star? You are the only one stopping you now." Lips drawn in a thin line, Gwen turned him around to lead him towards a seat. "I'm feeling so much better now. Please, please stop drinking. Please. Don't let me ruin you. " She begged before forcing him to sit down in the chair by the mirror.

"Look at yourself. This is the old Jason. Remember him? Remember who he lost?"
with: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

“Aye, I missed you, too, baby,” Jason slurred when Gwen asked him what he was doing at the theatre, clearly surprised to see him. She prised the hip flask from his hand; the movement jolted him and he had to reach out towards the wall to keep himself upright. When he found her hands in his, Jason brought them up and began to kiss them as she continued to speak. “Mmm, a long time,” he agreed, still not offering any kind of explanation as to why he had been absent for a whole month. “Don’t worry, Gwen, we’re back together now.” Jason placed a hand on her head and stroked her long, sleek hair, leaning back slightly to look into her eyes. Given his wavering vision, it took a few seconds to focus on them. “Gorgeous.”

Jason chuckled at the thought of accidentally hanging up the phone. “Oops…” Her tone became more accusatory as she reminded him of the promises he had failed to keep. Drinking had taken over his life within a month and it took a while to think back to what she was referring to; in the end, he couldn’t tell if the mental image he came to was real or fabricated. “Nothin’s more important than you, babe,” he softly argued, though he wasn’t so sure of what he was talking about anymore.

It was hard to listen to what she was saying to him. Besides the Colemans’ occasional expression of concern, no one had actually sat him down and tried to make him face the problems he was trying to escape. There was no one to hold him accountable for his actions - the bottle never judged him, it only provided an escape from the reality that had become too painful to endure. But Gwen was right - by escaping the pain, he was missing everything that was good in his life, that he had worked hard to attain. At 37, he was finally achieving his dream of being a star of the stage, and only minutes ago he had been fired. Jason narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man in the mirror before him: dishevelled, with creases in his clothes as though he had slept in them. Maybe he had. He couldn’t remember. His face began to twitch as he gazed in utter contempt at himself, and he noticed that the flask wasn’t in his hand anymore. Jason raised his eyes to look at the reflection of Gwen standing behind him and his face instantly softened. She looked so healthy, so beautiful, as though her deterioration had been nothing but a distant nightmare. “Gwen, I -”

Before he could work out what he wanted to say, the door to the green room opened and Craig, who played the role of Herr Schultz, stepped in. “Break time’s over,” he announced, cringing slightly at the sight of the visibly drunk man sitting before the mirror. “And uh...I’ve been told to tell Jason to get out.”

“Oh, no, I’m not goin’ anywhere,” Jason responded, ducking out of Gwen’s grasp and swooping to pick up his hip flask. “Gwen and me have scenes to rehearse, so…”

“No,” Craig maintained, now in a firmer tone. Watching as the man took another swig, he glanced to Gwen and stepped further into the room. “You’ve been fired. You don’t belong here anymore. You get out now, or I call security to come take you. We’re all sick of your shit, Costello.”

“Is that right?”

Craig wasn’t really sure how to handle the situation. He was 15 years or so older than Jason and despite his imposing build, hadn’t been in a fight for at least 30 years. But he knew of Jason’s aggressive tendencies from the beginning of their time working together when he used to get into screaming matches with Gwen, and so was wary of his unpredictable nature. Especially given that he wasn’t sober. Jason slowly approached the man, keeping his eyes down. In comparison to Craig, who had tensed slightly, he carried himself in a relaxed, almost sluggish manner. Then, when he got close, he suddenly swung his fist at Craig’s face, catching his jaw before grabbing his collar and forcefully pushing him against the vanity dresser. The two men struggled against each other for a few seconds, sweeping the cluttered contents of the dresser’s surface to the floor. Craig eventually gave him a hard kick to the shin followed by a punch in the eye, causing him to fall back and hit his head on the floor. “Go on, get the fuck out of here,” Craig warned him, sounding surprisingly calm as he plucked a tissue from the make up tray and proceeded to spit a mouthful of blood into it. “Sorry, Gwen.”

Jason’s eyes flickered open, trying to adjust his vision as it became more blurred. Thankfully, the alcohol blocked out most of the pain and, in a daze, he managed to roll over and prop himself up against the wall. His throbbing head was clear of thought yet felt somehow packed full, like if he moved it might burst. Suddenly drained of all energy, he tuned out his surroundings and simply sat gazing distantly at the wall ahead of him.

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead smiled to herself as she heard the music being played on the piano. This was followed by the sound of Peter's voice as he called back to her from the lounge. The redhead entered the room, the music getting louder as she walked towards the piano her husband was seated at. She stopped next to the piano, resting her elbow on the top and in turn resting her chin on her hand as she gazed dreamily at her husband's handsome face. A calm and content expression was fixed on her face as she enjoyed listening to the beautiful music he was playing. When he stopped playing, she stood up straight again, clasping her dainty hands together in front of her. "It was beautiful, Petey," she softly assured him. She then let out a giggle at the cheeky joke about Mozart, blushing a little as she thought about it. "Honey, as much of a genius as that ancient man was, I'd rather hear the music from you." As he complimented her appearance, her cheeks turned even redder, appreciating it more than ever considering how tired and unappealing she'd felt over the recent weeks. "You look super handsome, Mister," she said, sending him a flirtatious wink.

When Peter approached her, Sinead felt a fluttering in her chest as she somehow felt like they were about to kiss for the first time. It was far from the case, but what was different was that they were on a date and alone in the most intimate of venues. After a brief return to the darkness that often crept up to plague her, she'd vowed two days ago to try to live and enjoy life as long as she was living. Life could be cut short at any moment and recent events had practically hit her in the fact to remind her of that. She closed her eyes as Peter's lips met hers. She placed her hands on his hips as they passionately kissed. When he pulled away, her eyes remained closed for a few more moments and a content smile lingered on her lips. Peter then took her hands and led her towards the dinner table, stopping briefly on the way to put on a jazz record. It was one of her favourites and it warmed her to see how much effort her husband was making. It hadn't been too long ago that the married couple were caught up in arguments and she feared they wouldn't make it together.

Sinead sat at the table, sending a sweet thank you as Peter helped her into her seat. She grinned at the mention of taking the wine from her sister's house. "Their house is so full of booze they won't even notice," she joked. Dinner was served and Sinead made a point of taking in the smell of the warm food. "Mmm," she hummed as she cut into the piece of steak. There wasn't any blood seeping from the meat which pleased her as she was fussy on that front. "Medium-well, just how I like it!" She used the fork to guide the piece of meat into her mouth and she happily began chewing, nodding her head as she did. Once she'd swallowed the food, she let out a soft sigh. "It's perfect, Petey. You can make this more often," she suggested.

She mirrored her husband and took a drink of wine from her glass as he did. She kept the glass near to her mouth as Peter began speaking. When he told her he'd planned dinner because he wanted to talk about something, a lump formed in her throat. She took another sip of her wine before carefully putting the glass down. She suddenly felt concerned that he was making such a sweet effort because he had something unpleasant to tell her. She looked him in the eyes and hung on his every word as he continued to speak. She nodded in agreement as he mentioned how they weren't needed by their kids anymore. "I do feel like that. Savvy never came to be for advice about Danny. She's all grown up and doesn't need my help with boys anymore. Brady stopped letting Mamma hug him long ago. And yeah, Emmy's way too independent to want to stick around with her lame old parents as soon as she's finished school!" she said, rolling her eyes. "It really does feel like we're not needed. All of my life I've lived in a busy and lively household. It feels so strange to have so much... silence," she admitted. "And you know I'm not one for silence," she said, with a playful laugh. She looked Peter in the eyes and studied him for a moment. "But what's got you thinking about this now? What did you want to talk about?" she curiously asked.


Bellz (Peter)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

Ryan's death had been unexpected, but at the same time James wasn't entirely surprised. Given the information Ryan told him when he arrived in New York, James was quite aware the man had made enemies in California. It was something James would have to approach very delicately should he choose to, but with tensions already mounting with the Italians closer to home, he wasn't sure if picking another fight was a wise choice at present.

James has returned to Chicago on many times in the last couple of decades, but they had been for business purposes. Attending Ryan's funeral was different and it gave all present some time for contemplation. There were many places that held bad memories for the Porters, such as the church where he and Lucy were shot at during their own wedding; or the another church - the one where James slaughtered Vinnie Romano. There were also good places in Chicago, such as the lake where he would take Lucy to on their romantic dates or the Sullivan home where he'd first become acquainted with the family. All in all, revisiting Chicago had been a mixed bag of feelings for James.

It had been difficult letting Conor take control of the Maddox situation. James trusted his brother-in-law to handle things as successfully as possible, but the hard part was not handling it himself. Granted, James struggled for some time with the idea of not just finding Maddox and putting a bullet in the guy's head. In the end, he was wise enough to know such a reaction could cost both Syd and Conor their freedom. Even now Syd was getting released, James knew he couldn't get at the counsellor, not if he wanted to jeopardise Conor's future. One thing he did have to go on for the time-being was that Maddox had kept his word and Conor had done well to get Syd out. James was grateful to his brother-in-law for that.

James was looking forward to seeing Syd in a healthier state. As he drove to the hospital, he couldn't help but smile to himself as he listened to Thomas' excitement. Pulling up in the hospital car park, James had barely stopped the vehicle before Lucy and Thomas rushed out. The man checked the handbrake was securely engaged before getting out of the car as well. Thomas rushed inside, causing James to smirk as he watched the boy look so happy to be seeing Syd again. James held Lucy's hand in return and gave it a gentle squeeze as they followed Thomas inside.

"It's good to see you, mate," James told Syd, unable to hide the smile from his face knowing his son was being released and straight away looked better than he had during their past visits. Lucy asked Syd how he was feeling, whilst James remained close at her side to await their son's response. "You certainly look better, Syd. Everyone's going to be made up to see you again," he assured him.


Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Lucy, Thomas)

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Bryant ​

Gwen watched Jason’s face in the reflection of the mirror and wondered if she was getting through to him. She didn’t want to fight him not while he was in this state. His face softened and he had started to say something before the door opened and Craig appeared, announcing break time was over. He stated that he was told to tell Jason to get out and before Gwen could stop him, Jason ducked away from her. ”Jason!” Gwen hissed walking to grab the flask from his hand again. Craig’s tone was firm and when he told Jason he’d been fired, she stopped in her tracks. He was ruining everything. Guilt crept into her mind once again and distracted her from focusing on getting Jason out. She was pulled away from her feelings when Jason suddenly swung at Craig, Placinf both hands over her mouth, Gwen froze in fear of the sudden violence. It was over within seconds.

She didn’t move from where she stood a few feet away as Jason laid on the floor. Craig apologized to her and Gwen just shook her head slowly. Lowering her hands, she watched Jason prop himself up against the wall. ”I can’t leave him like this.” Gwen told Craig. ”If Deborah wants to fire me too...well then consider me gone. But I’m going to take him home.” Gwen walked towards Jason, her jaw tense as she glared down at him. ”Get up.” Helping him to his feet, Gwen steadied him before guiding him towards the door as Craig stepped out of their way.

As they made a quick exit, Gwen suddenly remember that she was in costume. There was no way she was going back into the theatre now but reminded herself that she would have to stop by after. People on the sidewalk openly stared at the pair as Gwen struggled to keep Jason from bumping into someone. Luckily, she’d found a closer parking space on the street. Not saying a word, she helped him into her car and once she was inside they sat in silence.

A few minutes went by before Gwen’s emotions got the best of her. Placing a hand to her mouth as a cry escaped her, she squeezed her eyes shut. ”Why are you doing this?” She asked him, the hurt she felt evident in her voice. ”Damn it, Jason! You had everything going for you! Why do you do this to yourself?!” Her hands came slamming down on the steering wheel, feeling frustrated with him. ”I did this to you, I know I did. I can see what I’m doing to you. You hide it from me but I can see right through you.” Shaking her head, she moved to start the car letting the engine run for a moment before pulling it into gear and taking off. ”You can’t love me because I’m destroying myself but that man you saw in the mirror is no different than me.”Gwen’s thoughts were racing in her head but only one was becoming clearer.

Gripping the steering wheel tight, Gwen’s lower lip trembled as she realized what conclusion her mind had came to. This was becoming to much, it was too much for him. Gwen knew she’ll never change and yet she was selfishly dragging him along, destroying everything for him in her wake.

”I can’t love you if I’m the one that hurts you, Jason” She’d turned out to be just like her ex-husband in a way, emotionally abusing Jason to his breaking point.
With: Pyroclast

 

[Enzyme]

Rhys Caddel​

At Gabriel's request, Rhys had shown up a few hours before the scheduled meeting. There, they studied a map of the city and discussed the most valuable parts of the town to dissect, along with essential assets that would present themselves postmortem. The two had already begun planning their next moves after James was killed, and how to encourage growth without having to compete with the smaller time gangs. The abrupt absence of the Porters would no doubt leave a power vacuum, which crews would immediately attempt to seize. With their plan to turn local businesses in their favor and put political officials in their pockets, their absorption of the Porter carcass would be nearly undetectable, and before the opposing gangs could blink, the Morettis would've engulfed the sudden void.

Once Alistair had arrived, Rhys made it a point of swiping the note-covered map off the table. He replaced the map with an unmarked version, which concentrated primarily on Manhattan. As Gabriel and Alistair greeted each other, Rhys retreated to the mini-bar embedded in the wall. There he casually poured himself a glass of scotch, keeping the lit cigarette snug between his fingers. Once Gabriel asked him to sit, Rhys fabricated his smile and moved to the sofa beside Alistair. He gave Alistair a brief nod, his silver eyes bleeding his distaste for the East Harlem boss.

Gabriel broke the tense ice by addressing the intentions of the meeting and set up a segue for Rhys. Once the torch was passed to Rhys, he didn't waste any time in unraveling the map on the coffee table. "Precisely," Rhys began, shooting the glass of scotch down the hatch and setting the glass down on the corner of the paper. "I had some of my men follow James the past month, and it led to something rather intriguing." He looked up to Gabriel with a smug expression saturated in confidence, as he hadn't disclosed the information with him up until this very moment. "While he's still fond of his mansion in Queens, he regularly resides in an apartment in Upper Manhattan." His finger traced to the black pen mark, which encircled an apartment complex. He moved the cigarette from his fingers to his lips as his hand glided to the open briefcase beside him. "Which is, reasonably unadorned, and more importantly," Rhys muffled through the cigarette butt, placing the blueprints to the complex on top of the map, "far less guarded."

He layered the blueprints, forming the complete structure through the transparent paper. "The apartment itself is quite secure, however, the tenants can move about the complex freely." His hand moved back to the briefcase and removed a lease form from a folder. "Which is why I rented a room under a false alias, just a few floors below - two to be exact." Rhys sat back and dabbed the cigarette ash off of his cigarette. He didn't need any reassurance to know that he had performed his task expertly, but even he couldn't hide the proud smirk that crept up onto his face.

Misty Gray (Gabriel) Pyroclast (Alistair)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

Jackson had spent the past month enjoying the company of his wife and daughter. He'd always prided himself on his ability to adapt, given his subterfuge nature and trained assassin mind. In his prime, he was an unstoppable hitman. Any climate he could acclimate, any circumstances he could accommodate, any leverage he could acquire. As his years stacked and his determined mind stretched out of its linear box, however, he found himself more in touch with his true human instincts. Jackson longed for a home where his heart could sit comfortably, with a pack of his own. He was distressed to leave his family behind in Ireland and he didn't feel ashamed to admit it. Adapting with ease was a past skill that had become rusty. He wanted his family with him more than anything else, and by the grace of a higher power, he was granted his greatest desire. To his delight, his family integrated nicely with the base the Porters had set up in New York. Natasha got along well with the wild mob of children, and Blake seemed to fit in with the women. Jackson assumed it was Blake's killer instinct that made it a match, and while she was outside the Porter blood, he knew she could give any of the women a run for their money.

While Ryan's untimely passing was a lot harder on the Sullivan siblings, it had ripped a lining of Jackson's heart as well. To no fault of their own, Jackson and Ryan didn't have much of an opportunity to grow their friendship after the man had left Ireland, but that didn't mean Ryan's impact on Jackson had lessened. In a way, Ryan represented an era, a civilized period when the Porters reigned over the provinces in Ireland predominately. With his abrupt death, it was the final nail that the chapter was closed. Jackson came with the family to Chicago to pay his respects, and to let his daughter say goodbye to the uncle she'd never meet.

Conor seemed to suffer the most over the loss and he'd soon found his way back to the bottle. While Jackson would be the first to encourage a bender, a sad, lonely night alone with a bottle wasn't what he'd have in mind. The death seemed to strike a nerve, something Jackson couldn't see. It seemed to go beyond Ryan, beyond Syd. If it were something Conor had never told Jackson, then it must've been something buried deep below the floorboards. All he could do in that period to support his friend was checkup on him, and tease him mercilessly about his wild mood swings.

Jackson reclined in the corner of the couch, his arm around Blake. The blur of his daughter running around with the ruthless gang of kids occupied the corner of his eye, but his attention was drawn to the beer in his hand and the cigar in the ashtray. There was a silent reserve between the group on the couch, although something told Jackson that the silence was a lot more peaceful for some than it was for others, as Conor massaged his forehead in an exasperated manner. Once he barked at the children, it confirmed for Jackson that his buddy was melting. "Easy, mate. I'm sure they'll be home soon," Jackson said, tilting the beer to Conor. "Somethin' about the way you're rubbin' yourself tells me this isn't your first time being stood up," Jackson chuckled, shaking his friends shoulder lightly. "Why don't we get these windows open? Those lil' maniacs aren't the only ones that could use some fresh air."

Misty Gray (Conor) Bellz (Blake) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
Mention(s): Fletchawk (Ryan)

 

[Fletchawk]

Owen Yu​

The plan had been simple, at least to him at the moment. Pyroclast played the part of the shocked and exasperated tenant naturally as Owen went to the roof the neighboring building. Fortunately, it was only one floor taller than their apartment building, so it wasn't much of a drop. Normally, the only Danny's window was kept locked when shut, but the shockwave had broken the glass, although not the extent as those in the living area.

After carefully slipping his hand through an open space to disengage the lock, he slid the widow up slowly, silently thanking it for not sticking. He wanted to gather his keepsakes as well, but it was too risky, so grabbing a tie-dyed backpack that was laying on the floor Danny's closet, he quickly stuffed the product that was stashed away. Not even a minute later, he was already ducking through the window and on his way back to the roof.

Not wanting to chance being stopped by police, Owen decided it would be best to leave the way he came, but the pack was heavy. So to avoid scrambling up the wall and possibly damaging the goods, he started scanning the windows he passed many times before. Knocking on a window of a couple about ready to eat dinner, Owen waved and motioned that he wished to speak with them, causing a somewhat familiar man to come to the window with an unpleasant look on his face.

"Da hell you want?" the man asked gruffly, obviously annoyed by the interruption.

Owen leaned a bit closer, and keeping it short, he revealed the secret he'd accidentally discovered while traipsing pass one night, "Let me pass through this once and the brunette doesn't learn about the blonde."

Needless to say, Owen met with Danny back at a deli around corner once his friend got untangled from the fuzz a few hours later.


About a month later
The next month or so had been busy time for the both of them, as he worked almost exclusively for Danny. Being in limbo wasn't a new experience for him, but he also knew it wasn't nearly as bad as it could've been. The letter wasn't hard to push out of his mind with everything that was happening, but it wouldn't stop creeping into his thoughts during the now rare spells of quietness in his life. It brought back old memories, mainly of his mother. He'd not given her much thought for several years, at least, not after Father rescued him from her anyway. Father had explained her manipulative ways, opened his eyes to his mother's unique brand of evil. So he refused to open the letter, but the guilt of the man dying to deliver the letter was eating at him the longer it remained unopened.

Today wasn't one of those days where he could let his mind wander, however, as Danny had a meeting with his boss, and Owen's presence was mandatory. Since it was Danny's boss, and Owen wasn't completely sure on the intent of needing to see him, he deemed it wise to let his friend do the talking.

Entering the room, it was obvious that Misty Gray had the air of a hardened gangster, more so than the tough that was watching them from the corner of the room. Suspecting the man's affiliation wasn't difficult, but reading his features was. Knowing that he was definitely on the bottom of the food chain, Owen remained standing slightly behind where Danny sat until told otherwise, only giving his name as a single word introduction.

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Hearing his brother’s name prompted Syd to stop singing to himself and he raised his head just in time to see the boy burst through the doors. He had to quickly get out of his seat, stooping to catch the oncoming force as he flung himself into Syd’s arms. At first he couldn’t speak, too busy laughing with happiness at seeing Thomas again. His brother hadn’t been able to visit him during his time there as it was deemed unsafe for a boy of his age and so Syd had missed him deeply. Looking up to Lucy as she told him of how Thomas had been talking about him for the whole drive, Syd’s heart swelled and he couldn’t help but smile broadly. Straightening up, he squeezed him tight and lifted him off the ground. “I missed you too, T,” he responded, his voice soft with emotion. “But it’s okay, ‘cause I’m coming home, now. I promise I won’t leave you ever again.”

Once he had set Thomas back down on the ground, Syd placed a firm hand on the boy’s head and smiled over to his parents. “I’m feeling good, I’m feeling good,” he nodded. “Ready to see the back of this place.” Slinging the duffel bag over his shoulder, he moved in to give his mother a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek, then wrapped his arms around his father in a firm embrace. When he pulled away, he was smiling uncontrollably at the thought of getting to see his family again, even blushing slightly when his father told him that they were excited to have him return home. The excitement didn’t come without some anxiety, of course - part of him was ashamed of his condition and how far he had fallen. It was never an image he had wanted to create for himself, especially given his position as the mob boss’ son. Mental illness and a history of suicide attempts and hospitalisation were a threat to the status he had earned both in the mob and as a business owner, and that was something that he would never be able to wipe clean. There would also be family, friends and colleagues that hadn’t seen him since before his breakdown and he was nervous as to whether or not he would be expected to explain what he had been through. For now, however, he tried to simply focus on the fact that his parents and little brother had come to pick him up, and how happy they all seemed to finally be bringing him home.

Syd had spent the journey home asking for updates on a few business matters, on Ryan’s funeral and on the general well-being of the family as they all dealt with their grief together, all the while playing red hands and rock, paper, scissors with Thomas in the backseat. With him in the car, they didn’t go into heavy detail about the issues surrounding the family, but Syd just couldn’t wait to integrate back into his old life. When they reached the house, they were met by Hugh, a loyal guard, who handed him a package. "How long have you been sitting on this?" Syd jokingly asked, taking it in his hands and turning it over to find no writing on it. The man shrugged and said, "Some kid came by with it just this morning."

Syd gave Thomas a piggy back and ran up the drive to his front door. Even though he knew Roxie would be home, he felt a misplaced sense of dread come over him as though unsure of what he would find on the other side. The last time he had been here, he hadn't been himself at all and even looking at the house from the outside felt like returning to something tainted. It was easier to push past the nerves with Thomas close by, however, and so he didn't hesitate in stepping into the house.

In the end, it looked almost exactly as he remembered, if a bit tidier. "We're home!" he called out, expecting to hear Roxie's footsteps any second. For some reason he was stalling, part of him nervous to explore the house. There was something almost eerie about it to him; the weight of almost ending his life was a lot to bear and it seemed like each room now carried his final footsteps, a last memory that he hadn't expected to get a chance to write over. He hadn't expected to ever come back at all, yet here he was. Maybe it was because the dogs were still at his parents’ house and because Roxie hadn’t shown up yet; once they were all together again, he was sure he would feel more at home. Syd examined the mysterious package, wondering if perhaps Roxie had set up some sort of romantic surprise to welcome him home.

Inside the package was a small film reel - there was no note attached, and Syd wasn’t sure if it would contain something sensitive that Thomas would be better off not seeing. He turned to his parents with an apprehensive smile. “We have time for a coffee before we head over, right?” he asked, hoping they would keep his brother occupied for a moment. “I’m just gonna see what’s on this…”

Syd wandered into a room at the back of the house and drew the curtains closed. He couldn’t remember the last time he had used his projector, or even why he had one in the first place, but eventually, he got it all set up and the film began to play.

There was a brief flicker before an image appeared of a woman blindfolded, gagged and tied to a chair...

A man steps into the frame brandishing a large knife from his pocket as he stepped towards Roxie and roughly grabbed at her hair causing her to let out a muffled cry as he pulled her head back further. The chair began to tilt backwards from the force as Roxie cried out in pain. "Shut up!" Someone barked from behind the camera before he spoke to the man in the frame, "Send them a message they won't forget." The man nodded his head before releasing Roxie's hair from his grasp, the chair slamming down against the ground again, echoing in the all cement room.

For some reason, the man then removed the gag from Roxie's mouth where she immediately began to beg for her life. "Please don't do this." She said, her body trembling with fear. A chuckle escaped the man as he mocked her shrill tone. "I'll give you anything you want, just let me go! Please! Please! AH!" The man was quick to swipe the knife across her abdomen, deep enough to make her bleed. Fearing for her life and her baby's, Roxie's pleading screams grew louder before the film went black.

The whole thing was over in 30 seconds. Yet, as Syd stood there in the dark, staring at the wall where the film had been projected, the shock kept the film rolling across his mind in a nightmarish loop. The image of Roxie being sliced open seemed to leave a stain on the wall that he couldn’t wipe away. Before he could comprehend what he had just witnessed, his whole body convulsed and he raced over to the waste paper bin just in time to throw up. The darkness of the room engulfed him in a chilling embrace that swept right through him and he grew conscious of his intense shaking as he cradled the bin. “No, no…” Syd shook his head, feeling the panic take over. “No, this isn’t happening!” Some time had already passed since the film had been recorded, but Syd had no idea how much. Roxie could be dead - his baby could be dead - and he had no idea where they were.

Despite the dizziness, Syd was filled with a level of terror and determination that had him flying back down the hall to find his parents, the film gripped between his fingers. He found them making coffee in the kitchen with Thomas - they seemed happy, but the atmosphere instantly dropped as soon as Syd burst into the room with tears streaming down his face. His eyes found Thomas and immediately felt terrible for the young boy. Not even an hour had passed since they had left the hospital, and already the relief had been replaced by a brand new, and very real, nightmare to deal with. He was shaken and couldn’t stand still, yet was terrified to break the news. “Dad, we need to go,” he finally exclaimed, holding out the film with a trembling hand. “I don’t know what to do. I need - I need to get Thomas in the car. Just watch this. Y-you need to see it. Roxie, she’s -” Syd’s gaze snapped to his mother, his face as pale as the day he had attempted to kill himself. The film was horrific and violating and, for Roxie's sake, he didn’t want anyone to watch it. However, he knew others would have to if they were going to find her.

Unable to finish his sentence, Syd grabbed Thomas’ hand roughly and pulled him with urgency out of the house and down the driveway. He didn’t mean to hurt the boy, but he was panicking. He pushed Thomas into the backseat and then climbed in beside him, his hands on the boy’s shoulders as he looked into his eyes. “Something really bad is happening,” he admitted. Normally he would try to protect the boy from everything, not wanting to traumatise him or take away his childhood, but Syd was only thinking of Roxie and the baby being hurt and potentially killed. He grimaced as more tears spilled down his cheeks, and wrapped his arms around his little brother in a tight embrace before breaking into a sob.

Syd clung onto Thomas for the whole drive to the Porter Estate, not uttering a single word as he did his best to compose himself. The sound of conversation as they entered the house guided Syd to where his family were waiting for him. Already overwhelmed, he wasn't sure how to handle the responsibility of changing the atmosphere so drastically, but the urgency of getting Roxie back to safety was all he really cared about. Stepping into the room, his anxiety doubled as he saw everyone's heads turn to face him. His heart was pounding so heavily that he would have sworn everyone could hear it. He returned everyone's stares, eyes once again mounting with tears. After trying to get the words out for several seconds, Syd just shook his head and strode past everyone, over to the cabinets and shelving units on the other side of the room. "I-I need a gun," he muttered, pulling out drawers and swinging cupboard doors open frantically. "Where are all the FUCKING GUNS!"

Interactions
Misty Gray James, Conor
Bellz Lucy, Thomas, Blake
Enzyme Jackson
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan ​

Peter looked bashfully at the food on his plate as Sinead questioned what had him thinking about this stuff now. Shrugging his shoulders, he cleared his throat, "I've just been thinking that it would be nice to be needed again." He said simply before cutting into his steak and taking a bite. A smile formed on his face as he chewed and looked Sinead's way. Once he swallowed, Peter grabbed his glass of wine again, taking a drink before deciding to finally be specific with his wife. "I think, if you are willing, that we should try for one more kid. I mean, we've managed not to roll three gutter-balls on the kids we have now, they are just so perfect. Reaching across the table, Peter took his wife's hands in his, "I know that I've been firm on this for a long time, but I started thinking about retirement, once I do I'm going to have nothing to occupy my days anymore. And with the kids grown up, it feels like there is nothing left for me to do. " Peter was still conflicted on whether he wanted to retire early or not, Sinead would be relieved if he did so but the thought of being useless gave him anxiety.

That's how he'd felt in prison both times, not being able to be there for his family when they needed him most. Being confined to a cell, it was agonizing and eliciting darker emotions and memories that he would rather not face again. Retirement felt like a cell in a way, sure he would get to spend all the time in the world with his beautiful wife and children but he needed to be of use to them. Having a baby, would fulfill what he so desperately wants deep down inside, that insecurity that he has. Sinead would love it and he knew he would love it as well, to experience parenthood one more time.

Noticing that he was being silent, Peter cleared his throat once more and focused on Sinead. "Just think about it, Sin. Remember how much fun we use to have staying up all night? The first words with us trying to get them to say Mum or Dad. The first walk to us, looking like little drunk people as they do it. I've missed that, I really have. And retirement is starting to intimidate me, I don't want to feel useless to my family especially to you. So what do ya say? Wanna give it another go? One more kid to fill this almost empty nest?"
with: Sinead Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Alistair Sawyer

Even with the problem of Ammon Sarraf now dealt with, Alistair knew it would only be a matter of time before a new one arose to replace him. Perhaps it was simply a matter of perspective, but as soon as he heard about Teddy’s betrayal, he decided that that was it. Not only had the young man given away important, private information to the Irish Mob, but Gabriel had chosen to give him a second chance. Until this point, Alistair had trusted his judgement, but if had been up to him then he would have killed him on the spot whether he wanted to or not. At the end of the day, if his men weren't loyal enough to die for his cause or smart enough to come up with a plan to fool or delay their action, then he saw no point in keeping them around. In the past month, he had often found himself thinking of Ammon sitting in the centre of a blazing fire, and of the promise he had made to himself to never give anyone a second chance again. The fact that it allowed them an opportunity to betray him or make a second mistake far outweighed the chance that they would do right and become better. The risk of giving the Mob more power over them was greater than any life was worth. Moretti clearly thought differently, but Alistair knew he wasn’t in a position to take the matter into his own hands.

Despite his drop in respect for Gabriel, Alistair agreed to attend a meeting with him and his consigliere, who had recently arrived from Miami. The reason he was so keen was that they were set to discuss plans to assassinate James Porter, something that he believed was long overdue. Upon entering the apartment in Murray Hill, Alistair returned Gabriel’s handshake with a smile. “Good to see you, my friend,” he greeted him. His eyes were drawn then to the other man in the room, a man with whom he had never before done business. Gabriel introduced Rhys and outlined the purposes of the meeting, and Alistair soon found himself pouring over a set of blueprints that detailed the layout of James Porter’s Manhattan apartment.

“This is very impressive, Rhys,” Alistair murmured, eyes narrowing as they traced the interior walls of the complex, analysing their formation and picturing their target walking down the corridors. “And from your rented apartment, what have you noticed in Porter’s habits and routines? How often does he stay the night and who does he interact with? Not just who accompanies him but neighbours, too. I assume a place on the Upper East Side has a concierge that works around the clock?” Alistair turned to face the man, observing the smug expression on his face. He was clearly smart - apparently smarter than Teddy Wycliffe - but he wasn’t sure what to make of the confidence that he exuded. Whilst Alistair was a confident man himself by nature, he was aware that the trait could make a fool out of someone if estimated wrong. “What is it that you’re really bringing to the table here, Rhys?” he pushed. “I’ll decide whether or not to offer you my men once I know what you plan to use these blueprints for.”

Interactions
Enzyme Rhys
Misty Gray Gabriel

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

It took effort to roll his head back against the wall, but when he did eventually manage, he saw Gwen standing over him. His eyes wouldn’t focus enough to read her expression, but he guessed from her tone of voice that she wasn’t happy. The room suddenly swung around him and he ended up on his feet, being supported by Gwen as she guided him through to the back exit. “Gwen,” he mumbled to himself, blindly staggering through the crowded city street with her arms around him. His mind was stuck on her, unable to think of anything else.

As soon as she sat him down in the passenger seat of her car, Jason tilted forward until his forehead was resting against the dashboard and he let out a long groan. He heard Gwen get in beside him and begin to berate him for his behaviour, but he had messed up in so many ways that he wasn’t even sure what she was referring to anymore. “Do what?” he asked, his voice rough and lacking its usual vigour. The truth in her words stung as she outlined all that he was losing as a consequence of his actions.

Jason rolled his head slightly to one side and looked up at her when she assumed responsibility for his self-destructive decision, telling him that she could see right through him. With the vehicle springing into action, the dashboard vibrated through his throbbing head, prompting him to carefully ease himself upright. He reached up to feel the back of his head and when he brought his hand back down, his fingertips were stained red. Subtly wiping them on his trousers, he closed his eyes and braced himself against Gwen’s painful words. He couldn’t bear to hear her bring up the question of his ability to love her. “Please don’t,” he whispered. “Just get us home.” But after a few moments of silence, she spoke up again, telling him that she couldn’t love him as long as she was hurting him. Jason’s eyes slowly opened, but immediately glazed over in a blur. His mood was so low by now that all he could think about was his next drink. “Then love me, or hurt me...Just not both at once.”

Stumbling across the courtyard that lead to his apartment, Jason spotted Ruben playing with something on the patio and when he walked past he noticed that it was his keys. Having forgotten that he had ever dropped them, it confused him as to why the cat now had them under his paws, but he just about managed to swoop down to pick them up off the floor without completely losing his balance. Climbing up the outdoor metal stairs gave him vertigo and as soon as he managed to unlock his front door, Jason slunk down to the floor and crawled over to lean against his record cabinet. Aware that Gwen had followed him in, he suddenly felt empty without her in his arms. “Gwen,” he mumbled, staring vacantly at the floor ahead of him. His chest felt tight and he couldn’t seem to catch his breath from climbing the stairs; he drew his knees in, resting an arm against them to shield his face. His vision blurred even more and when he opened his mouth to speak, he could barely hear himself. Something was happening to him that he couldn't comprehend. “Gwen…”

Before he knew it, there were heavy tears rolling down his cheeks and his shoulders were shaking from the weight of all the pain that he had been trying so desperately to block out for the past month. It was like the muscle memory of being left 11 years ago after he had got himself into the same state was returning to him as some kind of warning sign, even though he wasn’t consciously thinking about it. All his head contained in that moment was the crippling fear that he might never see her again. “I’m sorry,” he wept, his voice barely audible. “Gwen…”

Jason had never felt so small or weak in his whole life as he did in that moment. He was grieving for someone that he hadn’t even lost, and yet, even with her in the room, he couldn’t look up at her. She no longer looked like the skeleton she had resembled a month ago, which should have pleased him - but now, he only felt ashamed of himself for believing that she was about to die and confused as to how she looked so healthy. It was as if none of it had ever happened, except that he was still left to carry all of the pain. “Please get better,” he whispered, between sobs that he was fighting to keep silent. “I don’t want to be without you.”

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Bryant ​

Gwen didn't say anymore to Jason after he told her to love him or hurt him but not both. Her mind was thinking about what to do next, the guilt she felt for having sent him into this drunken daze weighing heavily on her. Once the car was parked, Gwen moved to help him out of the car and both of them saw Ruben playing with something on the ground. Jason walked over to the cat to pick up what looked like his keys, wondering how he dropped them in the first place, she remained quiet as they headed up the stairs to the front door. He managed to open it before slinking to the floor. "Jase." Gwen murmured, clearly worried as he crawled to his record cabinet. Closing the door behind them, Gwen took a look around the apartment and shook her head. Not that she had any room to talk given the state her room had been in but his place was an absolute mess. He'd taken up the habit of collecting bottles again, not bothering to throw them out to hide them. He mumbled her name and Gwen moved to grab him a glass of water before coming to sit beside him. "Hey, drink this." She murmured to him, holding out the water for him but instead he surprised her by bursting in to tears.

Her heart shattered into a million pieces then and Gwen immediately set the glass down a little bit aways from them before wrapping her arms around him. "Shhhh...it's alright." She whispered to him, hearing him voice his fears about being without her made her feel even guiltier that she had taken up her habit again. But she felt like there was nothing she could do, if she got off the heroin, her body went into a completely shutdown...he couldn't handle seeing her like that clearly and she didn't like feeling like that. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. She acknowledged that using again put her at an even greater risk of dying but she just couldn't stand to see him this way because of the way he had seen her before. Gwen held him for a long while, not saying a lot as she thought about how to best handle this situation. They were trapped, she was trapped...the outcome of all of this was not what he wanted for her but what else could she do.

"Jason, look at me," She commanded gently, using her hand to lead his chin towards her. Her eyes looked into his tear filled ones and she tried to muster a smile for him. "I'm okay. See? Nice and plump again, not that hollowed thing I was a month ago. I'm feeling so much better after all that, like a new person." Gwen eyes searched his before adding on, "I've even told my family that I'd like to go to rehab. We are working something out now but it's going to have to wait until after the show." Gwen moved her hand down to take his and she squeezed it gently. "I don't want to hurt you anymore, I never meant to...please understand that. I'm trying to change for you, for myself, for Lorelei. But please, don't stop caring about yourself...please." The redhead let out a shaky sigh as she tried to hold herself together.

"This is a test. All of this, we need to pass. I need you to look after yourself again. I can't do this without you, because you've been my rock through the worst of it and I just don't know what would happen if I lost you to the drinks." Turning back to the water, Gwen picked up the glass before gently forcing Jason to take it. "I need someone, you do too. We can't imagine being without each other so why are we doing this? Why can't we just be together like we are suppose to be? Why can't I be stronger than this? I drove you to this point and Jason, I need to know you forgive me, I need to know that you will help yourself again."
with: a very sad boi, Jason Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper
~ Trent ~​

The Porters had been busy with the funeral, getting various relatives out of different kinds of hospitals, and a whole other heap of things. Adam had agreed to follow up on the murder and explosion that had taken plays at the apartment belonging to two of their drug dealers. Being that he invested a lot of time and took many risks in helping secure the mob's drugs supplies, Adam was keen to step in and relieve his superiors of some of their workloads.

Adam sat at the desk whilst Trent stood to his side patiently waiting for the two younger men to arrive. Adam took a final, long drag from is cigarette before stubbing the butt out in the glass ashtray to his right. Trent was a big bloke and that was evident by how he'd managed to position himself in such a way that he was casting a shadow over the desk. Adam thought his presence was perhaps overkill, feeling he could easily handle the two lads when they arrived, but at the same time, why not make a impression to ensure they understand the gravity of the situation.

Danny and Owen eventually arrived at the club. Trent took a step back, avoiding Danny's handshake whilst continuing to stare the newcomers down. Adam briefly looked Danny over before accepting the handshake, grabbing the younger man's hand perhaps a little too firmly. "Danny and Owen..." Adam trailed off, his face remaining cold and neutral. "You'd better sit down. This could take a while," he told Owen, his voice making it clear it wasn't optional.

"You lads should know why you're here. You'd have to have some severe brain damage not to," he began. "Your apartment got left in a bit of a state last month and a man was murdered there." He paused as he pulled open the top drawer of his desk, he lifted the pistol from inside but only so he could delve deeper for a box of cigarettes. He dropped the gun back into the drawer before pushing it shut. He pulled back the lid of the cigarette box and held it out towards the two younger men. "Smoke? Go ahead. Have a smoke and while you do, take a moment cast your minds back over the last few weeks."

Adam proceeded to light up a cigarette for himself and tossed the box to Trent so the big man could help himself. The room was filled with silence for a few minutes as Adam went right ahead and gave the two lads the time to reflect. He was perfectly content in the silence and made no secret of the fact he was studying the two men opposite him. As soon as his cigarette was finished, he stubbed it out in the ashtray and sat forward. "Alright. So, the dead man on your doorstep," he began, knowing full well of Ryan Donahue's identity. "Tell me everything you know about him. I want to know anything and everything you know about the explosion and the bloke's murder." He sat back in his seat. "The cops have been all over it. How's the investigation going? The pigs must have fed you some details, whether they intended to or not." He paused and looked each of them in the eyes, his features remaining neutral yet somehow unsettling. "What exactly have you told them? Are they still sniffing around?"

Pyroclast (Danny) Fletchawk (Owen)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Conor Sullivan​

James had looked curiously to the package Hugh handed Syd, but it didn't register as too concerning at that time. When the Porters entered Syd's house, it didn't seem like anyone else was home as Roxie didn't respond to Syd's calls. James stopped briefly to pet the dogs and take a look around the hallway, relieved his son was finally back in a normal environment rather than the hospital ward. There was a film reel and Syd seemed keen to go watch it in private. "Hope he's not been ordering blue movies," James playfully muttered to Lucy, out of their sons' earshot.

James took a casual walk around the house, checking everything was normal and safe for his son's return. He wasn't about to break it to Syd for now, but the place had been cleared of any guns, considering what almost happened the last time Syd had one in his hand. Soon enough, Syd came rushing out, trembling as he handed the film to James. Syd seemed to be talking in riddles before he grabbed Thomas and dragged him along out of the house. "What the--" James grumbled. He rushed to the front door and told Hugh to stay close to Syd, to make sure both he and Thomas didn't leave the grounds without their parents. James gave Lucy to choice of going after Syd or watching whatever it was on the film that had disturbed Syd.

James watched the video, seeing Roxie tied to the chair as she was apparently tortured. Even before the man out of the frame said it, there were no doubts this was a message for the mob. Equally, his mind immediately jumped to Moretti as being behind it. Despite all of the things he'd done to his enemies, James couldn't help be cringe as he saw the knife being dragged across the woman's abdomen. Where children - including unborn babies - were concerned, James found acts against them to be a whole new level of evil. "Fucking bastards.." James hissed as a million thoughts began to flicker through his mind. The main thought was that they needed to get back to the house to put a plan into action and get his men on board with finding Roxie. It didn't take long for Maddox's name to enter his thoughts, believing the man perhaps still had some use to them yet.

*******​

Conor looked to Jackson when the man reassured him the others would be home soon. He paused before relenting and nodding his head in agreement. He felt he must be the only one worrying, so figuring he needed to relax a little. He smirked at his friend's comment about being stood up and shook his head. "Like anyone would stand me up," he joked, though his tone remained flat and did nothing to reflect humour. With mention of opening the windows, Conor nodded his head and got up from his seat. He lifted open the window and briefly observed the kids playing outside. "Olivia!" he called out, stopping the girl in her tracks as she was partway through attempting to climb onto the roof of the tool shed.

Warren had been talking with Savannah in the corner of the room, but seeing Conor clearly had enough on his mind, he stepped forward. "I'll go out and distract the brats for a bit," he suggested. Truth be told, he was getting bored of his downtime. It wasn't just for the purpose of his recovery, but James was still holding him back from public jobs in light of the fact Moretti still had a hit out on him. Frustratingly, he'd been limited to desk duties in James' offices.

No sooner had Warren left the lounge did the Porters arrive home. Conor turned to the door, about to greet Syd with a welcome which soon died out as he caught his nephew's frantic behaviour. "Welc... Well shit," Conor began, watching Syd rush past everyone and start searching in cupboards.

James wasn't far behind, rushing after Syd as the younger man started going through the drawers. He only allowed his son a short time to come to his senses, but him frantically demanding guns in front of the family was too much to allow. James stepped between Syd and the cabinet, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "There's no fucking guns, to back off!" he forcefully told his son. "You need to step back and take a minute to control your breathing. Think about it, Syd," James said, pointing to his own forehead. James heard Savannah's soft voice asking what was going on, but he didn't look to her. "We need to find out where those Moretti fuckers are holding Roxie and we use our heads to get her back. Going in guns blazing will put us and Roxie at further risk." James looked Syd in the eyes, trying to make him back down.

Hearing that Roxie was apparently in danger and her location was unknown, Conor remained silent as he considered the first thing that came to his mind. He wasn't sure if Syd had been told the truth about Maddox yet, but he got the feeling he would have to find out very soon. Dr. Parker was still within Moretti's ranks and if the Italian was behind what was happening to Roxie, then the counsellor might have more to offer the Porters yet. Conor caught Jackson's eye, wondering what his friend was thinking of the new development.

Bellz Enzyme Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess