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

[RayPurchase]

Johnny and Tony​

Tony’s response to Amato’s attempt at replicating a grenadier was pretty stoic, aside from the audible grinding of his lower jaw as the Porter trio swanned their way towards them. Despite the crisp cold air you could feel the tension in the air, in fact you could cut through it with a knife. In fact it was Tony and Johnny who found themselves squaring up. The South Carolinian was perhaps on the scrawnier side, but up against the slab of beef that was Tony he appeared almost diminutive in comparison. Tony was straining at the leash here. He knew Ethan and Amato had to be feeling the same, Ethan was a butcher and Amato was constantly looking for some sort of scrap or fight. And here they were inches away from the enemy, Gabe would have expected them to defend the cars and themselves if the Porter’s made the first move, he just needed one of them to do something stupid first. His fist continued to tighten, shaking as his fingers dug into his palm.

Opposite the crimson faced Tony, Johnny still had the irritatingly jaunty grin on his face. To him this was a delicate dance, the Morettis were the ones chomping at the bit to be let loose, whilst he was thoroughly enjoying watching them steam.

“Nah these boys are all talk, bark and no bite. Trio of lapdogs ain’t you?”

He slipped behind Chase grasping him firmly on the shoulder for a moment. Some verbal low blows were being dished out now. Yeah he had faith in Chase to obey orders, but that could all go out of the window in the heat of the moment.

“Well at least Mr Zegarra knows his lineage, I assume you’ve got a whole party of possible fathers knocking about. Narrowed it down to the final 10 yet?” Johnny shook his head and pulled out another cigarette, jamming it in his mouth as he turned his back on the 3 Morettis. “Come on lets leave these chancers, the longer we’re this close to these assholes the more work its going to take getting the smell out of my jacket,”

 

[Enzyme]

Amato Castello​

Amato chuckled to Tony, assuming his interpretation of a grenadier was spot-on. Despite his knockdown performance, the eyes of his fellow gangsters left him. Instead, their eyes pointed towards the parking lot behind him. He snapped his head around to see the Irish thugs moving towards them. Gabriel had given them explicit instructions to watch the cars, so his innate reaction was to reach for the handgun in the front of his waistband. His two buddies took a more relaxed method and instead allowed the Porters to approach. The look in the Porter thugs' eyes appeared to be annoyance rather than malice, so Amato let his hand drift back down to his side.

Amato's smile fell to a frown the moment Chase opened his mouth. Who the fuck is this asshole? Chase was lecturing them like a pre-school teacher and the patronizing tone in his voice made Amato want to give the dickhead a toothless grin. Amato's nostrils flared as Chase brought up Cuba, and how every insult hurled in the Porters' direction would drive Gabriel further and further from that connection. There was nothing Amato hated more than a snake and Chase fit that direction up to his scrawny neck.

"What? I'm guessin' yer' gonna tell me I gotta stop throat-fuckin' ya' mother on Friday nights too?" Amato was cut off as Ethan stepped in, twisting Chase's words around on him. Amato cooed when Ethan brought up Chase's dead dad, and how much of a chore it had to be to clean up his brain matter off the wall. A sickening grin smeared across Amato's lips as the antagonizing insults seemed to stoke his fire. Stepping up off the car, he looked up at his adversaries with an irritating smirk.

The Italians weren't worth it according to Johnny and the guy turned to leave. This really riled Amato up, bringing back the taunting antics he'd been yelping across the parking lot. "Oh is that right ya' little queer? Well, go ahead and take the baby-faced snake and dyke with ya' - then go crawl back in yer hole, ya' fuckin' bog trotting micks!" Amato hucked a loogie at the back of Johnny as he walked away, nailing him right below the crease of his collar.

Misty Gray (Jasmine/Ethan) Pyroclast (Chase) RayPurchase (Johnny/Tony)

 

[Pyroclast]

Chase Zegarra

Based on the behaviour of the group, Chase wasn’t expecting a civil response. However, Jackson was right - while not retaliating to their harassment may have felt like taking the moral high ground, it would appear weak in the eyes of the enemy. On a personal level, he didn’t value their opinions in the slightest, but given the feud between the three powerful gangs, every impression they made could affect their next move. Even a suggestion of weakness could be exploited later down the line. Chase didn’t want a fight - his duty that night was to guard and protect his employers, not to attack the enemy - but if he had to stand up against them, he believed it only fair to first try to reason with them, to offer them the opportunity to back down. Not to his surprise, of course, they weren’t keen on that offer. At least he could say he tried.

The loud one instantly snapped back at him with a crude insult directed at his mother. It seemed unlikely that he knew she was dead so it wasn’t too hard for Chase to let it slide, but it still worsened his impression of the man nonetheless. The next to have a go was the tall, red-haired man, who fixed his attention on Chase as he stepped forward to engage with him.

In the end what he delivered was far worse than a physical punch. He supposed he had himself to blame for being the first to bring it up; when the man threw it back in his face Chase realised he was less immune to the pain than he thought. Standing before the enemy, he felt his blood begin to boil. He gave no verbal response, too busy debating whether or not he wanted to walk away or smash the man’s skull against the concrete. Starting a fight would put the others at risk as he had no doubt the two Moretti goons would join in once the first punch was thrown. Yet, despite his internal reasoning, his feet remained firmly rooted to the ground.

The supportive squeeze of the shoulder that Johnny gave him wasn’t enough to draw his attention away from his offender, though it did at least remind him of his and Jasmine’s presence. In other circumstances he would have laughed at his wit, but at that moment he was in no mood to find humour in anything.

Just as he was beginning to believe that Johnny might actually be able to tempt him away from the encounter, a strong New York accent reeled off a string of further insults. Chase didn’t need to understand the slang to know he had gone too far. He heard the vicious, vulgar thug spit in Johnny’s direction and without a second's hesitation, his fist slammed straight into Ethan's nose. He closed in on the man as he recoiled, no interest in backing down. "If you wanted a fight, you could have just fucking said so."

Interactions
Misty Gray Ethan, Jasmine
Enzyme Amato, Jackson (?)
RayPurchase Johnny, Tony

 

[Bellz]

Brooklyn Payne ​

The auction was as interesting as it could get for Brooklyn, the usual guests were in attendance and they did their bidding for a while until it was time to take a break. Feeling like she had taken enough pictures for the evening, she headed towards the bar to grab herself a drink. Slipping her notepad into her small side handbag, she started to move through the crowds of people who were now standing an conversing with one another. People were giving her odd looks, however, and she started to frown wondering what was with them. Looking down at her dress, she was reminded of the stupid pass around her neck that said "Press" on it. Rolling her eyes, she did her best to ignore people and finally stopped at the bar, ordering herself a glass of wine. While she waited, she looked around at the back tables, not having been able to see who was all in attendance since she'd been towards the front most of the night. Interestingly enough, a familiar face caught her eye and a smile formed. Of course, she knew Adam was with the Porters but she hadn't thought he was into going to these types of events, so seeing him in a nice suit was refreshing. Not having caught his eye yet, she continued to stare for a moment longer before looking in the direction he seems to be looking in.

Curiously enough, Brooklyn saw Gabriel Moretti speaking with Conor Sullivan, whom from what she had heard, took over for James Porter a few months ago. Despite wanting to write about the gang activity within the city, Brooklyn had been swamped with other ongoing stories: for one, the homicide rate in just 1 1/2 months of being in 1972 had jumped significantly in the city. Rumors of a serial killer on the loose was ravaging and slaying young girls just looking for a ride home. While the gangs were very much apart of the city, it seemed like a different type of crime was starting to form and it was only being done by one person. Her editor was thrilled by this news regardless of how gruesome and sent Brooklyn all over the city with the police taking pictures of crime scenes. The auction was a break from that mess, thank god.

The conversation between the Sullivans and Moretti seemed to end as the two Irishmen abruptly got up from their seats and left. Noticing one of them heading towards Adam's table, Brooklyn patiently waited for her drink before sauntering over with a huge smile on her face, "Well well well, I didn't know you liked to play dress up, Adam! What's a man like you doing in a place like this?" She teased, briefly looking over the other people at the table before her eyes returned to Adam.
with: Adam Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Ethan Turner and Jasmine Carpenter​

Ethan allowed a crooked smile to show on his lips when Johnny suggested he had many possible fathers, inferring his mother was a whore. Not one to mention his family nor bother to spend much time with them, he didn't feel at all inclined to defend a family he preferred to keep away anyway. His smile dropped when the guy turned his back on them. He hoped the other two Porter rats would keep the party going strong and not walk away yet. He had to commend Amato for his efforts to drag Johnny back into the altercation. Though their methods at antagonising the Porters were very different, it was the effort that counted. It had seemed like Chase was going to let the comments about his father's bloody murder slide, but Amato's taunts seem to have pulled at the man's last bit of self-control.

Chase's snapping had, however, meant that Ethan felt the full brunt of the man's retaliation in the form of a punch in the face. The man's fist hit Ethan's nose directly, creating a cracking sound and causing him to twist to the side, briefly doubling over as the violent action stunned him. Though he'd expected that kind of reaction, it still didn't mean he was ready to feel the full force of the attack. It was powerful enough to draw blood from the man's nostrils and hard enough to cause a harsh throbbing pain to the bone. Still with his back to Chase, Ethan couldn't help but let out a chuckle, only vaguely reflecting how truly unhinged Ethan was beneath his usual cool exterior.

Jasmine had stepped aside a little to get out of the way of flying fists as soon as she realised Chase was going to hit the guy. She couldn't blame him and frankly, she believed it was the right action. It was the very least Ethan had deserved for spouting such evil about her friend's murdered father. As Chase moved towards Ethan and spoke about wanting a fight, Ethan turned back to face him head on. With the blood trickling down out of his nose and the cold stare in his eyes, the man looked altogether disturbing. "I thought I did say so," he remarked, referring to the offensive things he'd been saying to drag the Porters into taking the first swipe. He figured nobody present was dumb enough to pull a gun and draw unwanted attention to them, so a fight was the next best thing. A swift right hook allowed Ethan's fist to smack harshly into Chase's left cheekbone. This was followed by a firm push backwards, not intended to cause him to lose his footing, but instead to nudge him into Jasmine.

Jasmine stumbled slightly as Chase was pushed into her, but she was quick to steady herself and step out of the way, nodding to Chase to confirm no harm was done. She looked to Johnny before fixing her eyes on Tony and Amato, anticipating their next actions.



RayPurchase (Johnny, Tony)
Enzyme (Jackson, Amato)
Pyroclast (Chase)

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau ​

The anger was pulsating through her body like the beat of a drum, hammering away at her anxiety in that moment. Syd didn't say anything to her and despite her anger she didn't expect him to. Holding onto the wall, she shook her head stubbornly as he suggested that they sit down to talk about her father's death, "No I'm perfect-" Her voice was suddenly lost as a contraction ripped through her stomach. Gasping out in pain, Roxie clawed at the wall so much that paint chips sprinkled towards the floor at her feet. After having squeezed her eyes shut a moment, she opened them widely to look at Syd with confusion written in her features. She had been feeling minor movements and contractions all day but they were only Braxton Hicks if she could talk through them. The ability to speak had been completely taken from her. Tears formed thickly in her eyes as another contraction hit her and she shook with the pain. It was far too early for this to happen, she was only 7 months along. Nothing was making any sense.

"I need to sit." Roxie said shakily, and moved to grip Syd's should tightly as she started to shuffle her feet. Seeing the worry in his expression, she swallowed harshly before saying, "I'm fine...I don't think it's anything...I'm okay." The anger she had been feeling was replaced with fear as she tried to think of what could be happening. "Just walk with me." She whispered as they started to move down the hall. Once again, another painful contraction consumed her so much that her knees gave out and she half fell onto them, with Syd keeping her other half up.

The dogs surrounded her, stealing kisses on her face as she panted in her seated position. "This isn't happening now? Right? They can't come now! It's too early! I still have 2 more months! Ah!" Crying out harshly, she curled into herself as she ripped her arms away from Syd to clutch herself. Another harsh contraction ripped through her again and suddenly it happened. Roxie snapped her head up to look at Syd, panic in her eyes, "My water broke!" She cried. The contractions were so close together that from everything she read, the babies could be born within the hour. The hospital was in the city and while not far the traffic was sure to cause some issues. "I can't go. I can't. This isn't happening!" She repeated to herself as her breathing started to accelerate.
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

Ali added her own opinion about Rebel's dress with, "I think the boots were a nice touch. Really puts the outfit together." Turning back to look at the table, so noticed Adam checking out other features that weren't just the dress. Sinead chastised him for it and she couldn't help but laugh. "Yeesh, Adam, you're just stuck in it tonight, aren't you?" Moving on to her third cupcake, she nodded her head once Adam's, "I'm happy" was shared with the table. Before she could give her own opinion, Sinead explained how she had found out so much about him and nodded in agreement. "Exactly. You men gossip more than we do and we never have anything to do." She shook her head as she teased him and took a sip of water from her glass before putting it back on the table. "Sin's right thought. Kids with someone you're not in love with isn't a good idea whatsoever, but enjoy your freedom while you can."

Hearing the Sinead had calmed her life down put a smile on her face. She knew how crazy things could be and lately they had definitely been crazy. It was important for her to keep her stress levels low, she knew this much and was going to help her achieve that goal. Whatever Ali could do to help her friend out, she was always going to do. Sinead was like a sister before she even became her sister, so her wellbeing had always been in mind. Even more so recently. Once it was her turn to respond, she shrugged her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Couldn't complain, honestly. The restaurant is doing good. We just sent the staff out for training so we'll be closed over the weekend but after that everything is back up and running. I've been seeing my own counselor, have a lot of things on my mind I need help sifting through so I figured after the marriage counseling, why not?" She shrugged her shoulders before giving her a response about Conor. Pointing to her stomach she gave her a smile and a 'really' kind of face. "I think things have been going great, actually. Second kid, healing marriage, everything has been exactly what I needed." It was a long time coming, her being actually happy, but she was reveling in it. She was satisfied with the way her life had gone, even if there were still minor things she worried about.

Before she could say anything more, they were rejoined by Peter, who had taken his seat next to Sinead. From the corner of her eye, she had seen things between the men get a little heated but decided not to look. If she had, it would have stressed her out what they were arguing about. Even though Ali had a fairly decent poker face, she was sure Sinead would be able to see right through it and therefore cause her even more stress. She looked at Peter with a concerned smile before asking about Conor. Ali hadn't waited for him to respond before putting her head on a swivel to look for him. He was spotted heading down a corridor. "Whoops, never mind. Let me go check on grumpy and use the restroom, excuse me." She said, before standing up and walking away from the table. On her way over, she made a quick stop at the bar and ordered her husband a drink. It was both a reward and something to help him calm his nerves if they had been rattled. Gently touching her husband's arm, she smiled at him and offered the drink. "You look like you could use this. Everything okay?"
Conor ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Everything was escalating by the second and Syd was struggling to keep up. His excitement of becoming a father hadn’t quite blinded him to the discomfort and pain that Roxie had been suffering throughout her pregnancy but it was all coming to a head and he was lost as to what was going on. The guilt of taking her father from her was somehow shoved aside as her pained gasp stole his attention. When she gripped the wall behind her his heart started hammering his chest. “Hey, come on,” he softly asserted, reaching out to support her. Despite his anxiety, he knew he had to be strong and focus on guiding her through whatever was happening to her. “Yeah, let’s sit you down. Just lean on me, I’ve got you...”

A million doubts spun through his worried mind as he automatically tried to come up with an explanation. They all lead back to one main concern: something was wrong with the twins. The books that he had poured through had taught him many different ways that a pregnancy could go wrong and seeing Roxie in such pain had brought them all to the front of his mind. Syd was already fighting an oncoming panic attack before they had even reached the sofa.

“It’s alright, it’s gonna be alright,” he assured her, as calmly and confidently as he could. “I’m gonna get you to a hospital -” Roxie cut him off with a sharp cry of pain. Time seemed to freeze when they looked at each other, before she confirmed his thoughts. “Your water broke?” he repeated, half excited and half petrified. “Yes you can, Roxie! And I’m gonna get you to a hospital right away, okay?”

In the rush to grab shoes and keys, Syd could feel his excitement begin to take control of him. His heart and mind were racing and he felt very much on the edge: of crying, laughing, running. The very edge of becoming a parent.

* * * * *​

The drive had been hasty, employing all the skills of an experienced getaway driver. Even with shaking hands, sweating palms and an almost impossible distraction, Syd got them to the hospital with such speed it was a miracle they didn’t have the police on their tail. As he had done many times before, Syd alerted the hospital staff with no inhibitions or regard for their surroundings. As far as he was concerned, no one could possibly deserve attention more than Roxie in that moment. His demands were met almost instantly and as soon as they were joined by a nurse, Syd unconsciously let his anxiety take over, reminding the staff every few seconds that Roxie was only 7 months along, that she was carrying twins, and asking for reassurance - even when they weren’t listening. If anything at all was amiss, he wanted to know about it instantly.

Interactions
Bellz Roxie

 

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper and Sinead Callahan​

Sinead had been pleased to hear things were going well for Aliana, especially with her marriage to Conor. Sinead didn't like it when her best friend and her brother were fighting as it put her in an uncomfortable position when she wanted to support both of them. The redhead picked the icing off of a cupcake as she smiled contently to herself. It was nice to block everything out to just focus on on the positive parts of their lives. However, Peter and Conor leaving the table they'd been at with the Morettis brought it all back to reality. Peter returned to her side and Sinead looked to her husband to try work out how he was feeling after the unplanned meeting. "How did it got, Petey? What did those jerks have to say for themselves?" she softly asked. Soon after, Conor walked out of the main hall, prompting Aliana to follow after him.

Adam was about to ask Peter what had gone on with the Morettis, but his attention was instead drawn to the familiar woman who had approached the table. He let out a slightly awkward laugh, having not expected to see Brooklyn at the auction. He soon recovered and sent a naturally charming smile her way. "Oh, you didn't know about my dressing up? Well, you should see the other outfits I like to dress up in," he remarked. The 'Press' pass she had around her neck stood out like a sore thumb. Aware of the Callahans' presence, he decided it would be best all-round to take his conversation with his latest flame to one side. With Peter back at the table to look after Sinead, Adam was comfortable with leaving them for a time.

Getting up from his seat, Adam smoothed out his shirt and tie, finding the attire somewhat irritating. He then looked to Brooklyn whilst displaying a rugged smile. He led her to walk with him to a quieter part of the room. "Fucking 'ell, Brooklyn. What's that all about?" he asked, gesturing to the 'Press' pass. They'd been together a number of times, intimately so, but the specific nature of the woman's profession apparently hadn't come up in conversation. "If you really wanted to get into this place, you should have just asked and I could have helped. No need to go to the effort of fake ID," he joked. Still, he looked her over before his eyes fixed on her face. "You look good, though. Best view I've had all night," he flirted with her.

Bellz (Brooklyn, Peter)
Mention: Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Enzyme]

Rhys Caddel​

Holding an equal level of malice, Rhys shifted into a more passive stance as Peter stepped in. Rhys' intentions weren't to prod or goad, but even he couldn't help but relish in the fury that Peter held. Their clairvoyant words had broken the Irish men's' calm demeanor, and through Peter's harsh barks, Rhys could sense a level of fear buried below. When they scrambled to defend their rat status, Rhys' eye slid to Gabriel, trying his best to stifle his smirk. He offered Gabriel a soft shrug as if trying to attest that what Peter said made the slightest bit of sense. As the Irish man stormed off, he was followed behind shortly by Conor, who left them with the parting words to think about their families as well. What family? Rhys smirk grew ever more significant.

After the two men left, there was a bit of silence as the two recuperated from the discussion. In doing so, Rhys adjusted the trimmings on his shirt and refreshed himself with his beverage. "I'm okay with being a cockroach, to tell you the truth," Rhys snickered, smiling to Gabriel. He then turned back into his seat, running his tongue below his bottom lip. All That Jazz.

Before Gabriel could finish his sentence, a slender woman materialized from Rhys' peripherals. As he looked to her, an intrigued eyebrow rose to his hairline. The face looked familiar, another stunning brunette, albeit, but it was more than that - he had seen her before. Rhys stayed silent as Gabriel approached her and smiled at her once he was introduced. As Gabriel leveled her introduction as well, a lightbulb flickered above Rhys' head. She had been on several GQ magazine covers for her family's exquisite tuxes. "Ah, yes, of course. Huge fan of your collection," Rhys nodded, flicking out his wrist to show off the Dorrance insignia on his cufflink.

The way Miss Dorrance approached Gabriel was rather curious, as perhaps there was a secretive history between the two that Gabriel had never admitted. He kept the thought to himself, casually sipping his drink as Gabriel shrugged her off. Before he could slip back into his thoughts, however, Gabriel pulled him aside.

"I can't imagine Elvian would be too pleased to see that either," Rhys noted, looking over to Gabriel's wife to see if she noticed. While the woman could damage Gabriel's image in his presence, he understood that the powerful family could prove useful under their allegiance. "Not a bad way to spend the rest of the evening. Consider it done," Rhys smiled, stepping back to his table.

"Miss Dorrance," Rhys greeted her with a natural smile, "I'll admit, it was a bit tricky to recall where I'd seen you, at first." Rhys pushed himself back into his seat, "But I'm sure I'd be hard-pressed to find any GQ magazine without you in it." He opened up his palm flat, inviting her to take a seat. Making eye contact with a waiter below, he motioned two fingers up to the man.

His eyes wandered back to Gabriel, who had returned to his table. "I've worked with Gabriel for a while now, but I can't say you've ever been mentioned." His gaze flickered back to her, and despite how warm and welcoming his features were, there was no hiding the cold steel in his eyes. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you two know each other?" As his question landed, two martinis were placed in front of them, curiously of the waiter he had motioned to previously.

Misty Gray (Gabriel/Miss Dorrance)
Mention(s): Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian)

 

[Pyroclast]

Tatiana Moretti

Once she was alone at the bar, Tatiana found the opportunity to cast her eyes upon the woman again. The time to herself was doing her good, and if she hadn’t been in possession of her mother’s drink then she probably would have lingered at the bar for a long while. Glamorous events were never an issue for her; the issue was being forced to behave civilly towards her family’s murderers. Although of course there was more to the auction than simply an opportunity to converse with the enemy, still the whole atmosphere seemed false to her. Everyone was suppressing their true feelings, denying their instincts and desires and reducing them down to fake smiles. Tatiana couldn’t stand it.

A quick glance back to her table showed her father having returned from his conversation with the Sullivan boss. Part of her was keen to hear about what they had discussed, but that part was outweighed by a desire to drink her cocktail in peace. In fact, she first cleansed her palate with a shot of ţuică, which she normally reserved for drinking in company, but in such an antisocial mood, she found herself drinking out of spite more than anything else.

Her time alone was soon threatened by the arrival of the very woman she had been scarcely able to tear her gaze from. Tatiana acknowledged her only with a brief glance before stubbornly resetting her attention on her cocktail. But her beauty was strangely magnetic and demanded to be admired; the longer she sat beside her, the harder it became to resist the urge to steal another look and when the woman turned to watch the central stage Tatiana found herself gazing at her almost uncontrollably.

Though it caught her off guard to be confronted, Tatiana showed no reaction. In fact, she felt excited to finally be engaging with her. She casually sipped her cocktail while the woman spoke, as if she didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. “It’s funny that in this life, we are enemies,” she mused. “When I don’t even know your name. I don’t personally have to do anything to earn your hatred. Kinda takes away some of the fun, don’t you think?” She locked her eyes onto Rebel’s then, searching them deeply as she found the straw of her cocktail with her tongue for another sip. “But you’re right. It is the dress,” she went on, no even needing another look at what the woman was wearing. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful dress...but why wear it when it clearly makes you uncomfortable?” Tatiana didn’t feel the need to explain her observation; to her, it was obvious that the woman didn’t wear evening dresses often. There was something else obvious to her too, something that made her presence even harder to ignore. The signs were subtle, but Tatiana had long since learned to identify them. After briefly checking their surroundings in case her mother had come over to retrieve her drink, she returned her gaze to the woman beside her. Finally, a small smile was beginning to tug at the corners of her mouth. “Don’t tell me you’re pretending to be someone you’re not...?”

Interactions
Bellz Rebel

 

[Enzyme]

Nikolai Kuznetsov​

The empty hallway stifled the boisterous noises of the banquet through heavy wooden doors, allowing only muffled music and chatter to escape through the rubber slits. With the poor lighting suffering from cheap florescent bulbs, the decorative carpet and wall designs laid unnoticed in the shadows of the bulky pillars. Quiet. Peace. If a breather was ever needed from such an intense, lively auction, the hallways of the large establishment made for such an escape. Still, there was an undeniably eerie sense coming from a jam-packed room to an empty, soulless corridor. Even in the temperature in the hallway seemed cooler, and the brisk air from the bleeding A/C formed icicles in the lungs.

"Mr. Sullivan," a thick Russian accent oozed out from the other end of the corridor. "It's been a while since I've seen you on the throne."

An old familiar Russian slowly emerged from the shadows beyond the fluorescent lighting. With age, Nikolai's dark hair had faded gray, but his size and bulk seemingly hadn't caught up - as he still towered over every object in the room. His facial expressions held the same cool, passive stare that he had worn for so many years. Behind him stood two men in black tracksuits, their scratched, bald heads, and scarred faces made it clear to even the most uninitiated that they were not to be trifled with.

With each heavy step, Nikolai grew closer and closer, his thick coat tails swaying effortlessly behind his knees. Pinching the end of his cigarette, he squished the ember from the tip, suffocating it instantly. He then threw the smothered cigarette to the carpet, a smoke trail streaming close behind. "You look flustered," Nikolai pointed out, his indifferent gaze leveling down on Conor. "Perhaps some fresh air will calm you." Nikolai's hand slowly rose to the glass doors beside them.

The two Russians behind Nikolai stepped to the doors, pushing open the glass to reveal a deck, sticking out from the venue. Folding his hands behind his back, Nikolai stepped out into the chilled breeze, shielded from the public by the tall cement dividers.

Nikolai pressed his gloved hands onto the cement balcony and looked out to the bustling New York skyline, not bothering to turn to see if Conor had followed him. "Surrounded by a city that lives and breathes, it must make it easy to ignore those bleeding thoughts of yours. To a true Russian, there aren't sights that get more putrid than this."

Misty Gray (Conor)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor had been taking a moment to think whilst away from the confines of the stuffy atmosphere in the auction room. The room was filled out with actors, putting on their masks for show. He too had to do it, to some extent, so it was nice to be out of the room for a breather. He turned his head as he sensed someone approaching, just in time for his wife to touch his arm to gain his attention. He smiled at her and accepted the drink she offered him, taking a small sip from the glass as he still maintained his controlled demeanour. "Cheers, love," he thanked her. "Yeah, everything's okay. The Italian prick was just running his mouth off, as expected. Spewing the same bullshit he tried with James a few months back. 'Let me buy your businesses else I'll throw my toys out of the pram and break stuff'," he said, mocking Gabriel's Italian accent while also making his voice sound childish. "Pete and I told him to shove it," he confirmed. He took another sip of his drink as he looked down to his wife's face. "I'd rather just enjoy what we can of what's left of this freak show and then get you two back home," he said, glancing down to his wife's stomach as he thought about the good things he had in life.

The moment of peace was cut short as a familiar Russian voice called out Conor's name. "Fuck me..." Conor thought, as he rolled his eyes. Business simply didn't know how to go away for just a few minutes. "Hey, Ali. Go back inside, love," he said, nodding towards the main hall. "Time for more private business shite. I'll join you as soon as I'm done out here." He watched his wife return inside before twisting around to face Nikolai.

"Jesus. What brings you to this shithole?" Conor asked, letting out a low chuckle. With the reference to Conor's return to the 'throne', the Irishman shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't have enough fun the first time round, did I?" he remarked. Conor glanced to the two men flanking Nikolai but decided that was all the acknowledgement he needed to give them for the time-being.

With the mention of him being flustered, Conor raised a curious eyebrow before deciding to walk with the Russian out into the fresh air. "I don't know if you like these formal events, but they're not really my thing," he explained.

Stood on the private deck, Conor followed Nikolai's gaze out to the city skyline. As the Russian spoke of the city, Conor subtly shook his head. "I'm told this city grows on you. At least, that's what I was told back in '65," he remarked. Conor drank a little more of the alcohol before resting the half-empty glass on the wall beside him. "So what brings you here, Mr. Kuznetsov? I'm sure it's not the prospect of winning a speedboat or an old painting of some bloke with his bollocks out on show."


Enzyme (Nikolai) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau​

Spoiler

Trigger warning: depictions of death

Syd was reassuring her that she was going to be alright but Roxie wasn't as confident as he seemed to be. Her mind was spinning with the toxic mixture of anxiety, fear, confusion and what was demanding her attention most of all was the pain. Syd helped her to her feet, legs wobbling violently as she shook. Not able to get her shoes on, she gave up and told Syd it would be fine if she was barefoot. They rushed out to the car as quickly as Roxie could muster.

Despite the urgency, Roxie was almost terrified at the speed they hit driving in and out of traffic. Gripping the hand bar above her head, she squeezed it tightly and closed her eyes shut for a moment. Her limbs alarmingly heavy and she opened her eyes again tot look at her hand over her stomach. She didn't wear her rings anymore but by the size of her fingers she was sure they wouldn't fit. The hospital finally came into view and Syd practically slid the car into a parking spot before hopping out of the car to the other side where the door was already open. There seemed to be a lot of people in the emergency waiting room when they arrive, so much so that all the seats had been taken but as soon as Syd made the situation known to one of the hospital staff, they looked at them both with a serious expression on their face before rushing over to grab a wheel chair.

The word must have been spread fast between the staff because a room was already waiting for them with everything ready to go. With help from the nurses, Roxie climbed into bed and was hooked up to heart monitor and I.V.. A nurse asked on a scale of one to ten how bad her pain was, "10." Roxie replied as she moved to take Syd's hand, squeezing it as tight as she could. The nurse then lifted up her other hand, pressing her fingers against the back of it before lifting them. With confusion, Roxie wondered what on earth she could be doing that for when the woman then grabbed a sphygmomanometer to take her blood pressure. Once again, the nurse gave Roxie a dire look and this time, she had tot ask, "What? Is something wrong?" The nurse didn't have the time to answer as the doctor came over to look at the chart. Looking over it quickly, it seemed like his mind was made up. "We are delivering the babies immediately."

3 hours later...
It was finally over, Roxie couldn't believe the incredibly tiny human being she was currently holding against her chest was in real. Tears streamed down her face as she lifted a swollen hand to caress Jeanie's small head. Roxie shushed the baby gently as she continued to wail in her grasp. All of the noise of the medical equipment and hospital staff faded away into this blissful silence as Roxie looked to Syd who was holding Jane in his arms. The moment was soon tore from her as the rapid beeping of the heart monitor seemed to alert the staff. Before Roxie could react, her vision became almost tunneled and she could barely feel her baby being torn from her arms. It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe and when she looked over to try and find Syd through the small amount of vision she had, he was gone, replaced by hands that were pressing and pumping into her chest.

With nurses bustling around her, a soft hum rang in her ears and her eyes began to droop. A bright light shone against her closed eyes and the hum grew louder, drowning out the noise around her. Eleanor, a nurse who wasn't busy working around Roxie reached for the babies without saying a word before turning to take them towards the weighing station. They both began crying as line on the monitor went flat.
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Brooklyn Payne ​

Brooklyn chuckled as Adam made a remake about other outfits he liked to dress up in. The awkward laugh and look did not escape her as he steered her away from the table he was seated at and when they were far enough away from the table Adam gestured to her pass, which she looked down at for a moment and fiddled with it. "Oh this thing?" She asked, giving her own awkward laugh now. He made joke and she rolled her eyes at him with a scoff. "The last place I want to be is here, this isn't fake." She released the pass from her grasp and sighed.

"Since you have affiliations with the mob, I didn't want to scare you away with my line of work. " Pausing, her attention was grabbed by things happening at the front for a moment before it turned back to Adam with a small bashful smile. "Look, I work for The Times okay? I'm not here to cause trouble but unfortunately news is news. I'm just here to report on how this auction went." Shrugging her shoulders, she bit her lip nervously. "I really hope this isn't going to be a problem. You have your work and I have mine. Just two adults with professions. Because truth be told, I really enjoy your company. I'm sorry I didn't say what I did before but again, it isn't just people like you who don't like reporters...most people don't like us."

Taking in his face, she had noticed from her time with him that it was hard to understand what he was thinking behind that stoic expression. This wasn't the first time someone she'd started to like had adverse opinions on her career. But this was really the first time her career could effect someone's life directly. It was clear as day who he was with and the Porter's were one of the most notorious families in NYC, she could understand why the relationship would have to end if that was the decision Adam came to but it was just disappointing, especially given that her position of at the paper had an unclear future.
with: Adam Misty Gray

 

[RayPurchase]

Marcus Moretti

​

Marcus loved his sister. Hell he loved his whole family, but Tati had been the one he not only looked up to, but had tried to deflect as much as their father’s disgust in regards to her private life. Right now though thoughts of sibling love and bonds were far from the confines of his mind. Looking down on him. Mocking him. New York the city of dreams had proven to be nothing but a disappointment, Miami was his home, his base, he had been finding success, building ties, but the Porters had shattered all of that, and now he was stuck here. And then his mother picked her side. Tati’s side. To be surrounded by the cries of hostile women. He knocked back his drink, filling his mouth with the burning liquid and quenching his tongue before it lashed out and who knows what consequences were caused by it.

“I’m going to go get some air,”

He stated bluntly. No hint of asking anyone to join him as he turned from the table just as Gabe arrived. He stepped through the doors onto the balcony, the heat and oppression of the room being swept away in the cold evening air. Marcus leant against the railing, the bitterly cold metal burning his hands. Fumbling in his jacket pocket he removed a grey tin, removing a cigarette which he hastily lit and sucked at, filling his lungs with warm, and comforting smoke. He found himself staring not at the impressive nocturnal skyline of New York, but instead the tin itself. The simple ‘U’ embossed on the front. His fingers tracing the symbol, the parting gift from a team to their coach. Probably the last time he had felt truly at peace, before thoughts of peace, stability and something of an established life were torched by the flames of vengeance. Did he ever really have a choice? Was Miami nothing more than a side act. As Gabe’s first and only son maybe he’d never really had a choice, nothing that he was ever consulted on. He would take over a business that he had no interest in until his family were the only 5 left of a legion. The Porter’s were the enemy, the ones who had taken nearly everything. Maybe they should have taken everything. And allowed Tati, Valentina and himself to forge their own path away from this sordid city. A new generation that could stand apart from the sins of their fathers. Not that he could discuss such things. Tati was as engrained as ever now, his mother was forever his father’s rock, Valentina was a care free child and his father would skin him alive.. Marcus took another drag of his cigarette. Staring out on that famous skyline.

What could have been.

 

[Enzyme]

Nikolai Kuznetsov​

With Conor's question, Nikolai kept his eyes locked on the skyline, allowing silence to fill the void momentarily. While the bald, intimidating men standing at the door shook restlessly, with their hands clamped impatiently over their waists, Nikolai stood still as a statue, his calm gaze looking over the horizon like a lion would gaze out to dunes of the Sahara. There was a level of knowledge in his reserve, a tell that the next words uttered were not to be taken lightly.

"The world is changing, Conor. Tides are turning. Empires are rising and falling." Another preemptive silence fell, as a bitter breeze blew over the railings. "Your people have always been strong and blunt, and for that, you deserve an answer as such." Nikolai turned to the Russian coin in his pocket, the aged silver cracked and brittle, but the emblem of the bear still remained prominent. "An avenue has presented itself in South America where I can have product moved and shipped, for a far cheaper price." The coin rolled over his gloved knuckles like a Jacob's Ladder, falling back into his grip. "I'm afraid, this is where our families part ways," Nikolai's cold gaze finally fell to Conor, a look of sympathy resonating in his glance, but without a tinge of patronization. "Over these past few decades, your family has shown me the utmost respect and loyalty, which is why I will not involve my family with the war for New York. With this being said, I will not save yours either."

Nikolai opened his palm flat, revealing the coin. He then clenched his fist again, clamping it shut. "I know how much you desire control of the East Coast, and conquering another Italian Mob seems conceivable. Your family has climbed every obstacle in its way, and when it comes to you Irish, there is no shortage of pride."

"Proverbs 19:2," Nikolai slowly drew out, "Desire without knowledge is not good— how much more will hasty feet miss the way." His hand opened up once more, placing the old Russian coin down flat on the railing. "The Moretti Family has been garnishing support from neighboring families." Nikolai stepped back from the railing and his men simultaneously opened the glass doors for him. "If you wish to conquer your enemy, you must do the same."

Nikolai turned through the doors, his large stature shifting through the doorway as his coat swayed at the mercy of the wind. "Goodbye, Mr. Sullivan." With that, Nikolai and his men vanished as mysteriously as they had appeared.

Misty Gray (Conor)

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Bryant​

Gwen offered Jason a small smile as he took her hand and held it, ”Never better.” She said almost sarcastically but still kept a smile on her face as therapy began. A lot of what was said during these meetings were the same thing so Gwen tuned out some of it as she stole glances from Jason. When he looked away from her, her eyes moved to look at Ron as he seemed to be diving deeper into what he was saying previously. Ron was a casual man he didn’t come off as intimidating so most of the people felt comfortable talking about their faults and pasts. Gwen was having a hard time with it majority of the time, it wasn’t that she was untrusting but having other people know what she had desperately done in her past was embarrassing enough. She preferred the one on one sessions to the group, but she wanted to be there with Jason and she didn’t have a choice but to go.

Soon the attention was turned to Jason and Gwen watched his face as Ron said he was interested in hearing about him, pressing further as he pointed out that he was a voluntary patient. Ron went on to make observations about Jason’s progress, questioning why he was staying three whole months when he was so willing and self assured. Gwen couldn’t help but look down at her lap, suddenly feeling guilty that he was still here with her. She hadn’t spoken about her guilt with him but she was definitely going to talk about it with him when this was over.

His answer to Ron’s question didn’t surprise her in the slightest, but as adorable as it was, she didn’t feel he belonged there with her. That it wasn’t his fight to battle anymore. Gwen’s face was stoic as one of the other patients who was known for being a loud mouth talked about Jason being obsessed with her. After a moment, Gwen scoffed and shook her head. Ron, of course, told Marianne that she wasn’t being helpful but the bitch wasn’t done talking just yet. After her small tantrum, it went silent and Gwen found Jason looking at her. Rolling her eyes, Gwen flipped her hair behind her shoulder and said, ”We all can’t be as miserable as you, Marianne.” Which caused a few patients to snicker. Rolling her eyes, Gwen looked to Jason and winked. When things simmered down, Jason continued and Gwen watched him closely.

Despite his sweet words, Gwen felt slightly uncomfortable being the topic of discussion. She was the reason he was still in this miserable place. She’d been practically willing herself to get better but it wasn’t suppose to happen all at once. Her main counselor told her that even after she got out, it would take years to reverse the damage she’d done both physically and psychologically. Even though they had swore they were meant for each other Gwen just wasn’t sure Jason knew what they would have to go through together in order to make what she’d done all go away.

Gwen had been staring for a few seconds after Ron spoke to her, caught in her own head. Clearing her throat as she realized what he said, she blinked a few times before speaking. ”Well, it’s sorta hard for me to imagine life after rehab at this moment. I mean I want life to be with Jason and my daughter Lorelei, but I feel like that I’ve done so much damage to myself with over 11 years of use that life just isn’t going to be normal for me anymore. I feel like I’ve lost that chance...I guess.”
With: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

The entire event had been surreal from start to finish, to the point where Syd felt like he was in a dream. Roxie wasn’t supposed to be giving birth only 7 months into the pregnancy, her pain was worryingly high and when the doctors announced without an explanation that she needed an emergency caesarean section, what had first seemed like a dream quickly deteriorated into a nightmare. Syd had a thousand burning questions, but everyone was so focused on Roxie that there was no one free to answer him. Instead he sat beside her, offering words of encouragement while he tried to keep a hold of himself.

For the next three hours he remained at her side. Since nothing seemed to be going wrong with the delivery, the panic gradually lessened and was replaced by a growing excitement. When the first baby was lifted up, Syd felt his whole body tingle with emotion. “That’s our baby girl,” he uttered to Roxie, his eyes glistening with tears as he watched the newborn be passed into his girlfriend’s arms. The second baby was then lifted out and passed to him. Her tiny, weightless body fit neatly into one palm and his love for her overwhelmed him in an instant. “Jane,” he whispered. “Hi, baby!”

At long last, his dream of becoming a father had come true. Everything he had suffered through, everything he had overcome had all been for this moment. This beautiful moment, holding his precious newborn child in his hand. All his anxiety, fear and doubt was suddenly overridden by love and gratitude and as he stared down at her, this slimy, red-faced, wailing creature, he felt nothing but adoration and pride. Smiling uncontrollably, he let out a quiet sob before looking over at Roxie and Jeanie. The sight of her with their other newborn was a scene he would treasure forever, as much as he would his new family.

But then Roxie’s smile disappeared. The moments that followed passed as a blur as the heart monitor started to escalate. Her hold on Jeanie grew limp; Jane was plucked from Syd’s hand without warning and, in a sudden panic, he turned back to Roxie to find that Jeanie had been taken, too. The rapid beeping of the heart monitor sent his own heart rate soaring and a strong sense of dread flooded through him. He watched in confusion and horror as doctors swarmed Roxie’s bed and when he felt a hand on his shoulder guiding him towards the door, Syd started to fight them off. “Wait, what’s going on? What’s happening? Something's wrong with her -”

A concerned nurse began speaking to him as she ushered him towards the door - something about needing space - but even though he wanted answers, he couldn’t focus on what she was saying. Syd cried out Roxie’s name, needing to hear her voice calling back to tell him she was okay. Of course, she didn’t. And then the beeping of the heart monitor stopped. Roxie had flatlined.

Syd heard himself scream; he saw the room shift as his knees buckled, the secure hold of somebody’s arms around his chest the only thing stopping him from falling to the ground. The feeling was so intense that it had no structure, no words or thoughts attached - only insuppressible, tumultuous agony. It was too much to comprehend, to the point where none of it felt real, and his fear of losing touch with reality suddenly resurfaced only to escalate the terror.

Having lost all sense of time, each horrible second felt like an hour. Syd was kneeling on the ground as a nurse kept her arms around him to hold him upright and filled his ear with a calming voice whose words he couldn't register. All he could hear was the maddening high-pitched drone of the heart monitor, reminding him that Roxie was dead.

Then it stopped.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Syd’s breath caught in his throat and he gripped onto the nurse’s sleeve almost aggressively. “Roxie?” he croaked. “She’s alive? Is she...i-is she alive?”

So weakened by his grief, he was moved into a different room without a fight. Tears stained his face and only when the nurse draped a blanket around his shoulders did he realise he was shaking. “Jeanie and Jane?” he asked in a daze, looking around him to try and work out where he was.

“They’re just getting cleaned up, sir. They’ll be brought to you soon.” The nurse peered through the window towards Roxie’s bed before turning back to him with a practised calm expression. “Can I get you anything?”

“Telephone.”

The woman guided him to a phone booth out in the corridor, hesitating to leave him before finally making her way back to check on Roxie. Syd picked up the phone, turning into the wall with it to hide his face from passersby, and called until he was put through to his parents.

When he heard their voices, Syd grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut to fight back more tears. For several seconds he couldn’t speak and pulled the phone away so they wouldn’t hear him crying. Then the urgency of the situation returned to him and he raised the receiver again, with a glance down the corridor towards Roxie’s room. “Dad? Mam?” he uttered through a strained voice. “The twins...the twins were born. The girls are here. And R-Roxie’s not…” His breath hitched and the fear waved through him again, drawing another sob from him. “Can you c-come to the hospital?”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie, mam, Finn
Misty Gray dad

 

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper​

When Brooklyn confirmed the pass wasn't a fake, Adam raised a curious eyebrow. He shifted on the spot as he tucked his hands into his rear trouser pockets. She explained she hadn't wanted to scare him away given his affiliation with the mob. "Mob? I wouldn't know anything about that lot..." he sarcastically remarked. Brooklyn went on to explain she worked for The Times and was present to report on the auction, rather than New York's organised crime families. Adam removed his hands from his pockets, bringing his arms back into view and folding them at his chest.

Adam wasn't used to long-term relationships or even committing long enough to consider his time spent with a woman as a relationship. It should have been easy to just blow Brooklyn off in that moment and remember in future not to make a habit of seeing women for a second 'date'. Oddly, it didn't feel so easy to do what normally came naturally to him. There was something interesting about Brooklyn that made him feel compelled to see her more than once and for more than just sex. Why couldn't the reporter have been boring?

"Ah, I suppose your company's alright, eh?" he drily remarked, but quickly shook his head. "No. For real. I enjoy your company too." He unfolded his arms, allowing them to relax, before letting out a sigh. "Maybe we can keep seeing each other, but you just can't ask me anything about what I do. Y'know? Reporting on auctions is all great, but there's some things you're better letting slide." The Irish Mob and the Morettis were dangerous, of course, but they weren't the only ones. Politicians and law-makers in the room wouldn't want stories printing either, not when it could uncover their own corruption. Adam didn't think it was safe for Brooklyn to go near the matter of the city's corrupt.

Adam reached out and gently rested his hand on Brooklyn's arm. "How about we go with the flow a bit longer? See where it takes us?" he suggested, flashing a smile. Adam trusted himself not to say anything to Brooklyn that he shouldn't but he still felt compelled to have full transparency by running the potential relationship past Conor. He took his job seriously and had been loyal to the Sullivans for some time, but he was sure he wasn't immune to ending up dead at the bottom of the Hudson River - nor was Brooklyn.

Bellz (Brooklyn)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

The conversation that Lucy was having with her husband and Mitch was pleasant enough and once she saw that Conor and Peter left the Moretti's table she was starting to enjoy herself. A waiter came over to the table to pour another round of champagne when he informed James that their was a phone call for him in the kitchen. Raising her brow, Lucy looked to her husband before excusing them both from Mitch at the table. Despite having had a few pleasant months, Lucy heart sank as her mind began to ponder who was on the other end of the line. The phone that was off the reciever was resting face down on a metal table and Lucy picked it up before James, having a feeling that it was Blake for some reason. "Hello?" Lucy asked and Syd's voice surprised her. He told her that the twins had been born, that they were here but Roxie was not. Looking at James with wide eyes, "We are on our way right now. I love you." With that, she hung up the phone and turned to her husband. "The twins were born. We have to go to the hospital. Roxie's not okay." Taking his hand, the pair headed out of the kitchen back towards the banquet hall but Lucy didn't stop to explain to anyone where they were headed, instead heading straight for the exit.

The bitter cold was shocking on her warm skin, but Lucy ignored that as she walked as quickly as she could. Seeing a figure out of the corner of her eye, Lucy looked and saw Jackson. "Jackson! Come with us, Syd's at the hospital, the twins were born but it sounds like Roxie's not doing well." Waving her arm for him to follow, she assumed the man would want to take his own car as Lucy grabbed the keys from her purse. With no time to question who was driving, Lucy hopped into the drivers seat and waited for James to get in before whipping out of the parking spot and lot and taking off.

Here speeding would have gotten her a ticket but luckily it seemed the cops weren't out in full force this evening. The hospital was busy and the lot looked completely full when they arrived. Lucy had to circle around a few times before finding a spot. Once they were all inside the hospital Lucy led them all towards the delivering wing of the hospital where she found Syd. Running to him, she grasped him tightly in her arms without saying anything. While she was so excited for the birth of her grandchildren, she knew there was no place to express that given what happened. After a moment, Lucy released her son and moved to wipe some of the tears from his face. "What happened? Why are they here so early?"
with: James Misty Gray ; Jackson Enzyme ; Syd Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

It was probably a good thing that Conor and Peter had left the table they'd been at with the Morettis, especially as there hadn't been any raised voices or fists during their interaction. The former boss sat back in a more relaxed position as he continued to speak with Mitch and Lucy. Reaching into his pocket, James retrieved a box of cigarettes, offering them out before lighting one up for himself. The man had taken one drag of the cigarette when one of the hotel staff informed him he had a telephone call. Instinctively, James felt he needed to be cautious, given a recent bad history with phone calls. He stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray and left it there, feeling like he'd be deprived of it the second he'd lit up. "Sorry, Mitch. There's some spare seats at the family table. Conor shouldn't be gone long," he suggested.

Once they reached the telephone, James and Lucy soon heard Syd's voice on the other end of the line. When he explained the twins had already been born, James sent Lucy a somewhat confused expression. It seemed far too early. "Alright, mate. We'll be right over," he calmly assured his son.

As they made a speedy exit out of the hotel, they bumped into Jackson on the way, telling him to come to the hospital too. Lucy didn't give much choice in who was driving as she rushed into the driver's seat. James hadn't had that much to drink but he wasn't going to argue when they just needed to get to the hospital.

When they arrived at the hospital they rushed through the corridors to the delivery wing where they managed to track Syd down. James watched on as Lucy tightly hugged their son. Once they separated, James gave Syd a firm, fatherly embrace. "Are the twins okay?" he asked, following Lucy's question about why they were so early. His face turned a little more serious than normal as he studied Syd for a moment. "You were saying something about Roxie. Where is she?" he asked.

Enzyme Pyroclast Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

Elisabeth Dorrance​

Elisabeth gave Gabriel a polite nod as the man excused himself to return to his family. She placed her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh before recovering and turning back to Rhys as he greeted her. "Please, call me Elisabeth, unless you're as old-fashioned as your boss," she told him. The man continued on to confirm that not only was he a fan of her collection, but he recognised her from the GQ magazines. She accepted his invite and took a seat opposite him at the table. "Clearly, you have taste," she remarked, but followed her comment with a short laugh to confirm she wasn't being genuinely conceited.

As Rhys told her Gabriel hadn't mentioned her before, Elisabeth cocked her head to the side before flashing a smirk. "He never mentioned me? Well, that's a bit of a blow to my ego," she remarked. As Rhys questioned how she and the Italian knew each other, there was a brief pause gifted by the waiter who placed the two drinks on their table. "Thank you," she softly told the waiter, then extended her gratitude to Rhys for ordering it. She took a small sip of the martini before placing the glass down lightly on the table.

"Oh, I haven't known Gabriel for too long. Just a few months. He comes into one of my shops from time to time for new suits or repairs. Although I don't believe that's the only reason. Mr. Moretti is clearly a smart businessman and, aside from liking the designs, I suspect striking a deal with my parents is strongly placed on his agenda. My guess is you're sat with me right now because keeping me sweet would help him with that," she pointed out.

Elisabeth looked over her shoulder, making no secret she was briefly looking to the Morettis, before turning back to Rhys. "Gabriel is nice man. A charming gentleman who's well practised in flattery, but quite the prude. I know when a man is switching on the charm to get what he wants - in his case, to go into business with my family. So one day I played him at his own game and flirted with him, to which he couldn't have rejected any faster if he tried. Now we're at an understanding and he knows to treat me with the same intelligence he would my father. Rest assured, there is nothing untoward about my relationship with him, even if he's still a little embarrassed. Besides, he's quite a few years too old for me!" Elisabeth took another drink from her glass before looking Rhys in the eyes. "What about you, Mr. Caddel? Tell me about yourself. What is your role in the Moretti business?"

Enzyme (Rhys)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

There was nothing more Syd could say down the phone. Even if he had been in a state to properly articulate himself, he still didn’t know enough of what was going on to explain the situation to somebody else. The receiver was left swinging on its cord after Syd failed to properly hang it up, but he didn't notice, nor would he have cared. The corridor was empty and eerily quiet, and he drew the blanket around himself as he drifted back towards the room.

“Where is she?” The nurse spun around to see Syd standing in the doorway, looking at the empty bed where Roxie had given birth. All the surrounding equipment was in disarray, suggesting that she had been transferred to another bed and wheeled out with urgency.

“Sir, I’m afraid you can’t see your wife right now,” she told him, strategically positioning herself to block him from entering the room further. “Premature births come with a lot of risks. The doctors are in the operating theatre with her and cannot be disturbed, but they are doing everything they can for her.” Taking a step forward, she placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Unfortunately we have to be prepared for every outcome. And there is a chance that she won’t survive.”

Syd knocked her hand away and, seeing the fire in his eyes, the nurse distanced herself from him slightly. “And the twins?” he murmured. Time seemed to be moving at an irregular pace and so he had no concept of how long the babies had been gone for.

“They are being looked after,” she said. Now that she was out of his reach, the nurse relaxed and her expression softened into one of sympathy when she looked at him. “It’s just standard procedure for them, sir. You’ll be able to see them soon, alright?”

Syd’s eyes filled with fresh tears but he said nothing in return, only looking away from her so that she might leave him alone. The sight of the empty bed was too much for him. He pulled the blanket from around his shoulders, rolled it up and tossed it onto a nearby chair before stepping back out into the corridor. Anxiety compelled him to walk, but hopelessness slowed him down. The situation was beginning to feel less like a dream and more like a curse. Moments of happiness were few and far between, and while their rarity made them more significant, that intensity was matched in the pain of its absence. Syd didn’t know where he was going. He just wanted to be away. Starting a family with Roxie was the hope that had pulled him from the darkness; it had taken great courage for him to believe in a future, to bet everything on a chance at love and happiness. Now, it was hanging by a thread.

So deeply engrossed in his thoughts, he hadn’t been aware of anyone passing him. But when two people started rushing towards him Syd was reminded of the phone call he had made and quickly realised who it was. Still in a trance, he let Lucy squeeze him tight and rose his arms to hold onto her. As he sank into her arms, the tears returned to his eyes and he almost lost his composure when his father moved in to embrace him, and hugged him back firmly.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, looking down at his mother as she stroked the tears from his cheeks. “She was...screaming about her dad.” Syd frowned. “Maybe it was all the stress. Maybe it’s my fault. We never really talked about what I...what I did.” His eyes glazed over as the last few hours played over in his mind and when he looked at his parents again, a few more tears escaped down his face. “They’re so beautiful, dad.” The faintest of smiles tugged at his trembling lips. “The nurse said I can hold them again soon. Roxie only had Jeanie in her arms for a few seconds before she...she just went…” His face paled as the haunting imagery returned to him. “I don’t know what happened to her, one second she was smiling and then she just slipped and we lost her.” He only just managed to get the words out before he started crying again and raised a hand to his face to catch his tears. “They’re with her now, trying to get her back but I’m just - I’m not prepared to lose her,” he murmured, unable to stop the sobs from pouring out. “She was so in love with them.”

“Syd Porter?”

Syd spun around to see the same nurse standing in the corridor. It was only when following her back to the room that he realised how far he had strayed. His walk broke into a run, overtaking the nurse and not stopping for anything until he reached the door. “Roxie?”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie, Lucy, Finn?
Misty Gray James
Enzyme Jackson

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Elvian Moretti

Elvian watched on as people walked by their table, looking down at her watch. Her husband was still talking to the Porter's, her daughter was, and quite sneakily, speaking with a woman known to be Porter affiliated. She was going to jump to conclusions about the nature of their conversation, but Elvian was no fool. El had always accepted her children with who and what they were and decided to be. Never would she say who they can and can't talk to but a Porter, in public, within eyeshot of her husband was a risky move. Though, if she were, to be honest, Tatiana had always been such a child. She could only hope she didn't do anything else past this time to muck anything up. Her eyes then drifted over to her husband, where he and Rhys had been seen walking away from Conor and Peter. The two of them were still huddled together, irritation present on their faces to which she summed up to be bad news. Since her daughter had yet to return to the table, she flagged down a waitress to get herself and her husband a drink. Tatiana seemed to be content with the conversation she was having, therefore, she wouldn't interrupt. Glancing once more in her husband's direction, she noticed a woman with her hand on his shoulder and very close. Now, Elvian wasn't the jealous type of wife, but she was bored and was going to make a game of it with Gabe. She was prepared for him to be a party pooper but wasn't going to let up. "Did the two of you see-," before she could joke, Marcus had gotten up from the table. The was a confused look on Elvian's face as she called for him, only to be ignored. Teddy shook his head and raised his hands up defensively. "Now you see the reason I don't want kids?" He knocked back his drink and set it on the table, scooting back in his seat as Gabe arrived. "How's it goin' boss? Gonna take a step outside for a moment." Excusing himself, he followed the path Marcus had taken and left Elvian and Gabe alone.

Teddy's words to her husband prepared her for the hand that had touched her shoulder. The kiss that followed was very welcoming, but she had a game to play. "Uh, well the kids went their separate ways to enjoy the night, gather intel, and Teddy, I assume you heard, needed some air. Tatiana gave them both a run for their money when we talked about work and doing whatever was needed to help you on your mission." She said, her left cheek in her left hand while the other traced the rim of the glass placed in front of her. "Nothing truly eventful. How'd your talk go? I assume not very well considering how tense you are." Her head nodded in the direction of the woman from earlier and Rhys. "The girl scout going to give you a massage later?"

Theodore "Teddy" Wycliff

Teddy was grateful to be away from the table for a bit. It wasn't that he didn't want to be around Gabe and Elvie, it was more so he was tired of sitting. The entire evening, he had bet on things, watched other people bet on things, and people watched. It was the first time being out at a party where he wasn't hitting on a woman and trying to take her home. In fact, he hadn't taken anyone home here in New York for a bit since he had put together his proposal for Gabe. It's as if someone had made him lose interest in other women... He chuckled to himself at the thought of this, telling him not to be crazy. Settling down with one woman and starting a family with that person was never something he was interested in. But, then again, Elvian constantly talking about it did make him want to rethink the idea of it. Wouldn't it be nice to be with one person for the rest of your life? Little mini-me's running around with a dog breaking things, their mother calling out to chastise them. Maybe it was also his near-death experience that was causing him to think of things like this but whatever the case may be, it was now like a parasite in his mind. Thanks, El.

When he finally set his eyes upon Marcus, he put his hands in his pockets to keep them warm. It was colder out than he expected and it hit him unexpectedly. He reached into his pocket to take out a pack of cigarettes, a nasty habit he began not too long ago that he was now about to kick to the curb. He'd heard it helped calm your nerves, but it wasn't working for him. Plus, it was hindering his running in the morning. But right now, it was going to keep him warm. He lit one and took in a deep breath before clearing his throat. "You know, woman are always like vipers. They strike fast and you're lucky to survive them if you think even faster."
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