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

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Lucy Porter
Finn Sullivan ​

Lucy listened as Syd told them what exactly was happening and the woman lifted a hand, placing it over her mouth in disbelief. Everything was going so right for her son and his girlfriend and to hear that it was all torn away from them was tragic. Shaking her head softly in denial, she just couldn’t except that Roxie was gone. Hearing that the doctor’s were doing everything they could to save her was reassuring but the situation looked grim. Syd started to sob and Lucy was about to wrap her arms around him again when a nurse called out her son’s name. Looking from the nurse to James and Jackson, Lucy prayed silently in her head that whatever the nurse had to say was good news.

Syd followed her quickly and Lucy made sure that they weren’t too far behind but then he broke into a run and he disappeared around the corner...

”Shhh...it’s okay.” Roxie murmured in a whisper to her twin girls in her arms. Her whole body felt heavy and tired but she refused to let the girls go anywhere despite the nurses insisting she needed rest. Syd’s voice called her name and she tiredly looked up from Jeanie and Jane to see him looking her with disbelief. A small smile formed on her face as she nodded her head for him to come forward. ”Try to whisper, little Janey is almost asleep.” She murmured to him and when he was by her bedside, she smiled even wider at him. ”Can you believe this? Their little fingers can’t even wrap around mine. Here.” Adjusting herself slightly, she started to loosen her grip so that Syd could take Jeanie. Once he had her Roxie moved to grab his arm, squeezing it gently. ”We are parents.” She said, her eyes though tired were full of adoration and love for him and their girls.

There was a light knock on the door and Roxie looked to find Lucy, James, Jackson and Finn all crowded outside of the door. ”Can we come in?” Lucy asked gently and Roxie smiled, nodding her head. ”Of course.” She said and Jane yawned before closing her giant blue eyes again. Lucy tip toed in her heels towards Syd’s side and looked at the tiniest baby she’d ever seen in his arms. ”Oh my goodness, I’m in love.” She cooed. Finn stayed back towards the door but smiled at the scene before him. ”Word travels fast around this hospital. After I was out of surgery I booked it over, I’m so glad you both and your little ones are okay.” He expressed to which Roxie smiled towards him. ”Wasn’t my time to go. I was told I was needed here, with Syd and our girls.” She said before looking down at Jane again, who was now completely asleep in her arms. "Lucy, James? Would you like to hold her?" She asked and Lucy immediately nodded her head before coming over to Roxie's other side to pick Jane up. Roxie knew she didn't have to tell Lucy how to handle her child, so she loosened her grip and let Lucy take Jane into her arms. "Oh my god, she's so tiny." Lucy murmured before stepping beside James to show their granddaughter off to him, Jackson and Finn. "Hi pretty baby." She cooed and Roxie turned her head to look to Syd with a proud smile on her face before letting her head rest back against the stack of pillows they had given her for support to sit upright.
with: James Misty Gray ; Syd Pyroclast ; Jackson Enzyme ; me

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti​

Gabriel had be quite irritated to have both Marcus and Teddy leave the family table as he returned, but he decided he would raise such disappointment once they were all somewhere more private. Then Elvian explained they were all gathering intelligence in their own way, which Gabriel hoped was accurate and as such he would retract his desire to be frustrated with them. "Well, I can't argue with them using their own initiative," he muttered. He let out a slight chuckle when he heard Tatiana had been giving the men a run for their money.

"My talk with the Irish rats went pretty much as expected, disappointingly. They didn't have to suffer for the mistakes of James Porter, but it appears they're happy to do so if it means salvaging their pride." Gabriel shrugged his shoulders, confident he continued to have the upper hand. Then Elvian brought Elisabeth Dorrance into the conversation and made a comment about her giving him a massage later. Presumably, his wife had seen the hands-on young woman being exactly that. "I certainly hope she will not!" he immediately responded, his tone sounding offended. "Christ, Elvian! Why would you even suggest such a thing? The only massages I want are the ones from you." Gabriel hoped his wife wasn't accusing him of anything, because such a conversation would be most unpleasant.

Gabriel could have continued on with reasons why Elvian should not concern herself about any other woman, but their conversation was interrupted when they were approached by two Moretti employees who hadn't been inside the hotel until that point. Remy and Luca had been hoping to find one of Moretti's kids, Teddy, or even Rhys first, but as fate would have it, they had to address Gabriel directly. "Boss--"

"What is it?" Gabriel asked the two men, not appreciating them leaving their posts and interrupting the events inside the hotel.

"So, um," Luca began, looking to Remy for support before looking back to the Morettis, deciding it was safer making eye-contact with Elvian than with Gabriel. "We've received word that Valentina is in the hospital. She never made it to that party but she was found unconscious at the back of your restaurant in Murray Hill." Perhaps not wanting to panic his employers, or more likely too afraid, Luca decided to be vague. "The doctors are keeping her in while they monitor her, but that's all I know. I think they're waiting for you both to get there. We've got a car waiting for you both out by the side door..."

Gabriel told Luca to inform Marcus, Valentina, Teddy and Rhys of what was happening, saying they'd be contacted from the hospital as soon as possible. Luca did precisely that. Remy accompanied Gabriel, Elvian and the driver to the hospital.

*******​

Once at the hospital, Gabriel and Elvian were met by one of the doctors who informed them of Valentina's condition before they were taken to the hospital room she was being kept in. The doctor told them Valentina's left wrist had been fractured and she was suffering from a significant concussion which was being monitored. Furthermore, they were advised she had bruising and cuts to her face, limbs and torso. After being informed of their daughter's injuries, they were allowed to enter the room which was being watched from the corridor by a police officer and one of Gabriel's employees.

Upon entering the room, Gabriel closed the door behind himself and Elvian. For a time he remained standing by the door, unsure if he was ready to see one of his children in such a bad state. After a brief pause, he approached the bed and looked to his daughter who was covered by a sheet up to her chest, with her arms exposed on the outside of the cover. Her face was swollen, with bruising as well as a cuts to her cheekbone and lip. He glanced down to acknowledge the bandage that wrapped her fractured wrist until the swelling had gone down enough for it to be placed in a cast. Seeing his injured daughter with IV tubes and a heart-rate monitor attached to her whilst she remained under sedation, Gabriel felt a wave of nausea overcome him. Her injuries were clearly not the result of an accident and it was upsetting to know she'd been purposely attacked, then left alone on some backstreet until a passerby could discover her. Gabriel gently squeezed his daughter's healthy hand before he put his arm around Elvian's shoulder to pull her in close. "Those bastards will pay for this," he darkly hissed under his breath. It felt easier to express his anger and the desire for revenge against Valentina's attackers, as it allowed him to stay strong for his wife and family. Deep down, Gabriel was devastated. Seeing any of his children hurt was his worst nightmare, one he didn't outwardly express, instead always masking it behind strict rules and lectures. Now it had become a reality, he felt a sickness in the pit of his stomach and a level of upset he always did his best not to show. "Cowards. How could anyone do this?" he bitterly asked.

Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian)
Mentions: Pyroclast (Tatiana) RayPurchase (Marcus) Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy) Enzyme (Rhys)
(Realistically, Gabe would have probably dragged the kids, at least, along, but I don't want to pull them away from their scenes so soon. So it's your choice when they hear about Valentina from Luca.

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

“But you know what you want,” Ron pointed out, resting his gentle gaze on her. “You want a life with Jason and your daughter. Family life. It’s not much to ask for, considering they both love you a great deal.” At this, Jason looked over to Gwen with a warm smile. “You’re probably right, life isn’t going to be the same - but Gwen, wasn’t the reason you came to this place to redefine what ‘normal’ means? At the end of this road, there’s a life for you out there that isn’t ruled by heroin. That’s the goal you’ve gotta work towards. And look, the temptation may always lie deep within you, your life might not be the same as it was back before you got hooked, but living with nothing more than temptation is the next best thing.” Ron leaned forward in his seat, looking deep into her eyes to make sure she would take in his words. “You are a very strong and determined woman, Gwen. With perseverance, I have every faith that you will take back control, and live the life you want.”

It wasn’t the ideal time of day to be lying out in the garden - it wasn’t the warmest of temperatures, and the setting sun would soon leave them in the dark. But Jason liked to find somewhere quiet to recharge after group therapy, where he could ponder over the topic of the session or otherwise clear his head. While he saw the benefit of talking in a group, it was often emotionally draining and at times certain patients created unnecessary tension that then required some undoing. With the gentle rustling of the trees, the chirping of cicadas and Gwen at his side, Jason felt utterly at peace.

“First stars are comin’ out,” he uttered, peering up at the hazy pink and blue sky. “I wonder what they have in store for us.” Reflecting on what the therapist had talked about in the session, Jason narrowed his eyes and gave a pensive sigh. “I think...that things are goin’ t’be better after this. I do. I think we’re after makin’ a good decision, comin’ here and fixin’ our problems. A lot of people don’t do that. But us...we’ve a good life ahead of us, so we do.”

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[RayPurchase]

Johnny -



The wad of saliva hit Johnny’s back, the warmth of it slowly dribbling down the back of his jacket. He slowly raised his hand to his collar, as he pulled it away the saliva glistened under the artificial lighting of the carpark. He was grinning as he turned back, in fact within a few moments that grin had moved up into a laugh, a deep belly filled thing that seemed to be of genuine enjoyment. Of course the laughter ended soon enough as Johnny launched his fist at Amatao’s face, aiming squarely for the jaw, despite his shorter build, the rather square face offered a good target. He followed it up with something akin to a rugby tackle, wrapping his arms around Amato’s waist and attempting to drive him back into one of the Moretti vehicles, all the while that wild grin plastered on his face. Like hell they were going to stick with guard duty, this is what they should have been doing all along. Already he could hear Chase lurching into action, Jasmine most likely not very far behind. He had faith that they could handle themselves, probably dish out a fair bit of punishment too. Right now though he only had eyes for one person, the gobby little shit who had decided to mess up his jacket.

Tony -



This is what Tony had been waiting for, a proper scrap. Gabe would probably draw the line at deaths given what was going on in the hotel above them, however surely he wouldn't complain about a few cracked skulls and ribs. Especially when they were being inflicted on the other side. The southerner had made a bee line for Amato, and Ethan was dealing with a bloodied nose as he pushed his assailant off of him. His eyes met Jasmine’s and he flashed her a wink.

“Don’t worry Toots, you can scrape your friends off the floor when we’re done,”

It was amazing what a bit of adrenaline did for Tony’s state of mind. He unbuttoned his jacket and rolled out his shoulders quickly brushing past Ethan.

“Take 5 and clear your nose,”

And with that he launched a viscous headbut towards Chase, hoping to catch him unsettled from his collision with Jasmine. Get him out of the fight nice and early, and the remaining pair will be easy pickings.

(Interactions: Misty Gray Jasmine, Ethan
Pyroclast Chase
Enzyme Amato)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor listened as Nikolai began speaking of rising and falling empires. It soon became clear the Russian was in attendance to end the relationship and arrangement that he'd put in place with James some years ago. With mention of finding trade with South America, Conor raised a curious eyebrow, figuring that given the close relationship the Irish had with the Cubans, the obvious ones were the Colombians. He knew Nikolai wasn't entertaining the idea of bringing down the price he had with the Irish, and Conor certainly wasn't in a position to begin challenging whatever it was the Russian's new avenue was offering.

Whether Conor was already pushed beyond the point of arguing for one evening or it was simply down to how respectfully the Russian had approached the subject, Conor simply nodded his head when told their families would be parting ways. There wasn't capacity to go to war with the Russians when there was one to fight in New York against the Italians. When Nikolai informed him the Morettis had been gaining support from other families, it was clear Conor would have to do the same, as well as strengthening existing alliances.

"Thanks for the heads up and I'm sure by now we all know how slimy the Italian enemies are," he remarked, referring back to the start of their partnership against the Romanos. "Goodbye, Mr. Kuznetsov," Conor levelly told him, with a single nod.

Once the three Russians were gone, Conor turned back to look out over the city, reaching for his glass so he could down the rest of his drink. For many, that skyline was beautiful and full of hope. To Conor, the city was cold and unfeeling, no doubt matching the personality of the bastard who wished to take it from him. Jack Sullivan had once ruled the city with an iron fist, with nobody threatening his throne. By the time Liam inherited New York, the Italians had already started to slither their way onto the streets. James inherited an empire with cracks that required extreme measures to repair, yet Gabriel managed to rise from the ashes of his massacred family. Indeed, like a cockroach. In theory, that cockroach had just made an offer to Conor that was undeniably tempting; to return to taking full control of business in Dublin and the surrounding cities, all the while being compensated for the New York assets. But Conor had too much pride to give in to the Italians, and certainly wasn't about to spend only a few months in charge only to give away the business James had spend the last seven years fighting for. He didn't care what outsiders thought of him, but his own family losing respect for him would be impossible to overcome. He'd been left a war to deal with and now one of their most powerful allies had jumped ship. It was hard not to feel a little pissed off that it would be on his head if the Morettis won. He hadn't been involved in the assassination of Francesco Moretti and family, yet he was now taking the heat for that decision. As frustrating as it all was, he wasn't going to back down and if that meant strengthening the support of their allies to win the war against the Morettis, then he would do so without haste.

Leaving his glass on the wall, Conor turned to head back inside. As he did, he noticed two of the Moretti lot; Marcus and Teddy. He slowed his pace as he looked to them and flashed a smirk. "You've got the right idea staying out here, away from the shit-show inside," he remarked, before continuing on indoors. As he looked around the venue, it didn't escape his attention that James and Lucy had managed to sneak off. Even more curiously, Gabriel Moretti himself seemed to have left the the event too. Presumably he'd already got what he came for.

Conor reclaimed his seat at the family table, putting his arm around Aliana, who was sat with Peter and Sinead. Noting some of their table's occupants were out of their seats, he let out a small scoff. "Was it too much to ask everyone to sit this thing out until the fucking end?" he asked, regardless of if the language offended his sister. "I don't even know why James bothered showing up at all. His Russian mate's jumped ship and he wasn't even here to take some of the heat for it." Conor removed his arm from around Aliana so he could pour himself a glass of water from the jug in the centre of the table. He shrugged his shoulders and looked to Peter who had been unlucky enough to have to sit with Gabriel and Rhys too. "Don't worry, ladies. Moretti tried to pay us off and send us all back to Dublin, but I told him to shove it. Me and Pete will keep up this fight, alright?"

Sinead glared at her brother before groaning. "Don't be tetchy with us, Conor!" she protested whilst keeping her voice at a normal level. On the inside, she couldn't help but wonder if going back to Dublin wasn't so bad. Anything to avoid more death and torture. Anything for a more peaceful life. Such thoughts she knew not to express given Conor's existing level of frustration.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Bellz (Peter) Enzyme (Nikolai)
Mention: RayPurchase (Marcus) Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)
(...not sure if Mitch joined this table after Jimbo and Lucy left.)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James returned Syd's smile with a proud one of his own as his son spoke of the twins being beautiful. However, the smile soon dropped at mention of something happening to Roxie, apparently suggesting she hadn't survived through childbirth. James looked to Lucy to see if she'd heard the same thing as he had. Syd soon elaborated to say the doctors were trying to bring her back, which gave at least some hope. "Okay, Syd. Don't give up--" James fell silent when the nurse called Syd's name, prompting the new father to follow her to the room Roxie was in.

After allowing for a brief pause to give Syd and the nurse chance to enter Roxie's room, James rested his hand on Lucy's waist and walked with her, Jackson and even Finn, to the room. Lucy knocked on the door and the four of them entered once Roxie permitted them to. James sent Roxie a smile and a nod, relieved to see she was okay. James quietly followed Lucy and sort of hovered over her shoulder as he followed her gaze to the tiny baby girl Syd was holding. "Ah, well isn't she smashing? Adorable little lass," he commented, his cheeks reddening at the warm scene.

James' attention was then drawn to Roxie and baby Jane, as the new mother asked if he and Lucy wanted to hold her. Thankfully, Lucy had jumped at the chance and delicately took Jane in her own arms. He was a little concerned about picking up such small, fragile babies in case he did something wrong. "Too tiny for my big man hands," he remarked. Still, he placed his arm around Lucy and took a closer look at Jane as his wife continued to hold her. "Ah, they're both pretty little lasses. Princesses!" he happily told them. He glanced between Syd and Roxie, relieved to see they'd both made it this far and had two precious daughters to keep them going. "You're not getting broody over there are ya, lads?" he teased Jackson and Finn.

Enzyme (Jackson) Bellz (Lucy, Roxie, Finn) Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Bryant ​

Ron always had a way of reassuring Gwen's doubts, spinning her words into a positive instead of a negative. Gwen did her best to listen attentively, but her knee bounced up and down nervously the whole time. Despite having been clean for months, Gwen still craved heroin when life was starting to get hard, when she felt anxious, when she wanted to just forget the world around her. Ron's words about her being a strong and determined woman made her smile slightly and he assured her that he had faith in her. Looking towards Jason, she knew that he had faith in her too. Lorelei was far to young to understand what she was going through but she knew her daughter was always her number one supporter. She already had this little family that she felt she didn't deserve. With silence, the session ended and they were all sent on their way. Gwen ended up following Jason outside into the beautiful little garden. Sitting on a bench, she shuffled closer to him for warmth and wrapped her arms around his body as they sat in silence for a while. The sky was colored with pastels and Jason pointed out the first stars were coming out.

He went on to wonder what they would have in store for them and Gwen gazed at the brightest star above them. So far, everything that happened to them seemed like some sort of curse but being in rehab was good, at least as good as it could get. "I think I'm ready, you know?" Gwen blurted out after a moment. Turning to look Jason in the eyes, Gwen mustered a smile for him before it faded. "I know it goes against what I've been told, but I think I'm ready to face the world again. I hate it here, and I know that sounds horrible but having a constant reminder of my addiction is just weighing down on me now. And I really miss my baby." She murmured softly before sighing and looking out towards the darkening sky.

"There is always going to be this dark cloud hanging over my head, like my therapist said. Like Ron said too, the temptation is always going to be there. But I think I can handle it now...I really do." Clearing her throat a bit, it was always emotional for her to talk about being able to control herself. Sighing once more, Gwen took Jason's hand in hers, "I love you so much, it's taken us this long to get to where we need to be, but I think we are going to make it through anything after this."

"I think I'm ready to go home. How about you?"
with: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

It didn’t exactly come as a surprise to hear Gwen say that she felt ready. Jason understood what she meant without having to ask, just like he knew how much she longed to go home again. If anything, the only unexpected thing was his instant acceptance of it. It was the kind of thing a desperate person might lie about, pretending to be fine to get what they wanted - especially with Lorelei as an incentive - but because the couple had addressed their history of lying to each other in depth, Jason trusted that Gwen wouldn’t do that to him. “I know you do, love,” he murmured softly, drawing her in closer with the arm he had wrapped around her.

“You know, I believe you can, too,” he said, when she told him she could handle the temptation. “And I’m goin’ t’be here wit’ ye the whole time, if that’s what you want. If you want me to move in for a time to help you settle in again, and it’s okay wit’ your family, then that’s what I’ll do. There isn’t anythin’ I wouldn’t do for you, Gwen.” Toying idly with her soft, slender fingers, Jason tilted his head back and gazed up at the stars. “Just as long as you’re sure this is the best thing for you. And if you feel like you need to come back here, then tell me honestly. At the end of the day, it’s your decision...and whatever you decide, I’ll support.”

Her words led him to reflect briefly on the journey they had taken together. Against all odds, all the moves they had made, down to the tiniest circumstance that could have changed everything, had in the end led them back to each other. It had to be fate. No matter what happened from now on, Jason would always be grateful to have found love with her. A tender smile touched his lips and he turned to kiss the top of her head. “I love you, too, Gwen.” He paused. “You know I’m only in this place so we’d be together, right? I know I slipped up a few months ago, but on the whole, my life had straightened out. I’ve had a hard-knock life, but I’m a lot happier these days, a lot more stable in myself. More at peace with the world. I’ve got you to thank for that.” Not wanting to bait her into putting on a brave face for him like she had before, Jason tried to avoid putting any pressure on her to achieve the same happiness and peace. But deep down, he hoped that he could help her get there. “You know what we could do,” he suggested, in a cunning sort of tone. “Is surprise Lorelei with your return.”

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Enzyme]

Amato Castello​

As Johnny stopped in his tracks, Amato’s aggressive demeanor spiked, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “What? What you gonna’ do, Molasses?” Amato raised his arms out wide with a deranged smile on his face.

Amato’s attention was briefly caught by Chase’s fist connecting with Ethan’s nose. The hit was thrown with little held back and the crack was enough to send the birds fluttering off the telephones poles. By the time Amato looked back to his own adversary, he felt three here knuckles dig into his buried jawline.

“Motha’ fucker!” Amato stammered as he struggled to maintain his footing. His hands instinctively floated to his face to adjust his glasses, but before he could fit the nose piece back in it’s place, two powerful arms wrapped around his waist entirely.

There was a brief second where Amato’s stubby feet left the ground, where everything slowed down to a snail’s pace. His mind raced wildy as it braced for impact with the ground, but instead it found the hood of a Moretti Cadillac. In an instant, the thin metal caved in to the round shape of Amato’s spine. Oof!

Amato slumped over Johnny’s shoulder as the air was squeezed from his lungs. Through the suffocating sputters, Amato’s right hand frantically shifted for his waistband. “You’re dead!” Amato squeaked through the shortness of breath, brandishing a wooden baton from his belt loop. In one swift motion, he brought the broad tip down on the back of Johnny’s ribs.

Keeping Johnny pinned to his waist, Amato slammed the thick baton down repeatedly in an attempt to break Johnny’s hold and send him to the concrete. “Get the fuck off me!” Every heavy strike that landed would undoubtedly leave painful bruises that the Southern would feel for weeks to come.

RayPurchase (Johnny)

 

[Bellz]

Rebel Holt ​

Rebel was surprised at what the mysterious woman had to say about them being enemies. The woman pointed out that she didn't even know Rebel's name and had no reason to hate her. Pulling a confused expression, Tatianna didn't skip a beat before agreeing with Rebel that it was the dress. Looking down at the dress, feeling deeply self conscious, Rebel shuffled from foot to foot before moving to lean against the bar on her right arm, hip jutted out. Tatianna then asked why she would wear the dress if she wasn't comfortable wearing it. Blinking a few times, the question through Rebel off. Normally, Rebel was the first one to say no to things that made her extremely uncomfortable but of course, she didn't want to say no to Mrs. Porter. Despite her being married, Rebel had somewhat of a small crush on the older pretty blonde. She wasn't going to admit it to this stranger but ultimately, she wore the dress to impress Lucy. She respected her boss enough to never take interactions with her too far, but she could at least make an impression on the woman.

Tatianna smiled at her slightly before accusing her of being someone she's not. Narrowing her eyes, Rebel shook her head and smirked. "I just have a hard time saying no to a pretty face...and I mean, I think I could get use to dressing like this if I really tried." A few drinks that she had ordered were sat in front of her and Rebel looked from them to the table she was sitting at, wondering if anyone was expecting her to return right away. "I guess you are right about the whole enemies thing. I mean, I know your name...but that's because I'm suppose to. A name is not exactly classified information. But the fact that you don't know mine means I'm doing my job right." Her smirking grew wider as she lifted her drink, whiskey on the rocks and took a slow, deliberate sip...her eyes never leaving Tatianna's. Once she set the glass down, Rebel looked away a moment to control the heat that was rising in her cheeks before looking towards the table Tati had been sitting at. "So tell me, since you have no reason to hate me. What reason do you have to hate the Porter's? I mean, is it just because of your dad? or do you have your own reason?"

Now that they had made this sort of connection, Rebel was going to try and dissect this woman. On the subject of hate, Rebel could not deny this woman's beauty dressed up in delicious red. Rebel was starting to realize that she seemed to have a knack for pining over women she just couldn't have and in all honesty, it excited her. Her eyes glanced back over to the Porter table and for a moment she wondered if she would get in trouble for conversing with Tatianna. But Conor and Peter had talked to Gabriel...this night was suppose to be even ground...no fighting or feuding. If anything, she'll just have to tell Conor that she was trying to get some information out of Tatianna. It wasn't too far off from the truth. For all he would know, her flirtatious behavior could be to get her more comfortable to spill the beans.
with: Tatianna Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Chase Zegarra

By nature, Chase wasn’t the fighting type. He had always been quiet, obedient and level-headed. Bullied as a child, but never the bully himself. It was only since moving to New York to work for the Irish Mob that he found himself in combat, be it with bare knuckled fists or semi-automatic pistols. Despite the years of experience their assailants likely had on him, however, it wasn’t difficult for Chase to get into the right mindset once it became personal.

If he hadn’t been so angry he might have felt more satisfaction from seeing Ethan’s nose bleed. His fists clenched once again when the man turned around. Of course he was expecting him to fight back, but his attempt to block him wasn’t enough to avoid a harsh blow to the cheekbone. He barely had time to register the immediate throbbing pain before he was pushed backwards into Jasmine. It took some effort to keep his balance. “You okay?” he quickly asked, looking into her eyes for reassurance as he paused to catch his breath. She confirmed with a small nod that she was unhurt and stepped out of the way, and it was then that Chase caught sight of Lucy, James and Jackson exiting the building and heading towards the cars that they were supposed to be guarding. A pang of guilt and concern hit him, but just as he was about to step out of the fight and call over to them, something slammed hard into the side of his head, sending him to the ground with a heavy grunt.

That’s when he should have stopped. His head was pounding, the Porters were on the scene and on a practical level, he still had guard duties to fulfil that required him to be alert. But something drove him on. Perhaps it was the idea of what the thugs might do to Jasmine, or the fact that it was him who had thrown the first punch which therefore made him partly responsible for the fight that Johnny was now engaged in. Whatever it was, he decided that as long as he was still awake, he couldn’t back down and let the others deal with the aftermath of his emotion-driven actions.

Pushing himself off the ground as fast as he could, he reached up to grab Tony’s coat, using him to haul himself up onto his feet as he pulled the man off balance and swung him against the side of one of Moretti’s cars. Without hesitation, Chase yanked the car door open and slammed it against Tony’s head. It brought him no satisfaction at all, but at this point, he just wanted to win as soon as possible without damaging the mob's reputation in the eyes of their enemies.

Interactions
Misty Gray Jasmine, Ethan
RayPurchase Tony, Johnny
Enzyme Amato (and Jackson, if he wants an excuse for being late to the hospital lol)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

After escaping the confines of the parking lot, Jackson's original plan was to meet up with the family inside the fundraiser. As he roamed the halls, an uneasy feeling washed over him - a sense of dread. He couldn't quite put his finger on what the feeling's origins were, but after many years of meditation, he found himself following his instincts rather than fighting them. After finding a comfortable chair in the hall to perch upon, he rested his weary head against the cold wall. With access to a handle of whiskey right in his coat pocket, his metallic flask kept him all the more content with staying away from the charity event.

As he closed his eyes to rest, the sounds of footsteps pounding echoed throughout the hall. At first, Jackson had assumed the sounds to be his stress manifesting itself into an audible thumping. As the steps grew louder, however, he cocked his eye to see Lucy and James running past. Visual confusion wrapped Jackson's face as he sat up from his chair, his mind instantly jumping to the worst-case scenario. In a blind haze, Lucy spilled out the situation as she zipped by, and it seemed Jackson wasn't too far off. "What do you mean, 'she's not doing well'?" Jackson blurted out, but his question was left hanging as the pair sprinted out of the hall.

Jackson pushed open the doors into the whipping wind, which subsequently slammed the glass against the brick wall. He had no time to assess the damage he had done and instead made a b-line for his parked car. While Jackson was originally comfortable with the idea of driver's taking him from point A to point B whenever he wished, Jackson had decided that if he were going to spend another few months in New York, he'd need his own form of transportation that was 100% reliable - for times like these specifically. He had "settled" on a maroon 1970 Plymouth, which was resting idly in the parking lot next to several cars Johnny and CO had been ordered to protect. Looking over the hood of his Plymouth, he could see that the group was standing toe-to-toe with Moretti's men. Fuckin' hell. Jackson gave the sight only a moment before he jumped into the driver's seat.

To call his journey to the hospital, "reckless" would be a severe understatement. New York was jam-packed, as per usual, but today Jackson didn't plan on slowing down for anybody. Redlights were run, and sidewalks were run over. At one point, the flashing lights of a cruiser appeared in his review mirror, but after throwing the Plymouth into fifth gear, they were quickly overcome by the sea of vehicles Jackson had cut through.

Jackson only stopped to think once his bumper hit the parking block. There he was, Lenox Hill Hospital. For some reason, he was struggling to catch his breath, and for the first time, he noticed the cold sweats beading down his hairline. His eyes scaled up to the tall hospital in front of him as an eerie sensation whirled around in the pit of his stomach. Syd had been on a steady recovery the past few weeks with an undeniable sense of progress. If something dreadful had happened to Roxie, there was no telling what would happen to his godson. Jackson's hand moved for his waistband, feeling the cool steel of his Walther PPK. He pulled the handgun from its holster and pulled back the slide an inch to make sure a round was loaded in the chamber. With one last deep breath, he shoved the handgun back in his pants and stepped out of the car.

"Lucy, James," Jackson hushed voice called out to the pair after spotting them outside Roxie's room. As he fast-walked closer, he spotted Finn as well. Everyone appeared to be there, except for Syd. Before he could utter another word, the door was opened and they all filed in. To just about everyone's relief, Roxie was holding the babies in bed and they all looked perfectly healthy. Jackson let out an audible sigh as his hand found his chest. Soon enough, his toothy smile curled upon his lips.

"How ya' doin', mate?" Jackson asked, squeezing Syd's shoulder. To no one's surprise, the babies were absolutely beautiful and with only a quick glance, Jackson could already spot prominent features that the babies' shared from both their parents. Jackson smiled at James' comment about him and Finn brooding, as it at least felt accurate. "I'm not much of a crier, but don't push me today," Jackson joked, stepping closer to Lucy as she cradled her granddaughter. "May I?" Jackson asked delicately, offering his hands out.

Bellz (Lucy/Roxie/Finn) Pyroclast (Syd) Misty Gray (James)

 

[Misty Gray]

Ethan Turner and Jasmine Carpenter​

Things had seemed to rapidly spiral downward as the men around Jasmine were finished with words and instead making the fight a physically violent one. It didn't matter to her that Chase had thrown the first punch, considering the way Ethan had used sickening verbal tactics to practically invite the Cuban to punch him. Not to mention, Amato had been filthy enough to spit on Johnny and evoke a similar reaction from her other friend. She fully supported Chase's reaction.

After Ethan had retaliated against Chase, Tony stepped in, making a patronising comment towards her before he gave the butcher a short reprieve. The tall Cockney man moved in to headbutt Chase, causing Jasmine to tense up at the sight. She stepped forward towards the two men, but was intercepted when Ethan held his arm out in front of her. "You'll keep out of it, if you know what's good for ya, little girl. No need to get your pretty little face messed up, is there?" he coldly advised. He lowered his arm, deciding she'd got the message to back off.

Jasmine tightened her jaw as she tried not to react to being yet again taunted on account of being female. She turned her head to see Chase fighting back against Tony, slamming a car door into the man's head. That at least gave her some satisfaction, as well as the fact it was the Moretti-owned vehicle taking some damage. Her eyes returned to Ethan as the man watched on, chuckling to himself as he watched the scene. The look in his eyes gave her the impression he wasn't going to remain on the sidelines for too long and that would mean outnumbering either Johnny or Chase. As the butcher lifted his arm to wipe the blood from his nose onto his sleeve, Jasmine saw the knife handle poking out from the side pocket of his jacket. None of them would be stupid enough to use a gun and alert the whole area to their fight, but the bladed weapon the butcher had on him could do a lot of damage without alerting witnesses. In a swift move, Jasmine lifted her hand up to collide with Ethan's wrist, causing him to effectively hit himself in an already broken nose that he'd been trying to clear of blood. With her other hand, she swiped the retracted hunter's knife from his pocket.

"Fucking bitch!" Ethan spat out as her attack had sent fresh pain surging through his already injured nose. After a brief moment to gather his senses, Ethan swung his free arm, his fist forcefully hitting Jasmine's cheek and eye-socket. He'd had no intention of fighting a woman, but she'd put herself in the firing line and opened herself up to being targeted the second she attacked him.

Jasmine had expected a violent retaliation, but if it distracted the man from potentially outnumbering her friends and with a knife, she was prepared to take it. Still, the weight behind Ethan's punch had caught her by surprise and stunned her. It was powerful enough to cause her to lose her balance anyway, but Jasmine helped it along and allowed herself to fall to the ground if only to buy her some time to conceal the knife she'd stolen from the butcher. She heard Ethan tell her to stay down. She brought her hand to her throbbing face for a moment, certain no serious damage had been caused but expecting she'd have a big shiner to show for it by the morning. The safest thing for herself would have been to stay down as the man had instructed, but the fact he'd told her to do it motivated her more to get back up. Jasmine let out a groan before getting back up to her feet and dusting off the dirt from her hands. The longer she had the man's attention, the less time he had to turn his focus onto the others.

"Perhaps consider your next move, lady, because you won't get back up next time," Ethan eerily warned her. He refused to break his stare at the apparently stubborn woman until she backed down first.


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

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Considering the scene he had previously left, the one he returned to seemed almost suspiciously serene. The fear and premature grief that had gripped him had left him in a heightened state, and so his first thought was that he had experienced a lapse of reality, that it was possible the panic brought on by Roxie giving birth early had driven him to live out one of his nightmares in some sort of fugue state. Syd blinked at the sight of her, in bed with a baby girl in each arm. As though completely unaware of her sudden, momentary death, Roxie smiled his way and beckoned him over with a nod of her head. He looked at the nurse who had called him in, now busy tidying the room. She looked equally calm.

Syd moved slowly over to Roxie and perched beside her, careful not to rock the bed. When she passed Jeanie to him, he cradled her in the palms of his hands, her tiny pink feet softly kicking the air, and was instantly transfixed. A light squeeze on his arm made him lean in towards Roxie and he turned his head to look at her when she spoke the magic words he had always dreamed of hearing. They were parents. For a while, he was too overcome to speak until he caught Jeanie gazing up at him with curious, marble blue eyes. A soft breath of laughter escaped him and, holding her up beside Jane, said, “They have your eyes.”

The click of the door caught his attention and he watched his parents file in, followed by Jackson and Finn. The peaceful, dreamy smile on his face was a sharp contrast to the sobbing, shaking wreck he had been just a few moments before. He had been shown a glimpse of a life without Roxie, but fortunately that grim alternate reality was erased faster than it could fully sink in. Now, he could just be happy.

Syd’s smile drifted between each member of his family as they all took in the moment for themselves. When Lucy came over he felt a surge of pride knowing that he had finally made her a grandmother, and he looked back down to Jeanie, stroking the delicate skin of her face with pure adoration. Roxie’s light reference to her near-death experience caused Syd to raise his head in curiosity. Her words at least confirmed that he hadn’t imagined it all, but that wasn’t much of a consolation to him. He was too busy wondering who had told her that her time on Earth was not complete, that she had to stay for him and their daughters. It didn’t seem like the kind of thing her late father would have said, unless there was a side of him he didn’t know about. Or perhaps there was someone else she had lost previously that she had never mentioned.

His thoughts were interrupted by a squeeze of the shoulder and he looked up to see Jackson standing over him. It meant a lot to have his Godfather there with him during one of the biggest moments of his life. Only a few months ago, the man hadn’t even been in New York and yet somehow he had managed to show up for him at every possible opportunity since his arrival. A huge smile spread across his face, his tearful eyes gleaming with pride. “Jackson...It’s the best feeling in the world.”

In a state of such peace and happiness, Syd would have given everyone in that room a hug if he hadn’t been so focused on holding little Jeanie. “Dad, don’t be daft,” he lightly teased his father. “Bring those big man hands over here and give her a cuddle.” Still keeping his eyes on Jeanie, he laughed at James’ suggestion that the babies were making Finn and Jackson broody. Once he was close, Syd carefully stood up and, after gently kissing her forehead, transferred Jeanie into his father’s hands.

His cheeks were beginning to ache from smiling so much, but he couldn’t help it. He sank back down into the bed beside Roxie and kissed her cheek. “I love you,” he whispered. With the babies now being passed around, Syd finally was able to focus on Roxie and acknowledge the fact that she had almost died. He could feel the shock of it threatening to take over, but, preferring not to address it in front of everyone else, he did his best to suppress it as much as it could be suppressed. Still, he felt the need to reach up and caress her face, and when a tear rolled down his cheek Syd closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. “Thanks for coming back,” he whispered. “I love you so much. And I’m so happy to be starting a family with you.”

Parting from her with a smile, he slipped a hand into hers and looked for the babies again. By nature, Syd felt protective over them, especially with them being premature - but there wasn’t a single person in that room he wouldn’t trust with his own life, so he strongly believed they wouldn’t harm his daughters. After a moment, Syd cleared his throat to address the room. “So the names…” he began, sharing a brief, knowing look with his girlfriend. “Roxie and I wanted to do something meaningful with them. So the youngest twin is Jane Angelica, named after Roxie’s mam. And dad, you’re holding Jeanie Lucille.”

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

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Lucy Porter
Finn Sullivan ​

Lucy couldn’t take her eyes off the incredibly tiny baby in her arms. Jane reached out her hands from underneath the blanket she was swaddled in and Lucy smiled widely cooing sweet words to her as Jeanie was passed to James. Jackson stepped closer to her and asked to hold Jane and Lucy pouted her lips. ”I don’t ever want to let her go.” she admitted to Jackson before smiling widely his way and adjusting Jane in her arms to hand her to him. ”Don’t crush her now, she’s as light as air.” Lucy warned before finishing handing Jane to him. After looking at the pair for a moment, she turned to James with Jeanie in his big hands and she placed her own hands on her chest. ”I can’t believe it, I’m so use to us having our own babies that holding our son’s is just mind boggling to me.” She murmured. Finn was standing off in the corner when Lucy beckoned him to come closer. ”Quit brooding in the corner, I’m sure you will have your own someday.” Finn chuckled and stepped closer to Jackson as he peered down at the tiny infant in his hands. ”They are breathtaking, you guys, look at those gorgeous eyes.” Everything felt so surreal to Roxie that it was hard to tell if it was all real. Sure, what she had just gone through was real enough but she didn’t feel any pain, she was exhausted but beside that she was doing okay.


With both babies in other people’s arms, Syd turned to her, sinking down into the bed before kissing her cheek. Sighing gently, Roxie closed her eyes for a moment as he said that he loved her. ”I love you too.” She whispered back before he moved to caress her face and rest his forehead against hers. He thanked her for coming back and Roxie smiled weakly. ”I had no plans of leaving, and this is gonna sound crazy I know. But I think I dreamed of Skye...she told me it was time to go back. I think she’s happy for us, Syd. I really do. I love you so much. We are all here together and I couldn’t ask for anything more.” Roxie murmured before he parted from her and slipped his hand into hers.


Roxie looked at everyone in the room with a tired smile on her face. Although this was suppose to be a happy moment for everyone, especially her, Roxie couldn’t help but feel some sadness at the fact that her babies were no longer connected to her. She was warned that this sadness would appear and that it wasn’t irregular but Roxie hadn’t expected to feel it so soon. Tears sprung in her eyes and she blinked back the water as she sucked in a deep breath. Seeing her two tiny infants in the arms of others was both touching and heartbreaking all at the same time. Before her emotions could carry her away any further, Syd cleared his throat and addressed the room, ready to announce the names. Roxie wiped at her eyes with a weak hand and looked specifically at Lucy as Syd spoke.


The shock on the woman’s face was priceless as she seemed to process the names in her head. Roxie gave Syd’s hand a squeeze and Lucy moved to cover her mouth with her hand as she peered down at Jeanie in James’ hands. ”You guys, are trying to ruin me, aren’t you? You seriously named her Jeanie Lucille?” She asked in disbelief to which Roxie smiled and nodded her head. ”We wanted to name our girls after their incredibly strong and beautiful grandmothers, with names like those, we are sure they will be just the same.” Lucy broke into a soft sob and moved over to Syd and Roxie before taking them both awkwardly into her arms. ”I’m an absolute wreck, in a good way of course. We love you both so much! I’m so proud!” She murmured before letting go of Roxie after a moment to wrap her arms completely around Syd, kissing the side of his head multiple times.
with: James Misty Gray ; Syd Pyroclast ; Jackson Enzyme

(big MUSH)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Peter was relieved to be able to get back to the table without any other trouble ensuing. Smiling at his wife, Peter watched as Adam left the table with another woman before sitting down beside Sinead. When asked about how the meeting went, Peter shook his head gently and sighed. ”Horrible as usual, Gabriel wants us to get out of New York but Conor and I told him that just wasn’t going to happen.” Peter turned to his wife with a smile. ”How are you feeling love? Is there anything you need that I can get for you at the moment?” Looking towards the table that James and Lucy had been sitting at, he noticed it was empty and the couple was making their way towards the exit. Raising an eyebrow, Peter turned to Sinead with a curious look in his eyes. ”Wonder why they are in such a hurry to leave.” He commented before turning to the drink that had been with him before he had left the table.

Taking a small sip, Peter looked around the banquet hall a moment before turning back to his wife. ”Think your brother would kill us if we were to leave early?” He asked with a teasing tone of voice. He knew that they would have to brave the rest of the night so that it didn’t seem like they were uninterested in this sort of event, but as he looked to the Moretti’s table, he noticed Gabriel and his wife also get up in a haste, heading straight towards the exit as well. Conor complained about people leaving and Peter pulled an empathetic look. ”Sorry boss, by the looks of it, it seemed like something was wrong. I just hope they are okay.” He then assured the ladies at the table that himself and Peter would keep up the fight and Peter lifted his glass in agreement. Sinny protested at Conor and Peter let out a chuckle, ”Now now love, you know he doesn’t mean it.” He could see the wheels practically turning in his wife’s head after Conor mentioned Dublin. In all honesty, returning to Ireland didn’t sound like the worst idea...but they certainly weren’t going to be forced to do so, especially by those Italian assholes. ”I kind of miss Dublin...” Peter murmured quietly to his wife, making sure Conor didn’t hear him admit that.
With: Sinead + Conor Misty Gray ; Aliana Melanin-Gxdess

 

[RayPurchase]

Mitchell Van Gerwen


​

With James and Lucy gone Mitch leaned back in his chair sipping at his drink and surveying the comings and going around them. The Morettis were also on the move, having been in deep discussion with Conor and company. A debrief was needed there that’s for sure. Make sure no promises made or secrets slipped. Not that he didn’t trust Conor not to blab or anything like that, it was just as they guy keeping the money and men flowing without undue interruption, he had to keep his finger on the pulse at all times. That also meant vetting the other people they had been schmoozing. The thickly built Russian, judging by the accent that had drifted into his ears as he had walked by. If someone was approaching them for business lord knows they needed investigating, find out how many skeletons they had in the closet as opposed to if. And work out how big those skeletons were and whether they could cause any fallback for them. The less undue attention the better, the best lawyer was the one who kept things quiet, best to get ahead of the curve.

Mitch dodged a few guests with muttered pleasantries and a raising of glasses, finally making his way to the table solidly solidly within Porter territory. He grabbed a seat as Peter and Conor went into at least a few details as to what had happened with the Morettis.

“How much were they offering, if it’s enough for you lot to happily settle down and live a quiet life I say take it. God knows it’ll save me a whole world of pain.”

He didn’t even attempt to keep a straight face as he loosened his tie whilst undoing his top button. It quickly caught his eyes that at least the Matriarch and Patriarch of the Italians were on the move.

"Thank god for that. We can actually relax a bit now, thought I was going to have to wade over and drag the lot of you apart earlier. " Removing a few bills from his pocket he managed to flag down one of the numerous Waiters. "Couple of bottles of '69 Moët or failing that a '72 Pommery and enough glasses for the table," With a the drinks paid for and with another bills left over for the waiter for a speedy service, he knew that know with the source of aggrevation gone from the room, he could properly relax this evening.

(Interaction: Misty Gray Conor, Sinead, Bellz Peter, Melanin-Gxdess Aliana)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Elvian Moretti

Elvian knew the kind of man her husband was; calculated, loyal, a true no nonsense kind of guy. She knew there would never be an issue where she wouldn’t be able to trust her own husband with woman. The thought would never seriously cross her mind, as the thought of doing the same would never cross hers. She wasn’t just content with the life she had, but she was happy with it. Ecstatic, really, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. There were times she did wish that he would be more adventurous but he was an old fashioned type of guy and you could only love him for it. When he began to lose his mind over her comment, she couldn’t contain her laughter. “Oh darling, I was only joking!” She reached over so her left hand would be on his knee and her right stroking the back of his head. He looked like he was going to keep going when the two were approached by Gabriel’s men. The look on their faces were ones she knew to be barer of bad news and she couldn’t help but finish her drink quickly before they opened their mouths.

The words their mouths emitted were not ones she was prepared for. All she really heard was ‘Valentina’ and ‘hospital before she jolted up out of her seat, knocking over the empty wine glass as she did. The next thing she heard next were about the car and she immediately headed for it, her clutch held tightly in both of her hands. Gabriel then quickly joined her in the car and she quickly held his hand, squeezing it instead of her clutch. There were no words, as she couldn’t form them at all. The only things going through her head were ones of her daughter, the day she was born to every time she had gotten hurt but remained okay. She said silent Romanian prayers in her head, praying her daughter to be safe and alive and that the party responsible for this be burned in hell.
Once the two arrived at the hospital, she didn’t even wait for the car to completely stop. Once inside, the doctor updated them on Val’s condition, to which she was happy about. She had to stand outside the door of her room for a few moments, afraid of what she was going to see inside the room. Her heart definitely skipped a beat when she stepped in and saw the wires and tubes and gauze attached to her baby. She went to her side, the healthy portion, and stood there examining her body. There were small sniffles coming from her nose as she tried to keep it together. Feeling her husbands hand on her shoulder made her break down in tears. For a moment, it was all you heard other than the beeps coming from her heart rate monitor. Her husbands voice broke her tears and she turned to him, face hot with anger and sadness. “You’re supposed to prevent this. Those Irish bastards can hurt anyone they want but they will NOT hurt my children!” It wasn’t his fault, she knew this was a casualty of war, but she would be damned if anyone hurt her children. Valentina, Tatiana and Marcus would not be casualties of this war. She walked away from him to stroke her hair, muttering more Romanian prayers. “You get the assholes that did this to my daughter and you make sure they suffer.”
​

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James watched on as Lucy delicately handed baby Jane to him, making a comment about not crushing her. "No pressure, eh?" he remarked. In actual fact, there was plenty of pressure upon himself as Syd encouraged James to hold Jeanie. The man approached his son and carefully took the baby from him. The newborn was smaller than Thomas had been and even smaller than he remembered Savannah being when first born. They'd appeared fragile back then as Jeanie and Jane did now. As he cradled one of his granddaughters, he felt Lucy's eyes on him, causing James to turn to her with a warm smile on his face. He then looked back down to Jeanie, gently stroking her cheek with the side of his index finger. "Hey cutie. How about you hurry up and start walking so we can get started on your workout plan," he remarked, trying to bait Lucy into protesting,

Hearing Lucy's comment to Finn about him brooding in the corner caused James to look to the man for a moment. He cast his eyes back down to his granddaughter as he remembered a time before he himself had any children. A time when it seemed like the only way for him to have children with Lucy was to adopt. They had to pull some strings back then to allow them to adopt but it had paid off in the end. Syd and the girls had brought them so much joy, and once again Syd had brought further joy in the form of grand kids. James wasn't oblivious to how much more difficult things were for Finn and George. Society in general didn't accept two men being together and them both wishing to adopt wouldn't even be legal. Things he was sure Finn was fully aware of and no doubt had been considering other options for.

Enzyme (Jackson) Bellz (Lucy, Roxie, Finn) Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Pyroclast]

Tatiana Moretti

Tatiana liked the way the woman squirmed when she insulted her. Often when flirting with women, she exuded charisma and charm that had a similar effect - but this time, of course, the context was entirely different. Rebel was a member of their rival gang, an affiliate of her family’s murderers. Regardless of her undeniable beauty, Tatiana couldn’t afford to see her as any kind of romantic pursuit.

A pretty face. Tatiana narrowed her eyes slightly, wondering whose pretty face she could be referring to. The suggestion that the woman could be in a relationship brought on a sense of relief - something to add to the stack of reasons why she was off limits - but among that relief was also a hint of jealousy. Before the two had even started talking, Tatiana had felt a spark between them; something in the air seemed to shift whenever they caught each other’s eye. Her inability to ignore such sparks often led her to unforgettable, beautiful encounters and relationships, but it was also addictive, and once she started getting ideas in her head she struggled to completely clear them from her mind.

Keeping a straight face, Tatiana broke eye contact and turned towards the bar. The auctioneer had started to call people to their seats, reminding Tatiana of the drink her mother had sent her to the bar for. Instead of returning to her table, however, she listened to Rebel as she bragged about knowing Tatiana’s name while keeping her own identity concealed. She was sure that her father would know the names of every single member of the mob by heart, but she only tended to keep the most high profile ones in mind, some of whom were now dead. Part of her was eager to ask for her name, but pride stopped her.

Only when the woman asked her why she hated the Porters did Tatiana turn to look at her again. The pause that followed thickened the tension between them, and despite her irritation at the woman’s ignorant question, she couldn’t help but find it exciting. In the end, she allowed a small smile to form on her lips. "If you were doing your job right, you would know that my father isn't the only one who carries the burden of what the mob did."

As much as she felt drawn to the woman, it seemed like a good time to walk away lest they cause a scene. The tension could grow in one of two directions from there, but both were likely to be passionate. Tatiana got to her feet and took both her drink and her mother’s into her hands, ready to tear herself away from the woman’s intoxicating presence - but not before stepping deeper into Rebel’s space. When they came face to face, their noses almost touched. “You’ll have to get a lot closer than that if you really want to know who I am.”

“Alright ladies and gentlemen, we’ve got our first vacation package comin’ up for auction here - let me see a show of hands out there for all you folks itchin’ for a little weekend away!”

In the few seconds that passed while the audience raised their hands, Tatiana stopped in her tracks. She wasn’t quite sure why yet, but she had a feeling that an opportunity had just fallen into her lap.

“Well, looks like we got some competition here, folks! One lucky couple out there will be gettin’ their hands on a deluxe trip to a beautiful destination right on the waterfront of Lake Montauk, all travel fare and hotel expenses included! Tonight we’re opening with a minimum bid of $1900. Do I hear $1900?”

Interactions
Bellz Rebel

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti​

To upset or hurt Gabriel's wife and children was the worst way to offend the man. It was the most severe way to disrespect him. Gabriel had taken in a deep breath to remain composed as his wife sobbed beneath the firm arm he rested around her shoulders. But the way Elvian turned to him with anger in her eyes caused him to open his mouth and let out the breath he'd been holding in. She told him he was meant to stop their children from getting hurt. Intentional or not, the comment cut deep, almost threatening to break down his composure. He watched on as his wife walked away from his hold so she could quietly say prayers to herself. He respected his wife's prayers, even if he didn't believe in it himself. The only gods he believed in were human and on Earth. Those who win their wars for power. Then Elvian told him to get those responsible and ensure they suffered for what they'd done to Valentina.

"I will make those Irish bastards suffer for what they have done. Those responsible will have slow, painful deaths." Gabriel gazed towards the window that overlooked the city, but the dark sky outside meant only his own distant reflection stared back at him. "Those rats sat across from me and looked me in the face, all the while they knew our daughter..." Gabriel tightened his jaw before looking back down to his youngest daughter and gently holding her hand again. The last person to upset Valentina had been her ex-boyfriend, back in Miami. The family didn't speak about what became of Calvin and the fewer people who knew the circumstances of the young man's disappearance, the better. What had happened to Valentina tonight was far worse and commanded a far more brutal death than Calvin had been gifted.

It was difficult, but Gabriel took some time to take in his daughter's appearance. The bandages and bruises. The blood and the broken bones. Although they needed her to wake up with all of her thoughts together, part of Gabriel took some comfort in knowing she was for the moment at peace. He could only imagine how afraid and alone she must have been; and that such recollections would likely flood back to her once she was awake. He believed he had to commit her current state to his memory; so every inch of pain inflicted on his daughter would fuel him have her attackers suffer a thousand times worse.

Gabriel eventually looked up from his unconscious daughter and gently squeezed her hand before letting go. He turned to Elvian and slowly approached her. "You're right," he told her. "I was supposed to prevent this. I let them disrespect me, but worst of all, I failed to protect Valentina. I will tear their empire apart until I find the men who hurt our daughter. They will suffer for this," he assured his wife. So much anger and venom had already passed his lips, making it impossible to keep his other emotions completely held back. Looking to Elvian, he held his arms out, briefly testing the waters before inviting her in for an embrace, if only to spare her from seeing the sadness that was etching itself on his own face as his eyes glistened beneath the light above them.


Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian)

 

[RayPurchase]

Johnny​

The little shit had gone down easily enough, straight onto the shiny hood of the cadillac.

“Not so gobby now are y…”

Johnny’s posturing was cut rather severely short however as Amato began swinging his baton into the southerner’s ribs. The first blow knocked the wind out of him, the second blow almost caused his knees to buckle, and everything after that was another week of bruising and at least a few hairline cracks to have to deal with. He tried to maintain his grip on the flailing Moretti goon, but the after a what might have been the 4th or 5th strike (It was quite hard to keep count), his arms slipped from his frame and he was sent sprawling to the floor. Johnny lashed out with his right foot, not really aiming for anything in particular but more warding off the bastard in order to create a bit of separation, one hand clutching at his screaming ribs. He hadn’t come armed, if could make it back to the car there was a wheel jack and a tire iron in the boot that would even the odds, but right now Amato had the advantage now the element of surprise had been lost.

Tony​

Now this is what they had been craving whilst the big wigs had been hobnobbing upstairs. Let them quaff champagne, and talk shop, all the while projecting an air of civility and pretending that they shat gold and that they were squeaky clean. The rush of blood, the stink of anger, sweat and adrenaline all mixed into a sweet cocktail that made your headspin. Proper work.

Tony was still grinning as Chase slammed him into the car. His eyes still glinting with the thrill of the fight as the door panel collided with with head, denting as it came into contact with his oversized noggin. The impact did little to dent his confidence and fight however, even as the bodywork was warped. He pushed himself up off the ground, an animalistic shake of his shoulders and head clearing the light smattering of fog that had emerged from the head impact. Like some dark clad automaton in relentless pursuit of its prey he rose. Looming over Chase, a pair of dinner plates like hands extending and wrapping around his throat, lifting him up until his toes were just short of brushing the ground. He could feel the struggle for breath, the veins and arteries pulsing in protest at this obstruction that they were encountering. Chase’s body desperately trying to overcome this obstacle, to keep the vital flow of blood and oxygen pumping. Tony could feel all of that, the pulse and rhythm of life itself, desperately trying to find a way. His face loomed forwards, mere inches from Chase’s own, a small stream of blood from a cut atop Tony’s head snaked its way down the centre of his face, moving round the curve of his nose and over his lips, leaving his glinting teeth covered in a bloody froth. It was the whisper that was perhaps most disconcerting, so at odds with the violence that permeated his being. So quiet and calm amongst the raging storm.

“Don’t fight it mate, just close your eyes and just let yourself have a nice little rest…”

Marcus​

Marcus’ mood had plummeted as the minutes had continued to tick by. Stuck in a flurry of his own dark winged thoughts, the biting cold nipping at him and now the news about Valentina. It was the latter that had truly raised his hackles however. Valentina was the youngest, his youngest sister at that. He had always endeavoured to keep some sort of eye out on her. The last time she had been truly hurt was by Calvin, the sadistic little shit. That had resulted in a nighttime manhunt on the streets of Miami, backed up by a cohort of loyal teammates, looking for revenge, bloody handed revenge. That’s how much things had changed now, there was no loyal cohort, no call to arms. His mother and father were in attendance, and they were instructed to remain here, ostensibly to keep up the pretence that everything was fine. Even when it just wasn’t. He should be there. He should have been there. This wouldn’t have happened, he could have protected her from whatever sick fuck had done this. Instead he was here dressed as a fucking penguin, sipping drinks and mixing with a bunch of politicians who were bigger crooks than his father was. This was his fault.

Thankfully a distraction emerged soon enough, not quite as good as a resolution, but they were much harder to find. Cries of pain and a cacophony of thuds were coming from below the balcony. He craned his neck over, attempting to at least catch sight of what was occurring. Finally he caught sight of what was happening. Not a clear picture, but he caught sight of Amato momentarily lying flat on his back on one of the cars, that and the lumbering hulk that was Tony, even from this distance. He didn’t recognise the ones they were scrapping with, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to work out who it was. There was only one other group down there, and they weren’t exactly on friendly terms.

Marcus barreled through the doorway of the balcony and back into the hotel proper, hastily pushing his way past a variety of servers and guests without even a hurried apology. The most temporary of truces was potentially about to go out of the window. The path to the stairs down to the carpark set him on a collision course with the Porter table, clustered around it with drinks flowing and easy conversation. Polar opposite of the Moretti’s own depleted side. His eyes were set on Conor however. Tati was preoccupied having fun, so that left him to resume the mantle of responsibility and to try and stop this mess from growing. The Porter’s goons would have to be taken under control as well, just his presence alone was no guaranteeing of stopping any scrap, it could even exacerbate things. Marcus locked eyes with Conor, slowing only for a moment.

“Get your arse downstairs Porter, your boys have decided to have a fucking fist fight down in the carpark,”

He made sure to keep his voice low. He didn’t exactly want to announce to the entire room that a gang war was spilling over into their high society soiree. He continued his hasty journey out however and only picked up the pace as he descended the stairs, throwing little more than a glance over his shoulder to make sure Conor was there as well, skipping two or three steps at a time. By the time he made it outside into the cold night air he was sweating underneath his suit, it wasn’t exactly the most comfortable attire for this sort of exertion. His leather shoes clicked against the concrete floor as he descended upon the melee.

“What the fuck do you think you lot are playing at?! Get your arses backed up and Tony get your hands off him and try and exercise at least a little bit of control and common sense,”

Tony was somewhat taken aback by the tirade that seemingly came out of nowhere. It cut through the red mist instantly, he was a born and bred soldier after all, very good at following orders. There was no meekness or apology however as he released Chase without ceremony, wiping the blood from his head as he went to lean on the car as Marcus attempted to put himself between the two groups.

(Interaction: Misty Gray Conor, Ethan, Jasmine, Pyroclast Chase, Enzyme Amato, @ Anyone else on the Conor's Table)

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan, Ethan Turner
and Jasmine Carpenter​

Sinead leaned in to Peter as he asked if Conor would kill them for leaving early. She looked her husband in the eyes before pouting. Had some of the others not already left the auction, she might have risked leaving early, but her brother was already unimpressed. "So mighty tempting, but I think he needs us here." When Peter echoed her own thoughts about missing Dublin, Sinead looked him in the eyes and lightly nodded. "Me too," she whispered.

Conor looked up and nodded to Mitch as the lawyer took a seat at the table with them. Whether or not he shared the sentiment, it frustrated Conor to hear anyone around him suggest leaving New York for Dublin. "I'm sure there's plenty of the legal stuff that could keep you busy with the guys over in Dublin," he calmly told Mitch. He then glanced to his sister. "I'm sure you could sparkle on back over the ocean and open up a new club, if you're so inclined," he remarked, drawing a frown out of Sinead. He let out a sigh before looking back to Mitch and deciding to drop the attitude for a moment. "I didn't give them chance to throw out any numbers, but the prick suggested he'd pay a fair price. It's not that simple, though. My Uncle Jack. Liam. James. They've held onto New York for decades. I've been doing this for two minutes and people expect me to just hand everything to the enemy? You all could really respect me after that?" he scoffed.

Conor loosened up a little and let out a short laugh as Mitch said he thought he'd have to drag them apart. "Honestly, mate. No idea how I held back from smashing their smug faces into the wall. Absolute piss-takers." Conor had noticed that Gabriel had already left, meaning Mitch's ordering of drinks for the table was met with a wide grin. However, the smile soon faded as he noticed Marcus approaching and obviously not to exchange pleasantries.

"Fuck off," Conor immediately retorted upon being told to get downstairs. However, upon hearing there was a fight going on, he simply nodded his head as a way of confirming he would indeed attend to the scene of the fight. Marcus was already walking away when Conor stood up and looked to those around his table. "The nerve on him to blame our lot when I already know that cocky streak of piss is out there," he remarked, referring to Tony even if none of them knew it.

Conor rushed behind Marcus. The minute Conor stepped outside, he was flanked by two of the nearby Porter guards. Conor motioned for them to drop back, appreciating the possibility he was being led into a trap but not wanting to show up with babysitters, regardless. Having caught up to Marcus, Conor approached the scene to see the six involved in the scrap. Tony had his hands wrapped around Chase's neck, but Marcus ordered the man to let go of him before Conor gave into the urge to do something about that himself. Similarly, Amato was ordered to back off, allowing Johnny to get up and recover from the fight. Conor's eyes then landed on Jasmine who looked liked she'd taken a hit too, presumably by the smirking piece of shit stood across from her. Confident the fight was done, Jasmine retrieved the knife from her pocket and tossed it away somewhere towards the Moretti vehicles. "Yours, I believe," she remarked, shrugging in Ethan's direction.

"You heard him. Party's over," Conor backed up Marcus' words. Despite that, he turned to Moretti's son and shook his head. "Don't think for a minute you can blame all of this on my lot. Not with that wanker involved," he said, pointed directly at Tony. With that, he gave Johnny a firm pat on the shoulder, cuing him to return to where the Porter vehicles were. By that point, Jasmine had already made her way to Chase's side, checking he was okay after his run-ins with Tony and Ethan. Conor looked Chase over and remained standing between the two gangs as he gave his employee a chance to get his breath back, then held his hand out to for the man to grab so as to help him to his feet. Once Chase was up, Conor accompanied his three employees back towards the Porter-owned vehicles.

Once out of earshot of the Moretti lot, Conor let out a deep breath to let out any pent up tension that came from deep down wishing he'd been able to get a piece of the action himself. "What the fucking hell was that? I'm sat in that stuffy auction, working my nuts off to make a good impression for scumbags in suits, while you lot are having bust-ups in the parking lot? I expect more respect than that..." he went on. From beneath his straight face, Conor allowed his lips to curl up into a smile. "An invite to watch, is what I expected. I hope you three got some good punches in, because when I got here, that dumb fuck looked like he was coming onto you," he joked with Chase. He cleared his throat and allowed a straight face to return. He wasn't about to lecture them about fighting, not considering his own reputation, and he trusted them enough that they wouldn't have been at it for the sake of it. "I'd prefer if this hadn't gone down, but seeing the guys involved on the other side, would I be right in thinking they'd asked for it?" Regardless of anyone's answer, Conor looked Chase, Johnny and Jasmine over, to see if any of them were badly injured. "So, none of you are dying, right? Need medical assistance?"

Jasmine unconsciously rubbed her bruised face before turned to Chase to check on him. "Are you alright? Do you need anything?" she asked him, a tone of concern breaking into her voice as she did.


Once the Irish bunch had walked away, Ethan straightened his face, putting away the smile he'd planted on purely for the benefit of baiting the enemy. He was satisfied with how things had played out, which made his damaged, bloody nose a sacrifice he could accept. "I'm afraid there was no alternative," he assured Marcus. "To not fight back would have sent the message that Mr. Moretti and his employees are weak. I believe we suitably defended your father's name." Ethan brushed passed Marcus to retrieve his knife from the floor. He blew out a whistle to draw the other's attention to the huge dent in one of the car doors. "Mr. Moretti won't like that they damaged his property," he pointed out. Things had been going too slowly for East Harlem's liking, so Ethan felt any fallout from the fight could only help propel the war and speed up the efforts to wipe the Irish out of the city.


Enzyme (Amato)
Pyroclast (Chase)
RayPurchase (Johnny, Tony, Mitch, Marcus)
Bellz (Peter)

 

[Bellz]

Brooklyn Payne
Rebel Holt ​

Brooklyn raised her eyebrows as Adam made a dry remark about her company but he went on to quickly say that he enjoyed her company as well, which to her was a relief. Adam didn’t seem like the man who knew what a long term relationship was and although Brooklyn wasn’t considering them to be anywhere near committed to be together a long time, it was at least comforting to know that they felt the same about each other. Adam made a quick statement about her not being able to ask him questions about what he did and although disappointed, Brooklyn easily masked it behind a smile. ”Of course, though I have to say that I do focus on the other crooks in town...the political ones anyway. Can’t let those slide so easily. But I respect your privacy.” He then reached out and touched her arm, suggesting that they let things flow a bit longer to see where this would take them and the brunette nodded her head in agreement. ”Ah, I guess we could give it a shot.” She said, her tone teasing.

Before she could say much more, the auction was ready to get back into full swing and Brooklyn looked around Adam to see what she was missing. Fiddling with her pass, she debated on whether she should excuse herself and return to her work or if she had enough information for the evening. She was sure her editor would not be happy with her regardless, like he always was, so she moved the pass from around her neck and moved to put it into her handbag. ”Would you like to get something to drink other than extremely dry champagne?” She asked and nodded her head towards the bar.

Rebel had been stuck in some sort of trance with the woman before her, Tatiana was indeed a mystery besides the fact that Rebel knew her name. It seemed that she had hit a nerve with the woman and accused her of not doing her job right. ”Ouch.” Rebel said sarcastically and moved to look at her drink, but before she could look completely away, Tati was so close that Rebel could smell the intoxicating perfume she was wearing. Looking intensely into her eyes, Rebel raised a brow at the words that were spoken before Tati walked away in a haste. Left speechless, Rebel didn’t look away until Adam and a woman she didn’t recognize walked in front of her. Rebel blinked and turned back to her drinks before finding Adams, ”Shit, sorry Adam, here’s your drink.” Without any explanation for what took so long, Rebel grabbed the other drinks for the table before walking as fast as she could back.

With the drinks passed around, Rebel noticed that Conor was no where to be seen once again. Peter was still sat at the table with Sinead, Aliana and Mitch but as Rebel did a quick surveillance of the area, she noticed the Porters were missing as well. Rebel wondered where the heck everyone had gone and if she was suppose to follow any of them. A part of her was ashamed for being forced to wear such a silly outfit, for it distracted her from being alert but she was also angry that she had let herself get distracted by that woman. Leaning back in her seat with her own drink, Rebel had just noticed the auctioneer was speaking as he announced the next thing up for bidding. All expense paid trip to Lake Montauk? Rebel, of course, wasn’t with anyone. But were they really only giving it away to couples. She could really use a vacation, as much as she was dedicated to the Porter/Sullivans, she needed a break too. The bidding started at $1900. Rebel had a pretty good amount in savings...”$1900, here!” She blurted out, raising the red paddle that she hadn’t even looked at all even. The auctioneer acknowledged her before asking for a higher bid. For some reason, Rebel found herself seeking out Tatiana’s glance, knowing that she must have drawn attention to herself with starting the bid. Smirking in her direction, she gave the slightest nod of her head and cocked an eyebrow, encouraging the woman into a little friendly competition.

Brooklyn ordered herself a drink and listened to the auctioneer went on about some trip to Lake Montauk. It brought back some memories of her time with her family there, going fishing a lot of the summers. ”You ever been up that way?” Brooklyn asked Adam curiously. ”I won’t bid $1900 on a trip that is relatively cheaper than that if you pay separately but it’s a beautiful place.”
with: Adam Misty Gray ; Tatiana Pyro

 

[Pyroclast]

Tatiana Moretti

After finally getting the chance to talk to the woman that had first captured her interest several months ago in Sinead Callahan's jazz bar, Tatiana knew that winning a weekend away could be an extremely valuable next move if she played her cards right. Anything could happen once they were alone. Perhaps she could overpower her, tease information out of her. If things went south, Lake Montauk would be a perfect dumping ground for her cold, dead body. After all, Tatiana was sure a Porter guard wouldn’t be so stupid as to accept such an invitation without having similar ideas.

Tatiana glanced over to her table and was surprised to see it completely empty. A quick scan around the room showed no sign of her family, not even Teddy. However, any developing concern was shaken off by the surprise of hearing Rebel’s voice call out a price. Tatiana’s head spun around to make sure she had heard right. Sure enough, there she was with the paddle in her hand, red to match her thigh high boots. Not only that, but the woman had locked eyes with her, eyebrow raised and with an enticing smirk on her face. The next couple of bids went by her as she was momentarily lost in her gaze.

“$2300,” she called out over someone, replacing her mother's drink with a paddle from a nearby table and raising it into the air. She flashed her eyes at Rebel once again, feeling a thrill rush through her heart. Her family wasn't here to stop her now, and her chance to change her mind about this spontaneous plan of hers was dwindling as rapidly as the auction was unfolding.

Interactions
Bellz Rebel