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

[Bellz]

Ani Sarraf​

Ani smiled widely as Maddox admitted that he had definitely taken naps during his downtime, "How can you not with an office like this?" She asked teasingly. Moving a hand to her hair, she brushed some curls from her face, her eyes bashfully moving to look at her lap as she felt Maddox's eyes on her. When asked about her day, the woman sighed softly, eyes moving to look into his. The smile was still on her face but it reflected how tired she was from the days before. His flirting caused her to giggle and she shook her head, "I actually took a double shift these last two days and I just got off 30 minutes ago. My day was pretty exhausting. Lost someone on the operating table today...I made a rookie mistake." Biting her full bottom lip lightly, Ani's eyes reflected how awful she felt about the mistake.


"But I don't want to bore you with that. The family was torn up and there was just nothing I could do to console them given it was my operation and I failed them." She didn't want to sound like one of his patients so she cleared her throat and tried to smile wider. "I needed some sunshine in my life, so that's exactly why I'm here. I'm glad I could brighten your day as well." She flirted back before moving to take his hand. Giving it a squeeze, she moved back against the sofa before leaning her head on his shoulder lightly. "You're comfy." She informed him with a laugh, "I might just fall asleep here if I wasn't in such good company . But I actually came here to see what time you were off. I wanted to grab a bite, would that be something you are up to doing?" Her head lifted slightly, her face close to his, she looked up at him with big brown eyes.

There was quite a few things she decided to leave out, like her brother disappearing all of the sudden before returning like nothing happened. It wasn't new when he left for a few hours but he had been gone for a few days. When he did return back home, he was different...quiet. It normally never stayed that way for long but Ani was worried. She wondered what Maddox would think about the sudden behavior, but she was afraid that it would drive him away...
with: Maddox Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor listened as Aliana spoke of how his temper was his downfall. Whilst he wouldn't deny it was true, he always reasoned that he only acted aggressively when he or those he cared about were being threatened. Growing up in Chicago, his father was the head of the Irish Mob and it was encouraged for Conor to be strong and intimidating, Whilst Lucy had been the oldest of the Sullivan kids, it was Conor was had always been intended to replace Emmet and that meant he had to be prepared to take the lead. Something Conor always regretted was that he hadn't taken it leadership role seriously when he was younger, choosing to socialise over learning the politics of being in the mob - how to make those difficult decisions. The best he could offer was his physical protection and compassion.

Though it might not have been said explicitly, Conor could tell in his sessions that Maddox had been trying to get him to focus on his kid and stepping away from his former criminal lifestyle. Whilst Conor was sure the doctor had his best interests in mind, to keep him out of jail, it wasn't that simple. Carrick turned his back on the family and Conor resented him for that. Everyone had to stick together in this. When Aliana said he didn't have to be involved in what was going on, he lightly shook his head. "Are you and Dr. Parker in on this together? You sound just like him..." he half-joked, following up with a smirk. His smile dropped at mention of owing James. "Why do I feel as it I owe James? Because I do!" he firmly told her. "Not just him, but all of my family. I let my father down by not stepping up. I let everyone down by not stopping Vinnie before he repeatedly hurt our family. I let James risk everything to finish the Romanos off when I should have been doing something. Then there's all the shit that went down in Dublin. Tommy died and James could have too. I wasn't there..." he trailed off. Whilst he genuinely cared about Tommy, it was still an awkward topic as he was convinced Aliana would have chosen the other man over him. Hell, even Conor would encourage the younger women in his family to get with a guy like Tommy rather than a man like himself.

Conor held his tongue when Aliana made it clear he could do nothing about Leo if he was back in jail. As far as he was concerned, he would have a say and his family had enough power in the city that he'd make sure she couldn't take Leo anywhere. It was all theoretical and he hoped he'd never have to do it, but he couldn't let Aliana to take his son away. By the time Allen was mentioned, Conor was becoming exhausted with the whole conversation. "You know what? I've had enough of this. Nothing I will ever do will be good enough. I'm starting to think I'd be having an better time in jail right now," he remarked. He took a deep breath and shook his head, knowing he couldn't do anything for his family there. "Look. Is it really a good idea for me to go over to your place tonight?" he calmly asked, getting his thoughts in check. "Maybe I could ask Sinny if Leo can stay here instead..."


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Misty Gray]

Rachel Harris​

To Mitch's response, Larry dismissively raised his hand into the air and grumbled out a loud "fuck off". Still, the tone and the smirk on the old man's face made it clear the profanity wasn't to be taken personally or seriously. The old guy looked away and continued to drink from his pint glass. Had the lawyer responded in some kind of snooty or 'poncey' manner - as Larry had kind of been expecting - he might have continued to heckle the newcomer. As it happened, he seemed to accept the suited man's presence once they'd traded banter.

"Well, you'll find this place full of souls, though most of them won't be ascending to heaven when the time comes," Rachel joked. "I wouldn't worry about it," she said in reference to the suit. "Most of these guys are likely to leave here extremely pissed and unable to walk in a straight line. I don't think looking good tonight was ever high on their priorities." Rachel had built up enough of a rapport with the customers that even if they did hear her comments, they'd laugh them off or respond in kind by telling her part of her attire looked crap.

When he requested his drink, Rachel grabbed a pint glass and set about filling it with the strongest lager they sold. Mitch then asked about Conor and Rachel looked up from the pump to study Mitch's face, now wondering who the stranger was and why he wanted to see her boss. She didn't answer straight away, instead finishing filling the glass in silence and then placing it down on the bar in front of Mitch. She was then able to focus on him as she answered. "Conor just got out of the slammer today, so he won't be dropping by this place until at least tomorrow," she answered his question. Conor had told her he'd be relaxing and catching up with his family for the time-being, focusing on his businesses in the following days. "I'm afraid you did pick the wrong day, so you're stuck with me for now. As for Conor. How do you know him? Is there something important you need him for? I could try get a message to him if it's urgent..."



RayPurchase (Mitch)

 

[Bellz]

Braden Callahan
Brady heard Penelope's question but he took a while to answer. He watched the area around them as he took another long drag from the cigarette still hanging in his mouth. He didn't have the slightest clue to where their leader could be but there was a few places they would try before he would start to panic. "Let's try the bar a few blocks from here, we've hung out a few times there." He told her finally. "Come on." That's when he made a sharp left on the sidewalk, his pace quick and determined.

With his pup and Penelope keeping up, they had made it to the bar without running into any trouble, which he actually was expecting. Relaxing some, Brady and the rest stepped through the doors of the bar and was greeted by a large group of people crowded into the smaller bar. Scanning the area, he saw one of the bartenders that was familiar to him and immediately took off in that direction. Flagging him down, Brady offered the man a charming smile, "Hey! Brady, remember me? I was actually here with a friend of mine a few days ago." The bartender looked unamused as he was cleaning one of the many beer mugs that had been cleaned.

"I meet a lot of people, hard to remember them all." The man was older with a rough and deep sounding voice...and he had an accent that Brady couldn't place. Southern, maybe? "Yea well, we are looking for that said friend." Brady continued, "Dark haired fellow, green eyes, tall and muscular." The bartender just chuckled and shrugged, "Sounds like most of the men who come in here."

Brady rolled his eyes and licked his lips in frustration, he knew what the guy wanted. Looking to Penelope behind him, he sighed before turning back to the bartender. Fishing inside of his pocket, he grabbed his wallet and opened it before grabbing two 20 dollar bills from it and slapping it down on the bar. "Now do you know who I'm talking about?" He wondered aloud, both eyebrows raising.

The man took the bills quickly before saying, "Saw the kid leave a few hours ago, not sure where he went after that. He was pretty wasted."
with: Penelope seasonedcat

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson​

George chuckled when Finn spoke about the only fun being when they were together. Then there was a "but" and George looked curiously to his lover, wondering if something good or bad was about to follow. As Finn continued to speak, it became apparent the secret that was going to be revealed was something positive. A smile remained on George's face as he hung on to every word Finn said. "Did what? What did you do, love?" he enthused.

As soon as Finn mentioned getting a promotion, George's face lit up and the grin on his face widened considerably. "Holy shit! That's amazing. I knew you had it in you--" he began. His automatic assumption was that it was the hospital in Dublin or at the most, somewhere else in Ireland. When the other man continued on to mention it was at the New York City Hospital, George's expression turned into one of stunned silence. "Chief of Medicine..." he repeated to buy himself some time to gather his thoughts. He quickly nodded his head and the grin returned to his face. "Dr. Sullivan. Chief of Medicine. It has a good ring to it and it suits you. You're amazing and you deserve the promotion." He leaned in and gave Finn a long, tight hug. "I'm so proud of you," he assured him.

George then sat back, allowing Finn to continue telling him about his news. It hadn't had much time to sink in, but Finn then spoke to make it clear they would have to move to New York. "Yeah..." he agreed, slowly nodding his head. It was a big change and George needed a little time to process it. Thinking about it only served to highlight to George that there was little in Dublin for him. He'd been out of his mother's life for many years and his father was dead. His siblings both had their own lives and families. He taught evening classes to mature students and adults, but it wasn't an irreplaceable job. Until he met Finn, his life in Dublin had consisted of living a lie growing up and then spending a decade behind bars. He really had next to nothing to leave behind in Ireland. Meanwhile, Finn had an amazing opportunity and it was to fulfil a goal George always knew the man was capable of reaching. As well as that, Finn's family lived in New York and it was clear the man missed them.

"No, it's okay. I mean, yes, you are bloody crazy, but no, it's okay..." he stumbled over his own words. "We should move here, Finn. You deserve that promotion and I would never hold you back from attaining your dreams. There is nothing keeping me in Dublin and there's everything waiting for you here," he assured him. "There's lots of coast and places to visit in America too," he pointed out, referring to his love for travel and exploration. "I'm sure I can find some work here... Oh, but when do you start the job? Will there be time for us to find a place to live?"



Bellz (Finn)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

"Don't worry, I've got my seat," Syd happily assured his aunt. "I wouldn't miss it for anything, she knows that." In truth, he knew that was a lie - business often had to come first, especially when it was a matter of protecting his family from harm. Nevertheless, he had every intention of going to his cousin's performance with the rest of the family. Not only did he love supporting their talents but this time he was also hoping that the shared feeling of pride for watching Savannah perform would bring him closer to his parents again. Syd watched Sinead's face grow more serious at his offer to increase security at her gig venues. The aftereffects of the shooting were still fresh and he hadn't spoken enough to her since it happened to know how she was feeling about it, but he was glad she was receptive to his offer. It could have been her or Emery who had got hurt and the fact that that may well have been the attackers' intention was impossible to ignore.

Everything Sinead was saying to him was true - now that a bit of time had passed it would surely be easier to sort out their disagreement, and even though Syd didn't really know how to fix the problem, he still believed it wasn't too late. He had had a strong and positive relationship with his parents for 22 years and he couldn't think of anything that would be terrible enough to undo all of that. He would care about them no matter what, and even though it was obvious they weren't happy with his decisions he knew deep down that they still cared about him and wanted everything to go back to normal. Syd glanced up to her when she offered to act as an intermediary. He hesitated for a moment before letting out a small sigh. It was bad enough that Thomas was caught up in the argument; if Sinead and Lucy ended up falling out over it too he would only blame himself. "No, no that's alright," he sighed again, looking to her with a somewhat weary smile. "You're doing so much already. Nah, I'll handle this myself." Syd nodded slowly as though it took some effort to convince himself it could be done. Of course, if anyone could help him sway his mother's opinion it would be Sinead, but it wasn't worth the risk.

Hearing Sinead tell him that his mother still knew him and that she could never stop loving him made him realise how he must sound to her. He had just been getting too worked up about it, a common consequence of being alone with his thoughts for too long. Of course his aunt was right, but it wasn't until she said the words he needed to hear in her reassuring voice that he let himself actually believe it. His eyes met hers, but he found nothing to say. When she placed a gentle hand on his wrist and moved it to his side, Syd looked down to see little red marks on his skin from where his fingernails had been digging in. Before he could figure out what to say, his aunt swept him into a tight hug and told him firmly to stop blaming himself. The way she said it made it impossible for him to argue, and so instead he smiled, returning the embrace with genuine warmth.

"Hey, steady on!" he playfully protested, jerking away from the nudge she gave him. Her words drew a blush from him, and that in turn caused an irrepressible smile to form on his lips as he spoke. "Who said anything about love? Man, I forget how much of a gossip you are sometimes. I should know better than to let you in on stuff like this." In an attempt to ignore the heat spreading across his face, Syd unscrewed the bottle of Bulleit and began to pour an unmeasured amount into the blender. Even though it still made him uncomfortable to think about the possibility of loving anyone else but Skye, he understood that his family were keen to see him move on. So, if Sinead wanted to blow it out of proportion, he didn't see any harm in letting her. The word 'happy' did stand out to him, however. Happiness was something he spent a great deal of time thinking about: the idea of attaining it, how happy he really was, whether or not he could ever feel true happiness in life again. But his aunt clearly saw something about him that he hadn't picked up on. Syd looked to her and, unable to suppress a smile, said a quiet "Thank you..."

The past week had really tested him. On reflection, if he had been in a bad place, it could all have quite easily sent him spiralling into a potentially harmful depressive episode - but it hadn't. Aside from one night of heavy drinking, Syd had managed to keep his head up enough to push on with his workload as well as looking after both himself and the dogs. And it was because of Roxie. She had given him hope when he had none, given him something to look forward to. Perhaps this was it - perhaps, finally, he [I]was[/I] happy. Syd looked towards his aunt and his smile grew until it burst into laughter.

Interactions
Misty Gray Sinead (go free!)

 

[RayPurchase]

Mitchell Van Gerwen

​

Mitch couldn’t help but smile at the curse sent his way. Given the fact that a punch or a glass was not sent this way, he was pretty sure that it was good natured. His attention was fully on Rachel though now there was no need to worry about the patrons running him out of the bar. He noticed the stare however as she poured the pint. Almost sizing him up with a hint of suspicion. It was after that rapid fire questions of why he was there and what he wanted with Conor when it suddenly hit him like a wrecking ball. Conor is out of the slammer for one day, and some guy in a suit turns up asking questions, it wasn’t that far of a leap to think that he was at best a Fed or a Detective fishing for some reason to lock him back in, or worst case scenario (Given the family’s line of work) some rival looking to intercept Conor on his first day out. He chuckled and raised his hands almost apologetically.


“Nothing serious, and don’t worry I’m not a cop or looking to cause trouble. Name’s Mitch, Conor’s lawyer. Partly just swinging by on the off chance of seeing that he’d made it through his first day as a freeman, second reason, and I’m going to be honest with you here, it beats sitting at home staring at 4 walls instead I can come here and stare at 4 different walls, with far better company than myself. Especially as Conor mentioned something about a free pint, fair exchange for helping him out I say,”


He pulled out his wallet from his trousers. Sliding a 5 Dollar Bill over the bar.

“But don’t worry I don’t want you having to take my word for it and it turns out I’m just so chancer with a good lie, I’ll pay my way, and wait for Conor in person,”

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Maddox Parker
​

Hearing Ani was exhausted from working for so long, Maddox was about to think of a nice way to suggest helping the woman relax. However, she went on to say she'd lost a patient that day and any jokes or further flirtations were immediately pushed to the back of his mind. He placed a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder to try offer her some comfort. Although it wasn't quite the same as Ani's patients dying, Maddox understood how it felt to think he'd failed a patient and their family. He'd experienced failure in his work and he knew there was always a chance he wouldn't be able to save others. Be it suicide or sectioning, it was something he worked hard to prevent, but like Ani, he wasn't perfect nor a miracle worker.

"Ani... I'm sure you did what you could for them. You're a skilled and proficient woman, I know that," he reassured her. "You're not boring me at all. If you do need to talk, I'm here. Not as a counsellor, but as a friend," he told her. Whilst it was early days regarding their potential romantic relationship, he believed them to at least be friends.

Ani then made efforts to lighten up the subject. Maddox removed his hand from her shoulder and returned her smile as she spoke of brightening his day. "I'll happily help bring some sunshine to you." A warmth filled Maddox as he felt Ani squeeze his hand and then rest her head on his shoulder. Though he'd been on dates lately and some had led to one night stands, that was all they had been. Something felt different with Ani. It was good to have her sitting so close to him and being able to have deep conversations with her set her apart from any women he'd spent time with in the past. He was inclined to think she was worth spending more time with. He already knew he was very attracted to her, both on a physical and an intellectual level.

"Whilst I'm not against you falling asleep right here next to me, I think we both need to eat," he told her. "I just had my last appointment of the day, so I'm as good as finished. You tell me where you'd like to eat and I'l make it happen..." Maddox fell silent as he noticed how close Ani's face now was to his. His eyes met with hers and he couldn't help but feel drawn in by her. He moved his head closer to hers before placing a soft kiss on her lips. He moved his head back slightly, pulling away from the kiss in the process, and looked to Ani's face to gauge her reaction so he could determine if he should continue to kiss her...

Bellz (Ani)

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead scoffed at Syd's protests about being in love with Roxie. "Hmmm. Well, that blushing and denial isn't getting you anywhere with me, Mister. Maybe it's not love yet, but you're crushing so hard on that girl. As for me being a gossip. Nope. I prefer 'romance encourager'," she said. She paused for a moment to think about her own words before just shrugging her shoulders. "Gosh, your cheeks are so red. Totally betraying your protests!" she teased.

Seeing Syd laugh reassured Sinead that her nephew was going to be okay. After the things he'd been through in the past, she was glad to see the hope radiating from him. Now all she wanted was for him and his parents to patch things up so they could all continue as they had been before the whole mess. Feeling something lightly rub against her legs, Sinead quickly looked down to see Jasper, Emery's cat, looking up at her. Sinead wasted no time in reaching down to pick the animal up, gently cuddling him as she stroked his head. "Hello, my fellow ginger," she sweetly spoke to the cat. She then looked to Syd and giggled. "I never warned Conor about the cat. He always said cats were lame but now he's got to share a house with one. Sucks to be him," she joked.

The sound of Peter's voice could be heard from out in the hallway, causing Sinead's eyes to widen. She carefully put Jasper down on the floor before looking to her nephew. "Are you okay finishing up that milkshake, Syd?" she asked him. "I just need to go see how Peter is doing," she said, her voice reflecting her concern.

Sinead rushed out of the kitchen to meet Peter. "Hey, honey..." she greeted him. She stopped close to him but was hesitant with the hug she wanted to him in case it would make him feel at all suffocated. She wasn't sure if the session would have helped him so soon or if it could have opened up more wounds. "Are you okay?" Aware of Seana and Leo nearby, she motioned towards the nearby door which led to her small music room. "We can talk in there, if you want to," she said, looking up to him with her large eyes.


Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Peter)

 

[Bellz]

Ani Sarraf ​

Ani was pleased to hear that Maddox was off for the day like she was. If he wasn't she probably would have just ended up heading to a bar or something, avoiding the house just in case Ammon was on one of his rampages again. When he spoke again, his words made her groan lightly, "Do we have to go out?" She teasingly grumbled. Ani didn't want to be on her feet anymore, especially in the shoes she was in. But of course, she would have to be an adult and carry on with her day like the rest of the world. Before she had a chance to tell him where she wanted to eat, Ani became very aware of how close she was to Maddox in that moment. As if he was reading her mind somehow, he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. She had thought about it but for the action to actually be done...it took her a minute to catch up with what was actually happening. Maybe it was the lack of sleep in the last two days or maybe it was because of the numbness she felt after her failed surgery but she didn't know how to expressively react to the situation. Her brown eyes flickered up to look into his and a moment later, everything seemed to click.

Slowly, a small smile formed on her lips before she returned the gentle gesture. After a few moments, she pulled back and a dreamy laugh escaped her, "Well, hello." She purred before giving his hand a squeeze. "I'm craving...pizza!" Ani decided and with another quick kiss, she stood up. Waiting for Maddox to stand, once he had she slowly released his hand before explaining, "I told Laura I was here for a professional meeting. Wouldn't want the poor dear to get any ideas." Her tone was teasing but she was partially serious about what she had said. It wasn't the right time to bring someone into her chaotic life, not with her brother, work...more work. Ani only hoped that Maddox would stick around without getting upset over her busy hours. With his line of work, there was no way he would meet with Ammon.

"Ready to go?" Ani asked her voice a lot quieter than it had been before. Doubt was a powerful feeling and she was having a lot of it. The kiss had sent her mind into a frenzy and now she was thinking too far ahead. They weren't any item, yet. Maybe they would never be, maybe this was just a fling...if that was the case Ani wondered if she would be devastated or relieved. With Maddox, things seemed different. Ani silently prayed things would be.
with: Maddox Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Emery Callahan​

Emery had listened to Ryan's words about her parents and how her mother was resilient. The condition that it helped Sinead if she knew she wasn't alone had caused the teenager to hold her tongue as she quickly nodded her head. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty for wanting to get away from the house for a bit to see the Porters. With Savannah and Braden doing their own thing, Emery felt she was the only one who was around the house long enough to see their mother and father upset. Although she felt bad for rushing out of there, she was comforted by knowing her uncle was back at the house to provide any support to Sinead - it was why she'd grabbed the opportunity to leave the house when she had.

Hearing Ryan speak about his family had brought a small smile to Emery's lips. He mentioned his mother and his apparent lover, quashing any presumptions she had about him being some kind of loner. Then he mentioned that he was trying to find his son, which came as yet another surprise to the girl. "Well, I hope you manage to find him. Get Sherlock Porter on the case with you, am I right?" she remarked, hoping to keep the chat light as she sensed something more serious beneath Ryan's smile.

As the car came to a stop, Emery was still grinning from Ryan's comment about the size of the Porters' mansion. A suited man approached the car and opened door for Emery. "Excellent, thank you," she said as she climbed out of the vehicle. Her tone was dry as she continued to speak. "You're still my favourite door-opener, Sir. Teach me this skill, one day." The guard had rolled his eyes, by now used to the redhead's teasing. If anything, he was just glad she wasn't pestering him to teach her how to fire a gun or knock a guy out, this time.

"There's a swimming pool inside," Emery confirmed to Ryan. She then waved the two men off into the house, her attention focused on Ed who was walking with Mason - a rottweiler - around the garden perimeter, apparently searching for Thomas' escape route. The teenager calmly approached them and wasted no time in stroking Mason then eventually greeting Ed.


Mentions: Fletchawk (Ryan) Bellz (Lucy)

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah blushed a little when Roxie called her mother a sweetheart. She made another mental note to visit Sinead, not liking how their last communication had been by telephone and the unpleasant discussion of moving back home to stay away from Roxie. "Oh I know. I don't think I'd be out performing on stage if it wasn't for her," she added. She'd often thought of what else she'd be doing if she couldn't sing or act. It was a question she still couldn't answer. She wouldn't join the family's criminal activities and she couldn't see herself doing a regular job. Being on stage or in front of a camera were the only places she wanted to be working.

"I'm sorry your family don't get along with each other," she softly told her friend. Her family were prone to fights and arguments, but they always patched things up. It was a big thing for her family to stick together - it always had been. "Has it always been that way with your family?" she curiously asked.

Savannah laughed when she listened to Roxie mention the riot and hitting some cop. Despite avoiding lawbreaking, Savannah shared her family's dislike for the police. After all, the cops were to ones who gunned down Angel and robbed Savannah of the chance to meet her biological father. "You're crazy, Roxie," she said, snickering at the story. She'd found protests interesting and was always curious when they were fighting for women's right or against police brutality. She knew she couldn't get involved in any of them, as tempting as it was. It could affect her career as well as draw unwanted attention towards the family business. More reasons to add to Savannah's inability to be herself - to keep up an act and paint on a smile.

Perhaps the wine was partly to blame, but Savannah felt a little upset hearing Roxie tell her she didn't have to protect her and speaking words that felt like she was being pushed away. "Maybe not all good things in life are easy," she argued. "You're my friend, Roxie. Why would I just turn my back on you? I love my family but I want to have friends too. There aren't many people I can just be myself with..." she trailed off, a tear escaping the corner of her right eye. With her family going through so much and always worrying about the business, she felt she could only tell them everything was perfect in her life. Her friends from the theatre weren't genuine, she knew that. The other girls were two-faced and she was sure they would love for her to fail so one of them could replace her in the lead role. There weren't many people she could call true friends and she wouldn't let go of them so easily. "Our families are just going to have to back off and leave us be. Unless, you don't want me here--" she suddenly realised and couldn't stop herself from saying it aloud.


Bellz (Roxie)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan ​

When Sinead rushed out of the kitchen to greet Peter, the man smiled softly. He notice that she didn't try to make a move to hug him, so instead, he reached his arms out to grab her gently, pulling her in for a hug. "I'm alright." He murmured softly, pressing his lips against her hair for a moment before releasing her only slightly. They had all sorts of company over, so Peter was relieved when Sinead suggested they head nto her music room. "That sounds like a good idea." He told her and followed her into the room.

Once inside the room and behind the safety of the closed door, Peter drew in a shaky breath before placing his hands inside his pockets. "I had a good talk with the doctor..." He started by saying, not exactly sure where he should start with all of this new information and ideas he was given to better himself. "We talked about a few things and I have a lot to think about before my next appointment with him." Biting his lip, he paused for a moment to look over at some of the sheet music on the table beside him.

"He suggested that I try to spend some more time with you and the kids, which is something I think we really need to do, since its been a while." Peter looked to his wife for a moment, gauging her reaction before continuing on, "Maybe it would be good to head into the city, do something around there. Get some lunch, maybe head into Central Park. Or maybe we could head to the coast?"
with: Sinead Misty Gray

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue​

As he was being led through the foyer, Ryan paid little attention to the interior other than it being clean and spacious. It made him briefly wonder if leaving the Mob's employ was a mistake, especially given that he was drafted by Di Giorgio not even six months after having "retired". However, he quickly dismissed the envious thoughts as he reminded himself that such luxury required an equal amount of vigilance. It wasn't long before he was brought to the king of the castle, standing alongside his queen, who greeted Ryan with a smile and an extended hand.

Taking James' hand and matching his firmness, Ryan returned the man's smile, "Fair to middling overall, but today's been fairly decent. Fed Conor some burgers before dropping him off at Sinny's. The boys you posted over there were gracious enough to loan out their Impala. Beautiful beast, shame I couldn't put her through her paces though," he answered with a mild shrug, keeping the details to a minimum since he wasn't one for small talk, "How about you two? Seems like business is treating you well. At least, for the most part."

Hinting at the recent events he's picked up on, Ryan's warmth started to fade. He'd been about to suggest moving to somewhere private so they could get down to brass tacks, but the man's hospitality wasn't something to refuse, as the James he remembered was a collector of excellent whiskey, "Since you're offering, whiskey; and before I forget, your niece hitched a ride with me. So you've a redhead running around here somewhere."


Misty Gray [James] Bellz [Lucy]

 

[seasonedcat]

~Penelope~​

Penelope nodded at Brady when he made the suggestion of where they would check first. That was a good idea, maybe he had been there before the meeting and got a little drunk and passed out somewhere, most likely a couch somewhere, or even a floor. He could even still be at the bar, just lost track of time. These, of course, were optimistic thoughts. Going on the drunk idea he could also be passed out in some ally, or got caught in his drunk state and was taken out by his enemies. He could be captured, dead, or anywhere in this godforsaken city if they were lucky enough. Getting drunk alone when you have enemies is a dangerous thing.

This even all goes off the assumption that he was even at this bar, they could very well get there and receive no results, having wasted time going here and potentially missed an opportunity to find him or just find him alive. There were far more negative outcomes to this situation than there were positives, it would be illogical to ignore these and focus on only the positives. This didn't stop her from having a slight hope however that he would be ok, and even that he would be in the bar sitting with a glass of whisky. Maybe she was foolish to keep the small amount of hope that this will uncover something, but she just couldn't help herself.

As they entered the bar Penelope glanced around the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man, over somehow find a clue or some sign that he had been here. Brady, of course, knew more about the bar than her and quickly found a familiar face to question. The man seemed to have no information, but by the sly look, his face held it was clear that that wasn't quite true. When Brady took a quick glance back at her she frowned slightly, wondering what he was thinking before she saw him pull out money and offer it to the man. This seemed to unlock the man's lips as 'suddenly' he remembered something. Penelope let out a little 'tch' at the exchange.

At the man's response, Penelope frowned even more than she already was. "You just let a very wasted customer leave the bar without even checking if he could get home safe? Shameful," Penelope shook her head disappointed in the man. She knew it wasn't his responsibility to do that, but she never let customers just waltz out of the bar when they are so wasted they look like they'd collapse, she at least checked to make sure they could get home safe. Only so that they didn't lose any customers of course. Letting out a sigh she glanced around the bar once more, "Did he say anything about where he would go, or even what he was going to do? Drunk people tend to have loose lips as you should know from your experience in your job."
Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

Rachel Harris​

"Hmm," Rachel mumbled as Mitch assured her he wasn't a cop. That was a relief as she'd hate to have had to cause a scene in the pub by having him removed from the premises. Before she could question what explanation he would put forward, he informed her that he was Conor's lawyer. She couldn't help but let out a disbelieving laugh, but she soon regained composure as she realised it wasn't that much of a stretch to believe. The Porters did have lawyers on side and obviously one of them had been working on Conor's case. Successfully, she had to add. "Well, I wouldn't normally find myself willingly in the presence of a lawyer, but if you're the bloke who helped get Conor out, then I'm sure I can make an exception," she informed him, finishing her sentence with a wink.

"I can't make any promises that the company here will be better than your own, but I quite enjoy these four walls." Rachel paused as her attention was briefly drawn to two nearby customers squabbling over some sports teams they each supported. "Yeah... the company grows on ya," she sad, comically rolling her eyes.

Rachel took the bill from Mitch and held on to it as he explained he'd pay his way until he saw Conor in person. "That sounds like a good idea, Mitch. You see, if I were to give you the free pint, that's all it would be. If you wait until Conor's in, he'll give you free pints all night. Probably just so he can just watch you get legless and make an ass of yourself, but at least it's free!" she joked. She turned away and placed the note into the till before getting out the change. She then returned to Mitch and held out her hand so he could take the coins from her. "So, is this the first time you've been in this place?" She then cleared her throat and spoke a little quieter. "More to the point. Is this your first job for Conor's family?" she curiously asked. She'd been working for the Sullivans since back when Liam was in charge of things in New York, but once Noah got himself locked up and eventually Liam was killed, she'd lost track of the family's associates.


RayPurchase (Mitch)

Sinead Callahan​

When Peter reached his arms out and pulled her in for a hug, Sinead couldn't help but smile as she practically sank into him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and raised her head on his chest as he told her he was alright. Feeling him kiss her hair filled her with a warmth that she didn't often get to feel around her husband as of late. When he agreed, she led him into the music room and closed the door behind them.

Sinead leaned against the piano as she watched Peter stand opposite her with his hands in his pockets. She was glad to hear he thought his talk with the counsellor had been a good one. She'd been concerned he would struggle to engage in the session and would come out of it with a bad experience. It filled her with hope to hear the session had gone well. "That's so good, Peter. I'm really happy that you found it useful and you could talk with him." She sent her husband a warm smile, genuinely pleased he'd had a positive experience.

Seeing Peter look towards the sheet music, Sinead couldn't help but think back to Chicago and the first day she'd spent time with him. It was his first day watching her and baby Savannah, back then under Conor's employment. She remembered sitting at the old family piano next to Peter and playing along together. She was pulled out of her thoughts when Peter spoke again. He mentioned that they and the kids needed to spend more time together. Sinead quickly nodded her head along in agreement and stood up straight. "I agree..." she whispered, reaching out to hold his hand.

"All five of us?" she asked, looking to their hands as she thought of spending time together with all three kids. She then looked up again and met Peter's eyes. "I would love to go to the coast. It's summer and I haven't yet been able to wear my new beach clothes. The coast would be amazing," she enthused. Whilst she loved Central Park, she worked in the city and was often close enough to it. She wasn't sure how many opportunities she'd get to spend time with all of her family together, so she wanted it to be special and at the beach.

"We'll get through this, won't we? I love you, Petey..."

Bellz (Peter)

Maddox Parker​

Maddox had been pleased when his risk paid off and Ani returned his kiss. He spent so much time telling his patients to step out of their comfort zones and face their fears that he didn't have it in him to be a hypocrite on the matter. He'd long since learned that life was too short to miss opportunities by being afraid.

"Hello to you too," he said, playfully laughing along with Ani. He couldn't help let his eyes linger on her face, moving from her lips back up to her eyes. "Pizza sounds amazing..." he distractedly agreed. He eventually caught up to the present as Ani gave him another quick kiss before she stood up. He too got up from the couch and straightened out his shirt as he snapped out of any affectionate thoughts. "No, we'd best let Laura keep believing this is just business. She has an habit of wanting to have hourly updates on my love life," he remarked.

Maddox approached the nearby closet so he could retrieve his jacket. He also grabbed his tie and set about fastening it around his neck. It wasn't uncommon for him to change his outfit throughout the day depending on the situation or where his next appointment would take him. He didn't like to dress too formally when in his own office speaking with clients, but in the same day he often ended up attending important meetings and formal proceedings. He figured he'd make some effort to look presentable now he was taking Ani out to eat.

"I know a few Italians," he told her as he straightened out his hair. He then retrieved his keys and wallet from his desk drawer. "I'll drive us to one of my favourites for pizza. After you've worked all those hours, I can't have you up on your feet for too much longer, can I? My Dad would..." Maddox paused as he seemingly lost his train of thought. His mind seemed to run blank as he looked down to the keys in his hands and frowned slightly. "My Dad would be disappointed if he knew I was making you walk around the city after you've had a long day." For all his late father's faults, Maddox knew the man had always made efforts to be a gentleman towards women.

After giving Laura a few final instructions, Maddox left the medical practice with Ani and walked her to the parking lot where his convertible car was parked. The early evening sun was still bright, prompting Maddox to retrieve his sunglasses from his shirt pocket and put them on over his eyes. "Ladies first," he said as he opened the passenger door for Ani.

Bellz (Ani)

 

[Bellz]

Braden Callahan​

The bartender raised an eyebrow at the woman and his lip curled up the tiniest bit in distaste. "Its not my job to keep track of the drunken fools, they always find their way back into this establishment and all I can do is serve them a drink and make sure they don't fuck up my bar." Placing another one of the clean beer mugs down, he went to pick up the next one before beginning to dry it off as well. "He was ramblin' off about something, almost tried to start a fight with another couple of men who left earlier in the night."

"I couldn't catch much of what he was saying, sorry." He told the pair before Braden sighed heavily. "Wonderful." Without a warning, the man spun on his heels, heading in the same direction from which he came. Once out the door, he whistled for Sanford who had obediently been waiting by the door for the pair to leave. Sure that Penelope was behind him, he stopped and waited for her to fall in line with him before speaking, "Something sounded odd about what the bartender said, makes me worried that our rivals caught up to our poor leader." The rivals he was speaking of were from the otherside Atlantic Ave, they called themselves The Organization. They were older and far more experienced than the Barons but times changed. The Young Barons were coming into their prime and they hoped they could expand out that way, officially owning the Bedford-Stuyvesant side of Brooklyn.

"I have a feeling those men are part of The Organization. A retaliation move for the warehouse building we secured near their territory. If that's where he is, then we have to move fast." Braden was already quickening his pace. "We need to get the gang back together, we can't do this alone. It would be crazy crossing over into their territory with just the two of us and a mutt." The young man was trying desperately to think of a plan, but his mind was clouded with feelings of anger. They didn't need this right now, not with all the things happening with his family's business...

"What do you think we should do?" He asked suddenly, looking to Penelope with almost a desperate look in his eye, his face however, remained neutral.
with: Penelope seasonedcat

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan ​

With Sinead's hand in his own, Peter gave it a gentle squeeze as he nodded at her question about all five of them spending time together. She expressed that she would love to go to the coast and Peter smile widened at the idea of making her happy. He really had been slacking on doing things for Sinead and now he felt like he needed to make it up to her. "The coast it is then." He said to her after she told him that the coast would be amazing.

They were still holding each others hand and Peter looked down at them for a moment in thought, wondering if this was the right direction they were going in. Her question caused him to stiffen lightly. He wanted to say yes, that the would be 100% okay, that they wouldn't have to worry about it all anymore because he was better and knew how to handle everything but reality was a harsh place.

"I think we will." The man stated after a long pause, to which he didn't look at Sinead when saying those words. He continued to look down at their hands for a few moments longer before he finally moved his eyes to look up at his wife.

"I love you too, Sinny." Peter took a step closer to her and made a move to gently grab her other hand. "I know it might not seem like it at the moment, but I am really going to try for us, for the kids and for me. We don't deserve to live like this any longer and if there is something I can do to change it then I will." He vowed to her, his words serious. His eyes intently watched Sinead for a few moments longer before he slowly leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Everything is going to be alright, love. Please don't worry too much okay?"

Once he pulled his lips away, the man sighed and looked towards the door leading out of the music room, "We've got quite the crowd out there. Happy to have your brother back?"
with: Sinead Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Ani Sarraf​

Ani smiled happily as Maddox told her they were driving to get food, she laughed at the beginning of his sentence and was about to make a joke about being off her feet was just what the doctor ordered but then Maddox seemed to lose his train of thought in a way that stood out to Ani. Concern revealed itself on her face as the man looked down at the keys in his hands, frowning. He continued on to finish his sentence about his father and Ani offered another smile to try and cheer him up, "Sounds like a man who knows how to treat a woman right. That makes two of you." She told him before following the man out of the office.

Saying goodbye to Laura, the pair headed out into the lot where a convertible was parked. Once they got to the car, Maddox made a move to open the car door for her to which she nodded her head in thanks. "You know I've never been in a convertible before, is my poor hair going to be ruined?" She was only teasing as she could care less about what her hair looked like at the moment.

She was in good company and that made her feel comfortable enough to be herself. Once the car started going, the warm summer wind in her hair was soothing to her so much so that she closed her eyes for a few minutes to let all of what was going on sink in. Ani never liked to admit it but sometimes she was very overwhelmed about things that were happening around her, things that she couldn't really control.

It was especially hard when she was alone or with her brother, but Ani found it a little easier to breath with Maddox. At a light, Ani finally opened her eyes again and turned to look at the man in the driver's eat. "So am I going to enjoy this pizza, I'm a pretty big food critic you know. Might be ordering two pies instead of one if I like it." Ani enjoyed that she could be so casual with him, like friends, but she was also hoping that this whole relationship lead to something more...if she could handle it.
With: Maddox Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter
​

James couldn't help but smile when Conor was mentioned. It was good to finally have the man out of jail and he was eager to speak with his brother-in-law. However, he was sure he would have Aliana, Lucy and Sinead on his back if he rushed into talking business with the man. James understood that some of his family wanted Conor to stay away from the family business now he was fresh out of jail, which was why he wouldn't rush to see him and wave the temptation in his face. Still, James believed it was Conor's choice and given their recent conversations, he'd been getting mixed messages from the Sullivan man as to what he did want to do next. On a selfish level, James felt he wouldn't hesitate to have Conor working for him again, given how things seemed to be taking a bad turn as of late. With more loyal friends and employees needed as of late, James was looking forward to hearing the purpose of Ryan's visit.

"Burgers, huh? I suppose the big lad's got plenty of catching up to do where the food's concerned." He listened as Ryan spoke about the car he'd borrowed and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, there's plenty of cars around here. Always something needing fixing, might I add," he remarked, clearly referring to Ryan's skills in car mechanics. "Business has been relatively smooth, though there's been too many... issues recently for my liking," he explained, careful not to outright mention Arlene in case Olivia was near enough to overhear.

With mention of Emery being on the premises, James feigned an expression of fear. "I think that's our cue to get that whiskey and in the safety of my office," he joked. James turned to Lucy and placed a kiss on her cheek. "We won't be long, love. I'm sure Emery will entertain you in the meantime," he said, hoping to lighten the mood a little.

Once in the safety of his office, James closed the door behind himself and Ryan before offering the man a seat at his desk. As teased, he poured Ryan a decent sized serving of whiskey and slid the glass tumbler towards the man before pouring some for himself. James then sat opposite Ryan and studied him for a time. "I'm guessing this isn't just a social call?" he got straight to the point. "Before I start telling you how busy things are getting around here, I'll let you fill me in on what I need to know." James figured there was a reason for Ryan's presence after so many years away, so didn't want to stop the man from sharing the details.


Bellz (Lucy) Fletchawk (Ryan)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead took in a deep breath when Peter replied to say he 'thought' they would get through their troubles. It wasn't exactly an answer that gave off certainty, but she knew she had to take what she could from it. She had to have faith and hope that things would work out for them. Without that optimism, she worried she'd have no choice to to give up. She could feel the doubt building inside of her until Peter finally looked back to her and said he loved her in return. She softly smiled as he took hold of her other hand. He tried to reassure her that he was going to try, for everyone's sake. She quickly nodded her head as she fought back any emotions. "Okay. Okay... I just want us all to be together, close, again." She closed her eyes tightly as she felt Peter kiss her forehead. She'd been yearning for him to make contact with her for so long. I felt good to have his lips pressed against her skin and for his words of affection to sink in. "Thank you, Petey. I'll try not to worry. When I'm not awake, I even have bad dreams about us. I can't help it sometimes."

A little distance returned between the two and Peter mentioned their guests. A genuine smile crossed Sinead's lips when questioned about her brother. "I'm really happy to have him back here. I miss his dumb jokes and crazy energy," she told him. "But I'm afraid I've already put a downer on his mood. I had to tell him about Arlene and the explosion. It was so hard. Obviously, he's upset and angry. I hate that I had to do that to him, but if he'd found out another way, I'd have felt even worse. I hope seeing Leo now can cheer him up." She let out a soft sigh. "And I hope he is back now. I hope he didn't suffer too much in the place, but I don't know how I would approach him about it." As she said it, she looked up to Peter, knowing how much he suffered and that there was a chance he might understand her brother more than she did now.



Bellz (Peter)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Ali pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to find that place. When she would get to the point where she would be frustrated and cry, there was a place in her head she would go where she remembered being nothing be but happy. Strangely enough, it was when she told Conor for the first time that she loved him. Granted that memory then led into her worst nightmare, but that's not the point. It was the first time she felt vulnerable and actually welcomed it, where she felt like she could be whole. Her life made sense for that split second and she thought she was forever going to be happy. At the current moment in her life, she was everything but happy. She wanted so desperately to get back to the way things used to be but there were too many problems in her life and in her marriage. First, she would have to get over that hump and that hump included this argument.

Listening to him say she reminded him of his therapist, she knew it was a joke but didn't find it humorous at the moment. It just didn't sit well in her mind that perhaps sometimes a person needed to hear things from someone else in order for them to get it through their head. At this point, this visit had turned into something much more exhausting. Another topic to argue about at the moment wasn't something she wanted to do. Besides, she had Leo and Seana waiting outside the lounge for long enough. This was supposed to be something good for her son and it was turning ugly. At the mention of just having Leo sleepover Sinead's instead of their home, she took in a sharp breath and shook her head. "No, he already knows and I'm not going to disappoint him..." She bit her lip, deciding to maybe have a little repeat of the night before. In her mind, drinking the pain away would help even more! Taking a deep breath, she limped over to the lounge entrance and took a seat on the stairs, pointing to the lounge. "Alright, my time is up in there kiddo."

Before she could even finish, Leo jumped up and looked at her. He knew they were arguing, he could hear it. He knew that his mother was upset so he rubbed her knee and smiled. "Aw mom don't be so upset. At least now you and grandma don't have to drive so far anymore!" It the two women chuckled before Leo disappeared into the lounge in search of his father. Once he was located, he could see the frustration on his face as well. "Listen dad, I know how crazy women can be. Lorelei is probably the craziest of them all so I get ya!" He shook his head as if he were sympathizing with Conor. The one thing about Leo is that at certain times, mostly times where he noticed someone going through something emotionally, he acted older than he was. He could pick up that something was wrong, even when his parents weren't arguing just a few feet away from him. "So dad, when you come over you can meet the Charlies and we're gonna build a fort. Mom bought this ice cream she says I'm not allowed to eat, but we're gonna eat it anyway. She never notices and grandma just replaces it anyway." Sure he was trying to get his father's mind off of the things that were going on, but he was just really excited about their sleepover.

Looking over at her daughter, Seana sighed and stroked her hair. "Sometimes I think taking you away from Alan was the worst thing I could've done." Seana was staring at the door now, thinking it all over. There were times where she put on a bold front, that she was this strong woman who's skin you can never get under. But at the moment, she was very concerned she had something to do with the way Ali was acting. If she had her father in her life, would things have been better? As in would she have handled this situation a bit better? However, she knew she couldn't dwell on the past at the moment since her daughter needed her help. "It's like looking in a mirror, isn't it?" Ali asked, leaning her head on Seana's shoulder. There was a slight pause as Seana nodded. "Yeah, kind of. The only thing is, it shouldn't be like this. My past and the way I handled things should be an example of what not to do; not a blueprint for you." Her mother's straight to the point words got her thinking about how right she was. She wasn't going to say that out loud, of course, but even still. "Ah well, it's something to think about..." She said, standing up. "I never got that coffee, so I'm going to raid Sinny's kitchen while everyone does their talking. Wanna join me?" Seana declined, looking at her watch. "I have some things to do in the city and I should get going."

A few minutes later and Ali was in the kitchen, looking for the makings of coffee. She looked to Syd and gave him a faint smile. "Hey kid, how's it going?" She still found it entertaining that they weren't that far apart in age, yet she called him kid. It dawned on her that she hadn't checked on him since the whole bombing thing and the chewing out of his parents. Looking through things in the cupboards, climbing on the counters for things she couldn't reach, she was truly on a mission. "Syd, where the hell does your aunt keep the coffee stuff?"



Conor ( Misty Gray ) Syd ( Pyroclast )​

 

[RayPurchase]

Mitchell Van Gerwen
​

Mitch took a sip of beer as Rachel seemingly laughed in disbelief.

“Don't worry, we're generally a pretty terrible bunch to associate with, it's all case law, expensive wine and pissing contests, no one willingly hangs out with lawyers. Main reason why I try not to make a habit of hanging out with any. Thanks for making an exception this once though,”

He glanced over his shoulder at the squabbling patrons. It may not have been like his regular haunts that was for sure. But that wasn’t a bad thing, this was oddly refreshing. None of the trapping or sense of jumped up superiority that you got at the bars downtown or on the upper west side. A proper Irish Pub. In a way it was probably safer too, drinking at one of the family's establishments than any old haunt, much less chance of getting into trouble if you’re on the payroll.

“Now that sounds like a good situation to me. Why have one when you can have a round all to yourself. And making a fool of myself, hey that’s a pretty small price to pay. Especially compared to the bars round my neck of the woods, got to take a mortgage out whenever you go in one of those places.”

He took another timely sip as Rachel lowered her voice. I mean she was clearly on the payroll too, but he didn’t exactly want to go into too much detail, loose lips sink ships. Or the more like course was that if he blabbed too much he’d end up sinking to the bottom of the bay. Probably best to keep to the public fact, he got Conor out, and keep the rest at least a little vague. I mean this had been what he would consider his first major case. Everything before had been just standard retainer work, checking the finances, getting people who had just been picked up out of jail, not prison.

“First time getting someone one out of prison, but not my first job, been working with them for a little while now. Jobs steady, the pays good, and they’ve even started inviting me to a few socials. What more can you ask for? How about yourself, how long has Conor kept you locked up and running this place for him?”

He leaned forward as he switched the conversation in her direction, placing an elbow on the bar as he leaned against it.

( Misty Gray )

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau​

Roxie bit her lip as she took in Savannah's face, she seemed upset with her...it had to have been something she said. Savvy spoke and Roxie listened as intently as she could given that the wine was beginning to hit her. "I don't think you would just turn your back on me..." She murmured to her, hoping to try and make things better. Seeing the tears in her eyes was heartbreaking to Roxie, she just couldn't stand it. Getting up from her seat, the woman moved to sit beside her friend, wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulders as she gave her a soft smile. "I always want you here, babe. You are right, they need to leave us be and let us live. You and I have a great thing going here and I think its doing you well being on your own like this." Roxie felt like the Porters and Callahans were suffocating their children far too much and the woman sympathized with that on a personal level.

When she stepped out on her own at 18, she had made all the wrong decisions. Was it because of her or was it because of her parents? She still debated with herself on that. Especially seeing how well Savvy was doing compared to how Roxie was doing at her age.

"I'm proud of you, kid. Don't know if your family has told you that recently but you need to hear it. You're kicking some major ass out in the real world and you should really give yourself more credit." Roxie looked ahead at the television set, staring at the misshaped reflection the bubble like screen gave. "Things will turn up, your family can sniff around all they want, I'm clean. Well, as clean as I can be given the few misdemeanors." Roxie had always been truthful with Savannah about her rowdy past and made a point to always be that way.

"Just imagine how good its gonna feel to boast about being right, there's always a silver lining." There was a pause and Roxie let her head drop to look at her free hand. Roxie hadn't given any serious thought as to what happened the day of the tour but it had been weighing down on her recently. "Does that type of stuff normally happen in your family? I mean, explosions..." Another pause, "I would never do anything like that...I just can't imagine how much they've been through to automatically assume it was me."
with: Savannah Misty Gray

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue​

At the mention of the plentitude of vehicles around, Ryan had almost suggested taking their meeting into what would've likely been an expansive garage. However, not wanting to get sidetracked or otherwise tempted, he nodded politely before following the man and the bottle of whiskey into the study. James' study remained similar to the one in Dublin, although it was a bit larger.

"Same desk, or is it just similar?" he mused, keeping the drink in his hand as the object reminded him of the last time he stood before it. As his previous boss and mentor cut to the chase, he took a sip of the whiskey before beginning, "As much as I'd like you to be wrong, you're not. This is about my failure to retire, whether you know of it or not."

Ryan thought he'd be tense when admitting it, or wouldn't be able to meet James' gaze. In his eyes, the man hadn't changed much from those days of working in Emmet's garage, but he knew James to be an undoubtedly dangerous man, more so than the others he'd worked for in the past. Di Giorgio was a conniving and clever man. Liam's competitiveness and unshakeable will made him difficult to challenge on any platform. Tobias, the man left in charge of Chicago after the main family moved to Ireland, had been more of a politician at heart, albeit he was decidedly cruel to his enemies. What made James dangerous was his unseen potential. After all, the man stood against the Romanos, the IWU, and the Moretti Family, and yet it was still he that sat across from Ryan.

"Good stuff," complimenting the amber liquid in his glass before continuing, "Turns out, life has a sick sense of humor. Shouldn't be surprising, but it seems that I can't really escape this life that easily," a tired chuckle quickly dying on his lips as he shook his head slightly. "Ultimately, it boils down to the fact that Carrick stole my son, and I unfortunately attracted the attention of the Italian Mafioso in Los Angeles while looking for them. This meant I got stuck doing their dirty work for almost four and half years as Perry Barone," he said in a level tone, before quaffing his whiskey, "Fact of the matter is that I broke the oath I swore to you in Dublin. I went back into the business, and then there's the fact that Carrick is your brother-in-law. I know it's a lot to dump on you, but I am here for a reason."


Misty Gray [James]

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor bit his bottom lip as Aliana disagreed with his suggestion about staying at Sinead's with Leo. he decided he wasn't going to argue, only wanting his son to remain in good spirits, even if his parents weren't feeling the same. conor briefly paced the room as he waited for his estranged wife to send Leo back in. He rubbed his eyes as the exhaustion of the day threatened to get the better of him. It was another week until his next appointment with Maddox and he was already desperate to get things off his chest. He knew that this time he couldn't turn to the drink to wash away his troubled thoughts. Dr. Parker's sessions had been helping and Conor trusted the man to help him overcome the dark memories he'd bottled up for so long.

Sensing someone approaching the room, Conor stopped still, turning in time to see Leo enter. A smile was brought to Conor's face at mention of women bring crazy. "Ah, you've got that right, kiddo. Maybe your Uncle Finn was onto something when he went off with a bloke, instead." Conor had mentioned Finn on occasions, having always been closer to his cousin than he was with his own brother, Carrick. He often regretted that he might not have shown his support for Finn's sexaulity as much as he should have, especially when Shannon was being so cold at the time. "I'll make sure you meet him at some point. He's a good guy. Probably got his head screwed in tighter than some of us idiots you call family."

Conor listened as the boy set out the evening's plans, feeling it was up to him to go along with it, to give the boy the time they'd both missed over the years. "All three Charlies are still fighting strong then?" he teased. "Ice-cream? Ah, mate. That's all getting eaten, for sure. No questions asked. Us Sullivans need ice-cream to survive!"

Conor scratched the back of his head as he noticed the family photographs around Sinead's lounge. "How are you getting along with your cousins? Thomas, Lorelei... Olivia?" he asked. He hoped Leo had been able to spend enough time with the family. Despite prison and the marriage difficulties, Conor wanted Aliana and Leo to remain a firm fixture within his family.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Leo)

 

[Misty Gray]

Maddox Parker​

Maddox sent Ani a smile when she asked if her hair was going to be ruined. The look he sent her was one of admiration as he tried to imagine how she could possibly look unattractive; he certainly doubted 'ruined' hair would do her any kind of significant disservice. "I'm afraid I can't make any promises. It's been quite some years since my hair was longer than it currently is, so I can only imagine the struggle," he teased. "I'm sure your hair will still look nice, regardless, but I can put the roof up if you prefer?"

The top had been kept down in the car in the end and Maddox couldn't help but sneak in a few glances to his attractive passenger as he drove. He could get used to having a beautiful woman occupying his passenger seat, but he soon reminded himself not to get too comfortable. Things with Ani were still early days and he didn't want to scare her off by getting ahead of themselves.

"Uh ohhhh," Maddox exclaimed when questioned about the high expectations for the choice of eatery. "Well, I love the pizza, so I have every faith you'll enjoy it too. For argument's sake... What's at risk if you don't enjoy it?" he asked, displaying an exaggerated worried expression.

Once parked up, Maddox got out of the car and opened the passenger door to help Ani get out. He placed his hand lightly on her back as he led her inside 'Valentino's Restaurant'. The host immediately greeted them, giving Maddox a firm handshake and a warm smile, clearly already familiar with the doctor. "Wonderful to see you!" the Italian enthused. They were taken to a quiet table for two by the window and handed a menu each to browse.

Maddox blushed a little as he watched the staff member walk away. "Freddie's a nice guy," he told her, confirming he knew the waiter. "I should confess, before he tries to embarrass me... I get takeout from here more often than I care to admit. I'm sure you can empathise with me on how much effort it can seem to have to cook for yourself after long days at work."

Bellz (Ani)