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

[Misty Gray]

Warren Taylor​

Watching as Farrid dropped his bag and stumbled backwards a little, Warren instinctively took a step towards the man. Sensing an anxiety within him, he wanted to be there to support him. When the other man did speak, he questioned the validity of the news, suggesting he was lying. Warren wasn't offended by the accusation, understanding how upsetting the news was and how the denial was a normal reaction to hearing a loved one was dead. Farrid's words soon turned to profane yells of disbelief. Warren tensed but held his position as he stood facing the man. As the cloth was thrown at him, he flinched before slowly nodding his head and allowing the item to fall onto the floor.

Though it was clear as day, the tears that emerged from the man's eyes were confirmation that the news was sinking in and the man was distraught at the thought of losing Bailey. Warren let out a long breath as Farrid turned away from him. He took a step closer but held back from making physical contact with the man, not sure if he'd accept being consoled in such a manner by a man he hardly knew.

"No, she didn't deserve it at all," he echoed the man's words. Any interactions he'd had with Bailey had been brief and professional, but he was an observant man and one who kept his eye on his brother's associates. From what he'd seen, Bailey hadn't been a specifically dangerous or cruel person. She'd always come across as one of the more friendly members of the mob. One of the least deserving of such a cruel, premature end. Soon enough, the Bible was thrown across the room and against the wall. Warren was about to speak up and ask what he could do, but Farrid soon confirmed he wanted to head to Syd's place.

As they walked out to the car, Warren briefly dropped back to tell one of the men keeping watch over the place to retrieve the Bible and keep it safe. Partly, the request was should Farrid not turn his back on his faith but also to avoid leaving behind any kind of evidence that could link Farrid to the scene where the two Italians were being tortured.

The drive was a silent one and when they reached Syd's place, they were told by the Porter guard that the man in question wasn't home. They were directed to the Callahans' place as Syd had gone there to see Conor. Once parked in the Callahans' driveway, Warren offered to go into the house to get Syd and explain what had happened, figuring Farrid might not be comfortable heading into a house that appeared busy and likely full of high spirits with Conor's return.

Inb4Cloaker (Farrid) Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson and Sinead Callahan​

Sinead couldn't help but smile when Finn returned her hug. "Ohhh. I've missed your hugs, Finn!" she told him. She was always a person who like to cuddle others and make physical contact with those she cared about, so with Finn known for giving hugs too, she naturally gravitated towards her sweet cousin.

When Finn said he had some news for the family, Sinead's smile instinctively dropped as she expected he was there to pass on some kind of bad news. Before she could react, he assured her it was positive news, which caused the smile to return to her face. "Thank God..." When her cousin informed her about the job he'd been offered, her jaw dropped before she let out an excited little screech. "That's so amazing! Chief of Medicine sounds so important, which suits you just fine, because you've always been such a good doctor." Sinead reached out and softly squeezed his shoulder for a brief moment. "Everyone's going to be so proud of you, Finn." Sinead was fully aware that Finn and Shannon no longer spoke, following the older woman's refusal to accept his sexuality all of those years ago, but she was sure even her mother would be proud of him for his promotion.

Sinead watched on as Finn and George looked into each others eyes, with her cousin crediting his lover as the reason why he'd managed to get the new job. She placed the palms of her hands against her chest and admired the happy couple. "You two are so adorable. I love how happy you both are together," she gushed. Hearing Finn surprised George with the house only made her appreciate the couple more. Then it clicked with her that her cousin was going to be living in New York and no longer all the way back in Ireland.

"I can't believe you're coming to live over here. We've got so much catching up to do," she pointed out. "Conor just got home today and now you're back too." A small frown formed on her lips before she let out a soft sigh. "After Arlene's death, we could all use some positive news around here," he pointed out, not thinking that Finn might not have heard the news about their cousin yet.


Bellz (Finn)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan ​

Peter was glad to see Conor was doing so well, looking like his old self without even putting in much effort to it. Peter wished he could say that he had returned home in the same conditions but his home coming had been a completely different story. Rolling his eyes at the mention of not receiving a food or drink, Peter let out a laugh before looking to Leo for a second. Seemed like things were doing okay in that front...

"She's been running around her trying to make everyone happy. Must have thought you weren't important enough, mate." His tone was teasing as he reached out to lightly punch the man's arm. "I'm sure she's got something planned for dinner and I'll be around to help tonight with that. Master Chefs are ready to cook you up whatever you little heart desires." Peter wasn't completely oblivious to the look Conor was giving him, studying him.

He shifted from foot to foot in his usual Peter fashion before lifting a hand to run it through his hair. The questions he was asking now were a little harder to answer compared to the teasing banter they had just exchanged between the two of them.

"She's doin' alright I think." Peter said, "Or at least she tells me. Its hard to read your sister nowadays, she's not as open with me...and I think that's my fault." He admitted before sighing and looking away from the two of them. Peter was wondering if he could get into the heavy stuff with Leo around but the man ultimately decided to avoid it for the sake of the kid.

"I'm doing alright, man. Just trying to get things back to the way they were before all of...that." His throat felt like it was closing on him and Peter had to clear his throat a few times before continuing on. "Saw Maddox for the first time and the session went better than I imagined it would have. I think therapy is going to do me some good...especially when it comes to keeping this family together. Which I want more than anything else right now." It was easy to talk to Conor as whenever they had talked in prison he was the only person Peter felt safe around.

"Sinny is having a hard time with me and I haven't made life easy for her. But I'm trying to."
with: Conor Misty Gray ; Leo Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan ​

Finn's cheeks were burning as he was showered with compliments by Sinny, who was the best at making people feel like they were great, even for the smallest accomplishments. This wasn't a small accomplishment, it was actually a huge one but Sinny made him feel like he had just become King of the world or something. "Thank you so much Sin!" I'm really excited about it! Its a huge promotion that will leave me in charge of the entire hospital, a challenge that I look forward to overcoming and conquering." It was refreshing to see his family and have them welcome him back with open arms. Sinny was his favorite because she accepted Finn for who he was as a person and she accepted George, which made him feel more alive than anyone would ever know. His life partner was perfect and amazing in his eyes, so for someone to appreciate that as much as he did, he couldn't ask for anything more in that front.

With cheeks still red as tomatoes, Finn chuckled as Sinead called George and himself adorable. The news about them moving to live in the area was well received and Finn smiled as widely as he could. "We do have sooooo much to catch up on." Finn echoed before his face lit up at the mention of Conor getting home. "He's finally out huh? I can't wait to see him!!" More like brother and sisters rather than cousin's, Finn was excited to see everyone and catch up with ever single person he could. He hadn't noticed the frown on Sinead's lips but when he heard her speak, it caused him to stiffen, his hand squeezing George's gently as he took in the news.

"Arlene's dead?" He asked softly. This was news to him, and terrible news at that. Finn didn't know what to say at the mention of her death. It was shocking to say the least, but he wasn't sure how to react. Swallowing hard, Finn had always been the more sensitive type, he cared about anyone he came into contact with and of course he cared for Arlene. It was horrible to hear that her life was taken away from her in her prime. "That's horrible Sinny, I'm so sorry. We don't have to talk about it. If you want, we can talk more about the house and other things. Where is Luce and the gang? Back at their house? I was going to try and stop by there too before it got too late..."
with: Sinny and George Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

Jason watched her with caution, raising his hands in unspoken surrender when she yelled at him to stop talking. Gwen was on the very edge; her eyes had a wild, 'deer in the headlights' look about them and she held herself guardedly as though fearful of what he might do next. It saddened him to see her so vulnerable like this, especially around him. It seemed like things had truly changed between them for the worse and he only hoped it was still reversible. If he could undo all the bad things he had done to her, he would - maybe then she would be looking at him differently.

Jason kept his hands in the air and his eyes on her, waiting for her to calm down. For a moment the two of them were so still and quiet that they appeared to be suspended in time, neither of them wanting to be the first to break the silence. In this state, Gwen was too unpredictable. Jason didn't know whether her behaviour was a symptom of withdrawal or the beginnings of a comedown, but regardless he knew it was best to be cautious. Taking a glance to her injured hand, he then looked back up to her and exhaled slowly. His expression softened. "Okay. Here's what we're gonna do," he asserted, in his calmest voice. Before she could protest, Jason reached for her bag and slung it over his shoulder before passing her her jacket. "Rehearsal's off. You're comin' wit' me and that hand's gettin' seen by a doctor. Ye can tell 'em it was me, I don't care, but if ye get me in trouble for it I at least wanna know if it's broken." His tone was light but firm, wanting neither to provoke her nor give her an option to refuse. He only held his eyes on her for a second or two longer to make sure she had registered what he had said before backing out into the corridor and making his way to the exit. Soon he was perched on the edge of his motorbike, helmet under one arm as he waited for her to approach him. It crossed his mind that Gwen might not let him put it on her, but he had to try. Despite the frustration and aggression that so often seemed to get between them, Jason wanted to help Gwen, not hurt her. All he could do now was try not to scare her away.

Interactions
Bellz Gwen

 

[Misty Gray]

Maddox Parker​

Maddox raised a curious eyebrow when Ani tried to guess the type of pizza topping he favoured. "My usual topping would involve ham or maybe even some spicy chicken. But I'm going to go with your instinct and have pepperoni. It's good to shake things up once in a while," he said, with a playful grin. He sat back and let Ani give the waiter their order. Whilst he was a gentleman and wanted to spoil the lady sitting opposite, he also believed it was rude and old-fashioned to speak for a woman. It made him cringe when he saw other men going overboard and practically stripping their dates of independence.

After the waiter had left them alone, the couple were left in each others' company again. Maddox didn't miss the reddening of Ani's cheeks, finding it both reassuring and endearing that she too was finding a little something to blush about. Surely it meant she was attracted to him as he was to her? As she began to reply to his compliments she hesitated after only speaking his name. In that moment, Maddox tried to mentally brace himself to be shot down by the woman. He reminded himself that he couldn't be angry with her and that it was always worth the risk to admit his feelings. He was sure he'd be single for life if he became too afraid to share his feelings with women. He briefly glanced out of the window, maintaining a composed expression as he wished to avoid making Ani feeling uncomfortable for being honest with him.

Then, she continued to speak and reached her hand out to take his. Maddox clasped her hand in return and allowed a subtle smile to form on his lips. She wanted to know more about him and she was comfortable with him, which were certainly good signs. He nodded his head lightly as he encouraged her to speak on. Then, she asked him out on a third date which caused Maddox to let out a brief, somewhat relieved, chuckle.

"Ani, that's not far-fetched at all. I would like more than anything to have a third date with you. Our first two have been so good, I'm excited for more," he told her, gently squeezing her hand. "I've got a few ideas of what we could do, but leave it with me," he told her. He was aware that they both had busy work schedules, so unless their date was to consist of another quick dinner straight after work, they'd need to plan it a little more.


Bellz (Ani)

​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

The conversation with Aliana was soon interrupted when Warren entered the kitchen. Syd's first instinct was to send the man a smile, but the serious look on his face came as something of a warning to him and so instead he simply straightened up, readying himself for whatever Warren had come to tell him. People didn't tend to look at him like this unless they were about to break bad news. It was a look Syd was by now able to identify in an instant. "Hey, Warren," he said, as casually as he could. "What's going on?"

Syd felt his whole body tense up when the guard informed him of Bailey's murder. For the first couple of seconds his mind froze, too stunned to think at all. Then the anger came, manifesting as a great weight in his chest. Knowing that Farrid needed him helped him to push his own emotions down and so his anger for now remained trapped within him. Letting his gaze drop to the floor, he tapped his fist on the counter lightly, appearing far calmer than he felt. "Okay," he mumbled. He was starting to feel a hot pressure build up behind his eyes. "Um...Ali, I've gotta go. I'm sorry -" His voice was barely audible as he took the milkshake into his hand and practically flew into the next room. The tears were starting to well up in his eyes and he avoided looking at anyone as he set the milkshake down a little too harshly on the table next to Conor. He took a step back as though about to say something but no words would form in his head. Instead, he turned on his heel and made his exit, picking up speed until he was running to the car.

Farrid was sitting in the back and Syd wasted no time in climbing into the seat beside him. Shutting the car door enclosed the two men in a quiet and safe environment, separating them from any exterior noise. The sudden silence was strangely comforting. To see his best friend so broken up was hard, yet still he managed to look at him, study his face, notice the traces of tears shimmering on his cheeks. Syd put his arm around the man's shoulder and slowly pulled him into a secure embrace. There wasn't much he felt he could say at first so for a moment he just sat and held him.

"Farrid, I want you to know..." His voice sounded almost painfully loud in contrast to the silence that surrounded them. "You're not on your own, okay? If you want me for any reason, day or night, you call me. You always have a place to sleep at mine, and if you need company at yours then just say the word and I'll come round." While it was true that Syd lead a full and busy life and therefore wasn't always available on demand, he still felt determined to be there for Farrid in any way he could be. Bailey could fill a room with her personality and so her absence would be felt strongly, especially by Farrid. The situation felt all too familiar to him, having lost the love of his life all those years ago. Of course, the circumstances were entirely different, but it still reminded him of the day he finally lost Skye. Experiencing that kind of heartache put him in good stead to support Farrid during his bereavement so he was confident in his approach - he just hoped that his friend wouldn't fall into the same well of loneliness and despair. He had to clear his throat and allow himself a few seconds before speaking again. "We'll find out who did this and we'll exact revenge on them. However you decide to approach this, know that I'm behind you, yeah?" Talking of the next steps lead him to think about funerals. He had been to dozens in his lifetime, but had never found peace through them. Goodbyes were very personal and for him didn't seem to mean as much when carried out as a group. "And...and you honour her in your own way, in your own time. Whatever feels right to you. Don't let anyone get in the way of that." Syd reached for his cigarette case and offered it to Farrid before taking one for himself. With a sigh, he leaned back slightly so he could look the man in the eye. He meant to smile, but couldn't. "For now...let's just sit here and think about her together."

Interactions
Inb4Cloaker Farrid
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana
Misty Gray Warren

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue​

"If it's any consolation, I doubt they'll be much of threat. They were losing their grip on Los Angeles when I was there, and I doubt the five years after Di Giorgio was clapped has done them any favors. Speaking of the fat bastard, as far I know, he was the only one that knew my original identity, so he's probably just trying to clean up a loose end," he said, making it clear to James that Ryan's past wasn't likely to be a major threat to him.

It wasn't overly surprising when James revealed that he nor anyone else seemed to have been in regular correspondence with Carrick, and he was mostly relieved by the fact, but a little frustrated as well since he also wasn't any closer to finding Carrick, or his son. Still, the man's willingness to support his cause would be invaluable going forward.

"From what I was told, Sue met Carrick at the restaurant that she was working at, and they hit it off. She never told him that who Owen's father was, so I think it was a coincidence. Hell, she never even told Owen. At the time, she didn't even know if I was alive or dead. Still, Carrick took what wasn't his to take. But I appreciate that you're willing to help, as is Conor, but this isn't time imperative, and Carrick is still a part of your family. So think it over, and discuss it with Lucy. Owen's been missing for over decade, I've come to terms that he might not want to come back, or is even still alive."

Standing up from the seat, Ryan straightened out his suit as he prepare to take his leave, "But you're busy man I'm sure. You've got the gist of why I'm here, and Conor has offered his place above The Emerald, so I'll be around if you want more information, or just want to catch up. And if you need help with anything, let me know. As long as it's over the table of course."


Misty Gray [James]

 

[RayPurchase]

Mitchell Van Gerwen​

“Oh yeah, I’m effectively part of the furniture now. As long as they don’t decide to chuck me out for a newer model anytime soon, I’ll be laughing. I mean you’re right, he wasn’t the most co-operative guy on day 1, but he helped himself by the end of it. Keep t he compliments coming though, my heads swelling nicely here,”

He flashed her a wink as he took a sip of beer. He was enjoying himself here. It had been too long since he’d just had a night off, no fancy social, no late night hours in the office, just him a beer and a friendly bartender. To be honest what more could he ask for.

“I’ll have to take your word for it, whilst the Morrettis were running things I was still on the straight and narrow, an ignorant innocent to the real goings on. Well as innocent as a lawyer can be mind you, which now I think about it isn’t very,”

He nodded his head as she spoke. Another brother behind bars. Seemed to be a running theme in this neck of the woods, must be hard to deal with, times like this that Mitch was glad to be an only child. He waved a hand at her self deprecation.

“Ah don’t put yourself down like that. Hey it’s my first night here and I’m having a heck of a time. But on the other hand, I guess Conor being about gives you some more free time, I suppose being in charge of a place like this can’t be easy what with the… colourful regulars,”

( Misty Gray )

 

[Inb4Cloaker]

Farrid Al-Assad​

After boarding the vehicle with Warren, Farrid fell silent. For a moment, the medic felt sorry for the man who informed him of what happened, and pitied the fact that he had to be the person to confront himself about it. Assad would apologize for his rough language and hostile gestures later, when he was more calm. If he could find it within himself to calm down. It was only when the dust settled that the prior insurgent realized what Baileys death entailed for what was to come. It happened back in the building already. He slipped back into the past, and succumbed to the madness that had since stopped after the gunrunner pushed it away. For him, the world was much colder without her, and the darkness in his mind may very well deafen him again, like it did many times before. While Warren and Farrid drove away, the medic forced himself to look at his truck, and he envisioned the redhead waiting in the passenger seat. Like the day they went to the party at the Porters residence, she sat in her simple dress, looking back at him with the same eyes he fell in love with. All it took was one blink, however, and she was gone. In her stead was an empty seat, and the realization that he’d never be able to hold her again.

As the truck vanished behind them, Farrid bowed his head and searched for clarity among the confusion. His heart hurt, and his head pounded without any signs of stopping. Although temporary, the tears stopped flowing down his cheeks. Instead of sadness, the medic could only think of hatred. Revenge would not be enough to put ease his anger. He sought the ability to destroy everything, and everyone who participated in her death, regardless of their role. Overwhelmed by his own thoughts, Assad found his hands clenched onto the seat, threatening to tear up the leather while his internal struggle raged on. With each passing streetlight, he fought the inherent, unquestionable desire to seek retribution, and the much calmer voice that told him to get a hold of himself. As the familiar mansion that Syd owned appeared in the distance, Farrid solidified what he felt was necessary.

Before he arrived in the United States, the Syrian driver vowed that he would never again cause undue harm to another person, and he would only fight to defend himself, his comrades, and those who he was responsible for protecting. The loss he suffered would be the exception that breaks his vow. Farrid would return to his roots to elicit his revenge. He would show his enemies the terror that he studied when walking the sands of Iraq, and only after he avenged the redhead, would he find any sense of closure.

Doing his best to shake off his rage, the medic instead felt grief creep back, along with the trickle of tears. While he didn’t say it, Assad appreciated the gesture Warren made to retrieve Syd, and spare the distraught medic from venturing inside to see him among the crowd. Minutes later, he saw him racing to get to the car Assad was in. Without making an attempt to clear his face, he only took in a deep breath and looked back into his eyes. While Syd didn’t speak about Skye often, he knew of the situation, and understood that words were not necessary to communicate what he was feeling. The nightclub owner already walked that path long before Farrid did. Without knowing it, the medic croaked out a solemn phrase while his friend reached for an embrace.

“Birds of a feather...” was all he could manage as he fell limp under Syd’s arm, a shuddering sigh racking his body.

Farrid remained in place, unable to move himself while he let the rest of his grief free itself. When he was able to sit up and rest against the door, he did so and placed a hand on his forehead. As Syd spoke, the medic nodded and blinked away the remaining tears that blurred his vision.

“You’re a good friend, Syd.” He quietly said, running his hand through his hair. “I never got to say this, but... thank you for what you told me before. For pushing me to talk to her. While it lasted, we were happy, and it’s because you convinced me to make a move. At least we had that. Too bad whatever higher power there is has condemned me.” At the mention of a higher power, Farrid recalled the other Arabic inscribed book he still had in his cargo pocket. The thought of it made him bare his teeth again. As he took a cigarette with a shaky hand, the medic continued.

“Too bad God condemned me to deal with this, and he condemned Bailey when she didn’t deserve it. Just like he condemned me back when I was burying my dead friends in the sand.” Assad nearly ignored Syd’s comment about honoring Bailey, his thoughts sinking too far into hatred again. Although the cigarette sat lit in his hand, it never touched his lips. Farrid’s eyes remained fixated on the seat between the two.

“Just like he condemned the innocent lives of civilians who never wanted war back home, and like he damned every person who dared to fight for what they thought was right.” The medic crushed the lit tobacco stick between his fingers, his emotions boiling over the point that he never wanted to display in front of Warren.

“Or, like he condemned those children, whose mothers strapped fucking bom-“ Farrid jerked his arm, roughly elbowing the door he was leaning against and grunting. His voice had progressively gotten louder, and the sluggishness he displayed was replaced by visible contempt. After he was able to rid himself of some of the anger he kept bottled up, the medic looked back over at Syd with disappointed eyes, as though he was ashamed of his outburst, along with what he revealed about being back home.

“Ugh, I’m sorry, it’s just- I mean... it’s just unfair. I should’ve been around to help her, to save her. It seems like no matter what, nothing ever goes right.” He finished, taking a slow drag of the somewhat mangled cigarette as he took into consideration about what Syd mentioned regarding how he would honor her.

الرماد إلى رماد

Mentions: None.
Interactions: Warren Misty Gray Syd Pyroclast​

 

[Misty Gray]

George Sanderson and Sinead Callahan​

It had been a while since George had first met Sinead all those years ago back in Dublin, but he was still taken back by how sweet and enthusiastic she was in encouraging Finn. Having spent a decade in prison as well as knowing plenty about the mob, it still surprised him that he found himself in the presence of such kind-hearted people. There was no question that Finn and Sinead were related, with them both sharing such gentle personalities. When Finn's family found out about his relationship with George, it had been Peter and Sinead who came across of the most accepting. Despite the way society looked upon homosexuality, the Callahan couple hadn't given off any impression to George that the couple was any less valid than a straight one. He was glad to be at the Callahans' place first as it made him feel more comfortable, especially as the thought of hearing opinions from likes of Shannon had been niggling at the back of his mind. "You have a beautiful home, Sinead," he softly told her, admiring the decor of the hallway alone. "Perhaps while Finn is busy running a hospital, you can help me decorate our place," he joked, sending Finn a playful glance.

"YES! Your house will look gorgeous," Sinead instantly replied. She'd taken his suggestion completely seriously, which brought an amused smile to George's face but no inclination to decline such a response. "Luce too! She would have soooo many ideas. Sullivan women have a good eye for home interiors..." she trailed off, deciding not to specifically mention how her mother was skilled in such a field.

George listened on as Sinead gave some other updates on the family. He was glad to hear Conor had finally been released. Despite the jokes Conor had made at the gay couple's expense when he first found out about them, George didn't hold it against him. After hearing how close Finn and Conor had always been, George always encouraged Finn to just take his cousin's comments as intended; as silly jokes. George certainly didn't take it personally, having spent years in prison around men who made crude jokes upon discovering his attraction. Even those jokes were easy to handle compared to the scathing derogatory comments he heard the rest of the time. The next news that followed was about the death of Arlene - another of Finn's cousins. After Finn squeezed his hand, George instinctively let go to instead place a reassuring hand on the man's back, letting him know he was there for him. "I'm sorry for your loss," he gently told Finn and Sinead. He knew the family had been through so much already but couldn't imagine losing so many people the way they had.

"She's... yeah," Sinead confirmed, quickly nodding her head. "Some jerks are trying to stir up trouble again and it seems like they're behind Arlene's death." Finn told her they didn't have to talk about it and she let out a soft sigh. She decided to leave the subject for now, knowing he might not be comfortable about the topic either.

"Okay, so..." she began, pausing as she thought of the others. "Luce and James are probably back home now, with Thomas and little Olivia. I'm sure they'll be super happy to see you both again. Although, from what Syd just told me, they're probably not in the best of moods. Just the usual, though... family dramas," she said, playing down what had happened so as not to weigh Finn down with concern on what should be his happy return. "They've got a big old palace that you're going to love!

Sinead seemed like she was having a day of tackling uncomfortable subjects and given what had happened, she felt there was an elephant in the room she did need to address. "My mum isn't here," she told Finn, expecting he might be apprehensive about seeing Shannon. "She's living in London now. Delilah and Mallory were living with her for a while too. The family business got too much for them," she explained. She wasn't sure if Finn had been in contact with Shannon at all, but figured she'd explain anyway.


Bellz (Finn)

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan​

"Oh, behave!" Savannah protested when Roxie teased her about having a crush. "I mean... I don't know. I'm definitely attracted to him..." she tried to play it down.

Her face took on a more thoughtful expression as she thought about her past exes. "Glenn used to say I was boring. Honestly, though. He was boring, always talking about himself and how great he was and all of the shit his fancy parents used to buy for him." The two long-term relationships she'd had both ended in upset for her. Being told she was boring for not being as loud and adventurous as some of the other girls. Then to be cheated on when someone better came along - someone Savannah might wish to describe as "sluttier" - managed to knock the blonde's confidence. To be betrayed by someone who claimed to love her and with someone who claimed to be a friend had made it difficult for her to open up to a guy again. Though Glenn and Amanda were still together, she fully expected the pair would only go and cheat on each other given enough time.

Savannah initially laughed when Roxie questioned how many dates she'd have before letting Danny meet her family. As it sank in, her smile soon dropped. What if she ended up going through similar problems that Syd and Roxie were having with the family? What if her parents didn't like him? Surely they'd like him more than the last boyfriend she'd had. Glenn might have been able to put on a charming and respectable act in front of Peter and Sinead, but he essentially turned out to be a selfish prick. Danny was nothing like the snooty guys she knew in the theatre, so surely that would be a good thing. He certainly seemed sweet and honest, so why wouldn't they like Danny?

Savannah realised her thoughts were getting way ahead of reality and there was far more chance that Danny had no romantic interest in her. Still, she decided to entertain Roxie's question. "When you put it like that, I guess I should wait, huh? Perhaps I'll tell them on the day of our wedding," she said, letting out a playful laugh. "Or maybe that would also be too early. Perhaps in the invite to our child's graduation!" she exaggerated whilst rolling her eyes.

Savannah looked Roxie in the eyes as something else caught up with her thoughts. "You're still going to be on for my show next week, right?" she asked. "I could have got you front row tickets, but I figured it might stir something up, especially as my Aunt and Uncle will be there. The seats I did get you are still great, though."


Bellz (Roxie)

Conor Sullivan​

Conor raised a curious eyebrow as Peter mentioned Sinead wasn't as easier to read or as open as she used to be. Then he suggested it was his own fault. Conor kept his eyes on Peter, even when the man looked away. "Well, that doesn't sound like the Tink we want to be having around here, does it?" Knowing about his sister's bipolar, he wanted to know if her closed behaviour was indeed in response to Peter's own behaviour and not a cause for concern in terms of her mental health. "Want me to talk to her?" he offered. It wasn't that he felt he needed Peter's permission in any sense, but if he believed it was something the married couple needed to sort out between themselves, Conor didn't want to step in and risk causing more damage to the couple.

Peter then answered about how he himself was doing since his release from jail. "It's hard, yeah?" he asked. It might have seemed a rhetorical question, but Conor was already feeling some difficulty readjusting. He'd always been good at keeping his worries to himself and showing only the jovial, relaxed side of himself. Growing up, Conor had learned to put on a brave face, especially when he didn't want his sisters to worry about what was happening in the family business. As his heir, Emmet had kept Conor in the loop even as a young teenager. Now, Conor didn't need to protect his sisters so much, seeing as they now had husbands to support them. Someone who didn't need to hear the full story was Leo. "Leo, mate. Can you give Peter and me a few minutes to talk? In fact, you're overdue a birthday party from me, so go ask your Gran for a pen and paper so you can start writing the names of who we're inviting," he suggested. After Leo had left the room to join Seana, Conor could focus back on the conversation without controlling his words too much.

"You're seeing Maddox, huh?" he asked, flashing a smile. "I'm glad you had a good session and I'm sure he'll really help you out. I thought he was talking bollocks at me in my first few sessions, but it turns out he isn't a bad shrink. He got me talking about things I'd been holding back for a long time and helped me find better ways of dealing with situations. Y'know, ways that don't involve smashing some prick's head against a wall for pissing me off. Nah, he's a good bloke. You'll do well with him," he reassured Peter.

Peter admitted he hadn't been making Sinead's life easy for her. Conor placed his hands in his trouser pockets and cleared his throat before he eventually looked his brother-in-law in the eyes. "I know you've got a lot of things to work out for yourself. I know you had the worst time in the slammer and I'm always here for you when you need to talk about it. Hell, it pisses me off that I couldn't do anything for you in there," he assured him. "You're a great bloke, Pete. You're a good friend and a firm part of this family. But Tink's my sister and I can't see her fall apart again; not when I've seen both of her breakdowns." Conor placed his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Try harder to make her life easier, Pete. Remind her of why she fell in love with you in the first place and that you're still there. Meanwhile, if you've got shit you want to get off your chest, Maddox is getting paid enough and I'm free. I'm here for you, mate." Conor expected Peter would understand that Sinead would always come first, but he was there for Peter too. He didn't for a moment believe the man would harm his sister, but he still felt protective upon realising the redhead was unhappy.

Any tense moment was interrupted by something that was tense in itself. Syd barged into the room and dumped the milkshake down on the nearby table. Conor was about to ask what his nephew's problem was when he saw the younger man looked upset. Syd left the room just as fast as he entered and instead left the house. Conor didn't follow him but he did look out of the lounge window to see Syd get into the back of the car he'd already seen Warren get out of. Eventually Conor found Peter's eyes again and kept a neutral expression on his face. "What have I come home to?" he commented, anticipating even more bad news on the horizon.



Bellz (Peter) Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)
Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Misty Gray]

Rachel Harris​

Rachel couldn't help but laugh along as Mitch pointed out his head was swelling with the compliments relating to his accomplishments working with the Porters. Despite the awkward entrance and initial reaction from the regulars, Mitch seemed to be settling into the pub as time went on. Dare Rachel say, he appeared to be having a good time.

Although not personally affected by them, Rachel had a good grasp of the Morettis and how they'd conducted their business. They were challenging for the Sullivans and far more ruthless. Whilst the Porters were dangerous, she'd never had reason to believe they were as cruel as Francesco Moretti's family were. Suffice to say, when the Italians had been wiped out, Rachel couldn't find a shred of sympathy for them.

"Well, I'm glad to hear someone appreciates my services here," she said, with a dry laugh. She folded her arms and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the surface of the bar. "Maybe you should come here more often - but just remember to leave your tuxedo at home," she teased him. "Oh yes, I'm going to have plenty of free time now the boss is back. I'm really not sure what I'm going to do with that. Given the success your evening is turning to to be, maybe I'll put on the fanciest dress I own and show up overdressed at some grubby nearby pub." She'd spent so much time working at the pub over the last few years that she hadn't had too much time to herself. She figured that was a positive as she wasn't sure how she'd manage to occupy herself with too much free time.

Taking a brief look around the place and its regulars, she slowly nodded. "They are a colourful bunch, but they grow on you. I suppose it was difficult at first, but I've been around the Sullivans and their allies for some time now. Learned early on to look after myself and take any of their crap on the chin." She smirked at Mitch. "I reckon this lot are easier to deal with than some of the people you have to work with in your line of work," she reasoned.


RayPurchase (Mitch)

Detective Smithson
~ New York Police Department ~

Donald Smithson had just returned to his office having spent hours at the warehouse where the shooting had taken place. It was the scene of the crime where Bailey and Kyle had both been shot dead. The Detective was sure they were both associated with the Porters but was waiting to receive confirmation that was backed up with evidence. Other than a few unregistered weapons and minor contraband, the warehouse didn't offer much in terms of a significance for the department to seize. The man was certain had they arrived at the scene sooner then it would have been a different matter. Perhaps there would have been two people being hauled into the cells, but instead, those two people were headed to the morgue.

The Detective was distracted from that case when a colleague entered his office to inform him that the police department in Connecticut had found a body matching that of Arlene Sullivan. He wasn't at all surprised to learn it was being treated as a homicide. However, he had to admit he was irritated that she hadn't been found in New York. He wanted to be in the know about any cases relating to the mob and he'd have preferred to have been kept in on every detail of the Arlene Sullivan investigation.


​

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James was glad to hear the organisation Ryan had got himself involved with shouldn't be much of a threat. Despite his assurance the Italians were losing their hold over Los Angeles, James was still inclined to remain cautious on that front rather than let his guard down so easily. The Porters were already being challenged so he didn't want it to be made even easier for other enemies to swoop in. "Obviously, I'm not going to ignore it completely, but I'll take your word that there shouldn't be much to be concerned about on that front."

The story about Carrick still felt strange to hear, but that was likely as James still remembered the man in question as an obnoxious brat still in his late teens. At the same time, his low opinion of his youngest brother-in-law made it somewhat easier to believe he would do something like take a woman's son away from her. He was glad to hear the matter was time sensitive as he knew he had his hands full enough with the business already. "Of course, I will be speaking with Lucy about this. Carrick's her brother, after all." James knocked the back remainder of his whiskey before pouring some more into the glass tumbler. "I wouldn't give up on finding your son. It sounds to me like you still have plenty of leads to follow and discover."

James stood up on Ryan's cue, still holding his glass with the intention of carrying it with him out of the office. He'd already been made aware Ryan was going to be staying above The Emerald so it wasn't a surprise when he was told. "Glad to hear it. I'm looking forward to catching up with Conor," he told him. James reached for the door handle as Ryan offered his help with any of the legitimate work. "Over the table, huh? Fix a few cars and a little chauffeuring, maybe?" he casually mentioned. "You any good at teaching? Thomas needs a new tutor," he said, though the smirk on his face showed the last offer was a joke.


Fletchawk (Ryan)

 

[RayPurchase]

Mitchell Van Gerwen
​

Mitch laughed along with her, a combination of the ingectioness of her laugh, and the fact that the beer was beginning to go to his head. A combination of a low tolerance and not really having eaten throughout the course of the day. A drawback of the job, lunch was normally whatever he could find in between meetings and appointments, and was rarely filling or nutritious.

"Well as long as you're still here to greet me with a smile and a pint then why would I go elsewhere?"

He grinned at her as she leaned over, glancing down at his suit, and he tugged at the open collar.

"Hey I like the sound of that. I'll the suit for... I dont know I've got a couple of old football jerseys, and you stick a ball gown on, we'll make a right pair, talk of the town I reckon. Then you could show me the ropes of all the other bars that have slipped underneath my radar."

He winked at her as he looked over his shoulder at the regulars, found in clusters here and there, half drunk pints in hand. He sucked at his teeth.

"I mean I didn't want to say you had it easy..."

He only managed to keep a straight face for a moment before letting out a snort of laughter. Christ one beer and he was already feeling loose, he had to get out more.

"I'm kidding of course. Well I'm in the lucky position that my clients pay through the nose for me, makes them a bit more co-operstive once they realise that any time they're wasting is the equivalent of them pissing money away,"

( Misty Gray )

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

Peter watched as Conor spoke to Leo, silently watching the boy go before his attention returned to Conor. Now that the two were alone, Peter didn't know what to think or how to feel, being in a room with someone who might understand him was a little intimidating...

"Yea, he seems like a good shrink." Peter agreed with Conor as he spoke about Maddox in a light way. It was reassuring to hear that the man had a good track record with Conor and made him feel a little better about the whole thing. Still he couldn't help but think back to that session and his mind would start to pick points from the whole conversation that he thought were off or awkward in any sort of way. Then he would overanalyze them until he started to feel that heaviness inside of his lungs and the tightening of his throat.

This was what always got in the way, this feeling that he had. It gripped him in a vice so tight that it threatened to suck the lift out of him. Peter wish he had been able to verbalize this feeling to Maddox today, it was the key to most of his problems.

Shit. Refocus. The reassurance is comforting, Peter had to remind himself of that. Taking a deep breath in, he stiffened as Conor went on to tell him to make Sinead's life easier. His hand on his shoulder sent pins and needles to that area he covered. Now he felt like he couldn't breathe, but he had to remind himself that this was all how it needed to be and the anxiety he was feeling was going to pass any second. "Thanks, mate. Seriously. I understand what I need to do." Peter's voice was surprisingly calm for his throat feeling like it was closing on him. The answer wasn't the best one and it felt like it was just another excuse to him. Maybe it wasn't right, should he say something more? Oh god...

Before Peter could say more about the situation or even stumble through some sort of apology for the way he treated Sinead, Syd stormed through the room only to place a milkshake on the table nearby before heading out of the house. Peter's curiosity covered his anxiety like a cold bucket of water and he came out of it all in a shock. His heart was now racing and his adrenaline was pumping through his veins as he followed Conor to the lounge window. When asked what he came home to, Peter looked to the man with a serious expression. "Whatever it is. Its not going to be good." He would bet money on it.
With: Conor Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Spoiler: Trigger Warning

Reference to suicide

Syd Porter

By now Syd had heard enough about Farrid's background to know that the man had his demons, but never before had he seen him in such a state. When he pulled away and sat against the car door he looked almost like a different man altogether: eyes ablaze with hatred, his body tense and his face damp with tears - he wasn't the calm, friendly man that Syd knew him to be. The sight of him really tugged at Syd's heart; he knew all too well how unbearable it was to lose your favourite person in the world. The pain spreads through the body like a virus, penetrating every cell until eventually it seems incurable. Then, too sick to summon hope, the only imaginable way to stop the pain is by committing suicide. Flashbacks of his own attempts suddenly sprang to his mind and prompted him to make a promise to himself: he would never let Farrid run out of hope.

Farrid's expression of gratitude towards Syd for encouraging him to pursue his feelings for Bailey took him by surprise. So much had happened since his father's birthday party that it seemed far longer ago that it actually was. The memory of that conversation had been lost in a drunken haze until Farrid brought it up, but now it was coming back to him. Reaching over to light the cigarette that hung from his friend's limp hand, he said, "When you really love someone, it goes beyond time. No matter how long you have with them, they can leave a mark on you forever." Syd cleared his throat and lit his own cigarette. It was a difficult conversation to have. In the wake of Skye's passing, Syd didn't understand how to feel grateful for his time with her - he was only upset to have lost her too soon. That Farrid had managed already to find a positive perspective suggested to Syd that he had already learned from previous losses. His struggle to accept her death still showed however, and when the medic began his tirade against God Syd felt a bit out of his depth. Despite his exposure to Catholicism, he had never engaged with the idea of a higher power and so didn't really know what to say. All he could do was watch as his friend grew increasingly agitated. His words were powerful, and he appeared to revert back to his traumatic past as he made references to his darkest days in war-torn Syria. Syd wanted to do something to bring him back but he decided it was best to just stay still and quiet and allow him to express his grief. Whenever he was distraught over something, he found that it often helped to have someone there as a calm presence, so he wanted to do his best to be that person for Farrid.

Syd broke eye contact with his friend as he sat in thought for a moment, holding his cigarette close to his lips. "A therapist I had once told me that guilt is only for people who have intentionally harmed someone." He took a long drag from his cigarette before sitting back and looking to Farrid again. "It's hard not to dwell, you know, on how life could have turned out if the circumstances had been different..." Syd thought of his empty house, and his heart ached. "But this is the reality of it and none of it is your fault. Don't go after yourself when you could go after the fuckers who did it."

Despite being told many times that smoking was an unhealthy habit, it was at times like this that Syd couldn't help but appreciate the comforting scent of tobacco that filled the air around him. "As for God..." he began, not wanting to ignore his friend's internal conflict. "I guess you just can't rely on him to give you a fair life. Bad things happen to good people too, we just gotta not let that affect the choices we make, not let go of who we are or what we believe is right." Syd frowned to himself, wondering whether he had truly kept to that advice himself. Morality was a complex thing and he had questioned it a lot over the course of his life. Before he could get tangled up in his own thoughts, however, he turned back to Farrid and put a firm hand on the man's shoulder. "But you can rely on me - and my family, too. We protect our own, Farrid. You're with us now."

Interactions
Inb4Cloaker Farrid

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 5: An Unexpected Twist
Saturday 24th July 1971
...8 days later...
Evening - Warm, Cloudy, Light rain
******************************

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

St James Theater
~ Midtown, Manhattan ~
"Oliver Twist"​

Savannah Callahan (as Nancy)

The majority of the play had already taken place and the short intermission had just come to an end. As the audience finished up their conversations, the curtains opened up again to reveal the scene of a the pub where Savannah sang what would be her final song 'Oom-pah-pah'. As the musical number ended, the on-stage scene shifted from inside the pub to the empty street where a nearby bridge stood.

Nancy and the young boy, Oliver, stopped running in the centre of the stage. Nancy pointed up to the raised area where the old man, Mr. Brownlow, stood waiting to be reunited with the orphaned boy he wished to adopt. "Can you see him?" she quietly asked the boy, to which he nodded. "Go on, quick!" she told him. After giving the boy a tight hug, he was about to rush up the steps to meet the old man on the bridge. Before Oliver could leave, a furious man marched onto the stage. It was Nancy's lover, Bill Sykes. Believing she had betrayed him by going to hand Oliver over to Mr. Brownlow, he grabbed both Nancy and Oliver, dragging them away from the steps. Nancy tried to fight Bill off, forcing him to let go of the boy. In the scuffle, Oliver was allowed to break away from Bill's grasp. Meanwhile, Nancy continued to struggle against Bill as the man grabbed her arm before repeatedly lashing out at the woman, dragging her behind the steps and out of the audience's view.​

As Henry, the man playing Bill, loosened his hold on the woman his character had just killed, Savannah acted her fall onto the stage, landing back into the audience's view. Savannah laid out on the cold, wooden floor. The damp, red liquid as the pretend blood covered her face as she remained lifelessly still on the floor. Her eyes stared straight ahead, seeing only the heavy black boots of the man standing over her. She then closed her eyes as she heard the man rush away. In the play, Bill Sykes would then grab Oliver and flee the scene with his loyal dog following behind him. All Savannah needed to do was remain silent and still. She anticipated the two actors playing the passers-by would shortly arrive on the stage to discover Nancy's dead body, along with the old man playing Mr. Brownlow. Then, her scene would end as the story progressed back to Bill Sykes and the rest of his gang...

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

Spoiler: Theatre Seating Plan

Front Row Seating

​

Sinead and Emery Callahan

The last week for Sinead had been all over the place. With Conor and Finn back in the picture, she'd had plenty of catching up to do with the men in question. Although Ryan was back on the scene, she'd done very little catching up with him, on account he hadn't wanted her showing up at his place and she sensed the atmosphere her husband presented in the man's company. That was something she hoped to address when she, Peter and Ryan would eventually go out for lunch together. She'd also been busy with work, helping Scott manage the place and training Emery up as a hostess during the daytime shifts. But most of all, Sinead had been rehearsing for her own performance and she'd performed in another club two nights ago. It had felt good to be up on stage singing and having fun doing one of the things she most enjoyed. All in all, she'd been distracted enough to avoid dwelling on the recent deaths and the ongoing fragility of her marriage. Still, she had felt a little change on that front and felt like Peter was a little more open to her. She still hoped they could go back to the old days or at least that she could get her Petey back.

This evening, however, her focus was on Savannah and she was excited to finally see her daughter perform in the play she'd worked so hard on. Although she was a little annoyed with Braden for not making it to his sister's show, she decided not to dwell on it. Sat between Aliana and Emery, Sinead kept making sure to lean forward so she could look to Peter, sending him soft smiles as she sought to gauge his thoughts on their eldest daughter's performance.

Someone else who had left his seat empty was Conor. Her brother had assured her he would attend one of the shows in a few days time, but she'd still hoped to have everyone there together. She understood he didn't want to put a downer on Aliana's night out, but she also thought attending the show at the same time might have helped bring the estranged couple together. Sinead simply wished her family would stop drifting apart and work out their differences.

As the intermission came to an end, Sinead returned from the bar and sat back in her seat. "You okay, honey?" she softly asked Aliana. Sinead remained sat close to her friend as the play started again, humming along to the musical number whilst smiling proudly as she focused on Savannah singing and dancing. Her eldest daughter was usually quite reserved, so it still came as a surprise to Sinead when she saw the blonde up on stage, commanding the audience's full attention. "I always found this song catchy," she told Aliana.

When the song ended and the scene of the play took a darker turn, Sinead couldn't help but lean forward and send Peter a soft, concerned smile. She briefly stretched her arm out passed Emery to give Peter's hand a gentle squeeze. She then retracted her arm and sat back again, shuffling closer to Aliana. She knew the story of Oliver Twist and she'd be quite nervous about watching Nancy's story come to an end. Although she knew full well it was acting, Sinead still couldn't help but cringe as Savannah lay on the floor. The 'blood' on her face and the lifeless expression were enough to cause Sinead to reach out to take Aliana's hand. "I just want to go up there and hug my baby," she quietly told her, flashing a nervous smile. "I'm so proud of her. She's so good."

***​

Emery had been annoyed that Braden had got out of attending the theatre. Mostly, it was because she wished she'd been able to refuse the invite herself and instead sneak out with her friends. However, as she settled into her seat and the show began, she soon found herself glad she was there. The play was interesting and she was loving seeing her sister up on the stage. She did find herself wishing she'd seen the play before having to read the book for school. It could have saved her a lot of time on that particular essay!

"You sure that's my sister?" Emery asked Peter as she linked arms with him. Having studied the book, Emery knew what was coming next, so couldn't help but cast Sinead a glance. "Mum's gonna lose her shit," he whispered to her father. Funnily enough, watching 'Bill Sykes' hurt the character Savannah was playing struck a chord with Emery. "Wow, what a dick! I ought to go up there and see how he likes being smacked about," she said, in a strange way of sticking up for her sister. "Still... Savvy kind of looks convincing," she quietly admitted.



Bellz (Peter) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

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


Private Box

​

James Porter

James had been grateful for the chance to step away from work for a few hours and was looking forward to watching his niece on stage. With his whole life having revolved around crime and violence, he felt a sense of pride whenever members of his family were successful in their own rights. There was Lucy with her modelling, then Gwen, Sinead and now Savannah all involved in the performing arts. Not to mention Finn's success in the field of medicine. It was refreshing to step out of the business and take interest in his family's other achievements.

They were spending the evening away from work, yet James never could turn his back on it completely. He had two of his trusted guards standing by the doors of the private box along with others positioned throughout the theatre. Concealed on his person, James had two more things he trusted, in the form of two pistols. The location of the private box he, Lucy and Mitchell were seated in offered not only a prime view of the stage, but also a sufficient view on the auditorium itself. With the news of Bailey's and Kyle's deaths, along with Arlene's body being found, James couldn't be anything both vigilant, regardless of having his employees standing guard.

During the intermission, James hadn't strayed from the private box. Instead, he was standing where he could continue watching those in the lower seating areas, as well as the staff and the movement around the exits. At the same time, he pressed Mitchell for an update on Allen's case and if there were any conditions of Conor's parole that he needed to be aware of. Inviting Mitchell to the show hadn't been just as a gesture of gratitude for the lawyer's help, but he also wished to discuss wanting the man's help relating to adopting Olivia. Now Arlene's death was official, it was only a matter of time before the authorities came sniffing around about the welfare of the orphaned child.

When the show started up again, James remained standing for a short time, his eyes for a time fixed on Roxie who had managed to place herself next to Syd throughout the show. "If I don't bill her for that seat I'm billing Conor for bailing on us," James grumbled as he sat back in his seat between Lucy and Mitchell. "Sinead's going to give him some grief for cancelling on us - if she hasn't already." James understood that Conor had a lot to catch up with and still needed to get his head around been out of jail. His complaints were really brought on from seeing Syd with Roxie again. No matter how much he wanted to trust the woman, too much was happening for him to let his guard down.

As the plot unfolded on stage, James sat back with his arm around Lucy and his free hand rested over the gun at his waist. He briefly looked over his shoulder, sending Rebel a glance and an acknowledging nod as everything continued to run smoothly. Watching Savannah play dead caused James to clear his throat and softly rub Lucy's shoulder. Given all of the death they'd experienced in their lives, it was too familiar a scene. Even with all the knowledge in the world it wasn't real, it still wasn't comfortable seeing his niece in such a position. "Can I go down there and kill Bill?" he drily remarked to Lucy and Mitchell. "We'll keep the dog, though," he was quick to add, along with a smirk.


RayPurchase (Mitchell) Bellz (Lucy, Rebel)

The Porter House
~ Bayside, Queens ~
​

George Sanderson and Olivia Sullivan

The last week had been like some crazy dream for George. With Finn's promotion and then finally seeing the house that was to be their new home, the man kept wanting to pinch himself to check he was awake. Those of the family they had spoken with seemed glad to have them around. He was excited to settle down in New York and hopefully find work for himself. There were lecturing and tutoring opportunities that he was intending on applying for. There had even been mention of the Porters needing a tutor for Thomas and Olivia, though he'd not yet felt comfortable approaching that possibility. No matter how much Finn trusted him, George wasn't sure what James thought of him and he certainly didn't want to push his luck, expecting the Porters would be extremely selective as to who they let teach their kids.

Whether it was purely a coincidence or a stroke of genius on Finn's part, he and George found themselves babysitting for the kids whilst most of the family were at the show or working on other commitments. Not only would it help George to meet Thomas and Olivia, but he figured it would also give him and Finn chance to see if they really could handle having their own little family. Having never babysat before, he was a little apprehensive about it.

Thomas, Leo, Lorelei and Olivia. It hadn't taken George long at all to remember their names. He was counting that as his first success. A few minutes ago, Olivia had approached George in the lounge with a peace of paper in her hand which had a poem written down in the child's handwriting. The girl had been reading it out to him to check if it sounded okay. As he listened, he soon realised it was a poem for about her mother who had recently been killed. "That sounds perfect, Olivia..." he softly encouraged the girl. He couldn't imagine how she must have been feeling, even if the news of Arlene's death wasn't as fresh to the child as it was to the cops.

"Thank you, because I'm going to read it at the funeral. So I didn't want it to be rubbish," she informed him. The girl folded up the paper and placed it in her pocket before rushing over to Lorelei to see what the other girl wanted to play.

George got up from the sofa and approached Finn, sending the man a warm smile. "How am I doing so far?" he half-joked. "More to the point..." he began, looking around the room. "Where are the two boys?" he asked. Though Conor had been laughing when he told Finn and George they'd need eyes in the backs of their heads where the lads were concerned, George couldn't help but take the man's warning seriously.

Bellz (Finn, Thomas, Lorelei) Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess Fletchawk Inb4Cloaker RayPurchase @Fluffykitty9000
​

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau ​

The light to the bathroom flicked off in the middle of the night and Roxie stumbled blindly back towards her room, stumbling slightly over her own feet as she finally made it to the door.
Or was it? Roxie's head felt like it was going to explode as it continued to throb mercilessly. Maybe she caught something from one of her clients..that guy she had been taking on a tour yesterday looked pretty ill himself, maybe...

Roxie's feet hit the side of the bed gently and she crawled back inside of the sheets before tossing them over her. Rolling onto her stomach, the woman moaned out lightly as the room felt like it was spinning all over again. Clenching her jaw, she forced herself to hold down whatever it was that wanted to come up, breathing deeply through her nose. She didn't remember what time she had fallen asleep but she was sat in an awkward upright position when it finally came.

***​

The St. James Theatre in Midtown Manhattan was a gorgeous establishment that Roxie enjoyed seeing every time the opportunity came up. Getting to the theatre hadn't been a problem but it seemed that avoiding most of the Porters would be as they liked to travel together in small packs instead of separating, which was odd to Roxie as she wondered if their approach only made things easier for people who actually were a threat to them. The first half of the play had been wonderful so far and Roxie didn't have a problem with feeling ill any longer.

Somehow she'd managed to snag a seat right next to Syd in the front row and she had been doing her best to avoid feeling self conscious about it all, reminding herself that the family was there for the same reasons she was, to watch Savannah. She was so proud of her friend and was watching her with a child like amazement in her eyes. Savvy never ceased to surprise her with her performances and so far, she was hooked.

Intermission had gone on smoother than Roxie thought it would, sticking to exclusively speaking with Syd, she avoided the glances and quite possibly the glares she was receiving from the family and focused all her attention on him instead. Lights in the house flickered on and off again before Roxie smiled softly at Syd, "Looks like the shows about to start up again. How about you try to keep your eyes on the performance this time huh?" She teased with a smug look on her face before returning to her seat and waving her hand to the one beside her.

When the performance started back up, Roxie was in another trance. Savannah was laying on the floor now and Roxie watched with wide eyes only taking them away from he friend for a second to look Syd's way, wondering if he felt the same way about the show.
with: Syd Pyroclast

Braden Callahan
​

Braden had decided to not go to his sisters play that night. It hadn't been anything personal to her but he just wasn't into that kind of stuff and he didn't have the attention span to sit there and watch a 2 hour plus play. Taking his time, he walked down the somewhat empty street headed in a direction that was familiar to him. There was word of a party around town tonight and Braden was a man who enjoyed a good party.

He wondered how his mother and father felt about him bailing out on the play. Sure, he had heard what they felt and listened to them repeatedly nag about coming but he wondered if they were hurt. He hoped not. He hoped Savvy wasn't hurt by his disappearance...Braden loved his sisters very much but things were different between them now. Or at least he thought of it that way, he had a whole different thing going compared to them. Savannah wanted nothing to do with gangs and Emery was still too young to officially choose what she wanted to do without the parents getting in the way.

Braden wanted to be apart of the business, even if it wasn't with his family's business. He would work his way up to the top with the Barons and then possibly combine the two gangs if his uncle were to approve, it would give him more coverage within the city and another group of reliable gang members.

Stopping at one of the cross walks, he looked both ways before crossing the busy street. There was a large group of people just a few yards ahead of him and he smiled lightly. Bowing his head down slightly, he proceeded forward and was soon emerged in the crowd of people, trying to swiftly make his way through without being noticed. Unfortunately he bumped into someone causing them to turn, "Watch it." The man said in deep voice. Braden ground his teeth together, "That's alright, maybe next time you will watch where you are going." This didn't sit well with the man and Braden straightened up to look him in the eye.

He was not off to a good start, Braden had only just begun to step into the party and now here he was about to get into a fight.

Fletchawk

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Earlier that day...

Dr Parker's Office
~ Midtown Medical Center, Manhattan ~​

Conor Sullivan

"I believe a lot of the aggression and anger doesn't stem from the the stressors of the present. The events that evoke your need to fight are the triggers but not the cause. You've mentioned only briefly what happened to you in the past." Maddox paused as he studied Conor's face for a moment. "It's clear there's so much you're holding back and the face of Vinnie is manifesting at the front of your mind as a result of this repression. You've been holding back those fears both to avoid upsetting your loved ones and also to hide any weakness from those you consider a threat. I'm just here to listen, Conor. You can tell me everything that's on your mind without fear of upsetting me or being judged by me."

"It's suffocating. When I returned home last week, I fell like I was being dragged under by the weight of bad news and of my failures towards my family. It felt like I was drowning all over again..." Conor slouched back in the seat. Something about the doctor's office made him feel safer and happier to talk. The sessions back in the prison room had been in a cold and unwelcoming atmosphere. "It was nearly 23 years ago now..."

Spoiler: Saturday 30th September 1948

Lucy was taken into the basement of the building and she saw her brother tied by his hands a feet. "Conor." She choked out. "I-I'm so sorry." She whimpered out and hissed in pain as she was roughly handled. Once she was secured in the chair, she looked from Vinnie to Nicolo, doing everything in her power to not spit in their direction.

"Lucy..." Conor mumbled as he heard his sister apologise. He turned his head to see her restrained in a chair and he felt his anger towards the Romanos growing. "It's okay," he told her, though he wasn't sure if he'd spoken loud enough for her to hear him.

Vinnie got up to his feet and pointed to the old bathtub that was nearby. Beside the bath were some apparently empty beer barrels, the contents already poured into the bath, filling it enough for Vinnie's needs. "You know, I imagine this just feels like another heavy night out for Conor, minus the alcohol. But, I'm a generous man and Conor has been getting his hands on my supplies for some time now. Don't say I never gave him what he wanted." Vinnie then signalled for a couple of his men to drag Conor towards the bathtub, pulling him up so he was on his knees. As Conor struggled, he cried out in agony, feeling the pain from his beating intensify with the harsh movements. Suddenly, he was grabbed by the back of his hair and his face pushed into the beer-filled bathtub. Despite his attempts to struggle, Conor couldn't stop them from holding his head under liquid.

Vinnie folded his arms as he closely watched what was happening. Giving the drowning sensation chance to set in and panic Conor, Vinnie then raised his hand. "That's enough," he said, before the men pulled Conor's head back up. Conor coughed up the beer from his lungs, almost vomiting, and then began gasping for air as he caught his breath back. "That was for stealing my shit, Conor. The next one is Lucy's doing." Vinnie allowed the men to repeat the action and when Conor was brought up for air the second time, the men let go of him and allowed him to collapse onto the floor again.

Conor had never felt anything like this before and he was too dazed to even thing of a witty remark for Vinnie. His silence was probably for the best, but it wasn't a good sign for him. He was worried he was already being broken and that he wouldn't be able to do anything for Lucy...

Mention: Bellz (Lucy Sullivan) Misty Gray (Vinnie & Nicolo Romano) ~ The Oath RP ~

"I couldn't help my own sister. I was too weak to stop them from torturing me and she was terrified," Conor let out a deep sigh. "All I want to do is help my family and make up for all of my failures. Yet, everyone seems to be trying to stand in my way. How can I protect my son if I just back down and do nothing..."

***
The session eventually drew to a close and Conor stood up with Maddox. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be interested in the theatre, would you? I've got a couple of tickets to Oliver Twist this evening, but I've got a shit tonne of work to catch up with today so I can't go. Front row seats..." he offered Maddox. The tickets had been bought for him before he was even out of jail. It was true that he had a lot to catch up on with his businesses, but he also didn't fancy the risk of getting into a public disagreement with Aliana. He still needed to work on getting back on track where his marriage was concerned.

"I appreciate the kind offer, but I'm afraid I have plans of my own this evening," Maddox politely declined. "Besides which, it would look bad if it came to light that I'd been accepting gifts from you. It would jeopardise your case and belittle my recommendations. How about you get through the next six months without causing any trouble and then when you've completed probation, we'll see about some free theatre tickets. Deal?"

"Yeah, alright," Conor agreed, knowing everything the man was saying was true. "It must be a real drag to be right all of the time," he remarked.

****************************
​

PRESENT...

The Emerald Pub
~ Midtown, Manhattan ~​

After his early afternoon counselling session, Conor had returned home to the Callahans' place and made a point of getting himself smartly dressed in a suit. He had a lot to cover and figured if he approached it dressed professionally, he wouldn't be tempted to get distracted from the business at hand. He'd spent the rest of the day checking in on his businesses; catching up with the staff and checking over the accounts to see if things were running smoothly. He'd intentionally left The Emerald Pub until last, knowing the place was the most relaxed of his pubs, bars and restaurants. Besides, he was expecting he might find Ryan there, or at least in the apartment above the pub.

When Conor entered the pub, he was immediately greeted by a loud wolf whistle . "Fuckin' ell. Have you been back in bloody court again, ya daft wanker?" the familiar voice of Larry heckled him.

"Well, shit. I was hoping you'd have been carted off to the nursing home by now or at least donated to science. How are you even still here?!" Conor teased.

"Up yours, you giant arsehole... Welcome back, lad," Larry eventually relented, with a fond smile.

Conor approached the bar where Rachel stood waiting for him to join her. After briefly catching up on the pleasantries, Conor had the woman walk him around the place to give him any updates he needed to know. When they entered the cellar in the basement, Conor stopped halfway down the stairs and took in the view of the beer barrels that were lined up in their places. It was a perfectly innocent scene, yet the memories he'd spoke of in his earlier counselling session were still fresh. "Looks good. No need to give me the tour," he assured Rachel, keen to leave the cellar. Once they returned upstairs, Conor took some time to look over the accounts before deciding he was satisfied with everything. "You and Ali have been amazing." Looking around the place and catching the odd comment from his regular customers, Conor couldn't help but smile. "The job's yours if you want it. Permanently, I mean. I have a lot of other responsibilities and things to do, so I need to know this place is in good hands. I want you to keep being the manager."

"I don't know, Conor. I love managing this place, but it's always busy and I've barely been having any days off. I was only mentioning this to your lawyer friend last week," she said with a warm smile as she remembered her conversation with Mitchell.

"You been talking to Mitch, have you? Hope you gave him his free beer..." Conor then cleared his throat and got back to the matter at hand. "We can afford to employ another person and that'll give you some more time off. But I really need you to keep looking after this place. I was also thinking it could do with a bit of an update. A fresh coat of paint, a new layout... think about it and show me your ideas."

"Alright, it's a deal. I'll keep the manager position and we'll give this place a nice little update."

"Excellent!" Conor concluded, rubbing his hands together. "Now... Do you happen to know if my darling Ryan is home...?"

[OPEN FOR INTERACTION]
Mention: Fletchawk (Ryan)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

This past week had been one of nothing but reflection on Aliana's part. Her mother's words still rang out to her, even the day after Conor's return home when she went out drinking the second night in a row. She had somehow managed not to wake up the boys as she walked into her home, the birds chirping after her. But seeing the two of them asleep amongst a massive fort of pillows and eating her ice cream, made her regret not being apart of it. Granted, it was something for the two of them to do together, but she still would have loved to play any small role she could have. So for the days leading up to the play, she managed to convince herself to stop being an asshole and have a conversation. She wanted to try, knew she needed to try, but first, she wanted to say her piece. Deciding when to do this was her biggest challenge as she wanted him to get acclimated to being back home first. The play would probably be a nice way to show him she was trying to remember why she loved him and to attempt to get things back on track. So as she got dressed and ready for the play, she kept reminding herself to give it a chance. To her dismay, she'd perhaps have to put that on the back burning as the seat next to her was empty.

During intermission, she went to the restroom and subconsciously checked to make sure she still looked okay. When she realized what she was doing, she frowned and scoffed. Why was she so nervous about being civil and having a mature conversation with her husband? 'Probably because he's your estranged husband and this conversation determines a lot in your marriage she thought to herself. "Right..." She quickly made her way back to her seat when she noticed the warning the show was about to begin again. Each time she left her seat and returned, some small part of her hoped he would be there and apologizing for being late. Again, that wasn't going to happen tonight. Feeling Sinead's hand, she turned to her and gave a smile. "Oh, love I'm fine. Are you? I can't see how you're containing any excitement from seeing Savvy up there." She said, watching her niece put on her performance. If you'd have told Ali all those years ago that her favorite niece, little Sassy Sav would grow up to be this talented young woman she would have told you you were a little too ambitious. But, now, seeing her do it, she would have regretted even saying it. Watching her pull off her death scene was probably her favorite part. Scenes like that always looked hard to do and she made it seem effortless. Of course, it bothered her mother a little, so she gave her friend a reassuring rub on her arm. "That she is."

Despite Conor not showing up, she was glad to have come out with her family. Before it was just her and Seana but now she had nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, even cousins she adored. For a long time, she didn't feel as if they were family but the night Tommy died, well, was probably when she did. She even noticed Roxie had joined them, next to Syd and thought about James. He still couldn't be upset about the girl, could he? Knowing him he probably was so she just shook her head to herself and focused on the show.

/////

Leo had a lot going through his little mind that he didn't understand. From the things he heard from his uncle and father to hearing parts of his parents arguing, he was in a weird place. He was constantly thinking about the day his family would be whole again, annoyed at his mother some of the time for pushing him away so much. Unfortunately, there was only so much he could do anyway. A part of Leo was upset that he wasn't being allowed to attend Savvy's play, but another part was excited about being able to enjoy his cousin's company. He was around too many adults this past week and their kicking him out so they could talk was getting annoying. Besides, he was excited to fill them in on his reuniting with Conor. Today, he was being babysat by George and Finn. He didn't know much about his uncles other than they were together. It confused him, but like all confusing things, he ignored it. Instead, he immediately sought out Thomas to finally cause some trouble, but not without saying hello to his female cousins and filling them all in about his pillow fort. "And then we built a pillow fort and ate mom's secret ice cream. It was the best night ever!"

​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

It wasn't often that Syd found himself at the theatre; unless Savannah or Gwen were in the cast, he wasn't typically keen to sit in silence for three hours. But while he wasn't interested in the overall play, Savannah's scenes as Nancy captivated him. He found her talent astounding, especially as he had no such talent himself. Every time she appeared on stage his attention switched back on and he gazed up at her with pride. Yet, as soon as her scenes were over, his mind would begin to stray again. It seemed that no matter what, Syd always had too much on his mind to focus on even just one act, let alone a whole play. This time, sitting between Farrid and Roxie, he was occupied with thoughts of Bailey and his friend's bereavement, as well as the risk with his parents he was taking by sitting next to the woman he liked. He knew they would be able to see them together from up in their box, but he felt far enough away from them to be at ease about it. Another thing distracting him from the plot was his visit to his counsellor's office earlier that day. Wishing to do something about his newfound aggression, Syd had, albeit reluctantly, asked Maddox for guidance on changing his medication. After the doctor had explained his behaviour to be a side effect, his prescription had been rewritten as a lower dosage of the same drug. Having gone through transitions before, Syd knew how badly it could affect him and he wasn't looking forward to starting the new course. For now, however, he did his best to focus on Farrid, Savannah, and the gorgeous woman seated next to him.

Much of the interval was spent avoiding his parents in case they made any comments about Roxie. She stuck by his side, clearly hoping to do the same. As difficult as it was to keep his hands to himself, he tried for Farrid's sake to keep any romantic gestures to a minimum. When the lights in the lounge signalled the beginning of the second act, Roxie turned to him with a soft smile. He returned it in an instant, but then looked away with a shy laugh when she teased him about paying more attention to her than the stage. Once they had all settled back into their seats, Syd subtly found her hand with his, lightly brushing against her thigh as he did so, and then pulled it into the gap between their seats so that no one would see. He glanced at her, a tender smile forming on his lips. He wanted desperately to kiss her, but was too conscious of Farrid to put his affections on public display. He gave his friend a light nudge on the arm and asked, "You alright? How're you finding the play?"

The lights soon went down and Syd looked towards the stage in anticipation. The curtains opened on Nancy's death scene; Savannah lay seemingly lifeless on the ground, her face smeared with fake blood. Syd's eyes narrowed as he gazed intensely at his cousin. "Sav's good, isn't she?" he murmured, giving Roxie's hand a squeeze. "I bet Sinead's freaking out right now." It was a joke of course, but something about seeing his cousin being brutally attacked was a little disturbing - even if it was only pretend.

Interactions
Bellz Roxie
Inb4Cloaker Farrid

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter ​

Lucy had been nervous about going out with the whole family. James could put as many men as he wanted on watch but it wasn't doing anything to calm her nerves. Luckily for her, they had a private box above the floor seating, so she could see everything she needed to see. Although she was nervous on the inside, she did her best to keep a cool attitude as she watched the performance before her.

Seated beside James with Mitchell beside him, Lucy turned her head slightly, looking away from Savannah a moment as Nancy was killed. Her eyes met the newest hire, Rebel, and the woman bow her head once towards the Lucy, a reassurance that she was watching what was happening as well. It comforted the blonde slightly and James' words caused her to smile ever so slightly. "Careful dear, I think we are reaching our limit on the dogs." Lucy was only joking of course, the dogs proved to be more loyal than all of her children combined, if James wanted another dog then dammit they would get one.

Seeing Savannah on the floor was very uncomfortable for Lucy and she understood why her husband felt the same. There was already a head count on how many lives have been lost in their family and in their business, its was putting Lucy on edge. No matter how many years she's had to deal with this, it always becomes harder than the last. The only silver lining that made her feel a little better was Conor being released and Finn moving into town. Realizing she was feeling a little negative, Lucy cleared her throat and looked to Mitch, who was on the other side of James. "Enjoying things from all the way up here?" She said with a charming smile, "Its not often we get to do this type of thing, so why not go all out when the occasion arises, isn't that right, love?" Lucy's eyes fell on James. Things had been hard for him lately, so she was glad that he was enjoying himself tonight...

Actually, she was glad everyone was getting that same chance. Peering out towards the floor seats below, Lucy looked to the front row where her son and the tramp were sitting. Lucy's blue eyes narrowed slightly as she saw movement between the pair, it looked like they were holding hands. It was out of Lucy's control and unfortunately for her she was kind of a control freak, her son was much too old for her to be telling him what to do or who to date but Lucy didn't want to see him fall into a deeper ditch that he was already digging for himself.

All she could do was look on, unable to control what was going on before her very eyes. Meanwhile, things were beginning to heat up onstage, but Lucy barely seemed to notice.
with: James Misty Gray ; Mitchell RayPurchase
mentions: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan
Thomas Porter​

Getting settled into the new environment wasn't as hard as Finn thought it would be. Things at work were becoming difficult though and a lot of his time in and outside of it was being spent on perfecting the issues that the hospital had. Their stuff had been arriving in truck loads to the house and everything was slowly being pieced back together one by one.

When Finn had arrived at James and Lucy's place after being at Sinny's, the tone was much heavier than what he was use to. It had been years since he'd been around the families tendency for turmoil and it was taking some getting use to again. Luckily, Finn knew how to make things just a little lighter and offered to babysit the kids while the rest of the family went to Savannah's play. He was quite happy with the arrangement as it would give George and him a chance to bond with the children while showing James that George could be trusted, not that he felt worried about that. He would do anything to ease his partner's worries.

The kids were well behaved for the most part and his attention was currently on George, Olivia and Lorelei. Lorelei was reading a book in an armchair in the corner of the lounge, while George and Olivia were working on a poem together. Finn observed Olivia with a bit of sadness in his eyes, the girl looking strikingly similar to her deceased mother. After a moment of looking at the paper again, the girl folded up the piece and placed it into her pocket. Lorelei looked up from the book she was reading as Olivia rushed to her, "Let's get the dolls Aunt Lucy bought us!" Lorelei suggested immediately before taking the littler girls hand and leading her to the trunk full of toys.

Finn barely noticed he was standing in the middle of the lounge until George addressed him. Smiling back to him almost dreamily, Finn chuckled softly before shrugging his shoulders, "Beats me, I've been watching you, watching Olivia and Lorelei this whole time. You are doing amazing. Finn's cheeks warmed before he sighed and placed his hands in his jean pockets. "I think we need to find them before they get into trouble."

******​

Thomas had gone up into his room to play with some toys that he didn't want the girls messing up. He was very particular with his action figures and Lorelei dressed up Captain America as a bunny one time. Never again. After the Cap official killed off the swarm of Nazi zombies, Thomas got bored just playing on his own. Letting out a heavy sigh, the boy hoisted himself up off the ground before heading out to find Leo, hoping the boy would like to play with him. "Leo?" He called, heading towards the lounge first. Luckily for him, he was able to find the boy quickly. "Leo! Want to play Captain America with me? I have other action figures you can use! Spiderman, Superman, Wonder Woman! I also have Robin but Robin in just the sidekick to Batman, which I also have! Come see!" Uncle Finn let out a laugh that made Thomas confused, "Found them." Uncle Finn looked to Uncle George and Thomas cracked a shy smile, "I was in my room." He bashfully said before looking down to the ground.

It was odd for him when his mother explained that his two Uncles were together. They were also not his Uncles but cousins. Thomas like calling them Uncles though because it was easier and he found it odd to just call older people by just their name. Thomas was still trying to figure them out so when he had to speak to them, he felt shy.
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess ; George & Olivia Misty Gray

 

[RayPurchase]

Chapter 5: An Unexpected Twist
Saturday 24th July 1971


Mitchell Van Gerwen
St James Theatre

​

A second social night out, already this was two more than Mitch had enjoyed with any previous employers. As well as his (quite considerable) retainer fee, he must be doing quite well for himself with these freebies thrown in for good measure, the private box alone must have cost a decent amount, not to mention the front row seats booked out below. Still it wasn’t as if these were without strings attached, the intermission hadn’t been spent down at the bar, or bothering the ice cream seller. Instead it was a blow by blow briefing by Mitch in regard to the states of Conor and Allen. Conor was easy enough, the terms of the parole were quite standard, set meetings with a parole officer and some travel restrictions, continued evidence of gainful employment, and the continued counselling with Dr Maddox, Mitch kept the meetings and submitting of employment evidence under control, whilst Maddox did what he did best and submitted his medical reports, between the two of them (and Conor’s continued co-operation) the situation was very much under control. Allen however was a bit of a different story, he was in jail for a reason, and that reason was a crime that was considered to be heinous in nature, and he was found guilty by a jury of his peers. Conor got into a fight, Allen tortured a man half to death. This wasn’t a case that Mitch was going to rush with as he had explained to James, this sort of thing was a delicate affair, a single misstep or moment of overconfidence could lead to the finally balanced case plummeting, and any hope of Allen coming out dashed on the rocks far below. All in all quite a busy interval, but then again it was part of the perks of having a Lawyer on retainer, so need to worry about office hours, weekends or bank holidays. It could be the middle of the night, or even the middle of an evening at the theatre, Mitch had to be available.

He shifted slightly in his chair as the show began to start up again. Of course it wasn’t just the Porter’s and his good self in the box tonight. The heavies by the door were very much a constant presence. It seemed as though there were dark clouds swirling around the organisation, the deaths of Bailey and Kyle had changed the atmosphere, and it could be felt tonight. Even as much as Mitch lied to himself that he was at least partly removed from this more violent element of the Family Business, deep down he knew that he was kidding himself. Before he had been able to just brush it under the carpet, even with Kyle, he didn’t exactly know the guy, it was just a name being crossed of a list. But he had spent a fair amount of time with Bailey, accounts and law tended to go hand in hand, especially when most of the money was strictly off the books. She had been a good kid, far too young to go the way she did, and she was the accountant for Christ sake, not a hired gun killed in crossfire. Suddenly his own position seemed a lot more vulnerable, he had no guns or guards, the closest thing to security at his apartment was the elderly concierge Keith, who had reached the point where he appeared in danger of keeling over whenever a forceful breeze blew through the lobby. Two days ago during an early morning jog around Central Park, he had become certain that he was being followed by two figures, he’d ended up near enough sprinting through the undergrowth, emerging back onto the streets with numerous scrapes and cuts, his heart hammering in his chest and in a sweat that had nothing to do with the physical exertion. It was only after sprinting back home and sitting against the bolted door, that he calmed his racing mind and came to the more logical conclusion that there had been no tail on him. A day later he had found himself outside a gun shop. He hadn’t planned on going there, he had just been walking his normal route home from the office, and had been drawn to it, like a siren’s call, standing there outside in the rain, hair wet and slick against his head. He’d fired a gun twice in his life, both rifles on hunting trips with his father, both had been awful experiences (mostly down to Mitch’s relationship with his father than to any ethical concerns regarding hunting). He had stood there for a good 5 minutes, getting more and more soaked through before moving on, without a purchase this time. He had never expected a firearm to be an integral part of his arsenal, but perhaps there wasn’t much more time that he would be able to keep it that way.

He attempted to banish such lingering thoughts with a sip of wine, his index finger tapping rhythmically against the glass, perhaps a sign that the oaky notes of the Chardonnay weren’t enough to completely settle his mind. He looked up towards James as he settled between himself and Lucy, a grin appearing on his face, the ever-confident mask slipping back into place. They seemed like a solid pair, but then again he assumed that with the stress and worry brought on by the family business it would either bind a couple together or split them apart, very little room in the middle of the two. As the auditorium lights dimmed and the second half commenced, Mitch’s eye caught two figures down in the audience, just a brief sight of them as the lights went out. Roxie and Syd. His hand gripped the seat tightly for a moment, looking down on the pair from up high until darkness swamped them, and he turned his eyes upon the stage to see the Porter’s daughter treading the boards. Another thing to get over and push down, even if he did have the courage to go and talk to her, what with Syd now in tow, that could be a potentially explosive situation. He grimaced slightly at the sight of the fake blood, he could almost feel the tension from Lucy and James, an uncomfortable reminder of current dangers posed. Thankfully James punctured the smothering tension with a witty comment, the polite chuckle from Mitch helping cut through the atmosphere.

“Speaking as your lawyer I wouldn’t recommend it. Speaking as a theatre goer however, it would put an interesting spin on Dickens,”

He turned towards Lucy, his voice low, admittedly there weren’t any other theatre goers to worry about, but that’s what the exorbitant price of a private box got you. Admittedly it was something that Mitch could get used to.

“Definitely better than the view from the cheap seats. I’ve got to thank you two again for your generosity, all this is truly above and beyond. This is the point where I’d like to offer something on par, but I think my resources don’t really go much further than a home cooked meal. You will have to give me plenty of warning though, my cupboards consist mostly of TV dinners and dog food,”

(Interactions: Misty Gray James, Bellz Lucy
Mentions: Pyroclast Syd, Bellz Roxie)