Realistic or Modern Family Ties: 1980s Gangs - IC (Ended)

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy
Portmarnock Beach
- Dublin, Ireland - ​

After their failed date, Natasha made it her mission to make sure that Leo understood why she was upset and ignoring him. In reality, she didn't have to say anything at all and that seemed to speak volumes. Her mother had tried desperately to get her to speak with her best friend but Natasha refused. Eventually, Leo had reached out to her asking her on a date this time to make up for the last one he screwed up. It was very hard to not forgive Leo for what he had done, sure, part of him not getting the hint was his fault but the fault solely laid on the men in his family being clueless 99.9% of the time to a woman making a move, at least that's what her mother had explained to her.

Much to his surprise, Natasha accepted the offer and told Leo that she was very much looking forward to what he had planned for her. After her mother had gone off to meet Adam at the bar, Natasha drove Collin to a friend's house for the night. Her brother was awfully quiet in the back seat as Natasha glanced at him in the rearview mirror, offering her younger brother a smile. "What's up, little man? You are normally talking my ear off by now." Natasha commented to which her brother gave her the faintest of smiles before shrugging his shoulders. Natasha raised her eyebrow curiously as she paid attention to the road in front of her. "Come on, C. You know you can tell me anything." Natasha pushed him, listening as the young boy sighed.

"I guess I just miss mom." Collin said finally. "What do you mean?" Natasha asked but to an extent she understood what her brother was saying. Their mother had refused to go out on a date with anyone since their father died so for both Natasha and Collin's life, they'd never had to deal with their mother splitting her attention between them and a man she was dating. "She's just always gone now, I want her to be happy but I feel like she's never home." Collin went on to say which made Natasha frown softly. "I know it feels that way, C. But remember we both gave mom the go-ahead to meet someone, it takes a lot of effort to find that special someone in your life." Natasha explained to which Collin just huffed. "I know, I know. It just feels weird to me..." He murmured just as Natasha pulled into the driveway of his friend's home.

Once she placed the car in park, Natasha turned around to smile at her brother softly. "I know it seems like she's gone all the time but I promise you it won't be like this forever. I would never lie to you, you know that, don't you?" Natasha asked gently to which her brother nodded his head. "Yea I do, Nat." He said before moving to get out of the car. Once they said their goodbyes, Natasha quickly drove back home to get ready for her own outing with Leo.

It only took her 30 minutes to get ready and soon she was waiting in the living room watching some TV. Nothing of interest was on but it kept her mind preoccupied so she didn't try to overthink anything. Hearing a knock on the door, Natasha looked towards where the front door was before slowly standing up and turning the TV off. Moving to look at her in one of the mirrors near the front entrance, she brushed through her hair with her fingers before moving to answer the door.

Despite having been absolutely pissed with him for not getting her more than an obvious hint, Natasha still smiled at Leo as if nothing had happened. "Hey," Natasha murmured softly. "You saved me from having to watch the evening news," Natasha said lightly before moving to grab a small cover-up from the coat rack next to the front door. Once she grabbed it, she moved to stand out on the porch with Leo, making sure to lock the front door before taking in his appearance. "Did you get taller since the last time I saw you?" She asked teasingly, nodding to the fact that they hadn't seen each other in a little while. "Ready to go?" She asked.
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess

Harper King

Royal Casino
- Whitechapel, London - ​

Harper rolled her eyes as her brother mentioned that if she wanted to avoid us then maybe she should avoid the family businesses. "Ah but then I'd actually have to pay for my drinks." Harper said with a smile which was then replaced with a frown as Spencer asked if she was avoiding Billy too. Choosing not to answer that question, Harper nodded her head as Spencer introduced Damian to her, politely shaking the man's hand lightly. "Pleasure to meet you." Harper said, making sure to keep her tone professional. The last thing she needed was Spencer going off on her for being rude to his business partner.

Spencer then obviously pointed out that the men were talking business and unless she had a great idea for running the casino, she would be better going off and doing her own thing. "Ahh yes, business, nothing but a gentleman's game." Harper said with a bit of venom laced into her tone. "I'll go make myself useful somewhere else, perhaps at the poker table." Harper said, forcing herself to smile at Spencer and Damian once more. "Have a great evening." She said as kindly as she could. Just as she was about to excuse herself, the drink she ordered was placed in front of her. "Ah, beautiful timing!" Harper said, "I'll definitely be trying my luck at a few of the tables tonight!" She said before officially excusing herself to walk further down the bar.

With Spencer having brought up Billy, Harper was practically vibrating with anger as she drank her drink in a haste. After polishing it off, she decided that she was a bit too angry to go try her luck at the poker table so she stopped at the bar once more to order yet another drink. As she leaned against the bar, she placed her empty glass on it. A waitress was helping a customer to her right who weirdly ordered a virgin Bloody Mary before asking if the woman could get someone from security. Harper raised her brow curiously, watching as the waitress went off to do what was asked of her before Harper spoke to the man. "A Virgin Bloody Mary, hmm? Not much of a drinker I assume?" Harper was just trying to make conversation so she hoped she wasn't offending the man. "I mean, I'm not judging you or anything but a lot of people come here to either waste themselves away on booze or waste their life savings...you seem like the man who's doing neither of those things." Harper said, flashing the man a smile.

Taking in his appearance, Harper found it surprisingly hard to figure him out. Most people were easy to read, minus the people in her family of course but Harper prided herself on being able to know exactly who she was talking to. "So what's an American like you doing in London, love? Vacation with the family? Business?"
with: Xavier Mitheral
mentions: Spencer + Damian Misty Gray ; Billy Pyroclast

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Residence
~Sutton, Dublin~
Alexander King

"Because your family is full of brutes who act before they think," Alex said plainly. He wasn't talking about everyone in the Sullivan family but he was sure she knew which he was talking about. Alex himself was no stranger to the sort of work they did even before they attacked Spencer. Sav's family had threatened him in the past - back when the two first started dating. He saw it as them joking, saying what every family says to the person on the outside dating one of them. Never did he think they would take it seriously and have the audacity to put hands on his brother. "Spencer didn't do your face in nor anyone else in your family. That's the difference between us and your lot." Alex raked his hand through his hair feeling his temper begin to subside. He was beginning to realize the biggest difference between the Kings and the Sullivans; the latter was always looking for a fight, no matter what. At least the Kings were more peaceful in how they dealt with things. He rolled his eyes when she explained how intimidating Spencer had gotten. He felt as if she were victimizing herself and making both him and his brother seem like the aggressors. What he was asking for wasn't at all unnecessary so what was the problem?

The look of amusement replaced the frown on Alex's face as Savannah matched his energy. He was sure she would have hit him had he pushed her even further which caused him to chuckle. "There she is," he said, gesturing towards her body with an open palm. "The real Savannah." When she called him a prick, he placed his hand over his heart and feigned heartbreak smirking at her. "There's that potty mouth I missed." He clapped his hands together, bringing them towards his mouth to tap against his lips. "Oh, trust me. I wish I didn't have to come to this place but unfortunately, you've got my kid." She mentioned Dublin being Callum's home and instead of making a comment about it, he laughed. Dublin would never be his son's home if he had anything to do with it. "Why? So your uncle can beat me up or I have an 'accident'?" He dropped his hands to point at her, frowning. "No fucking chance in hell."

He had more to say but stopped short the moment he heard Callum's voice. The frown on his face quickly disappeared as he crouched down to the ground, arms open. "Hey, buddy!" A soft groan emitted from his throat the moment Callum ran into his chest. He returned the boy's hug and picked him up, resting the young boy on his hip as he smiled at him. Callum quickly fired questions at him only making the man laugh. The energy coming from him was something he missed having around, only making his desire to have him in London grow. "Let's see, am I coming to live with you?" He paused for a moment, looking to Savannah. As much as he wanted to say something snarky he had to be respectful and not trash-talk his mother the same way she hadn't trash-talked him. "How about we circle back to that one later." Even though he was talking to Callum he was still looking at Savannah with a stern look on his face. Callum then asked about going on vacation with him and he looked back at his son with a wide smile. "Of course! We can go anywhere you want. The beach, the mountains, the lake; you choose and we'll go, alright? Just the two of us."

Savannah, Callum ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Victoria Park
~Tower Hamlets, London~
Erik Snowden

All Erik wanted to do was leave. He wanted to get away from the park, the world, and definitely from Billy. In his current state, he was no good at processing his words and the things he actually wanted to say. Venomous and nasty things were coming out of his mouth instead of the proper truth and understanding. It was like his mind wasn't catching up with his mouth as he just kept speaking. Everything he had built up, the confusion, anger, and annoyance at Billy were coming out at once with no filter or sign of stopping. Erik felt numb and dizzy and hollow and just needed one quick line to get him right. His fingers kept playing with the zipper of his pocket wondering if he would be able to get that sweet release before Billy could smack it away from him. Then he realized it would be too risky and that he should just walk away from him.

Except something kept him there. Was it because he wasn't done giving Billy a piece of his mind or because eventually, he'd calm down to actually talk about this? Whatever the reason Erik watched as Billy continued to deny trying to fuck him in the backseat of the taxi. Could he have really forgotten about that night? That precious night that kept Erik up at all hours? Or was he pretending so he could continue to deny his true nature? Some part of him latched on to the idea that he was lying about not knowing as he frowned. "Yes, you did! Why would I make up something like that? Or- or- are you lyin' about not remembering what happened that night because you're ashamed?" He asked seriously. The fact that he would even try and insinuate the man was lying pissed him off. Erik had never lied to Billy about anything and now here he was accusing him of being a liar. The audacity of it was enough to make Erik want to punch Billy in the face. "Did you think you got those bruises from a mishap in the bar? Nah, the cabbie didn't like two queers in the back of his cab and laid into us the moment he had a fuckin' chance."

Erik deserved being slapped and he knew it. He really was asking for it as his head slightly turned. His hand started rubbing his cheek and he let out a dark and manic chuckle. Billy seemed to immediately regret it but Erik didn't care. All the slap had done was confirm what he already knew; Billy King was gay and was trying to convince Erik - and himself - of the opposite. In his eyes, it was a pathetic display that was far beneath the person he thought Billy was. Billy went on to explain how he cared, trying his best to be careful with his words. It baffled Erik that Billy couldn't see through what he was saying and how obvious it was he had feelings for him. He tried to blame it on being obsessive, to which Erik scoffed at immediately. He was lying to himself and it was irritating.

Billy finished it off with the whole desperation act, not wanting Erik to end their friendship. Erik narrowed his eyes at him the moment he stated he never thought about him any special way. Shaking his head he pinched the bridge of his nose. How had he not noticed the way he looked at him? Those sparkly little eyes and that boyish grin that made Erik's heart leap. Could he really have been so stupid to not notice any of it? Surely at some point he had to have felt something, anything that pointed out his feelings for Erik. Maybe Billy really didn't know he might have been gay and it was all new to him. The fact that Erik was going through withdrawals made him jump quickly to conclusions that may not have been necessary. Taking a deep breath he stared at him. "Just-," he started, cutting himself off to find his words. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Fuck... I just- A few days. I need a few days."

Billy ( Pyroclast )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Portmarnock Beach
~Dublin, Ireland~
Leo Sullivan

The moment the door opened to reveal Natasha, Leo smiled down at her. "The news? Well, how else would you get the weather and- well, your daily news if you don't watch it?" He stated knowing full well he didn't watch the news either. When she asked if he got taller, he let out a nervous chuckle before shaking his head. "Uh, not that I know of? Hopefully not. You look nicer than usual," he joked with a grin on his face. Even though he was supposed to be making up for the date he ruined he couldn't help but tease her as usual. For a moment he stared at her with a smile, as if trying to gauge if he could see her as his girlfriend. It wasn't that bad of an idea and she was definitely different from the other girls he had dated. She knew him better than most and they spent a ton of time together already. His cheeks warmed at the thought before he realized he was staring at her. "Come on, slowpoke, you'll make us miss the sunset."

After helping Natasha into the car Leo set out for the beach making small talk on the way. He made sure to ask questions so that she would have the floor to talk the entire drive, wanting to hear about everything. This time around he was going to pay attention to all the details of this date and make sure he absorbed everything like a sponge. It may have been laying it on thick but he preferred that than to miss something... Again. The drive hadn't been that long and when they arrived there weren't many people. The sun was still going down, not yet touching the horizon so Leo still had time to really set the scene for her. With the basket in hand, he led her through the short bushels of grass into the sand. He could already feel it settling into his shoes making his feet uncomfortable but he would have to suffer for now. He settled on a spot far enough from the shore that they wouldn't get wet and set out to get the blanket settled. "I want you to know," he started, finally getting it spread properly after several failed attempts, "I don't have a lot of romantic acts in me." He chuckled and sat the basket in the middle of the blanket before offering her a seat. Sitting next to her he opened the basket and started emptying the contents not realizing right away he forgot the plates and forks for the cakes. "So I'm hoping this will hold you over for a long time, okay?"

Leo was extremely happy the cake hadn't gotten ruined once he took it out. "So I shall explain the themes of our date tonight," he said, emphasizing that he was aware this was a date. "Desserts because we'd get sick eating too much." He sat the strawberry sponge cake in the middle before taking out a smaller chocolate one and individually wrapped Twinkies. "Don't ask how I got those here." Next, he took out a bottle of champagne. "Champagne from our younger days when you, me, and Thomas tried sneaking them during one of our many many parties." He smiled while opening the bottle of champagne, the popping noise making him flinch. The bubbly liquid spilled onto the sand before Leo filled two cups with it and handed her a glass. "The beach because, come on, what better place to take you than to somewhere we enjoyed playing?" He looked at her before playfully - and while being careful not to spill their drinks - nudging her shoulder. "So what do you think? Am I on the road to redemption here?"

Natasha ( Bellz )
​

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti's Office/Apartment
~ Tower Block, Murray Hill, Manhattan ~

Gabriel Moretti and Riccardo Biancardi​

Gabriel smiled when Teddy explained that after a rough moment, things with Valentina settled and the children were glad to see more of their mother. "Ah, well that's good. Everything worked out and now things are as they should be," Gabriel assured Teddy. With his daughter spending more time at home with the kids, and Teddy able to commit more to the business, Gabriel was satisfied. He raised a curious eyebrow at mention of Valentina potentially going crazy, but the man quickly assured him there was nothing to worry about. "Most women don't work at all and spend even more time in the family home. Valentina has been through a lot in her life, so I don't see why doing what is normal and natural should be so difficult for her," he asserted.

He was interested to hear Teddy's thoughts of Ricky, knowing his son-in-law was more tolerant and open-minded than himself. He agreed that the man was improving lately, clearly his father's death and Roxie's ascension to power proving a wake-up call for the erratic Biancardi man. "I am surprised he's backed down where Roxanne is concerned. For a while, I'd hoped he was behind the attempt on her life, but now I'm somewhat disappointed he's left her in his seat. I suppose we, along with Julia, should work to remind him of what he should have. I think Julia could be very useful when it comes to talking Riccardo into taking action."

Teddy seemed keen to work hard and achieve his goals in the business, with drew an agreeable nod from Gabriel. As much as his immediate thought was to tell Teddy his number one priority should be his commitment to the business, the man wasn't simply an employee or even his son, all of whom would have been told to prioritise the business over home life. The fact Teddy was married to his daughter meant the man was permitted to have split priorities. After all, Gabriel would be extremely displeased if Teddy let Valentina down. "Of course. I wouldn't want you upsetting my daughter and grandchildren," he agreed.

When their guests arrived, Gabriel shook hands with Ricky and Julia before offering them a seat on the sofa opposite himself and Teddy. As usual, there were drinks in the centre of the coffee table for them to help themselves to. He listened as Julia spoke of the security guards searching for weapons in the wrong places. "All places are the wrong places, if you're hiding weapons. Just as, all places are the right places if my employees find something there," he assured Julia. "Regardless, I will tell them to show some common sense and decency, in future," he reassured Julia.

"Not that I'm jealous or putting in a request, but they didn't get so handsy around my junk. So a word to them from yourself would be much appreciated," Ricky told Gabriel. It wasn't that he was possessive over Julia, but he saw she was genuinely offended by the security guard's behaviour and he didn't want to have to punch the guy next time, risking Moretti's wrath in the process. It was best to avoid such a confrontation full-stop.

"Elvian is doing great," Gabriel answered Julia with a smile, but kept the small talk on his own part to a minimum. However, he sat back to allow Teddy opportunity to respond to the same question however he wished to.

Once the conversation had switched back to business, Gabriel sat up straight again. "How are things on the Biancardi side of business? I expect Roxanne is still running the show..." he said, his vision shifting from Ricky to sending a knowing look in Julia's direction. "Any signs of that changing? Whilst I am willing to give her the opportunity to prove herself, I don't see her occupying any seat in this room right now."

Ricky let out a sigh before pouring himself a large whiskey and knocking back most of it in one go. "Business is still running smoothly and I'm not aware of any issues between your family and my family businesses," Ricky pointed out. "Unless either of you disagree?" he asked, sending Teddy a look for him to offer his input on the matter. He then smoothed his hand over his tie before deciding to jump into the matter that was on his mind. "I wish to discuss the business you have with the Sullivans, however. My understanding is that all of the Sullivans who could leave New York have now done so, leaving behind only those who can't leave. Obviously, I'm referring to James Porter... Far be it for me to overstep my mark, but what's that guy really doing for you? It can't be much now you have little leverage over him." Seeing Gabriel's already stern face turning even more so, Ricky held out his hand to show he hadn't finished speaking. "The Irish still have a significant enough area of Queens under their ownership, but I think New York would thrive better without any of their influence. Just the Morettis and Biancardis running the show. Why not cut a deal with the Sullivans and have them shipped out completely? I know you'd prefer Porter to leave the prison in a body bag, but I have you down as a businessman who would push aside revenge to gain more land to work with. Leave the spilling of Irish blood back where it belongs - in the 70s," he suggested.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy) Bellz (Julia)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Savannah Callahan​

With Alex and Callum occupying each others' attention, Savannah remained sat in the armchair to let them catch up with each other. She hated hearing Alex speak of her family the way he was but it was difficult to tell him he was wrong after what had happened to Spencer. She'd never set out to have the man hurt and she had told Conor exactly how she felt about his actions. She hadn't wanted her problems to be solved with violence and now Alex had that to use against her. She was tired of trying to explain herself and felt trapped in the middle of an argument she never wanted to be part of. The Sullivan business, the King business, neither of those lifestyles was hers, yet the family organisations always found a way of bringing pain and misery her way.

No matter how much he'd hurt her, Savannah was offended that Alex would even suggest she'd have something happen to him. She hadn't said a bad word to Callum about his father and she certainly wouldn't wish the man dead. No matter how much he'd upset her, she wouldn't want that and she certainly wouldn't want Callum to lose his dad.

When Alex repeated Callum's question about coming to live with him, the child hung on his words, eagerly nodding his head as if to make his father say yes. However, when Alex said they'd come back to that, the boy let out a disappointed groan but quickly perked back up again. Thankfully, Alex did agree to them going on holiday together. "Wow, just us two? I think I like the beach because there's sand and sharks. Big, scary sharks!" he said, before letting out a playful 'roar'.

Savannah had frowned when Alex made a point of saying just he and Callum would go on holiday together. She wasn't sure how she felt about it or where Alex would even think to take a child. It wasn't like the boy could go out drinking in the clubs with him, and until the early hours of the morning. Watching as Alex put the boy back down, she took a deep breath before pointing to the papers on the coffee table. "Callum, why don't you show your dad what you've been working on today?" she softly suggested. "Do you want another cup of juice?" she asked the boy.

"Yes, please. I'm very thirsty," Callum answered his mother as he collected the pieces of paper he'd been colouring in. Sitting next to Alex on the couch, Callum handed his father one picture at a time. "I've coloured in Batman, but it was easy cos most of the picture was already black," he said, shaking his head in comical disappointment. "And this is Robin. And this is Pengwing. And this is Joker. You can have any of these pictures from me, for a present," he offered Alex, looking up to the man's face and smiling at him.

Savannah took her time alone in the kitchen to try calm her nerves down. She felt suffocated and on edge in the room with Alex. They'd been on the verge of a heated argument before Callum had stepped in and she now needed a moment to let out the heavy breath she felt like she'd been holding in. As she stood by the sink waiting for the water to cool to dilute Callum's juice, she let out a heavy sigh. The deep breath choked her up and came out as a single, low sob. Making a point of remaining at the sink so her back would be turned to anyone who might walk in, she brought her hand up to cover her face as her upset caught up to her. She kept the crying silenced but was otherwise unable to control the pent up frustration.

She'd felt isolated and unhappy in London. Even after getting over having her heart broken, she'd struggled to completely pick herself back up there. Work had been a good distraction, but when she wasn't there, she was left wishing she had her family around to talk to and have fun with. But now she was in Dublin with her family, she felt even worse. She felt bad for taking Callum away from the Kings and she hated that she'd lost the likes of Shona and Harper in the process. With tensions as they were, there was no chance she could return to London and she knew it would feel much lonelier now, even if Conor and her family did let her go back.

'Mum! I'm thirsty, please!' Callum's voice was heard shouting out from the lounge. "In a minute!" Savannah called back out to him. Realising the water was still running, she filled the cup and turned the tap off. Still, she remained standing by the sink, staring out of the window as she felt like she was stuck on the spot. She didn't feel ready to return into the lounge yet. Whether it was putting on an act in front or Callum or going all out in an argument with Alex, she couldn't yet face returning to the lounge either way.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

~Brooklyn Heights, Manhattan~
Ava Moretti & Elvian Moretti

With the opening of her gallery in just a few days, Ava Moretti had been running herself ragged. It had been a dream of hers to open such a place and thanks to both her husband and her bar she was able to do so. The construction of everything had been finished a few weeks ago and now all that remained was organizing the opening event. In the past year, she had worked on contracts with artists dealing in multiple different art forms. The building featured seven rooms where these art forms would be shown and Ava was more than excited. The artist's work had already been brought in and arranged. It had been stressful to get everything taken care of but she had plenty of help to get this far. Elvian had turned out to be her biggest supporter - something Ava appreciated greatly. Her mother-in-law even offered to put together floral arrangements to help with the ambiance of the place, which Ava tried her hardest to refuse without payment. Of course, she had lost that battle the day Elvian showed up to the gallery with a truck full of flowers and house plants, directing people on where to put them.

Today Elvian had shown up to 'Maverick's' with Quadir in tow. Never in a million years did Ava think the fancy woman would ever step foot into her bar - or any bar for that matter. She always seemed like the 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' type of woman but here she was in the morning with her sunglasses covering her eyes. "E-Elvie! Whatcha doin' here?" She asked, walking around the bar to greet her. "Ava," Elvian mused, wrapping her arms around her daughter-in-law, "I was in the neighborhood and just knew you were here." Raising a brow, she looked between her and Quadir before settling back on the older woman. "Yous... Was just in the neighborhood? In Queens?" Elvian ignored her statement which caused Ava to smile to herself. "Anyway, come have breakfast with Quadir and me. I want to talk more about the gallery! Oh, and we should go shopping for the grand opening!" Ava hadn't even been able to refuse her even if she wanted. Elvian had grabbed the woman's wrist gently and was already walking her out of the place. Ava shouted to her manager to finish up and listened to him chuckle, watching as she left the building.

Elvian and Ava had dragged poor Quadir through nearly a dozen stores looking for different accessories and shoes and clothes to purchase. By the time they reached the final store, they had more bags in their hands than they could carry. "Quadir, why don't you put these in the car so you're not stuck holding them?" Elvian asked the bodyguard. She felt bad for having him hold what they couldn't and was sure they were only getting heavier. The girls waited for him to return before moving on and looking around. If you were to ask Ava a decade ago if she would have thought she'd be spending three to four figures on her wardrobe she'd have laughed in your face. She was fine with thrift stores and paying a dollar for a shirt, considering that's what she grew up with. It took her a long time to get comfortable to both the wealth her business brought her and being married to Marcus. Granted, she didn't like to spend too much money but rarely did she ever.

"Ava, look at this one!" Elvian pointed out a green velvet dress, a slit going up the leg. "It'll look perfect on you!" Ava shook her head in disagreement with a smile. "Elvie, I don't like dresses. They make me feel so restricted." Elvian gasped. "But you have such long, beautiful legs and you should show them off more often," she turned to Quadir, "Doesn't she?" Ava quickly shook her head looking at him. "You don't gotta answer that." With a huff Elvian flagged down one of the attendants. "Well if you're not getting it I am." Nearly an hour later and they had finished up their shopping with only two bags this time around.

Just as they were about to decide where to go for another meal Ava caught sight of Valentina and Harmony. She didn't have a chance to get their attention before they walked into a restaurant. Elvian suggested they follow them and all four of them eat together before immediately walking towards the restaurant. The waitress in front took their bags for them before pointing in the direction the two had gone. "Darling!" Elvian said the moment she lay eyes on Val. "I hope we're not intruding. Ava and I were shopping for the opening and happened to see you two come in here. Do you know your father's office is right up the street? Maybe we can-," she paused for a moment, remembering the last time they tried visiting Gabe after having lunch. She hesitated before shaking her head. "Actually, we shouldn't disturb him. Anyway, how are you two?"

Valentina ( Misty Gray )
Quadir, Harmony ( BloodThunder27 )
​

 

[Mitheral]

Xavier Thomas

Royal Casino

- Whitechapel, London -​

As the waitress took off Xavier pulled out some sunglasses and put them on after rubbing his eyes. Then he put in some industrial earplugs. As the British woman spoke to him he rolled his eyes over to look at her before he even managed to turn his head. “I can hear fine. Just need to cut down on some of the noise. That’s better. I don’t know why I torture myself in places like this. I guess it is because I practically grew up in them. Las Vegas.”

Xavier gave a wry smile. “Oh, I can drink. But I’d probably regret it in the morning. Found out the hard way in Sydney. I am on what they called a Walkabout. Been on one since I turned 18.” He paused and sighed. "I guess you could say I have been wasting money - but probably more like breaking even.” He knew exactly how much he had won or lost, but he preferred to try to at least sound normal.

“No, I don’t waste my money. I watched too many people pour their life savings down the drain gambling. I watched people get themselves into debt to loan sharks that they could never repay. If someone shows up and I have to stop and talk to them, don’t take it personal. I just sent someone to fetch one of the Staff here. A small problem they need to know about. But I may have to head off and speak to them in private. I don’t want to ruin the atmosphere here for everyone else.”

Then he remembered her questions. “No family. Not anymore.” His tone darkened with bitterness. That was still a somewhat painful subject. He forced a smile to return to his lips. “Why did I have to travel the whole planet before finding my soulmate?” He blinked innocently, then immediately continued. “So scale of 1 to 10. How bad was that for a pick up line?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Yeah … bad. Maybe the love of my life? Oh! I know … DESTINY!” He chuckled. “Sorry about that. For the pickup line, not the interest in the picking up.

“Not here on business. Just being a tourist. Started from Vegas, then Hawaii, New Zealand - walked in hot coals there, Tasmania, Australia, various islands, Japan - ate scorpion, sushi and sashimi there, all along southeast Asia. Yes, I ate tarantulas and grubs in Cambodia. Over to India - monkey brains is really a thing and chanted with monks in Nepal, the Middle East, down the east side of Africa - ate dried crickets there, Antarctica, back up the west side of Africa, Turkey, Italy, Greece … You know, I really wanted to go to Transylvania. Stupid iron curtain. Anyways, I finally ended up here."

He paused and looked around. “I wonder what is keeping Security? They have a guy cheating here. Normally I wouldn’t bother - but he is so bad at it. Card counter. Not strictly illegal, but he’s using his chips and a string of worry beads as devices. This is like his sixth casino. There’s that - and he’s rude to Staff and guests. He thinks he’s a ladies’ man.”

Bellz (Harper) Misty Gray (Spencer and Damian) Pyroclast (Billy) wait ... Billy? (Gulp!)

 

[Misty Gray]

Park Avenue Restaurant
~ Murray Hill, Manhattan ~

Valentina Wycliff​

Even though she didn't know the name of the shop, Valentina was glad that Harmony at least knew where the business in question was. It would be nice to reward Cristina with a gift after school, especially as the girl was always doing so well in class. She grinned at Harmony's expectation the removable extensions would go down better than hair dye. "Oh, I'm sure Cristina will adore them. I don't think my mother would have a problem with them either. My father is simply stuck in the past and set in his ways. He wouldn't agree with me letting a child dye her hair and I'm not sure he'd think extensions were much better - setting a bad example and all that." Valentina wouldn't stop her daughter from doing anything to her own body once she was older. Perhaps she'd just teach the girl how best to get away with it.

Valentina was intrigued to hear Ricky had made Harmony almost cry when they were in the club. Although she knew the man was odd and at times said controversial things, she was surprised to think he might have intentionally upset Harmony. "He did?" she quietly asked. Her bodyguard went on to explain how he'd been talking about drive-by shootings made more difficult by the city's potholes, which seemed a peculiar conversation to be having in a nightclub, but Valentina wasn't surprised by much anymore. However, Harmony confirmed Ricky hadn't known that she'd lost a brother in a a drive-by shooting. Whilst relieved to know Ricky hadn't intentionally upset Harmony, it wasn't shown as she was more saddened to hear the fact the woman's brother had been murdered. "I'm really sorry to hear that," she softly told her. "I understand how it feels to lose family and though Ricky probably didn't meant to upset you, I'm sorry he brought those feelings back," she said, looking her in the eyes in a reassuring manner. Having had the majority of her family wiped out in an assassination, Valentina understood how Harmony felt. Though she hadn't been fond of her Uncle Francesco, she'd got along so well with her cousins and other family members. Her cousin, Paolo, had been one of the closest in age and one of her best friends, which was why she named her youngest child after him.

"Hey, it's okay," Valentina tried to reassure her, reaching out to gently squeeze the woman's shoulder before pulling her arm back. "You need to deal with death however feels right to you. It takes time," she told her. Valentina was briefly interrupted as the waiter brought out their drinks. After taking a sip of her cocktail, she placed the glass down on the table and focused back on Harmony. "Ricky's father recently died. Without saying too much about the Biancardis, what I do know is he's pissed off about a lot of things and that extends to resenting his late father. Ignore him, he was probably being bitter about his own issues."

Hearing a familiar voice, Valentina looked ahead to see her mother approaching them, with Ava close behind. She stood up to give them each a hug. "Mama. Ava," she greeted them. Whilst she was unsure if Harmony wanted more people present given the personal conversation they'd just had, she also couldn't turn her own mother away. She hoped the extra company would cheer both of them up. With Elvian sitting next to her and Ava next to Harmony, Valentina beckoned over the waiter to take the extra orders. She let out a small laugh at the suggestion of visiting her father at the office. "Yeah, I wouldn't go there," she drily remarked. "The less distractions from business, the quicker Teddy gets to escape from meetings," she remarked. "Harmony and I just ordered lunch. You can tell Papa I've been out spending money; shopping and dining, and in a few hours I'll be picking the children up from school. Like a good wife," she sarcastically remarked. She then smiled at her bodyguard. "It's been nice, though," she admitted, having liked getting to know the younger woman. "Harmony is going to help me track down a shop where I can get Cristina some fancy hair accessories.... And how about you two? Has Ava talked you into getting a tattoo yet?" she playfully asked Elvian.

BloodThunder27 (Harmony)
Melanin-Gxdess (Ava, Elvian)

 

[Fletchawk]

Rexford Murphy

The Docklands, Dublin​

It’d been a slow day at the docks, so the Foreman let the dock crew draw straws on who'd go home early. As it had been the rest of the week, fortune had not been on Rexford's side, so he found himself meandering through the more desolate parts of the Docklands on his way to the public piers where his dinghy was tethered. Part of him enjoyed the stillness, allowing him to hear the water lap the sides of the quay and the distant screeches of seafow. The part of him with energy to spare, pushed him onward as he contemplated the risk of reaching out to some old contacts up north to possibly alleviate his empty wallet. But that would have to wait a few days.

Rexford continued tracing the shoreline until he reached the seemingly abandoned outskirts of the Docklands, which consisted of smaller and mucher older wharfs. His pace slowed as a recreational craft came into dock not far ahead of him. Considering it an odd sight, and not having much else planned, he decided to move partially behind a pile of freight to watch.

The engine’s throttle was cut right as the boat’s fenders were flipped to cushion it from contact with the aging dock. Of the two individuals on the boat, the studier built one was the one moved with experience as he immediately tied off the stern before hopping onto the dock with the rope tied to the bow. Their wake caught up to them, causing the dock to bob up and down mildly as the man tied off the bow and stood ready to help his passenger out.

The passenger stood out, since it was obvious from his attire that he had wealth, the kind to buy such a boat and have someone chauffeur him around in it. But it was the briefcase that caught Rexford’s attention, as it was a rare item on a boat, and rarer still was one handcuffed to a person. His curiosity now piqued, he leaned back to give the surrounding area a brief look while the men walked the length of the dock. The waiting vehicle at the end of the warehouses was all he needed to recognize what was happening.

“Looky here, seems I’ve stumbled into someone’s business. Maybe my luck’s not all bad,” he murmured to himself, feeling his heart’s pace starting to pick up.

Deciding to not butt in directly as he knew from experience that such things were generally not appreciated, Rexford moved slowly back the way he came and headed down the other side of the warehouse. He wanted to at least see who was on the other side of this transaction before he decided on what to do next.

Bellz | Clayton
Misty Gray | Aiden + Emery

 

[BloodThunder27]

~Stella Kwon~Dublin, Ireland | Bodyworks Gym

Stella saw that Olivia had finished talking to a few poorly dressed men who had...once more...parked their bikes in the Gym's Parking Lot. It was probably the Sweeney Brothers again. They did this fairly often, and Stella wasn't always around to deal with them, or the times that she was around, they weren't. But the one percent chance of her encountering them eventually came up. The rainbow-haired huntress was itching for a fight and she was still in a relatively bad mood still. In her mind, a fight would alleviate that anger to some capacity. Finally, the younger woman approached her and it wasn't long until Katsya joined them. Stella simply put her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, while hearing out Olivia's request. Looking at the bikes parking where they weren't supposed to be, Stella could not help but wonder why they were not parked outside of the damn bar that they were headed to. "Very thick-headed, that bunch. Don't worry, we'll have it handled. If they don't learn this time, their bodies will be in Bradogue River by tomorrow morning." She responded, her voice filled with visibly malevolent intent.

Soon, Katsya began to lay out the options on how to deal with the problem at hand. "Well, they were warned numerous times not to park here, so why don't we just make it simple and call the Tow Truck, have these things hauled away. And if they get mad, we just beat them up." Stella suggested as she walked over to her Mustang and popped the trunk, revealing her small arsenal of weapons, consisting of Rifles, Revolvers and Bowie Knives.

She grabbed a Bowie Knife and her Gun Belt with a semi-automatic pistol as well as a Jacket so that she could have a better time concealing them. "But if they really want to try anything, we do have the option to end it quickly. Mr. Sullivan did ask me to investigate the shooting from a week and a half ago. So after we take care of this, I guess we can get started on that."

When asked if she's crushed a car, Stella shook her head. "No, I don't really hang out in scrapyards or anything. I'm too busy tracking people down on Mr. Sullivan's behalf." She said, closing the trunk of her car and then locking it. "Now c'mon, let's go ahead and get them towed."

Interactions: Katerina 'Katsya' Grey Mitheral Olivia Sullivan Misty Gray The Sweeny Brothers (NPCs)

 

[BloodThunder27]

~Quadir Taylor~New York City | Manhattan
For the last two weeks or so, Quadir had been assigned to be the Chauffeur and Bodyguard to Don Moretti's Wife, Elvian Moretti. Working without his Brother was very different, but it was clear that the two needed some time away from one another and Quadir thought it was time that he stopped holding Jarrick's hand, and give him some room to grow on his own, let him stand on his own two feet. Though from what he had heard, it seemed like Jarrick was faring well. For Quadir, he had to be on his best behavior and also made sure to dress properly as well as maintain proper hygiene, so rather then wearing fur coats and leather jackets like what he was accustomed to, Quadir began wearing more formal clothing. And only today, he wore a white suit with a black dress shirt and a white tie with red pinstripes. Such a position was a privilege and an honor, and Quadir was very much afraid of screwing up in any capacity. Granted if Jarrick were here, he'd probably fuck it up on day one and both their asses would be hanging up on plaques above the fireplace in the Don's Office by now.

To start off the day, after morning tea, Quadir drove Elvian to Maverick's, a bar that was owned by her daughter-in-law, Ava. Though they had met before, they had never really spoken. He waited patiently as Elvian and Ava talked before she was invited to join them for breakfast. Quadir only adjusted his tie and his rings before they departed from the bar, where the two women sat in the backseat while he drove them to the next place.

After breakfast, the two Moretti women proceeded to go on a shopping trip. Though he mostly tagged along, as the women were dress shopping at some fairly high-end stores that he could only dream of shopping at...well, at least at the stores with a Men's Section. For the most part, Quadir only browsed the watches, rings and chains that were on display if there were any as they went from store to store, granted he was never more then six to seven feet away from Elvian and Ava. Then it wasn't long until he became a pack mule, which he didn't mind. While there was a lot of shopping bags, Quadir had the muscle to carry them, so he didn't mind. Looks like all that time at the gym weight lifting paid off. Thankfully though, he was asked to take the bags to the car. "Yes Ma'am, I'll make it quick." He said before leaving briefly to store the shopping bags.

It was good to know that Elvian cared for his well-being, which at first left him surprised when he was first assigned as her Bodyguard because her predecessors were not as kind, and he frequently viewed himself as expendable due to not being Italian or Sicilian in descent. As these thoughts crossed through his mind, Quadir opened the trunk of the car and proceeded to load the shopping bags in, making sure to keep them organized as to not damage any of the delicate items that had been purchased.

Quickly, he returned to Ava and Elvian before they continued to look around before they had reached another high-end clothing store. Admittedly, he did start feeling a little awkward when they talked about dresses, where Ava voiced that she didn't like them and how they made her feel restricted before Elvian made a rather bold comment about Ava's legs. He was then caught off-guard when the older woman turned to him and asked if he agreed. Before he started struggling to answer, Elvian brushed it off. This was a relief for the bigger man as he was worried that he would have the wrong choice of words, which would make things even more awkward. The remaining hour passed by and the shopping came to a close. Quadir had made a mental note on what watches, chains and rings he would have to come back later for...if they were still in stock by then.

Before the next move, which was lunch time, they proceeded to go to a restaurant down the street, where they saw Valentina and her bodyguard Harmony enter. It wasn't long until the trio followed suit. Looks like it was gonna be a family meal. The thought of it made Quadir very happy, as it reminded him of the days that there was a family dinner with his parents before they passed away. Once they had reached the table with Harmony and Valentina, Quadir could not help but notice the down mood that Harmony was in. Poor girl looked like she was about to cry. Quadir's blood then ran cold when the group was reminded that Gabriel's office was up the street, before Elvian suggested that the Don was not to be disturbed. Relieved, the big man just sat down next to Elvian. Looking through the menu, Quadir began thinking about how overweight he's gotten over the years and thought that it was time to make another change, granted it would take a few years now that he is a little older.

Interactions: Ava Moretti, Elvian Moretti Melanin-Gxdess

~Harmony Ryu~New York City | Manhattan

Harmony ended up finding comfort in Valentina's company. The loss of her Older Brother still weighed heavily on her mind, especially since she now had to spend the rest of her life concealing his sins from their parents, granted their Father passed on without knowing what his children had done in their teenage and early adult years. When Valentina showed understanding, as she too knew what it was like to lose Family. Though they both faced their losses differently, grief was still grief. And going through it with someone you can trust...was significantly better then going through it alone. If the whispers of the streets were true, Harmony could only hope that she could still do everything in her power to protect the Wycliff Family. While she has yet to voice it, protecting the precious family was her way of honoring her Brother. Nonetheless, Harmony showed a bit of sympathy when Valentina told her that Ricky was bitter with his own Father who had recently passed. "Grief doesn't really go away. Some days, its easier to cope. Others, it hits really hard. I miss my Father and my Brother every day. Those who have never gone through the pain it brings...should be glad they haven't." Her mind then traveled to the worst memories of her life, which was screaming after her Brother had been shot several times and then staring at her arms that were covered in his blood...followed by her Father's Heart Monitor flatlining as he held her hand.

Her train of thought came to an end when she heard an older woman's voice, before seeing Elvian, Valentina's Mother. She did feel a little bit better now that there was more company, even smiling at both Ava and Quadir when they sat down. Soon Valentina started talking to her Mother, Harmony looked over towards Quadir, who did seem a little shy. Poor guy. "That's a really nice suit, Q. Looks really good on you. A bit too much white though." She chuckled.

Quadir simply smiled when Harmony made the remark on his suit. "Well, I gotta look sharp. Can't be dressing badly now. I have to hold myself to a higher standard too, because you and I...we be protecting very important people." He said. "I also gotta lose a couple of pounds though. So I've been cutting out the red meat and the booze. I can't protect Mrs. Moretti if I am not in good health." He said before looking back at the menu and once the waiter returned, he ordered a salad.

Harmony simply nodded, as Quadir was not wrong, granted Harmony dressed a little more casually today since there wasn't a formal event that she was attending...well, not yet anyway. She then proceeded to perk up a little when Valentina mentioned that they were going to track down a store to get accessories for Cristina. "And I hope she loves them. I do need to touch up my hair again too, but I can get that scheduled for another day. Right now I'm on the clock." She said before straightening out the rainbow hair, granted the colors have mostly faded over the last month and a half.

When Valentina mentioned tattoos, Harmony smiled even more as her Chest Piece was recently completed by Ava. Granted it took a couple of weeks as the piece was very detailed. Because it was family time, Harmony decided to wait before asking Ava about making another appointment for another piece. While she already had one on her back and both of her arms were covered with sleeves, Harmony decided that she wanted a few on her neck, starting with her throat. First though, she wanted to let Ava, Elvian and Valentina have their family time first, not knowing how often the three women spent quality time together as a family. In the meantime, the two bodyguards decided to enjoy the peaceful environment. For once, it was nice not to be spraying bullets, selling coke, or getting into street fights. Harmony proceeded to go back to munching on her seafood salad too, being mindful of her table manners.

What a wonderful day.

Interactions: Valentina Wycliff Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Gabe's Office/Apartment
~Tower Block, Murray Hill, Manhattan~
Theodore 'Teddy' Wycliff

Teddy couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle. One of these days his father-in-law was going to wake up and recognize Valentina was a carbon copy of him. "You do know she's your daughter? One hundred percent so and fighting against things she doesn't like comes from you," he joked. He shook his head and took another sip from his glass before shaking his head. From the first moment he met her she was headstrong and independent and it wasn't going to go away anytime soon. "She's never going to be that person, Gabe, and that's alright. As long as she's happy, right?" Teddy shrugged his shoulders

"I can't help but to disagree," he started, straightening out his tie. Teddy had long since gotten used to being upfront and honest with his boss about his opinions. "Ricky killing off Julia brings problems down on him, which brings problems down on us. With the few people they've still got over here it makes it easy for the Sullivans to launch an attack. Granted we've gotten in bed with the King family, but that wasn't until later on down the line and I'd rather not be indebted to anyone." He then nodded his head in agreement in response to his statement about Julia. "Now that I do agree with. With her goals aligning with yours, she can be manipulated in convincing him to act how you want, effectively controlling him. Eventually, you'll have the Biancardi family in your pocket with Ricky as a figurehead." Theodore Wycliff knew how to separate business from personal and when it came to his personal feelings, he enjoyed Ricky's company and wanted him to succeed in proving Gabe wrong. However, when it came to business it was a different story. He knew Ricky was unpredictable - despite the fact he was getting better. Really he still hoped he would prove Gabe wrong, but in the meantime, he wanted to have a backup plan.

Whatever thoughts he had would have to wait the moment Julia and Ricky walked into the office. He stood to his feet to greet them both before sitting back down, listening to Julia's concerns about the guards. Something in him was suddenly bothered, more than likely because of what happened with his wife. Had this not been an important meeting Teddy would have gone out there and done something but he would have to wait until then. "They'll definitely be dealt with." He cleared his throat and turned to Ricky, a slight smirk on his face. "And I'll be sure to make sure they don't miss you next time. Just remember the tip them, huh?" He joked, leaning back into his seat. Teddy quickly answered Julia, aware of Gabe's dislike of too much small talk. "You'll have to come over for dinner sometime. I know Tin would love it."

Teddy shook his head in response to Ricky's question. "Nope. We're all good there." He let Ricky finish speaking, curious as to where he was going with the Sullivan topic. Teddy hadn't been disappointed when he finished talking and looked to Gabriel for his answer. He had already formed his own opinion but seeing as Ricky wasn't talking to him he would keep it to himself for now.
Gabriel, Ricky ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Residence
~Sutton, Dublin~
Alexander King

Alex hadn't failed to see how disappointed Callum was with his answer, but there was no way in hell he was going to be moving to Dublin. It would make things easier, sure, but to be so far from his own family was not happening. He couldn't help but laugh at Callum's excitement, settling next to him on the couch. "Then the beach it is bud. There's this place in the west of France that has really cool beaches we can go to." Ruffling Callum's hair, he shook his head. "Ah, I think we'll stay away from the sharks though, right?" He glanced over to Savannah and took in the look on her face. She was frowning which wasn't anything new. Was she upset because he said just he and Callum would go? He would have invited her to come along had they not been on sour terms at the moment... Maybe. But considering the huge blowout they nearly had it wouldn't be a good idea. "Mommy can come along next time, right?" He wasn't expecting an answer from her, nor was he expecting a yes. He merely said it to not leave her out.

He threw one of his arms behind the back of the couch, resting his ankle on his knee. Callum had gone to get some pictures to show him while Savannah excused herself from the room. He was sure the only reason she was going in the first place was to get away and he didn't blame her. Rubbing the bottom of his lip with his index finger, he watched her leave and close the door behind him. Callum stopped him from thinking about his ex and their situation by talking about his drawings. He had to admit that spending time with Callum calmed him down. It did make him regret not being around more but he had already decided to make up for that. "Wow, you're already a child prodigy, aren't you?" He placed his hand on Callum's head, gently bringing his forehead closer for him to kiss. "Any of these? What if I want all of them? I'd pay a fortune for these masterpieces."

Savannah had been gone longer than he thought she would be Callum, calling out to her bringing his attention to it. Though he figured she just needed space from him and the situation, he couldn't help but feel an urge to check on her. The woman was infuriating and he was still very much pissed at her but he didn't want Callum to see her upset. "Alright look Cal, why don't you draw and color me a nice picture and I'll go see what's taking your mom so long, huh?" He gave the boy's knee a quick pat before pushing himself up from the couch. The moment he rounded the corner to the kitchen he could tell she was having a moment. Now he regretted walking in here to begin with and should have just stayed put. He fidgeted with himself for a moment before thinking of what he was going to say. Really he was trying his best not to set off another argument. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, clearing his throat. "Can't find the juice?"

Savannah, Callum ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

~Brooklyn Heights, Manhattan~
Ava Moretti & Elvian Moretti

Ava returned Valentina's hug with a smile before turning to Harmony to greet her. She listened as Val made a comment about Teddy being done quickly and couldn't help but chuckle. Work had taken much of Marcus' time as well, so she definitely related to her sister. "Oh, darling, you don't have to be so sarcastic about it. Remember, you didn't do this for your father you did this for you and Teddy." Elvian said, patting her daughter's hand. She knew she was still getting adjusted and that it had been harder than she thought. Ava and Elvian both settled into their seats, Ava laughing at Valentina's question. "Oh, the day your mother lets me tattoo her beautiful skin hell' freeze over." Elvian nodded her head in agreement. "Ava already knows me so well! They're fun and definitely different, but they are not my style whatsoever." She said firmly. The conversation took a short pause for the two latecomers to order their food and once they had they turned back to the others.

"In all seriousness," Ava started with a smile, "Elvie has been helping me prepare for the opening of 'Lacuna' in a few days. We've been draggin' poor Quadir ova there through all sorts of shops picking out dresses." She gestured towards the bodyguard before turning to Val. Weeks ago she had sent out invitations, having hand-delivered the ones for her family. She was still very much excited about all of it and tried to contain it sitting at the table now. Elvian picked up on her excitement and in turn grew excited herself. "Oh, oh, oh. We got these beautiful outfits to wear too! Ava won't let me put her in a dress but I think I'm wearing her down," the older woman winked at her. "Do you have a dress yet? I'm always up for more shopping sprees, just don't tell your father. Granted, I don't think he notices my closet getting bigger but still."

"So, how are you settling into things at home? I know it isn't easy going from one life to another." Ava said, shifting in her seat. Despite being married to Marcus for some time now, it was difficult to shift into the Moretti family and she still found herself struggling from time to time. They were considerably different from her own and she came from an entirely different world. She had never pictured herself shopping in high-end places or having lunch in bright, exciting buildings. But now that she had she was enjoying all of it.

Valentina ( Misty Gray )
Quadir, Harmony ( BloodThunder27 )
​

 

[Misty Gray]

Bodyworks Gym
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Olivia Sullivan​

Olivia listened as Katsya quoted chunks of what she said before pointing out that her usual thing was cleaning up messes. Though she figured getting the youngest Sweeney brother and his friends our of the car park would certainly be considered cleaning up the place, the young blonde let the woman continue without interrupting her. "Yeah, I'm completely sure neither Adam nor my uncle Conor would want to involve the cops in this. They have complicated arrangements and asking the pigs for help with this would be kinda embarrassing," she explained. "And I don't think Adam would want the law sniffing around in this place either." She nodded her head as she processed Katsya's other suggestion of towing the vehicle away while the men were in the pub. "That would be quite funny, to be fair," she said, grinning as she imagined the men stepping out later to find their motors were gone. "If anything, we'd be doing a public service, ensuring none of them end up drunk driving."

Whether or not Stella was serious about the men ending up in the Bradogue River by the morning, Olivia seriously nodded her head. "Well, if you think it'll come to that," she said, shrugging her shoulders. Having grown up in the mob and knowing of how involved in the business her late mother had been, nothing really shocked her. If the men had to be dealt with harshly to maintain her family's power in Dublin, then she wasn't about to disagree.

Looking out of the window towards the parking lot, she could see the men were still hanging around, leaning against their vehicles, perhaps intentionally waiting to see if Olivia would return outside to try anything. "So tow it away and bring on the violence if they kick up a fuss... Maybe they'll have to get towed away with their shitty bikes and car at this rate."

Hearing mention about investigating the recent shooting, Olivia raised a curious eyebrow at Stella. "Oh yeah? Have you got any leads on that yet?" she asked, figuring her uncle would have put dealing with those responsible as a priority if he did have a lead. "Whoever tried to shoot Em will be fucked up when we find them," she bitterly remarked.

Olivia walked with the two women back out to the car park, where the Phelan Sweeney and his three friends continued to hang around. Phelan let out a wolf whistle as the three women approached, before clapping loudly. "Good evening, ladies. Here I was thinking that gym was always full of meat-heads. I'm pleasantly surprised," Phelan commented as he flashed an amused grin.

Mitheral (Katsya)
BloodThunder27 (Stella)

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan
Lucy Porter
Ginn's Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Lucy was all smiles as her cousins welcomed Shinoa in with open arms. The blonde felt that the teenager would be in great hands with both of them and Lucy helping her out and was excited for the young woman to get the care and attention she so desperately deserved. Lucy watched as Shinoa's smile faded from her face however, her expression suddenly etched with discomfort. Before Lucy could ask her what was wrong, Finn took the reins and suggested that they make their way towards one of the couches in the living room. Hearing that the woman had a lot of pain in her back and feet along with having contractions, Finn was rather worried. "Alright, let's get you comfortable. But Shinoa, love, would you mind telling me how long the contractions have been going on for...or at least when they started to get really bad?" Finn asked as he quickly moved to grab the woman's bags from Lucy to sit by the stairs.

Lucy watched Shinoa worriedly as they were ushered towards the living room. Lucy quickly fixed up the pillows so that she could be more comfortable before helping her to sit on the couch. "I'm going to grab you some water." Lucy announced, knowing that Finn and George would keep a close eye on the teen in her short absence. Finn watched his cousin go before looking at his husband with worry in his eyes. Once he looked back to Shinoa, he managed to form an easygoing smile on his face. "Let's get your feet up, yes?" He asked gently before moving to push the ottoman that was in the center of the rug over before helping the woman place her feet on it. "I'm going to remove these lovely shoes, is that alright?" He asked and only with her permission did he remove them. Her feet were very swollen and Finn glanced at her calves to see that they were just as swollen.

Finn understood that Shinoa was more than ready to pop but he had a feeling that they were going to have to take her to the hospital sooner rather than later before she could get situated in their home. "Now tell me, dear...and of course you won't be shamed for not knowing, but are your contractions pretty far apart? Like 10 minutes or more? Or have they been shorter let's say...6-5 minutes? Any sign of your water breaking? In my experience, at least from what I know...some women have to have their water broken for them despite going into early labor. Interesting how the body works." Finn said, trying to sound as easygoing as possible as he didn't want to alarm the woman.

"I remember when our eldest was born, his poor mother hadn't had any idea that she was even in labor until he started to make his appearance, I remember that phone call very well." Finn said with a chuckle as he looked to George with a fond smile, "Robert has always been so impatient since the day he was born, Georgie and I like to joke." Finn reached out to take his husband's hand lightly, giving it a gentle squeeze just as Lucy returned to the room with a bunch of water and snacks. "I figured everyone could use a good rehydrating and something to nibble on." She announced and Finn laughed, "Jesus, you've been in our place all of 5 minutes and you've already found everything in the kitchen." Finn joked to which Lucy scowled playfully. "I may have done a little rearranging while I was in there...so if you were having a hard time finding things before, you should be able to find them now." Lucy said with a smile before shooing Finn aside so she could sit next to Shinoa. "You hear that George? Lucy's willing to rearrange the place for us? Free labor for a great quality? Now that's a steal." Lucy chuckled and shook her head, "Now now, don't get too comfortable with that idea...I'm still trying to sort out Syd's "organized mess." Drives me absolutely up a wall when things aren't where they should be." Lucy huffed before moving to hand Shinoa her water. [b"I got some little crackers and some chocolate. You want to try eating a little before you rest?"[/b]
with: Shinoa BloodThunder27 ; Georgie Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~
Thomas Porter ​

Thomas had a knack for paying attention to details, that's what got him his job as a Marine in Iran. As Elena moved ever so slightly as she was speaking, Thomas noticed the drink behind her and wondered if she was trying to hide the fact that she was having a drink. Choosing not to acknowledge it, Thomas smiled back at her as she informed him that she was doing well. Hearing that he attributed to her wellbeing made him blush uncontrollably, letting out a small boyish laugh as he smiled even wider. Martin then walked past her as he informed Thomas that it was Elena's birthday which Elena didn't seem to enjoy.

"Hey! My birthday is this month too. Happy Birthday!" Thomas said before Elena expressed her wish to celebrate with him asking if he was going to have a drink. Thomas had given up on drinking long ago due to his medication and the fact that alcohol tended to lower his inhibitions. However, looking into those big beautiful eyes made Thomas have second thoughts. After a long pause, Thomas nodded his head silently before smirking at Elena, "Alright, but just one drink, and I hope you are ready to drink because, after Adam, I'm buying you one too." Thomas said.

Despite the rational side of his brain begging him to not give in to drinking, Thomas forced himself to listen to the other part of him that knew if he didn't socialize like this he would just continue to feel forever alone. Self-isolation was what led most servicemen to do things they couldn't take back. As much as there was an inherent need to just make the pain stop, Thomas had enough sense at least at the moment to understand that if he were to go he would be leaving his whole family behind to mourn...and although that had crossed his mind over and over...there was something more than he had this time. There was this beautiful girl standing before him who wanted to give him the time of day, who didn't feel obligated to do so just because of his family's status. She was down to earth and so sweet and Thomas had this unrealistic idea in his head that perhaps if he tried hard enough...he could work up the nerve to ask her on a date.

But like so many people in his life, the closer someone was to him...the farther he pushed them away. He definitely didn't want to push Elena away. Thomas had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he barely heard Elena ask him if he was doing better now and when she pointed to where his scratches had been, her finger almost touching his skin, he froze completely. His cheeks betrayed him once more and he was sure he was beet red at this point. Forcing himself to relax, Thomas offered Elena a small smile, "Ah yea, much better. Nothing a little bit of antibiotic ointment couldn't fix. Most people just thought I got attacked by a cat so it wasn't too bad." Thomas said quickly. He didn't want to linger on the topic of his scratches for too long as he feared the more he got into the details of what supposedly happened the higher chance he had of someone finding out that he actually hurt himself.

Everyone believed that he had actually caught up to the guy who'd shot Adam and the man scratched his face. That was the story Thomas wanted everyone to believe because he was sure if they found out the truth they would try to send him to a place that Syd had been in so many times...either that place or worse...the V.A. hospital. Wanting to enjoy his freedom, Thomas cleared his throat before changing the subject. "I'm once again sorry I haven't been around. I've been living with my older brother and my mother since I decided to relocate here so I've been absolutely swamped trying to find a way out of there in between working. I finally found this place a few blocks from here, paid the first month's rent and everything. You...uh...should come to see it sometime." Thomas wanted to slap himself in the face, did he really just invite her over? He definitely did. He was NOT ready for something like that, or at least that's what he continued to tell himself for his own sake. "I mean..uh...you definitely don't have to." He quickly said, trying to recover from the shock he felt.
with: Elena Pyroclast

Blake McCarthy​

Blake happily slid next to Adam as he informed her where he'd been shot and although she smiled, Blake really had been concerned up until the moment she entered the bar. She noticed he didn't react to her comment about him scaring her as he instead looked out the window past Chase and Jasmine. Blake was just about to make conversation with the couple before Adam said that he was glad she was there, insisting that he thought he was going to be a third wheel. Blake chuckled, "We wouldn't want to put you through what we put Ali through...she won't ever let me forget that now." Blake mentioned. Something about the way they were communicating seemed off, almost like there was some unspoken tension in the room. Before Blake could openly ask what was wrong, Adam suddenly spoke up saying he needed some fresh air. He asked her to scoot back out of the booth to which she quickly moved. Blake stood standing awkwardly as she watched Adam move towards the entrance. Looking to Chase and Jasmine with an apologetic smile, Blake was just about to return to her seat when Adam turned around. Blake's hair whipped behind her shoulder as she looked up to meet his eyes, straightening back up to stand fully as he asked if she could come outside to talk. "Uh...yea..sure," Blake said, trying to force her tone to sound less weary than she felt at that moment.

Following Adam outside of the pub, he led her to the parking lot before turning to look at her. Blake looked around the lot for a moment and noticed no one was close enough to hear their conversation. Adam then asked where they were at and Blake raised a brow at the seriousness in his tone and expression. Blake figured he had more to say so she stayed silent. She was right in her assumption as he asked how she felt now after she had been afraid for his safety. He placed a hand to his chest as he said the thought of her being afraid had got to him. It broke her heart to hear him acknowledge that he didn't have many people worrying about him but it also confused her greatly. "Well...I definitely wasn't joking when I said that Adam. As most people would already assume, hearing something like that is already a huge trigger for me but I only truly feel afraid like that for the people I really really care about." Blake informed him. "And I know you think that not many people worry about you but...I know for a fact that Chase and Jasmine along with your god kids worry about you greatly. That barmaid in there, Elena, worries greatly about you too. Hell, you have Thomas worried. You have a whole support system here but I feel like you've been this lone wolf for so long that you don't recognize it when you have it."

Blake took a step closer to him so they were standing close enough that she could reach out to touch his cheek. "Do you remember the first time we met? You had opened the door at the Porterhouse with little Olivia following behind you. I remember our interaction and thinking that you were the biggest flirt in the entire world." Blake laughed lightly, "But the minute I told you I was Jackson's wife you were very respectful. As much as I know it might pain everyone else, I've acknowledged that my husband is gone...he isn't coming back and for years and years I didn't allow myself to move on from that. And here we are, having gone on what I would call dates and you are asking where we are at as if you have to dance around the fact that I am somehow committed to a relationship that hasn't existed for a long time now." Blake murmured.

She hesitated for a long moment before stepping even closer to Adam, pressing her lips against his gently for a long moment before pulling away. "So without having to spell it out for you, I think you now know where we are at. You've been incredibly hesitant and cautious of my emotions to take it slow but I realized something when I was told what happened to you, something I had realized when Jackson died. You never know when your last moment with someone you care about will be...so it's better to take the chances you are too afraid to take now before you are left wondering what could have been."

"As the kids would say, I would consider us an item." Blake smiled cheekily. "But of course, if you aren't comfortable with taking that step...I completely understand. But Adam, you deserve to have people who worry about you, and even if this doesn't pan out between us I will never stop worrying or caring about your wellbeing."
with: Adam Misty Gray
mentions: Chase Pyroclast ; Jasmine Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Ginn's Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

George Sanderson-Sullivan​

Shinoa hadn't seemed enthusiastic at the offer of snacks. George had been about the make a joke about that meaning there'd be more chocolate for himself, but the teenager seemed to be in some discomfort. Though he was sure it was normal given she was heavily pregnant, he still glanced to Finn to see if he could tell what the doctor might be thinking. "Well I'm sure there's plenty of comfortable options for rest that you can choose from..." he trailed off. George could tell Finn was concerned, but he kept his own face relaxed so as not to spread any further panic on to the two ladies.

Finn led Shinoa to the lounge and Lucy rushed with them, quick to prepare some pillows to make the teenager comfortable. Lucy then said she'd get some water. "Yeah. Good idea," George said, quickly nodding his head. Over the years, George had stepped in to assist Finn when tending to injured gang members and the like. Over time he'd become pretty good at it and proved a competent assistant to his husband's off-the-record medical tasks. Dealing with a pregnant woman, however, was completely new territory as George had managed to avoid having to get involved in aiding a birth. As he stood by awkwardly, he couldn't help but hope he wouldn't be involved in a birth this time either. He was wondering if he should offer to call an ambulance or get the car ready to drive her to the hospital. Then his thoughts turned to Lucas and would they even be able to fit so many people into one car or should they go in two cars? "Okay..." he muttered, but still didn't know what kind of help to offer.

George returned Finn's find smile as he spoke about Robert. "Oh yeah, that lad waits for nobody," he agreed, returning Finn's fond smile with one of his own and squeezing his hand. When Lucy returned with drinks and snacks, George quickly nodded his head. "I'm parched. You, Luce. You're a mind reader," he said, somehow feeling exhausted from just standing around watching. "Hey, if you want to rearrange the house, maybe you should let Lucas shadow you. That kid has changed his new room around too many times already and we've only been here a few days," he remarked. Despite his light comment, he knew it always took the kid longer to settle into new environments than most people did. He and Finn had found it was better to give Lucas some time to do his own things before stepping in, not wanting to overwhelm him.

"I'd say if it's not posing a health and safety risk, I'd let Syd have a little organised mess in his life," he knowingly told Lucy. George had spent ten years of his life living in a prison cell with very few belongings that strictly had to be kept neat and orderly. After being released, it had taken quite some time for George to get used to having more possessions and the freedom to put them wherever he pleased. Whilst he was far from a messy person, George appreciated the vast reduction of rules and regulations in his life now.

BloodThunder27 (Shinoa) Bellz (Finn, Lucy)

Industrial Estate
~ Dublin Docklands, Dublin ~

Emery Callahan & Aidan Byrne​

Emery rolled her eyes at Clayton when he took her comments about him as compliments. When he went as far as to say he was a winner with the ladies, she scoffed at him. "Yeah, alright. I don't know which ladies you've been hanging around, but don't be fooling yourself." As he went on to defend his intelligence, Emery simply nodded along with a sarcastic smile on her face. "Wow, a good physique and the brains. You've got it all," she drily remarked. "Just as long as you are smart enough not to cross us, that's all that matters. Those two guys are good shots, from what I'm told. Part of me is curious to see them in action," she teased.

With the car headlights still off and the car parked amongst others in the parking lot, Emery remained in the back seat as she watched Clayton make his way towards the docks where the two men waited for him. The brief silence was broken when the radio in the front of the car sounded. "We've got eyes on the two men. I confirm negative ID. This ain't right, Aid. Drive outta here and we'll deal with these pricks," the low male voice instructed, not wanting to have gunfire sound until Aidan's assigned car was out of sight.

"Wait. What does he mean? What about Clayton?" Emery asked, grabbing the headrests of the seats in front to push herself forward, closer to Aidan.

"We have to go, Em," Aidan seriously told her. "My job now is making sure you get out of here in one piece, with or without him. You said yourself he was disposable, if something went south," he reasoned, despite not liking the idea of leaving Clayton behind either. The two snipers had the objective of ensuring the night didn't end with the Sullivans out of pocket, at whatever cost. Be it the two imposters or Clayton, they were prepared to shoot all three of them to ensure they didn't return to their Sullivan superiors out of pocket.

"I didn't think it would actually go south. Fuck that. Gimme a head start. Let me out and drive around the block or something. I'll find you!" she said, practically jumping out of the back of the car before Aidan could argue. She nudged the brim of her baseball cap down to further shadow her eyes, and pulled her face covering up over her nose. Instead of following Clayton's footsteps, she rushed behind the storage containers in order to sneak up to the docks unseen.

*****​

When Clayton reached the two men, the man holding the briefcase was flanked by a much taller gentleman who was there as his security. "Evening," the Scottish man greeted Clayton. He gripped the handle of the briefcase as he looked to Clayton's hands for the pouch of diamonds. His bodyguard remained standing straight, though his hand was hovering at his side, potentially ready to reach for his weapon. "You go first," the Scottish man abruptly commanded, waiting for Clayton to respond with his password.

Before anything could be exchanged, Emery sprinted into view and grabbed Clayton by the shoulders, from behind, forcing him to duck down. As she pulled him away from the two men, the snipers took their shots. The first bullet landed square in the bodyguard's forehead, before the other man was hit with a bullet in his throat and another in his right eye. Emery looked up to identify the gunmen hiding out on top of the storage containers. As they were aware of her identity, they couldn't risk taking a shot at Clayton even if they wanted to, given she'd put herself in the line of fire.

Emery pulled Clayton, by the arm, in the direction of the dark alley by the warehouse so they were out of view. "Have you still got the bag?" she asked, holding her hand out for the diamonds. However, it wasn't until she turned her head that she noticed a stranger close by. "Who the hell are you?" she asked Rexford, ready to reach for her pistol.

Bellz (Clayton)
Fletchawk (Rexford)

 

[Mitheral]

Bodyworks Gym
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Katerina Grey​

Katsya waited patiently while Stella geared up. It wasn’t until she realized that Olivia was joining them that she began to suffer doubts about her plans. Katsya’s plan had been to wait until the Sweeneys had gone into the pub. Then she could get rid of the bikes and cars without trouble. But Mr Sullivan was not going to take kindly to hearing about any harm to Olivia. Katsya needed to take charge of the situation and focus reprisals against herself. She wished she had her flak jacket. That was in her truck though.

So Katsya turned to Stella on the way out. “Do me a favor? Handle crowd control? Let me handle whoever among them has a mouth?” She scowled. “If this is going to start becoming a regular thing, I may start packing. All I brought was a pair of 38s, but no gun. Like I said, I clean up messes, not make them. Oh, and if you need any backup about that other mess, let me know. I’ll gear up.”

As they approached the Sweeney gang one of them, Phelan, started opening his mouth trying to sound cool. He was the youngest Sweeney. Katsya just smiled sweetly as she approached and huffed her chest out a little to show off her upper body shamelessly. People were eventually going to learn not to trust her smiles. She walked around checking out the bikes and car first, noting the license plates. She even struck a pose with one bike like she was a model. Then she approached Phelan, complimenting the vehicles. Once close she even jiggled a little then leaned in seductively close.

Without further preamble she just dropped her left hand and brought it up to his genitals and grabbed, squeezing hard and lifting until Phelan’s face changed color. She hoped Stella would take her cue.

“Tell your friends to stand down or you will never father a child. Keep those hands right where I can see them. Phelan, is it? That anything like a felon? You strike me more as a Miss Duh Meaner. Trust me, I am a whole lot meaner. Don’t correct me. Now Ms Sullivan here asked you nicely not to park here. Mr Sullivan has asked you not to park here. This is strike three.

“ Now then. Tweedledee and Tweedldum, get in the car. Leave the bikes. Don’t even look at Ms Sullivan. You had your chance when she asked you to park elsewhere. I want you to leave. Should you ever be caught on these premises again without explicit permission from a Sullivan, they will never find your bodies. Explicit. If I didn’t hear it directly from them, it wasn’t said.”

Now she focused on Phelan. “I am going to give you a number. Your oldest brother is to call that number later. I am having your bikes towed. Ms Sullivan will let me know when your brother’s appointment will be with Mr Sullivan to discuss this. I would imagine he has better things to do to occupy his time and would rather not have to deal with little shits like you. Your brother will be expected to pay for having parked here without permission, trespassing, and assault against Ms Sullivan - plus storage fees and interest.

“Does that sound acceptable?” It really wasn’t as though they had a choice.

Misty Gray (Olivia)
BloodThunder27 (Stella)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Savannah Callahan​

The bright smile on Callum's face didn't look like it was going to fade away any time soon, especially as Alex kissed his forehead and pointed out that his pictures were indeed masterpieces. When his dad told him to colour another picture whilst he went to see what was taking Savannah so long with his drink, the boy quickly nodded his head. "Okay. I need a cookie now too, please," he informed Alex. Regardless of the response, Callum set about working on the task he had been set and colouring another masterpiece for his father.

Savannah was still holding the filled cup when she heard Alex address her from the doorway. She didn't immediately turn to face him. Instead, she briefly tensed her body before relaxing again. She brought her free hand to her face to wipe any spare tears away with her fingertips. "I found the juice," she replied to him. Keeping her back to Alex, she set the drink down on the counter next to her, so he could see she'd made Callum's juice for him. After taking a deep breath, she decided she could only keep her back to Alex for so long and it wouldn't take a genius to know she'd been standing there upset.

Savannah turned to face Alex and picked up the filled cup again. "Thankfully, my aunt organises her kitchen well enough for me to find what I need," she spoke of Aliana, flashing an amicable smile. "Callum's really happy you came to see him," she told her ex, trying to keep the conversation pleasant now. "Although, you do know he's going to be pestering you to take him on holiday now, don't you? Would you really go with him on your own too? It would be early nights and no boozy late night parties," she pointed out, though her tone was much lighter than before.

She placed the drink back down on the counter before tightly folding her arms. "I'm tired of all this, Alex. The snide remarks, the accusations, and the hateful words. I don't want to stop you and your family from seeing Callum, but I can't go back to London either. I don't feel comfortable there and you must understand that I wasn't happy anymore, surely?" She let out a soft sigh. "But I also want and know you have to be a part of Callum's life. I just don't know how we can do it. Not now..."

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Adam listened as Blake confirmed hearing about someone being shot was a trigger for her and he looked her in the eyes as she said the real fear was when someone she really cared about had been injured. He nodded in understanding of what she was saying, though he was still unsure if she was going to follow up by pointing out she cared for him as a friend rather than wanting to pursue anything more than that. Hearing Blake remind him that the Zegarras worried about him, as well as Elena and Thomas, he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck and let out a low laugh at his own expense. He couldn't deny what she was saying about him having been a lone wolf, especially when he thought of his life back in New York. Even though he had friends then, such as Chase and Rebel, his head had always been completely focused on his job to the point where he had to compartmentalise things. He had to think of those around him as comrades and allies. If he avoided emotional attachment, he figured it would make it easier to handle it if any of them were killed. It hadn't been until the night Rebel was killed in the ambush, the same night that Jackson died, that he realised how much he did care for his teammates, on a personal level. It was why he was willing to slaughter Kerry for betraying them, because he realised he had lost friends that night - people he did care for. It was also why he'd since allowed himself to become more open and personal with the Zegarras and the Callahans. And with Blake too. As slow as he was to realise it, he felt he'd now managed to balance his life out, allowing personal relationships yet never losing focus and full dedication to his missions.

Blake reached out to touch his cheek and Adam couldn't help but fondly smile back at her. When she started talking about when they'd first met, he let out a short laugh, figuring he knew where she was going with the story. He indeed remembered that day, when he hadn't wasted a second before flirting with the beautiful woman; rushing into it before even noticing she was wearing a wedding ring. His smile broadened when she mentioned how he'd been respectful once learning she was married to Jackson. "I probably was the biggest flirt in the world," he half-joked. "I may have been many things, but a homewrecker ain't ever been one of them," he assured her. "It was funny though. I must have looked like an idiot," he said, chuckling at his own expense.

Adam's expression returned serious when Blake spoke of how she'd acknowledged Jackson wasn't coming back. She then pointed out that they'd been on dates yet he was still dancing around Blake's lack of relationship status. He was almost always a man who did what he wanted to do without letting others hold him back or talk him out of it. However, he couldn't deny that he had felt some pressure not to rush Blake. There was the matter of Natasha and Collin, meaning he wanted to make sure they were also ready for their mother to be in a relationship. Then there was the fact that his own employer had been Jackson's best friend and was very protective of the McCarthys since the man's death. Adam wanted to be completely sure Blake was ready to be in a relationship so that Conor wouldn't be able to find fault with it. Again, Adam wouldn't give a damn what the man thought, were he not the hot-tempered boss of the Irish Mob.

Any remaining concerns about being pushy with Blake were soon brushed aside when the woman stepped forward to kiss his lips. Although she had hesitated, Adam knew her to be a decisive woman who had considered her action before taking it. As such he had no more doubts that she felt the same about him as he did her. "Yeah... I guess I do know where we're at now," he confirmed, letting out a relieved, deep breath. He couldn't deny she was right about him being incredibly hesitant. He'd never behaved in such a way before; never showing any second thought about talking a woman into bed, regardless of whether or not he'd only just met her. That was why he knew Blake and the thing they had going on was different. He genuinely cared about her, romantically, and had a deep respect for her. "You're right," he agreed. "I have been hesitant, I know that, but this is new territory for me. I'm not saying I feel like some lovestruck teenager, but I can't deny this is a first. I've spent years fucking about, unable to commit to anyone for long at all, for whatever dumb reason. But this is different. Maybe I should have taken the risk sooner, but I care too much about you that I didn't want to end up making the wrong move and losing you altogether," he admitted.

When she said they were an item, he matched her cheeky smile wish a playful laugh of his own. "Oh, I do want to take that step. I want to explore everything this is," he said, gesturing to the both of them. "I don't want to be left wondering what could have been, when I want to know what this is," he assured her. "You're an amazing, strong woman. Not to mention hot as hell. Come here..." He placed one hand on her waist and the other to the back of her head as he leaned in to kiss her again, only this time with more passion behind it. When they pulled away from the kiss, he moved his hand away from her head and the other away from her waist to instead idly hold her hand in his. "Let's take this chance, yeah?"

Adam's instinct had been to brush off that he deserved to have people worry about him, but he caved in and nodded his head in agreement. "It's quite the responsibility, but it's also a good feeling knowing people do care about my safety. I mean, you even mentioned Elena before," he said, keeping his tone casual. "Do you think her tending to my wounds that night has somehow made her concerned for me even now I'm back on my feet? She's a good kid, but she doesn't need to be worrying about an idiot like me."

Bellz (Blake)

 

[BloodThunder27]

~Pregnant Ladies~

Pregnancy Tracker

Progression: 41/40 Weeks

Countdown to Labor & Delivery: 287/280 Days

Weight Gain: 68/68 Kg

...Water Broke...​

~Shinoa Bradford~Dublin, Ireland | Ginn's Residence

From the front door to the living room, Shinoa had kept her arm around Lucy's waist as they followed George. She then would let go once her Supermom proceeded to rearrange the pillows on the couch and helped her sit down. At this point, the pain she had been feeling throughout the day was now beginning to take its toll, granted she was pretty much at the final stretch for the pregnancy. After sitting down, she took a deep breath before proceeding to answer a question concerning how long her contractions have been going on for and when they started to get really bad. "Well, nothing too strong until earlier today and maybe a little last night and the night before. And...they usually go away whenever I sit or lay down and rest. But this morning wasn't like that...because it was bad enough to wake me up before sunrise. Then this afternoon, I had one that hurt to where I couldn't even talk unless I was crying out in pain. Like...like a really bad stomachache." She frowned before Finn helped her prop her legs up after bringing an ottoman over before asking to remove her shoes. "Yeah, that's fine. Thankfully I'm only wearing slippers right now because trying to tie shoelaces with my belly in the way is a pain." Once Finn had removed her slippers to show her swollen feet and ankles, the teen began to feel a little embarrassed as she had gotten more and more self-conscious about her looks as the pregnancy progressed, particularly with her belly getting bigger literally every other week if not every week.

Given the next set of questions that Finn began to ask, Shinoa had gotten the impression that Finn had experience in the medical field, or maybe he had delivered a baby before. With how strong the contractions were throughout the day, Shinoa was worried that she would not be making it to the hospital in time...and giving birth in the Hospital Lobby instead of a Delivery Room. Leaning back into the pillows while caressing the rather tense belly, Shinoa proceeded to answer the questions Finn had. "They're far enough apart. I'd want to say they're at least...seven to nine minutes apart in the last hour? Honestly, I haven't really kept much of an eye on the clock..." She took another deep breath as she stopped caressing the belly, now cradling it as it was still tense and still hurting. "And...no signs of my water breaking. If anything, I think this baby is being really stubborn."

As Finn proceeded to tell her about the day his eldest was born, Shinoa did get slightly more nervous, granted she would know if she was in labor. Since it was her first pregnancy, the first sign was strong contractions closer together...right? If not, then she wouldn't know. Nonetheless, she didn't have to worry about that anymore because she was now in good hands. Soon, Lucy had returned with a handful of snacks and a glass of water for her. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she could only wonder what was going through George's mind, as he had been mostly quiet the entire time, at least until Finn spoke about their son, which did lighten the mood a little for the expectant mother. Once the glass of water was in her hand, Shinoa was took a quick sip from it, as it was important for her to stay hydrated. Once she saw the crackers and chocolates though, she wasn't too enticed by it despite having a sweet tooth. Before she could answer though, her stomach did so for her with a loud and eager growl, prompting her cheeks to turn red. "Maybe just a bit of chocolate. Save the crackers for later depending on how I feel in the next couple of hours? And I'm glad we're not in public." She raised an eyebrow.

Just as she set the glass of water down though, the young mother felt a wet sensation in her thigh along with a sudden sting closer towards her pelvis. "On second thought...I think my water just broke..."

Interactions: Lucy Porter, Finn Sullivan Bellz | George Sanderson-Sullivan Misty Gray

~Pregnancy Tracker~

Pregnancy Progression: 37/42 Weeks

Countdown to Labor & Delivery: 259/294 Days

Weight Gain: 69/71 Kg

~Shirley Kwon (Second Cameo)~London, England

Unfortunately for Shirley, Shona didn't exactly answer. With both women now in the later stages of pregnancy, chances were her Best Friend was taking a nap or spending time with her husband. Shirley didn't get around to spending time with Billy either, granted she would really like to. However, it would be quite the speed dating process if she got that far because the babies are due in like five weeks. As she pondered on it, Shirley opted not to. She had her chance, but didn't act on it. Slowly, she got out of bed and quietly waddled to the light switch to turn on the lights. Looking down at the belly, Shirley smiled as she felt a couple of kicks before waddling to her mirror and turning to her side to get a better look at the still-growing belly.

Suddenly feeling pain in her lower back and that of her belly, Shirley frowned as the pain went through the rest of her body, including her feet. "Ohhh...Oh, that didn't feel good." She sighed before cradling her unborn babies.

Sure, on average, Twins were born at thirty-six weeks, but it seemed like her buns were content with overbaking in the oven. Having had prior discussions with her Midwife, Shirley had opted for labor to occur more naturally and on its own. Contractions were getting stronger and more irritable over the last three and a half weeks and has gotten to the point where she could no longer treat any patients that came her way, effectively shutting down her business completely as she now had to focus on the impending birth of her twins. Once the contraction subsided, she proceeded to go call a cab to get a ride to the hospital, concerned that she could be going into labor given the fact that she was expecting twins.

Thankfully it didn't take too long for a cab to appear outside her house. Straightening out her dress and putting on her slippers, Shirley grabbed her hospital bag and proceeded to leave her house, making sure to lock it before slowly waddling to the taxi's rear passenger door. "Where to, ma'am?"

"London Royal Hospital. Thank you."

The Driver proceeded to begin the drive to the London Royal Hospital, having not noticed Shirley's heavily pregnant condition as he kept his eyes on the road. Shirley had remained silent for a reasonable majority of the ride, as she was mostly looking out the window while massaging her swollen belly as her contractions were partially acting up, making her irritable, so she did her best to maintain the peace and quiet. Once they had reached an intersection though, a speeding vehicle proceeded to T-bone the cab as it landed on its topside. As the car was upside-down, the last thing that Shirley saw was smoke coming from the front of the car and hearing Police Cars coming to a screeching stop...before her vision blurred and faded to black...

London Royal Hospital...Intensive Care Unit...Shirley was out cold during the ambulance ride to the Hospital. Paramedics were appalled to see the injuries she had sustained in the car accident and the fire that followed, not to mention the heartbreak when they had gotten Shirley out of the burning car and realizing that she was pregnant. As they checked on the condition of her unborn babies, they were relieved when they heard heartbeats and felt kicking, but were shocked that there were no injuries near her abdomen. Only burns on her left arm and her upper back, along with the fact that she was knocked out cold as well as a broken leg and for her arm that wasn't burnt, a broken wrist. One thing was for sure, Shirley was lucky and so were her unborn babies. Most others would not be so lucky, though the Paramedics treating her thought it was because she was sitting on the opposite side of where the cab was hit and wearing a seatbelt correctly.

Upon arriving to the Hospital, Shirley was immediately rushed to the Intensive Care Unit. While the injuries she sustained weren't exactly life-threatening, the Medical Personal desperately needed the burn medicine and wanted to perform surgery on the broken wrist and the broken leg immediately. Not to mention they needed to get an ultrasound done for the babies to make sure that they didn't miss anything during that ambulance ride.

It wasn't long until her wrist and her leg were put into casts, followed by bandages soaked in burn medicine wrapped around her entire left arm and placed on her upper back. Nurses proceeded to take her to a room where she could be alone, wanting to monitor her closely while she recovers. After setting her Hospital Bag on a nearby table in the room, one of them went to pull up Shirley's file once they were informed that she was a patient at the Maternity Ward. Seeing Shona King in her Emergency Contacts, the Nurse quickly dialed the number listed and was saddened when she was transferred to the home's answering machine. "Hello, this is London Royal Hospital, this message is addressed To: Shona King. You were listed as an Emergency Contact for Ms. Shirley Kwon. Tonight, Ms. Kwon got into a car accident and is currently in our Intensive Care Unit as she had sustained very serious injuries from the crash. We also understand that Ms. Kwon is thirty-seven weeks pregnant with twins and we wanted to inform you that they were unharmed by the accident. Please give us a call back as soon as possible. Thank you."

Calling: Shona King Pyroclast​

 

[Misty Gray]

Park Avenue Restaurant
~ Murray Hill, Manhattan ~

Valentina Wycliff​

Valentina smiled at Harmony as the younger woman said she hoped Cristina would love her hair extensions. The bodyguard then mentioned wanting to get her own hair touched up when she wasn't working. "Just tell me when you want to book the appointment and I'll make sure you don't have to work," she suggested. Whether that meant she would stay at home so she didn't need protecting, or she would simply go out on her own, Valentina hadn't yet decided. She couldn't remember having many opportunities in her life where she'd just been able to wander off on her own without the need to be protected. At least when she was a student in Miami, it was much easier and safer to have her independence. New York had always been a much riskier place and even when her father had seized it from the Irish, he'd still insisted on heavy protection for his family. Valentina supposed the main thing stopping her from sneaking off without security was that she now had three children depending on her, giving her no choice but to play it safe.

When her mother told her not to be sarcastic, Valentina sighed before nodding her head. "I know. I need to let Teddy have more time for the business," she relented. Being as stubborn as she was, she simply found it difficult not to be awkward and sarcastic, because she knew Gabriel had a significant amount of influence on the situation. Although she probably wouldn't have gone with the idea, she would have at least appreciated him suggesting they hired a nanny so both she and Teddy could pursue their careers. Even if in the end she wouldn't trust a stranger with her kids.

The stern expression Valentina was carrying and had inherited from her father was soon pushed aside to make way for an amused smile as Ava pointed out that Elvian would never get a tattoo. "I'm sure you could pull off any style, Mama," she told her mother.

Valentina took a long, slow drink from her glass, savouring the fruity taste of the alcoholic cocktail. She raised an interested eyebrow as Ava spoke of the opening of 'Lacuna'. So much had been on her mind that Valentina hadn't realised how close the big day was. She let out a small laugh upon hearing Quadir had been dragged around the clothes shops. "Ah, you'll make a good husband. And if you were paying attention, you could even impress the ladies with your fashion knowledge," Valentina teased the big guy. "Oh, Ava. You'd look gorgeous in a dress. You need to show off those legs," she encouraged her sister-in-law. When asked if she had a dress yet, Valentina quickly nodded her head but then shrugged her shoulders indecisively. "I've got a few dresses at home that I've been waiting and hinting for opportunities to wear," she explained. Having the children and other responsibilities, she didn't go to as many parties and formal events as she hoped she would. "But then again, I do love trying on new dresses..." she trailed off, looking mischievously to her mother as her way of suggesting they should go on a shopping spree. "Are you sure Papa doesn't know? Even if he hasn't mentioned it, the man doesn't miss a thing!" she grumbled. "He probably knows how lucky he is to have such a beautiful wife and so he can't complain about your growing wardrobe."

When asked how she was settling into things at home, Valentina let out a sigh. "It's hard. I mean, who would have thought staying around the house all day would be so difficult? The place is spotless and I've rearranged the setup in most of the rooms already. I've been doing a lot of exercise in the swimming pool and teaching the dog some tricks." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure if Teddy were home I could think of a few more things to do..." Quickly shaking her head she let out a small, dismissive laugh. "But hey, it'll be the school holidays soon, so the house will get messier and more chaotic. I will take any ideas of how to entertain Paolo and exhaust his never-ending energy levels."

BloodThunder27 (Harmony)
Melanin-Gxdess (Ava, Elvian)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Parker Residence
~ Islington, London ~

Dr. Bradley Maddox Parker and Kerry Patrick
~ Riley and Amara ~​

Maddox made sure to stop what he was doing as Ani spoke to him about her day, wanting to put his undivided focus on his wife as she talked. Holding the cutlery in his hands, he frowned a little as she explained how Amara had fallen. His face then relaxed as Ani compared the girl's clumsiness to her own and pointed out tending to the wound had been straightforward. "I'm glad you were able to patch up our little one. And I wouldn't have my two ladies any other way," he said of Ani and Amira. He was glad to hear Riley was feeling better too. Maddox's expertise was in matters of the mind rather than physical pain and suffering. Whilst it was possible to reassure a child after a fall, there wasn't much Maddox could do to make Riley feel better with prolonged, lingering symptoms something like a cold brought on. "Oh. I'm glad to hear that. Hopefully he'll make it to football practice on Saturday morning."

Maddox continued to set the table as they spoke of Kerry. "I agree. It's far too sudden," he said, letting out a sigh. "I know she has Savannah in Dublin, but she has us and the kids here in London. And surely the Kings wouldn't be as hostile to her as some of the Sullivans are. I don't know what it is she hasn't told us." He frowned when Ani said they'd miss having Kerry around. "It's not selfish. I feel the same. In some ways, having Kerry around has been like having a younger sister here. And as I don't see Hannah much, I've liked having Kerry around." As the doorbell rang, Maddox let Ani go answer it whilst he quickly finished in the dining room.

Kerry had barely left her apartment since hearing Moretti's name mentioned and then quitting her job. Having done a lot of thinking, she felt too afraid to stay in London if Moretti and his brutal employees were on the scene. She wanted to get as far away from it as she could and having no family, Savannah's offer had been her only hope.

When Ani answered the front door, Kerry smiled at the woman and gave her a hug. Once she stepped inside the house, Maddox greeted her in the hallway with another quick embrace. She was soon ushered into the dining room and away from the kids, where Maddox wasted very little time in asking Kerry how she was feeling and to elaborate on why she suddenly needed to leave London.

"I...Well, Sav had already offered and given the issues she's having with Spencer, I didn't want to get stuck in the middle of her family and his. When it came down to it, I had to choose my friend."

Maddox glanced to Ani before replying to Kerry. "You can still live in London and be neutral. There's plenty of bars here you can apply for work at that are nothing to do with the Kings. What's really going on? What's pushed you so fast?" he gently asked her.

Kerry sat down at the dining table and shook her head before looking up to Maddox and Ani. "I can't stay here and I don't think you should either. The night I quit my job, there was an important business meeting going on with the Kings and some other, secret party. They went to great lengths to keep us all out of the way. Only, I heard Billy and Erik talking... They were talking about Moretti and it makes sense that the Kings were meeting with the Morettis that night. All of the time since, I've been trying to convince myself I got it wrong and I misheard, but I didn't. I can't stay here if there's any chance that monster is around and working with the Kings."

Bellz (Ani)