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

[Bellz]

Harper King
Harper's House
- London - ​

Harper could see just by the tears that started to fall down her brother's face that she had been absolutely right about him all along. Sure his homophobic comment hurt but Harper knew it wasn't exactly out of a place of discrimination. She had grown up with him and while that could be said for her two older brothers, Harper and Billy were just undeniably closer. She had always had her suspicions that Billy was gay, that's why it made her so fucking mad when he chose to be homophobic about her own sexuality. As she got older and wiser she realized that it was his only way of convincing himself that he was someone he wasn't.

Harper leaned forward to comfort her brother, resting her free hand on his shoulder to hold him steady as he told her that he thought he could escape his true sexuality. The blonde shook her head as she tried to understand the concept of it, trying to be someone you weren't. Playing a role in the real world to just try and fit in...she just couldn't imagine it. Harper had always been an authentic person, sometimes too authentic to the point where she let people see everything that was wrong with her on top of all the wonderful things...it tended to leave people overwhelmed. The only thing she didn't spill her guts out about was her family's reputation. She knew it could get her in trouble and she knew that people would most likely be intimidated by her if they knew the truth and unfortunately for her, they always found out the truth one way or another.

Billy was about to admit to her what he was, who he was but the word seemed to get trapped in his throat and Harper was patient as she let him talk it out to her. He stated that it seemed so obvious now looking back on his past and Harper nodded her head gently, remaining silent however as he went to talk about Julian Bird's girlfriend and how he lost his virginity. She nodded her head when he asked if he remembered the guy, she remembered everyone. Billy stated that he couldn't remember the girlfriend's name but the fact that he remembered Julian's name told him and her whose attention he had really wanted. If it wasn't such a serious conversation, Harper would have joked about remembering the woman's name, especially since she had the most perfect breasts Harper had ever laid eye on but...now was not the time for such jokes.

She listened intently as Billy talked about his reconnection with his best friend David and how the man had kissed him and told him he loved Billy. Billy stated that he hadn't been ready to be loved by a guy and he fought the man off. The pair never spoke again and when Billy revealed that AIDS had gotten him Harper raised a hand to cover her mouth in shock. Billy stated that his lifelong punishment for being a piece of shit was to live with that regret. "Billy, you aren't a piece of shit. You of all people are not a piece of shit." Harper tried to convince him before he went on to state that it was all Erik's fault.

Harper's brows had furrowed in confusion as Billy went on to say that it was Erik's fault because he had told him he was gay and kept being flirty with Billy. Harper shook her head fiercely as Billy stated that maybe he could have passed off as being a normal straight guy for the rest of his life. He was afraid people were going to see him differently and think the Kings were weaker because Billy was gay. You can take the straight out of the man but you can't take the man out of the man, that much was fucking true. Billy was worried about what most men worried about, looking weak in the eyes of others.

"Billy that's horse-shit and you fucking know it, you aren't weak, you know how much fucking strength it took for you to come over here and tell me all of this. Do you know how much strength it takes to live authentically, to be who you actually are instead of how the world thinks you should be?" Harper asked firmly. "You are anything but weak, I mean I will say, you were a little weak before throwing about those homophobic slurs like they were fucking candy but Jesus christ, here you are telling me you are gay. That's not weak Billy."

Billy seemed to calm down as he took deep breaths and Harper waited patiently once more to let him get his thoughts in order. He then looked at her and told her that he just wanted to be with Erik all the time. That he was all Billy could think about, exactly how Harper had described being in love. When Billy stated that he was in love with him, Harper smiled widely with tears filling her eyes. "Well it's about fucking time you admit that to yourself...I'm just glad that I could be here to hear it as well." Harper stated teasingly. Her brother had his hand over his mouth now, as if in shock at the conclusion he had just come to. Harper was still smiling widely as she could see the familiar look in his eyes that he was smiling behind his hand as well.

Silence consumed the room before the doorbell rang, Harper looked to it for a moment only to look back to Billy. He then told her he was sorry and Harper shook her head as he went on to say that he couldn't keep his emotions inside anymore and that he felt she was the only person who might understand and accept what he was saying. His eyes welled up with tears once more as he stated that he was scared no one else would accept him before asking her how to go about it all. Harper looked to the door once more as the doorbell rang. "Ah for fuck's sake, lemme grab that pizza real quick." She told her brother before running to answer the door. After giving the guy the money with no tip because he was an hour late, Harper returned to the dining table with a large pizza box in hand. Slapping it on the table, she opened it and grabbed a slice without any napkins or plates. "Here's what you are going to do, Billy. You are going to start living the rest of your days unapologetically. You've been hiding the real you in there for so long, now is your chance to experience everything without feeling like you need to hide it." She took a bite of her pizza before turning the box to offer her brother some. "You stated that you are scared no one else will accept you, well then fuck them! When have you ever needed anyone else's approval? You are your own person, you are in the driver's seat for the rest of your life. Do whatever the fuck makes you happy, Billy." Harper bit another piece off her slice before talking with her mouth full, "You see how I do it, my give zero fucks attitude, I learned that from you burly men. Sure you are gay but that doesn't mean you are weak at all. You can still fuck someone up in a fight if you wanted to. You just can't beat me at wrestling because I am the ultimate fighting champion." Swallowing her food, Harper moved to grab the bottle of liquor she had hidden from her brother to take a sip. She made a face as she swallowed it and shook her head, "Ugh gross, why do I even have this in the cabinet?"

Harper looked to her brother as she set her slice back down in the open box. "Look, if you need me I'll always be here. But you need to start living your life authentically. Our family has been through it all, if those fucking pricks can't accept you then they are going to lose the two of us. We are a package deal remember? Where ever you go, I go. Besides, you and Erik...you guys would make a fantastic couple. I think you should tell him how you feel...really I do. I've been searching for that kind of love again for a while but it seems like Alex and I were destined to be mega-sluts for the rest of our lives." Harper joked before rolling her eyes. "Seriously though, I wouldn't take what you feel for him for granted."
with: Billy Pyroclast

 

[BloodThunder27]

~Shinoa Bradford~Dublin, Ireland | Outside Sully's Diner

Shinoa couldn't be any happier once she saw her Super-Mom again. Hopefully there would be some good news in terms of her finding a new lovely home. While she did enjoy living with Finn and George, it did kinda suck being away from her Mother for extended periods of time. Sure, Lucy was a busy woman, but Shinoa very much cherished the older woman's motherly love. Aside from a Mother's Love that she had longed for, she also needed the guidance on being a mother herself. She blushed briefly when Lucy had kissed her on the head and gave her a hug, which was slightly awkward due to the baby carrier being in one arm and the baby bag hanging on her shoulder. "Thanks. This is all still new to me. But I wouldn't trade for anything else in the world." She replied, in response to her Mother's compliment.

Overall, the younger woman couldn't wait to see Lucy gush over her newest Granddaughter. The little infant smiled and let out a small laugh when Lucy waved at her. Once they were at a table, Syd, her Adoptive Brother...and so far her least favorite member of her new family...had made a sudden appearance. And he had someone with him. The new and unfamiliar guy was handsome, perhaps a little rough around the edges, but she didn't think about much more of him. After all, they haven't exactly seen each other before. And if there was anything she had been taught in her younger years, it was not to judge someone by their appearance right off the get-go. Her train of thought was disrupted when Syd greeted her. "Hi Syd." She greeted him calmly, but still wasn't very thrilled at seeing him at all. "I'm good, thanks for asking."

Still, he was in Lucy's life long before Shinoa herself was, and along with her, Little Lillian. However, Shinoa didn't think that it gave him the right to be so...hostile and rude towards her. His behavior in most of their interactions weren't the most pleasant, but Shinoa did her best to keep it civil as to not stress out her...their Mother. One thing was for sure, he was very far from what an Older Brother was supposed to be like. Nonetheless, Shinoa still understood that Lucy had a big family before her adoption. Still, it would have been nice if he wasn't such an asshole towards her if she didn't do anything wrong. Like what did she do to cause him to hate her right off the get go? Get adopted at thirty-nine weeks pregnant and then give birth two weeks later? Because that's exactly what happened. She then stared coldly into his eyes when he asked to hold Lillian. In response, she slowly moved the carrier away from Syd. "Even if they were clean, I still don't know where they have been and I don't trust you with her. Sooooo, no, you cannot." She said sternly with a bit of sass lacing her voice.

Her face returned to a blank one when Lucy informed her that its been a long time since there was a baby in the family. By now though, Shinoa knew that the family loved kids. Well, that was a good thing, otherwise Shinoa probably would still be stuck staying at a shitty hotel and hoping that someone wouldn't come and kill her for talking about being threatened on the street. Lillian only gave Syd a look of confusion before looking around her and then yawning. Her semi-angry look turned into a confused one a little after Syd introduced the young man next to him, Tom. Must be a newcomer too. Suddenly remembering that Syd worked at an AutoShop, Tom must have been a new employee there. Since one hand was still free, she accepted his when he had offered it and was even more confused when he lifted it up towards his lips and kissed it. She raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going through Tom's mind. Still, he was handsome, just a little rough around the edges...and maybe a little strange. Then she got the reminder in her head that she wasn't in America. What are men like her in Dublin? Once he had given her a playful wink, she just responded with a brief, but nervous smile before glancing back at her Mother, who was having an ongoing conversation with Tom.

From what she overheard, Tom sounded like a hardworking guy, but she didn't know him well enough to take his word for it. However, the thought of a relationship didn't sit well with the new mother either. Later, maybe? This led Shinoa to wonder what Tom was like with children. Since they had just met, she wasn't going to let him hold Lillian just yet either. So far, the only people allowed to hold Lillian were Momma Lucy, Uncle George and Uncle Finn...and Lucas if he was supervised during the process. Trusting her child with anyone was going to take time. Even if Little Lillian was only about a month old, there were only a few people that Shinoa would trust her with. Soon, Lucy asked the boys if they wanted to join her and Shinoa for dinner. Once their eyes met, Shinoa only gave a small smile and nodded. Syd was Lucy's Son too, Shinoa wasn't about to say no. There had to be some semblance of peace, right? With her only free hand, the eighteen-year-old proceeded to grab Lucy's before they walked into the Diner.

---

Interactions: Lucy Porter Bellz | Syd Porter (WORST. BIG BROTHER. EVER...) Pyroclast | Thomas Thatcher BasDorcha

 

[Misty Gray]

Blake's House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

It was good to hear Blake acknowledge that he didn't deserve to be left in limbo, as far as waiting for her to decide if she could move on to a new relationship was concerned. When she explained how she was afraid to lose him, he knew what she meant and her further clarification that she meant losing him the way she lost Jackson only drove the message home. He silently nodded in understanding, unable to form any words without first thinking properly about the subject. He reached out to gently squeeze her hand, naturally pulling away when she continued to speak.

A soft smile broke onto his features, his uncertain eyes reflecting a moment of warmth as she spoke of whether love was what she would call the current stage of their relationship. "Worrying about me doesn't necessarily mean you're in love with me. There's people I love, be them family or friends. Chase is at an airfield in New York right now, on Moretti's doorstep, and I'm worried about him, but I'm not in love with him!" he told her. He wasn't sure why he was saying the words he was, words which would sound like he was suggesting she wasn't in love with him. More than likely he figured it was his way of making it easier for Blake to back out if it was what she really wanted. "Though I suppose I'm not constantly worried or tortured in the way you feel..." he reasoned. But her next words about not knowing what to do if he didn't come back and fearing having to be told he was dead did seem pretty decisive. "I know..." he gently told her, once again reaching out across the table to take her hand, seeing how choked up she was getting by the conversation.

Blake spoke more about how she'd been told by her therapist to avoid fortune-telling. He understood how difficult it was for her given the grief she had suffered from losing her husband. Having spent much of his own life living in the present and coming to terms with the fact he could be killed at any time, he didn't have too much experience of dwelling on what the future held for him. Granted, he had recently realised he didn't want to spend whatever his future was alone. It was clear Blake was afraid of losing him, but she told him she wasn't asking him to quit the work he did for Conor. It was something that had crossed his mind on occasions, but it tended to be short-lived as he couldn't imagine himself not working for the mob. An easy, peaceful life, running his gym and fixing up motors in his garage seemed appealing on first thought, but that was often a short-lived scenario to imagine. Even the time off he was given after recently been shot gave him a lot of time on his own and by the end of that time he was growing restless due to the lack of excitement. But would it be different with Blake in his life? Someone he loved who he wanted to stay home for. Or would he always want the thrill and energy that came with working for the mob?

"I can promise to keep being careful and doing everything within my power to come from every job in one piece. But that's not enough to reassure you, I get that," he honestly told her. Still holding her hand, he gently stroked her skin with his thumb before reluctantly letting go and reaching for his glass of water. After having a small drink, he straightened his posture and looked into her eyes for a time before slowly nodding. "I suppose you're not the only one who needs some time to think and talk this over, huh? I don't want to be the reason you have to lose someone and have to grieve all over again. You don't deserve any of that. I just... I don't know how I feel about not doing the work I do for Conor. Nor how he would feel if I quit. I've been doing this for nearly all of my adult life, so it's become a natural part of what I do. But now you're here; one of the most important people in my life, and I've not had many people who worry for my safety. Hell, the two others who do worry do this shit for a living, or at least, Jas used to. Adam looked down to his half-eaten meal, his mind briefly turning to thoughts of how it was cold by now and that it would be a shame to waste it. Snapping his thoughts away from the food, he looked to Blake and tried not to reflect how torn apart he was feeling. "I need to think about this too. It's a huge deal for me to change my lifestyle, but you're also a pretty big deal for me too," he admitted.

Adam looked around the house a little before clearing his throat. "Maybe I should go? Give you some space and be out of your hair before the kids get home?" he reluctantly suggested. "Though it is a shame to waste this great food," he said, glancing down to his plate again.

Bellz (Blake)

 

[Misty Gray]

Moretti Base - Riverside Diner - Basement
~ Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, NYC ~

James Porter and Gabriel Moretti​

James was glad Teddy was willing to do as he said, regardless of how much it no doubt pained the man to do so. The fact Gabriel was for once relatively quiet meant the Italian was going to put his granddaughter first and perhaps even cooperate along the way! James allowed himself to remain silent as Teddy crouched down in front of him and seemed to be scrutinising his face for any sign he wasn't being honest with them. The man seemed to believe him, relenting and making a comment about hunting the Irish family down if there was a scratch on Cristina. "I'm sure it means little to either of you, especially considering what's gone down in the past, but the last thing I want is for any harm to come to your daughter. But there's no time to waste now and it's important I get on that flight so she can be returned to you as soon as."

"It's a shame you didn't think about Francesco's children. You piece of shit..." Gabriel angrily pointed out.

James chose to ignore the man's comment, not willing to get into a slanging match about who had committed the most atrocities when there were more pressing matters at hand. He got to his feet and approached the worktop where various tools intended for torture were set out. Noticing the two armed guards take steps forward, James held his hand out to stop them. "Calm down. I said no weapons or funny business and that includes myself." Seeing what he wanted, James grabbed the medical kit and made a rushed job of cleaning, then patching up the bleeding wound Gabriel had inflicted on him. He was sure it needed stitches and it was something he was capable of doing himself, but there simply wasn't time to waste and the two Morettis in the room likely wouldn't be willing to stand around waiting either. James grabbed his shirt and jacket, putting them back on before motioning for Gabriel and Teddy to take him to their car. "Just the three of us, remember?" he pointed out, making it clear the bodyguards couldn't join them. "Gabriel, you'll be driving."

When they got to the car, Gabriel climbed into the front, gritting his teeth as James chose to occupy the passenger seat, leaving Teddy to sit in the back of the car. All the Italian could picture when looking at James was slitting the man's throat or shooting him in the head. If it wasn't for Cristina's safety, he'd be concocting the best plan to lead James into another trap and kill him before the day was out. Unfortunately, James was leaving no room for him to set up backup plans and he knew there was no choice but to trust the Irishman.

The drive from Manhattan into Queens was a frosty one, with little by way of conversation. What conversation there was often involved Gabriel lecturing James about being the worst of them all for killing most of the Morettis, followed by him backing up Teddy's threats of the devastation that will await the Sullivans if Cristina was at all hurt. As they drove along a long, busy stretch of road in Queens, James told Gabriel to pull the car over and turn the engine off. Gabriel instinctively looked all around before slowing the vehicle to a stop. The area was wide open and no sign of possible ambush or a trap. James saw the man's suspicion and slowly shook his head. "We can drive a mile back or turn right for a mile if you think this spot here is a setup, but I can assure you there isn't anyone waiting here to attack you. I need you both to get out of the car so I can drive to where I need to be, on my own. If you think the way I do, the last place you'd want to be is where I'm meeting my friends - I'm sure it's crossed your mind that you'd be walking into a trap there and my lot would finally get to kill you for all the shit you pulled years back." Seeing Gabriel nod in understanding, James decided to continue. "And I don't want to give you two time to warn your own guys and have them follow me, so I need a head start."

James stepped out of the passenger side of the car, waiting on the narrow sidewalk whilst folding his arms as he waited for Gabriel and Teddy to get out. Gabriel hesitated before climbing out of the driver's side, but kept the car keys in his hand for the moment. "What about my granddaughter. How does ditching Theodore and me by the side of the road get her back?"

"Okay... you will both need to continue walking on into the town centre. It's about a mile and a half from here, which I'm sure you both already know. Once there, you just need to wait inside the Police Station. I would say it's a neutral place, but we all know that between you and the Biancardis, you've got those pricks eating out of your hands, so it's the last place someone like me would have allies. All you two have to do is wait there until a call comes in asking for you both." He looked between Teddy and Gabriel, but fixed his eyes on the former, seeing as it was his daughter in question. "Are you going to do this or just make things harder? I just want to go home and without having your daughter on my conscience if you try any funny business."

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King and Damian Nicolosi​

Spencer was glad to hear Erik's comment about a boy needing his father in his life. In his own case, Spencer believed he and his siblings were much better off without their father, Trevor, in their lives. Trevor had been a man who was, in retrospect, a better father when he wasn't around, and Spencer was in some ways glad his youngest siblings never had to know him nor experience their dad's bad parenting. In Callum's case, he had a much better father in Alex and Spencer was determined for the kid to have him as a frequent, consistent part of his life. He smirked at Erik's question of how else the child would learn to be a man. "God knows. He certainly won't learn it up in Dublin living with Princess Sav. Not to mention the men are a bunch of pansies in that family," he remarked.

"Honestly, even without the shit they pulled on me the other week, the Sullivans are messed up. I've heard about some of what they've done over the years and I don't think Dublin is an environment Callum should be brought up in. If Sav had just stayed here in London, we could all have avoided this mess we have now. I wouldn't give her any grief or lip if she came back here, but there's no chance of her doing that now with Conor holding her back."

There was a brief interruption as the waitress came in to bring their drinks. Spencer sent his employee a smile but maintained a silence until she was gone, never wanting his bar staff to have any knowledge or involvement in his private business meetings. Spencer listened to Damian's suggestion about entering Dublin and taking more extreme measures to get Callum back. After the Sullivans had entered London and attacked him, Spencer wasn't exactly against invading Dublin with ill-intentions now such a precedent had been set. He just wasn't sure how that could be done without risking upsetting Callum, not to mention it was the kind of thing Bruce would have to approve of in the end. Erik spoke up to make it clear Moretti wasn't likely to risk sending men to Dublin to be killed and would be unlikely to want involvement in it. "That's understandable," Spencer agreed. Gabriel's end of the deal involved providing security in London, not expanding to carrying out attacks in Dublin. "Something like that would have to be up to my family to do, but I doubt my uncle would agree to it anyway," he reasoned with Damian.

Spencer's thoughts were interrupted when the lack of music in the main club caught Erik's attention. He quickly shook his head at Erik's joke about closing early. Damian let out a small chuckle and shrugged his shoulders. "I for one think this is an improvement. It's not often I'm the one being tortured, but my ears were being traumatised for a while here," he joked. His curiosity piqued at the sound of distant voices shouting in the main club. He instinctively rubbed his hands together, picking up on the fact it could only symbolise some kind of trouble was building up. And he thought his evening was going to be all talk! This was potentially a pleasant surprise.

"Must be some dumb fucks if they want to cause trouble in this club," Spencer grumbled as he got to his feet. He unlocked the wall safe and retrieved his loaded pistol before securely concealing it in his jacket's inside pocket. He'd never had to use it in his club and didn't intend to, but given the troubled circumstances the Kings were going through, he knew it paid to be prepared. When he, Erik and Damian left the office, Erik spoke to the waitress who was standing nearby. Hearing one of the men had a gun caused Spencer to clench his fists, furious someone would bring a gun into his club. Erik then asked him how he wanted to handle it, Spencer thought for a second before pinching the bridge of his nose. He wasn't sure if diffusing heated confrontations was really his speciality, but he figured that was where he should start. "I'll see if I can have a word before resorting to more drastic measures."

Damian, who had grinned at Erik's gesturing of handling the guy with more brutal methods, shrugged his shoulders. "Try that first, but I'm all for Erik's suggestion. If anyone pulled a gun in one of Gabriel's clubs, it would certainly be the last time..."

Spencer stepped out into the main club, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm, before lowering them. "What's the problem here?" he firmly asked. He then pointed the gun in the man's hand and gestured for him to lower the weapon. "Put the gun down and let's talk about this privately. This ain't somewhere you should be waving that thing around," he said, aware of the other civilians in the club who hadn't yet scarpered, either due to fear or simple nosiness.

Melanin-Gxdess (Erik)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor looked up to Aliana as she turned her back to him, clearly upset and sickened by hearing the sweet girl's voice speaking down the line. He let out a sigh before deciding he needed to shift his attention to someone he had a better chance of comforting. "Okay, Cristina. Where I am, it's five hours ahead of New York, so by that calculation I can promise you that you'll be home in time for dinner."

"How do you know what time I have dinner on a Friday?" Cristina flatly asked. "It's 2 o'clock now and I don't want to be here that long."

"So let's say, you'll be home by 5pm. Is that better?" There was a silence before Cristina repeated that she wanted to go home immediately. Conor knew that couldn't happen and so he couldn't agree to that. "You just need to wait a couple more hours, I promise. I need to go now, but I'll keep in touch and those two men are just there to make sure you're safe. They'll make sure you get home soon."

Once the call ended, Conor stood up and placed a cautious hand on Aliana's shoulder, hoping to get her to turn to face him. "What you were saying about Jackson's death affecting me. You're right. I kept thinking it would pass and I'd move on from it. Hell, I even know Jackson would be pissed at me for still being miserable. I kept telling myself he'd want me to be happy and be the old me, but there's always been something stopping me. Jackson died and I went on to give in to the Morettis. I did it to protect our family, but instead of getting revenge, I signed New York over to Moretti and followed our hearts back to Dublin. I don't regret coming back here, but I never avenged Jackson - I didn't show Blake and her kids that the man responsible for Jackson's death had paid for it." He studied Aliana for a time before shaking his head. "I couldn't keep the business arrangement we had with the Morettis going when all I wanted to do was rip the smug bastard's head off. My hatred for him, I know it's driven me to where I am now. I think that's why I was able to get over my father's death sooner - because James killed the bastard responsible. Romano was killed only months after having my dad killed, so it was easier to move on. Moretti is just swanning around after Jackson, Warren, and countless others were killed on his command. Blake hasn't had her closure. Jimbo didn't get vengeance for Warren. I owe it to Jimbo to at least get him back here in one piece. I want to move on, Ali, I really do. But I don't want Blake and her kids to think I never tried to get justice for Jackson."

Returning to the earlier conversation about whether or not Aliana deserved him, he managed a gentle smile. "As for us. Of course I'm a catch. Sexy as hell and a cracking sense of humour," he teased. Despite everything eating away at him, he wanted to try make Aliana feel at least a little better. "What you don't deserve is all of this worrying and heartache, which I take full responsibility for. I'm sorry," he seriously told her. "And as for secrets. I have something else to tell you," he admitted, moving to the sofa and hoping she would join him. "I have something which I haven't told anyone yet. Not even Syd. I've kept this to myself for the sake of not putting any of you in a difficult position; burdened with keeping the truth from Roxie. But... I now know who was behind Matthew's death and once today is over with, I will be telling Roxie and Syd..."

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter​

Lucy had always had the biggest heart of anyone Syd had ever known; in fact, without that ability to love so strongly and so unconditionally, he was sure she and James wouldn’t have chosen to adopt him. If they had it in their hearts to adopt a boisterous, unruly eight year old boy with behavioural issues and a troubled start in life then he supposed not much could put them off...yet it still confounded him slightly that his mother had taken in this girl, this 17 year old pregnant stranger, and had decided to take responsibility for her. Maybe it was because the teenager was troubled and he would rather see his mother rest after a lifetime of worrying about other people instead of taking on even more, or because he was anxious about how his father would handle having this new apparent ‘daughter’ when he got back from prison when he would already be having to handle the adjustment back into life in the outside world. Syd was just too conflicted about the whole situation that hearing the girl call Lucy her ‘mom’ and the way the two seemed so attached just made him uncomfortable and anxious. Their relationship was developing fast and he couldn’t keep up.

It stung a bit, then, when Lucy told him she hadn’t come to see him, but instead to see Shinoa. When she suggested he knew that she would have come to see him after, Syd put on a smile to disguise his doubt. The situation was only made worse when Shinoa denied him a hold of her baby. Syd had done countless things he wasn't proud of over the course of his tumultuous life but no matter how dark things got he remained motivated by his love and respect for children. His own, for all their own emotional issues and difficulties, were the light of his life and always would be. He had even founded Safe Hands, a local shelter for orphaned and abused children, as a cause to which he could donate his excess wealth. He may not have always been the most reliable father, but he was good with children of all ages, had a positive relationship with his children and loved them more than anything in the world. And yet here Shinoa was, bluntly rejecting his request to hold her baby as if he might drop her on her head or make her cry.

Given that Lucy had spent so much time with the girl, Syd had expected his mother to speak positively of him to Shinoa at least a little, but the impression the girl seemed to have formed of him was apparently nothing but negative. Her words were laced with venom as she pulled Lillian away from him and told him she didn't trust him. Syd glanced at his mother for support but the woman was busy accepting a kiss on the hand from Tom. He didn't understand, after everything she had been through, how she still managed to be so comfortable with people she didn't even know. It was as if she saw everyone as being inherently good until proven otherwise. For all Syd knew, Tom could be a spy and Shinoa could be trying to steal his mother and turn her against him or become a wedge between Lucy and James. His eyes returned to Shinoa and he stared her down, putting his hand in his pocket when it began to twitch.

Tom's nauseating charm was grating on him, especially since he was so clearly flirting with Shinoa, and when Lucy teasingly offered to defend the young man against Syd's criticisms, he couldn't even return her smile. She then asked him if he needed to go and tend to Roxie and the kids, which by that point only sounded to Syd like she was trying to get rid of him so she could focus on his new employee and her new daughter. After that, her offer to have lunch together sounded fake to him, since she knew he actually had to leave.

"Thanks, but my kids need me," he flatly responded, throwing a glance at Shinoa. Avoiding his mother's gaze, Syd turned to Tom and slapped him on the arm with the back of his hand to get the young man's eyes off Shinoa. "Don't make a start in the body shop 'til I get back," he firmly instructed him. "Go back to the repair shop and Chris'll give you another job."

Normally he would have hugged his mother goodbye but this time he didn't really believe she wanted him to, so he just forced a smile for her and said "Enjoy your lunch," before turning on his heel and instantly lighting up a cigarette as he marched back to his car.


BloodThunder27 Shinoa
BasDorcha Tom
Bellz Lucy

* * * * * *​

It took the whole car journey, unconsciously driving at a higher speed than he should have, for Syd's anger to dissipate. After Shinoa's hurtful comment, he was desperate to see his kids and take them home to spend some quality time with them. He rang the doorbell of Roxie's new place and heard an immediate thumping of someone bounding down the hall. The door flew open and Jane practically threw herself at him, causing him to stumble back a step.

"PLEASE don't make me unpack anymore!" she groaned dramatically. Then she paused and tilted her head up at him, scrunching her nose. "You've been smoking."

Letting out a breathless chuckle, Syd patted her on the back as she clung onto him. "Hello to you, too," he greeted her. "And how dare you accuse me of such a thing - I quit, remember?”

“Did you shite!” she dared, something Syd knew she must have heard him say too many times. After taking a quick glance over her shoulder to see if anyone else had heard her, Syd peeled his daughter’s arms from around him and bent down to face her.

“I won’t tell mam you just said that if you don’t tell her about the smoking,” he negotiated, to which Jane rolled her eyes. She smiled though, which was answer enough for him.

"We've just got pizza and cake, you should stay and eat with us before we go!” When Syd took his hands off her, she ran back down the hall and out of sight. “MOM! DAD’S HERE!”

Syd quickly lost sight of his daughter as he stepped into the house. His sour mood had now gone away completely, purely happy to have left Shinoa and Tom behind and instead be with his children. He shut the door behind him and walked deeper into the house until he found Roxie and Reina. Where he and Roxie stood was still in question - they were finally on good terms and had started speaking more comfortably with each other, but he didn’t feel they were close enough to hug, so he instead kept his distance and gave her a wave. “Hey, how’s it goin’,” he greeted the two women with a casual smile. “The place is looking great by the way, lot of progress since I was last here. How’re you finding the new house?”

More furniture was now in and the rooms had started to take their form, though boxes were still scattered around. Syd himself tried to avoid moving house unless it was absolutely necessary - that level of change tended to unsettle him greatly, not to mention the stress of moving itself - but he could understand Roxie’s reasons for moving and was glad that she had done it. He didn’t doubt the place would be cleaned up soon, anyway, especially with Reina and the kids helping. “I take it no one’s ready to go yet? Jane said you were just about to eat, but then she ran off.” He shrugged, shaking his head at his daughter’s energy. “Anyway, if you need a hand with anything in here, I’m happy to stay and help for a bit?”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie, Jeanie, J.J.
Melanin-Gxdess Reina

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
Blake's House
- Sutton, Dublin - ​

Though Adam wore a soft smile on his face, Blake could still see the uncertainty behind his eyes as he clarified that her worrying about him didn't mean she was in love with him. Blake let out a small laugh as Adam joked about not being in love with Chase. "I don't know, you guys are pretty close, I think Jasmine and I should be worried." The blonde teased in return despite the heaviness in her voice and in her words. Adam sympathized with her as he moved to take her hand.

Blake didn't mean to get so choked up in conversations like these, she knew it was more than likely off-putting to Adam rather than endearing but she really couldn't help the emotions she was feeling at the moment. Adam was as respectful as always as he listened to her worry about him. She was thankful for the opportunity to really voice her concerns. She had been able to in small amounts since they began going out but Blake didn't want to be seen as clingy and she certainly didn't want him to think that he had to change his entire life around to please her.

Adam stated that he got that he could promise to be careful and do everything in his power to come home from every job in one piece and yet that still wouldn't be enough reassurance for her. It used to be enough reassurance a long long time ago when she hadn't experienced the type of loss that she had but nowadays it was hard to keep those anxieties at bay. Blake looked down as he traced his thumb over the top of her hand before letting go to drink some water. When he straightened up, Blake did the same.

Listening to Adam intently, Blake nodded her head in agreement that they both needed some time to think and talk things through. He stated that he didn't want to be the reason for her to grieve all over again but he just didn't know how to feel about not working for Conor. Blake nodded her head firmly once more staying silent as he spoke about working like this his entire adult life.

Blake watched as Adam looked down to his half-eaten plate and she found herself looking to her own plate as well. She had been starving when he first arrived but she had found herself without much of an appetite now. When she looked back up, Adam was staring at her looking torn despite his best efforts not to.

He stated that he needed to think about the relationship as well, as it was a huge deal for him to change his lifestyle. She nodded her head again, her face expressionless before he added that she was also a pretty big deal for him now which caused her to smile sweetly at him.

"Although I find myself fretting about this far more than I should, I just want you to know that this isn't a deal-breaker for me. I don't expect you to change your entire lifestyle for me especially at this stage of our relationship. I can adapt, hell, I've done it before I can do it again. Nothing scares me for too long it's just a matter of not getting in my head." Blake tried to reassure him.

Watching him look around the house, he then alluded to maybe heading out to give her some space. He then mentioned what a shame it was to waste such good food which made Blake smirk. "I know this whole conversation made it seem like I want you gone but...it would be nice if you could stay. Being alone in this house is...unsettling sometimes. I could go ahead and nuke your food in the microwave? My food definitely needs warming up." Blake said as a natural smile dawned on her face, "Besides, whether you think you can handle your alcohol or not, I wouldn't feel comfortable letting you drive right away."
with: Adam Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Father Silas Healy
Michael Zegarra​

As soon as Silas mentioned that he would be counselling the bullies at Liam and Michael's school, Liam expressed his surprise. "Yes, even Daryl Hennessey," he confirmed with a smile. "And he may be a disrespectful boy but it's nothing I haven't dealt with before. More often than not, bullies are just damaged souls with a troubled background who need to learn love before they can show it themselves. There's a good chance Daryl needs support and someone to confide in."

He smiled when Liam told him he wasn't giving up on his education and was in fact planning on going to university when he finished school. "Well I'm not surprised your mother is excited, your parents should both be very proud of you to have such ambition. I'm sure if you stay in school and stop skipping classes, you'll go far in life. As for the bullies, perhaps I can step into the classroom from time to time and help keep an eye on them, make sure their focus is where is supposed to be so you can get your work done."

On the subject of Adam getting shot, Liam bowed his head and seemed to shrink in his seat a little, just as Michael had done. It was clear both the boys understood that the conversation they were having was not one their families would be happy about, but a part of them seemed to want to talk about it. Silas listened closely to what Liam had to say, trying to understand exactly how much the boy knew and how he felt about it as he attempted to defend his parents' activity. Before Silas could weigh in, Liam steered the subject towards his uncles, George and Finn, expressing concern that they wouldn't get into Heaven because they were gay.

"No, my son, that isn't true," Silas assured him. "A homosexual man or woman can lead a faithful and holy life, and there is nothing in the catechism that says otherwise. It's the duty of a good Christian to encourage the holy life in everyone no matter who they are. Some people may interpret certain Bible teachings as discouraging of homosexuality and preach as such, but I'm afraid that comes from the preacher's personal conviction rather than that of the Catholic faith. The truth is it's a bit more complicated than that. You see, Catholic philosophy states that there's a natural order in the world - an acorn is ordered to become an oak tree, a child is ordered to become an adult. Does that make sense?"

Michael was looking up at him in wonder, captured by the concept. "And people are ordered to go to Heaven or Hell?"

Silas pointed a finger at the boy and nodded his head. "And like that, the act of two beings forming a partnership is ordered towards love and towards the creation of a child. Since two people of the same sex - a man being with a man or a woman being with a woman - cannot physically create children, then they don't follow the natural order of the world as God intended. They are therefore objectively disordered, which is why they cannot get married. But that doesn't mean they have no chance of going to Heaven. Being homosexual in itself is not a sin." Silas looked at the boys' faces, wondering if he had explained it in a way they could understand. There was more to be explained that could have made the concept easier, but at their age he wasn't sure if they needed to be hearing the sex talk from him, so he said no more.

"Anyway, Lucas shouldn't feel like he can't come to church," he concluded. "Everyone is welcome here, unless they pose an immediate danger to those inside. That's where we should focus our efforts - not on discriminating against homosexuals, but on spreading peace and eliminating violence from the city. Like the violence inflicted on and by your families. It's an unnecessary evil. I know you are afraid that not fighting back will cause further pain, and I don't know exactly how their business works, but if they want any chance of peace and salvation, they must surrender from the fight by some peaceful arrangement. Or else, they'll continue to bring danger to themselves and to you boys, and ultimately spend an eternity in Hell to pay for their mortal sins."

Interactions
Misty Gray Liam

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Family Home
~Dublin, Ireland~

Aliana Sullivan​

By the time the phone call had ended Ali's sobs had turned into sniffles. Knowing that she was safe calmed her nerves a little, but she wouldn't feel any better until she was safely home with her parents again. She paused for a moment, slowly coming to terms with everything that had been done thus far. No amount of arguing or yelling or hitting anyone was going to change the past so it was time to accept it and move on. She jumped feeling Conor's hand on her shoulder, momentarily forgetting he was standing so close behind her. A sigh escaped her lips as she turned to face him, her fingertips resting on his. It was hard to look him in the eye as she thought about what had transpired between them. A pit had grown in the bottom of her stomach and she couldn't quite place the reasoning for it, though she was sure it had something to do with their marriage... Again. She took a deep breath the moment he began to explain how she was right about Jackson. She closed her eyes and sucked in air through her teeth. Ali hadn't said those things to be right, she was just saying what she knew. A part of her didn't want him to explain anything yet she let him continue talking anyway.

It was obvious that not getting revenge for Jackson had weighed heavily on his mind for years. The Sullivan family weren't strangers to getting revenge - Ali included. So the fact that Conor had become the only person unable to do so made his actions understandable. It had taken Ali until now to realize it which only made her feel worse. It wasn't just Conor who hadn't gotten revenge, but Blake and the kids. When Tommy was killed - the first love of her life - she was able to get her own revenge. She was even able to get revenge for Leonard, so how could she be so blind to how necessary revenge actually was? She felt like there was a hole in her heart and went through the normal five stages of grief and felt like she would never be the same. Of course, her husband and best friend would be feeling something similar. Her lack of oversight was helping her accept everything her husband had done, though she would always wonder if it were the right thing. Taking a deep sigh she finally forced herself to look at him. "I-I know. And I didn't realize it before. Revenge is necessary - I'm pretty sure it's the sixth stage in the grieving process I just-," she paused shaking her head, "I just don't want to wrong person getting hurt in that pursuit."

"Cracking sense of humor," she echoed, letting out a playful scoff. "Sure, that's what drew me in." Considering all the arguing and yelling they were just doing, Ali was always surprised at how quickly he was able to make her smile. She wouldn't tell him this for fear of his head getting bigger, but it was one of his more admirable traits. He then apologized to her, to which she shook her head. "No, I signed on for this which means I sign-on for all the negative effects too. You don't have to apologize." She raised her hand to his face where she slapped him and cringed, a small smile on her lips. "Sorry," she said referring to her hitting him. He then pulled away from her, moving towards the couches as he mentioned he had another secret to tell her. The smile immediately dropped from her lips as she pinched the bridge of her nose. The moments they had between each other were always fleeting. "For fuckssake, there's more? God, I feel like my life would be easier if you just kept everything from me," she said sarcastically. She wasn't being serious, often finding being left in the dark was far more annoying.

On her way to the couch she picked up the watch she had dropped from earlier and joined Conor. She braced herself for what was about to come out of his mouth, but nothing could prepare her for what was next. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head and ran her hand down her face. Ali and Syd had grown close over the last decade. One could say he was even her favorite nephew. When it came to Roxie, Ali had come to her defense multiple times when they first met and therefore had formed a relatively close relationship. If they knew she was aware of who killed Matthew and didn't tell them she was sure they would no longer want anything to do with her, so she was appreciative of her husband for at least keeping her in the dark there. However, when they did find out they were still going to be pissed. "You're a real piece of work, ya know?" For fear of continuing to come across as unsupportive Ali took a deep breath before reaching out for him. "Okay. I... Okay." She was at a loss for words, struggling not to start another argument before nodding her head. "So then, who is it?"

The Sullivan's Pub
~Dublin City Center, Dublin~

Leo Sullivan​

"Trust me, I know. We didn't think my old man would make it in prison when I was younger. I think Sullivan men are lucky that way, eh?" He joked, shaking his head. It wasn't until Leo had gotten older that he learned about the struggles Conor went through in prison. How there had been many times where he almost didn't make it home to him and Ali. At one point Leo blamed his mother for being a reason he struggled in the first place. She had only taken him to see his father once - Seana having taken him the whole time - and the one time she did they nearly ended up arguing. If Leo related to anyone in Thomas' situation it was James and Lucy, which is why he was trying to help Thomas see reason now. But because their relationship was still on the rocks he wasn't going to try and push any of that on him just yet. Hearing that he was actually glad Leo had slipped up made him calm down a little, though he knew Conor wouldn't be. "Just don't tell my dad, alright? Or your mom and the kids. And when he does show up act, I don't know, like you didn't expect it." Though his tone was light and cheerful, he was being dead serious. "I'll take the surprises thing into consideration then."

The topic of conversation then moved onto his relationship with Natasha, which Leo found himself struggling not to smile at. "Oh, here we go!" He stated with a laugh, before turning to him. "We're goin' good, I think. I mean, I was a bit... Slow on the pickup but I'm getting there." It was no secret Leo had missed nearly every sign Natasha had given that she was into him. Leo wasn't exactly the smartest when it came to cues and whatnot but what mattered is that he had gotten his shit together. "I don't know, I don't feel like anything has changed between us, which I think says a lot. I mean, sure we can do things friends probably don't and shouldn't," he said giving his friend a playful wink, "But other than that it feels... Normal. I-It feels right." A part of Leo was surprised to hear himself she this aloud seeing as he had never talked this way about any of his exes before. Maybe he was just dating them because he felt that's what he should be doing, but with Natasha it was different. With her it felt like the proper thing to be doing and that he could be proud of it.

"I am worried about how she's going to react when she finds out I've been working more with Dad." He started playing with the rim of his glass, his brows furrowed at the thought. "The fact that Jackson was killed because of the family business has turned her off to the whole idea, but-," he shrugged "Fuck, I don't know. He's never pressured me to take over, but sometimes I feel like I need to. Like I'm supposed to. Besides, could you imagine Syd in charge?" He joked, shaking his head. Leo was sure that his cousin would be more than qualified for the job, seeing as he had more experienced and had been in the game longer, but the stress was sure to kill him before a bullet was. "I know I need to tell her but we just started dating and she's going to kick my ass." He shook his head at the thought, knowing full well he needed to tell her sooner rather than later. "Bah, anyways. What about you? Surely someone has caught your eyes by now." He lifted his mug to drink out of before gesturing around the bar. "I can obviously no longer partake but you can.

Thomas ( Bellz )

Moretti Base - Riverside Diner - Basement
~Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, NYC~

Theodore 'Teddy' Wycliff​

The last thing Teddy wanted to hear was any sort of sympathy coming out of James' mouth, but he couldn't do anything more to him without jeopardizing Cristina's safety. It pained him to watch James using the first aid kit considering the opposite was supposed to be happening right now. The fact that Conor had gone so slow as to take his daughter to prevent James' death would never sit right with him. In fact, the first chance he got he was going to try and come up with something as equally horrible if not something worse. "Hurry up," he said through clenched teeth, watching as he put on his shirt and jacket. Porter then motioned for them to follow, repeating the instructions that they were to move alone. He opened his mouth to protest but knew better so he just turned to the two guards. "Don't be fucking dense and follow instructions." Under any other circumstance, Teddy would've given some sort of hint that they were to do the opposite of what he was saying. This was not one of those moments and therefore if they didn't listen he was going to have their ass.

Sitting in the back seat, Teddy wished Gabriel would drive faster. He no longer cared about getting revenge against James as the only thing on his mind was his daughter. His leg bounced up and down in anticipation. Teddy had done his absolute best to make sure his family stayed out of his business. With one little call Conor Sullivan had ruined that for him. He wasn't sure what kind of effects this whole kidnapping thing would hold on his daughter. "How much longer?!" He impatiently asked, only for James to begin giving them instructions. He wanted them to stop in some sketchy area and get out of the car, to which Teddy quickly shook his head. "What kind of goddamn game are you playing at, Porter?" He looked out the window before turning his attention to him with a scowl on his face. He made a point to warn them about all of the enemies he and Gabriel would have, which was enough to make him reel in his attitude. The last thing he wanted was to be killed simply because he couldn't control himself.

As he climbed out of the backseat he watched intently while Gabe gave James the keys. He then asked him about Cristina's whereabouts, which was the only thing he wanted to hear. Another set of instructions were given and Teddy pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. There was a lot going on and a lot of annoying things being asked of him and the fact that he couldn't punch the man in the face made it all worse. There was a lot of waiting involved and the longer he waited the more upset he was going to get. James then asked him a direct question. For a moment Teddy remained quiet even though he already knew exactly what he was going to do. It was difficult to give into your enemy and the fact this was the second time didn't help. Taking the keys from Gabe's hand he roughly placed them into James' before pulling him in by his shirt. "You better be making good on this, Porter, otherwise I will hunt you down and beat you to death." He pushed him back before letting go of his hold on him a stepping back.

Watching James drive away and leave Gabriel on the side of the road hurt his pride immensely, but that meant nothing if he was to get his daughter back. He clenched his fists together and shouted profanities before turning to his father-in-law, urging him that they should get going. The moment they set foot in the police station, the man behind the counter recognized them immediately. Teddy ordered him to take them to the captains office, where an older man sat. He was about to yell at the other officer when he saw who was accompanying them. "A call is going to come in and when it does, you give me the phone."

Gabriel, James ( Misty Gray )

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~Bethnal Green, London~

Erik Snowden​

A part of Erik was disappointed that he couldn't just make easy work of the heckler but knew there was a reputation to uphold. Plus, to shoot someone in a club full of people wasn't exactly the smartest decision. Paying off witnesses, cleaning up the mess, and then getting people back into the club was far out of Erik's never-ending list of responsibilities. Therefore, he would go with what Spencer directed him to do instead of listening to the devil on his shoulder, otherwise known as Damian. Spencer stepped out first with Erik directly to his left just in case he needed to stop a bullet or something. How heroic, he thought, would Billy think he was if he saved his brother from a crazed lunatic? A small smile crossed his lips before he remembered the severity of the situation he was in. His face grew serious once again listening to Spencer ask what was going on, giving out a warning to lower his gun. "Piss off! This ain't got nuffin' to do wit'ya." The man shouted, keeping his eyes glued to the shorter, frightened man in front of him. Erik looked at the two strangers across the bar, trying to see if he recognized them or saw them interacting in any capacity when he came in. The scared man he didn't, but the one with the gun he did. He saw him flirting with a waitress in a rather disgusting manner, but she looked like she could handle herself. Seeing now, however, it was possible she was the reason the two men were fighting now.

"Look, man, I was just orderin' a drink from her, okay?!" Hearing the victim in this scuffle speak Erik perked up and chuckled. "Oh, please don't tell me you're fighting over the girl?" Erik asked, to which the aggressor turned his head to him. "This piece-o'shit thinks he can just come n'ere 'n steal my girl." Erik then moved towards him looking around for the waitress before his eyes landed on her. Erik had met her a few times to know her name was May and pointed at her. From what he heard from a few people - including Darcey - May was unspoken for and definitely not about to be seen by some noisy drunk. "This one?" Erik asked, to which both of the men started nodding their heads. Erik then looked at Spencer with a playful grin on his face. "You have quite the staff here to be getting people all roused up," he said, turning to look back at the man causing trouble. "Especially for women that don't belong to you." It must have been the callous way he said it that got him all riled up again, since he dropped the man he was holding and started for Erik.

That is, until he turned his trajectory towards May. Erik hadn't seen it coming until the very last second when he grabbed her wrist tightly and nodded his head back to Erik, Spencer, and Damian. "Go on, tell 'em. All that flirtin' you were doin'." Without his gun Erik was worried about what he could do, especially since his opponent had one on him. It was no longer pointed at the man he was hassling but instead at subtly at May's abdomen. He worried that if she didn't comply or said something that would make him upset she would get hurt along with anyone else within range. Erik glanced back to Spencer, his eyes asking him what he wanted him to do. In any other case Erik would have long since taken him down, but the current atmosphere was preventing him from doing so. "Okay, hey, that's not necessary. Put the gun away."


Spencer, Damian ( Misty Gray ) May ( BasDorcha )

 

[Pyroclast]

Billy King​

The sound of the doorbell threw Billy into a panic and he bent forward to dry his eyes on his t-shirt, in a rush to pull himself together. He wasn’t ready to see anyone or answer any questions about the state he had got himself in - he didn’t have an excuse up his sleeve and he definitely wasn’t about to tell the truth. Harper seemed confident it was just her pizza arriving but he held his breath until he heard the sound of an exchange happen at the front door. He exhaled deeply and let his head rest in his hand, gently massaging where it had begun to ache.

While she was out of the room, Billy thought about what she had said, about how the very fact he had come out to her was proof that being gay didn’t make him weak. Sure he had taken a long time wrestling with the idea before he came to the conclusion that he had to tell someone...and sure it had taken him yet more time to work up to actually doing it. In fact, it had taken him a lot of courage, and a few drinks, to even come to his sister’s door - especially given that they hadn’t even been on speaking terms - so maybe she had a point. But he wasn’t sure that would be enough to convince everyone else. All the people in his future who he would meet, business connections...it just wasn’t a tolerant world. Not the one he lived in. He knew this because a degree of homophobia was simply the norm in modern society; whenever he had made some negative comment or offensive joke about gay people in the past it was almost always met with nodding heads, laughter, or an even worse comment in response. He remembered the way the AIDS epidemic was reported in the news when it first came about, casting yet more of a stigma on gay men, and even though he knew better than to ever read tabloids like The Sun or News of the World, their revolting headlines would taunt him from the newsagent’s newspaper stand.

It wasn’t long before Harper returned and grabbed a slice of pizza for herself, and, still resting his head in his hand, Billy sent her a weary, somewhat hopeless look. His sister spoke with confidence which Billy appreciated, as he himself wasn’t feeling confident about his situation in the slightest. She told him that from that point on, in order to get through life as a gay man, he would simply have to live his life unapologetically and experience life to the fullest without hiding who he truly was. It sounded so impossible to him that he had to remind himself that Harper did in fact know what she was talking about. She certainly lived her life that way - unapologetic to the point of confidently making out with women in a public place. When she turned the pizza box around to offer him a slice Billy shook his head, having completely lost his appetite to the anxiety.

Harper went on to ask him when he had ever needed anyone’s approval, and that other people’s response to him coming out shouldn’t ever stop him from living, since he was in the driver’s seat. The idea of doing whatever the fuck made him happy, as she had put it, sounded like a dream...but he had a feeling it would be much harder in practice. It was true that he had never really needed anyone’s approval, but that was because he had always been very bright; his goals were ambitious yet he always achieved them, so he couldn’t really think of an example of when someone else’s approval actually mattered that much. Being the youngest brother and lacking the genes that had given Alex and Spencer their imposing build, he supposed he had always felt like he had to prove himself in a way. But he wasn’t really that insecure about it. He could win fights, he had always been naturally active and engaged with his work and it didn’t feel like much effort to devote his energy to the family business. The only approval he could remember seeking from his family was their belief in his brief relationships with women - just wanting them to buy into the image he was trying to create for himself. But that image was all wrong, and now the approval he needed was for the opposite: not believing that he was straight, but accepting that he was gay.

Watching Harper tear off a bite of her pizza slice and talk with her mouth full, Billy couldn’t help but smile at her. He pushed himself upright, tired of his worried mind trying to fault all of her encouraging points. He let out a soft chuckle when she boasted about being the ultimate wrestling champion. Hearing her call him strong despite his sexuality did make him feel better, but mostly it was her cheerful attitude towards life that was lifting him up. Still taking in all her words, he chose not to respond just yet and instead watched in amusement at the sour face she made after taking a sip of the rum. “I’ll take it home with me and replace it with somethin’ nicer, if you like,” he offered with a shrug. With the relief she was bringing him at that moment, he figured he owed her more than just a bouquet of flowers.

The conversation was swiftly brought back to the dilemma at hand as Harper offered to be there for him, but she encouraged him to get to a place where he wouldn’t need to rely on her, to live his life authentically and be happy in himself. Even though she had been nothing but kind to him since he had sat down at the kitchen table, Billy was still taken aback when she told him if the family cast him out for being gay, then she would leave them to be with him. She reminded him that they were a package deal and he fixed his soft gaze on her, feeling his eyes begin to glisten with tears again. In true Harper style, she came back with more humour by suggesting she and Alex were destined to be sluts, and that Billy should hold onto the love he had found for Erik.

Blushing, Billy looked down with a small smile. “It does feel nice,” he admitted. “I mean, if I pretend there’s no shit attached to it. I know we live in a world that ain’t built for queers. They - I mean…we...” he glanced at her, still not used to using such terminology to describe himself. “We can’t get married or have kids or even adopt kids, and people think we’re these disgusting second class citizens who go round spreadin’ AIDS, and sometimes it feels like the real disease is just being gay and I wish I could just get better and lead a normal life. Or - or sometimes I wish Erik was a woman so I wouldn’t have to make some stupid fucking announcement and risk losing all my family and friends just so I could be with him. I’ve worked really hard to get to a place where I’m respected and looked up to in my field, and I know I’d be putting that reputation at risk, too...but…” Billy let his hands fall into his lap and he started idly picking at the stitches on his hand from yet another carpentry accident caused by his wandering, troubled mind. “But I have to take the bad with the good, I guess. Knowin' I won’t lose you means a lot.” He glanced up and caught Harper’s eye, sending her a grateful smile. “And I wouldn’t change a thing about him, even if loving him means I have to be gay. It’s not like I have much say in it, anyway. I can’t just switch off how I feel - believe me, I’ve tried, like, a million times.” He chewed on his lip for a second, letting Harper’s encouraging words sink in. “But you’re right. Even if I could switch it off, I don’t think I’d actually want to. All I really want is him. Sometimes I get the feeling he likes me back, too, and even thinkin’ about that just makes me…” A warm fluttery feeling suddenly rushed through his stomach, but it didn’t make him feel nauseous this time, just giddy and high. Realising that he was now smiling uncontrollably, he let out a breath of laughter and looked back down into his lap, a strong blush on his cheeks that he could do nothing about.

“Maybe it’ll be okay,” he entertained through a whisper, looking ahead with a deep breath before shifting his gaze back on his sister. “Just don’t rush me, yeah? Please? I’ll tell ‘em, I will, just...when I’m ready. I’ll tell ‘em that I’m…y’know, gay...a-and if I’ve talked to Erik by then and it goes well and that...then I’ll tell ‘em it’s me and Erik. And if they fucking go and send him back across the pond then I’ll fucking go with him. I ain’t gonna take shit from no one. Not for this. Not when it could be so good.” Billy held his gaze on her and reached out to hold her hand, careful not to dip their hands in the hot cheesy pizza. After a moment he stood up and stepped over to her, opening his arms up for a hug. “I’ve been such a knob and I’m so sorry,” he told her sincerely, though his sincerity was partially ruined by the residual blush on his cheeks. “If I take your advice and try to just live as who I am without letting anything or anyone get in my way, will you forgive me?” He pulled away so he could at her, fearing that he might start crying again if he was out of her view for too long. “Thank you for accepting me and for making everything sound less scary. I’ve always admired you for being yourself, Harp. You have the best attitude towards life out of everyone I know, and I wanna start livin' my life like you. So, fuck it.” With a small sniff, Billy smiled and felt his cheeks begin to tingle again. “I’m gay,” he said, feeling for the first time ever something positive in the word. “I’m gay, and I’m in love with Erik fucking Snowden!”

Interactions
Bellz the best sister EVER
BasDorcha totally not Billy's first crush...

Melanin-Gxdess the man of his dreams (mentioned)

 

[BasDorcha]

Pitstop Repairs
~Drumcondra, Dublin~
Tom Thatcher




As the conversation continued in front of him, he politely kept to himself, though his eyes were another story. They did, periodically, glance from one person to another, but always landed back on the pretty girl in front of him. The baby she carried didn’t bother him a bit, he had a soft spot for kids. One of the things he had done during his time in the army had been to rescue a hostage situation of kids and women. The idea that someone would want to hurt such beautiful innocence as most women and children presented bothered him deeply. Shaking the thought from his mind when Syd was trying to get his attention, he nodded, immediately straightening his back like he had been given an order from a sarge.

“Yes sir, you got it. I’ll get you the color samples together for when you get back, and a list of ideas to review. In the meantime, I’ll help Chris with whatever he asks for... After lunch.” He grinned at Syd and waved him off as he left, rushing to the door to hold it open for both women as they entered. As Shinoa stepped closer, he cleared his throat gently. “Can I carry your bag for you?” His blue eyes peered at her with an honest expression, his easy-going smile a perfect match. Once the women were in, he looked around briefly, before leaning over and scooping up three flowers from the plot outside the door.

As they made their way to their seats, he made sure to let the ladies sit first, offer to help both with their seats. At their both looking at him like he might be crazy, he laughed and shrugged. “Not all chivalry is dead and I’m happy to be keeping it alive. If more people did, maybe we wouldn’t have so many problems these days.” He also pulled up a highchair for Shinoa, flipping it over so the end that would hold a carrier firmly was facing up and the seat with leg holes were on the ground. “I remember seeing folks do this before.”

Once everyone was settled, he handed a flower to each woman, two to Shinoa. “For little Lilian, if she can have it.” He smiled and started looking at a menu, chewing on his thumbnail while he read. Reading was something he could do, but it was hard to stay focused if he didn’t push himself to. He decided fairly quick on something, putting the menu back down and asking the women, rather bluntly but without any hostility. “So, I can’t help but notice none of y’all look alike… Syd’s an okay lookin’ guy and all, but you two beautiful ladies outdo him by a mile.”

Interactions: Pyroclast - Syd Porter Bellz - Lucy Porter BloodThunder27 - Shinoa

 

[BasDorcha]

Mercury Nightclub



Maeve Thatcher

​

​

The past two weeks had been uneventful to say the least. May had been working more often than not, just for something to do. Darcey had come to see her once or twice, but outside of that, she mostly didn’t have anyone left to spend time with. For all the outgoing and people-grabbing her personality had been toned for, she was very bad at making lasting friends. It may have had something to do with the fact that most of the time, she couldn’t trust them anymore then her most recently mark.

She had gotten to see Kerry a few times too, but never for long. So work was her lifelong companion at this moment. At least she was putting back some decent money for the time being. Her hovel of a home was slowly becoming a lived-in apartment. Mom had sent word that Tom was back, and working at some place called the Pitstop, but she had not responded to the letter. Honestly, she was waiting to see what Darcey found out, as suspicion had caused her to put the already threadbare relationship on further hold. Why she had thought providing her mom her address was a good idea seemed ridiculous now, as her letter had ended with her asking for money, per normal. May tapped the letter, turned, tapped, turned, tapped, turned, lost in thought at the bar before work.

Now though, the night had gotten interesting. When Spencer and Erik walked in with an unfamiliar face, May immediately took over servicing them, and keeping others away from the office door, and keeping the Nosey-Nancy’s out of the way. Some of the King’s groupies were always about, hoping for a chance at one of the boys, regardless of their relationship status. After a bit, she had slipped in, listening for a pause in the hum of voices to enter without interfering, clearing away their empty cups and taking their orders for the next round. She did get a good look at the guy’s face she wasn’t familiar with and gave both Erik and Spencer a welcoming and slightly flirtatious smile.

Quick to exit though, she didn’t want them to think she was eavesdropping or trying to pry into business. She returned with a light nod and dropped the new orders off, again to make a prompt but unhurried exit – she wasn’t scared of them, and really didn’t mind overhearing the business but she also knew to keep it professional, or she’d be risking her job. May had considered taking the stage, but the place was packed full tonight with some local band trying to make a name. It hurt her ears, definitely not her type of music, so she stayed moving, helping keep the drinks flowing and the patrons happy.

In the throng of it all, she had been back and forth between a few of the more heavy tippers, one in particular who was close to being cut off. He had been a little handsy with her, but she had been careful to keep it at arm’s length so he couldn’t pull something so stupid as to try and capture her in his lap or grab her ass. May was known for knocking out men twice her size for such moves. Most of them had been pretty good about laughing about it afterwards, when sober, acknowledging that they had been out of line, but this man didn’t seem the kind. Giving him a smile as he took his most recent – and last – drink, she bobbed away to the next gentleman, leaning against the bar as she took his order in a relaxed stance, her elbow propped and holding her form. “What can I get ya’, ya brute?” The guy had laughed and gave her order, and a second later it had begun.

Gentleman one roared and started screaming about gentleman two keeping his hands off his property. It only took a second for May to realize what was going on, her instantly blowing a raspberry out and laughing out loud. “Wha-“ was the only word she out before she was over spoke by the One yelling and screaming and Two claiming he had no clue what was going on. Suddenly, there was a gun involved, something May knew something about, but instinct kicked in and told her to hold – hold and watch. A second later the three men – Spencer, Erik and Stranger – stepped out. Erik asked what was going on and she briefly explain, “Idiot one is yelling at Idiot two about keeping his hands off his property. Idiot one has a gun.”

Erik didn’t give time for her to explain much more, which was fine because short and to the point was what she was best at. Spencer’s visible jaw clench, followed by hands, and – was that a vein popping out of his forehead? – told her the man was not happy about the occurrences at his club. She intended to stay out of it, but Idiot One was not going to let it go away that easily.

"Piss off! This ain't got nuffin' to do wit'ya." The man shouted, keeping his eyes glued to the shorter, frightened man in front of him. May groaned. That was not the way to talk to Spencer, if she knew nothing else about the man. Still, steady on May, steady on. Don’t move… yet. That voice in head was leading, her sixth sense caught on something to come.

"Look, man, I was just orderin' a drink from her, okay?!" Hearing the victim in this scuffle speak Erik perked up and chuckled. "Oh, please don't tell me you're fighting over the girl?" Erik asked, to which the aggressor turned his head to him. "This piece-o'shit thinks he can just come n'ere 'n steal my girl." May shot Erik a look like, Hey now, careful. She knew he was important and all, but that sounded almost like a barb at her. A soft snort near his shoulder told him so too. . He made up for it with his next comment though, and she grinned cheekily, even more so when the man finished with, “Especially for women that don’t belong to you.” She wanted to clap him on the back, but decided against it. Steady.

May was just about to slip out of range to let the men handle their patron, when a thick, sweaty hand clasped onto her wrist, jerking her back. "Go on, tell 'em. All that flirtin' you were doin'." Oh, she was going to tell them all right. Her wrist twisted, his thumb pushing into a painful angle. Pissed, realizing he had been played, he snatched her again, this time with thick arms around her shoulders. GO! Her mind reeled into action. Anger washed over her, and a cold calmness took over her face as she took a deep breath, wiggled into position as he was trying say something she could no longer hear.

SING. Stomach. Her elbow lifted as far away as it could under his grasp, and came down, its sharp jut pointing into his gut, landing enough of a hit to cause his grip to loosen. Instep. A slender leg bent, coming up almost to her chest, before her thick soled boots slammed down on his toes with all the force she could muster. A gasp broke through the silence that was forming in the path of her retaliation. Nose. The elbow, now free as he went to grab at his foot, slammed out and up, breaking his nose instantly. A loud, cry baby shout burst through the air, hands now moving for the latest injury, besides his pride. Groin. Now completely free of his grasp, and him paying zero attention to her, she turned, hands on his shoulders, gave him a fake pout, and said in a loud, clear voice so everyone could hear her, “NO ONE puts their hands on me without my permission, ya fuckin’ brute.” SLAM. That knee was back in action, and she buried it deep between his legs, making his ‘outtie’ and ‘innie’ in a matter of seconds.

Stepping back, she twisted the gun, hanging loosely off his finger now out of his grip and turned to Spencer, handing it to him grip first after she released the charged bullet and caught it in her free hand. With both held out, bullet and gun, the demented look of anger passed, and the carefully crafted mask fell back into place, her smile breaking. “He wont be needing this.” A round of cheers broke through the air, deafening for a moment as a genuine blush creeped over her face. For a moment, May had truly forgotten where she was and just how many people were watching.


Misty Gray - Spencer and Damien, Melanin-Gxdess - Erik and Darcey

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Roxie's New Place
- Dollymount, Dublin - ​

Roxie was amused to hear that Reina wouldn't take her apology but would take the raise but the woman had been insistent on helping her since Day 1. Roxie didn't exactly understand what she had done right to deserve someone as loyal as Reina but she just hoped that with this raise and some well-deserved time off that she could make it up to her. It was comforting to know that Reina also cared for the kids, for as much time as the woman spent with them she would either learn to love them or hate them and Roxie was glad that it was the former rather than the latter.

"If you need help looking for a place please let me know, in the meantime you know I have plenty of room for you here. I am gonna try to get the guest room set up so you don't have to sleep on my couch." Roxie informed her bodyguard with an amused smile playing on her lips. Disciplining the kids was always hard for Roxie, especially after everything they had recently gone through but she was feeling so sick that she physically felt she didn't have the energy. Luckily there wasn't much of a fight put up from them and once they left the room, Roxie turned to Reina to see the woman's reaction to her question. Seeing the surprised look on her face made Roxie laugh lightly. Reina stated that watching them a few hours a day was enough for her and Roxie sighed, "I envy your youth. I remember what it was like to be in my early 20s with no kids...those were much simpler times." Roxie stated wisely before her face became serious as Reina mentioned the men she had been tasked with employing recently. "Thank you that'll be perfect. I'm glad we've decided to change things around a bit along with the move...haven't heard much from Ricky lately but I figure he'll call when he can." Roxie said softly.

The doorbell rang and Roxie looked towards the door, "That must be Syd, I'll be ri-" Roxie stopped herself as she heard heavy footsteps running towards the front door. "Ah seems like one of the kids beat me to it." Roxie stated, "They are eager to get going." Hearing Jane's voice, Roxie could make out her complaining about moving and unpacking which the woman rolled her eyes. Looking to Reina, Roxie nodded towards the entrance, "After the kids are gone you are more than welcome to do whatever you wish for the evening, I think I'm just gonna spend the rest of the night going through my shit in the office." She explained before Jane announced that her father had arrived. "We're in the kitchen!" Roxie called out as she moved to clean up after the mess the kids had left on the island.

Syd arrived and gave somewhat of an awkward wave to which Roxie waved back. He asked how it was going before stating that the place looked great with a lot of progress made. "Ah thanks, I feel like every time I finish unpacking one box another one appears but it sure is coming along." Roxie commented before shrugging her shoulders at his question about how she was finding the new house, "It's different, I've always liked a change but the kids are definitely restless and thanks to Reina here they will be freshly hopped up on sugar, just to give you a warning."

"Yea I just sent them upstairs to get their stuff together but because they decided to lay about most of the day today they have some things to rummage through." Roxie rolled her eyes, "But yea we have pizza and cake here if you are hungry, please feel free to take as much as you want...my appetite has been picky as of recently." She informed him and Reina both.

"Actually, I have quite a few things in my office that I need help lifting...if you wouldn't mind helping me there. I also wanted to talk to you in private without little ears listening in?" Roxie didn't really give him the choice to say yes or no but instead looked to Reina, "I hate to ask you again, but can you make sure the kids are getting their stuff together? I promise you are off the hook for the weekend, I just need to speak with Syd for a few minutes." She looked at Syd and nodded her head towards the hallway before taking the lead.

She didn't say much as she led him to her office allowing them both to get inside the room before closing the door. "Uh I need help with the three boxes in the corner over there. I brought them in on a dolly but I need to get them on the bookshelves so that I can go ahead and separate everything inside. For just boxes of paperwork, they are fucking heavy and my poor back can't take much more lifting." She murmured.

Roxie moved to sit down on the sofa she had situated in the office as she watched him move the boxes. "Thank you so much for helping me with this and for taking the kids. I know they are much more entertained at your house right now and they are tired of moving things around." She stated with a small smile. "This whole moving situation has been the easiest for them nor myself but I felt it was just time to change things up especially after...well, you know."

She didn't need to explain her reasoning for the move, he knew well enough why she had done it by now. "I, uh, wanted to talk to you about something...I know you and I have had our differences and issues but I feel confident with this new partnership that I can depend on you to talk me through this..." Roxie looked to her ex, blinked rapidly to keep her tears at bay. "I just...I just don't know who else to talk to...I don't want to burden you with any of my woes but Ricky has been silent over the past few weeks and Reina while I love her dearly is young, far too young to deal with any of this shit or to know how to help." The brunette just wanted to come out and say what she needed to say but she found herself stuck on how to say it.

Looking around the room, she understood the situation was completely different from what she had experienced 13 years prior. Yet it still felt all the same to her, she was just as nervous to tell Syd that she was pregnant now as she had been back then but for completely different reasons. Back then she had been nervous to talk to him because at the time she had made up her mind on wanting to terminate the pregnancy or that was how it started out. She had been nervous about the backlash of her pregnancy and she had been right to worry in the long run but now...terminating her pregnancy wasn't even on the table. There was no way in hell she was going to do it.

Part of her nerves now was guessing what his reaction would be this time around though it didn't really matter because they weren't together. But his reaction would determine whether or not he was willing to help her because they were going to have to tell the kids at some point. That was the real reason for her anxiety. The twins had been apprehensive about her relationship with Matthew, thinking that she was replacing their father. JJ had been accepting and for that she was grateful but what was he going to think about having a new sibling and no longer being the baby of the family. What would the twins think? Roxie had always been an only child so she never had to deal with such issues but she'd always wished her parents had given her one. She knew despite the fights her children were close and depended on one another, maybe they would accept her pregnancy with open arms but whatever the outcome was she was going through with it. Roxie looked to Syd with a desperate look, wanting to just shout it out to him. "The thing is..." She started but couldn't finish. Groaning at herself and the theatrics of it all, Roxie pointed to the couch for Syd to sit regardless of if he was finished or not, and moved to grab something from her desk drawer.

Moving to sit beside him, closer than she usually would Roxie handed him the envelope with the sonogram pictures, allowing him to see for himself rather than her announce it this time around.
with: Syd Pyroclast
was with: Reina (AKA Babysitter) Melanin-Gxdess

 

[BloodThunder27]

New Yorkers

~Jarrick Taylor~New York City, New York | Queens, Biancardi Mansion

Jarrick was waiting quietly at the front door. Something felt really off about today, but it was likely just him feeling overworked since he was essentially becoming the head of Moretti's Cocaine trade after Quadir had been promoted to Bodyguard and Chauffeur for Elvian Moretti, Gabriel's Wife and the Matriarch of the Moretti Family and the two have only worked together on the weekends ever since. He then snapped out of his thoughts about his big brother when Ricky finally had answered the door. The first thing he heard was 'Jump' by Van Halen playing faintly from well within the Mansion before the door had fully opened and Ricky greeted him. "Nothing much, man. Just figured I'd stop by since it's my day off. New shipment hasn't come in yet, so I'm kinda just playing the waiting game at this point." He responded as he straightened out the white leather jacket. "And it's social. I think moving Coke fresh outta Columbia is way below your paygrade." He chuckled.

Ricky then proceeded to invite him into the rather extravagant home. Jarrick proceeded to look around at the front entrance. Maybe one day, he and Quadir could have a place like this one day. He then heard the sound of the door closing behind him. It wasn't long until Ricky asked if he wanted something to drink. "Sure. That'd be cool. Got any Whiskey?" He asked, waiting to follow Ricky to whatever room they may go to from the entrance.

---

Interactions: Ricky Biancardi Misty Gray

~Harmony Ryu & Quadir Taylor~New York City, New York | Brooklyn Heights, Moretti Family Home

Harmony could feel her blood continuing to run cold. Her heart sank and she was absolutely appalled by the fact that Cristina had been abducted. Her heart broke as she watched Val slowly breaking down and falling apart. No Mother, NO PARENT should have to go through this kind of nightmare. In some ways, Harmony did feel as if she had failed, as she had, from day one, promised that she wouldn't let anything happen to this family. And now something had happened to Cristina, whom she had very much adored as the girl had been very kind to her in turn. While she happily remembered the two of them sight-seeing Disney World and even taking pictures with all the Disney Characters across the theme park, with her favorite being the Disney Princesses, particularly Cinderella and Aurora, who were her own favorites when she got to go to Disneyland back in Los Angeles.

It was not long until the Bodyguard found herself on the verge of falling apart too. Cristina's abduction ended up resurrecting the much darker side of her past from within the back of her mind. Harmony soon felt the onset of a head-splitting migraine, but did her best to ignore it. Nonetheless, it still very much broke her heart, watching as Elvian tried her best to comfort Val, whose mind was still set on the safety of her children.

Quadir, on the other hand, was worried. This was a nightmare that the Moretti Family was in. He wasn't sure how to voice his concerns, weary that he would cause either Val or Elvian to snap. Who he knew as two confident, beautiful and down-to-earth women were now falling apart right before his eyes. And with one wrong word, he'd be in some very hot water. While their co-workers were sent away to go pick up Francis and Paolo, Quadir silently hoped for their safe return and safe passage to the Moretti House. And he could only wonder who would kidnap Elvian's granddaughter. It disgusted him. Why didn't they leave her out of the conflict? Whoever had a beef with the Morettis. Why involve the children? Sure, both Jarrick and Quadir had done a lot of bad things under Moretti's employ, hell, even way before! But kidnapping or harming children...was not among those deeds.

He then snapped out of his thoughts when he turned to see Harmony collapse onto the floor, clutching her chest and struggling to breathe. He then quickly rushed to his Co-Worker's aid and soon realized that she was having a panic attack once he saw the tears falling from her face. His first thought was to pull her into a hug. "I screwed up. I failed. I couldn't even protect the family that I promised I would. I should have seen this coming. I should have been more vigilant, more aware!" She cried. "I failed to save my Brother. I...I thought I could make it right...But I didn't...What did I do wrong...?" Harmony cried as she started losing control. "Why am I such a fuck up...?"

"No, Harmony. You didn't do nothin'." Quadir flinched as she hugged him tightly. "Don't blame yourself. This isn't your fault." He said, frowning before helping Harmony to her feet. "Look, I know this isn't easy. C'mon, go sit down for a minute." He said before walking her over to the couch, helping her settle down next to Val and Elvian.

Quadir could only give the two Moretti women a sad look, as nothing he could say or do would bring them any comfort in the current situation. When he looked over at Rocco, the family dog, he did faintly smile and reached over to pat the pup on the head before getting up to give the women some space. During this process, Harmony reached out to hold hands with Val in hopes that it would bring them both some semblance of comfort before giving Elvian a nervous look, which transitioned into a saddened look when she broke eye-contact with the older woman.

---

Interactions: Valentina Wycliff Misty Gray | Elvian Moretti Melanin-Gxdess

 

[BasDorcha]

Harper's House
Jeremy Gray


​

It had been an eventful day indeed. Jeremy sat outside, watching Harper’s house quietly, waiting for a good time to go up. He had seen Billy going in just as he arrived in the car out front of the apartments and had waited to give them time to speak. While he waited, he replayed the mornings events in his mind. Still fresh, he recalled the conversation that had led to him showing up on Harper’s step, unannounced, after not so much as a call. Mentally, he prepared for a fight, while hoping that it would not be as bad as he figured it was going to be.

“Things are hottin’ up with the Sullivans now, Jeremy, and our most vulnerable family members ain’t safe no more. It’s something the Sullivans have been known to do for decades, but especially in recent years - they’ll target your loved ones, kidnap and injure ‘em or worse, and they’ll use ‘em as leverage against us. They ain’t afraid to hurt children or women if it benefits them in a fight. So before this war really begins, I want to up our protection. We’ve already got the Morettis on our side here, but I want personal protection, too. Shona will have someone when Spencer ain’t with her, and I want someone lookin’ after Harper, too. That’s you, Jeremy.

Now, I ain’t told her this, course - she’s a stubborn little miss, independent and always has been, so if this is gonna work we gotta do it without tellin’ her first. She knows you and by now she ought to trust you as well as I do, so I’m gonna give you a key to her place. She’ll try and fight you off, but don’t let her. Don’t take her freedom away and don’t be a pain in the arse, but just make sure no harm comes to her, alright?” Bruce had been his normal self, standing in the office, given out this latest assignment. Of course, Jeremy was loyal as they come, and would do anything asked of him without question, but that did not entail without at least a few comments. When Bruce handed over the key to Harper’s, Jeremy took and rolled it between his fingers, from one to the next the way some people did coins with the rise and fall of his knuckles as he looked at the man with bored apathy.

“For you Bruce, for you. That girl is a hell cat though, I just want you to know I am aware of the trouble you’re putting me in.” With a conformational nod, despite his words, he stood, sliding the key onto his keyring for safe keeping. Pausing, he eyed the man inquisitively. “How is Harper lately? It’s been a bit since I spent a lot of time with her. Last time we really got on together was when I came back from school, and everyone come ‘round for the welcome home party. The guys all got smashed and parted ways with their women or sleep early, but she sat up talking to me most of the night. Since then, ya know, busy workin’ and all. I seem to recall she had really grown up-“Jeremy started to raise his hands to imitate the widening of the chest, but stopped – not soon enough Bruce didn’t notice though. Coughing, Jeremy cleared his throat before turning away as he decided it best not to continue that train of thought. “Never mind, I suppose I’ll know soon enough.”

Bruce had given him that, you can’t be serious look and leaned in closer, eyeing Jeremy a lot more intensely now. “I don't have to protect her from you too, do I? She don't need that shit, Jeremy. Just 'cause you know her don't mean I don't expect you to be professional about this. You make a gesture like that at her, and you're gone mate." Jeremy had waved it off, like waving away gnats.

“I know her, and I know well and good enough, I make a gesture like that at her and you won’t have to do it, she’ll do it for you.” Jeremy had tipped his head towards Bruce knowingly, acknowledging the statement and reassuring the man he got the picture, none the less. “Don’t worry though, you know I can be professional.” He thought about the night he had spent with Harper, and how there had been a brief moment he swore there was a lingering, mutual feeling of wanting to lean in closer to each other like some silly romance movie kiss, before being interrupted by a drunk Billy. “Can’t say she will though.” Giving Bruce a cocky grin, he winked, quickly exiting before anything could be chucked at him.

That had been a few hours ago. Since then, he had taken care of a few arrangements, then headed over. The tall man had also made sure to clean up before coming. Harper made him uneasy, this constant nagging urge like he was putting on a show, and that bothered him because most things, most people, did not affect him so. He was boastful of being as calm as still water, undisturbed by things that came his way. The King brothers had once watched him torture a man without so much as a twitch of indecision or a blink of doubt. He might as well have been purchasing milk at the shop for all the emotional effect it had on him. Not that girl though, ever since she had reached that early stage of teen hood, when he’d been a young adult, running around with her brothers, the girl he once seen like a younger sister had become anything but that, though his mind tried to convince him otherwise. Brushing away the thoughts, he told himself yet again it was just the fact that time and life had caused them to become distant, and that was the awkwardness he felt.

Finally climbing out of the car, he headed upstairs, hearing the voices of Billy and Harper still talking inside. The pizza man came, and he hung back, his back to the door, while Harper answered and paid the man, careful to remain unseen. He wasn’t ready for a fight. Trying to be patient, and give the two their space to finish speaking, he sat waiting a bit longer. As a teenager, Jeremy had spent a lot of time with Alex and Spencer, then as they got older, Billy started spending time with them. Harper of course was around when they were all together at the King home, but for the longest time, she was just little Harper – ten years younger than him and just a pest that wanted to be involved in everything they had going on. When Jeremy and the two oldest Kings entered adulthood, arriving to those early Twenties and Billy began helping them with work, they went most placed four deep – the three brothers and Jeremy.

Now he had always suspected that Billy had a crush on him, but Jeremy never called him out on it, and never cared either. For being who he was and involved in the family business the way he had become, he still was a decently open-minded man. He also never wanted to put Billy on the spot with his family – some of them were a little more old fashioned then him. Still, time rolled on, the boys spent less time at home, with Harper, and more time out working. It had been a year or so since Jeremy had seen Harper, somewhere around twenty-three, twenty-four, when the guys invited him over for a family dinner.

When Harper, dressed up and in that stage of part girl-part woman answered, he’d felt a lump develop in his throat. Somewhere in his mind he knew people aged, but he had expected her to still be a little kid, running around, begging to join them. And so it went, every time he seen her for the next few years. Finally, Jeremy had left for school, and he forgot all about the weird feeling she instilled in the otherwise unrufflable man.

That was, until his welcome home party. Since then, he had actually found reasons to avoid her – though he’d never admit it to himself or anyone else. This new assignment blew that out of the water, and Jeremy realized he was just prolonging the inevitable. Swallowing down that lump in his throat, and reminding himself to get it the fuck together, he headed to the door. At first, he tried just twisting the handle, to no avail. Good, she kept it locked. Smart woman. Still…

Sliding the key in quietly, he turned the lock, softly turning the handle as well. If he was going to make an arrival, he was going to do it with flair. With door free to swing, he pushed it open, stepping in just in time to hear Billy’s proclamation of love and sexual orientation.

“I’m gay,” he said. “I’m gay, and I’m in love with Erik fucking Snowden!” Jeremy stopped, looking at the two who had yet to process or realize he was there. Grinning, he leaned on the frame, feet crossing in his normal cocky stance.

“What, no crush on me anymore? Damn I guess I missed my chance.” The look he would undoubtedly get from Billy was eased with a wink, this one paired with a genuine smile that said, Its ok. “Don’t worry Little King, I won’t tell anyone. I haven’t for the past ten years, I aint gonna start now. Just glad you came to terms with yourself.” Realizing he was probably addressing the wrong King at this point, he held up his hands and straightened up, looking at Harper. Immediately the lump was back. He swallowed, damning himself for not being in control enough to stop it.

“Now Harper, before you go and loose it, I didn’t break in. I have a key.” He held his set up by the key to her house, as if to make a point. “Bruce said you wouldn’t let me in otherwise, but I’m here in an official capacity…” He paused letting it sink in. “I’ve been assigned to make sure you’re safe. Which means you’ll be having to see me… a lot.” He avoided the words Bodyguard, and Babysitter, both of which had been the first things to come to mind. Ready to dodge anything she might throw at him, metaphorically or literally, Jeremy carefully kept a safe distance.

His face had dropped the grin and wink he had for Billy and return to his normal stoic expression. Jeremy was not known for being over-emotional, over-reactive to situations… he’d be damned if he let some little girl ruin that reputation for him.

Mentions: Pyroclast - Billy Bellz - Harper

 

[Pyroclast]

Tatiana Moretti​

The stranger took the notebook from Tatiana’s hand and flipped through it with enough familiarity that Tatiana could deduce that it belonged to her - or at least someone she knew well. She opened it at the front page and showed her the card of contact details.

“Jocelyn Jones,” she read aloud, the name rolling off her tongue like poetry. “Alcohol Distillery and Brewery?” She glanced up at the woman, taking in her face as she began to form a rough idea of who the woman was, how she might be connected to Spencer. “Georgia, Atlanta. An American girl.” Tatiana smiled warmly at her, happy to have found a fellow American. Sure, by blood she was Romanian-Italian, but she had spent a significant amount of her life in the United States and much of her identity had been formed there. “Shame you don’t talk much, I bet you have a sweet accent.”

The woman then flipped to the day’s date in the diary, took out the attached pen and wrote ’never arrived’. Tatiana’s expression had fallen serious again as she tried to work out what she meant. “Spencer never turned up?” That was her first guess - that Spencer was in trouble, and that perhaps the same people who had attacked this poor woman were also behind why Spencer hadn’t shown up for their meeting. “Or...you? You didn’t make it?” She read the woman’s face and felt an emotional reaction stir within her. She wasn’t used to seeing a woman in such a state and the reminder it gave her of her younger sister’s attack was growing visceral.

“Alright,” she said, knowing they needed to get going. “You’ll come with me, I’ll get you cleaned up and warm. I’ll call Spencer when I get to the phone, alright? You don’t worry ‘bout a thing, girl.”

A short taxi ride later, they ended up in Limehouse, where Tatiana was currently staying. Billy had done some work on a small apartment building earlier that year and was still in touch with the landlord, so he had managed to get her and a few other Morettis into the remaining occupancies on a rolling contract. She liked the place, too - it wasn’t huge, but there was enough space for her and Eightball and let plenty of sunlight in through the window of the main room. It also looked out onto the Thames, which she found calming to watch.

After letting Eightball bound into the apartment ahead of her, Tatiana naturally took Jocelyn’s hand and led her inside. “Take a seat,” she gently instructed, gesturing towards the sofa. Briefly leaving the woman to herself, Tatiana ducked into the bathroom and started running a hot bath. She took out a fresh towel and hung a bathrobe on the door before stepping out. “Right, hot bath comin’ up,” she announced, placing her hands on her hips as she figured out the next step. Clicking her fingers, she moved towards the kitchen area, still in the same room as Jocelyn, and began to pour out two large glasses of her favourite Italian wine before opening up a tin of papanași that she had made the day before.

She stood close as she passed the glass of wine and a plate of papanași to her, before taking a seat on the other end of the sofa. “You’re alright, now,” she assured her, softly. “Eat. Drink. You can take ‘em into the bath with you if you want, I ain’t got a rule against indulgence.” She nodded at the papanași in Jocelyn’s hand before taking a bite of her own, soft sweet cheese and jam sticking to her lips. “Go on, you’ll feel better," she encouraged through a mouthful of food. "It has curative properties.”

Interactions
BasDorcha Jocelyn

 

[Misty Gray]

Moretti Family Home
~ Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, NYC ~

Valentina Wycliff​

Valentina looked to her mother with an expectant gaze as the woman rejoined the group following her call with Teddy. When Elvian assured her that the guards would bring her sons home, she quickly nodded her head, hoping the gesture would help to convince herself the boys were still safe. Then her mother reassured her that Teddy and Gabriel would deal with James and bring Cristina home. Valentina wiped her tears with the back of her hand and gasped for breath as she became choked up with tears. "I hope so. I trust Teddy and Papa. I just don't trust the Irish," she worriedly deliberated with herself.

Seeing Harmony collapse on the floor rendered Valentina stunned. Practically frozen in her seat, she watched as Quadir thankfully rushed to the young woman's aid. Valentina's hands trembled as she listened to Harmony become upset about being unable to protect her brother. Valentina folded her arms tightly around herself as she began to wonder if she was staring the future in the face - living with guilt and upset for being unable to protect those who needed her. If she lost Cristina, Valentina wasn't sure how she would cope. She had bad days even when her husband and three children surrounded her with love and smiles, so how could she go on if one of her kids was permanently taken from her?

Quadir helped Harmony to the couch and Valentina instinctively accepted her female bodyguard's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze whilst she did. The sound of the front door opening caused Valentina to suddenly sit up straight and look to the front window. As was often the case, Paolo's presence was announced by his excitable voice and general stomping as he pounded through the house. Valentina got up from her seat and gave Francis a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead once he entered the lounge. Though it was clear she was upset, she didn't have the heart to tell them why. She then turned to Paolo who was selective about when he wanted to hug his mum. Today he gave her a hug. Whilst he had unconsciously picked up on the tension, his following words shed more light onto his kind gesture. "Thanks, Mama! I'm so glad you let me finish school early. I was wishing to leave the boring class and it came true!" the child excitedly announced. "Can I go in the pool?" he asked.

"No, baby, not today," Valentina said, lightly shaking her head. Whilst Paolo could be exhausting and overbearing, none of that mattered in the moment. Hearing his excitement and ignorance to the dark atmosphere was something of a relief. She looked to Francis and invited him to sit on the sofa beside her, expecting he would be more receptive to the mood.

"Hey man!" Paolo greeted Quadir. "Rocco is the bestest dog, right? Do you have a dog?" he asked, always mesmerised by the large men his grandfather employed.

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

Undisclosed Airfield
~ Queens, NYC ~

James Porter​

As much as he didn't want to, Gabriel allowed Teddy to take the car keys from his hand to give them to James. As strict and often emotionally detached he could be from his family, Gabriel wouldn't choose his pride over their safety. His wife, children and grandchildren were more important than his business, even if he didn't say it or show it often. Years ago, there had been no chance for him to bargain or make sacrifices to stop Valentina from being hurt, not when there was no warning that East Harlem were going to betray the Morettis. But the Sullivans were bargaining with him and giving him a chance to save Cristina, so there was no chance he would risk her safety to save his pride. Even if that meant letting Porter slip through his fingers once more.

After Teddy warned James to make good on his deal, Gabriel addressed the Irishman too. "Enjoy what time you have left, Mr. Porter. When you reunite with your brother-in-law, make sure to remind him just how far he's crossed the line. Recent weeks have already proved Dublin's streets aren't quite so safe under his rule. You'll probably wish you were still in jail by the time he's destroyed your family's business."

*****​

Despite the threats from Teddy and Gabriel, James chose not to argue back. He'd been given the car keys and he wanted to get to the airfield without further delay. When he finally arrived at the private airfield, James wasted not time in climbing out of the car. His face and shirt were stained with his own blood, but none of that mattered for the time-being. Of course, he was later than planned, on account of being ambushed and taken to Damian's cherished torture basement.

Chase, Edwards, and other Sullivan gang members were at the mob's plane waiting for him to board. Instead, James gave them a brief wave before making a beeline to the nearby small control room rather than the aircraft. The gang member who had been instructed to call Conor, once the plane took off, briefly protested about James' slight deviation from the plan. A cold stare and a frustrated grumble of profanities from James were enough to make the gang member back off. James grabbed the phone and wasted little time in dialing Conor's number.

"Conor. I'm at the airfield. Get on the phone to your guys now and have them take the kid to her family..." James told his brother-in-law, making no time for pleasantries and gratitude. "Fuck waiting until the plane take off. We can handle ourselves here. I want to know you're making that call before I spend hours on the flight home wondering. Let the girl go now, Conor. It's all done. Trust me," he firmly assured the man.

Once he'd finished the call, James made his way to the plane. With no personal belongings other than his bloodstained clothes, and a botch-dressed laceration to his chest, James was simply glad to be getting out of New York. "You made it, then," he said to Edwards, firmly patting his shoulder. He was glad the man had made it on time as Conor's orders had been to take off as soon as James got there, even if it meant they couldn't wait for Edwards.

BloodThunder27 (James)
Mentioned but not actively in the scene: Pyroclast (Chase)

Police Station
~ Queens, NYC ~

Gabriel Moretti​

Once James had driven off, Gabriel listened to the string of profanities that escaped Teddy's mouth. He simply nodded his head, understanding the anger, worry, and frustration his son-in-law was feeling. The walk to the police station was one of quick pace and high intention. Both men keen to get away from the open road and somewhere back under their control. Upon entering the station, they were met with the familiar faces of various law enforcers. Teddy had one of the cops take them to the captain's office where they would wait for the call to come through. The sergeant had been about to question Teddy's orders when the dark, frosty glare Gabriel sent him reminded the man who was really calling the shots. The sergeant nodded and asked what was going on, to which Gabriel shook his head. "It's a private matter. Your involvement stretches as far as to do as instructed and let this good man take the call," he said, gesturing to Teddy.

30 minutes later...

Despite Conor's earlier call, Cristina had remained scared the whole time she was kept in the apartment with the two masked men. However, the promise of being home before dinner had filled her with some hope to cling on to. Soon enough, the men took another phone call which was soon followed by them advising the girl it was time to go home. Though she was excited by the news, she still felt anxious about the situation. She wasn't sure how much she could trust people who had abducted her and continued to hide their faces from her.

The drive was a quiet one, with Cristina keeping her head down and her arms tightly folded around herself, practically hugging the navy blue school blazer she was wearing over her black pinafore dress. Eventually, the men stopped their car alongside a pretty looking park, where the words 'Grosvenor Park', were engraved into the iron archway and painted in gold lettering. Close to the entrance was a payphone, which the driver pointed out to Cristina. "Alright kid. You need to call the number on this piece of paper and ask for your dad. Do you know his name?"

"Of course I know my dad's name!" Cristina was quick to reply. Despite being afraid, she was irritated with the men for taking her in the first place. The fact she was now going home didn't make her feel any less angry at the masked men.

"Of course you do," the driver echoed her words. He then rummaged in his pocket to retrieve his wallet. Cristina kept her arms tightly folded as she watched the man search all of his pockets then look around where he was sat in the car. "Shit, I think I left my wallet back at the base," he told his friend. The man in the passenger seat shook his head and let out as exasperated sigh before reaching into his own pocket and fishing out an assortment of coins. Though there was more than enough to cover the cost of the call, he handed all of the coins to Cristina. "That should cover the call," the driver confirmed, looking over his shoulder to Cristina and pointing to the payphone. "You tell your dad you're next to Grosvenor Park and he'll know where to come."

Cristina took the coins in one hand, still keeping one arm folded around herself, seemingly for comfort. She'd barely had chance to get out of the vehicle and close the door before the men drove away. The police station was only a minute's walk around the corner, so they weren't about to stick around. With the car driving away, Cristina finally unfolded her arms, one hand holding the coins whilst the other gripped onto the wallet she'd been clutching the whole journey. One of the masked men had been dumb enough to lose it when he rushed to pull her away from the bathroom window, so when she later went to use the toilet just before they left the apartment, she was quick to swipe the wallet from the bathroom floor. She was sure it would be useful to her family, so she kept tight hold of it just in case. She took a deep breath before dialing the number written on the piece of paper.

The phone rang briefly before she heard a familiar voice on the other end of the line. "Papa?" she asked. She looked up to the park entrance, quickly wiping her tearful eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm outside Grovs.. Grosvenor Park. Please can you come get me now? Can I go home?" she asked, her voice cracking as the day's events overwhelmed her.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King and Damian Nicolosi​

When the gunman told him the situation had nothing to do with him, Spencer let out a dry laugh before his features snapped back into that of cold seriousness. "Nothing to do with me? You're in my fucking club, so it has everything to do with me," he snapped back at the man. Spencer then looked to the shorter guy who explained all he'd been doing was ordering a drink. He practically rolled his eyes at the situation, agreeing with Erik's disdain about the fight being over a woman. The gunman then went on to suggest May was his girl and an attempt to steal her had been made. Spencer looked to May and raised a curious eyebrow, not for one second believing she was interested in either of the idiots. "The lady here is doing her job, nothing more. I don't pay her enough to be making you two feel good about yourselves for the night. That's what the booze is for."

The gun was suddenly turned on May, causing Spencer to instinctively raised his hand. "Hey, woah. Easy there..." he began. It was hard not to reach for his own gun in that moment, but he couldn't do anything to put more risk on May. Spencer then watched on as May set about disarming the man and knocking him about in the process. Spencer dramatically flinched and let out an amused chuckle when she delivered a blow to the guy's balls. He glanced to Erik, flashing the man an amused smirk before looking back to see May finish up with teaching the gunman a lesson. The barmaid handed Spencer the gun she'd confiscated from the attacker, which he proceeded to hand to Damian to keep safe for the time-being. "I guess I'm not paying the lass enough, after all!" he loudly spoke, laughing along with the others around them. He then patted May on the back. "That's some real East End fight you've got in ya and you're not even a local," he assured her, nodding in something of a proud manner. Whilst he would always jump to the aid of a female in distress, he had a soft spot for tough women. He appreciated and got along best with ladies who had the guts to stick up for themselves. Or at least didn't get by in life by acting like victims or fragile princesses.

"You!" he firmly addressed the shorter man who had initially been staring down the barrel of the gun. "Go find somewhere else to drink for the rest of the night. Piss off," he dismissed him, pointing to the door. He then looked to the gunman who was still in a bit of a mess trying to recover from May's attack. "Let's go have a chat in my office," he commanded the man, not intending to give him much choice in the matter. Expecting Erik, Damian, and possibly May to follow, he caught the attention of another barmaid as he marched passed her. "Get the music back on and make sure my customers get back in the spirit," he instructed her.

Once out of sight and sound of the main club, Spencer dragged the man into the office that minutes ago had been the location of a calm and mature business meeting. However, as Spencer grabbed the troublemaker by the collar and slammed his back against the wall, the room suddenly seemed less formal. Taking his own gun, Spencer pressed the barrel into the man's forehead, looking him straight in the eyes as he pushed the weapon harder into his skull. "You must have a fucking death wish bringing a gun into my club!" he angrily hissed at the man. However, he soon pulled the gun away handed it to the nearest person.

"Oh, another one!" Damian casually commented, now holding two firearms. His least favourite weapon, if he were being honest. Unless the bullet was delivered to the right place, where the victim could very slowly bleed out and suffer before his eyes, Damian found it all too quick and easy for the victim. He liked to play with his food. "Erik?" he quietly asked, seeing if his colleague would care to relieve him of both guns. Either way, he soon continued watching the violent scene with an eager glint in his eyes.

Spencer headbutted the man, dealing a severe blow to his eye-socket, before slamming a heavy fist into the man's jaw. The cracking sound suggesting he had another fracture to accompany the broken nose May had already gifted him with. There were various spluttered pleas and requests to stop from the man, but Spencer chose to ignore them. "No woman belongs to you. Even one dumb enough to want to be with you still ain't your property. You were butt ugly before tonight, but ain't no woman going to be into you with your face all mashed up. There won't be any room for interpretation."

Spencer grabbed the man by the back of his head, clutching hold of a clump of hair, before dragging him further into the the room and smashing his face through the side of the decorative glass cabinet. Despite the man's pained screams and a few small shards of glass embedded in his face, Spencer threw the man to the ground and dealt a series of kicks into the man's ribs. Once the guy looked to have had enough and had stopped shouting to instead breathe heavily, Spencer took a few steps back, looking down at him. "You're fucking barred, ya prick!" he informed him.

Damian couldn't help but flash a smile. He tended to work alongside more precise and controlled colleagues, so it was always interesting to watch those who were more aggressive and hands-on in action. Spencer was clearly a fighter. A man with weight behind his words. It was good to know Gabriel was backing a strong family.

"Did this piece of shit lay a finger on you?" Spencer asked May. Although he wasn't the most reassuring man outside of his close circle, and she seemed pretty capable of sticking up for herself, he still wanted to make sure the woman wasn't hurt.

Melanin-Gxdess (Erik)
BasDorcha (May)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~Bethnal Green, London~

Erik Snowden​

Erik looked over to Spencer as he addressed the gunman, letting it be known this was his club. It was no secret that Spencer wasn't a person someone could just walk all over and he was making it known. Erik couldn't help but appreciate this, especially knowing his boss was about to get in bed with them. Turning his attention back to the situation at hand, he watched as the gunman hock a thick wad of spit onto the floor and sneered at Spencer - the sight nearly making Erik gag. He could handle most things, but spit was not one of them. "Fuck you 'n yer club!" He shouted back, his grip on May getting tighter. Erik was about to step forward in another attempt to disarm him when May took the matter into her own hands. In nearly the blink of an eye, she had gotten just as physical - if not even more so - with the man to free herself from his hold. Erik watched in awe, his eyes wide and a smile twitching at his lips. He looked between Damian and Spencer to see if they were watching the same thing, the shock and surprise taking over. She then walked over to Spencer, giving him both a bullet and the gun with a prideful look on her face.

As the five of them - troublemaker included - made their way back to the room where they were holding their meeting, Erik replayed everything in his head. The sounds the gunman made, how quickly May had moved, the whole thing was very entertaining. The perfect end to the night which he couldn't wait to tell Billy about. He chuckled to himself at the thought, shaking his head before closing the door behind him. Spencer began to give the man a talking to followed by a beating. He listened to the groans and cries he was letting out and cringed when he started crying for his mother. A man his size causing as much trouble as he had should not be calling out for his mother, he thought. While Spencer taught him a lesson Erik poured himself another drink and sat on the corner of the table. He was going to ask May how she was doing but knew it would be a waste. She was more than okay and didn't need the formalities.

Instead, he glanced over to Damian who he caught smiling. Of course the professional torturer would be enjoying this, it was his life's work! But having known Damian for quite some time know he was aware of when a smile was genuine - which meant he liked Spencer. He was hoping after hearing how creepy Billy and Spencer found him that he would be able to help them form some sort of relationship where they could trust each other. Thanks to this little incident he hoped that would be accomplished. He took the guns from Damian as if he were used to this sort of thing and placed them both on the table for the time being. Hearing Spencer's question to May, he scoffed with a smile and jumped from the table, walking over to her. He put one hand in his pocket and threw the other arm around her shoulders. "Did you see this one? Even if he did I'm sure he wouldn't be back here pissin' himself!" He playfully kissed the top of her head before releasing her. "Once we wrap up our meeting I can dispose of the trash, although," he said, pointing to the wet spot on the floor. "You should probably get someone to clean up the piss. Not in my job description."


Spencer, Damian ( Misty Gray ) May ( BasDorcha )

 

[Misty Gray]

Blake's House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Adam studied Blake's features as she told him whilst she did worry about him, his chosen career wasn't a deal-breaker for her. He lightly nodded his head when she assured him she could adapt and it was a case of her getting her head in the right place. It was reassuring to hear her say that. He didn't want to risk losing her because of his work but he also knew how difficult it would be to quit the responsibilities he had within the mob. It wasn't out of stubbornness that he was struggling to imagine a normal career, nor was his concern for how Conor would react a major factor. Adam had long since stopped being afraid of others, including powerful gangsters. A big part of why he'd struggle to back away was because he felt he had a responsibility to his friends and the family he helped to protect. Chase and Peter were two of his closest friends, and he felt like he'd be ditching them and making their work harder. Not to mention, he wanted to help keep their families safe and the best place he could do that was in his role within the mob. As well as that, the beautiful woman sitting across from him was someone he cared deeply for. Whilst she would be a reason for him to quit his work, she is also a reason for him to keep doing it - to do what he can to ensure the safety of her and her kids.

"You're a strong woman, Blake. That's one of the many things I like about ya. But you're allowed to be scared, love. Hell, maybe I could even get an ego boost out of protecting you with my big, manly arms," he joked, flashing her a grin. Despite his concerns and heavy heart from their conversation, he never wanted to make her feel uncomfortable. The banter came naturally between the pair and he didn't want to lose that even if she decided she couldn't be with him romantically.

When Blake told him she wanted him to stay, Adam couldn't help but smile back at her. His features softened when she mentioned how unsettling it could be in the house alone. "Ohh, there's that ego boost I needed," he teased. When she offered warming up the food, he nodded his head but quickly stood up. "I'll do it," he offered. He took both of their plates and proceeded to warm each meal, putting Blake's in the microwave first. He folded his arms as he stood waiting in the kitchen, turning to look at Blake as she spoke to him. "You're the boss!" he agreed when she told him she wasn't comfortable with him driving home yet.

Once they'd eaten both of their meals, Adam carried their empty plates to the sink, but didn't rush to wash them yet. "Have you got any dessert in? I could walk to the shop around the block and grab some ice-cream, if not. An evening in front of the telly. How's that's sound?" he asked. For all his heavy nights out drinking or fancy dates in restaurants, something about the normality of just sitting on a sofa watching television was appealing. Granted, it could be the lingering hangover that had him seeking a relaxing evening.

Bellz (Blake)

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter
The Sullivan's Pub
- Dublin City Center, Dublin - ​

Thomas smirked lightly as Leo told him not to tell Conor and to act surprised when his own father came home. "Ahh you got it, I won't spill the beans." Thomas murmured. The smirk on his face only grew larger as Leo laughed at Thomas moving the conversation onto Natasha again. Hearing that they were doing good was nice but Thomas let out a small scoff as Leo stated that he was slow on the pickup. "Not to be rude, mate...but you've always been a bit slow when it comes to reading signals from women." Thomas teased him lightly, hoping that the words didn't come across as hurtful or callous.

Hearing Leo state that nothing felt different between them was comforting, Thomas was curious to know if there was any sort of awkward air in the relationship but his curiosities were reassured. He made a gross face as Leo mentioned that he and Natasha could do things that friends don't and shouldn't do, "Yuck, please spare me those details." Thomas insisted as Leo winked at him playfully. Thomas shook his head and turned to his drink, taking a small sip. It was nice to hear that things felt normal between then and Leo went as far to say as things felt right. Thomas raised a brow as he brought his pint away from his lips, one brow raised in his cousin's direction. "Wow, look at you, Mr. Commitment. Never thought I'd see the day, especially between the two of you." Thomas commented with a small smile.

Leo expressed his concerns about Natasha's reaction after finding out that he had been working more with Conor and Thomas nodded his head lightly, "Normal thing to worry about." Thomas muttered but went silent as Leo mentioned Jackson and how his death turned Natasha off from the whole idea of being involved in the business. Thomas watched his cousin and friend closely as he struggled to get his thoughts out into the open. Hearing that he sometimes felt like he needed to take over was worrying. But when he asked Thomas if he could imagine his older brother being in charge, he didn't really know what to say. Sure his brother was not in the best mental state majority of the time but...that didn't disqualify him from taking over entirely...at least in Thomas's head. Hell, the military took in thousands upon thousands of people, disregarding their mental health issues because they would take anyone they could get. He felt that if there was some sort of emergency, Syd wouldn't be the worst option on the table, especially given the fact that Leo was most likely not ready to take over.

His mother reminded him long ago that the reason James took over was that Conor wasn't in any place maturity-wise to take over. Thomas wouldn't say it out loud but if they all fell into a similar situation, Thomas wouldn't object to his brother taking over...at least until Leo was ready for the position. Leo went on to say that he knew that he needed to tell Natasha the truth but justified it by saying that they had just started dating and the young woman would surely kick his ass. Thomas let out a short laugh, "I think that's one thing you and every other man in this family have in common, being afraid of the women." Thomas commented before Leo went on to change the subject, clearly not wanting to think about the difficult decision any further. He insisted that someone had most likely caught Thomas's eye by now and Thomas resisted the urge to shake his head and tell Leo otherwise.

"Ah well...yea, someone has. I don't know what to call us at the moment but...there is a barmaid here from Cuba, her name is Elena. We went on a date a few weeks ago and now she's uh..." Thomas paused, wondering if Leo would judge him for what he was about to say. "Now she's living with me." He finished, looking at his cousin with wide eyes to see what he thought. Reading the expression on his face, Thomas held up his hands in defense. "Now it's not what you think, we aren't playing house or anything...she was living in a shit motel with a man who was abusing her for rent. I don't tolerate that kind of behavior and insisted that she move in with me where it was safer. I've yet to pay that asshole a visit but I will soon...we are going to have more than a few words about what he's done..."
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess
mentions: Elena Pyroclast

 

[BasDorcha]

Limehouse - The Strangers Place
~Bethnal, London~
Jocelyn Justice​

Jocelyn was still the definition of silent. She wanted to form words, her brain sent the instructions, but they never came. The woman’s smile comforted her. When she said an American girl, she nodded in conformation, then blushed – as little might be visible in her current state – when she commented on her possibly sweet accent. Another nod answer that she was the one who hadn’t arrived – she had no idea of Spencer ever made it.

Upon arriving at Limehouse, she looked around, caution in every step she took like she was still on edge. It was not as easy as just letting it go. Yes, the woman made her feel better, but there was still so much fear and pain that it wasn’t going away anytime soon. The thought made her head spin she needed to be able to work, she needed to be able to speak. Her throat closed up and she swallowed – had they damaged her brain?

Following her host with soft steps, she stopped at the window to look down. This is the kind of view she loved to paint, to draw. She’d have to remember this later for her art. Instructed to sit, she did, Eightball sitting beside her. Unconsciously she petted him, and by degree she felt a little better. It felt safer here. It felt safer not to be alone. She watched as the beautiful creature moved around, like she was dancing through the space. She was art.

Jocelyn’s head cocked sideways as she watched her pouring wine and bringing her food, unsure what it was. Sniffing it, she took a small bite, delight briefly flashing when the taste hit her tongue. Looking towards the bathroom then back to her host, she blushed a bit and nodded, picking up the wine and the drink. Once arrived, she sat her snacks on the counter, stripped and stepped into the bath, leaving the door open – she wanted to be able to see she wasn’t alone.

It didn’t take long for the water to turn a murky brown with dirt and dried blood and other bodily fluids from the men. The soaking hot water washed most of it away, but she realized she’d never be clean in just one run alone. She leaned back, washing the long blonde hair with the semi-dirty water, and making sure to get most of the grime broken loose, before draining the tub, careful to swish it out with clean water quickly, as well as splash herself down and fill it back up. Hoping her host wouldn’t mind, the water was much cleaner, and stayed cleaner, this time around..

The heat helped the aches and pains, but her soul, her heart, still hurt. Jocelyn hadn’t been a virgin, but she had been with only one man, and only a few times. It had never felt quiet right, so she had abstained after that thinking one day a man would come along to change it. Instead, the next person she fell for turned out to be her best friend, and the wake up call had been when she married. It was shortly after that Jocelyn had accepted the job in London, distance to sooth a broken heart. Now she wasn’t sure what it meant, but she had continued avoiding physical and emotional connections as much as possible.

Her carefully crafted walls were torn and destroyed, only to be rebuilt higher, harder, and with less room for a light in the darkness. When she was finally clean, and broke herself out of thought, she sat back with her bruised legs pulled up, knees to check, and sipped the wine until a warm buzz started. Then the sweet settled nicely in her tummy and she felt a bit more normal. The evidence wouldn’t wash completely away but at least she felt more human now.

After her bath, she dried with the towel, then wrapped her hair and dressed in the robe, leaving to find the living art angel. She was setting the table with spaghetti. She sat down at the table, watching her. Drowsiness attacked, and she dozed a little in the chair, waking back up periodically to listen and respond best she could to anything the woman asked or said. Eventually she asked for a pen and paper, by imitating writing on her hand with her finger. This would make it easier for her to answer any questions, comments, or other the woman may have. And ask her what her name is.

Mentions: Pyroclast - Tatiana

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Harper's Place
- London - ​

Harper was all smiles as Billy admitted that being his true self felt nice. Hearing him list all of the things that the gay community couldn't do and then hearing him say that being gay felt like the real disease made her smile fade quickly. He was looking at all of the negative aspects of accepting himself for who he was. He stated that he wished Erik was a woman so that he didn't have to announce to his family and friends and risk losing them because of it all. Harper was silent as she let him talk through his feelings before he stated that knowing that he wouldn't lose her meant a lot. A small smile graced her face as she moved to playfully punch his bicep, "You are stuck with me for life, Bill. Don't you forget it. You might not want me there sometimes but I'm not going anywhere." She stated with unshaken loyalty in her voice. Her brother went on to say that he wouldn't change anything about Erik and that he couldn't switch off his gayness because he had tried in the past and it didn't work.

Harper honestly couldn't relate to fighting that side of her off, she had never felt afraid for not being accepted for who she was and although she didn't project her bisexuality to the entire world she didn't hold back in her activities. She wasn't exactly sure if her family understood her sexuality or not or if they even cared...she didn't care either way but she knew her gayness was far more acceptable than Billy's in the current political climate. Billy stated through a whisper that maybe things were going to be okay and Harper nodded her head in agreement. Before she could reassure him that things were going to be fine, he asked her not to rush him in coming out to their family. She nodded her head in understanding, not wanting to rush him into doing something he didn't feel comfortable doing. "You have my word. I won't rush you at all." Harper promised her brother. Hearing that Billy would go with Erik if their brothers sent the man back to where he came from made Harper sad. Harper would go wherever Billy went but moving across the pond like that was a big deal for someone so young. She had said she wouldn't leave him but that was a huge move. She was sure that if that moment came, Harper would be emotionally charged enough to just follow her brother and Erik but at this moment she was left feeling unsure. She knew her family was buddy buddy with the Moretti's but that Italian creep gave her bad vibes.

She understood that her family had a falling out with Savvy and her family but Harper didn't get weird vibes from any of them during the brief interactions she'd had. Billy reached out to hold her hand before standing up and holding his arms out for her to hug him. Dropping her half-eaten pizza onto the box, she wiped her hands against one another to get the crumbs off of them before moving to give her brother a tight hug. Hearing his sincere apology made her smile sweetly. He asked if she would forgive him if he lived authentically, pulling away to look at her. "Ah I guess, that and a drink." She stated teasingly before her brother went on to thank her for accepting him and making everything sound less scary."[/b] Harper waved her hand humbly at him as he went on to say that he'd always admired her and wanted to start living his life as she did. "That's the spirit!" Harper encouraged him before he stated that he was in fact, gay and that he was in love with Erik. Before Harper could react to that sweet moment of realization and self-acceptance, a familiar voice stated his disappointment in missing his chance with Billy causing Harper to jump and turn to stare openly at Jeremy. "What the-?!" She stated, stopping herself before asking immediately, "How the fuck did you get into my house, Jeremy?!" Harper asked before looking to her brother worriedly as they had just talked about him not telling anyone about his sexuality yet.

Jeremy seemed as calm as he'd always been which frustrated Harper to no end because he was one of the only people she knew whose buttons she couldn't push. Even her Uncle Bruce had buttons. Jeremy reassured Billy that he wouldn't tell anyone he was gay and that he hadn't for the last 10 years which caused Harper to scoff. "Glad you decided to just-" She was about to say that he had broken in but she was interrupted by him as he insisted that he had a key. Harper's eyes were so wide she felt that they would pop out of her skull any moment as Jeremy explained that her Uncle told the man that she wouldn't have let him in otherwise and that he was in her home in an official capacity. "He said what now?!" Harper asked as if she hadn't heard him though she clearly had. Jeremy continued without missing a beat stating that he had been assigned to make sure she was safe which meant that she would be seeing him a lot.

Harper couldn't even form coherent words as nothing but another scoff escaped her widely parted lips. She curled her hand into a fist before pointing at Jeremy, unable to express just how frustrated she was before scoffing once more and turning on Billy, pointing a finger so close to his face that it almost touched his nose. "YOU! Did you know about this? this. THIS?" She couldn't even bring herself to describe what was happening at that moment knowing already without having to say it that Jeremy had been sent to babysit her. It was already embarrassing enough to have the man she had been very attracted to watch her go through all her awkward stages and be looked down on as the weak little sister but now it was just confirming all of those notions by assigning him to her as her bodyguard. "I don't need a babysitter, Billy! And if you didn't know why the fuck couldn't the other so-called men in our family tell me this without having him just show up here unannounced!" Harper yelled, speaking about Jeremy as if he wasn't in the room. "You all are afraid of me scratching your eyes out is that it?? I can't protect myself yet you idiots seem to need to protect yourselves from me." Harper hisses before looking at Jeremy who was as stoic as ever. "Look, Jere. I don't need you here. I'm doing just fine on my own, fuck, if anyone needed a babysitter Bruce should assign you to Alex that man needs a human chastity belt to keep from reproducing any more children or worse. He's the irresponsible one here, not me!"
with: Billy Pyroclast ; Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Moretti Family Home
~Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn NYC~

Elvian Moretti​

​

Elvian liked to believe that even though the Sullivan's were their sworn enemies that surely they wouldn't hurt a child. That thought went right out the window the longer Cristina remained away from her family. Whatever positive feelings she had for them at one point had been flushed down the toilets. All that remained was a burning hatred for them that they would ever think using her granddaughter as a pawn would be okay. She took Valentina's hands into her own and rubbed them, trying to calm both her nerves as well as her own. Elvian herself was barely holding her emotions together but she was doing her best to keep her focus on her daughter. That is until Harmony began to have a meltdown. With Valentina's hands still in her own, she turned to her and helplessly watched as she started sobbing, muttering words about her brother. Elvian hadn't spent as much time with the girl as her daughter's family, but from what she gathered her brother had passed and she was blaming herself for it. Before she could find any strength to comfort her as well, the door opened.

Elvian shot up and started for it, hearing Francis calling after Paolo. With the two boys home they could rest a little easier, but she knew they wouldn't be okay until Cristina was brought home as well. Francis first gave his mother a hug then moved back to his grandmother, who hugged him a little longer than usual. Despite being told nothing in the car, Francis had come to the conclusion that something was wrong. Their parents never picked them up early from school and they definitely didn't have any of the guards doing it. He also picked up the way his mother told Paolo that he couldn't go swimming - considering he thought his little brother got any and everything he wanted. When Elvian pulled back from him, he looked between her and his mother. "What's going on?" He asked, now that Paolo was out of earshot bothering Quadir. His grandmother looked between him and Valentina before kneeling down to his eyesight. "We'll talk about it when your father gets here." She said, stroking his hair. Francis looked around, noticing his sister was missing from their little soiree. "Where's Crissy? Did dad go pick her up?" Elvian was quiet for a moment, knowing she should definitely not say anything. Instead, she stood up and put her hand out to him. "Why don't you come help me make that pink lemonade your brother and sister like so much?"

Francis agreed and moved with Elvian to the kitchen where he set out to get out the things he remembered his grandmother using. It was quiet for a moment until he climbed up a chair to reach the counter. "Bunica," he started, grabbing her attention, "Why's mom upset?" It was silly of her to think he wouldn't notice as perceptive as the kid was. She just smiled at him, taking out the lemons to squeeze. "How was school today? Did you learn anything new in school?" Francis was growing frustrated at his lack of an answer, turning his mouth upwards and frowning. "It was fine, bunica, but that's not what I asked."

Valentina( Misty Gray )
Harmony ( BloodThunder27 )

Police Station
~Queens, New York~

Theodore 'Teddy' Wycliff​

The moment the phone rang Teddy wasted no time yanking it from the hook. "Hello?" He frantically said, heart beating faster by the second. Hearing Cristina's voice on the end eased his mind but he would not be okay until he had his daughter back. "Cristina, sweetheart, are you okay? Where are you?" He was aware so many questions at once would likely confuse and throw her off so he stopped himself before he could say anything else. He looked to Gabriel, giving off the expression that Sullivan had held up his end of the bargain. She told him the name of the park she was at and he repeated it, the cop telling him it was just down the street. "Cristina, stay exactly where you are and I'll be right there I promise." Teddy had to hold back the lump in his throat, careful not to break down in front of both these cops and Gabriel. Now wasn't the time for it.

As soon as Cristina hung up the phone Teddy quickly bolted out of the Captain's office towards the exit. He hoped Gabriel was keeping up with him, but the man was honestly the last thing on his mind. The cop from before gave him quick directions as if Teddy didn't know where he was going. The park had been close to the police station, only a minute away and Teddy was going to get there sooner than that by running. As he got closer to the location he looked for the payphone and his eyes caught the familiar sight of his daughter. "Cristina!" He shouted, running towards her. Nothing was on his mind besides getting to her and getting her to safety. Once he was a few feet away from her he crouched down to pick her up. He lifted her and hugged her close, hand against the back of her head. "It's okay. I've gotcha. Daddy's here, alright?" He told her. For a moment he just stood there holding her, relieved he had gotten her back. He started looking around her body - arms, legs, face, - for any sign that she had been harmed. "Did they hurt you?" Whatever her response, Teddy would hold her close again before turning to Gabriel, giving him a knowing look. She was back with them, safe from the Sullivan's but they were not safe from them.

Teddy made his way back to the police station with Cristina close to make a call. One of their men was to come to get them and bring them home. The car ride had been a silent one, Teddy trying to process and let Cristina relax before he started asking her any sort of questions. The long ride gave him plenty of time to think about different ways to get back at Conor and once they got home he wanted to set those plans into effect. Arriving at the Moretti Family Home Teddy was glad to see that there were a lot more guards present, no doubt either his wife or mother-in-laws doing. He knew the first thing he needed to do was speak with Gabriel about the day's events, but first, he needed to tend to his family. Teddy had long since made a promise to both himself and his wife that his family would come before business. With Cristina in his arms he walked up the steps to the front door, opening and yelling out for Valentina.

Elvian was saved from Francis' question by the sound of Teddy's voice, ushering the boy out of the kitchen and into the foyer. Francis quickly ran into Teddy's leg, Teddy setting his hand on his head. He was relieved to see Francis there and assumed Paolo wasn't too far behind. Elvian quickly looked to Cristina before Teddy, relief washing over her body. "Thank God," she muttered before hugging the both of them before turning to Gabriel. "Draga mea, are you two okay?"

Gabriel, James ( Misty Gray )