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

[Bellz]

Julia Avvocata ​

Julia thought that she was getting through to Ricky. But his tone soon got colder and he shifted away from her, causing Julia to frown deeply. His words made her pout slightly as he thought that she was only advancing him to convince him that Roxie needed to be taken care of. As he said that she was doing this for her own gain, Julia placed a genuine hand to her heart, honestly hurt that he would think that she was just doing this all of herself because someone told her to talk some sense into him. "In all the years you've known me, do you ever remember taking orders from men like Damian?" Julia asked matter-o-factly as she sighed softly and looked away. "Do you also believe that I have been kind to you for all these years just for my own personal gain? I am really hurt that you would say that Ricky." Julia looked back at him with actual tears in her eyes.

"If that stupid bitch Claudia didn't ruin you, you might have realized by now that I have been kind to you and stroking your cheek because I like you." Julia cringed at the way that sounded. "God, I sound like a 5th-grade girl confessing to her crush." She sneered as she moved to wipe at her eyes. "I've stuck by your side and been your friend because I believed that you and I could have something together." She explained. "I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly with you, Ricky and I have never once left you. I don't know why you men are so ignorant when a woman is clearly attracted to you." She grumbled.

"I have liked you since we were like 15, ever since the time you took me to see that broadway play for my birthday, despite saying you wouldn't enjoy it." Julia smiled softly at him and rolled her eyes, "You loved it. I know you did. Because it was one of the only times you had an actual sense of normalcy."

"It just angers me that you didn't get what you deserved. It angers me to see you so upset like this, it angers me that you had to go through everything you went through for seemingly no fucking reason!" Julia shouted, "You think I'm trying to talk some sense into you when really, Ricky. All I want is what's best for you. Because I think you deserve it."

Standing, Julia moved to the fireplace and looked at herself in the mirror above it, her eyes on Ricky as she watched him from the mirror. "You said it yourself, what good will the Sullivans be over in Ireland? Especially if we are getting fucked up over here. What good is Roxie going to be if she can't be in New York full time? She's not going to leave Ireland, she won't do that to her kids." Julia sighed softly before thinking about what else she could say to convince him.

"What if...what if we just scare her out of the job? Don't hurt her. But just give her a little scare? We would have to play it carefully, if she were to find out that any of our own men were behind it...she would surely send the Sullivan's for our ass." Julia turned to look at Ricky, wondering what he thought of that and what she thought of confessing her attraction to him.
with: Ricky Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Family Home - Dublin
Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan
Leo Sullivan
Rhiannon Sullivan

Ali nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, you certainly did. However, I don't think semi-formal events is a place where jeans and t-shirts are appropriate. And please don't encourage that of him. The running from the cops part because then it will encourage him to get into more trouble, and we don't need trouble do we?" She shook her head at him signaling him that the correct answer was no. Once she was done fixing his jacket she gave him a kiss and nodded her head at his question. She linked her arm with his and guided him out of the room they were standing in. The moment they stepped out she could hear Leo's voice and panic shot through her body. The last time she experienced a Sullivan mans anger -- their true anger -- he had killed someone. So whenever Leo got angry, she got worried and always thought the worst.

The moment the two of them stepped into the room, she saw Leo getting held back by Peter, shouting at Thomas. "Threats?! Man the fuck up and try it right here right now!" He shouted, watching as Thomas was taken away to another room in the house. Everything in him wanted to push past Peter and the others to finish it, but he knew that would only cause more problems. He then watched as Natasha approached him, explaining she didn't think this would happen. He narrowed his eyes at her, clearly annoyed by the situation. He would be lying if he said he didn't blame her as well, considering he asked her not to. "You're kidding, right? Why do you think I've asked everything to just butt the hell out? That includes you!"

"Leo!" Ali shouted, not liking the way he was speaking to Natasha in the slightest. She hadn't raised her son to be disrespectful, angry or not. He hadn't had the chance to say anything before his father came rushing over, forcing him to the conservatory. Leo was still fuming but he followed his father's orders. Ali stayed behind for a moment as she looked at the glass that was all over the floor. Sydney had run up to her, having watched the event unfold from behind a wall. "Hey sweetie, stay away from the glass okay?" She gave her a brief smile as she picked her up to keep her safe from the mess on the floor. "Why's Leo and Thomas hurting each other?" She asked, to which Ali just shrugged her shoulders.

Rhiannon ran over to her mother, having her search for the twins cut short. She had just missed the two boys fighting but she did hear to yelling from another room. Before she even had a chance to ask about what happened, Ali instructed her to find one of the workers from earlier to clean up the mess and take Sydney. The girl was trying to get her mother to explain what was going on but she could see now wasn't the time. "Come on, Syd, let's go find someone to clean up."

By the time Ali had walked into the conservatory, she could only hear Leo talking to Conor. "Yeah, yeah. You think I don't know that?" Leo pinched the bridge of nose as he tried to calm down, though thinking about it more only made things worse. "He pissed me off; his smug little goddamn face pissed me off. He was fucking asking for it!" He shouted, causing Ali to storm over to him. "Lower your tone when you're speaking with your father and watch it." She warned. Seeing him like this scared her, worried her, but she wasn't going to let him talk out of turn.

Conor ( Misty Gray )
Natasha, Thomas ( Bellz )
​

 

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy ​

Natasha watched wide-eyed as Conor and Aliana entered the room. Conor shouting at Leo to get into the other room just as Natasha apologized to him. Leo's words were so harsh as he yelled at her that Natasha's eyes watered and she bit her lower lip to keep the tears from spilling over. Ali, of course, came to her rescue yelling at Leo for yelling at her, but the damage was already done. Now Leo had two best friends who were mad at him. Glaring after him as he walked towards the room he was ordered to go in, she followed slowly, knowing that she needed to explain that it was her fault the boys were even talking, to begin with.

Natasha stayed away from the family sitting in a chair further in the corner of the conservatory. Letting her head rest in her hands, she listened as Leo angrily spoke to his father, explaining that Thomas's smug face pissed him off and that he was asking for it. Natasha then stood once she felt she could speak without letting her emotions get to her and walked over to Conor and Ali. "I know you said the boys are old enough to make their own decisions, Uncle Conor...so I guess I should explain why I apologized to Leo." Biting her lip, she looked at Leo with slightly narrowed eyes before looking to Conor and Ali with a sorrowful expression. "I was the one who called Thomas over. I made the point that both of them had lost someone today and that all this fighting was just wasting precious time they could be spending together being cousins and best friends." Natasha's eyes watered as she let out a shaky sigh.

"I can speak from experience that life is way too short to be stuck being mad at someone...given what happened to my dad. I just thought that maybe given in light of Shannon dying, these two would be able to pull it together and be friends again." Natasha then rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as she looked to Leo. "I was only trying to help you not be such a miserable prick, I hate being stuck in the middle of this petty shit and I know you tell me not to look at it like that but I can't just turn a blind eye to the situation I'm stuck in the middle of." Her eyes searched his as tears slowly moved down her cheeks. "I was just trying to do what I thought was right because myself and everyone here can see how miserable you and Thomas are without each other. But I will stay out of it from now on, I guess it's not my place as your other best friend to help you."

Looking to Conor and Ali, she blinked back tears as her lip trembled, "I'm really sorry for having a part in ruining your party. I thought it would go differently. But I was wrong. I'll help clean up the mess."
with: Conor Misty Gray ; Leo + Ali Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Biancardi Mansion
~ Queens, New York City ~

Riccardo Biancardi​

Ricky stayed quiet to let Julia speak as she defended herself and her intentions. He eventually shook his head and spoke up. "No, I guess you do have your own mind and wouldn't be doing this because Damian told you to. I'm just... People only act kindly towards me when they want something. I might make jokes and go along with it, but I can see through it all. Sometimes, I think I understand other people a lot more than I understand myself." Seeing the tears in Julia's eyes, something hit Ricky, bringing an aching feeling to his chest. There were often times when he felt distant from himself, like he was physically present, but mentally he was wasn't really there. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you and I know you're my friend," he told her. "Sometimes it's just like I'm on autopilot and I say dumb shit before I realise I was thinking it. You know the drill and you claim to know me. Defence mechanisms or some bullshit assessment that a shrink would come out with."

Ricky tightened his jaw as he made a conscious effort not to switch on to the so-called autopilot when Claudia was mentioned. Before Claudia, Ricky had been able to bottle everything up and seemingly lock all of his past traumas away. His ex had made him feel comfortable enough to open up about what had happened to him, but then she threw it back in his face and rejected him because of who he was. As such, he was reminded that nobody cared about the real Ricky and life was easier when he just gave people the version of himself they had come to expect, the version that benefitted themselves.

Ricky had got so lost in his own self-evaluation that he almost missed Julia saying she liked him. He was about to rush in with a sarcastic comment about friends usually liking each other, but she went on to make it clear she meant in a more romantic sense than just friends. "Oh..." Ricky quietly mumbled as his mind worked in overdrive trying to decipher things and try to recollect if there had been obvious clues that he'd been oblivious towards. He distantly nodded his head as she continued to say she'd believed they could have something together more than just friends. "OH!" he said at a louder volume once she'd practically spelled it out to him and mentioned men being ignorant to a woman's attraction.

Ricky couldn't help but grin before covering his mouth with his hand to show some kind of respect as he tried to get past the shock that someone could actually be attracted to him in the first place. "Well, yeah. Who could resist that big musical number in the final act?" he remarked as his mind was cast back to one of the few good memories he had from being 15. That day had been an escape from the horrific life he was enduring behind closed doors.

Ricky let out a deep breath as Julia returned to the matter at hand and how angry she was that he'd suffered for nothing. He quickly nodded along as she agreed the Sullivans wouldn't be much help if they cut ties with the Morettis and that Roxie wouldn't be any use from Ireland. He knew it all made sense and that something had to be done to secure the Biancardis' strength in New York. He raised a curious eyebrow at the suggestion of giving Roxie a scare and driving her out of the business that way. He wasn't sure what to think. As often was the case, his mind was being torn apart between trying to do what needed doing for the business and not wanting to hurt Roxie - even though it was becoming evident she wouldn't hesitate to trample over him for her own benefit.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore tonight. Gabriel and anyone else will just have to back the fuck off until I decide what to do..." Ricky looked Julia in the eyes before allowing himself some time to take in her features. She'd now opened him up to being able to look at her in a different light. It seemed he had been blind or just too distracted to allow himself time to consider they could be more than friends. Of course Julia was attractive and there had been many times where he'd considered pursuing a romantic relationship with her, but he always shot himself down before she had chance to. After all, he found it hard to believe anyone could like him in that way. "You just told me you're attracted to me and right now I'd rather think about that than about my cousin. Of course I feel the same about you, Julia. Believe it or not, the only thing stopping me from making a move long before now was fear of you laughing in my face and me fucking up one of the only real friendships I have. But hey, if you've got a kink for messed up freaks, then I'm all yours, love," Ricky told her, flashing a playful smile. As she had done a little earlier, he reached his hand out the gently caress her cheek. He then moved in closer to her and brought his face towards hers to place a kiss on her lips. "Screw the spare rooms. You're sharing with me tonight," he whispered into her ear.

Bellz (Julia)

 

[BloodThunder27]

~New York City: Taylor Brothers~​

After calming his Brother down and despite his attempts to be both courteous and respectful to Damien and Tony, it didn't seem to Q that the feeling was mutual in any way. At the same time, interacting with Moretti's men was much more different then Don Moretti himself. When Damien compared himself to Human Resources however, Jarrick didn't say another word, as his hot temper already had Q on edge as it was. Instead he took a few steps back. "Right, if I have any additional questions, I'll ask Don Moretti himself." Q responded, still remaining humble and kosher as he straightened out his hat and fur coat.

Q didn't really flinch when a fourth person entered the room, but really he was just there to inform Damien that the Don had needed him elsewhere. When it came to the Biancardis, Q knew almost nothing since he very rarely interacted with them, and barely spoke with Don Moretti as it was. Since neither him or his Brother were Italian, Q heavily doubted that he would see a rise to power, whether it was being a Lieutenant or even being in a part of Don Moretti's Inner Circle. While he very much disliked it, things have been that way for the Mafia for a very long time and he had to respect the tradition whether he liked it or not. There was no way he could be as fortunate as powerful Mafia figures such as Lucky Luciano or even Meyer Lansky. Especially since he was helping maintain Moretti's hold on the Cocaine trade. Hell no...

Soon, Q and J.T were all set to leave. "Good day, Mr. Nicolosi." He said before looking over at Tony. "As soon as me and J.T are done, we will leave a note with the Barman as you requested. Be seeing you, Mr. Harris." He nodded before proceeding to leave with J.T, who seemed visibly frustrated.

As the two Brothers got back to their car, Q wasted no time in starting it up and they were soon on their way to the next destination as instructed by Damien. "I dunno why we can't just take that motha'fucka out ourselves, Q. Save everybody the time. Like if they're so goddamn high up the ladder for Moretti, why do they wanna do the dirty work?" He asked while putting his Seatbelt on.

"Orders are orders man. If we disobey, our heads will be hanging above Don Moretti's Fireplace. Now chill, we'll get our chance soon enough. Hope you good with them hands though. Because we can't be packin' in the club."
Tony RayPurchase Damien Misty Gray

~Dublin: Stella~​

As she was successful in starting a conversation with Lucy, Stella started feeling less weary and overcautious unlike a couple of minutes ago when she was greeted at the door by Alianna and Sydney. She was slightly more happy when Lucy remembered her by name as well. She was, however, surprised when Lucy offered her a glass of champagne, mainly because she didn't drink all that much. But one drink wouldn't hurt, and Stella wasn't about to tell her no. "Oh, thank you." She responded, gracefully accepting the glass of champagne.

When asked if she had met Syd, Stella smiled curtly as she took a sip of the champagne, which did feel rather refreshing. Although she had only been working for the Sullivans for a year, they had so far been very nice and welcoming to her, even if she didn't have a single drop of Irish blood in her veins. "I very much appreciate the invite. Sadly, I never had the fortune of meeting Shannon herself." She frowned a little, as Stella never had a chance to meet Shannon, but didn't doubt that she was a powerful and influential woman given what Syd was saying.

Unfortunately, before she could say anything more, Syd abruptly left the conversation after being informed that Jeanie was having an asthma attack. This left Stella a little alarmed, but there was very little she could do about that. After Syd was out of sight, Stella simply finished off her champagne, chugging it in a fast manner before taking a deep breath and setting it alongside the empty glass that Syd left behind. It wasn't long until the festive feeling completely faded as she saw a fight break out between Thomas, Leo and Braden before Natasha and Lucy went to intervene. Her heart completely sank as she overheard some of the shouting, as well as feeling the anger that resonated from everyone. However, because she was still fresh blood by their standards, Stella was a little worried about inserting herself into the situation. Sighing, she proceeded to go find something to eat while the family sorted itself out.
Lucy, Natasha, Peter, Braden Bellz Syd Pyroclast Leo Melanin-Gxdess Coner Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor was surprised to hear Leo talking so coldly about his former best friend. They way he asserted that Thomas had asked to be punched baffled him. He figured there was something going on between the two young men that he hadn't been aware of. Why else would two best friends be punching and threatening each other? Conor remembered the time he and Ryan fell out back in the 1960s. That had been over the fact Ryan had learned Conor had a daughter with one of the mob's former enemies. Though they eventually patched things up, it wasn't until after months of strained relations that ended up with Conor and Ryan having a pretty heavy fight. Whilst Conor was the victor, there had been nothing to celebrate from it. Although the two soon after patched things up, Conor would never be proud of hurting his friend and even now would take it back if he could.

Aliana warned Leo for taking on a harsh tone with Conor, meaning the man didn't have to kick off at him about it himself. Instead, he took a deep breath and kept his head level, especially given that Natasha was also in the room. He felt protective over her and since Jackson's death had made a point of looking out for her. The fact it was his own son who had now upset Natasha was unacceptable. When she addressed him, Conor's features softened as he listened to what Natasha had to say. She seemed to blame herself for the fight because she'd encouraged Thomas and Leo to spend time with each other as friends. "That's still nothing to apologise for, love. You were trying to do what you believed was best," he reassured her.

The mention of them being cousins and best friends struck a chord with Conor, but he remained quiet as Natasha continued to speak. The mention of Jackson brought on a knot in Conor's chest as he thought of another best friend who was no longer with him. Conor reached out and gently rubbed Natasha's back before turning back to Leo. "Listen to what Nat is saying, will you?" he firmly ordered his son. "You should be thanking her for trying to help you, not kicking off and telling her to butt out!"

Conor folded his arms and briefly looked towards the window as he decided to approach the situation in a different way to yelling at his son. "You and Thomas are cousins, but more than that, you have always been best friends and no matter what has gone on, you owe it to each other to try work through this. I once fell out with Ryan to the point where we ended up laying into each other. We felt bloody awful about it after and part of me still does regret the time we wasted being angry with each other. And do you remember what happened back in New York, before I decided to bring us all home to Dublin?" He paused as he placed a pre-emptive reassuring hand on Natasha's shoulder. "Ryan was killed, and a few months later, Jackson died too. I lost my two best friends in less than a year and I'd give anything to spend time with them again. Thomas is alive and well right now, but imagine how you would feel if you never got chance to apologise and to hang out with him again?"

Conor looked to Natasha and shook his head. "You haven't ruined the party. There's plenty of time and alcohol to get things back on track. The only thing I want you and Leo to clear up right now is my confusion..." He looked between Leo and Natasha. "What are you guys even fighting about? I know Thomas had a rough time over in Iran, but I seem to be missing a lot of pieces as to why you're both fighting now."

Melanin-Gxdess (Leo, Aliana)
Bellz (Natasha)

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

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead was relieved when Syd entered the room and found Jeanie's inhaler. She kept a reassuring hand on her great niece's shoulder and watched on as Syd tended to the girl. Catching the look of gratitude he sent her, she softly smiled to her nephew. She was just glad he got there in time to help Jeanie fight through the asthma attack. When Jane brought the bin over for Jeanie to be sick in, Sinead stood up and took a couple of steps back, definitely not wanting to be thrown up over. "Stay here, Jane," Sinead echoed Syd's words to stop the girl from leaving the room.

Thankfully, Jeanie managed to overcome the asthma attack. Sinead remained in the room but stayed quiet as Syd spoke with his daughters. He seemed to have a handle on the situation so there was no need for her to intervene. There was a moment where Jane got upset with being told off and the girl's scream almost caused Sinead to step in, but when she looked to Syd she knew it was up to him to resolve the situation as it stood. It was easy to forget her once young little nephew was now a grown up with children of his own. The instinct to help her family no matter their age was always strong in Sinead.

"That's okay, sweetheart. I'm just glad your sister is okay," Sinead reassured Jane when she apologised to her. Soon after, Roxie called again and was able to speak with the twins. Sinead was about to leave the room when Liam entered and looked around with a puzzled expression as it seemed like something had been going on there too.

"Hey, Syd," Liam greeted his older cousin with a nod. He then looked to Sinead and used his thumb to gesture out of the room. "Thomas and Leo have just been fighting. Like, punches and everything!" he informed his mother.

"Oh really?" Sinead asked, pulling a disappointed expression. "Well I hope someone has told them off for it because there's no reason to be fighting. And don't you be taking any ideas from them. You're already in my bad books for fighting at school. Do not be copying your cousins! They really should know better," Sinead firmly told her son before sending a glance to Syd.

"Yeah, alright," Liam grumbled. He wanted to point out he hadn't been fighting in the way she thought and that the kid he'd smacked deserved it for bullying others. He shrugged his shoulders before dividing his attention between Sinead and Syd. "Well, Uncle Conor took Leo off so he could yell at him. Aunt Lucy walked off with Thomas but he sounded really angry with her. Why are the guys even fighting?" he asked, clearly not comfortable seeing his family hitting each other and yelling.

Pyroclast (Syd, Jane)
Bellz (Jeanie)

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

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah smiled fondly as she thought of Shannon. "She was great. She was always so strong and outspoken; never letting anyone treat her like crap and even giving some of those big, tough gangsters a run for their money," she recalled with a brighter smile. "Clearly I didn't inherit that gene. Emmy is the loud and bossy one now."

Danny wasn't the first person in Dublin to give a scathing assessment of Alex, but for some reason it seemed different coming from him when he said Callum's father was a piece of shit. "I think I'm supposed to tell you not to speak about a person in such a way, but it's true. What Alex did was really shitty and I don't think he even cares nor has he learned from it. He's still out looking after number one." She mirrored Danny and took a drink of champagne from her own glass. She smiled back at him when he said she could talk to him about things and he promised not to say anything to Callum. "I appreciate that Danny. Alex is a superhero in Callum's eyes and I couldn't be cruel enough to shatter that." She rolled her eyes when he pointed out they both knew how to pick complicated partners. "Oh yes. I will accept only true love or nothing at all now. I'm not getting my heart broken again," she firmly assured Danny.

When asked if she was returning to London soon, Savannah frowned before nodding her head. "Yes, I need to finish emptying Shannon's apartment. I'm hoping to rope Braden into helping me out," she told him. "Other than some modelling shoots, I've been taking some time out for myself and Callum. Truth be told, I'm hoping to get out of London soon. I've had a few auditions, including one here in Ireland. Alex's family won't like it, but if I land one of those roles, I will be glad to get out of London," she admitted.

Savannah couldn't help but blush as she noticed Danny gazing at her. "I wish I could stick around longer, but there's always next time I'm here," she suggested. She quickly nodded her head when he said he felt like he still knew her after 13 years. "I'm glad you said that, because I thought it was just me. A lot has happened in all that time, but I feel like you haven't changed since we last spent time together. You still seem like the guy I knew back in New York," she told him.

Before Savannah could get too lost in the moment, the sound of small footsteps rushing into the room could be heard. "Mummy! Leo and Tom have been fighting. I even saw it. They were hitting each other!" Callum called out before he even stepped into view of Savannah and Danny.

"Well, that doesn't sound right," Savannah softly spoke, puzzled by the news. She took both of Callum's hands in hers and leaned froward in her sitting position so she could speak on his level. "Whatever was going on, they shouldn't have been fighting, should they? Do you remember what I told you about fighting?"

"Yeah..." Callum said, quickly nodding his head. "People shouldn't fight and it's not nice to hurt others," he confidently recited. His confidence then faded a little as he turned to Danny and his face took on a shy smile. "Who's that mister?" he asked Savannah.

"This is my good friend Danny. We've known each other since back when I lived in America." Savannah lifted Callum up so he could sit on her knee, knowing he could be shy around strangers. "Danny, this is Callum - my little chocolate fiend," she said, tickling Callum's neck and causing the child to let out a giddy laugh. She then stopped to let the boy calm down again.

"Hi..." Callum said, staring at Danny as he took in the new face. "Do you like football?" he suddenly asked, prompting Savannah to smirk at the seemingly random question.

Pyroclast (Danny)

 

[Misty Gray]

Rikers Island
~ The Bronx, New York ~

James Porter​

James once again leaned back against the sink unit as to make himself more comfortably relaxed as his interaction was more of a friendly conversation that the aggressive start they'd had. It was sad to hear Kurt speak of how he'd spent the last 20 years getting only short glimpses of Benjamin's life. Practically all of the lad's childhood and youth had been missed, with only short snippets once in a while to capture significant chunks of the young man's life. "I'm sorry things didn't work out better for you and your family. I can only imagine how difficult it's been for you and Benjie," James admitted. "My wife doesn't see it the same way, but I do count myself lucky that I only got locked up six years ago. I was able to watch just about all of my kids grow up, at least into their teens. Even back then I knew every day that I was alive and free was a gift. I'd give anything to be out there with Luce and the kids, but I'm grateful for the time I managed to avoid being where I am now."

James lightly shook his head. "You've already been locked up 20 years, yeah? I won't overstep the codes in here and ask what you're in for, but what are the chances of you seeing your son on the outside? I know a few good lawyers. One even managed to help get my brother-in-law out of jail some years back and that was a miracle in itself," he remarked. "Don't get me wrong, he's not actually a miracle worker, else I wouldn't be in here right now..." he trailed off. James often suspected the man with the most influence over his criminal charges and present choice of jail accommodation was Moretti himself. As long as he was useful in Rikers Island, James was sure that's where Moretti would want him to stay.

James smiled when Kurt said Benjamin was a good kid, figuring that at least gave the man one less things to worry about where his son's safety was concerned. Being friends with senior members of the mob whilst not actually carrying out any mob activities had to be one of the safest positions to be in. Hearing Benjamin worked in one of Conor's restaurants made it appear the lad was in a comfortable spot. "Oh, I know Adam," James confirmed. "He's given a lot to the mob over the years. Rough around the edges and fearless, but has his head screwed on and looks out for the family. I have no doubts he'll be looking out for your son too." James smiled again upon hearing the next name. "Pete? Ah, he's my brother-in-law - great bloke! Benjie's definitely in good hands with that lot in his corner," he reassured Kurt. It felt strange to let his guard down and have normal conversations in his cell, but being able to talk to someone about his family and friends was a refreshing change.

When asked about his own family and their roles in the business, James let let out a deep breath as he decided where to start. "Syd is very much in the business, right up there working by Conor's side," he proudly told him. "The others aren't really involved. Thomas had a rough time in the marines, so I think he's just trying to do his own thing right now, laying low with Luce and Olivia in New York. Olivia is a fitness instructor but I reckon given the chance, she'd want to be involved in the business. She's a lot like Arlene, y'know? Stubborn, tough and independent! And my two other adopted daughters; Mallory and Delilah, they've been off doing their own thing since back in the 60s. I can't blame them really, and once in a blue moon they'll check in with a phone call."

James was aware he was meant to have been returning to the recreation area some time ago, but he was having a much more interesting time talking with Kurt than he would be listening to the other prisoners arguing over some nonsensical crap. He briefly stroked his chin as all the talk about their kids reminded him of how far away most of his family were, in turn causing him to think of how far away Benjamin was from Kurt. "If Benjie's having trouble getting over to see you because of money and logistics, I might have an idea. Adam and some others often have to travel into New York for business. It might not happen straight away, but it's certainly a possibility..." he suggested.

Pyroclast (Kurt)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter
Jane Carriveau-Porter​

Syd breathed out a sigh of relief when his two girls calmed down and were back to smiling. “Take it easy, girls,” he warned lightly, squeezing Jeanie close before she leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I love you, too.” As Jeanie’s pager went off, Jane caught Syd’s eye and sent him an apologetic smile. Any further antics would have to be put to rest, as they were called to the phone to talk to Roxie. Jane quickly hopped over to give their father a tight hug before running after her sister.

“Hi, mom,” Jane joined in once she had caught up. She couldn’t help but smile at the teasing remark directed at JJ. “It’s a party, mom, let him eat sweets if he wants!” When Roxie asked them if they were staying out of trouble, Jane caught Jeanie’s eye and had to try not to laugh. Of course she wasn’t going to tell her what they had actually been up to - especially since her mother already sounded a little fatigued. She almost felt bad when Roxie told them she missed them and asked if they wanted to come and stay with them early, knowing what her and Jeanie’s answers would be. “Yeah, we’ll stay with dad. Grandma’s going back to New York soon and we wanna spend more time with her…” Jane’s eyes fell on her sister once again when asked how Syd was holding up in the wake of Shannon’s death, and encouraging them to be on their best behaviour for everyone’s sake. “We’re being good…” she said, with some uncertainty. It seemed best to lie, but she was never very confident at it. “Dad’s been okay, I think. He’s been spending a lot of time with grandma since she’s been back, so we’re just trying to be on our best behaviour so he can enjoy his time with her before she goes back.” An involuntary smile crept onto her face as she spoke, struggling not to be amused by her own lie. The alcohol was still kicking in, and she hiccuped again, causing her cheeks to tingle from trying not to laugh. Just then a big crash sounded from around the corner and Jane jumped, looking to her sister with a questioning look on her face. Shouting followed, and she wished she could go and watch whatever was happening - it sounded like a fight. “Yeah, we’re all having a good time, here,” she reiterated, doing her best to keep herself from getting distracted by the intriguing drama happening nearby. “You know how these parties can get, mom.” The commotion was still going on, so Jane did her best to distract her mother from it. “How are you doing? How did the funeral go? And the meeting?”


Once the twins were out of the room, Syd sat in silence for a moment. His eyes were drawn to the two empty champagne glasses on the table, one of which he notices had pink lipstick stains on it, and gave a sigh. Looking to Sinead, he said, “I guess I’d better go and clean this up before anyone else decides to sit in here,” and picked up the bin that Jeanie had thrown up in. No sooner had he stood up from the sofa than Liam walked in and announced that there had been a fight between Thomas and Leo. Syd, feeling by this point far too sober, put a hand to his head and sighed. “Jesus Christ...Can we not just have a family party without something going wrong every five minutes?” He understood that his brother was dealing with a lot of emotional issues since returning from Iran, but he still felt defensive when Liam informed him that Thomas had been angry towards their mother. He may be struggling, but Lucy was having a hard time with Shannon’s death and he was sure she didn’t deserve to be yelled at. Granted, Syd himself had put her in that position many times before, but while he was in a stable frame of mind he felt responsible for defending her against Thomas and anyone else giving her a hard time.


“I’d stay out of this one if I were you, Liam,” Syd advised him, setting the bin down to deal with later on. “Emotions are high today, that’s probably made it worse. I’ll go and see what I can do to calm things down.” Looking to his aunt, Syd mustered a smile and smoothed his hair back, ready to face the commotion outside. “Thanks for helping out with the girls,” he told her. “I’m sorry you had to see all that.” He turned to Liam on his way out of the door and said, “You just try to have fun, yeah? We really don’t need any more drama tonight…”


Syd’s jaw hung open when he saw the mess that had been left from the fight. Shards of glass were scattered to the far reaches of the room while puddles of champagne expanded across the floor. “Someone make sure the dogs and kids stay out of here,” he asked the room, before going to find his mother. “Mam...Are you okay?” His mother looked clearly upset. He had seen that look on her face countless times in the past, having often been the one to put it there himself. “Listen, don’t worry about Thomas for now - I’m gonna go find him, try and get him back in a better mood. Please try to relax, mam. Go find some good dance tracks and we’ll get this party going again, I promise.” He moved in to briefly embrace her and planted a head on the top of her head before moving off.

It took a few minutes to track down Thomas but he eventually spotted him outside. He tried not to make him jump opening the door, but kept a casual stance just in case. “Hey…” he said, sticking his hands in his pockets as he approached his brother. “Do you mind if I join you? You can have my cigarettes if you want ‘em. They keep ending up in the wrong hands...mine included.” Withdrawing the silver case, he set it down near his brother and sent him a light smile, though he didn’t expect one in return. He made sure to turn away so as not to pressure him to make contact, instead looking out towards the dark edges of the garden. “You alright, T?” he asked, rubbing his hands together for warmth. “I get it if you don’t wanna talk, but seriously. You’ll have a much better time tonight if you get whatever this is off your chest so we can sort it out. This is one of the last chances to see mam before she heads back to New York so let’s make tonight a good one, yeah?” He glanced over to his brother before averting his gaze again and sighing lightly. “What’s going on, man?”


Interactions
Bellz Thomas, Lucy, Jeanie, Roxie
Misty Gray Sinead, Liam

Nearby: Melanin-Gxdess BloodThunder27

 

[Bellz]

Julia Avvocata ​

Julia couldn't hide the smile on her face as Ricky finally seemed to understand what she was saying. Rolling her eyes, she thought about how it was crazy however guy seemed to only have about two brain cells when it came to attraction. Perhaps they were fighting it out in that head of his most of the time so he was too busy to notice. Julia raised a brow as Ricky stated he didn't want to talk about this situation with his cousin any further tonight, stating that Gabriel and the rest would have to back off until he decided what to do. Julia wanted to remind him that making Gabriel wait was probably the most foolish thing he could do, but it seemed the man had other things on his mind now.

He got close to her as he took in her features and Julia's cheeks turned pink under his gaze. "I have weirded you out now, haven't I?" She said breathlessly, a chuckle escaping her as she now thought she ruined the only friendship she'd ever had. Ricky then reiterated what she had just told him saying that he'd rather think of that instead of Roxie. Julia's eyes went a bit wide as he said he felt the same as her, once again unable to hide a smile as she bashfully looked at him. He stated the only thing stopping him from making a move was that he feared she'd laugh in his face and fucking up their friendship. Rolling her eyes at his next words, he reached out a hand to caress her cheek and again her cheeks warmed embarrassingly. He stepped in even closer to her before placing a kiss on her lips, which she returned immediately.

Then he moved to her ear and said that she'd be sharing his room with him tonight. Julia bit her lip lightly and nodded her head gently. He had turned serious in this situation surprisingly, so she felt it was her turn to make some sort of joke and tease him. "Well that's good, cuz with all the people gone in this place...it's giving me the heebie-jeebies." She said teasingly before moving to take his hand.

A part of Julia felt guilty, she knew that a huge part of her was doing this because she really did like Ricky a lot more than just a friend. But she had wished she would have said something sooner, she wished she didn't have to tangle up their potential relationship with convincing him that the only family he had left was out to get him. Of course, per his request, she wouldn't say another word about it tonight. Damian had asked her to talk some sense into him but, sometimes it took more than talking. Julia wanted to help Ricky help himself since he no longer had an authority figure in his life to help him, Julia wanted to make sure he stayed on the right path. She cared deeply for him and that was enough to help convince him of what he needed to do, even if he didn't believe it himself. Someday, he would understand what she did for him and he would thank her.

Pausing to grab a few liquor bottles from behind the bar, she then led him up the stairs towards his room. Closing it, she placed the bottles on his dresser before smiling at him rather shyly. "You sure about this?" She asked lightly. "Once we do this, no going back on our friendship." Before he could answer, however, she moved and placed a finger to his lips. Moving to her braid, she pulled the hair tie securing it, and shook her hair out lightly. "I only ask this...because I've never been so sure of anything in my life. Don't answer with words...show me." She purred.

Fade to black...and scene.
with: Ricky Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Jeanie Carriveau-Porter
JJ Carriveau-Porter ​

Roxie heard Jane agree with her sister that they wanted to stay at Syd's for the rest of the weekend. They wanted to see Lucy and Roxie definitely understood that. She missed that woman greatly. She had become a mother figure to her over the years and when Roxie's mother died it only solidified that even further. When Roxie asked about Syd and whether the girls were being good for him, Jane answered with some uncertainty. Roxie recognized the tone of voice given it was one she often used when she attempted to lie. "Well I hope you are, dealing with death is already extremely hard." Roxie murmured to her girls which caused Jeanie to scoff, "We are being good." She said flatly and Roxie rolled her eyes at the attitude. Jane went on to say Syd was doing good and that he was spending a lot of time with Lucy, which was good to hear. "That's good to hear, loves. Just continue to be good." Jeanie was about to reiterate that they would be good when JJ bounded into the room. "Did you guys see that fight?! It was like watching Batman and Superman go at it! Everything is destroyed!" He shouted. Roxie looked to Matthew, concern etched on her face as she held the phone closer to her ear. "There was a fight?!" She asked in alarm to which JJ gasped excitedly. "Mom! Hi! Yea, Uncle Thomas, and Leo were beating the crap out of each other!" Roxie was confused given the fact that the last time she really been in contact with those two boys was when they were best friends and around JJ's age. "Well that doesn't sound like them." Roxie said to her son. "It's over now, mom! No need to worry!" JJ reassured her before moving to stand close to his sisters, "How are you doing? I miss you so much! When are you coming home?" The kid normally had a thousand questions so Roxie wasn't surprised when he fired one after the other.

Roxie chuckled lightly, "I'm doing fine. The funeral was pretty upsetting but I was able to get through it. The meeting..." Roxie said, wanting to answer Jane's question that she had asked previously without ignoring it. "It was pretty boring. Not much to report on there, honestly." She said softly. "I miss you too, JJ and you too, girls." She said once more, noticing that neither of the twins had said it back to her. "I'll be home tomorrow night, but your sisters want to stay with your dad to see grandma while she's still in Dublin." JJ looked to Jeanie and Jane a moment before looking towards the phone, "Well can I come home and see you? We could do pizza night since you weren't here on Thursday to do it!" Roxie paused, her facial expression looking conflicted. As much as she was dying to see her kids again, she knew she had to keep to her end of the bargain that the weekends were a time for the kids to spend with Syd. "We can do that next Thursday, J. I want you to spend as much time with your Grandma as possible before she leaves. She misses you all so much, I'm sure." JJ pouted before looking away from the phone. "Fine, I'll stay. But you promise to call me as soon as you get back home?" Roxie laughed, "I promise." She told her son, who seemed to be more involved in the phone call than her daughters were, which wasn't unusual.

"Well, Matthew and I are gonna go grab dinner. I have presents for you when you get home on Sunday night." Jeanie and JJ's eyes lit up at that and JJ bounced on his heels. "Oh I can't wait to open them!" He cheered. Jeanie looked to Jane with a smirk, knowing they were both going to get away with what they'd done without their mother finding out. "Well we love you, mom!" Jeanie said cheerfully, "We are gonna go see if anyone needs help cleaning up the mess!" Letting Jane say her goodbyes, JJ held the phone to say, "Love you, mommy, have fun with Matthew. Tell him we love him too!" Roxie smiled and told her son she loved them all and would see them soon, telling JJ she would relay their love to Matthew before hanging up the phone.

Sighing, she stared at the phone for a long moment before turning to look at Matthew. As much as she wanted to go out, she really was exhausted. "I know we changed clothes to go out. But maybe we could order room service? She suggested before moving to come to sit closer to him on the bed. "The kids send their love." She told him gently before moving to lay back on the bed with a sigh. Moving to the drawer beside her, she saw the menu for room service, looking at it closely. "You know I will never outright accuse our children of lying to us, but Jane sounded a bit uncertain when she told me they weren't causing trouble. Jeanie is the better liar of the two...which I've known for years. She sounded sure they were behaving. Of course, I will never know if they are misbehaving or not because Syd doesn't tell me any of it." Roxie rolled her eyes before looking at Matthew and handing him the menu. "Gonna stuff my face with pasta. Care to take a look?" She said before moving to lay on her side. Watching him as he looked over the menu, Roxie smiled sweetly, "How is it you can make looking at a menu so enjoyable and pleasing to the eye?" She teased.

"I can't believe the wedding is almost a month away. I thought we would never finish planning everything, especially considering we had that little spat about doing it in the church." Roxie grinned, "Father Healy just creeps me out, I know he's your friend and all...I just can't shake the feeling. Blame it on my past." Roxie said as she shook her head. Looking up at the ceiling, her mind briefly went to her father, who she hadn't thought about in years.
on the phone with Jane Pyroclast
with: Matthew Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Billy and Shona King
​

“Oi! What you sayin’ about my brother’s pub, there, Erik?” he quipped. “You think dancing is more fun, why don’t you get up on this bar and give us all a show?” When the man ordered another shot, Billy just brought the whiskey bottle over, assuming that they might just end up drinking the whole thing. He refilled the row of shot glasses, including Erik’s and his own.

“Spence,” he greeted his brother, grinning at his comment about getting arrested. “You look like you need a big fat drink -” He tried to dodge the smack to the head, but failed. At least he went for one of the shots. Even though it was only a light hit, it was clear enough that Spencer was in some kind of mood. With any luck, the drink would swing him towards a more jovial state, rather than into a darker, aggressive state. With the company they currently had, he didn’t expect Spencer to start anything but he decided he would watch him all the same. When asked what they’d done with their days, Billy scoffed and jerked a thumb towards Erik. “Well, that one’s been hangin’ out in far more exciting places than this, I can tell you that,” he told him. “Apparently we gotta build a dance floor to meet his standards, the little ponce…”

Spencer then drew Billy’s attention to their sister, who had been minding her own business with a book in the corner of the room. Normally Billy wouldn’t let anyone shy away from a social gathering, instead try to help them get into the mood, but he had always had a soft spot for Harper. If she really wanted to sit out, then he knew he wouldn’t be able to force her to be social with him, however much he wanted her company. Still, she approached the bar when Spencer called her over and started asking her if she knew anything about Savannah bringing Callum back to London soon.

On the subject of their nephew, it seemed that Harper was a lot more sympathetic towards Savannah than Spencer was. Even though Billy felt bad for her and believed that Alex had treated her terribly by cheating on her, he still wanted Callum in London. “Savannah has a life here in London, though,” he chimed in. “She was only going to see her fam for a funeral, but she’s got a career here in London, and even if she doesn’t want to see Alex again, she’s still got us lot. You’re right, Spence, Callum belongs here. He’s a little Londoner, through and through.” When Erik cut in and suggested that if Savannah was the family type then she should want to keep Callum near his father, Billy pointed at him and looked at Spencer. “There you go. I’m sure she’s just on holiday.” He reached out to give his older brother a reassuring slap on the arm before fulfilling Erik’s request and pouring him a pint of London Pride.

Just then, the door opened and Billy looked up to see Shona walk in. A loving smile instantly formed on his face as he watched her approach the group. With Callum potentially being torn between London and Dublin, Billy was especially excited for another child to come along. “Look who it is,” he greeted her warmly. Shona smiled at him in return. “Hi boys. Hi Harper, sweetheart.” She shuffled in to give Harper a quick kiss on the cheek before turning to look up at her husband. “Hi, you,” she uttered with a big smile, sliding her arms around his waist before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Oh, you taste like whiskey...now I want a whiskey…” She pulled away enough to look around at the stools they were sitting on. “Is there a chair with a backrest?”

Billy sloped around the bar to find her a proper chair and set it down behind her so she could sit down. “You want a sensible drink, luv’?”

“Please,” she sighed as she dropped into the chair. “You have no idea how thirsty I get just walking around these days.” Her hands naturally rested on her baby bump until Billy handed her a lemonade, and then she reached out for Spencer’s hand, gently pulling him closer to her. “I made a friend today,” she announced. “There’s this woman I keep seeing at the hospital and today we finally got chatting. Her name is Shirley, another ‘sh’ name like mine. And she’s having twins!” Leaning into Spencer for warmth, her eyes shifted towards Harper. “She seems kind of lonely, though. I think she’s going through this pregnancy without anyone to help her. We do need more women around here, don’t we, Harper? Maybe we could have a girls day out, and you can keep us from getting stuck on the boring baby talk so we can find other things in common. I was hoping Savannah could help us out with the baby, since she’s already had Callum, but I haven’t seen her for a while. I’m sure she’d like that, too - kids are only small for so long, and Callum is already so big.” She then looked up to Spencer with a curious gaze, sensing a weariness about him. “Are you okay, babe? Are we talking about work or not talking about work?” It was really her way of asking him how business had gone that day, without forcing him to talk about it if he would rather forget. She didn’t want to admit it in front of the others, but she had really missed him since her talk with Shirley. “You lot probably had far more interesting days than me. Someone tell me something before I fall asleep and drop this lemonade all over the floor...”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer
Melanin-Gxdess Erik
Bellz Harper

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Thomas Porter ​

Lucy watched as her son stormed off into the backyard still too shocked to really move. When she heard Syd's voice, she jumped slightly moving a hand to her chest as she sucked in a deep breath. "I just don't know what to do with him anymore, Syd. He's just not the same kid we all knew and loved." She murmured sadly before nodding her head as her eldest son said he'd go and find Thomas to try and talk to him. "Be careful, alright? Leo set him off, he's unpredictable when he gets like this." Lucy warned Syd before moving to return his embrace. "Proud of you." She said softly. Lucy remembered it like it was yesterday dealing with Syd's own issues, he had come a long way since then and Lucy was truly proud. "I'll get this party jumping again." She said with a chuckle before moving to return back to the main room.

Spotting Stella, Lucy returned to the young woman and offered her a small smile. "I know what transpired was really shocking to see, it's not the worst thing to have to happen at parties like this." Lucy murmured to the girl with an amused grin. "I sense you are looking for the food, it's all in the kitchen, thank god we left it in there or we might have had a food fight on our hands. Would you help me bring some of it out to the main room?" Lucy asked lightly before gesturing for the woman to follow her towards the kitchen. "I really do apologize for the drama, unfortunately, we are never really short of it." Moving to grab the sweets and appetizers, she grabbed two trays and held them in both hands before smiling at Stella. "I promise we are gonna get those two boys straightened out. Do you want a little something stronger to drink? I feel like I could use something stronger, help calm the nerves." She said, smiling through it all for the sake of a guest despite her feeling pretty down. Hiding behind the role of the hostess was easier than dealing with what was really going on.
with: Stella BloodThunder27

Thomas practically ran into the backyard, desperate for the fresh evening air. He understood what he'd said to his mother and even though she probably wouldn't believe him, the guilt was eating at him. His chest heaved with each breath he took and as he lifted his hands, he saw how violently they were shaking. It was a miracle that he could stand but as a precaution, he chose to sit down on one of the benches in the garden. Letting out a low but loud whistle, a familiar bark could be heard and Thomas waited patiently as Lucky sprinted through the house to get to him. Once she arrived, he felt her nudge against his leg before sitting on her hind legs and placing two paws on his lap. Looking up to her face, Thomas sighed deeply and moved to stroke her fur comfortingly. She whined softly, clearly understanding that her owner was in distress as she allowed him to continue to pet her, keeping very still as he did.

Syd's voice made Lucky turn her head but Thomas didn't bother looking at him as he just continued to focus on his service dog. He shrugged lightly as his brother asked if he could join him, not bothering to scoot over because there was plenty of room on the bench. With Syd seated beside him, Thomas only turned his head to see Syd's silver cigarette case. With a trembling hand, the man slowly reached to grab it before opening it and taking one out. Not wanting to ask Syd for a lighter, Thomas sat up straighter to reach for his own lighter before placing the cigarette in his mouth and lighting it. Syd asked if he was alright and Thomas didn't answer him at first as he took a long drag. Syd continued on to say that he would feel much better if he were to get everything off his chest which Thomas darkly chuckled at. His brother then reminded him about Lucy and Thomas let out a sigh. He still had to tell her that he decided to be in Dublin permanently. "Leo punched me." Thomas told his brother, finally turning to him to reveal the dark bruise already forming on his jaw. "Nat was trying to get us to talk, stating that this party was an example of how little time we had left on this earth, so why spend it fighting?" Thomas scoffed. Taking another long drag from the cigarette, Thomas reached down to stroke Lucky's head once more and sighed. "He's pretty pissed with me, probably rightfully so since I acted like an asshole back there. But...I just snapped." Thomas said, looking to Syd openly, "I'm sure you understand well just how much someone throwing a punch at me can trigger me." Thomas shook his head and ashed the cigarette before moving it back to his mouth.

"I thought I had a handle on my shit, this...baggage my time in the marines placed on me. I thought I was doing well all things considering with the amount of psychotherapy I had been through and of course, lady Luck here being my tether to reality." He briefly smiled at his dog before frowning once more. "But now that I hit someone I know, someone who...I really cared about. I just don't know what to think. I didn't want to attack Leo...but I just acted on instinct. I'm acting on the same emotions I need to, to survive what I did."

"I just don't fucking understand what his problem is. Nat wanted us to talk it out, but how the fuck am I supposed to do that?! I can't even talk to dad and a conversation with mom goes to shit. I wasn't made to talk, I was made to do. That's all I know." Thomas explained, looking at his brother and wondering if he understood that. "How did you deal with this? I know what you went through...I know it's not exactly similar in how it began, but fuck, you are doing a lot better than I am. Mom can't stop talking about you and how well you are doing." Thomas said, a bit of resentment in his voice.
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Family Home - Dublin
Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan
Leo Sullivan

Ali watched as Leo tried to take deep breaths and calm himself down, his adrenaline running high. He was trying to pinpoint where his anger really lies and why he was so upset, but he was having a hard time doing so. He sat in a nearby chair with his head in his hands, bouncing his leg. The room was quiet for a moment, Ali looking between the other three people in the room waiting for some kind of explanation. Natasha was the first one to speak up and take the blame for the fight starting in the first place. Leo snapped his head up to look at her and noticed the look on her face. It was clear she felt bad about it and if he were being honest with himself, it wasn't her fault they were fighting. She was just trying to help out the two men in her life reconcile their issues and instead, he yelled at her for it. Leo was the one who really started the fight.

The moment her eyes started watering Leo took a deep sigh as his eyes softened. He had gone and exploded on someone innocent and in turn hurt her. Natasha meant a lot to him and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her in any capacity. He hadn't responded to her yet as he didn't know what to say and since he had already messed things up, he didn't want to make it worse. Instead, he just sat and listened to her speak and explain her reasoning for wanting to get involved. Now that he calmed down a bit, the guilt of everything had begun to settle. Punching Thomas, ruining the party, hurting Natasha, and possibly disappointing his parents. How were they going to trust him if he couldn't handle his temper?

He watched as Ali moved to comfort Natasha, something he should have been doing but he was sure she didn't want to be around him at the moment. Leo turned his attention to Conor once he yelled at him. As much as he wanted to say something he knew he should bite his tongue instead and just listen. Hearing about Ryan and Jackson again was the catalyst Leo needed to open his eyes to reality. He hadn't realized that amongst all the cousins he had, Thomas was the one he claimed as his best friend and vice versa. They had been together since diapers and now they weren't even talking. They argued in the past, but it had never come to blows and it had never been over something serious. But now that they had come to fighting he didn't know how or even if reconciliation would be possible.

After taking another deep breath, Leo stood up from his chair and hesitantly made his way over to Natasha. He knew she was pissed at him and hoped she would listen to him. He softly grabbed her elbow, willing to accept any refusal or for her to hit him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that when you were only trying to help... I'm man enough to own when I've been a dick and I was to you, so, I'm sorry." This wasn't his first time apologizing and it certainly wouldn't be his last, but he was always genuine in his apologies. When his father asked him to explain why the two of them were arguing, to begin with, he didn't even know where to being. Noticing that her son was either hesitating or stalling, Ali cleared her throat and crossed her arms. "Tell him." She stated with a stern voice. She knew Leo thought the whole thing was embarrassing and stupid, but Conor needed to hear the whole story.

Leo looked off to the side, still unable to look Conor in the eyes after his outburst. "A stupid misunderstanding. So goddamn stupid." He pinched the bridge of his nose again before explaining. "Before Thomas went missing, we sent letters back and forth to stay in contact. When Grams died and mom had her heart attack, I was so focused on that that I didn't have time to send them for a while. Thomas must have thought I was ignoring him or something. When I finally had a chance, I sent him a letter explaining everything and apologizing but he never got it because that was around the time he was taken. But before we knew about that, I thought he was being a prick about it. When we found out the truth I thought everything would be good, but apparently not. He thinks I owe him an apology, which I don't believe I do. He threw things out of proportion, not me."



Conor ( Misty Gray )
Natasha( Bellz )​

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti's Mansion
~ Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn ~

Gabriel Moretti​

Gabriel let out an irritated sigh as Teddy assured him he wanted to be involved with the business and went on to point out he'd proven himself over the years. The man was clearly looking for confirmation that he had indeed proved his worth in that time, but Gabriel tended to avoid showering grown-ups with praise. Still, Teddy was family and Gabriel had been making an effort to be less closed off with those closest to him. "Of course you've proved yourself, Theodore. If you hadn't, I wouldn't be keen for you to have more involvement and I'd gladly tell you to pack it in to become a housewife," he assured him, albeit not in the most conventional way of reassuring a person. He allowed his features to soften a little and sent his son-in-law a smile. "Sure, I'm concerned about my daughter, but the reason we're having this conversation is because I respect you and your input in the business. I just need to know you can be flexible enough to be around for the business when needed - not having to stay home to look after the kids because Valentina is working."

Gabriel was glad to hear Teddy say he was keeping an eye on Valentina, given her past traumas. Hopefully agreeing to babysit for the weekend would give the couple time to talk and allow Valentina to get some rest without three kids running around the place. Gabriel nodded when Teddy agreed to leave the electronics at home. Whilst sitting the kids in front of a television was an easy option, Gabriel didn't believe in taking shortcuts when it came to bringing up children. He'd rather know they were actively learning and getting some exercise, as well as being primed to be motivated and ambitious. He wanted his grandkids to grow into successful adults. When Teddy said he was the boss, Gabriel flashed a smirk. "Yes, I am," he agreed.

Teddy then lowered his voice and made it clear he wanted to move the conversation from personal to business. That was like music to Gabriel's ears as he could only take small talk in small doses. Gabriel walked with Teddy out of the room and led him into the conservatory overlooking the large garden and swimming pool. Sitting on the sofa opposite the one Teddy sat on, he listened as the man spoke about the Biancardis. "It was a shame I couldn't attend the funeral, but that would have been far too risky," he admitted. "Giovanni was easy to work with. Not a perfect ally, but I suspect nobody ever could be." Gabriel rubbed his chin when asked for his thoughts on doing business with Ricky. "Riccardo can be erratic and crude, at times, but I'm confident I can make it continue to work between this family and the Biancardis. Over the years, I've got a handle on the man and I think I know how to deal with him. Beneath all of the wisecracks, he's intelligent enough and it's all about appealing to his serious side. He also responds better to men he considers more his equals and less to those he deems authoritarian figures," he added. "Naturally, that means he's more inclined to be comfortable around and swayed by the likes of Damian than he is by me. And I think you'd be good at helping to keep him on side too," he suggested. "But what are your feelings on Riccardo being in charge?" he curiously asked.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Hotel
~ Manhattan, New York City ~

Matthew Moore​

Matthew had been laid back on the bed as he listened to Roxie talking on the phone with her kids. When the call ended, he shifted his gaze from the view out of the window so he could looked directly to his fiancee. Catching her sigh, he wondered which part of their day it was that was the most taxing for her. He sent her a subtle smile as she suggested they ordered room service instead of going out. "I'm up for that. At least we can sit back and relax together here," he reasoned. He sat up to mirror her seated position on the bed. His smile broadened when she said the kids sent their love. "That's sweet. Are they all doing okay?" he asked her. Matthew knew he didn't spoil the kids or give into their every request, not to mention he was a teacher - the least 'cool' kind of adult there could be in a kid's eyes. Still, he cared for all three of them very much and liked to think the feeling was mutual, that there was no resentment that Roxie wasn't still with their father.

When Roxie said she thought the kids might be lying about not causing any trouble, he let out a sigh of his own. He'd heard Roxie's parts of the conversation and that they wanted to stay with Syd for the rest of the weekend. He'd known about Syd's side of the family enough now to gather some insight into how the Sullivans did things. He put his arm around Roxie's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "There's enough grown adults at that party to make sure the kids don't do cause too much trouble. You know what it's like when Syd's family has parties - the kids are probably just having too much fun and a lot of sugar. They're probably not causing any trouble and are just going a little crazy with all of the excitement of the party. And if they are misbehaving, Syd is a grown man and I'm sure he's capable of telling them off. He probably doesn't want to worry you or maybe he doesn't want it to seem like he can't handle the kids without you there," he reasoned. "They'll be missing you too, Roxie. Once the fun and festivities are done, they'll be able to settle down and think about how much they miss you," he reassured her.

Matthew took the menu from Roxie and nodded as she said she was going to order pasta. Her choice seemed to plant the same idea in his own head, but he still made a point of reading over the menu in case something else took his fancy. He let out a light chuckle when she flirted with him, said he was pleasing to the eyes even when just reading a menu, "Maybe it's just the picture of the pasta you're finding pleasing to the eye," he said, tilting the menu and pointing to the said image. "It's worked on me, that's for sure..." he said. He then reached for the telephone on the bedside table and ordered in two pasta dishes for them.

Matthew put his arm around Roxie's shoulder again and rested his head against hers as she brought up the wedding. "I'm starting to feel hints of nerves creeping in, I have to admit. I think I might have to put in some extra sessions at the gym to work off all of the heavy food I've been eating in New York. That suit fitted me perfectly a week ago," he joked. "I'm glad it's all arranged now, so we can focus on looking forward to the big day... and the honeymoon," he said, looking forward to being on a warm beach. "My sisters are really excited about getting all dressed up for the wedding. I think they were planning on inviting you out for drinks soon but they're probably still arguing over which bar to go to."

He looked Roxie in the eyes and sent her a soft smile when the subject of the church came up. "I appreciate you compromising on that one, Roxie," he said, his face turning more serious. "I know we have different beliefs on that front and we respect each others. Whilst I don't want to have you do anything you're uncomfortable with, it's one thing I couldn't back down on. You know I'm easy going, but getting married anywhere but church wouldn't feel right. Not to mention, my folks would throw a fit. They'd probably disown me," he half-joked before placing a kiss on the side of her head. He raised a curious eyebrow when she spoke about how Father Healy creeped her out. "He's a good man and he's committed to his beliefs." It helped that their work at the school often meant they crossed paths and his family had been attending the same church since Silas' father was there giving sermons. Still, Matthew considered them friends and not just connected through the church and their work. "Do you really think I'd be associating with creeps?" he asked, letting out a small laugh. "The biggest thing we've got to worry about is keeping Ricky out of Silas' earshot. Your cousin comes out with some clangers on a normal day, but he's pretty scathing when it comes to God. Was that your father's doing too?" he asked pulling her in closer for comfort, knowing what Stefano had put her through in the past.

Bellz (Roxie)

 

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy​

Natasha appreciated the kindness that Conor and Aliana were extending towards her as she tried to take the blame for the situation that occurred. Conor insisted that she had nothing to apologize for and that she was trying to do what was best. That really was her intention. Talking about her father was extremely hard and in recent years, she tried to not talk about him at all. But she felt Leo needed to understand just how short life was, just how much could be lost to him. She felt that perhaps if she leveled with him in that aspect then maybe he would be able to see what she was trying to do. Conor reached out to rub her back gently and the blonde sent him a small smile of appreciation as he turned back to Leo and told him to listen to her.

Listening as he talked about losing both Ryan and her father in a matter of months made her gently close her eyes, forcing herself to not get lost in emotions. She understood the friendship Conor and her father had from conversations with her mother but to hear it from Conor's perspective made her want to give in to the tears. Conor then looked at her and told her that she hadn't ruined the party to which she nodded her head gently in acceptance. Leo then stood up from his chair and made his way towards her, she watched him apprehensively but allowed him to gently grab her elbow as he apologized. Natasha's eyes watched his closely and knew that the apology was genuine. Despite wanting to hold a grudge, she knew that Leo had a lot on his plate and even though he might argue that he didn't need her, she knew right now she needed to forgive him. "Apology accepted. You owe me, though." She said, a slight smile forming on her lips as she teased him. Conor then asked them to explain what was going on between Leo and Thomas and Natasha just watched Leo closely...expecting him to explain.

The room fell into silence for a long moment before Ali told her son to tell Conor what was going on in a firm voice. Natasha had heard the story before but she agreed just as much as Leo that the whole situation was stupid, that's why she didn't understand why either of them couldn't just makeup and apologize to one another. Once Leo explained everything, Natasha sighed. "I know you might not think you owe him an apology...but did you ever think that maybe in doing so would be the easiest way to be friends with him again?" She asked Leo openly. "If you are both apologizing to each other then neither of you should have your stupid boyish pride hurt. I'm not defending Thomas in any way, but he's been to hell and back in the last few years. From what I've heard his mind just isn't in the right place..."
with: Conor Misty Gray ; Ali + Leo Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau ​

Roxie looked at her fiancé with an amused expression as he said he was starting to feel nerves creeping in. "Uh oh, not gonna leave me at the alter, are you?" She asked teasingly before he said he might have to put in a few extra sessions at the gym. Patting his stomach lightly, she laughed as he said his suit fit him perfectly a week ago. "I'm afraid I'm on the same boat, if I keep eating the amount of pasta I do, my dress isn't going to lace up." She chuckled. She smiled softly as he said he was glad it was all arranged now, "You know me, planning freak. I couldn't have it any other way." She hummed in agreement about being able to focus on the big day and the honeymoon. Hearing that his sisters were excited about dressing up for the wedding was amusing and as he said that they planned on inviting her out for drinks but they were most likely arguing over which bar to go to, she laughed once again.

He voiced his appreciation for compromising on having the wedding in the church to which she said, "Anything for you." His face turned serious as he spoke about their different beliefs and that he normally wouldn't want her to do anything she was uncomfortable with. She shrugged indifferently at having to be put through something she wasn't comfortable with...that seemed to be her life now. "Can't have your folks disowning you now, it's no fun being an orphan." She lightly joked back. She knew Matthew would come to Father Healy's defense as they were friends and co-workers but Roxie just sighed. He asked if she thought he would really be associated with creeps and Roxie rolled her eyes, "No, you are far too perfect of a man to be involved with creeps." She murmured softly. Matthew spoke of Ricky's criticism of God and keeping him out of Silas's earshot before asking if his distaste for God was her father's doing as well. He pulled her closer and Roxie wrapped her arm around his chest as she thought about her father further.

"Unfortunately, yes. My father swore he was doing the Lord's work, using it as an excuse for nearly every wrongdoing...as if that was going to save him somehow." Roxie murmured. "My father was never very kind to me as you know, always wanted a son instead of a daughter...wanted me to get married to a devoted catholic." Roxie rolled her eyes, "Wanted me to be much like my mother, who didn't argue or even pay attention to what my father did...just kept her head down and was silent." Looking up at Matthew, her face was grim as she thought about her cousin. "I, of course, thought I was suffering the worst of his punishments...his hatred. But Ricky suffered far more than I did. He doesn't believe in God because why would God put him through what he went through? " Roxie wondered out loud before sighing. "I have always been pretty agnostic, organized religion has done nothing for me. But...there must be someone out there looking after me. Because I don't think I would have such a successful career, beautiful children, or an amazingly perfect fiancé in my life without at least something or someone changing things for me."

Roxie lifted Matthew's hand a placed a kiss on it gently before reaching up to kiss his lips. "In my darkest days, I felt like...perhaps I was being punished for being such a handful when I was younger. With Syd, unfortunately, there were a lot of dark days...too many to handle at one point for me. But I realize now that it was what I had to go through to get to this point...right here with you, in this hotel room...in this bed. Even with this new issue of the will, I know that I can handle it because I have you and the children for support. I don't know what I would do without any of you." Roxie cleared her throat after a moment and smiled at herself. "Gah, I'm getting all soft on you. Sorry about that." She said laughing lightly. "I really do love you very much, though. I am so excited to be able to call you my husband, for a moment, it seemed like I was destined to die alone...which honestly scares me." She admitted.
with: Matthew Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter​

Syd turned to face his brother when he showed him the bruise forming on his jaw, but kept his reactions to himself. He knew there had been tension between the two friends for a while, but didn’t realise it was bad enough to warrant a physical fight. From the way Thomas opened with what Leo had done to him, Syd didn’t expect to hear what he had done to provoke him, but as soon as his brother told him he had snapped, he decided that was all he needed to know. Syd let out a sigh, knowing all too well how quickly an emotion like that could take the reins. He had been dealing with PTSD ever since he had first joined the mob, when Thomas was just a newborn, on top of complicated grief from his late wife's passing, psychosis, major depression and long-undiagnosed borderline personality disorder. Being so far apart in age had made Syd especially protective of his brother, never wanting any harm to come to him, even if his own mental disorders caused him to lash out at him involuntarily. The bottom line was, he would never have wished such trauma on anyone, but especially his younger brother. He knew he would never fully comprehend the horrors that Thomas had faced during his time in Iran, and that saddened him. Joining the marines had been one of his first major decisions of his adult life and no matter how much Syd wished to protect him from harm, that was something he couldn’t get in the way of.

He looked at the dog sitting at Thomas’ feet when he pointed her out as being one of the things keeping him sane, but as soon as he heard that he had been to one to attack Leo, he couldn’t help but glance at his brother. However, when he was asked about his own situation, his gaze fell to the ground. “Thomas, you’ve taken a lot in your life, more than I can imagine,” he said. “So I’m sure you can take it when I say, this is going to be something that affects you forever. I’ve had 20 years of therapy and I’m still trying to figure out how to live with everything. I still have nightmares about things that happened before you even said your first word, there’s still stuff that haunts me, that I can’t forgive myself for. I still lose myself at times, sometimes in front of my kids. I know that it’s not ever going to go away, but there does come a point where you get used to combatting it, and that becomes second nature. You learn how to explain it to people so that they understand what to expect and you learn how to guide yourself out of a panic attack, or that when you’re in a bad state there are certain things you shouldn’t do, like get behind the wheel or drink or try to confront someone you love about some issue or whatever.”

Syd passed a hand over his eyes, unsure if what he was saying was helpful or even entirely true. “It doesn’t always work out like that, of course,” he added. “Sometimes it’s just too quick and you don’t have a chance to catch yourself before it’s too late. But T, the best - and worst - advice I can give you is that you’ve gotta let yourself feel it. You can’t try and bury this shit, you have to process it. Otherwise you’ll have more moments like just now when you punch someone you care about. I don’t know what it is for you. You know I don’t trust therapists - I talk to mine more now, but I still get moments of doubt so strong that it makes me feel sick.” As much as he wanted to help out his brother, the heaviness of the conversation was stirring up a lot of bad memories and he had to take a deep breath of the cool air to keep his thoughts straight. “For me it was mam. I’ve had her on speed dial ever since I first moved out. And anything I didn’t want to tell her, I’d tell Jackson. And now, I mostly just...do it on my own.” He turned to Thomas then, his encouraging smile dampened slightly by the sadness in his eyes. “I know it’s hard to talk when you’ve been conditioned not to, but I’d be happy to be that person for you, if you need it. I know I’m not the world’s most reliable guy, but I am your older brother and I would never want to leave you to suffer without doing everything I can to help you. You do know that, right?” He looked his brother over once again, from the depth of pain in his eyes to the red swelling on his jaw. "All you gotta do is page me, bro. We don't have to get all heavy if you don't want, we can just do whatever. It wouldn't be any effort for me."

Interactions
Bellz Thomas

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter ​

Thomas wasn't surprised in the slightest when his brother said that this was something that was going to affect his life forever. His therapist, of course, had told him the same thing when he often grew frustrated with himself for not doing better, for not healing properly. Listening to Syd as he said that after 20 years he was still trying to figure things out was oddly comforting to Thomas and a little strange. He really forgot how much older his brother was than him now that he was an adult. He stated that he still lost himself sometimes, even in front of his kids which Thomas frowned at. Thomas didn't ever see him having a family now that he was so messed up, he didn't want to put anyone through what he was going through. But from what he was told, his brother had thought the same before Roxie became pregnant. Syd told him that there was a point where combatting the emotions became second nature but Thomas didn't feel so sure that it ever would.

Thomas finished off the cigarette before letting out a heavy sigh, letting the smoke swirl in front of his face before being taken by the slight breeze. Dropping the cigarette to the ground, he stomped it out gently before hearing Lucky whine again. He felt calmer, but clearly, his dog didn't agree so he placed his hands back on her head to stroke her ears lightly. Syd told him that he just had to let himself feel whatever it was he was feeling but Thomas just didn't think it was that easy. But when he explained that if he didn't, he'd have more moments where he took his anger out on people he cared for, Thomas glanced his way. Syd said he didn't trust therapists, which Thomas knew well. He said that it was their mom who helped him get through things and if not her, then Jackson. Then he explained how he just does it on his own. He then offered to be that person for him if he needed it to which Thomas thought about for a long moment. Thomas didn't want to tell him but for a long time, he resented Syd. There were pivotal parts of Thomas's life where Syd had taken over his parent's attention leaving Thomas in the dust...

Syd asked if Thomas knew he would do anything to help him and the younger man nodded his head. He knew Syd was there for him, despite all the issues he had. Like all of his family, Syd would be there...he didn't doubt it. "Thanks, bro" Thomas said, letting a smirk appear on his face at calling his older brother that. "I would extend the same thing to you, but I'm afraid I'm not used to anyone like this..." Thomas murmured gently.

"How's mom?" He asked then, "I...I told her to fuck off...her and I, we aren't as close as you are with her." Thomas said lightly. "I just feel like she gets too much into my shit when I really just need to figure out things for myself...like I have been for a while now. She is just so...suffocating sometimes." Thomas said before shaking his head. "I understand where her heart is...I just can't deal with it sometimes." He sighed rubbing Lucky lightly before looking at Syd. "She doesn't know yet, but I talked to Uncle Conor before the fight...I uh, asked for a chance at a job here. He's making me tell mom...which I know it's not going to go down well. Best save it for tomorrow when things have cooled down."
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King​

Spencer let out a dry laugh when Erik said Billy was a party animal. "Ah, come on. It's bad enough having Alex living up the irresponsible life, let's not encourage Billy too," he remarked, shaking his head. "And keep it in your damn pants until you find someone to settle with. I'm all for loads of nieces and nephews, but not ones we have to fight to see!" he remarked, clearly referring to the Callum arrangements. When Erik mentioned not wanting to settle down, Spencer casually shrugged his shoulders. "Well, you've still got time to piss about yet. Maybe you'll change your tune in a few years" he suggested. Despite his seriousness, Spencer was glad Billy and Erik were getting along. He knew having one of Morettis own extended family and mafia members on side could only prove useful to the Kings. The Sullivans were more powerful than the London family were at present, so having the Morettis as allies could benefit the Kings if things were to kick off. Given the fragile relationship between the Kings and the Sullivans, Spencer expected troubles were highly likely at present. The Irish might be brutal and they might have more weight behind them, but Spencer wasn't willing to hold his tongue if they pissed him off. "And we're not getting a fucking dancefloor in here," he said, turning to Billy. "Unless you want people to end up getting impaled with darts whilst prancing around in the way! Fuck that, boys. Snooker table is next on the list."

Spencer nodded to Erik when he gave reassurance that Savannah wasn't likely to run off with Callum as she was the family type. "I bloody hope not," he apprehensively told him. When Harper approached them, Spencer put a brotherly arm around her for a quick hug. When she mentioned the masculine energy, he couldn't help laugh. "Ah, come on. Get some pints down you and listen to the footy match with them lot," he said, pointing to the far corner of the pub where a group of rowdy men were huddled around the battery operated radio. He'd made a mental note to check later that the men in question weren't illegally betting on the game whilst in his pub, because then they'd owe him a cut for putting his reputation at risk.

Harper pointed out that Savannah was probably trying to enjoy spending time with her family, which Spencer couldn't really blame the Irish woman for. "Yeah, I get that..." he agreed with her. When his sister went on to mention how Alex had hurt the woman and seemed unsurprised that Savannah might return to Dublin, Spencer shook his head. "Don't worry, she ain't going to Dublin. Or if she is, she can leave Callum here." Billy also spoke up to say Savannah's life was in London and that was where Callum belonged. "See, Harper. Callum's a little Londoner. He belongs here with his dad and us lot."

Spencer's attention was soon directed to Shona when she entered the pub. He sent her a boyish smile before she greeted him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hey, babe," he replied moving in to return her kiss. "Not long now and you'll be allowed to have as much whiskey as you want," he assured her. Spencer watched as Billy rushed to get Shona a drink and a comfortable chair, then once they were comfortably seated, he continued speaking with his wife. He turned to face her directly and listened to only her voice as she told him about her day, hanging onto her every word as she pulled him in closer. "Shirley? Alright, I can remember that name... Twins? Balls to that, I think one's going to be enough for us for now! Good luck to her." Spencer looked to Harper as Shona addressed his sister. "Ah, yeah. Women need more women because too much masculinity here," Spencer said, making his voice deeper and flexing his biceps for effect. "You should try getting Sav involved too. Give her more incentive to stick around London and instead of shafting us lot."

Spencer smiled reassuringly at Shona when she asked him if he was okay. "I'm okay," he confirmed with a nod. He took a long drink from his pint before setting the glass back down on the table. "Work was alright today. The boring suit-and-tie meetings went well this morning and the afternoon stuff was all pretty standard really. No dramas to report today," he said with a mischievous smile. "Only thing that pissed me off was my call to Sav. She wouldn't say when she was coming home and it bugged me because I was planning on us having Callum over this weekend, even if Alex is too busy doing his own thing," he complained. "I don't want Callum growing up not knowing much about his dad or resenting him. My dad's a piece of shit waste of space, but Alex isn't anything like him, even if he does make some mistakes." Spencer let out a sigh before resting his arm across the back of Shona's chair and gently rubbing her shoulder. "At least our little kid ain't going to have anything to worry about. World's best Mum and Dad are sitting right here," he playfully told her.

Bellz (Harper)
Melanin-Gxdess (Erik)
Pyroclast (Shona, Billy)

 

[Pyroclast]

Danny Vaughan​

Danny couldn’t help but smile when she mentioned the modelling shoots. He couldn’t help but be slightly in awe of her and all of her achievements. Just like she had dreamed, she had become a star of the stage and the screen, and was featuring in magazines on top of it all. Between her career and her family life - at least, raising a child - it sounded to him like she was doing really well for herself. To hear that she was hoping to find work in Ireland and get out of London was even better. “I’m sure whatever you decide to do, it’ll be with yours and Callum’s best interests at heart,” he said. “I hope if you do land the role, you’ll find yourself feeling at home here again. Alex aside, your family will be glad to have you live close again, I’m sure. And if it means you and me getting to talk again, then I’ll be glad, too. It really is good to see you again, Sav.”

Her blush made his smile broaden, and he was just on the border of blushing himself when a little boy came running into the room. He addressed Savannah as ‘mummy’, so Danny instantly knew that it was Callum he was looking at. According to the little messenger, there had been a physical fight between two of the younger men in the family, both of whom Danny knew faintly but not well. He found it endearing that Savannah had taught the boy that violence was wrong and hurting other people wasn’t a nice thing to do. Danny sat patiently while Savannah set her son on her knee and introduced them to each other. “It’s great to meet you, Callum,” he said with a warm smile. There was a brief pause as the boy stared at him, before saying hi and asking him if he liked football. Without much of a choice, Danny grinned and said, “Oh, I love it. You know, I have a lot of family around your age, and every time I visit them I go in as a guest player on their team." Leaning in slightly, he shielded his mouth with his hand and whispered, "But they’re much better at it than me because I’m so old!” He flashed his eyes at Savannah as he settled back into his seat, before looking back to Callum. "So are you gonna be a footballer when you grow up, Callum?"

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah, Callum

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Erik Snowden
~London~

"A pub is just the first destination of many during a night of proper debauchery!" When he mentioned him getting on the bar and dancing, Erik raised his eyebrows and pretended to start climbing. "Don't tempt me with a good time; you know I'll do it." After taking yet another shot, Erik leaned against the bar on his elbow, linking his fingers together. It was still early in the night which meant he could take his time to enjoy the people he was around. The scandalous night ahead of him could wait for a few more hours. Spencer asked about their activities, to which Billy answered for him. It wasn't until he used the word 'ponce' that he grinned at him. The reason was, of course, hidden but he couldn't help himself. 'Oh, if only you knew the truth, love.' He thought to himself.

It had taken Erik some time to catch up to the vernacular of Londoners, but he had heard the word enough to know what it meant. He knew it was derogatory and while most would be offended, he hadn't been. Billy didn't know about Erik's habits, so it wasn't like he was saying it personally. Instead he shot the man a wink with no explanation before turning to Spencer. He wasn't even going to say anything back to Billy, letting him ponder on what exactly it was he was grinning and winking about. "Don't listen to him, I don't think his head's on right. This is a manly place and there's no dancing in manly places." He joked, raising his glass to his lips to hide his smirk. Once he sat the glass back down, he took another shot and decided it would be his last. It was about his fourth or fifth and if he was going to make it the the other clubs, he should stop now. Though now that he thought about it, he was feeling the effects of the drugs creeping their way to his mind. He cleared his throat so he wouldn't think about it while joining in on the conversation.

The way Spencer spoke about Savannah and wanting Callum in London made Erik feel as if he downright hated the Sullivans. Based on what he knew and from what he was told, the Sullivans had been quite the force to be reckoned with and not everyone liked them. The only thing that kept the King family and the Sullivan's for fighting in the first place had been Savannah's relationship anyway. Now that it was over, he often wondered how long the pleseantries would last. Something to report back to Moretti, he thought, making a note to remember for later. His attention was grabbed by Shona, offering her a smile and speaking before she took Spencer's attention away from the group. A part of him was glad she was speaking to Spencer at the moment. Children made him uncomfortable, unborn ones even more so. Erik took this moment to turn to Billy with a cheeky grin. "So what's Billy the Kid up to tonight? You going to put on a nice kettle of tea then turn in early like a sweet, old lady?"

Spencer ( Misty Gray )
Billy ( Pyroclast )
​

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor was glad to see Leo making his way over to Natasha and admitting to his mistakes. He sent Aliana a long look as he listened to their son apologising for yelling at the poor girl. Whether she accepted the apology or not was her right to decide, but Conor respected his son for stepping up to apologise to her, either way. Conor looked to Natasha as she took in Leo's apology and he was relieved to hear her accept his son's apology. Any family of Jackson's was family to Conor and since his best friend's death he'd made a point of ensuring Natasha was okay. It was always going to be much easier to ensure the girl was happy when she and Leo were on good terms!

Conor glanced to Aliana when she told Leo to explain. For a moment it seemed like his son wasn't going to do so, but then he spoke up. He explained how things had started from when Thomas went missing and a misunderstanding about letters not being received or responded to. That misunderstanding had escalated to where things were at present with matters being thrown out of proportion.

"I think Natasha is right, mate," Conor said, letting out a sigh. "You might not think you owe him an apology and if I'm understanding what you've told me, then I don't think you do as far as not sending letters when you were grieving. It was a misunderstanding and after everything that's happened tonight and leading up to this, you both now owe each other an apology. But someone's got to apologise first, to break the ice. Thomas is struggling at the moment, with everything that happened while he was gone. You might need to be the one to take the lead on it and maybe you will open things up for you both to talk it out, both acknowledge what happened and apologise to each other. Otherwise, things will just get worse and you might not be able to get that friendship back. Is your friendship with Thomas important to you?" he posed the question for Leo to consider. "All I know is I wouldn't give up on trying to restore a friendship like that."

Conor could feel the heaviness weighing down in his own heart and he knew he didn't want to face that. "I'll let you give it some thought," he said as he edged towards the door. He figured Leo and Natasha might want to talk to each other after what had just happened. Stepping out of the conservatory, he walked through the house, checking everything had calmed down and acknowledging the guests as he passed them by. His legs eventually took him back to his office where he knew he could get some peace for for a short time, to recharge. Over the years he'd done well at locking away his grief, instead channelling it into motivation to do whatever it took to keep his family and business safe, no matter how much of his heart he had to cut out to do it. But thinking of Jackson and Ryan, on top of just burying his mother a few days ago, it was hard to ignore the pieces of him their deaths had taken away. Not to mention, the fact he was starting to see the signs his son had taken on the part of himself he'd hoped Leo wouldn't inherit; the aggression and hot-headedness. The last thing he wanted was for Leo to make the same mistakes he had when he was his age.

Melanin-Gxdess (Leo, Aliana)
Bellz (Natasha)

 

[Pyroclast]

Billy and Shona King​

“Sweet old lady?” he scoffed. “You’re drunk, mate.” Slugging the last of his pint, Billy slammed it down on the bar enthusiastically and turned to Erik with a playful frown. “Why don’t us two ever go out, Erik? I can’t have you thinkin’ I’m some boring old person who turns the lights off at 9 o’ clock. You clearly ain’t got a clue what I’m made of.” He flashed a knowing look at Erik as he poured himself another shot to chase down his last pint and at the sight of his friend’s cheeky grin he felt a laugh rise up in him that almost made him unable to swallow his whiskey. “Seriously though, do you have friends you go out with? Or do you get more chicks if you go out on your own? I’m just picturing you getting hammered and tearing up the dancefloor and I’m just amazed that I’ve never seen it before. I bet the ladies love you, with those blue eyes of yours and that Hollywood jawline.” With a teasing smirk, he reached out and knocked Erik’s cheekbone with his knuckles. “And that exotic accent you’ve got going for you. That’s the real reason you stuck around in London so long, innit? You’ve got something no one else has.” Billy poured himself another shot and this time it went down smoothly, by now accustomed to the burn. “No, we’re going out tonight. You’ve bragged too much about this dancing and now I’ve gotta see it.”

It meant a lot to Shona that Spencer seemed open to the idea of welcoming a potential new friend into their circle. His comment about the twins made her giggle but what really stuck with her when he talked about sticking with their one child were the words ‘for now’. Even though their child hadn’t been born yet, she still felt that she was seeing him as a father; the way he looked after her throughout her pregnancy and came with her to the hospital appointments - work-permitting, anyway - and the excitement that the couple shared for raising a child together. It warmed her heart to imagine that someday they might have more than one.

Shona tutted when Spencer expressed his disappointment at the phone call with Savannah. “Oh, go easy on her,” she advised. “She’s grieving, the poor thing. Besides, isn’t negotiating supposed to be one of your strengths? I’m sure you can make some kind of deal - he stays with her a while longer than usual just this once, then he can be here for a little longer in return.” She looked to Harper and shook her head before squeezing her husband’s waist and returning her eyes to him. “Let me talk to her. Maybe she’s finding it hard to come back to London without her grandma here. Harper and I will invite her back and organise a nice girls day out to help her adjust while you lot can spend some with Callum. Does that sound fair?”

A blush came to her cheeks when Spencer told her they would make the best parents and she looked down at her belly with a fond smile. She knew that her husband’s career tended to be demanding and unpredictable, and wasn’t ignorant to the fact that he often had to rely on violence to get a job done, but from the way he treated her she had no reason to doubt his ability to raise a child with love and support. They may have their disagreements from time to time, but she never felt like she couldn’t handle her husband. He never made her feel threatened or intimidated, even during an argument. In a way, her own father had primed her to deal with aggression. It took a lot to scare her, now. “Our kid will be surrounded by love and nothing less,” she confirmed. “You’re nothing like your dad and I’m nothing like mine. I can’t wait to put this little baby in your arms. And then get myself a fat whiskey!”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer
Bellz Harper
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

 

[Misty Gray]

Hotel
~ Manhattan, New York City ~

Matthew Moore​

Matthew's expression turned sad as Roxie said it wasn't any fun being an orphan. "I know it's not the same, but my parents will do whatever they can to make you feel welcome in my side of the family. That includes inviting us over for dinner and serving insanely large portions to us," he said with a soft laugh. It had been difficult getting his religious and old-fashioned parents on board when he announced his engagement to Roxie. The fact she was a single mother, affiliated with the mob, and didn't practice Catholicism had made them apprehensive about the whole thing. It turned out that all it took to make them see reason was to explain to them how much he loved Roxie and that nothing they could say would change that. Having always been an agreeable son, the fact Matthew had stood up to them had been enough to put them in their place and accept the upcoming marriage.

Matthew couldn't help but laugh at his own expense when Roxie said he was too perfect. It wasn't the first time someone had said it to him, so he'd learned to let it go over his head. When Roxie said it, he found it amusing anyway. He frowned as she spoke of how Stefano had used religion to justify his own wrongdoings. Matthew didn't like it when people hid behind their religion and committed terrible things in its name. "Well, you might be marrying a Catholic, but I would never want you to be silent. Your voice is just as important as any man's. Probably more important than my own, to be fair," he joked.

Matthew met Roxie's gaze as she looked up to him with a grim expression. She spoke of the abuse Ricky had been through and how his suffering had led to him turning his back on God. Matthew supposed he could understand that in as much as he could never claim to truly understand what Ricky had been through. It was because of the things Roxie had told him of her cousin's past suffering that Matthew was often inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. For all of the crass comments and blasphemy, Matthew told himself it was coming from the mouth of a troubled soul. Besides, he felt like he and Ricky were getting along now the ice had been broken and they understood more about each other.

Matthew returned Roxie's kiss with a gentle one of his own, smiling once they moved back from the gesture. "I think you're right, Roxie, that everything you've been through was the path intended for you to end up right where you are. You've been tested and put through so much, but you've come out of it a strong and amazing woman. Of course, there were dark days with Syd, but there had to be goods ones too and look at the three wonderful gifts you were given. Your relationship with Syd didn't work out, but it was an important part of your journey. Had any of your past not happened, unfortunately even the traumatic parts, we wouldn't have come to cross paths here in Dublin."

Matthew softly rubbed Roxie's arm and kissed the side of her head once again. "You can get as soft on me as you won't, Roxie," he reassured her. "I love you too. You've brought so much warmth and happiness into my life. I wouldn't be 'Mr. Perfect' without you to complete me," he playfully told her. "You're not going to die alone. I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have found you. I'm excited to spend the rest of my life with you and the kids."

Bellz (Roxie)