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

[Bellz]

Julia Avvocata
(OG Scarlet Witch)
The Windsor Hotel (Upstairs)
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

Julia understood just who Gabriel was and just how paranoid the man could be. He was more paranoid than someone on an acid trip 99% of the time. Despite knowing this, it irritated Julia that he had so little trust in them, after all these years. But, as Julia looked at Ricky in the mirror she was staring into, no longer focusing on her lipstick...she could see the slightest bit of doubt in his eyes. Julia's jaw set, not in irritation or in anger at what she saw, but in a troubled way that had her thinking about how they were both going to get out of this if Ricky decided to go AWOL. While Julia firmly believed the Sullivans deserved everything they would get, she knew she couldn't force Ricky to do something he didn't want to.

An amused smirk graced her face as her boyfriend told Damian to relax, he at least sounded convincing as he said that he knew what needed to be done. The back and forth between them was quickly getting old but soon Damian turned to point at her in the mirror. "Bonus points for Syd and Conor huh? How many are we talking about here?" Julia asked no one in particular as he went on to say that he could have made the whole thing into a competition. For some reason, out of all the things she had done in her life...that sentence sounded...sick to her.

She didn't comment further, just pretending to fix a smudge on the corner of her lips as Damian mentioned not liking to babysit the two of them, having thought favorably of them in their time together. "Are you calling us your Best Friends Forever, Dame? Looks like you've gone soft." Julia hummed, her eyes not focusing on either of the men behind her as Damian then told them to hurry and finish getting ready. With that, he left the bedroom.

Ricky commented on what Damian said before and Julia pouted as he walked closer to her. Turning to face him, the pout was still prevalent as she shook her head, "You're not messed up, Ricky. No matter what anyone says, you're perfect the way you are and I wouldn't love you if you were any different." He placed a kiss on top of her head and Julia's eyes closed for a second as she hummed in contentment. When her eyes opened, his lips were near her ear and her eyes stared toward the window of the bedroom. The words sent a chill down her spine. Could this really be it for them? The look in his eyes from before, what was he planning? "Ricky?" She whispered back, "What are you doing? Whatever it is...please let me help." The desperation in her voice made her want to wince. She sounded weak as if she was running out of options but that was the reality of it. This could be the last time they saw each other alive.

Without thinking about it too much, Julia wrapped her arms around Ricky, burying her head into his shoulder as she mumbled, "Whatever you do, we do it together. What could is saving myself if you aren't with me in the end?" The tears surprisingly burned at her eyes, threatening to fall over. Grinding her teeth, she managed to keep them from falling as she pulled away to look into his eyes, silently willing him to tell her what he was doing.
with: Ricky Misty Gray

Roxie Carriveau (Morticia Addams)
Lucy Porter (French Showgirl)
The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

Roxie had sensed the anxiety radiating off of Syd before she had even approached him but when she was standing in front of him, it hit her like a punch to the face. He was staring at her now, not answering her question that was pointed toward his costume. She shifted from foot to foot lightly, wondering if she had something on her dress that she couldn't see. When the brunette worked up the nerve to ask him if he was okay, ready to handle any anxiety he would lay on her, he answered her but only partially. When she suggested distracting Lucy from the stress, it seemed like Syd was game for it as he flashed her a smile and took her hand.

Before they could reach his parents, however, the man pulled her to the side, his head shaking. That's when what she knew he had on his mind came to the surface. "A mistake? Syd, this place is more secure than Fort Knox in the States. We can double-check with security if that'll make you feel better, I don't mind going with you." She said, trying her best to soothe his nerves.

Lucy had been tempted to just ditch the party, it was so easy to just walk out. But she knew that Syd would need her at some point during the night, not for party planning, but for easing his anxiety that she was sure was building more and more by the second. Roxie and she had a private chat well before the party on how they could both best contribute to helping him out and Lucy was ready to help when she was needed. When James suggested that the waiters were distracted by the way she looked, Lucy's cheeks turned bright red. "I do look pretty good in this don't I?'" She hummed before jutting her hip out to one side as she stood, "I may not be 24 anymore but I think I still got it." The blonde turned redhead said with a dazzling smile before her husband told her to relax earning a scoff from her. "I hate it when you're right, but I guess I could relax. At least for now." Lucy said but that relaxing she was meant to be doing had turned into an anxious observation rather quickly.

James knew exactly what she was referring to, of course, and was quick to soothe her own little bout of anxiety by saying he would check it all out himself in a bit. He expertly diverted her attention to the costumes, which caught her attention for only a moment. "Well I guess I would have to say...." She thought about it for a moment but when Syd's worried face popped into view with Roxie following behind, all thoughts of judging costumes went out the window.

Roxie had an apologetic look on her face as she made eye contact with James and Lucy, a small smile forming as she greeted them silently. Before Lucy could ask her son what was wrong, Syd suggested that they take the party back to their house. While Lucy had been thinking the same as her son, she knew she couldn't support the idea of moving the whole party now. The irrational part of her insisted on doing the same, but Lucy knew that it would be hard to do so. "Move the party? Syd, love? Is something the matter? Your father and I were just talking about doing a security sweep, would that make you feel better? Could put this old cowboy to use, he's itching to make his rounds." Lucy said to her son, placing a hand on his shoulder delicately to try to soothe him. Roxie smiled as she took in both James and Lucy's outfits. "You both look just lovely. As I was telling Syd, I think we have more security at this gala than at any military base. But it doesn't hurt to check things again. Would that help ease some of this stress, Syd?" Roxie looked at the man, her eyes searching his. Moving the party would be difficult now, but if needed they could wrap things up early. "We could make this a quick gala, have the after party at your parent's house if they are willing to host it." She suggested.
with: Syd Pyroclast ; James Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan and Dermot Murphy
(Hulk Hogan and James Bond)​

When asked which James Bond he was, Dermot sat back and casually shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, well. It's got to be Sean Connery, hasn't it? It's quite right you'd pick up on that," he answered, though opted to give no context or reasoning behind his choice. "I could take up the mantle for myself, but it sounds like too much effort. The antics of Dublin keep me busy enough."

With Conor gone, Dermot maintained his comfortable posture, taking a moment to observe their surroundings again before lighting up a cigarette. He took in a drag from the cigarette as Aliana began to address him in private. He blew out a trail of smoke as she playfully spoke of a debrief. Raising a curious eyebrow, an amused smirk crossed his face as he wondered what Aliana had to say to him. He nodded along when he was thanked for protecting Michelle, though her winking made it clear she was getting at him doing more than just what he was paid to do. "Oh, I'm a very professional man, Mrs. Sullivan," Dermot coolly assured her, taking another drag from his cigarette. "I put my work and the safety of your family first, I can assure you. Nothing will affect that," he told her. When she went on to say his secret was safe, he nodded in understanding. "I appreciate your discretion," he replied, though wasn't going to openly admit to sleeping with Michelle.

Conor meanwhile listened as Michelle confirmed she'd been hoping to have someone to hang out with. "Well, your other cousins are here. Savvy and Brady might not be as chaotic as Em, but I'm sure they'll keep you entertained... Of course, me and Ali are where the fun is at, so you're welcome to stay with us." He heard his daughter's mumbling about Dermot claiming to be Bond. "Yeah, the lazy bastard says he's Bond. Reckons he's a huge fan, but we'll see about that. I've watched all of the movies," he mischievously assured her.

When Michelle brought up the topic of her position in the Mayor's office, Conor looked to her with curiosity. Politics wasn't something he cared for even if he had to rub shoulders with those in the field and keep them under the thumb. Back in the 60s James got involved with a Mayoral candidate and things hadn't worked out well when the IWU were involved with their own ideas. Still, the Sullivan-ruled Dublin at present had no notable enemies on its soil like it had done back then. "Of course, love. We can discuss that privately. There's all kinds of people here tonight that we wouldn't want overhearing."

When Michelle approached them and rushed to hug Aliana, Dermot sat back in his seat in a casual manner as he watched on. It didn't escape his attention when the younger woman practically pushed her costume's tail in his face as she took her seat between him and Aliana. Maintaining a neutral expression, he sent Conor an amicable nod as the man sat back down to his other side. Turning to Michelle when she addressed him, he flashed a smile at her. "Oh, that's okay. I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't let a lady take my drink. I'm sure you'll enjoy it almost as much as I would have," he teased.

Conor sent Aliana a glance before turning back to Dermot. "So, what's your favourite Bond film?" he quizzed the man.

"Ah, that's easy. It has to be Goldfinger." He then cleared his throat as he made a point of checking around them again, not forgetting he was still on the job, even if Michelle was now sat close by. "How about you ladies? Are you into James Bond?" he asked, hoping to distract Conor from turning the evening into an episode of Mastermind. "My daughter would be banging on about sexism and misogyny if she knew we were talking about the legendary Mr. Bond."

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
BasDorcha (Michelle)

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Savannah Callahan
(Supergirl)​

Savannah felt happy as she watched Danny and Braden interact, with her boyfriend giving her brother a friendly hug. It meant a lot to her that her family accepted Danny, especially as things hadn't been that way when she was dating Alex. This time, she was in love with a man who felt the same way and the fact her family liked Danny made it all seem so perfect for once.

"I was all ready to come dressed as a Disney princess, but Callum was having none of that idea," Savannah confirmed to Braden. She stared wide-eyed at her brother as he seemed shocked that she'd guessed his costume was Spock. "What?!" she asked, with a pout. As he began to tell Danny he needed to educate her on Star Trek, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I only just got my head around Star Wars, don't make me endure Star Trek too... Like I would confuse you with Han Solo. You couldn't match Harrison Ford, I'm afraid," she commented, clearly suggesting the actor was attractive. She then let out a scoff when Braden claimed he was dressed as the hottest character in Star Trek. "Dream on!" she softly teased him.

Savannah listened as Braden explained how he and Amy had met. Linking her arm with Danny's, she nodded along when he explained how his stupid behaviour had got him injured to where Amy needed to help treat him. Although there were many ways she could engage in sisterly teasing in that moment, Savannah decided against it, not wanting to belittle the cute story and the new relationship her brother had. When Amy then went on to speak out how Braden - or Kirk - had saved her from aliens, Savannah couldn't help but grin throughout. "Oh my god, you both understand all of this Star Trek stuff. A match made in heaven!" she remarked.

When Amy led Braden to go get drinks, Savannah turned to Danny and spoke quietly. "They're both geeks. How perfect!" she gushed. Having given her brother and Amy a head start to get the alien hostage chatter out of their systems, Savannah took Danny's hand. "How about we get drinks too? They haven't gotten away from us that easily," she remarked.

Pyroclast (Danny)
Bellz (Braden)
BasDorcha (Amy)

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

James Porter
(Cowboy)​

Lucy had been about to answer James' question about the costumes but both of them had their attention directed to Syd and Roxie as the couple approached them. The anxiety in his son was written all over his face. Having only just managed to distract Lucy from her worries, James knew he now had his work cut out trying to relax Syd too. He furrowed his brow as his son suggested moving the party to their house. If he had his own way, they'd finish the gala early and call it a day, not even extending the party back home, but he knew that was just his grumpy old man thoughts taking control. "Why the sudden change of heart, Syd?" James asked, keen to hear if there was a specific reason for his son's anxiety that he also needed to be aware of.

With Lucy's mention of the security sweep, James felt more inclined to go check everything now. Hell, he'd certainly feel more at home doing what resembled his old job rather than forcing himself to be in the party spirit. Reaching to retrieve his cowboy hat, James placed it back on his head. "This old man's work is never done," he remarked, flashing a smile to try ease the tension.

James listened as Roxie echoed the idea of making the gala quick and returning to the Porters' house to continue the party. "Let's take it one step at a time. I'll go do a sweep of my own and check in with the guys on security, then report back if I have any concerns. Yeah?" he offered, looking between the three. "You all just relax and let me do the worrying." Regardless of their answers, James leaned in to kiss Lucy on the lips before stepping away, leaving the ladies in Syd's hands for the time-being.

As he left the ballroom, James headed in the direction of the men's bathroom, but he soon walked past the room completely and headed up the stairs to where the small balconies were located. He was sure their security would have them covered, but he wanted to check in on it for himself. He passed a number of guests, some whose faces were visible and others concealed by masks or thick make-up, but all seemed to be acting casual enough to be of little concern. James was, however, surprised by the lack of Sullivan security watching over the box balconies that overlooked the ballroom. As he took a moment to look over the dancefloor from balcony number three, he scanned over the whole area from his vantage point. He managed to spot all of his family members who were in attendance as well as noting where security was stationed around the ballroom. He tried to catch Dermot's eye, but the man's focus was split between the Sullivans and checking on the area around them. Looking back to where Adam and Chase were, James decided to return downstairs to get them to tighten security. Even if they were off-duty, he expected they'd want to fix whatever failure had left the balconies unattended.

Pyroclast (Syd)
Bellz (Lucy, Roxie)

The Windsor Hotel - Upstairs
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Gabriel Moretti and James Porter
(Grim Reaper and Cowboy)​

FLOORPLAN:

Spoiler: CHECK IT

Gabriel and Teddy made their way downstairs from their hotel room until they were on the first floor, where the balconies overlooking the ground floor ballroom were situated. Their eyes were soon caught by the heavy set guard whose face was concealed by a mask depicting a werewolf. Walking towards him, they were soon directed into the empty office across from the balcony openings.

With the Sullivan guards who had been watching the balconies taken care of, the Moretti employee turned werewolf had little to stand in his way. He watched as James entered one of the balconies but didn't rush to grab the man yet. After taking some time to observe his surroundings, the only men close enough to be paying attention were Moretti's own. Just as James was about to turn around, the large man wrapped a rope around his neck and forcefully dragged him backwards. James was forced to stay up his feet as he clutched at the rope to stop it from choking him completely. In the panicked rush, he soon found himself being thrown onto the ground inside an office. The door was heard closing behind him as the Moretti guard stepped out of the room. Catching his breath, James couldn't help but cough up as he tried to overcome the effects of being practically strangled.

James stumbled up to his feet and turned to see the Grim Reaper and Michael Myers standing between him and the door. If it weren't for the dire situation, James might have found it somewhat amusing. "Moretti sent you, did he?" he asked, his voice now hoarse.

"Something like that," Gabriel replied, his thick Italian accent and familiar voice immediately registering with James. Before the Irishman could react, Gabriel brought his gun into view and aimed it straight towards James' skull. "No speeches this time." Gabriel fiercely told James as he pulled the Grim Reaper mask from in front of his face, at least wanting James to see the face of the man who would finally kill him. "You're done..." the Italian's voice trailed off, seeming oddly strained rather than full of the usual confidence and assertion.

As he prepared to squeeze the trigger, the severe, stabbing headache returned. In the moment as he felt the vision in one eye blurring and a dizziness approaching, Gabriel pulled the trigger of the gun. Then again and again. Then another desperate squeeze of the trigger before his right arm weakened and his hand let go of the gun. Gabriel collapsed against Teddy, trying to grab the man for support as he fell onto his knees. "Theodore--" he gasped out as he clutched at his numb right arm with his left hand. "Need to go..." They needed to make a quick exit but it became evident Gabriel wasn't in a position to rush out of there as planned.

James, meanwhile, had also collapsed onto the floor. Gabriel's apparent stroke had meant his aim was thrown off. Instead of taking any bullets to the skull, James had still taken a bullet to the abdomen, hip and left knee, the fourth of the bullets missing completely. Clutching at the wound in his abdomen, James remaining face down on the floor as he sounded to be straining for breath. Knowing he'd avoided an instantly fatal wound, he knew he may be able to buy himself some time to either figure how to retaliate or to play dead, especially with Gabriel and Teddy now having their own problems to face. If the Italian's dropped gun had landed close by, James would have at least attempted to fire back.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
& Balcony 4
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Riccardo Biancardi and Damian Nicolosi
(Deathstroke and The Joker)​

Ricky couldn't ignore the desperate pleas from Julia, asking him to tell her what he was planning on doing. The fact was, he hadn't yet decided or formulated a plan for what he was doing. He knew that the plan was to kill Roxie and let all havoc then play out around the ballroom. He'd been told there would be Moretti guards stationed both within the guests in the ballroom and in various vantage points from the balconies, so if he didn't kill Roxie he knew they'd take him and her down anyway. He knew that was the plan, but he wasn't sure if it was the plan he could go through with.

Julia continued to make it difficult for him to stay quiet, wrapping her arms tightly around him as she said there was no point saving herself if he wasn't with her. "I'm not sure if I can do it. But if I don't kill her, they'll kill me. If you're going to survive, then you may need to do whatever the Morettis tell you to. Or, if you want to take the risky option and try have both of us survive, you could cover me. But I'd prefer you saved yourself," he admitted to her. "I love you, Julia."

"Lovebirds. Come along. We're up!" Damian called out from the lounge area. Once Ricky and Julia joined him, Damian flashed a smile. "The Sullivan guards have been dealt with. Dead and all that," he informed them. Gabriel and Teddy are preparing to make their move, so we're up.

As the three of them stood at the top of the elegant staircase on the first floor, Damian watched as the Grim Reaper and Michael Myers passed them by to get James. "Deadstroke, you need to get your ass onto that dancefloor and deal with your cousin. I understand she's dressed as a very fine Morticia Addams," he remarked. "Julia, you're with me," he asserted. His attention was briefly brought to the cowboy who passed them by and another crooked smile crossed his features as he recognised James Porter.

Damian and Julia hovered on the corridor, ready to enter balcony four once James had been dealt with. Eventually, he watched as Porter was dragged into a nearby office. "We're up," he informed Julia, nudging her forward into the box. As a handful of other Moretti employees approached to take their psitions in the other box balconies, one of them handed Damian an AK-47. Damian then stepped forward to stand at Julia's side as he looked down below. Spotting Roxie and the others by the bar, he let out a low chuckle. "Perfect view from here, Julia. I hope Ricky makes it a good show," he told her. Really, he meant that he hoped Ricky would do as he was told and make their lives easier. There was a brief paused as Damian heard the nearby sounds of four gunshots, which would be blocked out completely to those on the ground floor due to the loud music.

Ricky had been reluctant to leave Julia, but he knew he had no choice on the matter, not if he didn't want to drag her down with him. When he stepped into the ballroom, it didn't take long to spot Roxie and Syd near the bar. With his face concealed by the mask of his Deathstroke costume, Ricky felt able to walk towards the bar without gaining too much attention. His eye briefly caught Damian and Julia up above, the former giving him the thumbs up to carry out his mission.

Without any warning, Ricky grabbed Roxie from behind wrapping a strong arm around her chest and holding her arms in place. In his right hand, he held his pistol to her head, lightly pressing the barrel into her skull. If Syd or anyone else close enough paid enough attention, they might notice his finger barely touching the trigger. "Roxie, I'm sorry. It's Ricky," he spoke directly into her ear. "I'm not going to shoot you, but I need you to play along with me. This place is rife with Morettis. If they don't think I've killed you, then they will kill us both. They want Syd too." Although it was difficult to tell beneath his mask, Ricky made eye-contract with Syd, hoping the man wouldn't do anything crazy that would get them all killed. "Roxie. Tell Syd to stand down and do as I say. I need him to get down, behind the bar where nobody can shoot him."

Bellz (Julia, Roxie)
Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[BasDorcha]

The Mayfair Restaurant

~ City of London, London ~​

Philip and Abel Stewart

"A blind date? Really?" Abel asked his dad while they got ready to go. Phil clapped his son on the shoulder and gave him a chuckle.

"Yes, son, your mother has good taste, give her a chance. Who knows, you might end up falling head over heels for this girl. At the very least, it's a chance to get out and do something fun for a night. Common, we don't want to be late, you know your mother hates being late." The two of them dressed to impress with Phil aiding his son in making the best decisions before they headed out with Sarah a few minutes later. They arrived early of course, hanging out in the waiting area for the mystery date that Sarah had told him about.

Kissing his wife back, a hand around her waist and resting just a tad bit lower then publicly acceptable, he whispered in her ear sweetly, "And you are as beautiful as ever, my lovely angel." Phil would never grow tired of the woman he held, knowing full well his heart and soul was set on her forever. Looking over at Abel, the boy shifted awkwardly in place, still in that gangly, out of sorts youth phase so many went through. "Thanks Mom, I'm fine, just wondering what you got me into." He blushed deeply, hands shoved in his pockets, tapping the toe of his shoe against the ground while balancing on the other. The girl, a waitress that Sarah had met at her newest haunt, showed up not long after, causing Phil to give his wife a knowing grin. She sure knew how to get Abel's attention, seeing as his son was standing slack jawed once he put together who his date was.

Phil reached out a hand to shake Alice's, a firm but gentle shake as Sarah introduced them. Abel finally snapped back to reality, shyly shaking her hand as well. "Nice to meet you Alice." Phil gave her a warm smile, his arm naturally gravitating back around his wife's waist to keep her close.

"Hello Alice, its uh-lovely to meet you. Yes, looks like it's going to keep improving as well." That flirtatious charm flipped on, a boyish grin covering his features. Phil felt a warmth in his chest at the scene, able to read the emotions in the air and the instant snap of chemistry. Abel offered Alice his arm, attempting to imitate what he had seen his dad do for his mom so many times in his life. If she took it, or even if she didn't, he would greet the host as they came to sit them, and lead with her to the table.

Once they were all sat down, Phil ordered a bottle of wine for the table, along with a series of appetizers while every got a chance to review the menu for their meal. Abel, sitting next to his date, turned to her slightly, his elbow propped on the table and supporting his chin as he dreamily watched her, "So Alice, Mum explained how you met, but tell me, since you were kind enough to ask me first, how was your day? Can you tell me a little more about you?"

Mentions:
Misty Gray - Sarah and Alice

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Erik's Apartment
~Hackney, London~
Erik Snowden​

"I'm the twat but you're the one letting other people fuck you," Erik repeated, a sarcastic laugh slipping out of his mouth. He found the insult to be funny, ridiculous even and called him out on it. "You were what? Discussing when and where you'd meet up? How youse was gonna keep it from me?" Erik's brows knitted into a frown as he lowered his voice. "C'mon, Billy. Had you asked maybe I'd've suggested a quick little threesome, eh," Erik questioned humorlessly. He then watched in amusement as Billy backed away from him seemingly processing everything that had transpired. Good, Erik thought, he wanted the man to feel the exact same way he had. The despair he felt when he found out Billy was cheating. The heartbreak and shattered reality of what he thought their relationship to be. He saw something beautiful with Billy. Something only the two of them would be able to see and believe and understand but something beautiful nonetheless. Billy then began to shout at him and - in Erik's eyes - turn things around on him as if he'd done something wrong.

Which, he hadn't, right? Billy cheated first. Billy broke the sanctity of their relationship first and this was just Erik standing up for himself. Showing Billy that he wasn't about to let him use him as a doormat. Because that's what his past girlfriends and boyfriends had done to him- over and over and over again. And though he hadn't told Billy about any of it yet he never would have thought Billy would do something so heinous. Erik started pacing him, biting at his nails as the tears continued to fall from his face. It wasn't until he called himself an idiot that Erik's head immediately snapped to him with a shocked look on his face. "I can't- I can't believe you're makin' this about you! You did this to us - not me! You broke what trust I had in you. You're no better than the fuckin' rest of 'em. Each and every shitty person that came into my life; and I confided in you about them and you just-," Erik cut himself off to laugh at his own words. How could he be so stupid to trust him the way he had? He should know that those closest to you hurt you the worst. "Oh, I do still love you," he admitted, "Like a fuckin' dope I still love you but that don't mean I don't hate your fuckin' guts."

Things were quiet again for a brief moment before Billy pushed passed him. And it only angered Erik more. Or rather, anger and confusion both. There was something about the way Billy had been responding that was throwing Erik into confusion. He'd been so adamant that he and Oscar hadn't been sleeping with one another and yet... He followed Billy into the bedroom and watched as he moved around in a hurry. Billy immediately began to gather his things and Erik crossed his arms watching. If he weren't going to own up for what he did or even apologize for it then so be it. "Don't forget your toothbrush," Erik angrily commented before shaking his head. He opened his mouth to demand an answer, stopping as he listened to Billy's words. They weren't necessarily wrong - he definitely could've just asked but that wasn't Erik. He was chaotic and insecure and easily jumped to conclusions. "Or maybe don't fuckin' lie to me, Billy, then go and fuck- Will you stop with the goddamn bags?!" Erik could feel himself becoming overwhelmed with the emotions and watching the packing of clothes. He grabbed Billy's arm to try and get him to stop before letting him go and stepping back.

In the split second he took to try and calm down Erik watched as Billy finished packing, ignoring his demands. He walked square up to him and for a moment he thought the worse. Only, he was met with an explanation. And one that nearly made his heart stop. "What," he croaked, brain still processing what he was saying. Things started to make sense then - the feeling he'd gotten after looking into Billy's eyes. "No, no, no," he stared in disbelief, pointing his finger directly into Billy's chest. "No, you- youse was stayin' out late. Meetin' Oscar at the club and-," he cut himself off, realizing that there were plenty of explanations about all of it. Oscar worked different hours than he and Billy - of course, they'd have to meet during those weird hours. But that didn't mean they weren't hooking up during those meetings. Or rather- Erik pressed a hand to his head as a headache began to take form. He was being pulled in so many different directions in his head that he didn't know what to believe. But the longer he looked into Billy's eyes the more he started to believe that he really had gone and made a mistake.

The biggest one he ever could've made.

"Billy I-," he choked, tears starting up again as he realized that it wasn't Billy who had ruined them but him instead. "I fucked up?" He whispered. "I fucked up?" He kept questioning, though he was really questioning himself as he softly sobbed. He'd let his insecurities and bad past get in the way of the best relationship he ever had. And he was beginning to feel as if there wasn't a damn thing he could do to fix it. "Let me explain, okay? Wha- How- I wanna fix-," he couldn't even get the words out. "Billy, what did I do?"

Billy ( Pyroclast )

 

[Misty Gray]

The Mayfair Restaurant
~ City of London, London ~

Sarah Stewart and Alice Carroll​

It hadn't escaped Sarah's attention that her son had been stood awkwardly as they'd awaited Alice's arrival, nor was she ignorant to his apprehension about what she'd gotten him into. Regardless, she chose not to pander to it, instead wanting her son to step out of any comfort zone. She believed in pushing towards success and that extended to encouraging her kids to do the same. Throwing them into uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations was one way to instill a drive to succeed into them. Even when it involved dating, not just career goals.

When she noticed Abel standing with his mouth open on sight of Alice, Sarah returned her husband's knowing grin before rolling her eyes. As their son introduced himself to the young blonde, Sarah leaned into the the arm Phil had placed around her waist.

Alice had returned Phil's handshake before her attention had become focused on Abel. She couldn't help the natural smile as he said it was lovely to meet her, followed by a statement that his day was set to keep improving. She wasn't sure whether to take it as flirting or just his way of being polite, so instead her smile widened. "As long as it doesn't get worse, I'll take it as a win," she joked. When Abel offered his arm to her, Alice accepted it. It wasn't like it was her first date and she'd kissed other young men in the past. This was just the first time she'd met the parents - no less on the first date.

Alice sat next to Abel at the rectangular table, with Sarah directly across from her whilst Phil sat directly opposite Abel. When the bottle of wine was ordered for the table, Alice looked to Abel's parents and pointed to the empty glass in front her her. "I can confirm that as of seven days ago, I can now legally drink alcohol," she informed them. This prompted a small chuckle from Sarah who quickly nodded her head. Of course the woman knew - she'd been into the coffee shop that day when Alice's colleagues had insisted on putting up a birthday banner saying as much. Alice blushed a little as the older woman sent her a knowing look.

"And I expect the first alcohol you ever bought was a week ago too?" Sarah teased.

"Oh yes, of course," Alice remarked, with a playful wink, not oblivious to the fact the woman was joking and likely couldn't care less if she'd started drinking before she was 18.

Sarah picked up one of the menus and began to study it, not wanting to rush to a decision or disturb the moment whilst the two teenagers where engaging in conversation. She moved her free hand to rest of Phil's knee, briefly glancing to him and sending a knowing smirk his way.

Alice turned her head to face Abel directly as he altered his position to focus on her in return. She could she the way he was gazing to her and it caused her cheeks to blush slightly. She thought that surely she couldn't misread the signals he was sending and she found it quite bold that he was comfortable doing so in front of his parents. Still, she didn't want to get too ahead of herself and cause any embarrassment. Living with her mother's psychosis for most of her life had made Alice at times feel more aware of the need to question herself and whether she was reading social cues correctly. Whilst Alice rarely doubted her own mind, she still couldn't help the doubt that did enter her from time to time. "My day was good. A morning full of Shakespeare and an afternoon filled with rehearsals... I'm studying performing arts in college," she explained. When asked to tell people about herself, Alice often felt the inner battle between divulging too much or feeling like she was holding something back. One thing she was sure of was that nobody needed to hear about her mother's mental health problems on a first date. "Well, other than studying performing arts and working in a coffee shop, I'm into punk and rock music. I'm also big on movies, especially horrors and musicals." She briefly glanced to Sarah and Phil, noting they were either not listening or at least were making it look like they weren't. "I'm an only child. My dad is a Tax Director - thrilling stuff - and my mum doesn't work, but she's often doing the odd sewing job for people we know. We share the house with our six-year-old cat, Chester. My mother was really into 'Alice in Wonderland', hence my name," she drily told him, hoping he wouldn't find it silly. "How about you, Abel? Tell me about yourself," she prompted him.

BasDorcha (Philip, Abel)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Roxie Carriveau
Julia Avvocata
The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

"Yes, one step at a time. That sounds like a wonderful plan." Lucy agreed with her husband, sending Syd a reassuring smile that only dipped slightly when James said that he would go do his sweep now. "Relax? Yes, we can certainly do that." There was a bit of anxiety that Lucy felt suddenly. It was much deeper than the anxiety she had felt only a few minutes ago and shook her. But having mastered the control over years and years of being the matriarch of the family, Lucy didn't let it show on her face but when her eyes looked at James, she let it show only for a moment. Silently willing him to be safe so as to not worry her son, even more, she accepted her husband's kiss, her hands grabbing his biceps and squeezing them lightly before begrudgingly letting go.

Lucy watched as he disappeared into the ground, giving her enough time to control the worry from showing on her face before turning back to Syd and Roxie. "See? If your father isn't worried then we shouldn't be either! He'll do his sweep and join us again in no time. In the meantime, why don't we get a drink hmm? Something strong to calm some of those nerves, how does that sounds Syd?" Lucy's eyes met with Roxie and the brunette smiled uneasily, "I think a strong drink is ideal right now. We could all use something like that." Roxie allowed Lucy to step forward to usher Syd towards one of the seats at the bar before turning around herself...

***​

Julia listened as Ricky told her that he wasn't sure if he could go through with killing Roxie. He was working through it in real-time, mentioning that if he didn't kill his cousin, then the Moretti's would kill him. He then told her that if she was going to survive, she would have to do whatever they told her. Finally, he said that she could also take the risky option to try and have them both survive and cover him. Julia smiled softly her head starting to shake as he said he'd prefer her to save herself before telling her he loved her.

Damian interrupted her just as she was about to speak. "Coming!" She called back before turning to Ricky, her eyes staring into his as she said. "Since when have I been known to give you what you prefer?" The woman purred, "You showed me unwavering loyalty even when your family failed to do the same. I love you more than words can describe, but what I can tell you is...I'm with you...no matter what happens." Julia in a way was still giving Ricky what he preferred which was to not kill Roxie...but even if they both died, at least he could go with a somewhat clear conscious which was something he had always wished for. Everyone saw the bad in him, but Julia never did and she wouldn't force him to only prove Roxie's point further if she truly believed her cousin was beyond redemption.

Without allowing Ricky to get another word out, Julia pulled him towards the lounge to where Damian stood. When they were informed that the guards had been dealt with, she felt at ease somewhat. If they were going to be double-crossing the Moretti's at least there would be fewer people trying to kill them on the Sullivan side. She wasn't sure how that would help but surely it could if used the right way. James Porter was about to be dealt with, according to Damian. Show time, Julia said in her head, looking to Ricky before following Damian.

Standing at the top of the staircase on the first floor, Julia looked down at all the people dressed in costumes. It was going to be somewhat impossible to figure out who was who. Damian only left a second of silence before telling Ricky that he needed to go onto the dance floor and deal with Roxie, who was dressed as Morticia Addams. Julia's eyes looked out to the dance floor and scanned for the woman now that she knew what she was wearing. Finding her at the edge of the bar with one woman and Syd Porter, it looked like they weren't having a good time.

Just when Julia was about to say that she'd go with Ricky, to make sure he carried out the task, Damian asserted that she would be going with him. Julia's jaw set in a defiant way, ready to counter-assert herself but James Porter passing by caught the man's attention. Julia could only look at Ricky, unable to see him under his mask but mouthing that she loved him regardless.

Once they separated, Julia was left waiting with Damian until James was dealt with. When he was seen being dragged out to a nearby office, she was forced to follow him to the box balconies. They could see everyone and everything perfectly. There was no escape once the bullets started flying, the perfect vantage point. Below Julia watched Ricky pushing his way through the crowd of people.

Damian openly admired the view that they had, hoping that Ricky would make it a good show. Normally Julia would be able to play along, to fake the same sentiments...but she was silent. Decisions would need to be made and they would need to be made quickly. Her eyes side glanced to the AK in Damian's hands, wondering if she'd be able to twist it out of his grasp if he decided Ricky was taking too long.

***​

Roxie was just about to ask what they were drinking when a strong arm wrapped around her chest tightly. Before she could make a sound, a pistol barrel lightly pressed to her temple, silencing her immediately. Ricky's voice caused tears to spring to her eyes, her lower lip trembling slightly as she tried to keep her cool. Around her, people started to notice, but Roxie couldn't hear if people were starting to panic or not at that point. All she could hear was her cousin's voice telling her that he wasn't going to shoot her, that she needed to play along because the entire place was infested with Moretti's. If they didn't think he killed her then they were going to kill both of them. Shit. Shit. Shit.

The break she had taken from keeping an eye on Ricky was coming back to bite her in the ass. And if they both didn't play the part they were going to get killed. Then Ricky mentioned that they wanted Syd killed too, and Roxie's head spun. Their kids could be orphans by the end of the night. Lucy had heard some people around them, and saw the worry on their faces, around the same time Syd would have noticed.

"Oh my god!" The older woman gasped, her hands going to her mouth. Her mind tried to rationalize the situation, it was Halloween, and maybe the gun was fake. But the fear in Roxie's eyes as she stared back at both Syd and herself was what made it all too real. Lucy raised her hands, ready to say something to try and de-escalate the situation taking place before her. Roxie was wide-eyed, Ricky told her to tell Syd to stand down, to do as he said. "A-are you joking? He's not going to listen." The woman said through clenched teeth back. "Whatever you're planning to do, it's going to get you killed. Syd will get you before Moretti does." Her voice was thick with emotion, tears welling in her eyes and starting to spill down her cheeks.

Syd needed to get behind the bar where no one could shoot him, but he wasn't going to listen to her. She knew better but it didn't mean she wasn't going to try. "S-Syd...he says to stand down! And to do as he says!" Roxie's eyes looked to Syd's her eyes trying to plead with him to listen, "Just listen to him, please! He says he won't shoot me if you just listen!" Lucy's eyes were wide as she looked at her son, "Syd..." she tried to say only for her to go silent as she realized that if someone had gotten in with a gun..."Your father...oh my god, where is he?"The woman's voice was strained, caught between running to find her husband also needing to stay in order to help Roxie and her son. She wasn't sure if she'd be shot the minute she tried to run or if they would both meet the same fate.
with: Ricky Misty Gray ; Syd Pyroclast
mentions: James Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Erik's Apartment
~ Hackney, London ~

Billy King​

With both bags slung over his shoulder, Billy was ready to shove Erik out of his way and walk out of the apartment for the last time. But as soon as Erik started to challenge him, stuttering as the pieces came together in his head, Billy hesitated, driven by some masochistic urge to hear what he had to say. Upon realising that he had made a huge mistake, Erik started to cry. It still triggered an innate response in Billy to reach out and comfort him, like all the other times he had seen him upset…except, he couldn’t do it this time. Instead, he just pinched tears from his own eyes, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

Moments ago it had pained him to hear Erik admit that he still loved him, even more so that he hated him…but it was obvious now that only the former was true. Despite his muddled words, Billy could tell from his voice and the desperate look in his eyes that he was remorseful and wanted to take it all back and go back to the way things were - and all Billy would have to do would be to hug him and agree to put it behind them. They could go back to cherishing each other, pick up where they left off; he could still show him the blueprints of the house he had designed that was stored in his satchel and go ahead with the plans. Dry their eyes, order pizza, and settle down in each other’s arms.

Tears streamed down his face as he stood in front of Erik, watching their relationship fall apart before him. He couldn’t do it.

“I thought fightin’ with you was the worst feelin’ in the world,” he said, voice strained from fighting the urge to break down. “But at least we could always come back from a fight. I don’t know how to come back from this.” He placed a hand over his aching chest as a sob tore out of him. All the heartbreak and pain he had been through in the last few months, he had always had Erik to help get him through it; now, as he searched the man’s tearful blue eyes, he knew he could never take comfort from him again. The man that loved him was still there, but instead of comfort, the sight of him only brought him pain. “I never knew what it was like to be in love until you showed me,” he sobbed. “It was the best feelin’ in the world and - a-and now you’ve turned it into the worst. I wish you could undo what you did but you can’t, and I’ll never unsee it. I just can’t…” He shook his head as he looked up into Erik’s eyes through a veil of tears. “It’s just not the same.”

Just then, he heard the phone ring, and it reminded him that Oscar was waiting for him to call and let him know how Erik had reacted to the gesture. The realisation that he would have to tell him what had happened, as well as Bruce and Spencer and everyone else, and remembering his uncle’s threat to send Erik back to New York if he ever messed up the relationship, Billy felt his heart break all over again. The phone kept on ringing and he could only imagine it to be the man Erik had slept with, perhaps having left something behind. He didn’t know what, and he didn’t care. He just knew he didn’t want to stick around long enough to hear it.

He watched only as far as Erik moving off to answer the phone and then walked out of the apartment, saying not a word more. The corridor was cold and stung at the cavity that the fresh pain had carved into his chest. He stood still in the silent, empty space, the contrast much like waking up in the middle of the night from a bad dream - except that this one was very real, and the nightmare that had just occurred wasn’t something he could just shake off. He felt that familiar hollow feeling grow inside of him, one that only alcohol could numb, and the urge to drink drove him to get away from Erik’s door and go back to his car. Hating to be returning home with the blueprints still in his bag, he withdrew them, ready to throw it away. He couldn’t help but take one last look: the bedroom, the kitchen, all the spaces they could have spent the rest of their days growing old together. Thank God Erik didn’t even know about it - and now he never would. As if to signify the end of their future, Billy tore up the sheet into several pieces and stuffed them into the waste bin on his way out of the door.

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Billy's ex-boyfriend

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~
Theodore 'Teddy' Wycliff​

Since leaving their hotel room Teddy's heart continued to pound in his chest. From here on everything was a game of precision and calculation; making sure they didn't time things too early or even too late. He trusted himself to do things correctly and even Gabriel to a certain extent. But thanks to their lack of attention to details on previous jobs, he didn't trust them not to fuck it all up. His mind had been immediately changed the moment James was delivered to them quietly. Standing between the door and James Porter, Teddy was itching to snatch his mask off and show Porter who was behind it. But he couldn't move too hastily. James spoke, asking if Moretti had sent them and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Technically," he added after his boss. Teddy followed suit as Gabriel took his mask off - throwing his own to the ground. Seeing the look on James' face was worth a stuffy mask and a flight over to Ireland.

Unfortunately, such a feeling had been short-lived. Teddy watched in brief confusion as Gabriel rattled off four shots - all seeming to go in random directions. The gun then clattered to the ground and just before he was able to reach for it, Gabriel collapsed against him. "Gabe-," he started, fumbling to catch him. He pressed his hand against Gabe's chest, kneeling down next to him. Teddy was starting to grow frantic, worried about Gabriel but also wanting to make sure Porter was actually dead this time. Teddy began to mutter curses under his breath as he watched Gabriel clutching at his arm. His mind immediately shot to the man having a heart attack. The man then echoed his own thoughts and expressed the need to make a hasty exit. With one last glance to James - who seemed to be out of commission enough for him not to finish the job - he reluctantly helped Gabriel to his feet and manage to get the both of them out of the room. Instead of using the front door they came in, Teddy opted for the emergency exit on the opposite side. It led to a long, white corridor with another emergency exit that led to an alley. "Alright," Teddy started, gently propping Gabriel up against the wall. "Listen, I'm gonna get the car and I'm gonna get you outta here," he frantically explained. "You just-... Just don't-," he couldn't even say what he needed to because his mind and emotions had been all over the place. "I'll be right back."

While it was unfortunate that he wasn't able to bask in their victory for too long, Teddy and Gabriel had done what they said they would. Porter was lying in a pool of his own blood, dying, and Teddy figured by the time his absence was known to anyone it'd be too late for help. He'd waited years to get revenge on James Porter and though it may not have been the way he truly wanted it to be, this was just as good. The look on his face and making him bleed again was more than enough for him at this point. Now, he just wanted to make sure Ricky, Julia, and Damian kept up their end. He wanted Conor dead next. But he needed to focus on getting Gabriel out of this place alive. He made promises that the two of them would make it back home alive and intended to make due on such a promise. Teddy burst through the doors, immediately turning for the entrance to the alley where he bumped into a Sullivan guard. He muttered under his breath as the man turned to him, Teddy preparing himself for a fight.
Gabriel ( Misty Gray )

Alex King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~
Alexander King​

Though Spencer was talking a lot of sense Alex was still finding it hard to look past Moretti's misdeeds. The last thing Alex would ever want to do is explain to his son why mommy wasn't coming home. To look him in the eye knowing it was his fault that she was dead. The man had hurt Savannah and while he didn't love her anymore, he still had love for her. Which meant no one was allowed to lay a finger over her. "So, keep the smug prick around purely for business purposes," he commented before taking another swig. "Great." He was being sarcastic, of course, but he knew deep down his brother was right. After all the attacks and incidents they'd experienced lately the last thing he wanted was any more of it. He was, however, relieved that his brother was working his own shit out with Sav. "Good, I'm glad. Need to start putting all this behind us, ya know? I mean I don't know about you but the dramatics are a bit much for me especially now that I'm... Domesticated," he joked with a smirk.

Alex wasn't surprised by the sudden shift in his older brother's attitude nor the way the air seemed to get thicker. Trevor was and always would be a sore topic for any of them to speak of. And this time around was no particular exception. Alex figured Spencer would get upset behind his comment - not bothering to even attempt to answer his rhetorical question. "Hasn't said enough," Alex repeated for his own benefit. He knew there was more bad blood between Trevor and Spencer than there was between the rest of them so his attitude was understandable. "You lookin' for an apology then?" He figured that's what his brother was wanting, or rather maybe it would be a good start for him. He couldn't imagine what else his brother could ever want from Trevor and an apology seemed reasonable. "I know it ain't gonna fix everything but, what else could you be wanting?" Things were quiet for a moment or two before Spencer stood up and accused him of leaving him out to dry. "Alright, listen, no one's is makin' you out to be unreasonable. Your feelings are... Ya know, whatever they are and we ain't faultin' you for it. It's not like that!"

He then stood up, the sudden intensity of the room building him up. Spencer continued to explain why they should still be upset with Trevor, going as far to bring up their shitty childhood and Alex shook his head. "Loyalty? For fuckssake, Spence, that's not what any of this shit is about. No one is- is turning their backs on you in favor of Trevor - no one." Letting out an exasperated sigh he started pacing about, trying to calm his nerves. "He did help me get Callum back and he was there for Harper when the rest of us weren't and it's because of those two things that he's even gettin' a modicum of my energy so relax with the goddamn dramatics will you?" It had been a while since he and his brother were at odds with one another and for it to be over Trevor was frustrated. He hated that it was Trevor who had been around during some of the most important events while also missing important milestones but the fact of the matter was he had been around. Alex's own redemption had him looking at things differently and he was fully aware that it meant being at odds with his brother for now. "I understand why you don't want 'im around. I barely want 'im around, but the others do. Harper and Billy - they wanna get to know him and I-... I'm not going to stop it from happening and frankly neither should you. It's their decision."

Things were quiet then as Alex stared at Spencer, waiting for his response. He knew it was going to be ugly but he didn't think the two of them would be on such opposing sides. At one point he'd have agreed with everything he said but now? Now things were different. A knock at the door interrupted them, gave them a momentary escape from one another. Without a word Alex left to answer it, only to end up muttering, "Oh shit, not right now."
Spencer ( Misty Gray )

 

[Misty Gray]

Alex King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King and Trevor Stewart​

When Alex asked him if he was after an apology, Spencer hesitated before nodding his head. "Maybe I am. For all the shit he's owned up to, like getting Mum hooked on drugs and walking out on you all, I've yet to hear him take any responsibility for what he did to me." Spencer wasn't even sure if an apology or acknowledgement from Trevor that he had been in the wrong would help, but the fact the man hadn't attempted to own those actions got to Spencer more than he liked to admit. It was the least his father owed him.

Alex soon stood up to mirror Spencer as the brothers continued to have it out. As expected, Alex didn't like having his loyalty questioned and in a way Spencer was sure he didn't mean it, but in that moment he wasn't about to take it back. "Dramatics?! You think this is just me being dramatic?" he asked in frustration as he quickly shook his head. Spencer placed his clenched fist to his mouth as Alex said even if they didn't want Trevor around, their younger siblings did and it was their decision. Moving his hand away, Spencer cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "Then Trevor's already won. Managed to worm his way back in so he can take whatever it is he wants from us. Even if it turns out he does genuinely want to know us and be a part of this family, he doesn't deserve it." Before he could continue on and question why Alex was willing to go easy on their father, the silence was broken by the sound of someone knocking on the front door.

Trevor had started his new sales job four weeks ago and although it felt like he was starting at the bottom, having previously owned his own business, he had faith in his own ability to climb the ladder. Carter Technologies was a large and profitable business which he saw a lot of opportunity for promotion within, especially given that he'd already managed to impress his line manager in his first few weeks. With a full-time job and the improvements made with some of his family, Trevor believed things were looking up and London would start to feel like home again.

Trevor had recently made progress with Harper, May, Billy, and to some extent even Bruce. So whilst it was now believable that Alex too would be open to speaking, it still came as a surprise that his second eldest had been willing to have him over to talk this evening. As soon as he'd finished work and had dinner at home, Trevor made his way to Alex's as planned. Being that it was only the second time he'd been to Alex's place, he didn't pay attention to the other vehicles parked on the street and so didn't notice Spencer's car already parked close by.

After knocking on the door, Trevor waited on the doorstep for his son to answer and when he did, he looked up to him with a friendly smile on his face. "Evening, Alex. How's is it going?" he politely, albeit somewhat awkwardly, asked.

Spencer hadn't immediately followed Alex, taking a moment to calm himself down in the privacy of the lounge. He wasn't sure who was at the door, but he decided it was probably a good time to leave. He didn't want to continue the disagreement in front of company, nor did he think there would now be an opportunity to try resolve matter. As he stepped out of the room to approach the door, he was shocked to see Trevor standing on the doorstep speaking to Alex. "Are you fuckin' kidding me?" he asked Alex in exasperation. He then fixed his eyes on Trevor and let out a loud scoff. "Well, that's the scariest Halloween costume I've seen, Trevor. What've ya come as? A soul-sucking demon of some sort?" he remarked.

"Spence," Trevor simply replied with a single nod. He was by now used to the venom Spencer used when addressing him and wasn't about to plead for him to ease off. As far as he was concerned, his son would never back down and he would never forgive him. In a way, Trevor had tried to convince himself it was for the best. Whilst he wanted to know all of his kids and grandkids, and be given the chance to prove himself, he knew he could never undo what he'd done to Spencer all those years ago. Whilst he could argue that Laura had been old enough to make her own decisions, he had no excuse for the way he treated Spencer, and regardless of how antagonising his son had been as a boy, he had still been a child at that time. Trevor had recently come to accept that he deserved his eldest's contempt and that no apology would ever be enough to make up for his actions.

In Spencer's head, he wanted to slam Trevor against the wall and punch him hard in the face for showing up at all. However, the man seemed to be welcome in Alex's home and given that Callum was upstairs, Spencer didn't want to risk the kid witnessing him beating the crap out of some guy. Hell, did Callum know Trevor was his grandfather yet? With his back against the wall to give some space, Spencer outstretched his arms at his sides to invite Trevor to step inside. "Come on in, Trevor. I was just leaving anyway," he said, his tone calm but clearly laced with venom. Given the discussion he'd just been having with Alex about letting Harper and Billy decide if they spoke to Trevor, Spencer figured it also meant Alex didn't want him interfering here either. "Don't let me stop you two from reminiscing about the old days," he remarked. Before moving from his spot, Spencer sent his brother a look that made it clear he wasn't happy about the way they were leaving things. However, Trevor's presence meant he would have to leave it that way. "Tell Callum I said 'see ya'," he asked Alex. Without giving his father another glance, Spencer rushed out of the house and closed the front door behind himself.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

Jeremy Gray's Place
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King​

Although Spencer hadn't hesitated to speed off in his car, he'd still pulled up at the side of the road a few streets away from Alex's place. The upset and anger had caused his hands to shake as he tried to grip the steering wheel. By the time he'd pulled over, his vision had become blurred by the film of tears coating his eyes. After his disagreement with Bruce, it had felt that Alex had been the only one left who understood how he felt about Trevor. It seemed like everyone had been able to look past what Trevor had done and somehow find a way to forgive, or at least give the man another chance. Spencer wasn't sure if he could ever bear to look at his father, never mind forgive him for what he'd done, even if he had the decency to actually apologise for it. His fear now was that Trevor was going to continue being an increased presence in his family's lives and there would be no way for him to avoid it. And certainly no way he could voluntarily be a part of it as things stood. Whether it was intentional or not, it felt like Trevor was becoming a wedge between Spencer and the people he cared about.

After composing himself, Spencer decided to check in on Harper seeing as she was back home. Or at least, now living in Jeremy's home. After their talk at the hospital a few weeks ago, he'd promised not to butt into his sister's life so much and to let her make her own decisions. As long as the subject of Trevor didn't crop up, he was sure he could hold up to his end of the bargain. More than anything, he just wanted to see how Harper was doing now she was out of the hospital.

Spencer knocked on the front door and awaited a response. Although he half-expected Jeremy might answer, it was his sister he wanted to see in that moment. Any anger towards Trevor could be overshadowed by his happiness at seeing his sister up and about.

Bellz (Harper)

 

[BasDorcha]

Phil laughed quietly to himself, touching his wifes hand under the table and giving it a light squeeze. They both knew what a girl crazy teenager Abel had been. A good looking, boy next door type of kid, Abel had always had a girlfriend and was never single long. Like the night not long ago when Phil and him had gone to the show and ran into Trevor, he proved easy going and quick to lay on the smooth talk and romance skills he got from his father. Abel perked up considerably after hearing about her day, shocked at how much she had done and how intelligent it sounded. He was use to… dimmer bulbs than this girl. A look of cocky decision ghosted his face, his father nudging his beautiful wife gently to point it out. "That girl better be strong, otherwise, she wont stand a chance now that he's made up his mind." His voice was low, and quiet, just for them to hear, a laughing tone tainting it.

Abel clapped his hands together and grinned, "Parents, love you, but after dinner here, I'll be taking the lovely Ms. Alice to the movies, that is if she'll let me." Phil couldn't help the large laugh that filled the air, still shaking his head. "As long as she agrees son." Giddy, he turned back to Alice, a broad smile on his face.

"Well, I work with my dad building things for the company, I'm in college for business management, and I love all things music and art." Phil couldn't argue - the boy loved comics and rock music so that counted as music and art. "Must be nice being an only child though, seeing as I have two younger siblings who stole all my only child glory." he gave his parents a pointed look as if he was blaming them before the waitress returned. Abel quickly rattled off his order to the girl, barely looking at her, his eyes still focused on Alice. "If you just 'started' drinking, then I'm a bit older than you, though not by much. Mom here does her thing, dad owns a construction company, and the younger siblings do their own thing. I think my name was just random, they didn't have anything else to call me, but your name is lovely. I like it."

Phil snorted, the boy had gone from chill to gushing. Under the table, he kicked him, not so gently, warning him to reign it back before he freaked her out.

"Alice, please excuse my son, he's excitable. It's a pleasure to meet you and thank you for joining us for dinner. Abel has dreams of taking over for me after I retire, so I told him he had to get an education first. I want to make sure he doesn't miss anything a kid his age should be doing, instead of starting early on working his life away. I got the company through my mentor and boss passing it to me, the man was much of a father figure to me. Kept me out of trouble, gave me a purpose in life, I never needed college. Times are changing and I feel he needs it, so he goes to school here in town. Actually, you probably have classes on campus near each other."

Misty Gray - Sarah/Alice

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Alex King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Alex was surprised to hear Spencer admit that it was an apology he was waiting for. His brother admitting his deeper feelings about something wasn't something he had been privy to. The few times he had been it was because he was angry about something or hooked up to drugs. Right now he was basically sober and being open with him. "I get it," he nodded, "I get it, Spence, but if you don't sit down and at least have a conversation with the guy then how are you supposed to move forward?" It never felt right with Alex of all people trying to be the voice of reason. Shocked him even, if he were being honest, but he was trying to generate some peace in their family instead of being the cause of chaos.

Only, that didn't last long. The moment he called his brother dramatically Alex closed his eyes. Normally he'd have tried to take it back but this time around he wasn't going to. "Yes, Spence, dramatic. You can't take a minute and shove that hostility away to talk to him? I mean, fuckssake, how long do you think you'll be able to go on like this? With this grudge against him? He's a piece of shit, yes, but how long are you going to let that get to you?" Spencer then explained how Trevor was managing to worm his way back into their family, stating that he had already one and Alex placed his hands on his hips. "Won?!" He shouted, immediately lowering his voice so he wouldn't bother Callum. "For fuckssake, this isn't a game, Spencer, and there is nothing else he can ever take from us." For a moment he wondered if his statement had been about Laura, Alex looking over his brother's features for any signs. "We're old enough now to protect them but there is only so much we can do."

Alex opened his mouth to respond to Trevor when Spencer suddenly appeared behind him. His voice caught his attention and when he turned around he let out a heavy sigh. "I meant to... Cancel," he stated, rubbing the back of his neck. Last time he felt this awkward and stressed out it was with two women but even that was better than the situation he was in right then. He heard his brother's remark to Trevor and had to bite his tongue. What was happening between the two of them would have to happen; Alex wasn't going to butt in right then. Besides, he didn't want Spencer to be angry with him about anything else. He then went on to invite Trevor inside for him and Alex crossed his arms. "Spencer, come on," he started, listening and watching as he began to depart. It was clear to him that he had hurt his brother's feelings so soon after reassuring him he was on his side. He knew things looked bad but it wasn't like he was automatically forgiving Trevor. He had things he wanted to say first. Spencer left, the door closing behind him and for a second Alex remained quiet.

"Sure know how to clear a room don't you," Alex darkly joked, nodding his head towards the kitchen. "Gonna need something stronger than a couple of beers after that," he mumbled, making his way toward the cabinet. "I was tryin' not to drink tonight. Ya know, cause I got the kid and all and he wants to do all sorts of crazy shit tomorrow," he grabbed two glasses from the cupboard before reaching for a bottle of bourbon. A satisfying pop rang throughout the kitchen as he poured two drinks. "I won't lie to you. I forgot you were comin' tonight and meant to cancel, specifically for that reason," he stated referring to the altercation between him and Spencer. "He's clearly still... Upset." He then handed his father a glass and took a seat at the center island where he could see the doorway. A part of him figured Callum may be up at any point now considering the brief argument. "Anyway, thanks for comin'..."

Spencer ( Misty Gray )

Erik's Apartment
~Hackney, London~
Erik Snowden

Erik was used to the yelling and screaming and tears and accusations and he knew what happened after events like this. He stormed out and cried; did drugs and never saw or thought about the person again. But this time around things were different. Very different. Because this time it was he who had cheated. He'd gone and ruined the first best thing to happen to him in a long time all because of his stupid insecurities. Billy was right, he could have just asked him about it, said something. Because at least then they'd have had an argument and Erik could have explained why he felt the way he did and they would get over it. But this? This was something even Erik knew there was no coming back from. Just seeing the look in Billy's eyes told him that and it killed him to know he had grossly misinterpreted their situation. Billy finally spoke then and the pain in his voice was even worse than the look on his face. When he expressed that he didn't know how they were going to move on from what he had done, Erik walked toward him. "W-We can! We can, Billy, this-," he started frantically. "This was just me bein' a fuckin' putz, alright, and I- I- thought- I mean, I fucked up but I wanna fix it, Billy, just let me fix it," he desperately pleaded.

Erik's pleas didn't seem to work as Billy explained how the man made him feel. "I do love you," he blurted out, interrupting. "God, Billy, you don't understand how much!" Erik closed the gap between them placing his hands against Billy's face. His thumbs gently stroked his cheeks, Erik sniffling and looking into his eyes. And for the first time since they'd been together they looked so... Dead. That light that shone in them, the warmth he felt any time he peered into his eyes was no longer there and it was killing Erik that he was the cause and the reason. He dropped his head for a second before looking back up at him. "Please let me fix this, okay?" In another act of desperation, he pressed his lips to his only it didn't feel the same. And that hurt him even more. It only solidified how much he'd royally screwed things up and he had no idea how he was going to fix it but damned if he wasn't going to spend the rest of his life trying. "I did something so stupid but it didn't- he didn't mean anything to me, you know that, right? I just- I let my stupid brain get the best of me and I wasn't thinking but Billy, please, I need you, okay? I love you. Please tell me you believe me?"

Things were quiet then- deathly so. He didn't know if his words would reach Billy and honestly speaking he couldn't be upset if they didn't. He had gone and broken his trust and crossed a line he knew there was no return from. Erik wouldn't even trust himself. But he had a false sense of hope that Billy would immediately take him back, despite his rational mind screaming that he wasn't going to. When the phone rang Erik was trying his best to ignore it. Nothing was more important than Billy right then. Unfortunately, whoever it had been wasn't giving up. They'd called back and Erik groaned to himself taking a step back from Billy. "I'm just gonna- look, please don't go? I can explain all of this I swear it." Erik then quickly moved to the phone, trying to hurry whoever it was off the phone. "Listen, I can't- Dave? Wha- is Ava alright? What's going on?" Interrupted by the man on the other end he informed him of what was happening in Dublin. Erik couldn't tell if he was telling him this because he was gossiping or because he was doing him a favor but regardless of the reason Erik's eyes grew wide. After his phone call with Dave, he opted to tell Billy about it right away.

Only, when he returned to where he left him he was no longer there. The sound of the door closing caught his attention realizing that Billy had left him alone in his apartment. Erik wanted so desperately to go after him but something deep down told him Billy wasn't about to listen to him. That he could go after him but that he'd be wasting time. He needed to get that message out to Spencer sooner rather than later. If he tried to convince Billy to listen to him it would be much too late. Erik let out a string of curses before turning back towards his phone and immediately dialing Spencer.

Windsor Hotel Charity Gala
~Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan

Aliana wasn't expecting Dermot to outright tell her that he and Michelle had been seeing each other. After all, she already knew the truth. She didn't need him to confirm or deny that they were. Her intentions had been purely to make sure the man wouldn't let his private life get in the way of doing her job. She just wasn't as... Blunt as she normally would have been. So when he confirmed that he was still going to be putting his job first she believed him and just nodded his head. "Good thing, Mr. Connery," she simply stated before bringing her glass up to her lips. When she lowered it she parted her lips to say something more only to be interrupted by the sound of Michelle. The young woman and her father had rejoined the table - Ali standing to hug her stepdaughter. "Why, hello! Someone else had the idea to dress up as a feline, huh," she asked with a wink. "Great minds." Things had been more than amazing since the two of them had gotten over that weird hump in their relationship. After making up the two of the had seemingly forgotten about what happened, focusing more on their current and future relationship.

Her attention was brought back to their table, catching the glance her husband sent her. There was a subtle shrug of her shoulders before they turned to look at Dermot and Michelle once more. Conor then asked Dermot his favorite Bond film - Ali listening with interest. She wouldn't explicitly consider herself a Bond enthusiast but she had seen every one of the movies to date. "Goldfinger is the best one," she nodded, "Okay, well, Dr. No. is probably To Russia With Love is actually my favorite but Goldfinger is an icon." At the mention of his daughter, Ali snapped her fingers together. "I always forget you have kids, Dermot!" Throughout their conversation, Aliana remained oblivious to what was going on around her. She noticed Dermot glancing around but decided not to pay too much attention to it. She wanted to enjoy the evening and not let her mind convince her something bad was about to happen.

Except, her mind hadn't been playing games. Something was happening and it didn't look good. Ali had happened to glance behind her, simply wanting to take in the venue when her stopped to see Deathstroke with his arm around Roxie. It took a moment for her brain to figure out whether it was someone joking around or if it were really happening; the look on everyone else's face around her. "Dermot," Ali breathlessly whispered, not sure just how loud she should be. Not sure if his getting involved would be a good thing or a bad one. She turned back to the table, staring at the glass in front of her. For a second memories of New York flashed in her mind and she tried to blink them away to no avail. Her fingernails started to dig into her skin, hiding them under the table as she tried to force herself to say something but she kept hesitating. Internally she shouted at herself that if she didn't hurry up something regrettable could happen. Looking between Conor and Dermot she subtly tilted her head towards the bar. "Something is happening by the bar. And I don't know what it is but something bad is happening and we have to help and get out of here. Right. Now."

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Jeremy's Place
~ London ~ ​

Despite her brain being muddled, Harper did notice the relieved look on Kerry's face, though her own couldn't muster up the concern she felt for a millisecond. Kerry's apology about showing up unexpectedly made her feel slightly better, though she didn't let on, she had wondered if she'd forgotten Kerry was meant to come over. She'd been forgetting a lot of things in recent weeks. Some days she'd wake up and not remember where she was, or where things were. While Jeremy's house was new to her, it wasn't that new, she should have had the layout down.

Harper's mind went back to Kerry listening as she mentioned it was Halloween. Once again, Harper was silent in her confusion "Well, I'm glad you came over, don't want you feeling unsafe. I'm not busy in the slightest, just trying to...get my bearings." When asked if Jeremy was home, the blonde nodded her head, "Upstairs I think." To be honest, she couldn't remember if he was home. The only reason why she was sure of her answer was that she knew he wouldn't leave her alone without some sort of other person watching her. The babysitting used to bother her but now...it seemed like water under the bridge. Or rather, a nice soft cushion in the water ready to catch her when she eventually would jump off the said bridge.

Swallowing harshly, Harper tried to smile as Kerry said that she had been doing well and Alex wasn't causing any trouble. The pure happiness and fondness on Kerry's face didn't go amiss. In fact, Harper was staring rather openly at it. She'd forgotten what it felt like to smile so largely that her cheeks hurt, the giddiness. She had felt that such a short time ago and yet, it'd vanished with the rest of her after her attempt...after her time in that psych ward. Harper knew deep down she still had such feelings when talking about Jeremy, but it was like she was drowning in her own head, unable to bring anything back to the surface but her bodily self. Self-preservation she supposed.

Her brow furrowed slightly, trying to keep another wave of tears at bay for the sake of her friend, expertly able to hold them in, at least for now. "Q-quite the opposite? " She said letting Kerry finish before mustering another smile that didn't meet her eyes, "That's all so great. I still think he doesn't deserve you, but I'm not going to stand in the way of anything if you two are happy. Blood or not, he hurts you, I'm kicking his butt." Harper said, trying her best to come off as playful.

Finally, the dreaded question came, asking how she'd been. How long she'd been home? "I've been...healing." Harper couldn't say she was doing good or even okay. There was so much processing that she wasn't sure what she was at the moment, or what she would be in the next few weeks. "I think a few days...things get, I don't know. Time was a bit of a blur in the hospital. My room didn't have a window so I never really knew what time it was, no clocks either." Harper felt like she was maybe talking too much about the fact that she had no idea that it was the end of October, that it was Halloween, or exactly how many days she'd been out.

"Jeremy-" Harper was about to say that Jeremy could better tell her when another knock sounded at the front door. Harper's brows furrowed in confusion this time, looking from Kerry to the door. "I'll be right back," Harper told Kerry before moving a little quicker to the front door. The glass above the door wasn't high enough to cover the familiar blonde hair, similar to her own. Harper opened the door without hesitation, "Spence, what a wonderful surprise." Her voice was kind but lacked inflection to sound excited, even though she was to see her eldest brother.

There was something in his face that told her that he was upset, or had been and was doing the same thing she was doing: hiding it. Regardless of seeing it, Harper opened the door wider for him to come inside and once he did, she shut it and turned to hug him. "Still with that facial hair, I see." That was a random memory that she was suddenly able to recall, she heckled him in the hospital before going to the psych ward, about his facial hair. "And now you've stopped cutting the hair on top of your head too? Goodness, I'm gone for a little while and you men don't know how to clean up suddenly." Harper said, smirking as she pulled away from the hug. "Kerry's here too, she just stepped in. I have tea on, would you like some? Jeremy's around here somewhere..."
with: Spencer + Kerry Misty Gray
mentions: Jeremy BasDorcha (join the party, we have depression cookies )

 

[BasDorcha]

Brook Home

Thursday 31st October 1985
Maeve Thatcher
~Bethnal Green, London~​

Settling back into the nest she had made on the balcony, she popped the bag open, offering some to Darcey before diving in. She had the strangest craving for salt and vinegar something she normally hated, but these hit the spot perfectly. Her stomach had started to pouch out a bit, not a lot but enough she had begun leaving her tight fitting clothes in the hamper and wearing some of Christian's oversized lazy clothes, as well as some of her own though she didn't have a lot that weren't well fitted.

As Darcey went on to talk about things that had helped Shona, the baby taking over her body, and that she had brought her some mommy-to-be items, she grinned and clapped her hands. She love presents and this was one of the first she'd received since coming to London. Most people didn't have a reason to give her anything, much less without a reason such as her birthday or some such. Giving Darcey her best grabby hands towards the bag, she pouted when Darcey put a stop to it to ask how she was doing. The smile dimmed and she shrugged looking away.

"Some days are better than others, I'm trying to conquer leaving the house but it's been rough. I 'spect things will get easier as I go, I made it to the end of the driveway the other day but a car came towards me and I ran back inside. Those tall dark and scary guys the mister has watching me must have thought it a sight, but I try not to pay them any mind. Instead, I just take it one step at a time. I'm grateful Christian has been willing to put up with all this… It's so much to hand him at once. I was already a pretty damaged individual, now add in this suffocating fear where I can't leave the house, can only be touched sometimes, and a baby on top of it… A lesser man would have deserted on the first day." Her eyes went misty, but she held them back, looking as if she might dive into the bag of crisp to hide.

"It'll get there, I know it will. I just wish I could make it move faster. This has got to be a lot for everyone, but especially him. I don't know how he deals with me." She tried to make it sound light and joking, but deep down, it was a very real fear and the idea of being alone was drowning her. Would he want to keep dealing with it? How long would he be willing to put up with a broken lay-about? The other day after coming home, he startled her awake on accident and she nearly hit him in the face. It sent her into tears and she was inconsolable for the better part of an hour before she finally calmed down. All she had wanted to do all day was hold him and be held, and when he was finally there, her body and mind turned on her.

The nightmares had to be the worst part. Most nights, she would lay with Christian as long as she could, then move to the guest bed, where her tossing and turning wouldn't keep him awake when he needed to rest for work, and where him moving about wouldn't result in her attacking him unprovoked. She bat her eyes a few times, keeping the tears back before offering Darcey a small smile, trying to show she was okay, at least for what she had been through. "What about you, how have you been? How is everyone?"

Misty Gray - Christian
Melanin-Gxdess - Darcey

 

[Misty Gray]

Alex King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Trevor Stewart​

Usually a man with a lot to say and one known to have a persuasive way with words, Trevor did what was rare and said very little whilst Spencer vocalised and displayed his clear anger towards him. He knew by now not to give Spencer any more fuel - his eldest had enough anger to go on already without risking further antagonising him. He sent a glance to Alex when he mentioned he'd forgotten to cancel. Trevor didn't take it personally; either he was saying it to diffuse the situation or he really did forget to cancel. Trevor wasn't going to take it to heart as it was enough of a breakthrough he'd invited him over to begin with. Regardless of whether it was said with bitterness or not, Trevor did step into the house on Spencer's request. Granted, he was half expecting to be punched or further laid into. Instead, Spencer made a comment about Trevor and Alex reminiscing before making a speedy exit from the house and closing the door on his way out.

There was a brief silence between Alex and Trevor after that. The older man having to fight off both his typical instinct to make a sarcastic remark and the need to state the obvious which was that he'd brought his son's reaction on himself on account of his past actions. He let out a brief, dry laugh when Alex made a joke about him knowing how to clear a room. "I guess I'm losing my touch in my old age," he remarked. He heard his son's mumbling about needing a strong drink and silently nodded, unsurprised Alex felt stressed by the situation. He couldn't help but smirk at the comment about Callum having plenty of activities planned for the next day. He watched as the drinks were poured and though he was making an effort to stay sober lately, he knew one or two drinks wasn't going to get him drunk.

Alex went on to admit he'd forgotten they'd arranged for him to come over. "I'll try not to take that personally," he commented, in reference to him forgetting he was coming over. "I'm sure Spence will come around. His anger and frustration are towards me, not you," he reasoned. He thanked Alex as he accepted the drink and then followed him to the centre island. After taking a small sip of the alcohol, he set the glass down on the counter top, nodding when his son thanked him for coming. "I appreciate you reaching out and inviting me. I know it can't have been easy after everything I did and how our conversation went down the last time I came here..." he said, referring to when he gave him the lead to help find Callum. "I'm glad it helped you track Callum down. How has he been since he came back?"

Trevor briefly looked around the room before focusing back on Alex. "Is there something you needed to talk about with me?" he asked. When he first returned to London, the only time his family wanted to speak to him was to kick off and try force him to leave. Since then, he'd had civilised conversations with Harper, May, Bruce and Billy. With that in mind, Trevor no longer automatically expected Alex to want to express his hatred towards him. Now, he was more open-minded about the reason he'd been invited over.

As Alex replied, Callum came into view of the doorway and stopped before entering the room. After a brief hesitation, he did enter and approached Alex, taking a moment to stare at the stranger in the room. "Where's Uncle Spencer gone?" he asked Alex, all the while sending glances back to Trevor. "Who's that mister?" he outright asked Alex, clearly not afraid to speak up. At the question, Trevor looked directly to his son, allowing him to answer the boy how he felt best. He wasn't going to speak up or directly address his grandson in case it was overstepping his mark. His family had been very clear in the beginning about him staying away from Callum and Eddie.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

 

[Misty Gray]

Jeremy Gray's Place
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King and Kerry Patrick​

Kerry could see how confused and out of sorts Harper was. Though it stood to reason given what had happened, it was still concerning to see her friend that way. Although Harper didn't seem certain Jeremy was upstairs, Kerry trusted it was the case. She knew how tough the Kings were being with security lately, and given her friend's recent suicide attempt, she was sure she wouldn't be left alone.

Kerry softly smiled when Harper said she didn't think Alex deserved her. "He's in a good place now and I think he does deserve this - to be happy," she assured her. Kerry had been cautious to get too close to Alex at first, knowing about his reputation and the likelihood of him doing something to let her down. However, despite all of the recent stress and heartbreak Alex had been made to face recently, he hadn't spiralled again. He hadn't let her down and he'd proved to everyone that he had changed. Kerry trusted Alex and believed they would keep being happy together. "I don't think he's going to hurt me, but... I will let you kick his arse second if he does," she playfully told her friend.

Harper seemed hesitant about giving an answer to how she had been. Although she said she was healing, Kerry wasn't sure how much her friend really believed that. She nodded along when Harper said she thought she'd been home a few days, but things were muddled so she couldn't be sure. "I'm not surprised..." Kerry trailed off when told time was a blur at the hospital, with no windows making it difficult to know what time it was. Kerry looked down for a moment as she recalled her own time in captivity, where she was tied up on a small, pitch black room for days. It had been impossible to have any concept of time during those days. Between the torture and then the prolonged solitude, it had felt like she'd been held captive far longer than she actually had been. And as that event even now continued to occupy some part of Kerry's memories, she knew Harper's time in the hospital would linger in her thoughts for quite a while. "It'll get better," she said, looking back to Harper. "It takes a while to readjust to being back home and to regain whatever normality is, but it will get easier." There was someone who helped Kerry keep fighting when she'd given up and though he did it for her as a friend, the same man was there for Harper on a professional level. "Dr Parker helped me a lot, you know. He's there for you too."

When Harper went to see who was at the door, Kerry sat at the kitchen counter and waited for her friend to return.

Spencer was glad to see Harper when she opened the door to him. It wasn't just because he'd gone there to see her, but he was also glad she was up and about. He entered the house and pulled Harper in for a hug, placing a kiss on the top of her head. She made a comment about him letting his face and head hair grow. "I told you before, Shona digs it. Maybe if you're nice enough to me I'll consider a shave and a trim," he offered. The reference about his grooming took him back to when he'd visited her in the hospital, which in turn reminded him of something else they'd talked about. "I'm afraid I didn't bring any sweets this time. But I can go out and mug some trick-or-treaters if you're desperate."

When told Kerry was at the house, Spencer couldn't help but think back to the argument he'd just had with Alex and the fact his brother had invited Trevor to his house. It was difficult to hide the irritation from his face and he had to quickly pick himself back up and smile, realising it could seem like he was annoyed about Kerry's presence. "Ah, she made a good choice staying away from Alex's tonight as he's got company," he remarked as he followed Harper to the kitchen. "Evening, Kerry. You managing a night away from lover boy?" he teasingly asked, flashing her a smile. He briefly glanced to the kitchen doorway, having been told Jeremy was around he was surprised not to have seen him yet.

"We're not glued at the hip just yet, Spencer," Kerry remarked, returning his smile.

"Please, stop there before I get any horrific mental images," he protested. He then looked to Harper, realising he hadn't answered her question. "A cuppa would be great, thanks," he finally accepted her offer of tea. Whilst Spencer had been hoping to spend to time with just Harper to see out how she was really doing and feeling, he figured Kerry's presence and apparently Jeremy's would at least be enough to distract him from thinking about what had just happened with Alex and Trevor. As much as he wanted to go off on a rant about the man, he was also growing tired of Trevor occupying any space in his head. Given that Harper was soft on their father, he knew visiting her would give him something else to focus on as she likely didn't want to hear more criticism of Trevor.

Footsteps were soon heard approaching the kitchen and Spencer turned to the doorway to see Jeremy, who looked like he'd just woken up. "Bloody hell, Sleeping Beauty. You've got a cushy life, ain't ya?" he playfully teased his friend. "Enjoy it while you can. Soon the kid will decide when you get to sleep."

BasDorcha (Jeremy)
Bellz (Harper)

 

[Pyroclast]

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Syd Porter
(Tommy Lee)​

It frustrated Syd that everyone else was acting so calm; to him, nothing felt right at all. He wasn’t sure how to answer his father’s question, or if he could explain it in a way that wouldn’t make him sound crazy. Their offer to do a security sweep made sense and he wanted to agree with them, but his mind was made up and he was struggling to change it. The venue had been perfect in every way aside from the security risks posed by the wide open space and many vantage points from the surrounding balconies, but it was so much better than any available alternatives that he had let the risk slide, under the condition that the security was at the maximum it could be without making the guests feel uncomfortable. Now that the event was actually underway, however, all those concerns were creeping back in, and he couldn’t seem to shake them.

Syd sucked in a breath, by now struggling to handle his frustration on top of the stress, and when Roxie suggested just making the gala quick before having an after party hosted at his parents’ house, he let out a groan. “You aren’t listening to me!” he said, running a hand through his hair. “What happens when this family’s all together in public, mam? What happens?!” He glanced up at the balconies, and though he couldn’t see anyone there, the paranoia still burrowed through him, drawing beads of sweat to his skin.

Whether he was getting through to them or not, James maintained his usual calm exterior and went to do a security check, telling them to relax until he got back. Grabbing a fistful of his own hair, Syd tried to let that be enough - but it only took a few seconds before he decided it wasn’t. “Dad!” he called after him. He wasn’t sure what he could say or do at that point to convince him, so he could only watch as the man left to carry out his duties.

“Please,” he begged, grabbing Lucy by the shoulders. “Please just get everyone out. I shouldn’t have done this, I shouldn’t have invited you all - you don’t need to be here, none of you do. God, what was I thinking!”

A wave of panic washed over him as his mother cried out in horror; he felt someone move behind him and when he spun around, he saw Roxie in the grip of a man wearing a black and gold masked outfit, a gun pressed to her temple. He was suddenly hit by a flashback of her held captive by her own father back in the 70s when she was pregnant with the twins - that same feeling of helplessness, of not being able to reach her or knowing if he ever would again. There were tears spilling down her cheeks and she started begging him to do as the man said and stand down. But Syd just froze; it was like a nightmare, that his paranoia had actually turned out to be founded on something real, and so immediately after he had felt danger in the air. For a moment he stood paralyzed, part of him questioning if it was even happening or if he had just got so upset that it was causing him to break from reality again. He hoped it was - he would much rather be having a breakdown and be sent away again than for the love of his life to be killed - but it hadn’t happened for such a long time that he had to just believe that his eyes weren’t deceiving him this time.

“Roxie -” he started, but then he fixed his attention on the man behind her and took a step forward. He could hear Lucy begin to worry about James but at that moment he was too stressed out to divide his attention properly, so the thought of his dad walking into danger only spurred on his anxiety. “You - you get your hands off her,” he demanded, pointing a finger in the assailant’s direction. “Let her go and put that gun on the ground now or I will fucking kill you, I swear to god - just take your hands off her and tell me what the fuck you want!”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie, Lucy
Misty Gray Jimbo, Ricky

 

[Misty Gray]

Spoiler: FLOOR PLAN

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
& Balcony 4
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Riccardo Biancardi and Damian Nicolosi​

Ricky's focus briefly shifted to Lucy, the woman's gasp drawing him in to remind him of the fact the Morettis already had her husband, James. Roxie's voice soon brought his attention back to her as she asked him if he really thought Syd was going to listen to his instructions. "I don't want to kill you Roxie. This wasn't my idea," he tried to convince her. "Right now I'm standing between you and over a dozen Morettis who will kill you if I don't," he whispered to her. He knew he didn't have long to act before Damian and the others would grow impatient. "Moretti will get all of us..."

Ricky stayed silent as Roxie and Lucy pleaded with Syd to get behind the bar as told. The gun in his hand began to feel heavy as he knew he was running out of time. Hearing Lucy ask about James, Ricky decided to address the matter, his voice now raised for her to hear him clearly over the Halloween music. "Moretti already got to him when he was at the balcony," he informed her, hoping it would make clear the severity of the situation and that it wasn't just him there to kill Roxie. Behind Syd and Lucy, Ricky was also aware of more Sullivans standing a little further down the bar. Savannah, Danny, Braden and Amy were all standing in a position that would put them at risk too should the Morettis on the balconies open fire. Not to mention the guests seated at the tables or occupying the dancefloor.

It soon became clear that Syd wasn't going to take cover behind the bar and when it came down to it, Ricky was more concerned with saving his cousin than the Sullivans and Porters who had never liked him to begin with. As Syd demanded he let Roxie go and put the gun down, Ricky quickly shook his head. "I can't do that, Syd. The minute they know I'm not going to kill her, we're all fucked anyway. I just want to stop my cousin from getting killed."

In a split second, Ricky pulled Roxie to the side and pushed her to the floor behind the bar, the woman landing on the ground at the terrified barman's feet. He practically dived for cover himself, crouching down at the opening of the bar, closest to the balcony Damian was occupying, as he kept his gun in his hand to fire on anyone who attempted to get to Roxie. "Stay down, Roxie!" he desperately called to her.

Bellz (Roxie, Lucy)
Pyroclast (Syd)

Damian watched the scene like a hawk. With every second that passed, he began to feel more frustrated with Ricky. Part of him considered Ricky's reason for not just shooting straight away was self-preservation. It was likely Ricky was being wise by holding Roxie as a hostage to ensure none of the Sullivans simply shot him. Damian could abide by that as otherwise Ricky was simply on a suicide mission. But those seconds kept ticking by and by the time he watched Ricky push Roxie out of harm's way, Damian lost any hope of Ricky doing as he'd been told.

"Oh, Ricky..." Damian muttered as he didn't hesitate to line up his shot. However, he wasn't intending to shoot Ricky and instead had his eyes on Syd. He'd rather kill a Sullivan than Ricky or Julia. Still, to Julia it would appear Damian was lining up to shoot her lover, Ricky, which was why she attempted to grab the gun from him. Her action threw Damian off course and as he squeezed the trigger, the bullets didn't manage to hit Syd - the intended target. Instead, a couple of bullets were sent towards the barman, just missing him and hitting a couple of spirit bottles behind the bar, causing the glass to shatter and the liquid to explode around Ricky and Roxie. A third bullet, meanwhile, had missed Syd and instead hit Danny...

Pulling the gun away from Julia's grasp, Damian sent her a cold, hard stare. "I like you, Julia. And Ricky. So that's why I'm giving you five seconds to get out of my sight," he darkly suggested to her. "Go!" he commanded her to leave. Gabriel was going to be furious, but Damian would have to try salvage what he could now, by trying to take down at least some key Sullivan, then worm his way out of any repercussions later. Turning to his colleagues on the neighbouring balconies, he signaled for them to open fire.



Pyroclast (DANNY!) Bellz (Julia, Braden) BasDorcha (Amy)

**********

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan and Dermot Murphy
(Hulk Hogan and James Bond)​

Hearing Aliana whisper his name, Dermot looked to the woman before following her focus towards the bar where Ricky was holding a gun to Roxie's head. He turned to the exit closest to their table, ready to tell Aliana, Michelle and Conor to calmly leave the ballroom, however, he noticed two men wearing skeleton masks closing the doors before positioning themselves in a way that made it clear they were trying to block the escape route. When Aliana spoke up to tell them something was happening at the bar, Dermot nodded his head. Reaching to his glass with one hand, he discreetly reached under the table with his other. As he sipped his drink, his concealed hand set about retrieving the semi-automatic pistol he'd taped under the table during the security team's earlier preparations. "Not yet, Ali," he firmly told her as she said they needed to help or escape.

As his eyes scanned the rest of the ballroom, he soon became aware of a few other guests who now suddenly stood out as looking suspicious. But it was those standing on the balconies above that caused his concern to grow further. "Conor. Ladies. The exits aren't secure at this moment in time," he calmly informed them, keeping his voice low. "I'm going to need you to take cover under this table, but not yet. Our uninvited guests could get nervous and feel pushed into a rash decision towards your family over there," he said, referring to Roxie, Syd and Lucy. "Just be ready to get out of the line of fire," he asserted. He took a moment to look across to where Adam and Chase were seated, catching on to the fact they were also aware of the situation. He sent them a subtle nod to confirm they were on the same wavelength.

It wasn't long before the scene escalated and the moment Ricky had pushed Roxie down, Dermot looked up to the balcony to see Damian ready to take his shot. "GET DOWN!" he loudly ordered. As he rushed to cover Michelle and make her crawl under the table, he saw Conor doing the same with Aliana. As Conor helped Aliana get out of the potential line of fire, he gently squeezed his wife's shoulder. Clearly, he was not rushing to get under the table himself. Dermot understood the man's need to fight, but he also understood that he was being paid to attend that night as Conor's bodyguard. As bullets began being fired by the men on the balconies, Dermot ordered Conor to get under the table, but the man very impolitely declined. With little hesitation, Dermot turned around and fired on the two guards he'd already sighted by the nearest exit. The bullets ripped into the throats and chests of each of the skeleton-mask wearing Morettis, rendering both of them out of action and those closed doors no longer guarded.

"Take this," Dermot growled at Conor as he handed him his own gun. If his boss wasn't going to make his life easier, he at least needed to be armed. Dermot marched towards the collapsed bodies of the guards he'd shot. He reached down and prized the AK-47 out of the arms of one of the dying men. The other man was already unresponsive and Dermot easily kicked the second AK-47 out of the way and potentially in reach of one of his Irish comrades. Of course, putting himself openly in the firing line meant that the moment he took aim towards the Morettis on one of the balconies, a bullet tore into his bicep from one of the Morettis at ground level who had set their sights on him...

Conor, meanwhile, had turned to the scene unfolding around Syd. Danny had been shot, but it looked like everyone else around them was presently unharmed. He found himself torn between needing to rush over to help Lucy and his family members at the bar, and needing to get his wife and daughter to safety. Crouching down under the table, he looked to Michelle and Aliana. "Dermot's cleared the nearest exit, but we have to time this right. There's wankers on this level and on the balconies who could hit you if you make a break for the exit. Gripping the gun in his hand, he looked between the two women. "I'll need to shield you from that," he decided.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
BasDorcha (Michelle)
Mentions/Nearby: Pyroclast (Chase) Bellz (Blake) + Adam, Jasmine

 

[Misty Gray]

The Mayfair Restaurant
~ City of London, London ~

Sarah Stewart and Alice Carroll​

Sarah turned to Philip when he nudged her to grab her attention. She nodded her head when he said Alice would need to be strong now Abel had made up his mind. "Oh, I'm sure she'll manage with him. I've seen her deal with a stroppy customer where she works... And for the record, I was not the stroppy customer," she joked. Known for speaking her mind and putting people in her place, Sarah felt necessary to make that distinction. When Abel suddenly announced he would be taking Alice to the cinema after dinner, Sarah couldn't help the amused smirk from forming on her face. "Is that right?" she rhetorically asked.

Alice looked to Abel and nodded her head. "I'd like that. Going to the movies is always nice," she accepted his offer. When he spoke about his father owning his own business and he himself studying business management at college, Alice nodded along. "Oh, my dad would like that," she said, given the man was in a similar line of work. She also couldn't hide how happy she was that he liked music and art too, meaning they had plenty in common to share if they did have more dates. "I'm sure having siblings has its perks too, though. I always wondered what it would be like having a brother or sister," she explained. With her mother's mental health issues and the ways it had presented itself through Alice's childhood, she'd often wished to have a sibling there to help her manage and understand it. Someone to help her not feel so alone all those times growing up.

When the waitress came to take their orders, Alice suddenly realised she'd been so occupied talking that she hadn't actually looked at the menu. She began to quickly look over the menu, letting the Stewarts all give their orders to buy herself more time. When the waitress' attention landed on her, Alice looked up and ordered a salad.

Alice couldn't help but laugh when Abel suggested his parents had named him randomly. "Thank you, but Abel is a nice name too."

"I'll have you know your name was not random," Sarah interjected as she glared at Abel. "A lot of care and thought went into picking that name out of a hat," she teased.

Alice soon focused her attention on Philip when the man apologised for Abel being excitable. "That's okay," she said, sending Abel a warm glance. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Stewart," she told him. She nodded in agreement when the man spoke about how important going to college was now compared to years ago. "It sounds like you must have worked really hard for your boss and it's really cool that you've been able to run a successful business. My dad wanted me to study for a professional qualification - something like business or law, but I'm no good at that sort of thing. I'm more into creativity and improvisation. I think now he's just happy I'm at least going to college and then university," she explained. Turning to Abel she sent him a warm smile. "Plus, between all of the learning, there's plenty of fun to be had in college. Maybe we will see each other on campus now," she flirted.

BasDorcha (Philip, Abel)

 

[BasDorcha]

Home

~Bethnal Green, London​

Jeremy Gray
The last three days had been less great than he hoped for. Harper was home, he had personally picked her up and brought her to his place, where all of her things except furniture how was. Most furniture he had left with May in her empty apartment – what was able to be given anyways. Some was... well some couldn't be handed down. It went directly into the trash with their blood stains. He had emptied one of the sparce rooms and put everything in there for her to go through at her own speed, with the exception of essentials. He hadn't pried, or dug, or looked at anything more than he had too, respecting her privacy during the move. They were dating, not entitled to pry without permission.

Earlier that day, him and Harper had laid down together, him holding her and stroking her until they both fell asleep, or so he thought. Either she had gotten up before him, or never slept, the latter more likely. When he woke up, the first thing he did was reach for her, panicking for a split second before he heard voices in the front room. He quickly identified both Harper and Kerry's voice, knowing the guys outside would never let an unapproved face in. He laid there for a few moments, getting his bearings before sitting up and sliding on a pair of sweats. When another knock came at the door, he stopped at the stairs to listen, hearing Spencer's voice. He wandered what brought his friend over, though he was always happy to see him – at least the majority of the time.

Finally he made his way down stairs, smelling the tea being served and familiar voices filling the house, a warmth enveloped him and all he wanted to do was go kiss his girlfriend and say good morning to their son. He was sure this child was a boy, he just knew it. Something told him in the depth of his chest. As he sauntered down the stairs and over to Harper, no longer having to hide his feelings for her, he swept her up with one arm around her waist, kissing her lightly before nudging her nose with his. "Good morning, my love. Good morning, little one." His free hand reached up and touched her stomach lightly, a soft growl that just the two of them would hear escaping his lips like a giant jungle cat claiming what was his.

He released her as quickly as he could afterwards knowing if he held it too long it might get unbearably uncomfortable for the other two, not that he really cared. He loved them, but not like he loved the woman in front of him or the baby inside her, and nothing was going to stand between them now. Ruffling his hair with a hand as he moved to sit at the last open chair, he grinned and shrugged at Spencer.

"I don't know if I'd call it cushy, I got to deal with the whole lot of ya now on a new level don't I?" He laughed, nudging Spencer with his foot teasingly. "8 months seems a way off, but I know it'll fly." Looking up at Harper, there was a undeniable purity of love in them, as if nothing but that woman existed. When he finally broke his gaze, he reached over and squeezed Kerry's arm, "Hey Ker, what brings you round? I didn't even know you knew where I lived." He teased again. A quick review of the conversation caught him up before his look darkened a touch. "Ker you are welcome to have one of the men escort you home, I won't be going anywhere."

[break][/break]
Windsor Hotel

~Dublin~
Michelle Romano​

Spoiler: The Costume

View attachment 1048083

Michelle watched as everything around her slowed down to a crawl. Her eyes scanned the room and faces popped out that sent warning bells through her skull. Around her Dermot's voice pierced her haze as she nodded and silently slid her hand into her purse, loosening her snug .38 into her lap before dropping the purse casually to the floor. She listened but did not verbally respond to the things going on. The moment Dermot gave the word, she dropped to the floor and slid under the table like she had done it a hundred times, a fluid and smooth movement. Something about the situation made her calmer than she should be, and for a moment, she was thankful her dad's blood flowed through her veins more than ever. If not for being his daughter, having his reactions to intense situations, the ability to think ahead, she may not be acting so much like a unphased soldier. With something to concentrate on though, the panic didn't have time to consume her.

Michelle watched under the table cloth as the feet shuffled around them, her head getting centered. She quickly identified those she could with outfits and shoes, Dermot easy as he wore dress shoes instead of costume shoes. Her father was beside him. She sat back on her feet, taking a deep breath. The gun felt heavy and ready in her hands, unsure if she should consider using it. She had never taken a life or even shot a living creature. Her eyes focused in on shooters in the back and she steeled herself against them, knowing they would shoot them if they had too, so she had to expect to do the same. 8

As Dermot moved away, she watched Aliana, over her shoulder seeing someone take aim in the direction of Dermot. The second the bullet ripped through the air, realizing she had waited a moment to long, Michelle placed a hand on the side of Ali's head and shoved her down, firing at the man who had shot at him. The bullet hit the man just above his heart, veering more right than she had liked. Still, she didn't want Ali to hear the shot so close to her head, it would have blown her ear drum. Looking at her second mom, she gave her an apologetic nod, "Sorry about that Ali-" Her dad leaned down to talk to them, cutting her short. She listened closely, nodding. That big brain of hers was already thinking two steps ahead. "I got it, Daddy. Don't get caught yourself, you hear me. I'll never forgive you if you let them get you." She stared him down a moment, before looking back to Aliana.

"Common, let's go." She waited until the moment they said, before pushing Ali ahead of her and following behind with her gun drawn. She had been taking shooting lessons for the last few years, and now it was paying off. She looked out from under the table, seeing Dermot with blood dripping down his arm ahead and gulped. Suddenly, she realized, she didn't want him to get hurt. It caused her heart to freeze and her throat to close, Marco not even on her mind. The decision was made. Dermot had her heart and she wasn't even ready to give it to him. What a time to realize it. They mo6ved from table to table, using moments of distraction to keep them hidden until they were at the last one before the stretch to the door...


[break][/break]

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Alex King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

While Alex hadn't exactly meant to say his thoughts out loud, he also wasn't about to take them back. Had he canceled like he was supposed to the two men wouldn't have bumped into each other. He and Spencer were already bumping heads with the latter thinking he was betraying him with the whole Trevor thing. To have him show up at his home moments after was sure to add gasoline to the fire. He then waved Trevor's words away as he tried to explain the reason behind Spencer's attitude. "No, no. Some of that was towards me," he sighed. For a split second he wondered if he should get in the middle of things between Spencer and Trevor. If he just mentioned to the man the issue, perhaps it would be solved. Maybe the two of them could come to some sort of agreement. It wasn't like they needed to form a relationship or anything like that but... But something had to be better than being angry and bitter all the time. Deciding that his brother had enough of a reason to be angry with him, he kept his mouth shut and decided to move on. "Brother sure did get your temper. We all did, I guess," he trailed off.

Standing on the opposite side of the island, Alex placed the palm of his hands on top and rocked back and forth. He was nervous, anxious and he didn't know why. Was he feeling regretful over how their last meeting had gone? Regretful that he had invited him here in the first place? While a part of him did feel like he was leaving Spencer out in the cold there was no way he could continue to put in so much energy hating Trevor. Sure, he could pretend he didn't exist but if his sisters and brother wanted the man around then what could he really do? It was either hop on the train or get left behind and he had been standing on that platform long enough. He clenched his jaw as Trevor noted how their visit had gone - when he had helped him find Callum. Alex had thought about that day a lot in regards to his own self reflection. Some of what Trevor had said to him had hit a soft spot and while he would never verbally admit this it hit very close to home. Clearing his throat he sutbly shrugged his shoulders. "Thought he was on vacation," he softly chuckled. "Kids, right? Anyway he's fine." A slight hesitation later and he finally looked up at Trevor. "Sav got hurt though," he explained, voice unsure if that was something he should be sharing. "Moretti overstepped his bounds but it'll be taken care of."

Trevor then asked him if there were something he wanted to speak to him about specifically. Alex opened his mouth to reply, that there was, only to close it. What was it he wanted to say? What was there to say? Sure, there were things he wanted to get off his chest but was it all necessary? At this point in time he had gone to accept that there would always be a chance Trevor could disappoint them all. And when it happened they wouldn't have anyone to blame but themselves. Taking a deep breath he decided if there was ever to be a relationship between them he needed to get it all out. He needed Trevor to see just much he had hurt his family and that it was going to take a lot for it to be fixed. "I just," he started, shrugging. "I got a lot to say, old man, and if this," he gestured between the two of them. "Is ever going to see some sort of... Resolve. If I'm ever gonna introduce you as grandpa to my kid then I-,"

The moment Callum appeared in the doorway, Alex stopped talking and pursed his lips together. "The timin' on this kid," he mumbled. Callum asked where his uncled had gone, Alex gesturing for him to come join him by the counter. "He had to go pop in on your cousin," he lied. "Said he'd take you to the field some time and work on your kicks." Alex then reached down to pick him up before setting him down on the counter. He hadn't missed the way his son was stealing glances at Trevor and when he finally asked who the man was Alex paused. It was too soon, he felt, for him to be introduced as grandpa. While Alex was grateful for his help in bringing his son home Spencer was right. There was a lot more he would need before he had such privileges. "This his Trevor," he explained, "A family friend," he looked at Trevor as he said the words making it clear where he stood right then. "Trevor, this is Callum."

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Christian's Place
~ Bethnal Green, London ~
Darcey Hargraves​

Darcey politely denied the salty snack, instead sitting down across from her as May began to give her an update. Though she wasn't able to relate to the kidnapping and struggled to put herself in May's shoes, she was able to relate to everything else. It all happened in her youth and they were secrets she would take to the grave with her. She understand the desire to not be touched - by man or woman - and nodded her head in understanding. Darcey never thought she'd be in such a predicament again, Harper being the last time. And while this time around the culprit had been taken care of, Darcey's heart still ached for May. No one should have to go through what she had but especially someone like her. At the mention of Christian and her worries about so many things being dumped on him at once, Darcey gave her a soft smile. "Our boy scout is very resilient. Just... Remember to give him a break too? You'll need each other during this healing process and it'll only become harder if you're butting heads all the time." Darcey hadn't missed the look in her eyes and let out a soft sigh of worry. She knew May to be a stronger individual but she couldn't help but worry just how strong she was going to be during this.

Those worries were then shoved to the back of her mind, wanting to stay in the moment and not worry May with her own worries. It was clear to Darcey that though May was joking, she truly did wonder if Christian would ever abandon her or not. "He would never," she reasurred. "And not just because he's the father of your unborn either. He cares about you. Dare I even say love you. If he were going to leave you then he wouldn't've gone after you in the first place when you showed up missing." Darcey had had a lot of experience speaking sense into her family member's ears. May was no different. In the time that she had known the young women she was aware of her self-esteem issues. Every chance she got she tried to reassure her; tried to show her she had plenty to be confident about.

When asked about how she was doing and the others, Darcey let out a deep sigh handing her the gift. She settled into her seat and shrugged her shoulders. "What is there to say," she started, clearly stressed and worried about the well-being of her family. The last time she was like this had been when Bruce's wife and children were killed in a car crash. While things did seem to be looking up for the King family she couldn't help think the worst was still to come. Scratching her eyebrow with her index finger she looked at her with a soft smile. "They're alright. Alex's gunshot wound is healing nicely. Heard he and Jeremy made up so that's a plus. Harper's out of the hospital so that's another plus. Should see her when you're able... Billy and Spence are doin' good and Bruce," she said, unable to contain the smile that appeared on her face. Even at the sheer mention of the man she found herself feeling like a giddy teenager. "Bruce is good too. The whole family is good so you shouldn't stress. Worry about you, okay?"

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Windsor Hotel Charity Gala
~Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan

Aliana Marie Sullivan had been through this before. The shooting during a nice family outing. Things going to shit when they just wanted to relax. Her life being at risk. Her husband's life being at risk. Her family's life being at risk. And in the past she was able to pick up a gun and aim and shoot and take care of business. She was able to kill a man without hesitation if it were for those she loved without issue. She had done it before when she killed for Conor's sake. So why, she wondered, listening as Dermot reassured her, was she so afraid right then? What was it about this particular situation that had her so frightened that she was clawing at her skin? Her breath was beginning to grow quicker and the tears that stung her eyes fell rapidly down her face. She opened and closed her eyes several times willing for all of it to go away. Maybe she was dreaming and she just needed to fucking wake up. But, the more she did it, the harder her nails dug into her skin, all it did was cause her pain. "I can't do this again," she muttered to herself. She was trying to stay calm for the sake of those around her, but she could feel it bubbling up. The PTSD of her kidnapping and the other attacks in the past had all begun to resurface at such an unfortunate time. She needed to be alert and stable and yet she was struggling.

Dermot gave them instructions though they sounded muffled to her. Her teeth grinded together as she continued to will herself to snap out of it. She could NOT be the weakest link right now. Not when her family was at risk. Her eyes had caught the same as Dermot - the men locking the doors and preventing an escape and for a split second she felt hopeless. They were surrounded, she figured. There was no way they were going to make it out. However, as Dermot continued to reassure them, continued to give out instructions, she felt herself growing more at ease. But just as quickly as she had found her resolve she lost it. Things took a turn for the worst, a shot ringing through the air as Conor immediately forced her to the ground. Her hands pressed themselves against her ears, trying to drown out the sound of screaming and gunshots to no avail. Hunched over and soflty sobbing, Aliana kept shaking her head and muttering, "I can't do this again." It was an inopportune moment to be having a panic attack but unfortunately that was her reality.

Her chest felt tight and she couldn't breathe. The more she tried to get herself under control the more she seemed to lose herself. The idea of any of them getting hurt - Roxie, Lucy, and especially Syd - was a lot to handle and made her heart feel heavy. The fact that her nephew was so close to dangerous was enough to make her lose her mind. She watched as Michelle gathered herself, shooting her own gun at the assailants when she remembered she'd packed a gun of her own inside of her clutch. She had learned long ago to never leave without one. Her clutch sat in front of her but even knowing this she still hadn't picked it up. "Work it out, Marie," she mumbled. "Work it out Marie, work it out." She took several deep breaths trying to get herself under control, only to fail. However, the moment Conor peaked his head under the table; the moment their eyes made contact. Aliana could feel herself getting a little calmer.

Or rather, it was his words. "Shield us?!" She snapped, frowning and sniffling all the same. "You out of your fucking mind?!" Almost instantly the tears stopped and she shook her head. "You're dressed in a goddamn Hulk Hogan costume - bright yellow, might I add - you're an easy goddamn target! Plus, you don't know who these people work for they could be after you next!" The thought of it caused her words to catch in her throat. It nearly made her burst into tears but she forced them down. Looking around until she found her clutch she pulled the small black handgun from it. "We do this together, you understand me? You do NOT get to sacrifice yourself and be some grand hero." Clicking the safety off her gun she took a breath - trying not to hesitate. And boy did she just want to stay under the table but she knew she couldn't.

Michelle ( BasDorcha ) Dermot, Conor ( Misty Gray )

 

[Misty Gray]

Alex King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Trevor Stewart​

Trevor hadn't missed Alex's comment about Spencer inheriting his temper, perhaps even all of the siblings had. It wasn't exactly pleasant to hear that his own faults had been passed on to his kids. Although Laura had flaws of her own, he would rather his kids had inherited her more gentle and easy-going nature than his own temper and recklessness. That being said, Trevor figured they were all their own people with their own minds and in the Kings' line of business, it was clear they needed to have some fire in their souls to survive the lifestyles they led.

Trevor didn't know Callum and when his own kids had been growing up, people could be easily forgiven for believing he didn't care about them. However, hearing that Callum had believed he'd been on vacation during his time in Corfu was a relief to hear. The kid didn't seem to have been upset or affected by what should have been an ordeal. "Well, that's good," he said, returning Alex's chuckle with a brief one of his own. His face soon turned serious when Alex told him Savannah had been hurt by the Morettis. He was fully aware of the Italians running New York and that they were supposedly working with the Kings to help them. "I hope she's alright. No kid should..." Trevor trailed off, stopping short of finishing his sentence on account of the obvious. He'd been about to say no kid should have to grow up without their mother, but he knew how pathetic that would sound coming from himself. It was no secret others blamed him for Laura's death too.

Trevor waited patiently for Alex to tell him the reason he'd been invited over. His son eventually spoke to tell him he had a lot to say and began to state they needed to find a resolve before he could ever be properly introduced to his grandson. Unfortunately, that had been about the time the child in question had made his appearance.

It was clear Alex had been put in a difficult position in that moment, but he soon introduced Trevor as a family friend. The man smiled between Alex and Callum before nodding his head as a sign to Alex that he accepted his current place in the kid's life. He wasn't to be known as his grandfather, certainly not yet. "It's good to meet you, Callum," Trevor said, with a smile.

"You too, Trevor," Callum replied. He then turned back to look at Alex. "Can I watch Ghostbusters again?" he asked. He was perceptive enough by now to know when adults wanted to talk without him there and he was smart enough to take advantage of those situations where he could. "It's the best Halloween film," he informed both Alex and Trevor.

"I'll be sure to watch it some time," Trevor assured the boy. Trevor waited whilst Alex settled the boy in the lounge and once he returned to the kitchen, he looked back to his son. "He seems like a confident kid. Reminds me of you at that age..." he trailed off. When he was still with Laura and the kids, Trevor had spent a significant amount of the time out drinking and doing his own thing, and when he was at home a lot of the time had been spent high as a kite. Despite that, he had still been present and sober for long enough to know his kids' personalities. He remembered how Alex was at four years old.

Trevor took another sip of his drink before looking Alex in the eyes. "Do you want to continue from where we got to?" he asked, hoping Alex would say what had been on his mind before Callum had interrupted.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
The Windsor Hotel Ballroom (Behind the Bar)
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

"What did you do?!" Roxie asked, her voice loud enough to be heard by the people around her. Ricky was trying to convince her that this wasn't his idea and the pleading tone of his voice was wearing her down. Roxie had no one left after Ricky, sure she had her children but her family dynasty ended with Ricky. She would have no one to talk to about her past, to understand...

The tears stung so badly in her eyes that it made it hard not to blink. He was standing in between the Moretti soldiers who were waiting for her to be killed by him. Roxie knew Syd wouldn't listen to her. She was almost sure that in his state he had absolutely no idea it was Ricky. Lucy had asked about James. Roxie looked at Lucy as Ricky explained that Moretti already got to James. The color drained from the older woman's face as she looked up to the balconies now, noticing the number of people wearing masks.

Roxie's eyes looked around, more people were starting to notice, the whispers became louder and more frequent and soon panic started setting in. If Ricky was being truthful, they had run out of time. Hearing the word kill being thrown around left and right was going to make her dizzy. Roxie was still wide-eyed, unable to even blink now as Syd demanded her cousin to let her go and put the gun on the ground. Ricky shook his head behind her, telling him that he couldn't do that and that they were all fucked anyway. He just wanted to stop her from getting killed. There were so many things she wanted to say, wanted to do but the minute Ricky pulled her towards behind the bar, all words were lost. He shoved her so hard to the ground that she landed on her hands in knees with a hard smack, sending a vibrating sensation up her arms that hurt.

"Ricky! Are you-" She was going to call him nuts, bonkers, absolutely out of his fucking mind but the order to stay down followed by gunfire caused her to clam up and cry out in horror.

---​

Julia had been watching, just anxiously willing Ricky to do the sensible thing, to not leave her to defend herself before running to defend him. When he pushed Roxie behind the bar, Julia's own pistols were on her hips straps under her cape and when Damian moved to aim for Ricky (or so she thought) she gasped and reached for the gun. The bullets didn't hit anyone, instead hitting the bottles of spirits behind the bar.

Roxie cursed out as glass shattered onto her the broken bottles also drenching her in alcohol. The woman moved from her hands on her knees to sit on her bottom, looking at Ricky as he crouched at the bar opening. "Where's Syd and Lucy!?" Roxie yelled at him over the gunfire, reaching for him, she pulled him back away from the opening before she started hitting his biceps and chest repeatedly. "You tried to kill me and now you're trying to save me!! Damn it, Ricky! Do you know what I had to do to make sure Syd didn't kill you!! When he sees you he's going to -"

The barman suddenly flung back, slamming into more bottles on the shelves as he was hit with a spray of bullets. Roxie screamed out as she watched him collapse into a bloody heap beside her. The stench of blood and alcohol was enough to make her sick and she shook her head, trying to ignore it as her heart thudded in her chest. Looking her cousin over, Roxie eyed him for another gun, "You have another gun on you? Hand it over! How on earth do you expect me to trust you with my life right now?!"
with: Ricky Misty Gray ; Syd Pyroclast

Julia Avvocata
Wesley Roberts
The Windsor Hotel Ballroom (Balcony #4)
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

Damian turned on Julia like a stealthy viper ready to devour its prey whole, which made her the measly mouse. The fear in her eyes was most likely very apparent as Damian told her that he liked her and Ricky, and it was why he was giving her five seconds to run. When he commanded her to leave, she quickly backed out of the balcony, not turning her back to him until she was far enough away before taking off in a sprint to head down towards the dance floor.

Just as she was going to be at the top of the stairs, a man in a clown mask stood in front of her, "I don't think you want to go down there, sweetheart." The man's accent with thick, Irish. Julia rolled her eyes, "What are you king of the stairs? Move the fuck out of my way!" Julia brandished a gun, and the man laughed, "Oh would you look at this, I have one of those too." He hummed sweetly and Julia made a move to kick him out of the way, ready to deliver a kick to the nuts. The man grabbed her foot with a speed that shocked the both of them before he twisted it, watching her spin-off of her other foot onto the ground. The woman smacked the ground, her arms unable to catch her. The masked man then moved to grab his handcuffs from his back pocket, moving to stand above her like an idiot. She turned and kicked between his legs as hard as he could, causing him to gasp out and fall forward.

She pushed him off from on top of her and moved to get back up, only before someone shot off a taser gun, stunning her as she fell back to the ground and twitched. The masked man recovered, muttering something about pulling the gun out sooner before bagging Julia's head as she continued to jolt around, passing out at some point.
with: Thea Melanin-Gxdess

Lucy Porter
The Windsor Hotel Ballroom (Bar about to head to stairs)
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

Lucy had shoved Syd to hide behind the side of the bar, just out of the vantage points of the balcony where the gunfire was coming from. Everyone was running and hiding, she wasn't sure where anyone was anymore. Looking at Syd, she was once again caught leaving him alone to take care of the man that had Roxie or going to find James. The dread she felt in the pit in her stomach told her that if she didn't go, she wouldn't find him in time. "Syd! Syd! Listen to me! I have to go find your father! Get Roxie, and get the fuck out of here! I know you can do it, okay? I have to go find him!" Lucy gave her son's shoulders a squeeze before turning to look out towards the staircase which was close...if she could get there without getting gunned down.

Nearest to them, a few men had been shot down, guns splayed out onto the floor for her to choose from. Lucy could see Conor, Ali, Dermot, and Michelle from where she stood. She tried to catch her brother's eyes but he was distracted as he turned back to Ali and Michelle.
with: Syd Pyroclast

---
Braden Callahan
The Windsor Hotel Ballroom (Table by Bar)
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

Braden had been ready to order a drink with Amy, ready to just enjoy the time with her when Savvy and Danny decided to join them once again, which he was happy about. He enjoyed their company and he was sure Amy would too. That was how it was meant to be before all hell broke loose. He had noticed the tense aura coming from where Syd stood with Roxie and Lucy, "Sav, who is that guy?" He asked his sister, not sure of how to even explain the man dressed as Deathstroke with his arm around Roxie. It was all too late when he suddenly pushed Roxie behind the bar. Gunfire went off and Braden grabbed Amy, roughly pushing her so that she would crouch under the table. When Danny was hit, Braden helped to steady the man and Savvy. "Get down!" He hollered at them both, brandishing his own weapon before quickly checking to make sure it was loaded properly. Braden fired in the direction he'd seen the bullets come from, the balconies, hitting someone so directly that it sent him sprawling to the ground below him onto an empty table.

Braden dove for the table, shoving it over so that they all had more coverage. Waving Savvy and Danny to follow his lead with Amy, he crouched behind the table. The exit was close, so close but also so far...they were like sitting ducks from this angle. "We need to take the table, and use it to shield us as we head for the exits. Danny, can you make it?"
with: Danny Pyroclast ; Savvy Misty Gray ; Amy BasDorcha

Lucy Porter
The Windsor Hotel Ballroom (Stairwell/Emergency exit hallway)​

Lucy saw from the corner of her eyes as Braden was scrambling to get Danny who had been shot, Savvy, and Amy behind the table. Everyone was getting to safety from what she could see, if she didn't go...it could be too late. With a deep breath, Lucy looked at her son one more time, "I love you!" She shouted before moving from her crouched position, sprinting across the small gap to the table where the man had fallen from the balcony. He was dead as a doornail and locked and loaded. Perfect. Lucy quickly grabbed the two guns he had on him before moving to the staircase. There was no one above, at least from what she could tell, that was a civilian, all either dead or had escaped. As she took each step, the gunfire had grown muddled somewhat, the thick walls on the staircase shielding her from the sound.

Holding both guns in her hands, her fingers hovered over the triggers ready to fire as she then kicked off her heels, allowing her bare feet to kiss the carpeted stairs as she crept up it.

~ Chicago~
Tuesday 4th September 1948​

James looked her in the eyes as his expression turned more serious. "You know I've taken a big risk bringing you along, so I need you to do something for me... You will get your chance for revenge - it's yours to take. No matter what I'm doing, once you've fired that shot, you are to get out of here. Those two," he said, pointing to the two other Irishmen, "they will help you get out of here. If your leg slows you down, they will make sure you get out safely. Promise me you will do that," he asked her.

Lucy's reflection was weak, her expression torn. James had a pull on her and whether she liked it or not she would do as he said. With a shaky sigh, she brought the wine to her lips and tilt it back down her throat. Bring it back down, she stared at James, the stubbornness in her eyes was clear but she was going to promise. It scared her knowing that she might not see him again if something were to go wrong.

Her eyes watered and she struggled to promise that she would leave as soon as she did what she needed to. So instead of words, she took the few steps needed and pressed her lips against his. Silently promising that she would do as he wished.

"James?" Lucy whispered as she hesitated at the top of the stairs. "James...love?" She whispered again. It would be hard to hear her amongst the gunfire. Looking down, she saw a clown mask laying on the floor staring right up at her. Her face twisted in fear of it, hating clowns all of her life. Before she could do much else, a strong hand pulled her hair back towards the stairs. Lucy twisted around, firing her gun blindly into the abdomen of a boulder of a man who doubled over. Lucy kicked him in the gut then, firing one more time watching as he rolled down the stairs. She went to fire again but the gun clicked, the magazine empty. "Shit!" She hissed, throwing it to the ground after him. With that, she turned quickly, seeing an emergency exit door open which lead to a long white hallway. Lucy sprinted for it, moving to slam it shut behind her before hurrying down the hall, keeping her steps light.

Not rounding the corner, Lucy paused, hearing heavy breaths and groans. While she was ready to see who it was, she very carefully peered around the corner to find someone she didn't expect to be on the ground. Gabriel Moretti, looked like he was knocking on death's door as his head rolled from one side to another. His eyes looked glossy under the fluorescent lights that started to flicker. He wasn't bleeding, wasn't injured. Lucy's top hat suddenly fell off along with her red wig, slapping on the concrete floor and instantly giving her away but she stayed behind the corner to see if he'd even notice. James had to be around there somewhere. The hall had several doors...but if he hadn't shot Gabriel...then what was happening to him?
with: Gabriel Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Jeremy Gray's Place
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King and Kerry Patrick
Melanin-Gxdess - Erik​

As Jeremy took some time to greet Harper with mushy physical gestures, Spencer took over from Harper to make his own cup of tea. Whilst he was happy for the couple, he still needed to get used to his best friend smooching with his sister. When Jeremy then moved to sit down and ruffled his hair, Spencer tried to duck away from his hand. "Fuck off, ya twat," he protested, though in the usual tone of banter the friends would use with each other. When Jeremy said he knew Harper's pregnancy would fly by, Spencer knowingly nodded. "Aye, the little one will be here in not time," he softly agreed.

Kerry turned to Jeremy when he spoke to her, asking what brought her around. "You think I don't know where you live? Us women pay attention, Jeremy," she remarked. "I was actually walking home from work but something about Halloween made it feel more unsafe than normal," she explained, not wanting to go into detail about how her fear was heightened due to her past ordeal. When he then offered to have one of the men escort her home, she quickly nodded. "Yes, that would be really good. Thank you," she told him.

"But you don't have to rush off so soon," Spencer spoke up, sending Jeremy a dumbfounded stare. "Let the poor woman hang out with us for a bit," he teased.

"Oh, I see enough of you lot, Spence. And I do have a lot of chores to do at home," she reasoned as she collected her belongings together.

"Alright, love. You enjoy your night of peace and quiet without Alex or Callum pestering you," Spencer joked.

Not long after Kerry had left, a call came through from Erik who asked to speak with Spencer. It had taken Erik a few attempts to get through to Spencer, having needed to call Shona a couple of times to figure out where her husband was after he’d left Alex’s place earlier than intended. Eventually, he tracked the man down to Jeremy’s place. Having been told there was a call for him, Spencer left the others to keep talking so he could take the call.

“Erik? Is everything alright? Where’s Billy?” he asked, suddenly concerned in case the man had called him because something had happened to his youngest brother.

It killed Erik having to go and try to reach out to Spencer when he should’ve been going after Billy. But when it came down to it - repairing his relationship or trying to help the Kings repair theirs with the Sullivans - the latter won. “No, yeah um,” Erik started, his voice breaking as he tried to keep himself under control. “Billy’s alright.” He was lying and he hoped to God Spencer wouldn’t be able to tell. “Look, we don’t have much time. Moretti. He’s goin’ after the Sullivans at that big party they’re havin’. I know youse was tryin’ to make good and all that so- you gotta warn ‘em.”

Although he heard Erik's voice break a little, the man reassured him that Billy was okay. Spencer stayed silent as he expected to be told what the problem was. Clearly something had Erik concerned. As soon as he heard Moretti's name, Spencer pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering what trouble the Italian was causing this time. Hearing Moretti was going after the Sullivans at their party caused Spencer's heart to sink. Whilst the Kings and Sullivans had yet to reconcile their differences, he already found himself feeling inclined to be concerned about them over the Morettis. Especially as Savannah nearly being killed once recently had shown how much her well-being mattered to the Kings, especially Callum. "Erik. Hold on. How big are we talking? What's Moretti got planned? How do you know?"

The moment he heard Spencer asking him how he knew Erik pinched the bridge of his nose. The more time he spent on the phone with Spencer the less time he had to go after Billy. Even though he was sure the man was gone by now, Erik felt like he would be able to go after him. “I- This guy I used to work with. We was real close, buddies ya know? Anyway he just called. Heard Moretti had given me over to you guys. I don’t know why he’s tellin’ me about all this - maybe he wanted to bitch about not bein’ able to go - but whatever the case I know that youse all is tryin’ to get your shit together and work it all out so you gotta call ‘em, Spence.”

Spencer listened as Erik explained how one of his former colleagues and friends had told him about the planned attack. Whilst a part of him wondered if it could be some kind of trap or setup Erik's friend was in on, perhaps even a test of Kings' loyalty to the Morettis, Spencer was more concerned the threat was genuine. He'd already made up his own mind about preferring to be allied with the Sullivans than the Morettis, but he knew that might not go down well with his uncle's agreement with Gabriel. Regardless, Spencer decided he'd rather try to help the likes of Savannah while he had the chance and try to explain himself to Bruce later. "Alright, Erik. Thanks for the heads up. Sorry, but I need to make some calls," he decided. "We'll speak later," he said, before hanging up so he could get to work on contacting the Sullivans.

After having to call home to have Shona to give him some of the Sullivans' phone numbers, Spencer didn't waste any time in calling Dublin to warn them. It wasn't until he called the Callahan household that he finally got through to someone who would talk to him. It was unfortunate that Sinead had been one to answer, given that she immediately began to worry and get upset. It transpired that the party had started about an hour ago, which didn't fill Spencer which much hope that he'd been able to warn them in time. Still, once he'd explained everything he knew, they ended the call so Sinead could alert her family to the dangerous situation. After hanging up the phone, Spencer slumped back on the sofa and placed his head in his hands out of frustration. It had been a stressful enough evening and now he had concerns for the Sullivans, of all people, to drag his mood further down. He hadn't spoken to Bruce in weeks and he doubted going against the Morettis to tip-off the Sullivans without consulting his uncle first would go down well either. But he was ready to be done with this war and he certainly didn't want the likes of Savannah to get hurt, with Callum potentially losing his mother in the process.

Bellz (Harper)
BasDorcha (Jeremy)