RILEY MACNALLY

Emiri's smile lifted softly once more at his hopeful take, feeling herself that Riley was most likely right there. Especially when she did like to look on that positive side of life, it was always better that way and she'd no doubt die on that hill. As he pulled her in closer Emiri wrapped her arms around his neck, using that chance she had to appreciate the man that had her whole heart as she glanced up to him. "You think?" her smile widened a touch as her eyes matched just that, "A surprise would be nice, though at this point I'd be happy with anywhere." she didn't expect anything fancy, it was the mere thought of getting away for a few days was all she cared about, knowing that it was something they both deserved. "But yeah, I can be all yours next weekend."

[[ time skip ]]

Maeve took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the floor as Riley spoke. His words settled in slowly, and she nodded every now and then, just to show she was still paying attention. She was struggling to process the weight of what he'd just said. If only because she wasn't sure if she could believe it. It had been almsot two years of searching for the man who took Dean from them, and now they had. Why did she still feel so empty? Finally, after a moment, she glanced up at him. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back, crossing her arms as the silence hung between them for a beat. “It’s just weird, you know?” The admission felt heavy. They had spent so much time chasing after some twisted idea of justice, convinced that finding the man who killed their dad, and making him pay for what he did would somehow make everything better. It all just felt like some weird tunnel vision they couldn't escape.“I always thought once we got here, it'd feel different," she continued, her words spilling out like they had a mind of their own. “I thought I’d feel something—relief, maybe, or some kind of peace—but it’s like… All the shit we went through? It’s still here, dad's still gone, and I feel the same as I did thirty minutes ago." Maeve took another deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts before finally resting a hand on Riley's shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze. "Yeah." She nodded, “We’ll be alright, Ri,” she said after a moment, forcing out a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

There's a faint, sad smile that doesn't reach his blue eyes as Maeve describes how she feels. Noting just how on point it was for how he felt too. Had they been foolish to think they'd feel differently once they caught those responsible? Riley didn't want to think so but it was difficult when everything was suggesting they'd been naive. Or perhaps just selectively blind, because whilst they had a goal to work towards, they could live in denial just a little bit longer. "Like nothing has changed." He chimed in quietly, just showing her they were on the same emotive page. "I figure that probably means it's up to us, ay?" Riley shrugs, thinking that there was probably a new road they needed to take to feel that relief and peace they damn well deserved. "I've been thinking about taking a trip to see the old folks," their grandparents, cousins, etc. "What do you think? See if we can get Rolo and mom on board, might do us all some good? Mac too if he wants."

Stifling a yawn as he scrubbed a worn palm across his mouth, Cole nodded, choosing to ignore Riley’s comment about him looking like shit and answering his question instead, “Yeah,” he murmured, gently blowing over the surface of his coffee in hopes of cooling it, “T was on nights, figured I’d just crash here.” He would’ve just tossed and turned all night had he stayed home– at least here, he could fill those sleepless hours with something useful and get work done. Cutting a look over at Riley, he shook his head once, “I’m fine,” Cole supplied quickly, sipping at his coffee. Was he fine? Perhaps not, but the point was that he would be because he knew he had no other choice. It was just bridging that gap between where he was and where he wanted to be that was proving goddamn difficult. Hearing that Riley didn’t blame him for what happened on the day of the bike festival, Cole nodded softly, a smile he didn’t wholly feel curving at the corner of his mouth. It faded just as quickly as it appeared though, knowing Riley likely wasn’t finished. Accustomed to silence, he didn’t say anything, just shifted uncomfortably in his seat and did what he did best:

The silence wasn't unnerving, not for someone who knew Cole as well as he did. Upon first meeting him, Riley learned quite quickly that he was more of a listener, which worked out quite well given how much Riley could ramble. It's also how he understood that Cole would speak when he felt like he had something to say and it was always better not to push it out of him but instead, let the words come where they may. It was something that hadn't changed much over the years, if at all. Sure, now they were thick as thieves they had a lot more to converse about, but in these types of moments, on topics that were raw and harmful to the heart, Riley was fine to adapt to the speaker role and see where the chips would fall. All he really cared about was getting everything out in the open and doing his best to assure Cole that he didn't blame him for what happened, even if he clearly blamed himself. "It would have been me if it hadn't been you." He shrugged, knowing that to be true - had Cole not lunged at the bomber, Riley would have. Nodding once he says he's heard him, he offers a smile, lifting just out of his seat and placing his hands on the sides of Cole's face, he kissed the top of his head, displaying a warm brotherly affection that came paired with a gentle couple of taps on his cheeks.

Emiri nodded softly as she understood why Riley hadn't told her himself, she didn't judge him for it nor did she have a need to tell him he should have been more open. It wasn't an issue for her, not when she knew things took time but she did hope that one day he wouldn't feel the need to keep anything from her. Not that it was intentional; she felt she understood in her own way. "I want to say it's more acceptance, rather than moving on." which sure, came hand in hand, but she felt those two words just made it feel forced and bad for not doing so before. After all, everyone went through the stages of grief differently and Riley was no exception. The only thing finding out the truth did was give people the power to turn over to the next chapter; it never magically made things better that was always up to the individual. She smiled as she looked up to Riley, accepting his kiss and feeling herself just calm even more. "I'm... okay, I think. I know I expected a quick fix when it came to finding out what happened, but that was just... me being naive?" she questioned because she wasn't quite sure if that was correct there, yet it felt kind of right.

"Acceptance does sound less miserable," he nods, not surprised that even in such sadness, she'd find a way to apply any kind of positivity she could. It was part of what he admired about her, the ability to withstand and keep trying. "Not naive. Hopeful." Riley half smiled, sensing how her influence was clearly rubbing off on him. Lifting a hand to tuck some hair behind her ear, he pulls in a breath and ushers her even closer. "Come here." Speaking softly, he wraps his arms around her and just takes a few moments to just breathe. "Hey, are you doing anything next weekend? Think it's time we got that trip away, don't you?" Leaning back to look at her with a light shrug. "Anywhere you want, or I can surprise you?"

WHERE: Sons of Silence Clubhouse WITH: @riley-macnally

Riley had been working until the early morning hours, deciding that he might as well stay awake once he got home. Going for a run before he found himself at the clubhouse where he showered and changed into some spare clothes he had there. He knew Cole was around somewhere by his bike sitting in the bay and he also knew that he was typically an early riser, so he decided to linger quietly until the blonde appeared. Riley could imagine the weight of their pending talk was heavy, all he could do was hope the right words would lift some of that off both of their shoulders. "You look like shit. You been here all night?" He wonders, only speaking once Cole is seated. Pausing, he asked if now was the right time to do this, but settled quickly on the idea that there wasn't going to be a better time. "Yeah," he nods, suddenly not really sure how or where to begin. "Worried about you, mostly." Recalling that night, how Cole seemed to break into a thousand pieces right before his eyes... It was as unsettling now as it was then. "I want you to know that I don't blame you, and it wasn't your fault. I should have said that a lot sooner. And now, I'm just wondering what I can do to help you see that you can't be faulted for the actions of a bitter, hateful piece of shit. So," clearing his throat, he nods towards him.

"Yeah everything's fine," with her at least. Hearing the truth of what had happened to not just her father, but Riley's too from Cole had been information she found she had settled on now. In some ways for Emiri it was sadly comforting to know what had actually happened, purely because it saved her from constantly wondering and continuously bugging Tonopah PD on whatever leads they didn't ever seem to have. The fact that it had been a mistake aimed for a man she only ever saw as a brother, hurt her heart because of the weight she assumed Cole would carry with him and so, in turn she wondered just how much Riley too was shouldering. "Just wanted to see where you were at, you know with finding out the truth about your dad? If you're ready to talk."

Perching on the edge of the meeting table, he can't say he's surprised at the topic she brings up. How could he be when it's all that had haunted him lately? Nor was he surprised to fit the pieces together and understand that by her choice of words, she had spoken to Cole. Or vice versa. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you myself. I just... wasn't sure." He admitted. Wasn't sure how she'd react, if she would want to know, or if this was something he had any right to burden her with. Brushing a hand over his face, he pulls in a breath and nods. "I'm settling with it. Took a while, I guess. Started overthinking the finer feelings until I couldn't figure out which one felt true to me, but I know now," he assured, a sad smile weaving onto his face as he held out a hand, asking her to come closer. "And I know it's time to move on, whatever that's supposed to look like." Riley still didn't know, he could only hope he was capable. "I also realised that the only times in the last couple of weeks that made me feel steady was when you were there." Emiri had this way of silencing every worry and getting him to step out of the chaos in his own mind, all without even trying. "You've got power over me, Emiri Tezel." Smirking a little, he cups the sides of her cheeks and kisses her, allowing it to linger until he can lean back and look at her. "What about you? Where are you at?" Lowering his hands to her hips, he could almost appreciate his ability to sympathise perfectly not just with her loss, but the very nature of it. "The truth, in this case, is a lot heavier than anyone anticipated." He added, trying to let her know that however she felt about it, she didn't need to justify, not to him.

Aiden narrowed his eyes at his brother's question - it's a three second thought of wondering if Riley was actually asking genuinely - it was one he also bypassed considering his brother clearly had more to say. Words of which only met Aiden mildly confused, it wasn't at what was being said it was more to do with trying to figure out where it had come from. Aiden didn't need the whole I'm loyal to Cole speech, especially when for him personally, it felt like it had come from nowhere - in his mind, he had said people needed to move on, which whether it was picked up on or not, meant everyone collectively. "Who're you tryna convince Riley, me or yourself?" because he sure as hell felt the latter was the case. Though maybe wires had gotten crossed somewhere within the last three minutes - he'd say it was possible. "If you're looking for someone to take your anger out on, you ain't gonna find that here," he means in him, and it's only something he said because of the way Riley had slammed his own fridge, "I hear you - not fuckin' dumb, didn't say I was nitpicking." he wanted to make that clear; he had just answered his question.

"You." He frowned, rubbing at the back of his neck the more he fell into his own head about it. Maybe this was why he'd created distance between him and people, he really didn't want to create waves. Knowing himself, his energy was always unpredictable when it came to processing emotions, and given that the one he was trying to battle was the sadness and grief from their loss, he was struggling. "I'm not angry, I'm..." He paused, searching for another word only to come up blank. "I'm just trying to find which way is up." Riley sighs in defeat, holding a hand up as if it were a white flag. "So that's it then? You've let it go and you think I should too?" He's not being sarcastic, he's genuinely asking. "How do I do that?" Because quite honestly, he had no idea.

Riley's words hung in the air between them, and Maeve fell silent, her mind racing to process what he was telling her. The guy who rigged the bike. The guy who took Dean, Serkan, and Kyle was dead. It should have been a relief, and in some ways, deep down, it was. It was an eye for an eye, the one thing she had wanted for the last year. Yet, there was no sudden feeling of relief washing over her. It just felt like one thing had been taken off of her plate. Maeve had never cared about the why behind his death, nor did she want to know all the reasons that led to it to specifically being Dean's bike that day. What she struggled with was knowing that whoever decided to play god was still walking around, while a huge piece of their lives had been ripped away without so much as a goodbye. "I don't…" Her words trailed off as she shook her head, her hand running over her face as she let Riley's words sink in. "The guy's dead? The one who rigged his bike?" That was all she wanted to know in that moment.

His eyes began to study her carefully, trying to look for anything that told him this conversation was too much. And that's when he realised, it always would be. There wasn't going to be a good time to talk about it, never a good feeling to think about it, it would always sting like salt in an open wound. "Yes, he's dead. Ashes to ashes." Riley nods, pulling in a breath, he thins his lips into a sad smile. "It's over. Justice served." Or whatever the fuck they were calling it. "Sorry, I fell off the map. I just needed a minute," he admits. "Didn't feel like I thought it would. I guess I was hoping for a weight to lift, but really it just feels the same, and not needing to look for him anymore has only given me more time to think about it. I guess it's time to let it go and start healing, whatever that looks like. What do ye reckon? You and me, kidda, we'll be alright." They could fight through grief together, just like they had been doing.

“Of course I’m biased,” Cole countered, freely admitting it because he was. Taking Riley’s shove, he was quick to fall back with him too, following him over to the nearest bench before plopping down. The mood felt more lighthearted, and it was something Cole was trying his utmost to cling to solely because he just needed a change from the miserable loop he’d been stuck in for weeks now. Snorting a laugh as Riley rubbed at the backs of his legs, he shook his head, “Need to start takin’ your ass to the gym with me,” he supplied, grinning wide, “You’re too young to be hurtin’ like that.” Of course, he was only teasing, just giving him shit where he felt like he could in a bid to keep up the happier energy all around them. But when Riley mentioned them needing to talk, Cole’s smile quickly faltered, dwindling into some sort of a frown laced with uncertainty, “Look, we really don’t have to–” he thought to protest because talking was the last fucking thing he wanted to do. But it was Riley maintaining that they were good that had really given him pause, “Yeah, okay,” he nodded, swallowing thickly. If Riley said it, he believed it, but there was a part of him that couldn’t wholly feel it after everything they’d learned together. He shook his head, glancing over at him fully now, “Everythin’s changed, bro.” How could it not? He didn’t feel the need to clarify why he felt that way when it was just so obvious to him– he was the reason Riley’s dad was dead, there wasn’t much more to say. 

"I do go to the gym, cheeky fuck. And I ran 10k this morning. Look at me, in fine shape. I eat too much not to work out." Snorting out a laugh as he rubs at the back of his legs. "Did take the month off though, so maybe that's why." Pushed himself too hard, too fast, he supposed. Nothing a couple more drinks couldn't fix. Settling into the seat, he chugs a good portion of his beer to refresh, noting that ruining the mood with that topic wasn't something either of them would enjoy, Riley just needed him to know that they would talk about it, make sure everything had a chance to be said. "Nah," he shakes his head, "you're wrong about that." Everything hadn't changed, and it may have taken him a few weeks to figure it out, but he believed that. "Trust me." A shrug of his shoulder, it's the only comfort appropriate to offer given the crowd. Eager not to linger on it, he nods over towards the tent that seems to be heavily housing Son's. "Wanna go see what trouble everyone's getting into?"

with: @riley-macnally where: mc clubhouse

Riley had done his fair share of clean up after the storm, spending most of today painting Ally's shed. He's not sure how that had anything to do with his offer to mow the lawn, but he didn't mind. He was, however, red in the face by the time he wandered into the clubhouse. "Hey, beautiful." Riley smiled, tipping his head a little as he hadn't expected her to be here. Still, he wasn't complaining at all, bowing down to meet her lips. She speaks before he can ask if she's okay and simply finds himself nodding. "Sure. Always got time for you." His smile widens as he gives her side a squeeze, making a gesture to the meeting room he assumed was as empty as the club. Snagging a bottle of water on the way, he opened the door for her before shrugging out his jacket. "Everything ok?"

For the last few hours or so, Cole had been steadily making his way through the grounds, taking in all the sights and sounds, and genuinely trying to enjoy himself despite the way his mind liked to wander. He'd decided to stop by one of the drink stalls and grab a fresh brew when nearby commotion caught his eye and halted him in his tracks. Amid the cluster of people dancing around, he (unsurprisingly) spotted Riley leading the charge. Snorting an amused laugh, Cole reached for his fresh drink and leaned back against the counter, using it as a front row seat to...whatever the fuck was going on. Riley seemed to be enjoying himself, which was Cole's main takeaway from the scene in front of him. It was good to see him taking on that more lighthearted, carefree sort of air. As the Irishman started making his way over, Cole began a slow clap, all the while sporting one of his usual smirks. "Bravo," he teased, tone dripping with playful sarcasm, "Really, ya mighta gave T a run for her money with that one."

Unable to help himself, he had to stop in his tracks and bow to the mocking claps from Cole, soaking in the admiration however it came. "Just a run? Tough judgement there, biased fucker." Riley shoved him before bringing him back in with a smooth sling of his arm. Without a word, he was manoeuvring them over to a bench where they could sit, mostly because he was out of fucking breath and needed to plant his ass. "Jesus Christ." Practically groaning with hands that rubbed the back of his legs, he snorts into a laugh, thinking about how he wasn't quite as young and fit as he used to be. "Ay, I know we got some shit to talk about, we can meet up at the club in a couple days? In the meantime, just know that we're good, yeah?" Riley didn't want to get too serious, not in the middle of a festival, but he did want Cole to know that things between them weren't threatened by the knowledge they now both carried. "You're my brother. Nothing's changed." Not in that respect, he needed Cole to know that. Especially because he imagined his own silence and distance over the last weeks had only aided in Cole thinking the worst, when in truth, Riley just needed that space to process.

Her eyes darted to the floor for a brief second at his question before she lifted them to meet his gaze with a nod. "Yeah, that one," she confirmed, taking the phone back from him and letting it drop in her lap. She hadn't considered that Mikayla had just thrown herself into the middle of a war none of them knew about, if what she said in the article was true. Truth be told, she had been so blinded by anger after seeing her dad's name in print that she hadn't even really read the rest of the article—or if she did, she hadn't digested it. "No, you're definitely on fuckin' edge. So spill your guts," she told him in a matter-of-fact tone, annoyed that he even thought he could pretend nothing was bothering him. As if she hadn't shared a womb with him for nine months. But his next words caught her off guard. "The bomber?" she repeated, almost in disbelief. "The one…" She trailed off, her brain working a thousand miles a minute. "The bike festival?"

Deciding that this conversation required his full attention, it felt only right to sit himself up from his lackadaisical position. Carefully manoeuvring Buffy until he could sit up straight, keeping a gentle hand on her back, ruffling her fur to keep not just her settled, but him somewhat distracted. Riley had wanted this conversation to go differently, even though deep down he knew it would always hurt the same way. "Yeah, the bike festival." Confirming to her, blue eyes dare not linger on hers for too long. With a deep breath, he lowers his head to Buffy's, giving himself a few seconds in the form of fussing around his white cloud of a dog before sitting back up. "Mikki should have checked her sources better," along with not mentioning their father. From what Riley knew, he had no current reason to connect Ricci to the festival bomb, so that's the only truth he had to give. "We got the bomber and the guy who hired him is already dead." His brows creased into a small frown. "I can tell you who it was, Evie, we've been in this together," many lost hours in his spare room, working on their suspect board, she deserved the truth. "But, I need you to know firstly, that it ain't anyone we had up there on the walls. It's not cut and dry, it's messy because of who it is. I know I'm not making any sense, but I'm trying to tell you that knowing ain't gonna be the relief you're hoping for. So it's your choice, you don't have to know, you can settle with the fact that those responsible are dead," and part of him really hoped she'd choose that option... "but I won't withhold it if you want me to tell you."

"I mean... I can try." to keep her hands to herself, that was. She didn't mind anyway, Riley was his own person so in theory he should be able to do what he wanted - especially when it came to something as simple as taking an item of clothing off. Emiri laughed lightly as Riley told her he didn't know about the things he had bought, only listening to him as he continued on as she made movements to reach for some of the cheesy fries between them. "Couldn't say no?" she quirked a teasing brow. "They're such a bad influence, but you're no angel, so.." when it came to food, she was pretty sure at this point Riley just didn't get full. "Well.. we can give it a go on you? Not me though, Logan will kill me if I ruin her vision." Logan and Emiri had gotten ready together - matching and all that jazz, and Emiri wasn't about to upset her friend on their girls weekend.

"That better be a threat and not a promise," waggling his brows, he chuckled, digging into the food sat between them. "Well, they called me sir, so polite, you know? And the food is just another story, I'm easily lured by the smell of chip fat and meat." It was not even a lie, it was like he subconsciously gravitated towards anything that smelt edible. "Just me?" Raising a brow, he settles into a frown, swinging around on the wall to move closer, now sitting with one leg on either side. "Yeah, she'd kill me after she killed you, so," he pauses, snagging one last mouthful of fries before setting them aside. "Not really sure where you're going to put it, but go ahead, have at it." Glancing down at his own front, aside from his plain face, everything else was already 'coloured' in. "Maybe you could make a couple Norse Gods glitter, give Loki over here a shiny robe," pointing at the tattoo of Loki, woven into everything else, he grins brightly and settles his hands on his legs. Happy to just let Emiri do whatever she wanted.

"Are you surprised? It's like twelve million degrees out. I'm surprised there haven't been more people passing out from heatstroke," he replied with a laugh of his own, taking the fries with a quick thanks. "Yeah, I think needed this, honestly. Been a weird couple of weeks, so now I can just dance to fun music and drink with my buds. Helps get my mind off shit." He glanced at him. "What about you? Seems like you've been kind of out of it lately."

"You know what I'm surprised about? Nobody has ever thought to set up a hygiene stall. You know, wipes, spray, general anti-odour shit, they'd make a fortune at places like this. Nobody sane wants to bop about stinkin', right?" He snorted, pausing to take a couple gulps from his beer that was already too warm for him to really enjoy. "Weird?" Riley raises a brow, wondering what was on his mind before the question was tossed back at him. He could only shrug in response, not one to outright deny what had clearly been obvious. "Been a weird couple of weeks for me too. I just needed some time, you know me, I might think at the speed of light but my processing time can be as slow as Windows 95. It's all good, comin' out the other end of it now."

"I listen to the same five artists, sue me." He snorted, head cocking to the side when his cousin appeared to challenge his fighting prowess. Now, Owen MacNally may not have been the smartest of people, the most polished, the most moral, but by God and all that was holy, he could throw a damn punch. "You wanna test that theory?" He prodded, lightly punching Riley in the shoulder. "Knew you were good for somethin'. Since you're the one who made the suggestion, means you're buyin', right? Or did all the corpses dry up and leave you lookin' for a handout?"

"Creature of habit, I can relate to that," he nods in agreement. Sure, maybe his musical tastes were broader, but Riley, if nothing else, was most certainly a creature of habit. He liked order and routine, it was settling for his mind to be able to expect consistency in any portion of his life he could apply it to. "Do you? If I knock you out you'll miss one of those two artists you actually know." Riley barked out a laugh, giving Mac a shove to the shoulder. "Ye', alright, cheapskate, I'll buy. If I need to kill a few fucks to earn me some income, so be it." Joking, of course, he slings an arm around Mac's shoulders, forcing him into a headlock where Riley then places an aggressive kiss on the top of his head before letting him go.

"Well cause I can't put all my eggs in one basket dude. There's no knowing if we're gonna come upon something better and if that's the case then I'll need to make sure I have space for it. And no, I'm pretty sure they make em with a fuck ton of sugar and sprinkles. Though I guess those are all kind of the same thing." They shrugged and finished the rest before washing it back with their beer. "Yeah you can tell you grew up with multiple siblings," they joked, scanning the crowd a bit to take in the vibes. "Speaking of siblings, I told Maeve I'd get her a t-shirt and a picture with Pauly D so you're welcome to help me in either of those missions."

"Don't be a pussy, there's always space for something sweet." Wiggling his brows as if to bait them, challenging them to just say yes and indulge. "I mean, I don't want you to puke but as long as you aim it away from me, it is what it is." Shrugging as he chuckled, swallowing the last of the sticky treat. "What makes you say that?" Riley glanced at them, clearly amused. "Make sure I don't sober up and I'm ye guy. What do you want me to do, corner him? Quick headlock and make sure he hands over a shirt?" Mockingly throwing some jabs into the air, he relents into a laugh and waves off his own dumb behaviour. "Yeah, yeah, I'll help you. You won't live it down if you don't give her what she's asked for."