Dancing.  The sway of her body in time to the music, in response to the people around her, it was as natural to her as breathing.  Where she ha spent her life mastering the ways to track down and kill a man, it was dance which had come to her without effort.  It was dancing she'd naturally mastered without effort and perfected with a near-obsessive level of commitment through her childhood and teenage years.  It had been so fucking long since she'd really let loose and tonight she was fresh out of excuses not to.

Then, a new face joined them.  Unlike with Volkov where she had to search the man's face to see her father looking back at her... Katherine, like Will, had gotten a lion's share of their father's look.  That smile... god that smile!  They both had it.  She and William... they were so clearly Gavin Byrne's children!  Her heart sang so loudly she nearly forgot to be jealous of them.  She gave a glance to Neil and when he nodded, she felt like screaming and hugging the other woman.  Of course, she told herself that was the gin.  Too much gin.  Far too much gin already.  

"KATHERINE!"  She said loudly to Kat_Pryde  "I'm Aurora!  It's so good to finally meet you!" 

She laughed, flush from her drink.  

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Katherine felt her face heat up as no one seemed to say a word to her.  She got a few curious glances, but it seemed they were all lost in their own world of dancing and frolicking.  Oh heaven above she couldn't do this.  What would her mother say if she had been here?  She needed to get back out to Garth.  Oh heck, he probably wouldn't even be back for a while.  Her heart raced as she looked to the drink in her hand.  It wasn't large by any stretch of the imagination and so she would nod, bracing herself before downing the whole thing in one go.  Cringing at the burn that spread down her throat and through her chest and down into her stomach bolstering her courage, she set the empty glass down on a nearby table before finally moving with purpose toward the group of girls as she searched each face, trying to get a bead on just who Aurora was.  She gave a broad smile that lit up those expressive eyes to anyone who'd meet them.  But she was nervous, her heart pounded in her chest, her palms sweated profusely...  How in the world would she find her in this...  Insanity?  

'KATHERINE!'  Kitty all but jumped when her name was shouted.  It took her but half a moment to hone in on the one who had uttered it.  Her heart all but stopped.  As she met the eyes of the woman before her, it was like she just knew.  "Aurora..."  She knew her name very well.  She had looked forward to this moment pretty much since she had learned about her.  "My sister..."  She murmured softly, her words torn away and lost to the thumping beat and wildly moving bodies.  And yet that was alright by her.  Like a magnet, Katherine moved to Aurora's side.  "Aurora!  It's so wonderful to meet you as well!"  She called out again excitedly, feeling a giddiness rise within her.  It was then that she allowed her gaze to travel around the group of girls, her whole countenance brightened and eased.  All was well with the world.  This was where she belonged whether or not there were so many people.  Moving to the music she looked over at the offer of a drink, she nodded excitedly.  Oh yea, she was ready to party now.  Another drink would be beautiful.  "What are you drinking?"  

"Gin."  She said waving over a serving girl.  "Gin for me and my sister please!"  She said smiling at Katherine.

"Do you go by Katherine or a nickname?  Most folks call me Rora or Roar.  I'm good with whatever though.  I really am!"  she found herself echoing Kat's giggle.  

Aurora dug into her purse, "I got something for you!"

She pulled out a small jewelry box and offered it to Kat, "I hope you don't mind?  It's nothing much really, I just... I mean, I didn't know if you even liked jewelry.  Some gals don't and if you don't, don't feel like you need to pretend..."

Aurora stopped her own rambling as Kat opened the box to reveal a gold chain and upon it a small gold star pendant.  Aurora cleared her throat, "I picked a star because all other ones seemed too personal and I didn't want to make you feel odd.  Still, sisters are like stars.  You can always see 'em... but they're always there and I don't want you to forget that."

Aurora forced a smile as the waitress came up with the gin.  

"Shall we drink to our hedonist father without whom neither of us would be here getting drunk tonight?"  She laughed and raised her glass.  "To Gavin Byrne, the benefactor of our debauchery & the man whom I'll call to bail us out if we end the night in the slammer!"

Fawn was stuck in her own head, blindly and mindlessly following the crowd as they went. She had no idea what was going on, what was happening, who was who, or where they had gone. Occasionally, she would look up from staring into her drink to check if Aurora was still near her, and then she would go back to thinking. Thinking. About everything. It was hard for her to enjoy this night, so she sipped another sip of her drink and looked up to find her friends. 

Romano slammed back the rest of her whiskey before finding one of their friends, ChelseaUccello, that was her name. The redhead smiled, dancing next to her, her hip swaying and her hands clasped above her head. "Sorry, I got lost in thought. What's going on?" 

Chelsea accepted the colorful drink from Cleo, tossing it back quickly so it became less of a hazard on the dance floor. She watched on in curiosity as Aurora and the girl who resembled her spoke animatedly to each other. It looked like a reunion of some sort, and both looked so happy. 

Fawn, the redhead closest to her now, had just knocked back a whisky herself. "I'm not really sure," Chelsea called out over the music. "I think those two have been missing each other!" The music was loud and they were so compacted together that she was practically screaming into the other woman's face, so when it died away suddenly, she had to laugh at herself for yelling the last few words when it had quit. Almost immediately, the next song started... this band could play! Giving up on trying to talk any more, she simply started dancing again, bumping her hip into Fawn and Cleo playfully, with the little flag from the red white and blue drink tucked behind her ear.

Addie needed something to forget about her recent losses.  She had lost a lot of men down in Las Vegas, and a very good friend.  In her mind she had no doubt that Silvio and her could have been a good thing, but his heart had belong to another.  She had no regrets though.  They had grown into close friends.  In truth her only friend here state-side.  Everyone was starting to get re-settled here in Detroit, but Addie seemed to be struggling in a way the others were not.  

She had gotten a new apartment in Billy's apartment complex that he had owned in Detroit and it was nice enough, but nothing like the place she had been living in.  When she thought it had been safe to go back to Las Vegas to retrieve her things, she had found out that her entire apartment had gone up in flames.  All her possessions she had brought with her from Sicily were gone including her Nonna's wooden spoon.  The only possession she had left was her Duesenberg, a pair of pistols, and a few outfits.  At least money was not a problem this time.  

Speaking of money, Addie took a look around the bar she had just walked into.  She had gotten a tip that a local opium dealer spent time here and she had reached out through the contact to set up a meeting between them.   Since fleeing Las Vegas she had to start over and re-cultivate relationships with the local suppliers to get some cash flow going again.  Not only did she need some cash flow to get her by until she could liquidate some of the liquor assets she held all around the globe, she also needed a few pills for herself.  Addie had not had a chance yet to see a local doctor about her leg, but she was out of her pills.  She needed more to get her by until she could arrange to see a doctor.  Hopefully one that was more sympathetic than the prick in Las Vegas who had cut her off and told her the pain was all in her head.

As her eyes scanned the bar they stopped on Roar.  She frowned a bit.  In truth, she had a hard time not being annoyed with her most days since she had gotten back from Russia.  The young Sicilian woman blamed her for putting her cousin in danger.  Logically she knew that Aurora was not to blame, but logic had little to do with her emotions.  Still she needed to keep the decorum up.  They were family, even if Addie wanted to take Nonna's spoon to her.

Smiling she made her way bar to get a drink.  If Roar came off the dance floor she would be social.  If not than she would just make her meeting with the Opium dealer and be on her way.

Katherine couldn't keep the grin far from her features as she looked her sister up and down more or less memorizing every detail she could.  She was family.  Kat was finding that she had a lot more of that out here than she could have ever imagined!  After her mother passed away, she had grasped at straws to find her father...  But she had gotten lucky.  Beyond lucky!  She beamed at the woman before her and nodded gleefully.  She'd never had Gin but the Rum in the coke was hitting her hard and she was eager to try anything and everything!  As Aurora's voice rang out to the serving girl, Kat looked over, meeting eyes with her and the joy there was infectious.  A Gin for me and my sister!  Her heart leapt as the word came from Aurora's lips.  It sounded just...  Sublime!  At her question, Kat found herself swaying a bit to the music unable to help it.  

At Aurora's question and statement, Kat nodded a bit.  "Many call me Kat!  Kitty too, but I haven't been called that for ages.  But whatever is just fine with me too!  I love your name, Aurora...  It's just...  Beautiful!  But I can call you whatever you want!"  She waved her hand a little, clearly very much a lightweight when it came to the drink.  It already addled her brain enough for her to relax herself.  

Then there was talk of a gift?  OH!  Her heart pounded excitedly.  She remembered that there was one nestled in her purse as well!  Her gaze danced excitedly but she would hold herself in check for a moment.  Accepting the small box, she grinned just a bit at her words.  Kat did tend to enjoy pretty things.  Tonight she left her skin void of of glitz but typically she enjoyed wearing one or two tasteful pieces.  She grinned just a tad as she held the box carefully in her hand.  "You didn't have to do that..."  She spoke softly, but there was clear gratitude in those eyes as she opened it carefully.  She gasped softly as she took the little piece carefully into her hand.  "Oh Rora...  It's fantastic!"  

Suddenly she felt just a tad uncertain of her own.  It seemed so...  Childish next to this lovely necklace.  Not to mention, what if she didn't even like animals?  Ugh good going Katherine...  But she would swallow gently before reaching into her own purse.  "Great minds think alike I think..."  From her purse she drew a similar small box before offering it over to her with a small smile of her own.  She would watch carefully, eyes leaping from the box in her hand to Aurora's eyes and back again.  Inside the box lay a dainty little charm bracelet with a single charm adorning it for the time being.  There dangling from the small silver chain was a finely sculpted tiny wolf with it's maw lifted to the unseen moon.  Oh please let her like it...  Kat shot up a quick prayer to whoever was listening.

Just then two drinks were pressed into her hands.  One, she assumed was the Gin, and another was fantastically colored and smelled delicious as well!  Oh goodness now what...  Kat gulped softly and looked between them before taking a healthy gulp of each, cringing at the burn, but loving how it tickled her nose and warmed that belly.  Oh yea...  Tonight was going to be a good night!  Glancing around the group of ladies quickly, she suddenly felt herself a lot less ill at ease here.

Drax had never been to Detroit before and having been that it was his first time he figured it would be worth it to hit a local pub and get to meet some of the locals. He staggered into the nearest pub from his hotel and smiled as he spotted a lot of friendly looking strangers. He made his way to the bar and once there he smelled fresh pretzels being made. He grinned from ear to ear and waved for the young woman at the bar to come over. Once she did he took in a large whiff of air and laughed.

"Those pretzels smell amazing miss. I would like to order a round of beer and pretzels for everyone in the bar please. My name is Drax by the way, what's yours?"

He then pulled out a large fold of cash and placed it on the bar so that the nice barkeep knew that he meant it and would not leave her high and dry.

The night was proceeding fantastically.  Aurora had gushed over the wolf charm bracelet and immediately put it on.  She was proud of her father's alias and proud to be seen and remembered by others to be his daughter.  Right next to being Billy's wife or the mother of her children, it was the most important title she had in life and she didn't care who knew it.  

Aurora lost track of the number of drinks she had as she danced wildly with her newest girlfriends - her sister Kat_Pryde, the vivacious ChelseaUccello, Fawn-Romano who she hadn't gotten to know half-so-well as she wanted in Vegas, Cleo who was part of her crew here in Detroit, the adorably shy Kates who luck would have it was a friend of Keats... she was slowly coming out of her shell the more alcohol they poured into her!

The night couldn't have been going any better.  They were singing loudly to the songs (badly) dancing wildly, and forgetting their troubles.  It was the last part which was problematic.  On any normal night, no man would have gotten close enough to do it... but tonight?  Aurora was three sheets to the wind and the bodies in the bar were just too tightly packed together to see anything coming at all.

The large form behind her felt familiar, the big hands rubbing her upper arms in an intimate way ... well what stranger would do something like that.  His body molded against Aurora's as she moved so she could feel him tight against her.  She smirked.  

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, MISTER!?!"  She said to Billy_Mastrosimone, but it wasn't Billy who leaned down to whisper near her ear, grinding into her intimately to the sound of the music.

"Planning to take you home tonight,"  The words caused Aurora to freeze.  His hands tightened on her shoulders and her eyes met with one of her friend's, the look she gave the other woman was one of 'what the fuck is happening?!?' and it was very clear this guy's attentions were NOT wanted.

"What do you say, me and you and my friends and some of your friends we go back to my place for a private party."  It was only then that Aurora realized the creepy big guy wasn't alone... he had friends.  The men who had been watching them earlier had closed in on her and the other girls as if their dancing all night had been an invitation for them to 'make a move.'

Aurora tore away from the big guy and whirled around to meet the eyes of an emerald-eyed, ginger man of slightly taller than average height.  "I'm a married woman."  She asserted to him, not as though being single would have excused his surprise handsy behavior, but it was the first thing that came to her mind to say.

"Me too."  The man said stepping into her personal space again, leering down at her.

It was then the primal part of Aurora, and years of training took over.  All logic was gone as she balled up her fist and threw it at the man's face.

Fast. It happened fast, at least from Chelsea's perspective. There was so much noise, so many bodies, so many sensations going on that by the time Chelsea noticed the one thing that wasn't right, it was all going even more wrong. Aurora had stopped moving; there seemed to be words exchanged between her and the man behind her. She watched as Aurora's happy smile drained away, and those words had to be bad, because she turned and stuck like lightning.

That's all it took.

Foolishly, Chelsea let herself enjoy the evening, and her defenses were down. Wasn't that the way of things, those that involved men? Even as she internally berated herself for letting this happen, her body was already trying to solve the problem. A hand grabbed her ass, and like a reflex, her right elbow shot backwards into the face that was with it. She felt bone crunch, heard a yelp, but couldn't take the time to savor it because, to her left, some foolish, foolish boy had grabbed Kates' hand and was trying to drag her away. Chelsea's jaw muscles suddenly became visible as she grit her teeth, and she stormed forward in what little space there was to catch up to them.

Two steps, if that, but it gave her momentum. She reached out and grabbed the boy's wrist, twisting it with enough force to break the hold on Kates'. With her free hand, she swept Kates behind her protectively, then bore down on the boy's wrist even more, torquing it until she felt it snap.

"Chel-" Chelsea didn't even hear Kates, Chelsea was gone. Black rage was looking down at the boy who'd sunk to his knees there on the dance floor. He was so terrified by what he saw there in her face that he never responded to the pain in his wrist.

"Haec est meae puellae," she growled out, and he was trying to crab-walk away from her now on his good arm, unsuccessfully. She dropped his hand and spun around, looking over Kates' shoulder to assess the next threat. 

Kat couldn't remember a night that she had enjoyed more.  Meeting her sister...  Well realizing that she actually had a sister...  That she was a real flesh and blood person!  And that she seemed to like her just fine!  The two hit it off like none other, laughing and dancing.  Their minds even worked on the same wavelength!  She beamed at her sister as she clasped the bracelet on her wrist.  The joy dancing in her eyes, and the pride?  Now this confused Kat.  She had no clue the nerve she just touched with her gift.  "I liked it...  I've always thought of a family like a pack of wolves...  Up until now, my pack has just been my mom and I...  I mean there have been others, but it's always been us.  But now...  I mean I've met dad, and now you.  I heard we also have a brother...  I just hoped...  I mean, you're going to laugh at me, but I hoped you'd be a part of my pack."  Her face colored and she laughed daintily at herself honestly feeling quite a bit silly.  And down went the rest of the gin.  But she beamed and whirled around as she held the clasps of the necklace up at the nape of her neck.  "Help me clasp it?  I don't have the dexterity before I start drinking! Much less now!"  She giggled again.

And the night continued on.  Katherine loosened up minute by minute, just enjoying herself and savoring the sparkling colorful drink as she swayed and moved to the music.  But just then, she felt a slight niggling in the pit of her stomach.  Something was amiss.  There were a few young men around them that she was starting to recognize in the mass of writhing bodies.  At first they paid her no mind, but suddenly Aurora disappeared from her view.  What? What?  She heard a harsh tone from her sister, and Katherine looked around in alarm.  But before she could move to help her or even figure out if she was in danger, another woman was in movement making another young man from the group wish he hadn't engaged.  Kath's breath hitched a bit as she cast her gaze around starting to move only to feel a strong arm slide around her midriff pulling her right back like a yoyo that had hit the end of it's string.  "Where you going pretty thing?  The real party's about to start..."  A voice like warm oil slid to her ears and sent a shudder down her spine as she felt a hand find her small firm rump.  Oh hell no.  That was it!  

Before he could blink twice, Katherine put her beautiful powers to use and phased straight backwards through the young man.  And in one fluid motion she smashed what was left of the beautiful sparkly drink against the back of his head, considering she couldn't reach the top.  Without pausing, she lifted one dainty foot and shoved as hard as she could.  Honestly that likely wasn't the best of plans.  It wasn't exactly a maneuver that she had mastered when sober and so she ended up propelling herself back, off the dance floor, and into a table instead.  Thankfully it was enough to make him stumble just a tad into a large man who also had a bit too much to drink, wasn't with that group, and wasn't terribly happy with being interrupted.  A quick right hook was enough to send the man toppling.  Katherine grinned, but it seemed the other man had already gone back to his lady friend and their evening of fun.

Shaking her head quickly, she leaped back to her feet and right back up onto the floor as she looked around for the next confrontation with those little fists held up and ready.  Oh yea.  Don't mess with them!

Aurora looked down on the ginger.  He wiped the blood from his lip and his shirt came open revealing a bright ribbon of purple tattooed over his heart. 

Aurora hesitated.

The Purple Gang?!? 

"See something you like, Lioness?"  The ginger teased.

What the hell is that group of miscreants, smugglers, and opium dealers doing here?  It can't be a coincidence... can it?  This is Insta's turf, not theirs!

A young male voice cried out.  Aurora's head snapped instinctively to where ChelseaUccello was breaking the hand of another young man with a ribbon of purple on his forearm.  The room, she realized, was full of men with the same badges of color on their skin and she'd never even noticed!

She was so stunned by the fact that this local hangout had been taken over this evening by a rival gang right under her nose that the blow to her Achilles tendon was landed completely undefended against.  Aurora's legs came out from under her and she landed unceremoniously right on her ass next to the ginger.

Before she could get find her balance which was lost somewhere in the haze of alcohol-induced bliss, he grabbed her collar and yanked her in real close.  

"Kiss me, baby-doll ..."  He demanded.

It was a mistake she meant to make him regret.

"... I'm Irish."  He puckered up and closed his eyes.

Once, not long ago, she would have thought herself weaker in hand to hand combat with a much larger man... but after her last serious sparring match with her father, her overconfidence had increased tenfold and the effects of the alcohol weren't hurting her in that department either.  

Aurora put her fist first into the man's windpipe and then into his face for a second time before he grabbed for her wrists with the power of an iron vice.  The two began to wrestle more than spar.  The man was using his full body weight and for an instant Aurora lost all hope of advantage, then she remembered the lesson of the dirt.

Lashing out she grabbed another person's leg and brought another body down to the floor.  She had no idea who the woman was but her boyfriend was having none of his girl being pulled into whatever this was... 

Aurora rolled out of the way as her ginger wrestling partner took a blow to the head from the concerned boyfriend of the now crying woman with a busted high heel.  Aurora vaulted to her feet and took stock of the room around her. 

Women and men alike were screaming.  Like so many illegal watering holes in Detroit, this building wasn't exactly up to fire code and probably had more people in it than it should... and possibly only had one exit.  It wasn't as if these sorts of places got inspections.  And so it was a previously happy and drunken room devolved into a fist throwing, beer bottle smashing, full on bar fight in which half the people here didn't know how to escape even if they wanted to and the other half... well, they were a who's who of the criminal underworld. 

"YOU OKAY?"  Rora called out to Kat_Pryde, and receiving a positive acknowledgment in return she smirked and grabbed the next man she saw with a purple tattoo.

Aurora slammed his face down on the nearest table, smashing a few glasses and sending some beers to the ground at the feet of the patrons who were trying to enjoy them out of the way of the fighters.

"WHATDA FUCK ARE YOU DOIN' HERE?!"  She snarled in the face of her prey.

She saw a bit of recognition and fear in the boy's eyes.  He had to be a good five years her junior and he'd NOT anticipated becoming her personal bitch.  Aurora pressed her luck.  She grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it for intimidation.

"Please don't kill me..."  He begged.

Someone crash through a table somewhere behind her.  It was more than the purple gang and her girls fighting it out now... they'd inadvertently sparked off something much larger.  From his place behind the bar, she could hear the barkeep trying his damnedest to get the shit show under control... but it was no good.  This would only end when enough people fled the scene that this could sort itself out.

"We..."  The room spun as Aurora was ripped away from the boy she was threatening.  She lost her grip on the bottle and it went to the floor where it shattered, "... aren't done dancing, Lioness!"

Aurora's arm was wrenched at an odd angle behind her back and pulled upwards and she came tight against the large ginger again.  She grit her teeth as she felt her shoulder strain.  It was a cheap shot but Aurora took it and brought her knee up to ring the ginger's bell.  As he let loose her hand she took full advantage of her speed and landed a few more solid blows, this time encouraged to be more brutal than before by actual pain and a bit of wounded ego. 

The girl born Aurora Luciano could only see red now and all the brutal talents which the Wolf made second nature to the Dragon's daughter now answered the call of the Devil's Daughter.  She kept right punching even as her 'partner' went to the floor and probably didn't need to be hit anymore.  He wasn't moving and she didn't care, she wanted him to remember this ass kicking for the rest of his fucking life... no matter how delightfully short that might be when she was done with him.

The teen she'd been threatening though... forgotten about, he was moving alright.  The young man bolted for the nearest exit with all the alacrity of someone who had just had their life flash before their eyes.