leave me to myself

rory finnegan - 42 - owner of finnegan's - sad and lonely dad - member of redwaterhq

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grace:

Much to her dismay, Grace had been left to join in with the serving at the shop for the day after two of her staff had called in sick and, as her one remaining staff member washed dishes out the back, she stood up front, taking orders. She put on a smile as she heard the bell by the door jingle, signalling another customer. “Good morning. Would you like a moment to look at our menu or have you been here before?” She looked up.

Rory sometimes liked going out for breakfast more than dinner. There was less of a rush, and it was something that motivated him to get out of bed. So, to Sally's it was. When he got there, he gave Grace a little smile. "Oh, I think I've been here a few times."

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like this for a starter from rory !! (or comment what character you’d like)

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noah‌:

in all honesty, it had never occurred to noah that rory could be stand-offish to find some time alone. he had always liked the man, even if there were times he could come off as annoyed or rather serious. he found it endearing, and found that even if he acted like he would liked to be left alone, rory never asked noah to leave, never truly acted like he was a bother. that was a type of kindness that few people really offered, and it was one he would certainly never forget. “breaking out the good stuff, huh?” he asks, as he watched the older man pour the midleton into his flask. noah didn’t know much about hard liquors, he would try occasionally, but when he drank, he enjoyed a good beer over anything else. “i’m not dragging! if you really wanted to stay here, you could,” noah says, feigning innocence on the matter. he smiles widely at rory, slipping off the stool as he heads towards the door, “it’ll be good! we can usher in the new year with a bang.”

it was true, rory could seem stand-offish or overly serious for some people, but noah wasn't wrong. he never was a bother, and secretly, rory did really enjoy the company. rory, at his heart, was a kind man and he treated everyone with that kindness if they knew what to look for. he knew noah as a truly kind man was well, they understood things about each other that many wouldn't understand. they had seen the war, what it really was like, and not the glorified notion that people often held it in. he knew the lonliness that could invoke, and rory offered a hand out to those who needed to know they weren't alone. "it is a holiday after all, and what are good liquors for if not for drinking on special occasions?" he didn't believe in owning liquor if you were never going to drink it. "oh yeah, sure. and i'm sure i wouldn't hear the end of it." it was hard to tell with his stoney demeanor, but he was teasing. rory through his peacoat on and grabbed the keys, and joined noah at the door. "let's hope this year deserves it."

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florence‌:

she looked up into her neighbor’s kind, but always slightly sad eyes. she smiled at him and stood up, taking a step closer to him. “ happy new year, rory. i hope you have a wonderful year. ” she told him as she tilted her head slightly, a warm expression on her face. she hoped the sadness would go this year. she really did, for both of them really. “ and it is doing quite well. the weather has been alright, so that makes it a little easier. ” she told him with an amused smile. “ besides, it gives me a break from all the cleaning and ironing. ” she said, quite annoyed at the fact that she was once again put away as a housewife after the men came back from the war.

she was quite observant to see the sadness, but maybe it just took someone who actually cared to see it there. who knows. "well, happy new year to you, and the same to you. i think we could all stand a little more wonderful in our lives this year." he nodded, "i suppose that's true, though i worry that the real winter's going to start with the new year. sea bound places usually behave that way." he didn't quite understand that plight, but he could empathize with it. nancy made it quite clear to him the expectations that were laid on her and he always did his best to make it not so. "i understand that. i might be from the emerald isle, but i can barely keep my lawn alive. it was my nancy that was always the one with the green thumb." he wasn't sure if he ever mentioned her by name to florence, but today, saying it felt soothing to his soul. "i think sometimes she gardened to get out of the cleaning and cooking," he laughed, "it was a good lesson for me and the kids though."

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rory speaks two languages, english and gaelic, fluently

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gallavan‌:

Conversations swirl in a dirty cloud of smoke, the stagnant stench of cigarettes hides within the collaboration of mephitic odors. A sharp smell of drink wafts towards the young male, like black plumes billowing from the windows of a burning house. There’s even a hint of sick tainting the fragrance of the room. The left side of his lip tugged upwards when he saw the one across the bar. “You know,” he started, the smirk shifting to a radiant smile “only solitary desperate singles and hopeless wannabes hang out in the music hall before 6 pm…unless you came to see my charming smile, of course.”

Pouring a mix of what people could only point out to be a suspicious drink, Gallavan looked into the other’s eye before flashing another smirk. “On the house. For whatever problem you’re having that made you go to the music hall bar at 4 pm in a Monday. Cheers!”

Rory needed a break from the routine every once and in while, after all, he was human too. routine could bring on monotony, and monotony never did anything for the mood, and lord knows Rory needed every little thing to help improve his mood. He came off as surly and disagreeable most time if it was just his face always set in a slightly disapproving look. The break from routine though is what landed rory in the dance hall, not sure what to do with his time. Hearing the bartender speak, he nodded. "I suppose you're not wrong," taking his time with his words so he didn't leave the boy in the dust, "I'm just giving my own bartender a test. If he can manage to open and keep the place from going up in flames until 8, then he might just earn a little freedom around the place."

He eyed the drink suspiciously, not trusting it entirely, but then again he never quite trusted anyone, but himself and another Irishman to pour his drinks. "What did you put in this?" He eyed in even more carefully now that it was in his hand and he gave it a whiff taste.

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robin‌:

he had been drawn to finnegan’s for a number of reasons, and not simply because alcohol was on the menu. robin was sure, as he entered the establishment, that his gut feeling had to be wildly off base; it was likely there were countless rory finnegans running about at any given time, the chances of the one behind the bar being the very man he’d heard tales about seemed unlikely. the lack of anything else to do, however, had led him to delve into amateur investigation. the englishman shut the jingling door behind him, making stubbornly swift work of the empty space between them despite the pain in his leg. “a number of things, i suspect,” he muttered, a small smile readily in place. “first, though i would kill for a proper glass of whiskey. so if you have anything other than the sickly concoction i’ve been subjected to whilst here, i would be eternally indebted to you.”

robin would be right in assuming that there were tons of rory finnegans out there in the world. it wasn't necessarily the least uncommon irish name in the world, yet life had a funny way of playing games, didn't it? it had a terrible sense of human, but somehow, this wasn't be the worst trick it ever played on rory. "oh dear," he chuckled, "all good things, or at least harmless things, i hope." the accent the other spoke with was a relief to hear. he didn't host any great love for rich londoners, but his beloved wife was one, and it had been so long since he'd seen that isle or her, that hearing that accent again was a great relief. a true guffaw left his mouth at his comment. it was a plight he could sympathize. "that lad," he spoke as he leaned down and grabbed the good bottle of whiskey, "has earned you a glass of midleton very rare at your standard whiskey price. there's not a lot you can trust an irishman with, but treating you right with a good glass of whiskey is one of them."

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noah:

the older man spoke so quickly, he couldn’t really understand what he was saying, but he heard the slight annoyed and nearly felt bad for bothering him. but, noah knew he didn’t really mean it, if anything he knew about the man, he was never as irritated as he could appear. when rory sighed, tossing his towel to the counter, he grinned widely at him, waving a dismissive hand at him at the notion that he wouldn’t have any fun. “you’ll be happy about it! just you wait and seen,” he says, settling into a stool as he waits for rory, pulling the camera bag from under his arm. “pulled around? i’m not pulling, besides, it’s better for you to be around people than be all alone here.”

noah knew him well. rory wore his annoyance like a cloak. it set the less determined people off and aloud him some peace, yet there was a group of these kids who had some how wiggled their way into his heart. he entertained them too much, he thought, yet he was not one to deny people he cared about anything. so, ultimately, it was easy to win him over. "i doubt that," he said, looking quite disheveled as he pulled out the funnel and his flask and he studied the shelves, looking for the whiskey he wanted this particular night. he figured he'd go with the midleton. it was a holiday after all. he scoffed, "yet, you are dragging me to this thing." he was careful with the pour, it was an expensive bottle. once he had that full, he pocketed it and waved, "come on, after you."

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noah‌:

“you’re acting like you’re ancient, which is hardly the case. i’m sure you can drink all of us under a table, and dance better than the best of them,” he says, the concept of rory trying to dance was far too funny, he nearly laughed. noah rolls his eyes dramatically at the man’s excuses, though there was still a good humored grin glued to his lips. “well, bring your own whiskey, and the dance hall is big enough, it won’t be as crowded as you’re making it out to be,” he says, motioning towards the door, his excitement practically rolling off him in waves. noah pouts, “i won’t be able to have fun knowing you’re here all alone, the only way i’ll be able to enjoy myself is if you come with,” he says, “so you have to come, for my sake.”

"ey," he chirped on annoyance, "i'm much older than you and a lot of people in this town." oh boy, he had to really focus on speaking slowly now. "i know i can because you americans can't hold ur whiskey to save your life, but that's besides the point." oh, he was known for breaking out an irish gig on top of tables in his youth, he seriously doubted if he had any jigging left in him these days, though. noah was only giving him good reasons to go, and he was about to protest again, noah hit him with the doozy. great, now noah's happiness for the evening was dependent on rory going. he knew what he was going to say. sighed loudly as he threw down the towel "fine! i'll go, but i'm not going to be happy about it, and you will wait for me to get a flask ready, and i don't appreciate getting pulled around like this." as if he didn't fold like a tower of cards at the mention of noah being unhappy.

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mia‌:

“See, that’s why I like it so much here,” Mia hummed. “That’s why everyone likes it so much here. You’re so welcoming all the time. It’s refreshing. You don’t find people or places like that everywhere.” She walked over towards the bar. “Oh, just your company. I think I’ll wait to start drinking until much later.”

Those words were so kind, he truly wasn't expecting them. He did welcome everyone, one and all, but he never was in it for the thanks or the praise. Rory did it because frankly, he didn't know what else to do, and he felt like in some way, he's contributing to Nancy's memory by giving everyone a place to stay. "Well, thank you, Mia." He cleared his throat. "Ey, company I can do. So, any plans for the new year?"

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mia‌:

“Would you mind?” Mia walked further into the bar slowly. “I’d hate to leave and then for them to show up looking for me. It’d turn into a whole game of cat and mouse. And it won’t be lonely waiting– after all, Rory, you’re here.”

"Absolutely not," he answered with a small nod and a smile, "These doors welcome any and everyone for whatever reason." Rory didn't have a lot, but he could offer people a friendly place to rest. "You are too kind, Mia. Is there anything I can get you while you wait?"

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tommy‌:

“WELL maybe the whole town shouldn’t pick a fight with me just cause I ain’t straight.” Tommy spat, brows furrowing as he set the match ablaze, lighting up the cancer stick that was perched between pink lips, “Sounds good to me.” He murmured, smoke engulfing around them. Maybe it would be smarter for him to lay down and be quiet but he couldn’t help it. “Load of bullshit if you ask me.”

Rory sighed, he supposed it couldn't be helped. Yes, it was the smarter thing to lay down and keep a low profile, but rory knew for some people, people like Tommy, that wasn't an option. "It is a load of bullshit, lots of things are. Just please don't go and pick a fight you can't win. Come on, there's a bottle of whiskey with our names on it."

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tommy‌:

“Oh come on, it’s not that bad. You should see the other guy.” The male HUFFED out as he placed a cigarette between bloodied lips before offering one to the person beside him, “Want one? Or better yet, care to join me for a drink?”

"Tommy," Rory sighed, "If you keep fighting the whole town, we're not going to have a customer base." It was a light chiding, really. He just cared about the boy. He grabbed the cigarette, and lit it. "Come on, let's go inside for that drink. Can't let the night go to waste."

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mia:

“Oh, hello,” Mia gave the man a smile as she eyed the bar. Nope, not here. She frowned for only a moment. “Sorry, I was just looking for someone. Has anyone come in here lately? I was supposed to meet them at the party but I know they like it here but it seems my luck has run out…”

He nodded at her story. That was fair enough. "Can't say so, I'm sorry. The bar's been quiet all night. You are more than welcome to pull up a chair and wait a spell if you'd like. Though, It's rather lonely for a night of celebration for a young soul like you."

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rose‌:

“that is where you’re wrong.” she interjected sharply. rose daintily tossed a blonde curl from her cheek and resumed. “somewhere out there is a sober woman, and that sober woman will regale everything that happens here tonight to her friends tomorrow. it’s how we in redwater start the new year, with gossip.”

"roseanne st.clair," he interjected back with his dad voice, "caring about what some tart has to say about you living your life and having fun for once on a holiday meant for fun? for shame," he tsked as he poured himself a small drink. "you can live your in fear of some petty words, or you can have fun with a friend. you make the choice." he knew a little challenge with rose never hurt.

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noah:

noah was never the sort of pass up a party, a chance to let loose, mingle. large social situations like that was where he really thrived, generally feeling the more uncomfortable with more alone he was. so, walking the streets of redwater, he rushed towards the dance hall. the man ran a hand over his jacket, so caught up in himself he nearly didn’t notice the lights on in finnegan’s. he had barely passed it before he turned around, pulling open the door to find rory inside. “rory!” he says, a small laugh coming from him for a moment, all too surprised that the older man was opting to stay here instead of the dance hall, “what you can do for me, is you can close up here and welcome in the new year with everyone else.”

he groaned at the idea. "noah, that party is a young man's game. i'm not a young man, as you can see." he was indignantly wiping down the bar now. "there's too many people in there, it's going to be crowded, loud, and hot, and i do not trust the whiskey they serve there." he didn't trust any that he didn't pick himself, but at this point he was just making excuses. he knew that noah was gonna get him out of the bar, and he was probably going to have a dandy time, and the most annoying part, he probably was going to be happy with the decision in the morning. "don't you worry a pretty little hair on your head about me, and go have fun."

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florence:

florence loved her front garden. she adored looking out of her kitchen window to see the roses she’d planted when she first moved here with her husband. how things had changed since then. she had become someone she would have judged very harshly when she was a newlywed. she had become a cheater, a sinner in more ways than one. she can’t quite decide whether she wished that first kiss with patty had never happened or whether it was the best thing, the most exhilarating thing that had ever happened to her.

she tried to keep her mind off the guilt she felt by caring for her plants. she was pulling weeds when she heard footsteps approach and she looked up into a familiar face: “ good morning! ” she greeted them, moor cheerily than she actually felt. keeping a brave face, that is what she was good at. don’t let them see you’re struggling.

rory's night was only moderately late for the man. after all, he was a bar owner and only had one bartender working for him at the time, but he had given tommy the night off. he figured it was only fair that the youth get the night and let the grumpy old man watch the bar, yet noah still managed to get him out for a little bit. he let these damn kids run his life, he swore.

anyway, that didn't matter. he was up now and he saw his neighbor, florence, out gardening and he thought he ought to wish her a happy new year. with his jacket pulled around him, he walked out of his house and greeted her with a friendly smile. "happy new year, florence." this was about as excited as he got these days. "your garden seems to be thriving quite wonderfully."