Character is what a man is in the dark.

[dominiclevi]

{Private} - Dominic and Georgie

[dominiclevi]

Georgie and Marley seemed to have a communication style all their own as their gaze met, speaking silently between them. He waited until invited to approach, sitting down himself on the floor, bending his knees to hug his long legs first but then shifting in a half cross-legged position that was less awkward and more comfortable. His fingers were already fidgeting as Georgie began to explain to the little girl before him while Dominic tried to grasp the concept just as Marley undoubtedly was. Placing the colorful stuffed horse at the tiny girl’s feet, he gave her a tight-lipped smile and a wave. “Hi,” he said in the lightest tone he could, thinking there wasn’t much to say until he opened his mouth again. “I’m Dominic. Or Dom. If that’s easier. Or.. you can call me whatever, I don’t really mind. And I brought you this,” he said motioning to the toy, “But if you have it already that’s fine. I mean, I can take it back. Get you something else. Not a problem..” His rambling stream-of-consciousness took over as the little girl with the big blue/gray eyes began boring a hole into him with her gaze. Her hair was much lighter than Georgie’s, definitely closer to Dominic’s brown in color. She looked fragile and stern all at once just like her mother yet there was an unshakable knowledge in him that Marley was indeed his daughter. 

[msgeorgieperreault]

Georgie and Marley did have a way of speaking, odd, but it was communication. Marley stared at the man, perhaps it was a bit rude, but she was curious, after her mother's words. She took a glance at the plush animal by her feet. Her eyes widen a bit and she reaches for it, pulling it closer and then holding it in her grip. She then began holding it against her chest, petting it subconsciously while she stared at the man once more. His smile encouraged her, mirrored it, much more genuine, innocent, naive to the actual situation. She uttered a 'thank you' quietly. "..I'm Marley.." It was precious, it pulled at her mother's lips while she watched the two interact. She knew the little one well. Many details, now she shifted to Dominic more often, trying her best to understand his reaction, to sympathize. More than anything, she wanted to view how they interacted.

[maycontainvikings]

[dominiclevi]

{Private} - Dominic and Georgie

[dominiclevi]

Dominic watched her soundlessly step aside wondering how the woman he once loved without measure could keep such a secret from him. There was a realization of the hurt he’d caused but this.. there were no words to describe how insignificant the situation made him feel. As he entered the quiet home he briefly thought to reach for her arm, not in anger but just to register some sort of feeling between himself and her. But he held back, in fact the familiar numbness he used to prevent his own pain had already taken hold and he could barely move. In his hand was a stuffed animal that he held in a death grip as his eyes scanned the room to see a small girl seated on the floor. A familiar profile, sad eyes the same color as her mother’s. Dom was at a loss for how to recover from such an awkward situation, completely overwhelmed by the fact that he was a stranger to his own child. All he could offer was a low “thank you”, looking back at Georgie. If he was to get anywhere with her he at least knew the time to stop fighting was now. 

[msgeorgieperreault]

Now. Georgie had taught her well, so Marley took hold of her surroundings and noticed the man was invited into their home. Somewhere safe, the only place she didn't huddle so close to Georgie in fear, so somehow, she conjured up a soft smile, that weakened when she looked to her mother for her next movement. The woman closed the door and locked it, slipping past Dominic and smiling widely at Marley, to assure her everything was fine. She took a seat next to the little girl, crossing her legs as she did. Georgie looked up to Dominic, silently inviting him over before her eyes met the familiar ones once more. She pushes some hair from Marley's face. "Honey..? I want you to meet someone, alright..? ..Remember how I told you that there are just different types of families?" The small girl nods softly. Georgie weakly smiles, "Sometimes it's just you and mommy, now you have a daddy and mommy, alright?" It didn't quite seem to sink in. Georgie thought it would be hard to talk to Dominic about it, it was even more complicated with her.

[dominiclevi]

{Private} - Dominic and Georgie

[It took all of five minutes to locate Georgie’s address online. Their initial conversation had not gone well, and he’d had enough of waiting around for her to contact him and set up a meeting. In light of recent events (i.e. having a gun pulled on him by one of Henry Godfrey’s men) he decided to show up on her doorstep. No time like the present to meet the child he had no clue was in the world. And if she refused to answer he would god damn wait. Had to leave the house sometime, he thought. Dom knocked on the door.] Georgie. It’s Dominic. Open up. 

[msgeorgieperreault]

[Her movement was interrupted when the knock had swept throughout the modest home. She turns her head slowly, hearing the words to follow. Marley simply stared at her mother, curiosity twinkling in her eyes as she tilts her head a bit. Georgie meets the familiar gaze, raising her brows, exhaling. She had given it some thought. He was right, for the most part. She was beginning to have a dull dislike for him, but she was mature enough to push it away, for this. Only this. She smiles at the little girl for reassurance, moving back to the direction of the door. Without a word, she opens it. She stares at him before stepping to the side.]

[dominiclevi]

Mile End \\ Flashback - Georgie and Dominic

[dominiclevi]

He couldn’t tell if she was lost in thought, pissed off, or bored.. her face seemed like a constant shifting sea and it interested him. Aside from the fact that she was so incredibly gorgeous every other girl in the room paled by comparison. Dominic watched her out of the corner of his eye singly focused on her cigarette, a swirl of smoke floating out of her lips after every drag. She was new, or at least he’d never seen her around before. There was an air of the unapproachable about her, which only made him want to bother her, to get her talking or to at least look in his direction.  As the song changed in the room he turned in his spot to look at her more fully. Rubbing the pad of an index finger over his lips a few times he studied her briefly. “You know.. if you smoked a pipe it would be cooler. Like Sherlock Holmes. Smoking cigarettes is sort of passé.” Dominic was not at all the awkward type - just odd. To alleviate his boredom his mind wrapped around ridiculous notions that probably should’ve remained in his brain. Right now he didn’t care if his idea of a joke fell flat, in fact by the way she held herself he expected an eye roll. Still, he couldn’t help but prod her a little. There was nothing he enjoyed more than getting under someone’s skin, especially someone so beautiful who probably wouldn’t bother to give him the time of day. “But since you’ve got them, mind letting me bum one?” 

[msgeorgieperreault]

Georgie ever so clearly heard his words, but didn't reply. She didn't even show the slightest bit of interest in him. He did not interrupt her pattern, and she did not change her facial expression. She was less than amused by the foreigner. He continued to stare, his intense gaze burned into her skin while he silently begged for attention. How desperate. She'd give in. Briefly. She turns her head and stares at him. "Why would I do that?" She asks, quirking a brow up high. Her body not moving in the slightest. She was relaxed, strong, intimidating.

She did happen to be new to this sort of scene. She was never a crowd-loving individual. She adored isolation, but with her new life style, it required her to be some sort of social every now and then. Now, was not one of those times. Instead, she was present because of pressure.

[dominiclevi]

Mile End \\ Flashback - Georgie and Dominic

[Timeline: January 19, 2007, Friday, 11:10pm - party at Connor O’Rourke’s house] He parked in the first open spot he could find which was behind a line of cars that seemed to stretch into infinity. Christopher stepped to the curb first, followed by Dominic. Pocketing the keys to his grandfather’s car he mumbled, “Guess this is it..” to which his brother grinned and replied, “Guess we’re late as usual, thanks to you.”  Inside, the pair parted ways in the kitchen after grabbing themselves drinks. While Christopher remained there to speak to a couple of friends, Dominic decided to float into the living room. Situated in the Mile’s End section of London, it was a decrepit row house and its tenants were a popular local band Dom often partied with. The living room was dimly lit and the stereo was playing far too loud for anyone to have a conversation above a shout. The band’s drum set was in a corner and after saying a passing to hello to a few friends, Dom traversed the crowded room and multiple guitar cables snaking across the wood floor to get to the kit. With a flick of his fingers he made a cymbal ring, lifting his plastic cup to scan the room for other familiar faces.  A group of three got up from a ratty couch, red with a black flourishing detail that had withered from too many people sitting on it over the years. A fourth person remained: long black hair, legs crossed, smoking a cigarette like she was the sole person left on earth and was just fine by it. He heard someone call his name from the entryway and nodded, waved, acknowledged them with a grin. But rather than join them he instead walked over to the couch and took a seat at the far end, sipping once again from his cup, mirroring her nonchalance. 

[msgeorgieperreault]

Georgie had been dragged here by a friend, and thereafter abandoned by the same girl. She was busy enough making a fool of herself, yet she was enjoying herself. That was acceptable, no? Georgie paid little mind to her, despite the small voice in the back of her head, telling her to watch over her friend for her safety, but she was a little firecracker. If things went wrong, Gen would make damn sure the entire house knew. 

The action around her was consistent, the music intensified, but in her aura, everything had been dull compared to her being. It was a boldness she possessed. She was aware of her surroundings, but cared little about them. Her drink was near, she had about a half of a pack of cigarettes in her possession. She was fine, for the time being. Many spoke up, or would nudge her, in attempt of conversation, but she did everything but give in to their request. She would rarely even turn her head. 

One thin leg was crossed over the other, gaze shot straight forward while she pulled her hand closer, along with the cigarette that rested between her fingers, inhaling on it a bit before drawing it from her lips. She held it in her lungs til it burned, before releasing it through her nose. Through peripheral vision, she noticed a stranger sat down on the other end of the couch, but she did not overlook it too much. He may have been waiting for someone. She repeated her earlier motions with the cigarette before shifting slightly, only to switch which leg crossed over which.

[yanayas]

[evasorel]

[msgeorgieperreault]

[dominiclevi]

[doesn’t even bother to hide his anger as she speaks, but he does listen, shifting around in his place, his eyes growing wide and flashes of rage coloring them every now and again] I didn’t fall off the fucking grid, you could’ve called my grandfather. And thanks.. thanks for being honest now when she’s what, three or something? Thanks for finally coming clean to me, bravo. Good on you. Excellent. 

And I didn’t forget the past, I was freeing you from it. You think I wanted to dump all that shit on you? All the nights getting wasted and hearing one line of a fucking song or thinking some douche at the bar was Christopher and breaking down on the spot into a miserable wreck, when he was gone and I was the reason for it. Great life there for you.  But if you’d said one thing.. told me the most important thing you ever could in your entire life.. I’d have changed it all. I would’ve given up everything for you back then, I would’ve moved Heaven and Earth for you. Probably did once or twice. But no. Without even offering a chance to look past my ”fucking defects” you just pushed aside that history we had - actually, you re-wrote it. Re-wrote it so that poor Georgie would bear this burden without crazy fucked up Dominic Levi there to support her. Because if you really fucking think that you’ve got to be out of your mind.  Instead, you’ve taken away something precious to me now. Three years? I mean she’d be three, right? MIssed out on three birthdays, learning to walk, talk.. and just having the opportunity to prove that I’m not as worthless as you apparently think I am. So this whole ”going it alone” story doesn’t add up to me. The only thing you’ve gotten right about this mess is that you were selfish. And sure, I was too.. selfish for giving you up without a word - but I had no idea there was a kid involved. I’d rather take myself out now than to let my child grow up the way I did, without a dad.  You’re familiar too. Same sad eyes, the way you carry yourself as if you’ve just stumbled out of some decadent party as a survivor rather than a casualty, those are reasons why I loved you in the first place.. and then you stand so innocently before me trying to rationalize something so.. twisted. It’s like I don’t even know you anymore. 

But now I’m done arguing with you. Bring me my daughter. Drop her off. Without you there. You can pick her up on Sunday. 

[msgeorgieperreault]

[her eye twitches as he speaks of her claiming herself as a victim. In her eyes, she had not done wrong. She was only trying to protect her daughter, so she didn't end up hurt as she did. It was twisted reasoning.]

Those "fucking defects" were the reasons I loved you most. You were not a burden any more than you were a blessing to me, but you've never quite wrapped your head around that, have you? You never wanted to accept the fact I wanted you, despite everything that appeared or happened to be wrong. I would think that you of all people would know that I'm not who I appear to be. Clean cut and without problems. You had your difficulties, and I had mind, but no. Of everything, all I've ever said to you, or what you remember, that's irrelevant. It's irrelevant how you were the only man that could lay a finger on me without me feeling.. disgusting.. without feeling like bugs are crawling under my skin. You were the only thing familiar, but that doesn't mean a thing anymore. Not to you.

You're right. You don't know me anymore, Dominic. You don't know a damn thing.

Why would I leave my daughter with you? Alone, at that? A woman that has watched her every day that I've had to work, who she's known since she was very young, she is still relatively uncomfortable with. I always receive a call when I'm out.. She wouldn't react to a stranger well, would she? Oh, I've forgot. You don't know her. Marley. Her name is Marley. You haven't earned the right to call her your daughter until you can utter every detail about her without hesitation. You've a long way to go.

[dontcryboo]

[fuckyeahvintage-retro]

Rainy night in London, 1956 (via)

[dominiclevi]

Don’t.. don’t I dare what? You just kept a child from me - a child. All you had to do was fucking call. A god damn phone call Georgie. Or were you just going to send me an invitation to the kid’s graduation? You’ve made this situation what it is. You have decided.. for the kid, and for me, that she wouldn’t know her fucking father? Jesus Christ I can’t.. never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined you’d do something like this. The ”reality” is.. I was fucking mental after Christopher died, I thought it’d be better to let you go. But if you’d had stopped feeling pitiful for yourself for one fucking minute and picked up the phone I would’ve been there. And you know that. That’s what makes all of this even worse right now. You know that. 

[msgeorgieperreault]

Oh my fucking goodness. All I had to do was call?! All I had to do was call when you wouldn't fucking answer my calls? Where the hell are you getting your logic?! You've made the situation what it was. You've completely taken this the wrong way. I choose to be honest with you, and you loose all sense of morality and make the decision to point fingers. You're missing the entire point! I was there with you through the least to the absolute worst traumatic experience. If I weren't present, you were sure to make me relive that with you. I comforted you. Every paranoid thought, every worry, every fucking memory you wanted to forget. It's as if you completely forgot our past, the history we made together, and made the selfish choice to leave. Not once did you wonder how the hell I felt, did you? No! You fucking didn't. I would've jumped at a call from you. I would allow myself to get publicly humiliated before I willingly let you leave me. I would give into my greatest fear, before I accepted you were gone, and then I would have done anything to get you back to me..

Honestly, I was awfully scared. I don't think you ever looked past your own fucking defects, but I didn't care about much aside from you. I was sure I was going to be an absolute awful mother, and I was alone. It did not matter how much money I had, nor did it matter how stable I was, if I made a mistake in raising that child, it would be on me and only me. Do you know how terrifying that was? I wanted you with me. I did. It sure as hell may have been selfish, but Marley deserved a father. She deserved you. You never came back. Never, so I moved on. I had to provide for her. You can't expect me to wait years and years on you, rely on you. I remembered every vivid fucking detail. Your scent, stray hairs, flaws and rather golden qualities. Everything is familiar until you fucking speak. You've never left my mind. I thought about telling Marley, I have, but it would be just the same as telling her about a ghost's presence that would never occur. You abandoned us before you gave us a chance, because you thought I couldn't handle the excess baggage you were going to reveal again.That's complete bullshit and you know it.

[dominiclevi]

I’m not being ”dense” you just dropped a bomb on me. No, you fucking just Hiroshima’ed me. And I didn’t need ”to find myself”. [pauses, having no desire to explain exactly the where’s and the why’s, the reason for leaving, growing more irate now] I would hope you’d recall how Christopher and myself were completely ignored by our own father, and how we felt about that.. rather than making the brilliant deduction that I’d just abandon my own kid like he did. Was that too much for you to actually consider, Georgie? That I might have had an opinion about it? 

[msgeorgieperreault]

Don't you dare try to turn this shit around on me! Your lack of consideration would have leaked off to her, and I'm damn sure of it! Don't talk to me about consideration. Don't fucking even.. Your opinion didn't mean shit the moment you decided it was appropriate to leave without any explanation of any fucking sort. If you can't stay committed to a woman, I highly doubt you can do so to a woman and a child. If it weren't for me, she would not be healthy. She would not be loved. That's the bottom fucking line. I wanted you to know of her existence. As far as her knowledge reaches, she was not abandoned. She has a mother. That's her reality. I don't need your help. Nothing is necessary from you. Forgive me. I thought your progress had meant you got your shit together. Clearly not.

[imissyouassshole]

[hotanfit]

[dominiclevi]

O.K. so.. let me make sure I’m hearing this correctly. We break up and you just decide I’m not ready to be a father.. so you keep it from me? All this time? For fuck’s sake, Georgie is this conversation actually happening because I hope it’s a dream. You’re making no sense right now. 

[msgeorgieperreault]

You've got it down, but you still seem confused.

Don't be so fucking dense, Dominic. I wasn't expecting to see you again, to be completely honest. Similar to how you left me, I see the same thing happening to her. Which I am not going to allow to happen, because' you 'need to find' yourself.