take these broken wings

Robert Winters. Age 26. Veteran. I know my place.

[robert-winters]

vincent-grise:

My friend, have you never had a good French wine or vodka so clear the Russians would happily drink it?

I find I’m more of a connoisseur of what is available and cheap, so no.

[robert-winters]

vincent-grise:              

“That’s the problem. I can hardly imagine getting drunk on this miserable excuse for beer.”

Hey, when you’ve got no money, you take what you can get. If you have a higher quality liquor though, I’m perfectly content to share it with you.

[imthomaswinters-blog]

My Brother In Arms || Thomas and Robert

[robert-winters]

imthomaswinters:

His back ached as he stood up slowly, leaning against a wall, his legs shaky and unable to support his weight. It would be several moments until Thomas would be able to speak without his voice breaking or, more worryingly, bursting into tears. He felt shocked and almost sad. God, how pathetic was he, that is crippled brother had to save his ass.

But Robert was also hurt, blood trickling from his nose and mouth and what would certainly be a nasty scrape along his leg and palms from where he had fallen. Thomas forced himself to move away from the wall, to help his brother, to clasp him firmly by the elbow. Hopefully, Thomas thought to himself, Robert would take the gesture as kind and not as condescending or pitying. That would be worse than getting the shit kicked out of him.

“I’m… I’m fine.” It was a lie. His arm ached and Thomas was sure he would need a doctor to examine it. And even though he was safe, and even though Robert was here, his body still felt on edge and a voice in his head told him the men would be back.

Instead, he pushed those thoughts back and looked at Robert and his broken cane. “Do you need to lean on me?”

Robert squinted at Thomas, seeking out visual on any severe head injuries he might have received that would cause him to actually ask him such a thing. Such a... kind thing...

He appeared to be fine, at least in the head. That arm was a different story, though Robert wasn’t sure if it was broken or just hellishly sore. He wasn’t about to reach over and find out because the last thing Thomas needed was to get hurt more.

“No,” He said, answering the question more gently than he’d thought he was capable of. “No, I... I’m fine. I can walk.” That was debatable, he knew, but Thomas just wasn’t in the shape to be helping him right now. He sucked on his split lip, trying to dull the sting. “What about you?” he said, avoiding talking further about his ability to walk before it was called into question. “Your arm, is it broken? Do you need a doctor?”

That was a stupid question, he knew. Neither of them could afford a doctor... Though, Robert hadn’t yet spent his drinking money, had he? This fight had interrupted his journey there. Maybe that would be enough... Why would he do that though? Thomas was nothing but cruel to him. He didn’t even know why he’d come to his aid to begin with... and yet, here he was.

“Come on,” he said, nodding his head back in the direction of the apartment. “Let’s at least get home. I’ll take a look at it.”

[imthomaswinters-blog]

My Brother In Arms || Thomas and Robert

[robert-winters]

imthomaswinters:

Thomas grit his teeth, ready for the inevitable crunch and grind of bone getting twisted just a bit too far, for the sharp pain that would melt into numbness, only to kick back in a half hour or an hour later. He’d broken fingers and toes before, mostly in accidents at the docks, and he knew what to expect. An arm would just hurt more. A lot more. Hopefully, Thomas told himself, gasping sharply into the pain, he wouldn’t pass out, and that once he was immobilized, these guys would leave him alone to whimper in pain and not try to beat him even worse.

There was another vice joining the cacophony, and Thomas braced himself for yet another pair of fists raining down blows on him, two more feet kicking him in the ribs to make sure he couldn’t get up. Out of spite more than anything, he struggled against the grip holding his arm back. It made his elbow and shoulder twinge, but he was able to land a half-hearted blow to the man’s stomach. It wasn’t enough to wriggle free, but it was enough that he asshole was temporarily distracted. Thomas hit again, throwing his shoulder into the man’s solar plexus hard enough to cause him to stumble, to twist his arm into a more forgiving position.

And then suddenly his arm was free, and the man who had been holding him was doubled over, blood dripping from his face. Thomas crambled to his feet, trying to bring his fists in front of his face, ready to fight, but swayed on his feet instead. Raising his hands to protect his face shot a sharp pain from his shoulder to elbow. Even if his arm wasn’t broken, something was very wrong with it.

“Ugh.” The noise broke free of his lips, uninvited, and Thomas doubled over. No. He had to fight, because there were still two attackers. He straightened up slowly, head swimming, sure he was hallucinating. The two remaining men were fighting, and one went down, a knee striking across his knees and back.

Thomas blinked, head aching. There was only one person he knew who fought with a cane, but it couldn’t be…

“Robert?”

Robert’s bad leg wobbled underneath him. He leaned his weight further onto his good one, still holding his cane defensively in case one of the men decided to get back up and try to land another blow. In the scuffle Robert had received a rather unpleasant punch to the face that had resulted in a bloody nose and a split lip, but he was otherwise unharmed.

He spit out blood and looked back at Thomas. The poor kid looked worse-for-wear, that was for sure. Robert couldn’t imagine how he would have ended up if he hadn’t stepped in. He’d probably have come home as just one giant bruise... if he’d come home at all...

Robert swallowed around the unexpected knot that thought brought to his throat. He set his cane down carefully... only for it to split down the middle where it had taken too much damage. He fell forward instantly, sprawling briefly on the street like he’d been hit, cursing. Shit, that had been the only cane he still had.

He got himself back to his feet unsteadily, face warm with embarrassment as he chucked the broken cane aside in order to do something with his anger over it. Then, he said something he hadn’t expected to say. “Are you all right?”

[imthomaswinters-blog]

My Brother In Arms || Thomas and Robert

The beating was inevitable, as it always is, because Thomas cannot keep his stupid mouth closed, be it at the Last Station or at the docks. And, of course, the dockworkers he pissed off today, with his cold snark about how they are throwing their lives away, slaves to men who don’t give a shit about them or their needs, were also regulars at the Last Station. Thomas had hoped they wouldn’t notice him, sitting at the corner of the bar, beer in hand and cigarette at his lips, that they would be too distracted by their own shots. In truth, that had been because Thomas had barely seen them, barely recognized them in the usual mix of working men and smoke and games of pool.

So when he left, several beers in and his wallet more empty than he would like, unable to walk quite straight, and one of the two men tapped him on the shoulder, Thomas was a bit confused but not exactly shocked. His mind was still sharp enough to remember the sharp words he’d exchanged, his bitter laugh when one of them called him a filthy commie bastard and threatened to break his arm. “Still up for that challenge?” he had slurred out, eyebrows cocked in a challenge, and the dockworkers were more than willing to give it to him.

That was how Thomas found himself on the ground, ribs aching, nose bleeding, arm bent behind his back at an increasingly awkward angle. He’d fought back, as well as a skinny drunk could fight against two men whose bodies were more muscle than brain, and he’d landed some good blows. Yes, those dockworkers would have some nasty bruises tomorrow morning when they punched into work. But it was a losing battle, and Thomas knew it. “Fuck you,” he snarled, as one  of the men jerked his arm back further. Tears pricked at his eyes, but Thomas vowed he would not cry, not in front of them or anyone else. “You think I’ve never been punched before, asshole?”

[robert-winters]

Robert hadn’t left home with the intention of going anywhere, but then he never did. The fact that he always ended up at Last Station probably had some sort of sad poetry to it, something profound for a character in a novel or a movie but meaningless in real life. He did have a little bit of money left from his pension, and he still had half a bottle of liquor, and he hadn’t fallen out of bed from his nightmares, so he was calling today a good day. He figured he might as well drink the rest of it away why it still felt good.

He didn’t quite make it to the bar though.

When he saw the brawl happening on the street, his first thought was oh good, at least it’s not me for once. God knew he’d had his fair share of beat downs outside of the bar after giving lip to the wrong person. That didn’t even include the times he’d gotten into fights with whoever threw him out for not being able to pay. He’d even dare say that most nights he went into Last Station, he’d usually start the next day face down on the ground outside of it.

Then, he noticed the familiar dark hair, and the even more familiar voice shouting at them, and...

Was that Thomas?

He approached the fight slowly, brow furrowing. Surely it couldn’t be. Surely it wouldn’t be. Then, he heard him cry out, and--

Oh.

Oh, no. 

He’d know that cry of pain anywhere. He’d heard it after scraped knees and twisted ankles and hurt feelings ever since he was small. That sound had been ingrained in him, and with it the urge to make sure he never heard it again. The desire... to protect.

“Hey!” he shouted, and when one of the guys looked up, Robert promptly smashed his cane into his face as hard as he could swing it, sending blood and teeth across the sidewalk.

[vincent-grise]

Vincent turned to the man sitting next to him. “Has Calvin been watering the beer down again? It tastes like piss.”

[robert-winters]

“The beer here always tastes like piss.”

“Doesn’t really matter if it gets you drunk though.”

[robert-winters]

This is Gospel - Panic at the Disco

This song represents Robert’s struggle, both with his addiction to alcohol and his placement in the world after the war. He lashes out at people and hides behind his surly persona because he’s afraid of himself, but he’s still trying, trying, trying. He won’t give up without a fight, even if it feels like that’s all he’s ever been good at.

Brother in Conflict - Voxtrot

This song is about Robert’s dissatisfaction with the world around him and his anger over how things have turned out. He’s disgusted with the path his brother is taking in life but has to find a way to express it. He’s bitter and skeptical, but he has to find his voice.

Some Nights - fun.

This song is about his loneliness and disappointment with where he stands in life. It expresses what he doesn’t say out loud, how he doesn’t want Thomas to forget how he used to be, though he thinks it might be too late. He’s lost now, doesn’t know what he’s doing or where he’s going or why he’s still here. 

Unwell - Matchbox Twenty

Pretty self-explanatory. Robert wants to be seen beyond what he presents through his shell-shocked mind and find comfort in people again. This could be representative of his relationship with Janek, since Janek was someone who actually reached out to him.

The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot - Brand New

This is about Robert and Thomas, and especially how Robert deep down just wants his brother to like him and be close to him like they used to be as boys. They’re both stubborn and cling onto their ideas, but truth is that Robert would do anything for him. He just expects he’ll be a disappointment regardless.

The Soldiering Life - The Decemberists

This song is representative of Robert and the men that he fought with in the war. It was where he’d found friends, comrades, a life beyond the little town with the mother he’d tried so hard to please to no avail. It represents a certain other closeness he had with them as well *wink nudge*.

I'm in Here - Sia

A song about Robert’s desperation to find someone who will find him again. He might push and shove people away and act like he doesn’t care about them, but truth is he wants someone to help him. He wants to feel worthy of being helped.

Dinner at Eight - Rufus Wainwright

A song that represents Robert’s strained relationship with his mother. The way she hurt him makes him wish he could have seen her hurt in return, but he also wants to know if she ever did love him. He likes to think that at some point she did, but he’s not sure if that thought makes him happier or sadder that they never got closure in their relationship.

[robert-winters]

sam-kincaid:

“’Scuse me? They always let me in.”

“How old are you?”

[sam-kincaid]

“Look, I already told ya. I’ve been here before. Just let go of my arm. What is wrong with you?”

[robert-winters]

“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you? Kids aren’t allowed in the bar.”

[robert-winters]

ms-evelyn-piper:

“Oh and that is where you are wrong my dear sir. People are very real once you get to know them but like I said before you don’t know Hollywood. You are nothing but an outsider looking in. You can believe all you want that you know these people but you really don’t. If you did you’d have known that I was friends with your brother but you didn’t even know that. You just walk around with sunglasses on ignoring all the things that are around you.” Sad in her opinion.

“You may have a right but that doesn’t mean you should let what you have seen control the rest of your life. That’s not a way to live. You’re basically living a half-life. You are not fully living your life like you should be. I have somewhat of an idea of what you have seen. I saw the newsreels. I helped out the victims of the German camps. I’ve seen what humans can do. Also don’t call me sweetheart. If you knew anything about me you’d know I’m the farthest thing from a sweetheart that any woman can be,” She watched him as he got stood up.

“You are a grown up right? Just do the smart thing and agree to disagree. Even little kids know that. And I’m not going anywhere. I’m sitting right here and waiting for your brother. After all it is his place as you have pointed out so many times.”

“My pension helps pay for this place, so for now it’s my home too, sweetheart,” he said, certain she could detect the sarcasm in the pet name this time. “If you like Thomas so much, why don’t you take your fancy car and your money and go find him? Since you know this place so well, since you’re not an outsider like I am. Obviously the only life to live in this city is the one of an actress. Those of us who are barely scraping by? We don’t understand the world, of course we don’t. You’re absolutely right. You’re not a pretentious know-it-all at all.”

He lit up a cigarette, and while it wasn’t enough to get rid of the ugliness settling in his stomach, it did dull the sting a little bit. “I’d rather be broke than work for someone like you. All you do is talk down to people. Did you never have a moment in your life where you were on the bottom? If you did, you should remember that and try to stop acting like you’re better than everyone else because you also have opinions about things. You’re not special. Hollywood might make you think you are, but when they get bored of you, you’ll see that you’re not. I never was special, and now I’m feeling sort of glad that I wasn’t.”

“Oh, and,” he said, pausing to let smoke drift out of his mouth before continuing, “before you start saying you know what I’ve seen because you read the newspaper? Go fuck yourself.” He grabbed his cane and hobbled to the door, swinging it open. “Get out. I’ll tell him you dropped by.”

[robert-winters]

ms-evelyn-piper:

Evelyn didn’t believe a word that he said about his mother or his childhood. It was clear to her and probably anyone else that spoke to him that he was bitter about his childhood and that it shaped how he acted now. It was understandable but wasn’t it time for him to move on? So many people had had crappy childhoods and bad relationships with their mothers and yet they didn’t let it define who they were. They moved on like this man should have. Maybe if he did he would be a happier and nicer person.

“First off you know nothing about Hollywood or the people work in it. You have never worked in it and I am probably the first person you have met from the business. I do not judge people who fought in the war so I would appreciate it if you did not judge people in my career field. Thank you very much. And second. Human beings maybe terrible but it was the government who put these polices into place. Humans have a tendency to follow their governments since they are taught that the government is supposed to be wiser and more intelligent when it comes to policies. Unfortunately that is not always true. The only way things are going to improve and get better is if people stand up and demand a change. Until that happens then nothing will change or improve.”’ He really knew how to piss someone off didn’t he?

“At this point I honestly do not blame your brother for hating you. You seem like a very bitter person who needs to move on from his childhood. I know it is hard but that is the only way your life is ever going to improve. Now if you want a job as my assistant the offer is out there even if you do hate me and my beliefs. Just give it some thought. Maybe actually working will help you move on with your life.”

“Listen, sweetheart,” he said, dropping all pretense of politeness. “I don’t much appreciate you coming into my home, making assumptions about who I am, and insulting me. Also, just because I’m not some handsome leading man in your pictures doesn’t mean I don’t know what this place is like. I’ve lived here since I got back from the war, and everything in this town is fake and phony, it’s all just smoke and mirrors..”

He got to his feet, doing his best not to wince in the ache in his leg, not wanting to give her the satisfaction. “And yeah, maybe Thomas does hate me, and maybe he’s got a right to... and maybe I am bitter... but if you had seen what I had seen, then maybe you’d see that maybe, just maybe, I got a right.” He turned on her, eyes stinging a little. “And I’m not talking about the prettied up versions they put in your movies. What I saw over there... you don’t come back from that all right. You just don’t. When you see the real height of human suffering... it... it paralyzes you. Your government can’t help them. No one can help them. They’re never going to be normal or all right again...” He looked at the floor, those horrible images flooding back into his memory with chilling clarity. 

He didn’t feel angry anymore. He felt numb and like he needed a drink and a cigarette. “All I’m saying is that... what you and Thomas believe... it’s not realistic. It’s never gonna work because there are people out there that will always try to take advantage and don’t care who suffers. I might not be very smart, but I know that much. Now, if you’re quite done, you’re welcome to leave. I won’t be insulted in my own house.”

[robert-winters]

ms-evelyn-piper:

“It does not bother you? Are you sure? Since just listening to the way that you talk about her makes me wonder if that is exactly true. If you don’t mind me being honest is does sound like her actions and behavior did bother you and that they still do even if she is no longer with you.” He sounded a bit bitter in her opinion. Like he was having trouble moving on from the past and from his mother. Maybe that was why he didn’t care very much for his own brother. Because of the fact that their mother cared for Thomas more than she had him. That type of thing could really effect a person.

“A lot of very smart people might be killed. That tends to happen in this country. When the male, white dominated culture does not like another group they find ways to repress them. There are many examples in American history. The government putting Native Americans on reservations. The internment camps for the Japanese and Germans. The treatment of African Americans. Of course they would treat communist with hatred too. Did you know that before the war communism used to be fairly popular in Hollywood and the rest of America?”

This man seemed like a very negative person. She understood that he had been hurt in the war but that didn’t excuse his behavior or the way he was speaking about his brother. “You know if your brother didn’t want you here I think he would have told you. I would hire you to be my assistant but I have a feeling you do not approve of my beliefs.”

“It... it doesn’t bother me,” he said again, feeling vulnerable now that he had to defend his statement. “It was just my life. There wasn’t anything to be done about it then, and there certainly isn’t anything to be done about it now. I’ve got far more unfortunate problems to focus on than whether or not my mother hugged me when I was a boy. Besides, coddling doesn’t do people any favors. I don’t need anyone to hold me and pet my hair.” Even if sometimes he wanted that. Sometimes.

“And listen, not for nothing, but to say that communism was popular in Hollywood and America isn’t really helping the case. The people here, especially here in Hollywood latch onto things that are neat and sound pretty, but the to me the concept doesn’t work in practice like it does on paper. I’m not here to argue politics with you though, and I can’t imagine you’re interested in hearing the take of some drunkard with a bum leg. All I can say is that Americans weren’t the only ones who did nightmarish things to other people, so I don’t know if the government is so much to blame as the fact that human beings are just... terrible.”

He shook his head, wishing he could clear the mental images of what he’d seen overseas out of his head. “And Thomas has told me he doesn’t want me here. He constantly complains about me being here. He hates me.”

[robert-winters]

ms-evelyn-piper:

“Well that is perhaps one of the saddest things that I have ever heard. Your mother shouldn’t have done that. Maybe she shed a tear after you left and just didn’t let you know?” She couldn’t believe that a woman could really be that heartless when it came to her son but maybe someone could be? Hopefully not though. “So do you still talk to your mother today or are you not on speaking terms with her?”

She knew it was personal but really she didn’t mind that he was discussing this with her. It was nice though to discuss something else too. “Skills are something that can be learned. Everyone learns skills as they go along. You’re not born with them. As for the walking thing? I can try to find a sit down job if you’d like. Or one that doesn’t require very much walking. I am glad to hear that you can follow orders. That’s an important thing to be able to do no matter what career you are in.”

Evelyn frowned a bit at his question. What was her relationship with his brother? “Well I’m not dating him if that’s what you’re wondering. At the moment I happen to be single.” Though her heart still belonged to Vincent and probably always would. “He’s a friend of mine. We attend the same meetings and like to meet up to discuss our beliefs. I know it may sound unbelievable but your brother is a very smart man that I have much respect for.”

“I could talk to her, I suppose, but dead women don’t tend to hold a conversation very well,” Robert said, sighing. “It doesn’t matter. It was just the way things were. It doesn’t bother me that she wasn’t fond of me. It just bothers me that the way she coddled Thomas made him so spoiled and ungrateful.” He wasn’t sure if it was completely true that it didn’t bother him, but he didn’t want anyone to know otherwise. There was no point in dwelling over the sadness of his past. The sadness of his present was overwhelming enough as it was.

He cleared his throat and added, “Don’t misunderstand... I know that Thomas is smart. He’s too smart for his own good. It’s going to get him killed someday if he isn’t careful.”

He shook his head, combing a hand through his hair, mussing it a little more than it already was. “The truth is, he doesn’t want me around, so I don’t want to be here. I’ll do what I have to to get the money to get out of here. I don’t expect to have a career in my future, but I would like to at least have a job. I don’t think I’m all that smart, but you don’t need to be smart to do a job. In any case, it’d be a better use of my time than drinking myself to death.”

[robert-winters]

ms-evelyn-piper:

“You stay on my good side and I’ll tell you my real name,” Evelyn teased. Not many people knew her name was really Evie Conway and that she started out as just some poor little girl in Arkansas. That was her secret to share with the people she trusted and so far that had only been a handful. Vincent of course and the studio. Those two were really the only ones.

“May I ask why you think your own mother preferred your brother over you?” It must have been a hard realization to come to that conclusion. Was his relationship with his mother really that bad? Hopefully not. Hopefully even if his mother preferred Thomas she still loved Robert. She knew it was a very personal question to ask but what he said just made her curious. It was tempting to ask why he didn’t get along with his brother but she figured one personal question was enough.

“You’re looking for a job then? I have some links in various fields. Maybe I can help you out with that.” One thing about being a member of the Communist party was that a person ended up meeting and befriending a wide variety of people. Not just people in the entertainment world. She knew bartenders, activists, and mechanics too. Evelyn was sure she could get someone to offer this man a job just as long as he promised to work hard.

“Oh, my mother didn’t make it any secret that she preferred Thomas to me,” he said. “She all but said it right to my face. Didn’t shed a tear when I left for the war. I don’t know what I did, maybe I just looked too much like Pop, but she seemed to think me not good enough. Maybe I just wasn’t. I don’t know... It doesn’t matter. Nothing to be done about it now.”

He cleared his throat, embarrassed to get so personal with someone who was nearly a stranger, and was grateful for a change in subject. “I’ve been looking for some work, yes. I don’t have that many skills, and I can’t walk all that well, but I do what I’m told. You don’t make it in the military if you don’t know how to follow orders, after all, and when my father was sick I did a lot of odd jobs around town to make money.”

He hadn’t expected her to offer any assistance. Maybe she and Thomas really were that close... She couldn’t possibly be in a relationship with him though, of course not. Someone like her would never date someone like him, right? There’s not a chance he’d miss Thomas dating a celebrity either. Still, he couldn’t stop his stupid mouth from asking, “What exactly is your relationship with my brother?”

[robert-winters]

ms-evelyn-piper:

“When I said loving I was referring to the fact that when large families live in a small place the place usually is full of love. I wasn’t referring to your relationship with your brother. Whether it’s loving or not I have no idea. Your brother hasn’t mentioned you very often,” She explained.

Evelyn shook her head, waving him off. “No need to put on a show for me Mr. Robert. I’m fine but thank you for the offer.” She didn’t dare ask what his beliefs were when it came to politics. His brother would have told her if he shared their beliefs and would have taken him to meetings. Obviously he wasn’t a communist and she didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable in his own home.

Moving past him, she took a seat in the living room. “How about you come and tell me more about yourself? Like what you do for a living. Fill me in on everything Thomas has failed to mention about you. Also call me Evelyn. No need for ‘Miss Piper.’”

“Oh, uh... Evelyn, then,” he said, taking a seat as well. He felt a bit awkward to talk about himself, especially to someone as fancy as her. He didn’t really have anything glamorous to tell her, and while she didn’t seem like the type with terribly delicate sensibilities, he certainly didn’t want to get into too many details. It was entirely too personal.

“Well, uh... I’m Thomas’s brother, as you already know. I’m his elder brother by a year. I’ve been living here with him since I got back from overseas, but we uh... don’t exactly get along. It hasn’t always been that way. I used to take care of him when we were small because my father was sick, and my mother was always taking care of him first. She definitely preferred Thomas to me, and I think that contributed to his.... personality.”

As tempted as he was to talk foully about Thomas, he knew he needed to choose his words carefully. Thomas was her friend, and not only would she probably agree with Thomas first, she’d likely tell him what he said. 

“I didn’t plan on staying here very long,” he explained instead. “Just needed to get on my feet, but... I guess when you’re injured like me, getting on your feet is a lot harder in both the literal and metaphorical sense. I’ve had a difficult time finding work.”

He shook his head. “My life isn’t too terribly interesting, I’m afraid, but if there’s something you want to know, you’re welcome to ask.”

[robert-winters]

ms-evelyn-piper:

“Yes. Meeting.” She kept it no secret what her political beliefs were even if she did face the possibility of ending up on the Blacklist. Yes it was a scary thought but it would be worth it. At least she wouldn’t be compromising her beliefs like so many others in her situation had done. She would whether be blacklisted than give up what she believed in.

Picking up the papers, she folded them in half and put them in her purse. “I think I’ll just wait around a bit and see if he comes home. If not I’ll just give him them later.” She didn’t know his brother too well and wasn’t sure if she could trust him with actually giving the papers to his brother. For all she knew they could end up in the garbage and she wasn’t about to let that happen.

Evelyn laughed at what he said. “If it was something like a party invite I would have someone deliver it for me but since I wanted to discuss things with your brother I came in person. This place isn’t too bad. It sort of reminds me of my home when I was growing up. Small but very loving.”

“Loving?” Robert actually laughed at that. “Thomas really didn’t tell you anything about me.”

He was trying to remain calm and casual, but it was a little hard to with a Hollywood star in his apartment. Sure, she was a star he disagreed with vehemently, but the fact that she was here... He imagined if nothing else Janek would get a kick out of the story. He just wished he’d looked nicer. Maybe, if nothing else, he could have convinced her to give him a job of some kind. He might be willing to set aside political beliefs for a while if it could get him on his feet enough to get out of this apartment and out of Thomas’s life.

“I could offer you a drink, maybe? We don’t have much here,” he said. He didn’t have anything terribly fancy, but at least he had more than water to give. He was fairly sure he hadn’t drunk all of the whiskey last night. “You’re welcome to make yourself at home, Miss Piper.”

[robert-winters]

ms-evelyn-piper:

Evelyn wasn’t going to mention the way that he looked. If he wanted to walk around in wrinkly clothes and with an unshaven face then that was his choice. She was in no place to judge him for his decisions. Besides he really didn’t look that bad. Handsome in a dreamboat sort of way.

Letting go of his hand, she waved him off. “You don’t look bad. Besides I’m not very presentable myself. Just got done with work for the day. Thomas didn’t say anything bad. Just that he had a brother named Robert that fought in the war.” Nothing more than that. He hadn’t even mentioned that the man had been injured or required the use of a cane now. Nope. He hadn’t really said anything about his brother.

“He wasn’t expecting me so I’m not surprised that he’s not here. I was just bring him some papers I wanted to discuss with him. I unfortunately wasn’t able to attend the last meeting due to an event. Just wanted to find out exactly what I had missed,” She explained.

“Meeting...” he trailed off. He’d heard rumors that Evelyn was a communist, but he supposed this only confirmed it. It was disappointing, but at least it explained how her circle could possibly interlock with Thomas’s. “Ah... I see, uh... Well. He’s not here. I don’t know when he’ll be back. You can leave them with me if you like.”

He didn’t know what the papers would contain, but he’d definitely read them and then likely throw them out. Thomas’s foolish goals hardly needed help. Besides, it didn’t sound like Evelyn knew how vehemently Robert disagreed with them. 

“I must say,” he said, trying to distract before he thought on that too hard and gave himself away, “I’m surprised you’d come all this way to see him. I would think someone as well-known as you would send someone to deliver it for you. You and Thomas must be good friends if you’re willing to bother with a place like this.”