relentless

I've been running through the jungle. I've been running with the wolves To get to you, to get to you I've been down the darkest alleys Saw the dark side of the moon . ✗ Ronnie Vittori .Capo. 32 ✗

[ronnievittori]

isaacxharris​:

“Let me help you,” He insisted. He’d do anything for Ronnie, including getting revenge with her. “As long as we’re smart about this. Who do you think did it?” It was obvious that this wasn’t an accident, someone had pulled the damn plug but there were two other suspicious groups around now. It wasn’t like they could automatically blame the Ivory. At the mention of Lorenzo 2.0, Isaac felt a fire inside of him, mainly because he didn’t want Ronnie to have to go through this again. “The succession makes sense, yes,” He agreed, “How so? Is he already getting that bad?” It’s not like he was the one who called for Lorenzo’s execution. At least Isaac didn’t think so. 

The who was what she was stuck on. The calm and clear answer was, of course, her. It was no secret she hated her father or that her thirst for power had shined for the last few years. Hell, it was her actions that brought Lorenzo into that room in the first place. But she was innocent, much to her own annoyance. “I don’t know. I have a few theories, but none of them are making sense. Maybe it’s much easier than I’m painting it out to be and now there’s a dark horse in this race for my home”, she sighed, eyes glancing back to the elaborate invitation with the name Vargas written across the top. Succession was one thing, birth right was another. But the older she got, the less Veronica was sure she even wanted this. All she wanted was peace and to finally rest from these demons. “No, but he has the potential to be. If anyone took a beating as bad as Vincent or I ever did, it was Henri. Instead of hate, he developed almost an attachment to Lorenzo”, she explained, setting her drink aside. “I also don’t trust a majority of those who claim to be part of our family. Who else knew where Lorenzo was besides those in our ranks?”

[ronnievittori]

henri-philippe​:

Gray eyes rolled as Veronica elicited her response. “In what soil did your arrogance first take root, Ronnie? Because I know it was not here, not in this city. Not with me.” A fist pounded against his chest for emphasis. Bloody. It made his own nearly curdle wit anger. “Come now, mon ange. As if you care so deeply about what I have to say.” Once upon a time, to have shared in the pain and the anguish that Ronnie felt as her lover, to have even plotted to get far, far away from Lorenzo and this city, but perfect plans always had a way of falling apart, just as theirs had. He couldn’t refute it, the scars that Enzo had left behind, the ones buried deep into tissue that would always bare the markings of the King-Maker. “You want to be civil?” It wasn’t malicious, it struck Henri as genuinely surprising. And so he made his way for the sofa, falling into the cushions beside Ronnie as he unceremoniously kicked away his black leather shoes. He didn’t know what to say, how to best broach this shared trauma. So instead he reached out a hand, picking up Ronnie’s as if to inspect every finger one by one. “I always wanted to protect you.” He admitted quietly, gaze then looking up to her face. “You used to need it, but now…” His thumb ran over the tender skin of bruised knuckles. She’d been training again. “You’re the woman I always thought you could be, Ronnie.”

There were so many things that she could answer that question with, especially since his own denial came with a sort of arrogance. Everything that she was, every fiber of her being, every decision that she made was because of this city. This city was as much of her as her own flesh and blood was. And the arrogance he so willingly spoke of, well, it was nothing but her backbone turning to steel. It was her resolve being the last thing anyone would take from her. “Arrogance to you, is steadfastness to me. A desire to take back what had been taken from me so many times”, she sighed, eyes fleeting to the many of scars left in her father’s wake. Each strike of the hand that was supposed to nurture her took away just a bit of her soul. Did Henri know of Lorenzo’s abuse? Did the new boss in charge hear about the broken ribs his King had left on his only living family? Or the stitches that held together her worn and torn flesh? She didn’t asl such things, instead let this olive branch grow between them. “I’m too tired to add fighting with you to my list”, she confessed with a heavy sigh. Shutting the file on her father’s autopsy, she reclined further into the plush cushions of her couch. “I wonder if that’s why we were driven apart, we wanted to save each other”, she murmured, still unsure of how everything had even transpired, even if it was far too late. She wasn’t blind to his life, just as he was far from blind to hers. But, even now, things seemed to perfectly aligned for it all to be a bit of cosmic interference. Though, Veronica couldn’t help the small snort that fell from her lips. “Thought I could be, but never wanted me to be?”, she asked, peeling his hands away from her own, only to peel away the badges she had so carefully placed. “These hands are far from the ones you used to hold, they drip in blood now.”

[ronnievittori]

isaacxharris​:

All he wanted to do was take Ronnie’s pain away. It wasn’t fair to her, this wasn’t fair to her. She had been dealt an interesting pack of cards. “Because he didn’t want to go away,” Lorenzo was like a cold sore that would keep popping up until someone killed him, which happened in the end. “I mean, he liked the power,” Although Lorenzo had the power, Isaac always liked to remind himself of how absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lorenzo was not a nice man at all, he deserved to die. “And now he can’t come back, he’s dead.” Isaac reminded her, “It’s not like Napoleon where he’s exiled to an island and then comes back in a few years. He’s gone.” He wanted her to know that she was safe from him, he’d never come back. He wasn’t going to haunt her as a ghost either. “How do you feel about Henri being the one in charge?” He valued Ronnie’s opinion, who wouldn’t? He wanted to know her thoughts. 

Issac was wrong. Lorenzo didn’t like power, he loved it. Power was his drug, his addiction. Nothing else mattered to that man than power and assuring that he continued to have it even in death. Maybe that was why everything about Veronica Vittori went still with Issac’s gentle reminders. This man here, had seen the absolute worst of her. Issac had seen her hands covered in blood and the sick satisfaction that meeting bloodlust shining bright in her eyes. He had seen the scars and evidence of her father’s abuse. He was there for it all and now, it seemed that he even understood her in this moment better than she even did. “I should of been the one to put him in the ground and I’m going to find whoever it was that finished what I started and take what’s mine”, she practically growled the confession, sliding her glasses back up her nose. At the sound of her former lover’s nam, Veronica once again stilled. “I don’t know how I feel. It’s the proper way things should be, he’s underboss after all. But, that doesn’t mean it’s not sitting right with me. I feel almost like, Lorenzo 2.0 has been born in him and it breaks my heart.”

[ronnievittori]

[ronnievittori]

emiliaking​:

The fact that Veronica wasn’t at her neck already was a good sign. Truth be told, she’d only known the woman from afar. She’d seen her at the gala a year ago, drenched in the blood of her brother. Once again at the street festival, then at the Vargas Party before she left. Each time, Emilia had almost made a point of it to stay out of her way. She didn’t know what the other woman was capable of yet, but if she was anything like Lorenzo… Emilia didn’t want to find out. Now wasn’t the time to make a scene, the King heiress sticking out a hand towards Veronica. “Thank you for waiting, I’m Em-” She stopped, leaving it at her nickname. Hopefully it wasn’t enough to go off of. “One of the forensic pathologists here.” 

Opening up the folder, she slid the autopsy details across the desk. “I’m very sorry for your loss, Ms. Vittori.” Try as she did, she couldn’t keep the words from sounding a bit empty. Just the other day she’d celebrated the fall of Lorenzo Vittori. Emilia cleared her throat before she pointed at a few typed words with her pen. “Following a thorough autopsy, the medical examiner’s office ruled the cause of death to be natural- SPVM believes that the seizure could be traced back to Mr. Vittori’s prior injuries and variable condition.” Emilia nodded, her eyes looking up. 

“If you believe that there may have been a mistake made, Quebec allows the family of the deceased to refuse the autopsy… in which a private party can be appointed to perform a new examination. Should those results vary, our office would work with you to start an investigation into the cause of death.” Not like SPVM would find anything… how long had they been working on Milena’s case? Months. Her file remained empty as ever regarding leads. “Ultimately, the decision is yours.” 

There was a vague sense of familiarity that came once her eyes landed on the petite woman in front of her. Like a ghost of a memory or resemblance that tickled at the back of her mind, just begging for her attention. “Pleasure”, she spoke, taking her hand into a quick firm shake before drawing it back to her side. But the truth of the matter was, she just didn’t give two shits right now. Veronica had always been a task oriented person, in life and in business. Right now, this was a bit of both. Her task was to figure out the missing pieces of the puzzle and make right with what was taken from her. 

Hazel irises skimmed the page in modest interest, which was only robbed from the false condolences from the woman across from the table. Veronica didn’t hold back her chuckle. No one was sorry for his loss, not even her. “That would make you one of the only ones, if it were true”, she spoke, eyes sliding up to the forensic pathologist right before her. But as the explanation continued on, the Vittori Princess only grew quiet and still, save for the tapping of the toe of her blood red boots. 

“You know, if I was in the SPVM’s position, I probably would of come to the same conclusion. I mean, who cares if there is a titan killer among the crowds if all they do is take out those who are the scum between the devils testicles? Someone who does their job for them, makes life really easy”, she mused, that tickle of recollection finally donning on her as her eyes narrowed in on the young woman across from her. Even if she didn’t want it, there was a kind of kinship they shared. “Make that three Titans down, how many to go?”, she asked with a pointed arch of her brow. 

Veronica straightened up in her seat, the leather of her jacket offering the only sound in the room as it rustled against her frame. “I’ll accept the results. I’m more than only with SPVM believing a seizure was what took out that monster. Will make my job of getting to the bottom of this that much easier.” Veronica let her gaze focus on Emilia King, almost memorizing the details of the woman. It made her wonder how she came into the life she found herself, no doubt born into it the way Vincent and her were, but did she pick the same path. “I appreciate your assistance, Miss King. I hope future run ins are as pleasant as this”, it was her dream. Peace among what had become and all out war of people who were now ghosts. Maybe their generation would be the one to truly put an end to it. Who would know? 

[eikhos]

PHOEBE TONKIN.

By Darren McDonald © | 2020.

[ronnievittori]

masonhcll​:

The loud music was a dead give away that Veronica was, in fact, home. With a sigh, Mason followed the sound of the heavy bass that echoed through the place. As he got closer, he could start to hear the hits against the punching bag. He had seen her work out plenty of times when he used to stay over at the place, though the frustration was evident from the sounds that came from the room. He could understand. After all, the frustration after losing his father was what drove him towards the Vittori. Bingo. The door was slightly ajar as he approached Ronnie’s home gym, eyes catching the movements of the brunette. 

For a minute Mason just stood there and watched her. A mixture of feelings arose at the sight of her in this form. Part of him saw that Veronica he’d gotten to know right after her brother’s funeral, the fierceness reminding him of that moment she’d drawn her knife against his throat. Though the scars that littered her body reminded him of the fragile Veronica he’d seen more times than he’d liked to. He knew the loss of Lorenzo wasn’t necessarily grief for the Vittori princess. Not the kind of grief any other would experience at the loss of a parent. As far as he knew, she wasn’t grieving his loss, but rather the pain she’d caused him. Then again, Mason had a hard time reading her ever since she returned to Montreal. 

As he finally decided to make his presence known, Mason stepped inside the room, his first goal being lowering the music that was blasting loudly through the household. As his eyes landed back on her petite frame, he caught the blood dripping on her forearm. Carefully taking a few steps towards her, he placed both his hands on the punching bag. “What did the poor punching bag ever do to you?” Nodding his towards the dripping crimson liquid, he spoke up again. “Let’s get that cleaned up, yeah?”

If her body ached, if her muscles screamed, and if her heart beat mercilessly then she didn’t need to think about anything. She didn’t need to pretend to be okay, or pretend to be sad. She didn’t need to do anything other than let her body function on autopilot. That was exactly what she wanted right now. There were too many demons chasing her and she was tired of looking over her shoulder. What was done, was done and there was no going back from it. At least here, where she was pushing her body to the edge, the demons fell away for a bit.

The sudden loss of the music drumming in her skull was enough to wake her from this violent cycle she was pushing herself through. but if that wake up was wanted or not, was the real question. Her eyes snapped over to a form that felt like one of her own personal demons. The love she once proclaimed for him, unanswered, felt like another albatross around her neck. His mere presence was enough to send her head below water. That thought alone was heartbreaking. He used to be the source of joy for her and now..

“He looked at me funny”, she mused, breathing heavy. Unknown to her, her arms began to tremble from the weight of exhaustion that was threatening to crash over her. “Pretty sure he called me a bitch too, but I take that as a compliment anymore”, she continued, using what humor she had left to mask her own discomfort. “I can clean it myself”, it was then that Veronica turned, with wobbly steps, attempting to make it to the bathroom and away from Mason. “What brings you here? How did you even get in?”

[ronnievittori]

isaacxharris​:

“Whatever you need,” Did he really even deserve a funeral though? It was more of a public show than anything. After all, what would the organization look like if it wasn’t at least pretending to mourn? “If you need me to, I will,” He would do anything for Ronnie, including planning a funeral which was probably the last thing he wanted to do. All he wanted to do was tell her that he was sorry, even if it wasn’t his fault and even if she wasn’t going to mourn him. Regardless, she lost a parent. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

She couldn’t do that to Issac. She couldn’t push this responsibility onto anyone else. It was just the disappointment in how this occasion came around. This was supposed to be a celebration, the party that came after taking down a tyrant with her own two hands. On the upside, he was dead. On the downside, now she needed to find the person who took the opportunity away from her and make them suffer. “I can’t”, she sighed, tossing the casket catalogue onto the table before her. “Why couldn’t he of just vanished and made life so much easier? The big ass drama queen just needed to be in the middle of fucking everything and everyone as per usual.”

[ronnievittori]

henri-philippe​:

Drunk. Drunk. Beyond reasonable consumption. That was the state Henri found himself in as he stumbled about the Vittori home, the sort of drunk he hadn’t been since he was a much younger, not even after Vincent had been killed. But there was the anointed one, stumbling until he knocked into a priceless vase, watching the thing crash to the floor with a shit-eating grin. “Merde.” He laughed to himself, knowing the thing had once belonged to Lorenzo’s mother, but the man wasn’t there to answer to any longer. Dead. The denial had been obvious from the moment that Enzo had been shot and sent to the ICU, and of course Henri had his suspicions, but none he’d ever voice. Until blurry grey eyes set straight upon Ronnie, and he’d look at her for the first time since the funeral, lips curling in a grin. “Well you’ve finally got what you’ve wanted, mm?”

The loud crash drew her attention to the door, though to say she was surprised by the sight before her would be a total and utter lie. In fact, she had been waiting for it. Waiting for it long before her father was actually dead. This confrontation was one of the many reasons she had decided to take her leave from the city, but now, there was no more running. Hazel eyes narrowed from behind dark rimmed glasses. It was the first night that she had allowed herself a bit of peace, the rest of previous nights were nothing but self-inflicted torture on her own body. Her knuckles were wrapped from the merciless beating dealt to her punching bags. Vices were turned to, but nothing eased the rage that ran through her veins like ice. “If this was what I wanted, it would of been a lot more bloody”, she practically sighed, laying back in the couch she had made her point of operations. “Is this what this is going to be?”, she asked, bringing her glass of scotch to her lips, taking a slow and deliberate sip. “You come in here and throw drunken insults to me over a man who left just as many physical and mental scars on you? Let me warn you now, you can say whatever you want but no one touches me and gets away with it. Not anymore”, she looked back to the police folder in her lap, focusing on the report brought back from the lab earlier in the day. “Now, if this is a civilized visit, please make yourself comfortable”, she spoke, a silent hope that it was the latter. A secret hope that Henri would be the one person who she could actually talk to.

[ronnievittori]

masonhcll​:

the day after lorenzo’s death // @ronnievittori​

Change was gonna come. That much was clear. From the moment Lorenzo Vittori had drawn his last breath were going to change. Hell, things had started to change from the moment he’d been put in that hospital bed. This was the calm before the storm. Mason knew to trust his gut feeling when he felt things brewing at the Vargas party. Something was… off. He couldn’t place it. The timing, the short moment of chaos — he couldn’t quite put it together, but it nagged at him. 

While those thoughts brewed in the back of his mind, he knew that with the loss of the Vittori boss he needed to see her. It felt odd, to have the key to her house in his hand even though they hadn’t had any form of communication over the last few months. As much as Mason put the blame on himself for that, she hadn’t reached out either. Part of him wanted to flesh out where her head was at, but not in this moment. While the elder Vittori had been nothing but a piece of shit to his daughter, Mason had been through the loss of a parent. Not just one, but both of them. It wasn’t easy. 

As the key unlocked the front door, Mason carefully set foot into the once familiar place. There was no sense of relief washing over him anymore as he eyed the place. It brought a certain sense of deja vu, bringing him back to the night he’d found Veronica battered and bruised. He remembered the rage that flowed through his veins at the sight of that. Closing the door behind him softly, his feet dragged him further into the living space. “Veronica? You here?”

In the matter of collected moments, her life went to shit in a handbag. Not that Veronica could say she was even remotely surprised. After all, what was her existence if it wasn’t a collection of terrible and traumatizing moments. She had made a decision to take that as nothing more than fuel to continue forward. When her mother died, when her little brother was sent away, when her twin was murdered, and every bating her father ever bestowed to her. All of it, it was fuel that pushed the wild beast inside of her mad. Her soul was like a bucking bronco just waiting for that change to be released. And yet, the release never came. 

It was like there was a poison collecting in her blood and there was no antidote to be found. The only thing the Vittori Princess could do was stick another bandaid on wound, hoping that this time it would be enough to keep the dam together. 

The new guest in her home went unnoticed by the woman, her attention was elsewhere as she tossed the shirt towards the corner of her home gym. Her muscles ached, her wounds throbbed, and body begged her to give up her unrelenting blows to the black punching bag hanging from one of the beams. But every time hazel eyes would find herself in the mirror, see the scars left on exposed flesh, a new wave of anger and hatred would take over. 

Veronica finished off another beer, before tightening the wraps on her hands once more. The heavy bass of the music that echoed through her home kept her visitors steps quiet, only helped to drive her heart rate and adrenaline through the roof. And with that, she began again. A strike here, and kick here. Blow after blow, until the stitches in her arm tore free and left the blood to drip along her forearm. What would be one more scar to add to the collection?

[ronnievittori]

emiliaking​:

Veronica;

Where: SPVM ( Service de police de la Ville de Montréal )| Forensic Offices When: 4pm, After Lorenzo Vittori’s death

It’d been another busy day at SPVM, Emilia going in between a recent homicide and the labs to gather and test evidence. A part of her was apprehensive as they collected fibers and swabbed pockets- what would happen if the results identified someone she knew? Emilia, against the duties of her career, found herself more than willing to shift details aside if she had to. Besides, the department wasn’t exactly at the forefront of justice… not when many of its funds came from the crime families of Montreal.

 She’d just changed out of the Tyvek suit, folders and a few vials in hand as she made her way towards her lab. The perpetrator had done a fine job of getting away with murder, but as usual, there were always a few mistakes. In this case, the probability of touch DNA lining the victim’s collar was their best bet. All it took was the brush of a finger, a few skin cells left behind… She was about to scan in with her keycard when she heard her name. 

“Emilia- I don’t want to bother you, there’s a woman waiting for autopsy reports? Brunette, in the third office, can you just drop them off?” Maybe it was time to remind some of the technicians that she wasn’t an intern anymore… Nonetheless, she nodded, changing pace until she stepped foot into the meeting room. “Hi, I’ve got papers for a Ms. Vittori-” Veronica Vittori… the last remaining daughter of Lorenzo. 

@ronnievittori​

The world was in utter chaos around the young Vittori woman. She was used to the judgmental eyes that turned her way whenever she went into a room, it was just part of the territory that came with the family name. But those were far from the kinds of stares she was receiving these days. It was pity. Pity for the poor young daughter of the great Lorenzo who must still be reeling from the death of her twin brother. And that was enough to set her blood to a boil. It was the perfect fuel for Veronica though, more fodder to the fire that burned and kept her moving forward. 

Stepping into the Forensic Offices was just the first step in taking back what should of been hers. In order to find the killer, she needed to find out the missing pieces of the puzzle. Though, the answer felt like it was hanging on the tip of her tongue. Hazel eyes traveled over the various pictures of the office she was stashed in to wait, anxious energy radiating off her like heat waves from the summer sidewalk. It felt like answers may finally fall into her hands.

The voice brought her attention away from the art on the wall to an all to the young woman. Her face filled Veronica with a sense of familiarity, but there was no effort to put the pieces together. “That would be me. Are those my father’s autopsy results?”

[ronnievittori]

wickedmxse​:

Isabel couldn’t help but feel like her rotten luck had followed her all the way from Chicago. It was like no matter where she went, death and tragedy seemed very close behind. The death of Lorenzo Vittori was not necessarily unexpected, but the timing of his passing was curious indeed. Still, Isa didn’t know enough about the politics in Montreal to get involved. All she could do was offer advice to anyone who might ask (though who would?), or an ear. In this specific situation? With @ronnievittori​ being one of her closest friends since she’d first visited Montreal all of those years ago, these circumstances were tricky. Her friend wasn’t terribly close with her father. Isa wasn’t even sure about the last time they’d spoken; but the cloud of change that was looming over the Vittori was toxic. She needed to do something to break out. “Ronnie?” Isa knocked relentlessly on the door, not even sure if Veronica was inside. “Helloooo, I’m not going away until you let me in. You know how stubborn I can be!” She wasn’t kidding. If she needed to, Isabel did know how to pick a lock. “We’re going out. No ‘but’s.”

There was a pressure that had been following around the Vittori woman for as long as she could remember. A pressure to be something and someone she was far from. A pressure to be the image of a perfect Vittori. The good daughter to her beloved dad, the mourning sister to her dead brother, the good little girl who put on a smile. Now, the pressure simply morphed into an expectation to see her shedding tears over her father’s death. She simply didn’t care that the man was gone. No, the emotions that ran through her veins like ice was pure rage. Lorenzo’s death, his blood, was supposed to be on her hands. For every indecent thing that man did under his illusion of power, Veronica was going to make him pay. And someone stole that from her, that was something she couldn’t let slide by idly. Plans needed to be made and action needed to be taken, only, it seemed that there was someone else that had something in mind.

“Why are you such a pain in the ass”, she groaned, pushing away from the desk and moving to the door. On the other side, of course, was her favorite pain in the ass in this whole evil world. With a sigh, she pulled open the door and meet the stubborn gaze of one of her best friends. “You do understand people around me have a tendency of dying mysteriously right? Is that really a risk you want to take?”

[ronnievittori]

isaacxharris​:

@ronnievittori​

Even though Henri was now the boss, his loyalty still lied with the Vittori family. That’s why he knew where he had to go. He didn’t want to cause any trouble with her security team, but at least most of them seemed to remember him. “Hey kiddo,” He knew that all of this must’ve been complicated for Ronnie. And after not getting to see her yet, he decided it was his duty to stop by. Who else would do it if he didn’t? Besides, he wanted to. “How are you holdin’ up? Do you need anything?” Lorenzo was an interesting man, a bad man mainly. But he was still her father. And even if she didn’t feel bad about his death, he at least wanted to check in on her in general. 

If there was any way to describe this entire situation, it was that this was one truly fucked up moment in time. The Vittori name lay on her shoulders alone, now. It was something she had wanted for as long as she could remember, and yet, there was a bitterness that had settled at the pit of her stomach. One that couldn’t go unignored. It was part of the reason why she had retreated into her own little world again, but the rest was pure resentment. His death was supposed to be at her hands. A creak in the old wooden floors drew her attention up to the approaching figure. “Do you want to take over planning this funeral? Because as far as i’m concerned he could be left in the river to rot”, she mused, unconsciously rubbing at one of the many scars Lorenzo Vittori had left on her body in a fit of rage.

[ronnievittori]

delivery for @xwickedsins​

Hers was the last face that Veronica had expected to see among the chaos. Especially now, as the Vittori woman escaped away into the quiet of a room. Warnings from Mason and Henri rung in her ears, to not be alone and to not take her eyes off the exits. And yet, at the sight of her ex, Veronica only turned back to look at what she was doing. Maybe it was carelessness or maybe she was just tired of this game. Regardless, Jackie had plenty of chances to kill her in the past, so why would today be any different. “You’ve got some fun friend”, she mused, forcing a chuckle in order to hide her hiss of pain. Veronica refused to face the woman, refused to show her what her fingers were too busy doing. It was aquiet clatter heard among the quiet of the room that broke the tension, as another piece of broken glass was plucked from the blood covered flesh of her forearm. It joined the pile of four or five shards of olive tinted glass on the table before her. “It remind me why I stopped liking these kinds of parties, someone always ends up either bloodied or crying”, her voice continued, a shaking hand finally coming to stop.

Slowly, a sidelong glance was shot to the beautiful woman in the doorway. “What are you doing here Jack?”

[ronnievittori]

delivery for @wickedmxse​

As predicted, it seemed that the night had gone to hell in a handbag. Why anyone would be shocked was utterly beyond her. This was just how things worked in their world. If you weren’t looking over your shoulder, you would end up the next person laying in a pile of their own blood. Maybe that was paranoia or maybe it was reality, but all that mattered was that it was fact. 

It had taken work for the brunette to slip among the crowd, to go unnoticed among the sea of rabid dogs that were itching to chomp at the bit. It was then when she spotted an all too familiar figured moving towards the main building. A wicked smirk passed over her features as she quickly fell into step with an old friend. “We must really keep meeting like this”, she gushed, all but abandoning the too-friendly smile she had worn the whole evening. “Care to take a look around with me?”

[shrelock]

Phoebe Tonkin for You Are Not Ilona, 2014.

[ronnievittori]

masonhcll‌:

A nagging feeling washed over as she turned around to face him. She looked well. Rested. He could imagine being away from the city had done her good. Part of him wished she would return, then there was that part of him that knew it would be easier for both of them this way. He didn’t want it to be that way, but he was left with no choice, thanks to the older Vittori. What goes around, comes around. 

At her comment, it was obvious she knew he was aware of her return to the city prior to this moment. Perhaps he just thought she wouldn’t have cared either way. “Mhm — I meant to reach out sooner,” though had he? He wasn’t sure what her return to Montreal meant for his job. They’d left things rather… unfinished. Seeing her there, with that cool exterior — it made him wonder what exactly she was thinking. What the reason behind her return was. 

“You sure chose the right time for your return. How was your trip?” Mason assumed it had mostly been business, knowing Ronnie. Part of him wanted to hear all about it, even though he figured the chances of her spilling all her stories were slim to none. At her last set of words, his lips slightly stretched into somewhat of a smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “So do you. It’s good to see you, Ronnie, really.” I missed you, was left on the tip of his tongue.

It was funny to think how far things had fallen between the two of them. It was like they had come full circle. Everything started with the moment her knife dug into his skin and the barrel of his gun pressed to her temple. It was a thin veiled threat that had brought the two of them to a point of understanding that whatever brewed between them would be volatile. And in a way they had been. But now, they were back to that same moment where his gun was to her head and her knife to his throat. Mason was the only one who could inflict that pain on her anymore, but that was a thrill she refused to give to him. After all, he was the one who left.

“Right, of course, its been hectic on my end too.” Lies. One lie after another, something she was far from interested in, especially after all this time. Why did you do it? Why didn’t you come with me? Why did you pick him over me? 

Veronica wondered if Mason actually cared about her trip at all, hell that was one of the many things she wondered if Mason ever cared about. “It was refreshing. The trip was good and successful, never doubt that”, though her words were empty, lacking emotion. It was easier to remain blank than it was to show the longing and loneliness he had caused. But for a moment, she found herself looking back at Mason wondering if there was crack in his armor he was showing. “Right, and now we can discuss how the hunt for your replacement is going. I’m sure you’d rather go back to doing your own thing rather than being stuck with me.”