a rose by any other name

The name's Rory. Rory Alfonso. Currently employed as a humble gardener, but I'm not averse to change. If you've got a story to share, I'm all ears. //born October 31, 1893

[roryalfonso]

Southside - Sandy & Rory

[sandy-mckenzie]

Rory looked like he was about to jump out of his skin, though he hid it well. To the untrained eye, he would appear rather calm, if a bit on the docile side. But Sandy knew his sort too well, knew that his flagging bravado was a sign of weakness. God, if he had the time he’d take advantage of that weakness right now.

But he had places to be, people to charm, and none of those people were Rory Alfonso. So, best to finish all this up then. Not like he really wanted to spend anymore time than necessary in his presence, after all. Between drags from his cigarette, Sandy pointed to the paper once more. “Overlooked the dates on there, did you?” he asked with no small amount of condescension in his voice. “If I recall correctly, your meeting with Mr. Lyle is next Tuesday evening at ten o’ clock. He’s been generous enough to book a room for you both The Palmer House. Lucky boy,” he said with a snort.

[roryalfonso]

Rory ignored Sandy's condescension, focusing instead on the date. Tuesday. That would give him enough time to prepare, to tell his people what to do, to adjust his plan accordingly. Even if this one ended up being as bad - or worse - than last time, at least he knew what to do in the aftermath. Still, he wasn't looking forward to it.

The Palmer House - so the guy was loaded. No doubt with dirty money, if his connection to the mob meant anything. Rory didn't care much about it personally, but he was curious as to why exactly Sandy wanted to keep tabs on him - aside from keeping tabs on everyone in Chicago as a rule of thumb, anyway.

He looked up at Sandy again, and felt anger flare in his chest once more. A sudden sense of daring filled him, and before he could stop himself he was saying, "Will you be joining us at all?" His eyes were steely but his voice was warm, almost innocent.

[roryalfonso]

Southside - Sandy & Rory

[sandy-mckenzie]

"What’s the matter, Rory? I thought you liked surprises," Sandy said with a snort. He had promised himself that he wouldn’t show too much of his hand, and he was good on his word. Any information that wasn’t absolutely necessary to divulge would always be kept from Rory, always.

With the list now in Rory’s hands, Sandy leaned back in his chair and lit up a cigarette. It was easy for anyone to understand just why Rory would be Mr. Lyle’s type. It wasn’t a well-kept secret that he preferred his boys on the younger side. And while Rory was his age, he would play the part quite nicely. He’d acted like a naive little thing when they’d first met, so he should do a rather brilliant job of pleasing Mr. Lyle. "Don’t forget that this isn’t all fun and games, Rory," Sandy said to him, but more as a reminder to himself. Yes, it was fun to torment Rory, but his punishment wasn’t without reason. Sandy was gaining information from the people Rory fucked, and he wouldn’t let either of them forget it. "He’s been getting right chummy with some of the Lombardis. Try and figure out what that’s all about, hm?"

[roryalfonso]

The sneering tone of Sandy's voice made Rory frown slightly, his eyes flicking back down for a moment to stare at the floor. Even if this was part of his plan, he still didn't like it one bit. Being Sandy's puppet was unpleasant at best, and he was sure that the glorified pimp had much more in store for him with this Lyle guy.

Still, he had a role to play. "Lombardi, huh?" he said softly, his mind tracking back over all the information he'd accumulated about them. He knew a lot, of course, but heaven help him if Sandy tried to pry any of it out. He'd get what Lyle knew and that would be it. Sighing quietly, he said, "Whatever you say," then looked up at Sandy again.

"When should I meet him?" he asked, his tone resigned, if somewhat nervous. Knowing Sandy, he'd be getting to know the guy within the next couple of hours. He could only pray that Sandy didn't decide to drop in for a visit this time - he couldn't afford that kind of setback again.

[roryalfonso]

Southside - Sandy & Rory

[sandy-mckenzie]

Though Sandy would be loathe to admit it, he had never anticipated that Rory would show up on his doorstep, so to speak. He didn’t think the guy had the guts. But that just proved he couldn’t take Rory at face value. He needed to keep his guard up, make sure he wasn’t showing his hand. So he treated this meeting like he’d planned it himself, though they both knew that he hadn’t. But this was the only way Sandy knew how to do things — on his own terms.

It was true that he had no immediate plans to physically harm the other man, but there was still business to take care of. And now that they had their false pleasantries out of the way, it was time to get to it. Sandy went into one of his desk drawers, pulling out a small sheet of paper. Written on it were several dates and names — some of which belonged to men, and some of which belonged to women. The one thing all those names had in common was a particular preference — one that most people would describe as deviant. But Sandy wasn’t one to judge, especially not when he wasn’t the one doing the dirty work.

No, that would be Rory’s job. He pushed the list across his desk, gracing Rory with a pleasant smile. “Since you seem to be on the mend, I’ve lined up some more clients for you. I think you’ll have a lot of fun with a few of them, particularly Mr. Lyle. He has been a patron of ours for some time, but we never quite had a lad that so perfectly fit his type. And after the show you put on the last time I saw you, why, I think you are precisely the sort of boy he’s looking for.”

[roryalfonso]

As soon as Sandy pulled out the piece of paper, Rory knew what was coming. He had been expecting this for a while now; to be honest, he had wondered why Sandy hadn't come to him about it earlier. But then Sandy wasn't one to offer up damaged goods, not when his reputation and his business were on the line.

Rory wasn't entirely healed. He doubted if he'd ever be whole again. But he was fit enough to do whatever Sandy wanted him to do - he'd made sure of that before he reappeared right under the man's nose. He needed to get close to Sandy again, to make the other man think he was still in control, in order for his plan to work.

Leaning forward in the chair, Rory took a long look at the list, memorizing as many of the names as he could. They might come in handy later, and Rory needed as much assistance as he could get - blackmailed or no. Without looking up, he asked quietly, "And what exactly is it that Mr. Lyle would like about me?" He flicked his eyes up, the orbs wide and questioning as they gazed upon Sandy's face.

[josephine-gray]

Oh, bugger. Wrong key.

[roryalfonso]

It's an easy mistake to make.

Try this way - it helps with the finger extension.

[therighthandwoman]

Only Lovers Left Alive || Charlotte + Rory

[therighthandwoman]

“That’s how you decide to drag me into this mess?” She asked, her voice not much more than an incensed whisper, though it communicated her anger with him perfectly well. Fear over the inevitable now embedded in each and every one of her thoughts, Charlotte’s thinking had turned irrational, as though some kind of panicked madness had set her ablaze. And, once she was lit, she was an untamable fire, fading only when met by an even brighter flame.

"You’ve been using me this entire time, haven’t you? You strike up a little hell and when you can’t handle it, you fall back on me to help you out? Are you fucking kidding me?" Meeting his gaze with a hard glare of her own, she tried her best not to soften under the pressure of his wonderfully green eyes, the very eyes that would once have smoldered her to pieces.

Charlotte had no idea when she’d gotten so hardened, so self-involved to the point where she would have willingly traded every true, unapologetic happiness for her own self-preservation of freedom. It was tiring, this unceasing chain that led her absolutely nowhere. After all, chasing after the ease and youth of the past when one was constantly growing older could only result in a hollow life. The opalescent little dream of a life that she put so much of herself into preserving was no longer sweet, not with Rory’s problems shattering everything and dragging her into an inescapable void. Though it was all through her own relatively deliberate doing, she had never felt more alone and all she was doing was begging him for a fight, yet again stalling her own miserable existence.

[roryalfonso]

Rory saw the anger flash in her eyes but he had steeled himself for it already, so when that anger came to the surface he didn’t flinch or wince or look away. His eyes flickered but only for a second; he wouldn’t let her see any weakness on his part, because he knew that would only make things worse. It was better to let her get the rage out and then try to communicate with her. Firecracker though she may be, Rory knew that Charlotte wasn’t entirely irrational.

When she was done he let silence linger between them for a moment. Then, when he replied, he chose his words very carefully, making sure to keep his voice steady and calm. “Charlotte,” he began, his eyes still on hers, his gaze locked on her beautiful but dangerous face. “You know me better than that. Why would I do something to make you hate me?”

Despite his best efforts, his voice cracked very slightly on the last couple of words, and he had to swallow before he could continue. This turning out to be more difficult than he’d anticipated.

“I wish I hadn’t gotten you involved. I didn’t mean to.” He reached out to take her hand between both of his palms, holding it gingerly, the way you’d hold an unfamiliar animal. “But there’s nothing I can do to reverse this. I have a plan to stop him. You don’t have to help if you don’t want to, but...”

He trailed off, feeling an odd lump forming in his throat. What was it about the people in this city that made him become emotionally compromised so frequently? Something about their eyes, maybe, or the way that they spoke, or how everything they did was tainted with the taste of the underworld. Rory was drawn to it like a moth to flame, but he was quickly realizing that he’d allowed himself to get far too close. He was determined not to let himself burn.

Swallowing again, he continued at last, “If you do help me, you’ll be much safer than if you don’t.”

[roryalfonso]

~

sorry for being a bit MIA everyone, I had an essay due yesterday + friends visiting from out of town + I got a throat infection T_T hopefully I'll get to replies tonight or tomorrow though! might do a couple more opens or something too, if you want to plot let me know :D

[therighthandwoman]

Only Lovers Left Alive || Charlotte + Rory

[therighthandwoman]

She studied him as he spoke, brows knitting in confusion and anger as Rory nearly shook with what she only assumed was the pain that had been inflicted on him. Sandy Mckenzie was not a force to be reckoned with, and though her only connection to him was none other than Smokey, Charlotte knew well enough that a man of his stature in society could pull the strings to every possible resource just to shut a person up for good - and permanently, if he so desired. 

On some peripheral edge of her mind, Charlotte knew perfectly well that hearing that name - out of all fucking names in the entire city - meant that she and Rory should finish whatever it was that they had going on. After all, these violent delights have violent ends, and though theirs seemed to be coming much earlier than either would like, perhaps it really would be for the best.

Whatever had transpired between the two of them, Charlotte simply couldn’t fathom, but it had clearly left Rory, uncharacteristically broken, for lack of a better word. Who was to say that the same thing couldn’t happen to her? She had trusted Rory, had believed that he would protect her, and though all those expectations were unspoken, something about him, nestled deep within his very essence, had made Charlotte believe that he would. 

Once that fear and realization of it all settled in, she found herself pulling away from him, her eyes no longer meeting his. “You could go away, leave the city for awhile…” She mused, knowing full well that she didn’t want that. More than anything, Charlotte just wanted things to go back to how they were before all this, where nothing was wrong when nothing was true. He was important to her, and yet she was telling him to go away? If anything, she should’ve suggested that they both get away, or at least go through with a proper form of help, but no. 

This wasn’t right, this wasn’t nearly what a decent human being should’ve done, but just like everything else even half-ways decent in her life, she was pushing him away, not wanting to be tied down by whatever problems he had gotten himself into. No, Charlotte wanted her freedom, and for awhile, she had found it in Rory - but what was supposed to happen when that freedom was compromised?

[roryalfonso]

Seeing her eyes drop confirmed the suspicions that had been nagging at Rory's gut for the last month. He knew that Charlotte, no matter how strongly she felt for him, would always choose her own safety over their affair. Yet a part of him had dared to hope that she'd choose to remain by his side, to stand with him as he attempted to exact his revenge on the man that had torn him apart.

Romantic thoughts aside, however, Rory knew that he needed Charlotte for more than just moral support. He needed her brain and her connections. Even as he'd been formulating his plan for vengeance he hadn't been able to decide whether or not he wanted to include her, but the facts were clear: she had the resources that he would need were things to go the way he wanted.

If Charlotte had been anyone else, Rory could have simply manipulated her into giving him what he needed - but she wasn't, so a different course of action was necessary. It was a risky one, yes, but it was the only one that had even the slightest chance of success: he would tell her everything directly.

"Charlotte," he began, his voice stronger than before, serious but still soft-edged, "this isn't just about me. He - " he paused for a moment, surprised by how difficult it was to make the words come. "Unless I do as he says, he - well - he threatened to come after you."

He tried to catch her gaze again, his eyes apologetic but steely. "I need to stop him," he said, his voice quieter now, more deadly. "But to do that I need your help."

[roryalfonso]

Southside - Sandy & Rory

[sandy-mckenzie]

"Cutting the rest of them," Rory answered, which made Sandy give a bit of a snort. Did he really think that was enough to keep any of his loved ones safe? Of course, it gave Sandy some small measure of satisfaction to know that he was turning Rory into a one-man island. But simply cutting someone out of your life didn’t mean that you stopped caring about them. That was more than likely Rory’s case. So he’d just have to keep closer tabs on those people he’d contacted in New Jersey. Maybe Miss Russell could look into that for him…

When he asked his question, it sent a shudder of pleasure down his spine to see Rory look so frightened. He tried to hide it, of course, but there was no denying that the man was afraid of him. As he damn well should be. But as much as Sandy wanted to revel in having put so much fear into the other man, he knew that getting too complacent would get him into trouble. So he didn’t bother demeaning the other man with a smug smile — he would save that for himself — and rose from his seat. "After you then," Sandy instructed, gesturing for the man to walk ahead of him. It wasn’t like Rory had no clue where his office was, after all. In fact, he was probably well acquainted with it after their first meeting. But Sandy couldn’t keep his eye on Rory the whole time. He kept the door to his office locked whenever he wasn’t in it, so he’d have to take care of that part. Reaching into his pocket and pulling out his key, Sandy swiftly unlocked the door and allowed Rory to step inside. His guard was not far. Standing outside the door, he was listening for any sounds of a commotion. If, for some reason, Sandy couldn’t handle Rory on his own, his guard would be there to pick up the slack. Shutting the door behind them, Sandy went and took a seat at his desk. Nodding his head towards one of the chairs — the very chair they’d fucked on during The Siren’s opening — he said, “Please, Rory, have a seat.”

[roryalfonso]

Rory could feel his heart beginning to pound a little faster, the adrenaline in his blood increasing ever so slightly. He could very well be in for another night of torture - but he had an inkling that Sandy wouldn't do anything too terrible unless he had something prearranged. Rory's sudden reappearance wouldn't have given him enough time to do anything particularly horrid.

Still, Rory knew just how unstable Sandy really was. He'd seen it in the man's eyes, heard it in his voice, that night when he'd broken Rory completely. There was always a chance that he would snap and then everything would be over - but Rory was counting on that not happening. Torture, rape, abuse, he could handle those things if it meant getting his final revenge on Sandy. Death? Well, death was somewhat inescapable, unfortunately.

When he heard Sandy close the door, Rory couldn't suppress a shiver. It was far too quiet hear; the noise of the bar had been comforting, but now there was no sound save for their breathing. Rory did as he was told, if somewhat hesitantly, making sure to wince noticeably as he sat down.

He remained quiet for the time being, his eyes following Sandy, a look of fear blanketing his bruised facial features. He had already decided to let the other man show what cards he was playing. Rory could wait.

[roryalfonso]

Southside - Sandy & Rory

[sandy-mckenzie]

"Back home? I hadn’t taken you for the sentimental sort." Sandy covered up his smirk by taking a small sip of his scotch. "I thought you’d cut ties with most of your family. What sort of business was it that drew you back?"

It was a question that Sandy didn’t expect a honest answer to. After all, he knew that Rory going back to New Jersey was a goddamn lie. He’d worked the guy over well enough that travel wouldn’t have been possible for him for weeks. And that aside, he still had his guard tailing after him. If Rory had made any moves to leave the city, Sandy would’ve known about it. He didn’t pay the question asked of him nearly as much attention. He gave a small shrug, giving the man another facsimile of a smile. “Don’t have to be in the papers to get into a bit of mischief, do you?” he asked with a raise of his eyebrow. “I know for a fact you get yourself into all kinds of mischief, but no one’s ever bothered to write about you, have they?” He knocked back the rest of his drink and set the glass aside. “Speaking of, I had some more work for you. If you have a moment, we could take a step into my office?”

[roryalfonso]

Rory went quiet for a moment after Sandy inquired about his trip 'home', taking another sip of his drink, before replying in a small voice, "Cutting the rest of them." Of course, he hadn't really gone all the way back to New Jersey; he'd barely been able to walk to the pharmacy, much less leave Chicago. But he had done what he needed to do - made some calls, made it seem as though he really had said goodbye to that part of his life. He wasn't stupid. He knew that Sandy would be keeping an eye on him, one way or another. Perhaps he was living a life of paranoia now, but if paranoia meant survival, he would do whatever he felt was necessary.

When Sandy asked him to leave, to accompany him alone and unguarded into a private room where no one could see or hear them, Rory couldn't help but shake slightly. He lifted his glass to his lips again and took a longer drink, forcing himself to breathe, reminding himself that this was how the plan was supposed to go. Sandy wouldn't kill him. He was having far too much fun with him for that. And so, as long as he was still alive, Rory knew he could get his revenge.

Setting the now-empty glass back down onto the bartop, Rory turned towards Sandy again and, after giving him a soft, scared smile, slid out of his seat. "I've got all the time you need," he replied, his voice still small, still frightened, but somehow stronger than before.

[therighthandwoman]

Only Lovers Left Alive || Charlotte + Rory

[therighthandwoman]

"I made a mistake.”

The frailty in his voice worried her immensely, as though his words - if not Rory himself - could break at any given moment. She had never seen him like this, not so small and weak and, perhaps above all things, transparent. And, as much as she wanted to reach out to him and tell him things would be alright, Charlotte truly had no idea what to say, certainly not if whatever mistake he had made garnered him so vulnerable. Pushing him any further for more details seemed stupid, but of course, she wanted nothing more than to know exactly what happened so that she could do whatever was in her power to help. She bit her lip in thought, as her mind tried to connect various tangents to one another so as to form a whisper of something even remotely useful.

It struck her then that there must have been some reason why he told her so openly, despite the initial hesitation of it all, and she leaned in to place a chaste kiss against his lips. “You don’t have to deal with it alone.” It was the least she could offer, particularly with the fact that she didn’t quite know the situation, but for now she hoped it was enough. Just as he wasn’t one to truly reveal his cards so openly, she wasn’t one to offer her help lightly - if ever - and certainly not when offering help guaranteed a share of responsibility. 

Sure, he had answered her question, and for that she was thankful, even if she didn’t quite know the specifics of whatever had happened. There was, however, one question that still lingered, yet to be resolved. “Who, Rory? Who did this?”

[roryalfonso]

To anyone else, Charlotte's offer of help, of companionship, might seem natural, perhaps even expected. But Rory knew Charlotte - or, at least, he knew enough of her to know just how much weight that offer carried, how much it meant for her to extend it. He hated the thought of getting her involved any further, but truth be told he hadn't been able to figure out how exactly he'd keep her from finding out what had happened. And, once she found out, there would be no stopping her from interfering.

He had half-decided to tell her, to at least make her aware of how much danger she was in, but he had kept that particular thought at bay for as long as possible. Now, though, there was no getting around it. A tiny, defeated sigh passed his lips, and he reached out to brush his fingers through her hair gently, wishing once again that he hadn't fucked things up so monumentally.

He went quiet again, letting her question hang in the air, before he finally spoke, the words leaving his mouth hard and angry and trembling with the force of the emotions that carried it from his lips. "Sandy McKenzie," he said, and it felt as though his entire body convulsed with the power of his hatred for the other man.

[roryalfonso]

Southside - Sandy & Rory

[sandy-mckenzie]

Sandy wasn’t known of laying low, but he knew when it was best to keep quiet, which was precisely what he’d been doing for the past few months. It was funny how things could change in such a short time. Back in February, he’d been the talk of the town. He had more business than he knew what to do with, and more lovers than his body could keep up with…almost. But since then, things had changed, and Sandy had turned into a social recluse. Business was still going well, but Sandy McKenzie was a hard man to find now. Unless he wanted you to find him.

But that all was about to change. He’d had enough of keeping his head down, of acting like he’d been bested. He might have been down, but he was far from out, and all of fucking Chicago would know it. So after work, he’d gotten dressed for a night on the town. Obviously The Stingray was out of the question, but The Stingray wasn’t the only decent club in town, was it? Taking a last look at his reflection in a mirror hanging in the hall, Sandy — closely followed by his guard — was just on his way out the door when he stopped short. Rory Alfonso was sitting at his goddamn bar like he owned the place. His night on the town would have to wait for just a little bit. Instructing his guard to stay put, Sandy walked over to where Rory sat, a smile plastered to his face. He’d been meaning to call Rory in anyway, so why not get their business out of the way first? Speaking to the bartender for a moment, Sandy ordered himself a scotch before taking a seat beside the loathsome man. It was reassuring to take in his visage. Still bruised from their last encounter, Sandy couldn’t help smiling a little bit more. "Rory, what a pleasant surprise. I’d been wondering where you’d gotten off to."

[roryalfonso]

Rory saw Sandy before he heard him, but it was the other man's voice that stirred the fear living deep within his gut. As much as he'd mentally prepared himself for this, it was still terrifying to be in the presence of the man who had beaten - worse than beaten - him. But tonight was about reclaiming the power he'd lost that night. He'd come to the Siren in hopes that word would spread and Sandy would find him; it looked like his plan had simply gone better than he expected, that was all. Taking a long drink, Rory turned to look at Sandy, his face transforming instantaneously into a look of badly-masked vulnerability. Sandy was so easy to read; Rory would give him exactly what he wanted, and then some. He was determined to keep his actual fear under tight control, only using hints of it to bait Sandy along, to make him think he had the upper hand. "I had some business to attend to back at home," he said, his voice wavering ever so slightly but a smile gracing his lips. He left the words vague on purpose; no doubt Sandy would fill them in with cruel thoughts about botched recoveries. "But I could say the same for you. I haven't even seen you in the papers lately." It was true. Even though he'd been keeping quiet at his apartment, Rory had made sure to keep tabs on the various news items floating about the city. It seemed as though the glamour and excitement of the Siren was wearing off, because it only rarely made a back-page story in the papers at any given time. Well, if Rory had his way, that would be changing fairly soon.

[roryalfonso]

Southside - OPEN

As Rory stepped into the Siren that night, he was well aware of the stares and whispers that followed behind him like shadows. He'd practically disappeared for the past few weeks; it only made sense for people to be surprised at this sudden, unannounced return to civilization. It wasn't as though he was just some nobody, either. He was influential - some would say infamous - and easily recognizable to most of the Siren's regular customers.

But he wasn't worried. Tonight was about being recognized, being seen. He needed word to spread that Rory Alfonso was alive and well, that he was just the same as ever. He needed people to know who he was and what he had to offer. And as for the scars and faded bruises that marred his once-perfect skin? Well, he had methods for explaining those away.

The bartender was familiar to him, and only a couple of words needed to be exchanged before he was given his regular drink - a Southside - and left to his own devices. Glancing up and down the bar, he scanned the room for faces: interesting ones, ones that he knew, ones that he figured he ought to get to know. Now, more than ever, he needed people on his side. That was the only way he'd ever get back at Sandy for what he'd done.

[therighthandwoman]

Only Lovers Left Alive || Charlotte + Rory

[therighthandwoman]

Was he avoiding her? Avoiding her inquiries, avoiding her gaze - was her presence just the cherry on top of that list? The thoughts couldn’t help but bandy back and forth in her mind, even if he seemed generally accepting of her in his apartment now. And, as much as she wanted things to remain copacetic between them - especially with half the city on fire - she couldn’t help but push, couldn’t resist what she always did, which was push and push until she finally pushed past the breaking point, be it her own or someone else’s.

"No, that’s not nothing. My hands are nothing, but that…" Her voice trailed off when he started wrapping her hands together in the cloth. "Ah, finally tying me down, are you?" She said with that mischievous smirk of hers, trying to meet his eyes with her own, though to seemingly minimal avail, until he posed a question of his own. Desperately, she searched his eyes for some answer, even just the tiniest hint as to what had happened that got him into this position, but he was as unrelenting and mysterious as ever, switching the question before she even got the chance to pin him down.

Briefly, she looked around the apartment, surveying to see if there had been any sign of damage due to a break-in or fight of some kind, but finding no such clue, she sighed, momentarily letting go of her own personal fight for a proper answer. “No, I don’t think so. Smokey’s not so much of an asshole that he’d actually blow his assistant’s apartment to fucking pieces,” Charlotte responded grimly, the mechanics of her mind wondering just what had gone on. “Truth is, I don’t have a clue as to what’s going on, and I fucking hate that. Not that there’s much that I can do about it now, but…”

If there was anything to be said about Charlotte, it was precisely that. She hated not knowing, hated not understanding, and she was every bit the type of girl who would claw her way until she did reach the point of full disclosure. Sure, Charlotte didn’t know what the hell was going on in the city, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t have to be kept from knowing what was going on with Rory, and so, for a moment, she threw all those other thoughts away, and returned her gaze to meet his own. 

"So, I let you out of my sight for a few months and this happens?” Charlotte asked gingerly, a small smirk cresting her lips before her eyes implored him for an answer. She hoped she wouldn’t have to say any more.

[roryalfonso]

The sound of her voice was more comforting than Rory expected, and perhaps more than he wanted it to be. This was dangerous, this thing they had going on; as thrilling as it might be, he knew it would end up badly for the both of them. The spiral had already begun, thanks to Sandy. And yet... as much as he knew he needed to pull away, Rory couldn't help but dig himself even deeper into the mess he'd created.

Her words confirmed his suspicions; if it wasn't Smokey - and really, his involvement was unlikely - it was probably one of the mobs. Or both. Perhaps a war was starting - things had been too quiet lately. Rory had figured he'd just missed out on things since he'd gone to ground, but it seemed that there had been something stirring all along. Now the city was waking up again, and it was angrier than ever.

Catching Charlotte's gaze, Rory found his words failing him. He wanted to lie to her the way he lied to everyone else; he wanted to weave a story to confound her, to make her think everything was fine, to turn him back into the shadow he'd always been. But he found himself unable to. For the first time in his life, Rory felt compelled to tell the truth.

"I made a mistake," he said at last, and when he spoke the words were fragile, brittle, like half-broken glass. He hated the way he sounded, hated the vulnerability that suddenly washed over him, but there was no stopping it. Not when she was looking at him like that. "I underestimated someone, and it got me into trouble. But I'm dealing with it."

[helen-rafe]

Something I can make bleed? I’m not that picky.

[roryalfonso]

Sounds like something's got you all wound up.

Care to share?

[helen-rafe]

I hate quiet nights. There’s not even anything for me to shoot.

[roryalfonso]

Now, that depends on what type of shooting you're looking to do.

[roryalfonso]

~

Hey everyone! Sorry for being MIA for so long - summer has not been quite as relaxing as I'd hoped u_u but I've dealt with some stuff and I should be around more regularly now! So, if you'd like to plot, please send me an ask or w/e and we can cook something up! (This goes for Lucas too!) Also, if I owe you replies, please le me know - I think I've gotten back to them all but I could very well have missed one.

I'm probably going to post an open on Rory soon too so prepare yourselves <3

[therighthandwoman]

Only Lovers Left Alive || Charlotte + Rory

[therighthandwoman]

Charlotte let out a sharp exhale of relief when he answered, and she found herself even more reassured when he pressed the shirt against her palm. Her gaze dropped to her hands, the fabric sopping up the blood. “I’m sorry, I just - I wanted to surprise you, and then it happened. The taxi - the glass, I mean, it got onto my hands when…” She returned her gaze to meet his own, panic and fright more than evident. “I don’t know where to stay, where to go - My apartment, I don’t think it’s still…” Her eyes widened in fear at the sight of all the scars. “Christ, Rory.” 

How had she not noticed it before? Was she really so preoccupied with herself so as to not even realize the remnants of bruises and mars on his marble complexion? “This is nothing. Really, I’ll be fine.” Desperately, she wanted to reach out and comfort him, but found herself far too shaken by everything to even try to make sense of what had happened. “Have you been hurt? What happened?” Charlotte knew her inquiry was an exact echo of his own, but she hoped he’d give a more adequate response.

She glanced at the small tin she’d placed on his small coffee table, suddenly feeling very small and foolish for having it in the first place. In an instant, everything seemed idiotic, from her complaints over a lack of an excitement and adventure over the past few weeks to the notion that now, now of all times, was the most opportune moment she had to visit him - and in the form of a surprise, too.

Even still, she couldn’t exactly hold back the concern that she felt for him, regardless of the situation. There was something far too potent between them, something that simply wouldn’t allow her to sit idly by while he endured any unnecessary pain, whether by his own hand or someone else’s. She looked back up into his eyes, unsure if the way he felt about her would warrant a real response. “Rory, please… Just tell me what happened. You can trust me.”

[roryalfonso]

The way her eyes widened when she looked at him snapped Rory back into the present. He'd been so caught up in the explosions and then the sudden relief he'd felt upon seeing her that he'd forgotten just how she might feel seeing him. Grimacing a little, he reached out to close the door before he pulled her further into his apartment, leading her to sit down on the couch. "It's nothing," he replied instinctively, looking down at her hands. The movement was partially out of concern for her, but mostly he did it because he hated seeing her look at him like that - with so much fear, so much worry. He didn't want her worrying over him the way any other woman would. He wanted her to be Charlotte, his Charlotte, a whirlwind of coy laughter and mischievous winks. He supposed, though, that she couldn't always be that way. He shifted the fabric away from her palms gently, inspecting her injuries. There didn't appear to be any broken glass embedded in her skin, and the cuts weren't too deep, so with a soft sigh he rewrapped the cloth around her palms, knotting it as best he could without restricting her movements.

"What were those explosions?" he asked, glancing up at her at last and intentionally ignoring the questions she'd posed. He hesitated for the briefest of moments, his eyes lingering on hers, before asking, "Smokey-?" The question was brief but it didn't need an explanation; Smokey was a man who provided things for people. Things that people would kill for. Of course, it could just as easily be caused by the Macini or the Lombardi or, hell, even Sandy if he felt like it, but Rory felt that starting with Charlotte's immediate connections made the most sense.