#swampflower

[314xel]

I’ve spent my whole life starting over.

swampflower

[dollyocaccount]

NO BECAUSE ALLEY FINDING OUT ABOUT THE OLD COUPLE WHEN MAIKEL IS INTERROGATING HIM ABOUT VENUS AND THE OLD COUPLE. Like, Maikel is all: "I know Venus was involved with this and I just want to shed some light on if you were complicit in it or not." and Alley is all: "Venus wouldn't do nuthin like that. She cares about the environment but she cares about people."

Martha: "She cares about CERTAIN people, Allessandro, you just have the luxury of never seeing this side of her often." so Alley frowns and he's all: "WELL GUESS WHAT? I AIN'T GONNA BELIEVE WHAT YOU TWO TELL ME ABOUT HER. SHE AIN'T LIKE THAT." and like, even despite the horrors he witnessed, he has always been naive in the sense that he wants to see the best in people. Because he's already seen the worst and he's SICK of seeing the worst sides of people.

So when he goes to talk to Venus about it and he instantly smells blood on her, even if the blood is washed away, it still carries a lingering scent on her, Alley just sort of stopping in his tracks. Venus sees him and she smiles happily and she's all: "Alley! My love!♡" and Alley looks at her and says: "...Did you do it?" and Venus just frowns and she says: "What?"

Alley: "That old couple...Was Maikel right? Did you hurt them."

and Venus frowns and crosses her arms: "They were HURTING the plants-"

Alley: "THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT!"

Venus: "WHY DO YOU CARE!? YOU DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME KILLING BEFORE!"

Alley: "BECAUSE THOSE ARE LOGGERS. BAD RICH MEN. FUCKERS WHO ARE BAD PEOPLE IN AND OUT. What you killed was a couple who was doing something LITERALLY MORE THAN HALF OF AMERICA DOES."

Venus: "THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT, ALLEY!"

Alley: "NEITHER IS KILLING A COUPLE WHO JUST WANTED TO GARDEN!"

Venus: "THEY WERE KILLING LIFE!"

Alley: "THEN TEACH THEM. TALK TO THEM. DID THAT EVER CROSS YOUR MIND!?..." and then he gets quiet before he looks away: "Or did you just look at them once- ONCE-and assume that they deserved it? That because they were something you didn't like, they should be tortured and harmed?" and Venus slams her fist on the counter as thorns grow in her hair: "I am NOTHING like the people that hurt you!"

Alley: "YOU AIN'T ANY BETTER, THAT'S FOR SURE!" and Venus just being so angry before she turns away: "YOU KNOW WHAT!? JUST GO IF I'M SO EVIL! I THOUGHT YOU KNEW WHAT I WAS. I thought you would've loved me regardless."

Alley: "...I thought so, too."

and he turns around and walks away and Venus genuinely being so upset that he left but then she frowns and just tears up while Alley just walks to Benito's house and cries to his homies and they're both in foul moods. Alley just laying in his pool and clawing at shit and he's suspended from football because he kept breaking too many people's bones. Venus just going through her "MEN AIN'T SHIT" phase but then crying because someone asked for an alcoholic blackberry drink and Ramone doesn't know how to comfort her without her breaking his leg.

[dollyocaccount]

UGH, VENUS AND ALLEY TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER. I don't see Venus getting bullet wounds as much as Alley does because Alley can withstand a good amount of guns from the GCPD, but sometimes they compromise the strength of his scales so he's just sitting in a chair at the bar. Venus just using small vines to pull out bullet casings and other things from inside of his body and he has been hurt in worse ways so he kind of gets uncomfortable but he never feels any pain. She gets some disinfectant alcohol and starts to wipe at the areas with blood in them and cover them up with bandages, meanwhile, Alley just flirting with her the entire time.

Alley: "After 'dis, Cher, I'd love to do sumn' dat' make me feel bettah~" and Venus humming softly: "Oh, I would too~ Buuuuut- your injuries do need time to settle! So we'll have to put a raincheck on that!" and Alley frowning but then Venus climbs onto his lap and says: "This will have to do for now~" and she absolutely kisses him, like, WITH TOUNGE and Alley smirking against her and meanwhile, the clean up staff are just staring at them before they slowly back up-

[dollyocaccount]

Alley has such a soft spot for outcasts and people who are considered "strange" and "unusual" by societies standards. However, he also dislikes people who act like the Potenza's and are super snobby. So as long as Carrie doesn't pull an Arkham Scarecrow, Alley always greets her with a smile and Carrie just stares at him because she thinks he's just Benito's dumb friend but Alley is lowkey oblivious.

However, he can get protective of these kinds of people and might take his "protection" a bit too far in the sense that he will get violent. Because he gets reminded of the way that the Potenza's treated him and he gets "sensitive" about those kinds of things. Like, some guys are throwing spitballs at some new kid whose shy and quiet and Alley just grabs their arms and he's all: "Ya'll got tah the count of 3 to apologize before I break your wrists." and they do apologize and Alley throws them to the floor before he grabs a carton of milk and dumps it on them before he's all: "Just know ya'll got off easy."

That's why Venus really caught his eye because she was beautiful in a way he didn't know he could find beautiful. Like, he absolutely was flirting with her from the beginning and everytime he was in nature, he saw her. If there was a beautiful spot he found in the swamp, he'd want to show her. If there was a pretty flower he didn't know about, he'd take a picture and ask her to identify it and just listen to her talk for hours. Like, she's literally so unique and gorgeous that he just constantly wants to learn new things about her♡

[dollyocaccount]

Thinking about Alley and Venus meeting for the first time, it was probably during the early days of the Gotham Gangster's alliance with Benito. Like, they were trading a LOT of weapons and drugs and Benito needed the extra muscle so he called Brute Force. Venus was there to transport the containers but also, just as a special precaution because Ramone didn't fully trust Benito yet. But when they get there, Misha just taking them from Venus and he winks as they all gawk at his size. Meanwhile, Benito just frowns and he's all: "Where is Alley?"

Misha: "He went for quick swim. He is probably lurking around here."

Benito: "Ah, I see him."

And all of the Gotham Gangsters follow Benito's gaze and see a floating head with glowing eyes just peaking from the water. Venus sets down the containers and tilts her head because oooh, that's interesting. Meanwhile, Ramone is all: "Uh, that's your other guy?"

Benito: "Sí, we don't have enough room on the boat for all the containers. Misha will use a spell to keep the drugs dry and Alley is supposed to store them in the underwater bunker until we can come back for them."

and then Alley's eyes lighting up before he sinks his head down into the water and since its so dark, it's like he dissapeared completely.

Benito: "But it seems as though he wants to play around a little bit, first...I advise you not to stand too close to the water."

and Ramone, James-Dean, Kitty, Venus, and Edison listen to him but James-Dean side eyeing Edison before he elbows him closer to the water and Edison is all: "HEY- AAAAH!" as something grabs him and pulls him into the water. He manages to grab the side of the dock (not that Alley is actually trying to pull him in) and there's a lot of splashing as he's screaming and struggling and Benito just stares with a deadpan expression as Misha chuckles, meanwhile Ramone and James-Dean take out their guns because LIKE, DUH. But then Alley lets go and swims underneathe the dock and pulls himself up from the otherside and VENUS'S FACE GETTING HOT AS HE COMBS HIS HAIR BACK and he just looks at them and smiles.

Alley: "Haha, you should see the look on yer face!"

Edison: "YOU COULD'VE KILLED ME."

Alley: "Aw, relax. I wasn't tryna kill ya!"

Ramone, gun still out: "I don't really appreciate jokes, especially when you nearly kill one of my guys."

Edison: "YOU JUST STOOD THERE AND WATCHED IT HAPPEN!"

and Benito clears his throat: "Forgive, Alley, he doesn't take this stuff seriously."

Misha: "Da, and I suggest you point that gun somewhere else before I punt you into water."

and Ramone sheathes and Alley is all: "Sheesh, tough crowd. None of ya'll ever get bored at these things?" and he shakes the water off of himself and Kitty hisses, James-Dean and Ramone scowl, and Venus just smiling a little because she thought it was kind of funny. Benito apologizes and lectures Alley and Alley scoffs and pouts a little so he walks over to Venus to grab the containers from here and she smiles at him: "I thought it was funny~"

and Alley gives her a big toothy grin and she can see the glint of his golden tooth: "Aw, thanks, cherie~" and he just walks over to her and kisses her hand: "Allow me to take those from ya~" and Venus giggles and twirls her hair.

Kitty, looking at Benito's butt: "Ugh, I love working with Brute Force~"

Venus, watching as Alley takes his shirt off to get in the water: "Yeah, I hope the boss works really close with them. Then I might start actually caring about this job."

James-Dean: "You know, Ramone, I can work as a permanent deal negotiater between us and them-"

Kitty: "YOU CAN'T EVEN CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT TO EAT FOR BREAKFAST, besides wouldn't a pretty face be better to make deals with, boss?"

Venus: "The Gator guy and I already have vibes and I'm not gonna lie, I want to see where it leads-"

Ramone: "I'LL HANDLE THE DEALS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH."

[dollyocaccount]

Alley distracting Venus from work both before and now that they're dating. Like, after the first time they met, whenever they go to the Lounge, Venus is the only one who doesn't get tired of him. HE CAN DEFINETLY GET A LAUGH OUT OF RAMONE and maybe an amused grin and soft exhale from James-Dean *he's tryna be emo okay-* but he does get rowdy and Benito or Amias just excusing him to leave because they're trying to do work. So at first, he'd sit at the bar and mope and Venus would talk to him. And eventually, he just becomes a regular at her bar because she doesn't mind the fact that he gets loud or gets a but rowdy because it does liven up her shift a lot more.

AND EVENTUALLY, AS THEY GET MORE FLIRTY, Venus sending free drinks his way with sly winks and Alley just scaring off bar creeps or anyone who dares to take Venus's attention off of him. TO THE POINT THAT OTHER GUESTS DON'T EVEN GO THE BAR BECAUSE THEY JUST FEEL LIKE THIRD WHEELS. Ramone eventually has to walk over there and Venus is on Alley's lap as they're laughing and chuckling about a joke that Alley told her.

Ramone: "VENUS, STOP ENTERTAINING BOUDREAUX AND GET BACK TO WORK!"

Alley: "Aw, don't get mad at her. It was my fault."

Ramone: "Damn right, it is! I'm glad yer keeping yourself occupied but don't distract my bartender!"

and Alley frowns and he's all: "Huh...well, since we can't hang out on business hours anymore, wanna go out on a date then?"

Venus: "My, so forward!~"

Alley: "Aw, c'mon. I like being around ya and ya clearly like being around me~" and he just smiles softly at her and grabs her hand, "besides, this place is a bit too stuffy for both of us, ain't it?~ I know a quiet little spot where the two of us can go.~"

and Venus blushes but giggles and she's all: "I'd love that, Allessandro."

Ramone: "WRAP IT UP."

Allessandro: "And he calls me loud."