RORY (betmylife) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2023-04-07 23:08:00 |
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Entry tags: | #july 2018, rory, rory x westin, westin |
Who: Rory and Osborne (Westin)
Where: St. Benedict's Catholic Church
When: Sunday afternoon, July 8
Status: Complete
It was well after the last service had ended that Rory approached the confessional, after almost everyone had left and all the candles had been put out. He wasn’t all that sure what he was doing at church, except that it was one of the few places he felt safe, no matter where he was. His family was made up of strict Catholics who would never dare come after him in a house of the Lord. It was sacred, and so he was shielded from danger so long as he remained on holy ground. But that wasn’t the only reason he’d come. Maybe it was foolish, but he was just as superstitious as the rest of them. With no one left but Wes on his side, it felt like it was time to appeal to God.
His stomach still sank as he stepped into the confessional box. He had no idea what he was going to say or how much he could reveal, even after hours of fretting about it. But he also knew he couldn’t lie to God, especially if he wanted his help. At least he knew no one was outside waiting for him to finish, or possibly trying to listen in. Taking a deep breath, Rory spoke from memory, the words to start burned into his brain. “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen,” he said, crossing himself before proceeding. “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been… I don’t know, probably eight months since my last confession.” It could easily be more, but Rory felt like he’d be a little better about going when he’d been back home. He’d have at least made it in for Easter. “I screwed up a while back. Stole from my family in an attempt to repay a debt–and I’d have paid ‘em back if I had the chance, but I never got to. It all went to hell. I’ve been hiding here since, and it felt like we were safe, but… but someone found me. They could show up any day now, and we’d lose everything. I know we need to run, but… I don’t know. I wish there was another alternative.”
It was a busy day for the sinners of Point Pleasant. Westin had been enjoying all of the struggles and strife, especially from those who truly needed his help. There was another - Rory DeAngelo and yes, Westin was very interested in listening to his problems. What a tangled web it was. He knew the details already, but listened to Rory vaguely explain anyway, his fingertips tapping quietly on his knee on the other side of the confessional. "Your family," he began, "are you afraid of them? Are you unable to repay your debts now?"
“No,” Rory muttered, more a sigh of regret than an answer. He shook his head in shame, frustrated with the way things had gone and his inability to fix them. Maybe if he’d gone to his father, he wouldn’t have them to fear, but he hadn’t because there was no way they would have bailed him out. He’d dug his own grave and not realized it until he was a solid six feet deep. “It’s not just the money, which I don’t have. It’s the betrayal. There’s no coming back from something like that, not in my family. They’ll kill me. And even if they don’t, the others will.” He said it so flippantly, it might’ve sounded unreal, the way a teenager says their father will kill them for missing curfew. But for Rory, the threat was real. He could have a bullet in his brain by the end of the week and, if that was the case, it was one of the less painful ways to go.
Westin stared at the front of the confessional, not at all taken aback by the mere thought of a family murdering their own. It happened all the time. Blood wasn't everything to everyone. "I can offer you penance, but while you may be forgiven in the eyes of the Lord... it doesn't sound as if your family would accept that. I would tell you to pray, but that would be quite foolish, wouldn't it? If someone is truly bent on hurting you, prayer isn't likely to stop their hand." He paused, his gaze turning to look at Rory through the barrier again. "What is it that you want? Or more importantly, what is it that you need?"
Rory could do penance and he could pray, but he knew neither would be enough to save if his family found him. Or the Genovese family. They would be even worse, likely to torture him before eventually killing him. It should have been shocking to hear a priest call prayer foolish, but the reality of the situation was that he was right. For a moment Rory felt foolish himself, suddenly aware that he’d gone to a man who could offer him nothing except possibly a salve for his soul, but then the father spoke up and it quieted Rory’s mind as he thought. “I don’t know,” he sighed. “For them to just… disappear? That happens around here, doesn’t it?” He laughed mirthlessly and shook his head, aware of how crazy he sounded. He shouldn’t be saying this sort of shit to a priest, but for some reason he felt safe pouring his heart out. “Maybe I just need a place to hide until they’re gone. And, like, some way to scare this other guy into keeping his mouth shut. Otherwise, as soon as I come out of hiding, he’ll just call ‘em again.”
Westin cocked a brow, his lips twitching briefly. Plenty of people disappeared in this town and he was aware of how easy it would be to help Rory fulfill that particular wish. But Westin never did anything for anyone without expecting something in return. But he would get to that. "I'm fairly new to Point Pleasant, but I have heard the various... stories of this town. Whether or not they're true, I can't say. But I would say that if someone found you here, it's likely you'll be found wherever you decide to hide next. Some problems are best dealt with head on, as scary as that may seem. Who is this other guy? Does he live here as well?"
“Dean?” Rory asked, only now realizing he’d talked around the other guy, trying not to name names of the locals. He hadn’t even meant to now, but since it slipped out, he made a point not to give any other identifying markers. “He’s the one who found me. We ran in the same circles back in New York, but he’s in Point Pleasant now, hiding, like me. Apparently he’s in trouble with my family as well, owes them more money than he can pay back, and thought he could clear his debt by handing over me.” While he understood being desperate, Rory hoped that this somehow blew up in Dean’s face. He could have just stayed hidden, as Rory had been doing, but had opted to end Rory’s life in return for getting his back in full. He wouldn’t have wished harm on the man before hand, but now that he’d gambled his life he felt fair game.
Dean Barrett. Rory didn't need to reveal any other identifying markers. Westin knew everyone in this town. Quite well, actually. And if Dean would have really turned Rory over to clear his own gambling debts, well then, Westin liked his style. Morals tended to fall to the wayside when desperation sunk in. "Everyone makes mistakes," Westin said, his tone contemplative. "And forgiveness is an extremely powerful tool. It's a shame if your family cannot find it within themselves to forgive you. You can't control what this Dean person decides to do. All you can control is your own actions. Life is... well, it's survival of the fittest, Rory. Even good men have to do questionable things in order to protect themselves, and the people they love." He cocked a brow questioningly. "Do you have someone that you love, Rory? Someone you would protect at all costs?"
Was there a chance his family would forgive him? Rory didn’t know, but he didn’t think it was worth the risk of finding out. Even if they didn’t kill him, they would punish him, likely in the worst way possible. It brought Wes to mind even before Father Osborne asked the question—they might let him live, but they would certainly kill Wes. He was nothing to them, a grunt for an opposing family who had helped Rory escape, and whose blood would serve as ample punishment if they allowed Rory to live. “Yes,” Rory whispered, unwilling to give Wes’s name. He had to be careful here; he wasn’t in the mood to do penance for a relationship the church frowned upon. “They’re here with me. I’d do anything to protect them.”
Rory didn't need to mention Wes's name. Like so many others, Westin knew all he needed to know about Rory's lover. He wasn't exactly in the best situation himself, but it was Rory who was there searching for help, not Wes. "Then I think perhaps you have to make a hard decision," Westin said simply. "Do you have enough faith to put your trust in a higher power to fix this? If you do, then perhaps I can help you. But I would need to know that you believe in something stronger than yourself... something that isn't always explainable to those lacking faith."
“I’m here, aren’t I?” Rory said, and though it sounded flippant, there was some truth to his words. He knew he wasn’t a good Catholic. He hadn’t set foot in a church in months and it wasn’t just because the old one in Point Pleasant had burnt down. But he was nearing the end of his rope and it felt like he needed a miracle. There was only one place to go for miracles, at least in his mind. He just knew God didn’t hand them out like candy and he was pretty damn sure there were more people more deserving than himself. “I’ve seen and heard unexplainable things since moving here. I don’t think those were from God, but if there’s demons, there’s got to be someone working for the good side. Someone that can help me.” He wasn’t sure if those were one in the same, but at the moment it hardly mattered.
Westin chuckled. "You would be surprised at how many people attend church but don't have genuine faith in their hearts. To many, it's an obligation." It didn't make much difference to Westin. This was an obligation to him too, only he benefited from it far more than any of his sheep. "You're right though, Rory. There is always someone working for the goodness of this town. And I can help you. But if I do, I want to see you in those pews out there every Sunday. I need to know you're not just here looking for a handout and then going about your way."
Did God bargain? Rory didn’t think so, but he really wasn’t in a spot to argue. If all Father Osborne wanted in return was a faithful member of his conjugation, then that was an easy price for Rory to pay. “If I’m alive, I can be here,” he said. “I know the church doesn’t… doesn’t always seem to want people like me around, so I’ve stayed away. Didn’t want to make waves around here. But it’s not a lack of faith. I don’t have much, so there’s not much else I can give, but I can do that.” It wasn’t like he was going to bring Wes with him and fuck in the back pew. Showing up once a week, listening to the sermon and going to confession, was doable.
Oh, God bargained. He bargained every day. It was in the Ten Commandments, after all. Listen and obey and Heaven awaits. To Westin, that was bargaining. So he saw nothing wrong with pushing Rory into his church every Sunday. The more the merrier, after all. "This church wants you around," Westin said solemnly. "And if there are people in my congregation who won't welcome you, well, then they don't belong here." He knew there were people in the pews who would disapprove of people like Rory, but that didn't matter to Westin. In time, he would make sure they all had one common enemy and that would no doubt bring everyone together. "Is there anything else on your mind?"
Was there anything else on his mind? Rory felt like he’d unloaded a hell of a lot already, more than he should ever have said aloud. But Father Osborne was a priest and, so long as he didn’t say he was planning to kill someone, he was pretty sure he had to keep his sins to himself. It was a little like talking to a shrink, wasn’t it? Rory probably should have figured that all out before he’d stepped inside and opened his mouth. “I think that’s it at the moment,” he said with a sigh. “That’s kind of been dominating my thoughts. Hard to think of anything else.” There was probably a long list of other things he needed to confess, but he could focus on those later, if the Lord saw fit to let him live. “I’ll be here next Sunday, assuming I’m still alive.” The Father hadn’t said exactly how he could help him, but Rory hoped that was coming, and that it was more concrete than thoughts and prayers.
"You'll be alive," Westin assured him. "Faith can take you a long way. But... if you find yourself cornered and unsure, there's a place in this town that will protect you." He paused briefly. "Have you heard of the Cooperdale Tunnel?" It was a gamble, bringing up such a dark place, but it was the kind of place that would free Rory from his enemies. Like Westin, it appreciated sacrifice. And Rory seemed desperate enough that even if he had heard the stories of that place, he would probably still listen.
Rory’s brows drew together at the mention of the tunnel. He’d tried his best to learn about some of the landmarks in town, but the Cooperdale Tunnel wasn’t ringing any bells. Maybe it was just too far off the beaten path? Or maybe it was sacred, since Father Osborne was mentioning it. “I don’t think so, but I haven’t really explored around town much.” And he and Wes hadn’t exactly worked on making friends. Being on the run wasn’t exactly conducive to that sort of thing. “Why? Where is it?” He could probably look it up, but he also didn’t want to leave a trail if that’s where he ended up hiding for a bit.
"You'll find it about a half a mile into the woods, northeast of the last trailer in Seaview, near the guest parking spot." He smiled softly. "Supposedly it's a hotspot for the local teens. But the tunnel... no one will find you there, and if they do, well... lead them inside and your problem will be taken care of. I can assure you of that much." Of course, there was always the possibility that the tunnel would take Rory, but it seemed as though Rory was in the position where he would simply have to take that risk.
Rory hoped he wouldn’t have to resort to hiding in a tunnel, but if it came to that, then it was good to know such a spot existed. It could be a temporary thing, a place to lay low until the danger was taken care of. It might be known to the locals, but he couldn’t imagine anyone looking for him would look there. If something about that place could take care of his problem, even better. Rory assumed there was some kind of a sharp drop-off, the kind where people fell in and never came out. If that was the case, he’d have to be careful. He didn’t want to end up stuck there himself. But he didn’t ask for clarification, allowing for plausible deniability. “Thanks. Thank you,” he said softly. “I’ll keep that in mind. Just in case things… go sideways.”
"It's always good to have a plan," Westin said. "Listen to your gut. It will guide you as well as faith will." As Osborne, he wouldn't have been there long enough to reassure Rory that the tunnel saved a lot of people, so he kept that to himself. Either Rory would listen to him, or he wouldn't. Regardless, his past was going to catch up with him very soon. "We'll talk next week?"
Rory’s gut wasn’t always as reliable as he wanted it to be, but he could feel it this time, that Father Osborne was someone he could rely on. If he said the tunnel would hide him, and even possibly take care of his problem, then he’d make it a part of his plan, even if it was just a last resort. He hoped and prayed it didn’t come to that, that Dean came to his senses and nothing happened, but he couldn’t depend on him to have sense. At least a plan was coming together in his head, even if it was a very loose one. “Yeah,” Rory said, nodding to himself. “I’ll be here. Promise.” If he wasn’t there, it was because he didn’t have a choice.