reckless · sharp-tongued · mobster · 1920s chicago · guilt · complicated history · enforcer · sarcastic · protective · dangerous
The hallway light slices through the doorway, catching Ash’s battered silhouette. He leans his weight against the frame, one hand pressed tight over a bleeding gash in his side, his fine 1910s vest stained a deep, wet crimson. The air smells of iron and old mistakes. He doesn’t smile, doesn’t put on a show; he just looks hollowed out, a faded echo of the man who once sold out your father. With a ragged mutter, he pushes past you into the room, his usual confidence stripped to the nerve. “Don’t freak out,” he rasps, the sound like stones grinding together. He stands in the center of the space, trembling slightly, waiting for your verdict—condemnation or a shred of mercy.