A rose by any other name...[M]{DamoniquexBrokecollege}

[Damonique]

Delphine seemed to relax and bit at his reassurances, and thanked him for the suggestion as to what to order, showing a flush of embarrassment at having been unable to decide for herself, once again bringing a smile to his lips at her red-tinged cheeks while he made his own order out in flawless and precise Italian. The server vanished, and they returned to their conversation.

The redheads next question put Darien on the spot, for once, as he pursed his lips and considered it, wearing that same look of somber recollection he always did when talking about such things. It was a private disappointment of his that he hardly carried on the art that had once so consumed his life, but painting was a hobby that required focus, patience, and so very much time he could rarely find these days. His obsessive tendencies made it nearly impossible for him to leave any piece unfinished, and so it was easier simply not to start one to begin with.

"Painting? No, not anymore.....it was a passion of youth I had to set aside along with all childish things when my life took a different turn...It's been some time since I've set a brush to canvas." He answered, knowing that 'childish things' line could just as easily been straight from his fathers mouth. The elder Fiore had never approved of his subject of study, but then, he'd never approved of much of what Darien had done with his life, just as his shade was unlikely to approve of what he was doing now.

But it wasn't his father's ghost that kept him from painting, now, but the other ghost in his life. The last painting he had started was the only one he'd left unfinished...covered and set aside along with all his paints, out of sight but never out of mind. Delphine still seemed curious, that curiosity not helped by his suddenly morose demeanor, and so Darien found a bright side to focus on instead, for her benefit.

"That's not to say I can't express myself in other ways...take this piazza for instance..." He threw his arms out at that, as if sweeping up their surroundings. The church, the shops, the wide cobbled thoroughfare dotted here and there with trees and fountains. "...beautiful, yes, but also functional. People live and work here, business is conducted, tourists visit, memories are made. It was my father's idea, but creating it fell to me. I also have my charities, foundations, scholarships...while I may have missed my own chance, the world will have me to thank for the works of those I gave the opportunity." He added, wishing he could feel the sort of pride and accomplishment the words suggested...but instead they felt hollow. Or at least they did until he glimpsed the impressed wonder of Delphine's face. What to him was nothing was, to her, something extraordinary, and his features softened.

[brokecollege]

Darien seemed surprised by her question but answered it with ease. He explained that painting had been a passion of his youth, one which he had set aside among other "childish" things. She wondered if he actually believed that--that being an artist was only a childish thing. Or, if he only said that to convince himself that being an artist was not something suited for him.

But, he quickly added, just because he stopped painting didn't mean he didn't create express himself. He expressed himself through his businesses, through this neighborhood he had created, and through all that he did and said. Delphine smiled. He was an artist. He could convince himself and everyone else that he wasn't, and that art was only a passion of his youth, but it was obvious that wasn't the truth.

He was an artist. He had been, he was, and he would always be. "A wise man once said, it is never too late to be who you might have been." she hummed as she picked up her wine glass. She took a sip from it before gently setting it back onto the table. "You have created this beautiful neighborhood, and have obviously done well in your..." she paused, "...in your business."

"Is it so bad to go back to those 'childish' passions, even if you're doing it as a hobby?" she questioned curiously.

[Damonique]

"...it is never too late to be who you might have been." Delphine said, a simple enough statement that rang with common wisdom, just generic enough to apply to most things, and most people...but not himself. Darien was about to dismiss it out of hand as simply another of her naive platitudes, but then a spark hit him, brought on by not just the words, but the understanding of what he was doing...the carefully-orchestrated attempt to recreate a past he had thought lost.

It was all there, their walk down the wide streets, the flower behind her ear, his choice of meal for her...all of it. What was he doing now if not following in the footsteps of the past, waiting for the moments he wished to change to get a better ending. Another wise man once said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. If that were true, he supposed he was indeed insane, and might as well embrace it.

"You might be onto something there...I'll consider it. And I recall that we never had a formal toast, but you proposed a fine a one as any, when you noticed the daffodils..." He stated with a small smile, indicating the mentioned bright yellow flower in the centerpiece, and then took up his own glass, extending it towards her. "...To new beginnings." He added lightly, After their glasses clinked and words were said, he supposed it was time to move onto the next item on their agenda, having noticed the halting, nervous way she had mentioned his business.

"What do you think I actually do, Delphine. Truly, what comes to mind when you hear a word like 'mafia'? Set pieces from old movies and documentaries with speakeasies, casinos, and tommy guns? Big names like Al Capone, McGurn, and Lucky Luciano?" He asked, waiting not just for her answer, but the look on her face. Even though the syndicate was as much a part of her own culture as cosa nostra was to his, he wondered what her own thoughts were on the subject.

[brokecollege]

Darien thought about what she had said for a moment before announcing that he would consider doing just that. Though, a man as stubborn and persistent as Darien... she doubted he would truly consider her suggestion. Still, she smiled as if she had managed to change his mind. Attention was then diverted from Darien (as she noticed it usually did) and towards something else. More specifically, the lack of a toast.

The older male picked up his glass of wine, and after mentioning her earlier comment about the flowers, toasted to new beginnings. New beginnings, indeed. Delphine picked up her glass from the table and clinked it together with Darien, muttering an agreement about the new beginnings both of them faced. After she took a sip and set her glass back down, Darien spoke again. Though, this time it was to mention his business.

Delphine shifted in her seat as Darien asked her a series of questions. What did she think it was that he did? What did she think when she thought of the mafia? Did she think of Al Capone, did she think of speakeasies and tommy guns? No. She averted her gaze from Darien's, instead choosing to focus on the flower arrangement between them. "I think of death." she quietly replied.

"When I think of what you do, and of the mafia... I think of death. I think of murder, of drugs, of corruption and violence. I think of a gang, but more organized. More deadly, more fear invoking." Delphine was sweet. Delphine was innocent, she was kind. But that did not mean she hadn't seen her fair share of violence, especially living on that side of town as long as she had. When she thought of the mafia, or of gangs in general, she thought of only the most terrifying things. Suddenly, her gaze returned to Darien's. "Am I wrong to think that?"

[Damonique]

Death. That was an answer and then some, Darien thought, and he kept his expression well-guarded as he considered it. Straight to the point, without the slightest reservation or attempt to soften her stance for his benefit. He did respect that, that Delphine was willing to speak her mind so candidly when he asked a simply question. Most people, especially civilians like her, were afraid to talk straight to his face about what they thought about what he did. He nodded imperceptibly.

"You wouldn't be wrong. Our path, my path....It's paved by the same sort of regrettable acts you just described, and more, too many to count. I don't believe there's ever been a man in my family without such sins to his name...and if I said I've kept my list shorter to most, it would be the truth, but still just an excuse." He answered without hesitation, an open book. Darien wanted Delphine to trust him, yes, but he wasn't go so far as to lie in order to gain it. He'd made that mistake before, and wouldn't again. The truth always came out eventually, so better to get her used to it early.

"You don't have to see any of that, you don't even have to hear about it. All you have to do is avoid the temptation to ask...I won't begrudge you the bliss of ignorance. While I'd like you for a confidant, someone to share the burden and weight this life puts on my shoulders, you're better suited to be an escape from it all. After all, that's what I kept coming back to your shop for....more than the roses or the smiles, the relief. To be looked at and spoken to as if I were just another man, neither saint nor monster." He continued with the first smile she'd seen since they had settled on this topic of conversation. Pouring out his heart, his countless sins and regrets to her caring self would be a momentary relief, but he knew she'd never look at him the same again if he did.

"You don't have to pretend to love me, Delphine. I know I didn't buy your heart with the rest of you. You just have to accept me, for all my faults and secrets and....irrantionalities, and you'll have held up your end of the bargain." He added, knowing that second line was a bit harsh, cutting through the pretty words about a romance, a relationship, to remind her that for all intents and purposes, her time was being paid for. But that was the way it was, what he'd have to settle for, what they both had to settle for.

[brokecollege]

Delphine was not wrong--the mafia was just as she described it, filled with death and corruption. She was surprised, not only by the calmness in his voice but his admittance to what he did. Delphine thought that Darien would have insisted that she had the wrong idea about the mafia. She thought that he would have tried to convince her that he was a good person who always did good things.

But he didn't. He admitted that the mafia was bad, and he admitted that he had done bad things. Delphine, however, would not have to see any of that. Instead, he wanted her to be an escape from it all. After all, that was why he had kept returning to the shop. She was an escape from his world, someone who viewed him as neither hero nor villain. She viewed him just as she viewed any normal man.

Delphine did not have to love Darien. She just had to act as his escape. The young redhead nodded her head in understanding, though she couldn't deny the sudden sadness that fell over her. As long as she belonged to Darien, as long as she had to act as his escape, she had to forgo any relationships with anyone else. And that was... sad. Delphine, like any other girl, eventually wanted to find the love of her life.

She eventually wanted to get married, and she eventually wanted to have a home and children. But how could she do that if she technically belonged to a gangster? She couldn't--at least, not without upsetting or angering him. "I understand." she murmured.

[Damonique]

A pall seemed to fall over the girls delicate features as Delphine accepted what he said without comment or complaint, but also without hope or enthusiasm. Darien understood though, for all he'd given her, he had also taken a number of possibilities from her life at the same time. Knowing what he knew through age and experience, he could see a few bright points for her...but to her shy, romantic self, the future looked bleak.

"Cheer up, Delphine....surely you can imagine worse ways to live than this. Your life was heading for shambles before I took matters...took you, into my own hands. And even if it weren't...the life you had before was less than substantial. What did you have time for besides work and sleep? Not hobbies, not dates, not even an afternoon to yourself. If you'd been able to keep the shop open on your own, as you were trying so desperately to do....what then?" He responded in a plain, matter-of-fact way, trying to walk her through his understanding of her situation, thinking back to his previous visits, date offers, attempts at romance. None of it had seemed to phase her, and the only reason for that his pride could accept for that his pride would accept was that she was too busy treading water to see the opportunity in front of her.

"Would you have just carried on that way for the rest of your life, until you woke up one day to realize that you were a single, middle-aged woman going grey, with nothing but flowers and debt to show for a wasted youth? Most young women in your situation would have been hoping, praying for some attractive man with wealth, wit, and eyes only for you to suddenly appear and sweep you off your feet....and I tried to be that man. I invited you to dinners and galas, paid nearly a thousand dollars in tips alone just for that fleeting moment when our hands touched when I traded my money for your rose...and yet you were blind to my advances. Why?" He continued, more seriously...it was a question that had been vexing him for weeks, and now was as good a time as any to seek an answer, now that he had her undivided attention.

Darien was not so vain as to think himself still the schoolgirls fantasy he once was, but he wasn't too blind to know he'd aged well, kept himself fit and well-polished enough that few not looking for realize the perhaps ten years between them was actually fifteen. An physique aside, his well-cultivated persona of power and class, tailored suits and silver jewelry, understated rather than gaudy usually left women, even those younger, richer, and more traditionally beautiful than Delphine swooning. So why shouldn't she be interested?

[brokecollege]

Delphine tried to conceal her disappointment regarding her realization, but Darien saw right through her facade. She should cheer up, he said. There were worse ways to live. And he was right. She should be grateful for all that he had given her, not dwelling on what she lost through the process of it. But now that she had realized what parts of her future she had lost, she couldn't help but be just a little sad.

Darien, in an attempt to rid her of her disappointment, brought up a future she would have had if he hadn't come along. One that featured her alone and in a mountain of debt. He mentioned the many women who dreamt of being in her place--of which she was sure there were plenty. And she didn't mean to seem ungrateful for all that he was doing for her, because she truly was more grateful than she'd ever been.

She was just sad. Delphine had spent her entire life dreaming of finding her true love and creating a family with them. And to know that she couldn't do that because of this arrangement... it was kind of sad. Then Darien brought up the matter of why she rejected his advances. Delphine bit down on her lower lip--what a hard question to answer. "I just thought that we were incompatible. That we were just too different of people to be together," she explained.

And yet that wasn't entirely the truth. Darien was every young woman's dream: he was wealthy, charming, and so very attractive. But that was all that he was focused on. He lacked heart, he lacked sincerity, he lacked the qualities Delilah had told her a man needed. "I am really, truly grateful for all that you've done for me, Darien. I just... I grew up being told that one day I would find my true love. That's all."

[Damonique]

Delphine answered him calmly, and rationally, leaving him with little that hadn't already been said. She was grateful for the opportunities he had given her, comfortable with...or at least accepting of, her new position. But she didn't love him...and by the tone of her voice, never would. That was only fair. No girl wanted to be a prostitute, and for all the pretty words and titles he might give her, he knew that was exactly what he'd turned her into.

And no matter what lies she might tell herself, somewhere deep down, Delphine had to know it too. Darien would be able to live with himself, he already knew well he was going to hell, so what were a few more sins to add to the tally? As for Delphine....well, she'd start off sad, grieving those childish fantasies he had killed and buried, but grief had seven steps and the last was always acceptance.

"True love.... " Darien echoed her last words, in a voice barely more than a whisper, wearing an expression that started in that look of grief, sadness and loss that he had worn the day they first met...thinking of Delilah without knowing that so was Delphine. But that passed, and the look was replaced with another, his eyes becoming two featureless grey pools, his mouth a stern line....and what he said next was in a tone so chilling, so detached, that one could hardly believe it was even the same person talking. It was the only way he could bear to speak of such things, but Delphine at least deserved to know why he seemed so sad again each and every time she mentioned her childish notions of love.

"I"m going to tell you something we are never going to discuss again, and that you will never discuss with anyone else. Do I make myself clear." He stated first, abruptly, and waited for Delphine to give some indication that she heard and understood his instructions before continuing. "You may find it hard to believe, but I was just as naive as you are now, once upon a time. Believed that there was someone out there who would compete me, utterly, and that all I had to do was find them...and I did, Delphine. She was perfect in every way, and yet meeting her was the worst thing that ever happened to me." He paused for a moment, hesitating, still showing no emotion besides the beginnings of a tear gathering at the edge of one eye, as and waited for the next logical question, that being a simple 'Why?'

But before Delphine had time to speak, Darien dove right back in. "...she died, and that's a pain, a loss that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. It breaks you, and if you were already broken, it shatters you. It shattered me." He finished, and then transfixed her with an intensity in his eyes that seemed somehow unhinged, when taken with the tone, watching for the understanding just beginning to dawn on her delicate features as to what he was telling her, and what it might mean for her.

"So really, I'm just saving you from the possibility of having to suffer that sort of pain yourself. It's a kindness." With that, he reached up and gently patted her cheek in the most patronizing manner, and put on a smile that for once, she knew was fake rather than had to guess as to the sincerity of. "So thank me, and smile. That's an order." He finished with very forced cheerfulness, and as if on cue, their food began to arrive, giving Delphine a relief from continuing the uncomfortable conversation if she so decided.

[brokecollege]

As soon as she mentioned true love, Darien's face fell and his eyes became distant. This, however, only lasted a moment before it was replaced with a much firmer expression. Then, in an even firmer voice, he informed Delphine that he was going to tell her something and that she was not allowed to speak about it to him, or anyone else. She agreed with a quiet nod of her head.

Once he had her agreement, Darien continued. He, like Delphine, had once been a naive and whimsical thing. He had even found what he believed to be true love. She was everything he had ever wanted. She was both the best, and the worst thing that ever happened to him. Before Delphine could ask why that was, Darien gave an answer: she died.

And the pain of losing her was the worst kind of pain he had ever experienced. It broke him. So, he concluded, if he was doing anything it was saving Delphine from that kind of pain. It was a kindness. He then reached forward and gave her a patronizing pat on the cheek. Thank me, he ordered, and smile. Delphine was able to force a smile onto her face, but she couldn't do the same with her words.

She hadn't a doubt that losing someone that close to your heart was painful, and she hadn't a doubt that losing them meant also losing a part of yourself. But, it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. If experiencing such pain meant that she could also experience such love, then she would do it in a heartbeat.

Delphine didn't tell him that, though. She just smiled and thanked the waiter as he set her food down in front of her.