#Also I know there’s a huge chance that Octavius got involved with Gallagher’s ‘life insurance’ business earlier than this...

[stargazerlillian]

“A Change of Plan” (for Yoel)

Gallagher pays an unexpected visit to his cousin’s house with a problem – one that he can’t handle alone. Clearly, a change of plan is in order.

Serves as a written companion piece to this image.

Octavius and Gallagher Ruggaboor belong to @yoel-o-fellow

Content warning: Mild language and drug usage (smoking).

——————–

November 20th, 1945

The Ruggaboor Residence

Stoke-on-Trent, England

11:35 PM

“Ye better ‘ave a good reason fer droppin’ in this late,” Octavius huffed, folding his mighty arms across his chest. “Th’ wife an’ boys are in bed, and I’m about t’ head tha’ way m’self.” He then leaned in close, rasping his following words through a grit underbite. “So if ye ‘ave somethin’ t’ tell me, make it bloody quick.”

Gallager blinked twice in nervousness before clearing his throat. “R-righ’…” He then took a quick puff of his cigarette and tucked his right hand into his pocket.

“Look, cous’, it’s very important. It’s about one of my more… troubled customers.”

Octavius raised an eyebrow at those last two words. “Troubled?”

“Yeh, troubled. Ye remember tha’ Clark Grimsby bloke who lives jus’ a couple blocks away?”

“Yeh?” Octavius replied, unsure where his younger cousin was going with this topic.

“Well, here’s the deal - he hasn’t paid his insurance fee fer two months since I first signed him on. He jus’ keeps deliverin’ excuse after excuse after excuse! ‘Ooh, me mum’s sick, so I had to spend m’ last paycheck on medication,’ ‘Ooh, I had almost no food left when I got paid, so I got groceries,’ ‘Ooh, I needed to get me radiator fixed, or I’d have no heat fer th’ oncomin’ winter!’”

As Gallagher rambled on and on about Grimsby, waving his hands and casting frantic shadows on the wall behind them in the dim glow of a nearby gas lamp, Octavius caught what he believed to be a small bob of black hair quickly retreating out of the corner of his eye. His teeth instantly clenched tight.

Sebastian.

“Tha’ boy,” he thought. “I swear if he keeps pokin’ his nose where it doesn’t belong, I’ll –“

His train of thought was interrupted by a rapid snapping of fingers and a shrill, agitated voice calling him.

“Oi, cous’! Ye still with me ‘ere?!”

Octavius shook his head and rapidly turned back as he regained focus back onto his cousin.

“Y-yeh, yeh,” he growled, rolling his eyes. “I’m listenin’.” He would have to deal with Sebastian some other time. Now was the time for more “important business” or whatever.

“Righ’. As I was sayin’, Grimsby has not payed his fee fer over two months now. Two months. And I’ve been thinkin’ – y’know, I’ve been generous to this bloke. Maybe even too generous.”

Octavius heaved. He felt his face slowly grow hot as Gallagher continued running his mouth about business that didn’t even concern him. He tightened his mouth and scrunched his nose.

“I’ve been lettin’ him get away with his flimsy excuses long enough,” Gallager rasped, slamming a fist into his open hand, “I need to nip this in the bud as soon as possible. I can’t let him keep shirkin’ off the deadlines. An’ clearly my threats are not enough fer him.”

“Why did ye even come to me, then?!” Octavius hissed, his reddened face now mere centimeters away from Gallagher’s. “Why are ye even tellin’ me this?! It’s th’ dead of night!! An’ ’m not even involved in yer bleedin’ lil’ insurance outfit, ‘m jus’ a former dock worker! Wha’ does this even ‘ave t’ do with me?!”

Gallagher jolted back, presenting the palms of his hands in protest. “Alrigh’, alrigh’, hooold it, cous’, I was jus’ gettin’ to that. An’ keep it down – ye know how Mora is when she doesn’t get her beauty sleep.” He paused and took a long puff of his cigarette to ease his pounding heart. He cherished his cousin, but by God, could he be frightening.

“Righ’… the reason I’m here is this – I’m thinkin’ of takin’ ye with me… an’ introducin’ him to ye.”

Octavius’s eyes widened in bewilderment. Did he hear that right? “Ye want me… t’ go with you… t’ deal with Grimsby?”

“Yeh, tha’s exactly the plan,” Gallagher replied, relieved to see that his cousin was finally breathing slower and keeping his distance.

Octavius narrowed his eyes, skeptical. “Wha’ for?”

“Ye know, to keep me company, back me up. Be like me business partner. An’ to perhaps give him a lil’…”

A mischievous glint filled his eyes as they flickered down to Octavius’s muscular torso and back up to his face again.

“…’encouragement’.”

Octavius blinked twice before looking down at what Gallagher was looking over. He had muscle. A lot of muscle. More than enough to put a man Gallagher’s size out of commission, like he had done so many times before. Almost no other man in Stoke had the amount of might he had.

A pause. He slowly peered back up to lock eyes with Gallagher again. Compared to him, Gallagher was awfully skinny. Sure, he was a quick thinker, smooth talker, and a fast runner, but when it came to physical combat, he was as fragile as a newborn baby. So, if Gallagher couldn’t convincingly threaten Grimsby with his words, and came here to ask for his “help”, then…

Click.

A wicked grin stretched across his face as all the pieces came together.

“‘Encouragement’, eh?”

“Mm-hmmm,” Gallagher hummed with a confident nod.

Octavius leaned in close once again, this time to ask his smaller cousin a rather important question.

“Wha’ do ye ‘ave in mind?”

Gallagher felt his pulse quicken once again beneath his sternum, this time with excited anticipation. A sinister crooked smile formed where a nervous grimace once was.

“I’m glad ye asked, partner.”