Business casual was his staple these days. A stone-grey jacket, buttoned-up black shirt, slacks, and a pair of fine blucher's didn't compare to the comfort and presentation of his military uniform, if you asked him. But it certainly got his status across with style.[break][break]

Lately, that had become more of an obligation than a desire as he'd steadily began to take over ANVIL in full. Meetings with Felix were a bright window of nostalgia, quite frankly, taking him back to a time when his biggest priorities were teaching his protégé how to run a 10-man squadron of mercenary personnel in a standard assault of four.[break][break]

Ahh... the good old days, right?

[break][break]

"Fix-It!" He calls from the reception with a bold smile, smoothing out a few wrinkles from his jacket's sleeve as he walks past a bowing host. The restaurant's front staff had gotten to know him well over the past couple of weeks. Big spender; big tips.[break][break]

A waiter hurries to their table to pull out his chair and, naturally, he produces a bill from his inner jacket pocket to thank her. "You haven't been here long, have you? There are better ways to spend your time than ensuring our date goes perfectly, you know." He winks at Felix, settling into his chair after.[break][break]

"The usual, sir?"[break][break]

He nods, and the waiter tends to his subordinate next before departing.

[break]

After shifting a look to check her out as she leaves, Belial turns back to Felix and smiles. "How's tricks?" He asks, reaching out for his glass of water.[break][break]

+ pog

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Belial doesn't believe him, and he has a knack for knowing when people are lying. But he finds amusement in the attempt anyway. When sitting across the table from someone as stoic and serious as Felix, one tended to find amusement wherever they could. So poking the lad and seeing if he would ever snap happened to be a regular pastime of his.[break][break]

"A-huh. And I definitely won't be asking for that waitresses number after all this is over."[break][break]

[x][break][break]

He absolutely was.

[break]

Setting his glass of water down, Belial smiles and nods in response to Fix-It's inquiry. "Not bad. I got me a nice little penthouse in Sootopolis to oversee our operations there more closely. My home region's a lot less tropical than I remember, though. That war with the cannibal aliens really fucked things up, didn't it?" He chuckles, shaking his head and checking his phone.[break][break]

"If the League had offered us a higher commission, we would have been here a year sooner. We might have made a real difference. What a shame."[break][break]

+ pay us to fight aliens

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Belial titters. "Half a year here, building a nest for ANVIL, and you're already talking like one of the locals. You're a cultural Kecleon, Fix-It, never doubt it."[break][break]

Most mercenaries (the good ones, anyway) were. The life had taken them to all sorts of different regions and extraordinary places. To routinely survive, one had to routinely adapt. The black sheep of the Stone family had always prized that aspect of his career, however.[break][break]

Felix, on the other hand, had a shrewd mind he knew was destined for greater things someday.[break][break]

"How has the contract with Rocket been proceeding? Smoothly, I presume?" He inquiries, confident that Fix-It had checked the table for a bugged mic prior. The waiters and waitresses that passed by within earshot didn't bother him either. In a fancy place like this, it was expected not to eavesdrop if you wanted your rich clientele to return and shove more money in your hands.[break][break]

+ ...

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Belial raises a curious brow at the mention of an admin, unfurling his cloth napkin across his right thigh in preparation for the appetizer to come. "Oh yeah? Which one?" He asks, smoothing out the wrinkles. "... Do you have their trust yet?"[break][break]

The toothy smirk that follows might suggest he was planning something against Rocket. But Felix surely knew better than to immediately take that seriously. Belial Stone, after all, had an... interesting sense of humour.[break][break]

Poking fun at serious matters, such as conflicts of interest, coup d'etats, and other topics some would find sensitive or unfunny, was all fair game for him. And, of course, many were often left wondering why. Perhaps he was fishing for something? Testing strengths or loyalty? [break][break]

Or, perhaps, he was just an asshole.

[break][break]

+ ...

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Belial hums in thought, dark eyes narrowing on his second-hand man with a gleam of approval. He'd heard a thing or two about Martín del Mar . The rich boy admin, right? Hell, his might have been the same bank he'd taken a loan from a few times, back when ANVIL was just starting to carve its place in the mercenary world.[break][break]

"Good," The captain smiles like a fox, leaning back in his chair as he notes the waitress emerging from the kitchen door afar with their appetizers. "And try not to get attached to Rocket's grand ideals and ambitions in the meantime, huh? They'll crash and burn again someday soon... like clockwork."[break][break]

He'd seen it happen several times: Kanto. The Sevii Islands. The Alolan faction debacle. Sure, most of these hadn't been headed by the legendary WALSH himself, but... the old man was getting up in years. And if there was one thing Belial knew, having had personal experience with his former mentor, it was that old age was a sign of weakness in anybody.[break][break]

It invited challenges and betrayal to anyone who didn't know when to submit to it and retire.[break][break]

+ ...

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Belial pauses in thought; sharp eyes honing in of every minute detail written across Gallagher's expression. When he's mostly satisfied, however, he smiles and nods. Just as their waitress returns with their appetizer: a plate of mini beef tourtieres.[break][break]

"Great."

[break]

The man expresses, though whether he means in regards to Felix's comment or the tasty morsels of food remains ambiguous. Regardless, Belial is quick to thank their server with a wink before indulging in one for himself. "You gotta try these, kid, they're amazing."[break][break]

Popping one into his mouth, he suffers the heat for a moment before chewing past it, blowing steam out of his nostrils. A hum of pleasure rumbles in his throat afterward, and he leans back and closes his eyes to savor it.[break][break]

There was other business to attend to, of course. But, for now, food.[break][break]

+ ...

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Belial shrugs. Your loss, his expression says before he reaches in for another tourtiere. The bite is enjoyed just as richly as the first as his right hand man speaks up again.[break][break]

"Quick to business as usual..." The man smiles, eyes darting up to meet Fix-It's as he lifts his cloth napkin to the corner of his mouth to clean up. After casting it back down, he reaches out to seize his glass of water. "Our employers have a new project in the works. We've been asked to assist, but I wanted to run it by you first to get your opinion."[break][break]

Pausing to take a sip, Belial's cunning eyes wander elsewhere and scan the room as he thinks. In all his years of combat and field experience in foreign territories, he'd never before come across a region with such adversaries. The money was good, sure. But this was a big (and potentially dangerous) step forward for ANVIL. "... what would you say to fighting avatars?"[break][break]

+ ...

[attr="class","pokeclass"]