[attr="class","header"]let the glimmer hide the dull

[attr="class","setting"]

The bartender nods and moves to make the drink requested by the new patron. She makes exactly what was ordered of her, and along with the napkin that she slides over the counter to accompany the drink is a piece of paper neatly hidden between the folds.[break][break]

"Welcome to Icarus."[break][break]

On the piece of paper, the patron will find a line of morse that translates to the knock that needs to be sounded on the owner's door.[break][break]

Meanwhile, said owner reclines on the leather chair that sits behind his wooden desk, leaning over the surface as he examines his reflection in the circular mirror that stands on top. There's a stick of eyeliner in one hand with which he carefully draws on a thin, black line over his right eyelid, reapplying what had smudged just a minute ago.[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let the glimmer hide the dull

[attr="class","setting"]

He's just about to finish drawing on the wing when the door to his office bursts open, startling him and the houndour resting near his feet. The sudden disturbance messes the tip of the wing and Aris now sports a black, vertical line halfway down his cheek.[break][break]

"Excuse me, sir, you're not supposed to-" He interrupts himself when the stranger's disguise drops and reveals the familiar face of the underboss twisted in disdain. Great.[break][break]

Even before Cillian slaps the newspaper down on the desk and startles his houndour a second time, Aris could guess what this was about. He sighs and drops the eyeliner on top of the newspaper. "Cato's mess. Nothing to worry about, I've dealt with it," he reassures the man with a nonchalant wave before reaching out to grab a cotton pad sitting nearby and returning his attention to the mirror to clean his mistake.[break][break]

"You've travelled so far for something so trivial. Please, stay and have a drink." Considerate words for the sake of kindness. Aris has no particular respect for the man standing before him but he still recognises the authority that he must begrudgingly tolerate.[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Cillian Quinn [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let the glimmer hide the dull

[attr="class","setting"]

"Of course," Aris replies with a bright, friendly smile as he glances at Cillian, though the genuineness of the action can be doubted.[break][break]

He resumes wiping the stray eyeliner off his cheek, turquoise eyes back on the mirror. "I think we both know the answer to that, sir." The smile doesn't leave his face. "I had to step away for a while, so I entrusted the club to Cato for one night. Safe to say, I won't be doing that again."[break][break]

Satisfied with the cleaning, Aris drops the cotton pad and picks the eyeliner up once more. "I did my duty and steered us away from trouble." He's aware of the lines he's crossing with his behaviour, but Aris can't give enough of a damn to do much more. The club is safe, is it not? None of this is his fault, anyway.[break][break]

"Are you sure you wouldn't like a drink, sir? You seem tense."[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Cillian Quinn [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let the glimmer hide the dull

[attr="class","setting"]

Who does he think Aris is, a fucking child?[break][break]

Regardless of his frustration, Aris' smile does not falter. "Just a second, sir, I'm almost done here," he murmurs as he draws on a quick streak of eyeliner before closing the stick and placing it on the surface. Aris' eyes finally meet Cillian's with full focus, his hands neatly folded in front of him and his smile beaming up at the underboss with the warmth of a sunny day.[break][break]

If Cillian is the void, then Aris shall be the ever-burning light.[break][break]

"Might I suggest not worrying over such inconsequential matters, sir? That ought to loosen your shoulders," Aris chuckles as if conversing with an old friend, ignoring the sarcasm entirely.[break]

"Is there anything else I may help you with?"

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Cillian Quinn [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let the glimmer hide the dull

[attr="class","setting"]

The line has finally been crossed, it seems.[break][break]

Nalia, the ever-loyal houndour that she is, notices the flash of silver before Aris does. Her ears stand straight and her vision zeroes in on the movement before letting out a quick bark.[break][break]

Aris' eyes flit to his Pokemon but before he has the time to comprehend what has happened, a pricking sensation makes itself known over his lips. It starts off as nothing but an itch but quickly develops into a sting as hot as fire.[break][break]

The knife in Cillian's hand finally comes to focus, now stained red. A finger is raised to inspect the pain flaring over his skin, and a single touch returns as red as the colour on the underboss's blade. Aris turns his face to examine the damage in the mirror, and sure enough, he now sports a clean wound that runs vertically over the left corner of his lips. The cut is short but deep enough to allow the blood to start dripping onto the wooden surface below.[break][break]

His smile falters for a second, but he dares not let it disappear. He won't give Cillian that satisfaction.[break][break]

Aris wants to retaliate, of course he does, but despite his dislike towards the man in front of him, he's strongly aware of the power imbalance in the room. He hates it, and yet he respects it. Still, he refuses to remain powerless.[break][break]

Aris pushes through the pain flaring across his face, and soon, the smile crawls its way back up on bloody lips.[break][break]

"Message received," he chuckles. Aris reaches out towards the cotton pad from before and turns it around to press the clean side against the open cut on his face. "As I mentioned before, sir, I'll ensure this doesn't happen again. I want to see Icarus drown as much as you do, which is to say, not at all."[break][break]

Icarus is his home. It may be owned by and for Rocket, but he built it with cato and he'll make damn sure it stays afloat.[break][break]

"You can trust me on that."[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Cillian Quinn [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let the glimmer hide the dull

[attr="class","setting"]

"First impressions hardly make a man, sir."[break][break]

Nalia snarls in response to the Zorua in front of her but stays planted in her spot, waiting for further instructions. Aris leaves her be, trusting in her instincts and instead keeps his eyes trained on Cillian with the cotton pad still pressed to his mouth.[break][break]

The questions he asks are tricky; Aris knows the truth won't satisfy him. "A personal matter. A close friend of mine needed urgent help." And the help may or may not have required being in someone's pants. "The situation has been dealt with, but Cato, not yet. He'll be back this evening and I have plans for him once he is." Aris' plans include giving him a matching scar at the very least, and maybe dumping some extra chores on him. The restroom down in the club can always do with a good scrubbing. [break][break]

"Unless...you have something more in mind, sir?"[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Cillian Quinn [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let the glimmer hide the dull

[attr="class","setting"]

Arceus, when will this guy quit it?[break][break]

"I-" Aris starts to speak but winces in pain when he's reminded of his injury. After a brief pause, his mouth opens carefully. "I'll pass on this lovely gift you've bestowed upon me, two or threefold at least, and then do something with that tongue of his so he thinks twice before using it again."[break][break]

He has no qualms against blood-stained punishments, except for when it comes to three people in his life. Usually, he'd hesitate to cause any real damage to Cato, but Aris can't help but feel like he deserves it this time.[break][break]

"Oh, and toilet duty. Just for fun."[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Cillian Quinn [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]