[attr="class","header"]let it show, shine

[attr="class","setting"]

Doubt crawls into his mind as he watches the other man hand the ID back with an unhappy countenance. Aris prepares to act fast, mentally taking note of Iris' position in case a quick getaway is imminent.[break][break]

But, luckily enough, Aris seems to have been spared. At least for now, it seems, because the next problem raises its head soon after as Memo walks up to the turbine and unlocks the door, waiting for Aris to enter.[break][break]

"Of course! Glad to be of help,"he expresses enthusiastically. Aris walks past the man and enters the turbine with all the confidence of a seasoned electrician, ignoring the fact that it's a setting he's completely unfamiliar with but must now pretend to be the expert of. "This is a great opportunity for me to practice with the theory I've learned so far, so I'm actually thankful for this, Memo."[break][break]

He leaves his Rapidash outside. Just in case.[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Guillermo Marceliño [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let it show, shine

[attr="class","setting"]

Aris enters the room at the pleasant chime of her voice. Melody's request sends him striding towards the counter and he picks the bottle up, turning it over to read the label out of curiosity before moving to stand next to her.[break][break]

A light chuckle escapes his lips as Aris loosely dangles the bottle in front of her. "We always miss what we don't have, don't we?" People have a tendency to miss their past, no matter how horrible they say it may have been. Nostalgia can be a powerful pair of rose-tinted glasses. [break][break]

Aris doesn't get it.[break][break]

"I get it, though. Honestly, I commend you for putting up with strangers who constantly touch your hair and poke through your personal bubble. I can barely handle living with my roommates."[break][break]

The Nickit on Aris' shoulder doesn't react much to Melody's greeting. He looks at her with his big, curious eyes, occasionally blinking and flicking his ear.[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Melody Miro [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let it show, shine

[attr="class","setting"]

Aris is where he usually is on a busy night, right in the middle of all the bustle as he chats with the regulars, greets any newcomers and leads people away from the STAFF ONLY areas of the club.[break][break]

It's been a couple of years since Icarus started. Thanks to Rocket's funds and well-placed advertisements, the business has been booming. Managing a venture like this is not the most enjoyable experience in Aris' opinion despite sharing burdens with Cato and Cassidy (though one may argue they cause more problems than they solve), but at least it's far better than running errands for the organisation or living at HQ dorms.[break][break]

Aris strides up to the bar with Sydora perched on his shoulder and leans on the surface with both arms. He notices that he has positioned himself beside a pale-haired woman, but before he can spare her face a glance he addresses the bartender. "Table 12 has been waiting on a couple of Appletuni's, please hurry up!"[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + lenora gray [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let it show, shine

[attr="class","setting"]

The approach of a stranger tears Aris' eyes away from the current battle and towards her. He raises an eyebrow in confusion as he watches the woman stare for a few silent seconds. Nalia is immediately put on edge and turns to face her with raised ears and a stare of her own. Once the woman starts to speak, however, Aris breaks into a warm smile. [break][break]

"Yeah?" he responds, glancing down at Nalia and giving her a little scratch behind the ear. The comment about being a try-hard almost sends his smile faltering. Almost. [break][break]

"I've been trying to get her to evolve, actually. She seems to hate being small." The Houndour growls in agreement. "You're welcome to pet her if you don't mind missing a few fingers."

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Yujin Ha [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let it show, shine

[attr="class","setting"]

Icarus is quite busy tonight --busier than usual-- which means Aris has been slumped with work and has been running around the club to fix fires and talk to customers who insist on complaining directly to the manager.[break][break]

The star performer tonight is none other than Melody Miro, so it's no surprise that the club is packed. However, Aris' job today is more than just managing Icarus or keeping people away from the basements housing Rocket's activities.[break][break]

He strides up and knocks on the open door to the back room in which the idol is preparing for her show. He wears a warm, easy smile on his lips, which now adorns a fresh, vertical scar.[break][break]

"Hey hey, just checking in. Is everything still on track? Can I be of any help?"[break][break]

Onis, the very Nickit that Aris had adopted, sits on his shoulders and looks around the environment with wide, observant eyes. [break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Melody Miro [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let it show, shine

[attr="class","setting"]

Great. The one day that he gets off in a week from running a club, he gets called in for guard duty at the crater with some guy named Bryan. [break][break]

This might be payback for talking back to Cillian the other day, or it's possible that Rocket simply doesn't care about the wellness of their employees, but whatever the reason is, Aris arrives at the location with his Houndour following in his wake and a shadow hanging over his face.[break][break]

He arrives late on purpose; ideally, he wouldn't show up at all, but he senses he's on thin ice with the higher-ups already. Aris glances around at the spot he had been instructed to arrive at and notices the figure of a man slumped over on the ground with a beer in hand. Aris rubs the frown off of his face and replaces it with an effortless smile before striding towards the person and stopping behind him.[break][break]

"You Bryan?"[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + bryan delarosa [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","milkcredit"]milky

[attr="class","header"]let it show, shine

[attr="class","setting"]

Aris doesn't want to fight. He doesn't need to fight, but that doesn't mean he can't. Battles are a waste of time in his opinion, but Temp has been getting into his head by constantly pestering him about the importance of battling skills.[break][break]

So, Aris finds himself in a public dojo at Sootopolis after his recent visit to HQ. His tongue absentmindedly pokes at the new scar running over his lips as he pets the Houndour sitting on his lap.[break][break]

He doesn't participate; he would never, not at the risk of publically humiliating himself. It's enough to simply sit and observe those who enjoy getting their asses handed to them in front of other people, because by observing, Aris can pick up on some tips and tricks on how not to do that.[break][break]

Who needs practice?[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Yujin Ha [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let it show, shine

[attr="class","setting"]

The atmosphere at the club tonight is a bit different than what it usually is.[break][break]

Though the chandeliers shine the same and bathe the room in a soft golden light, and the stage at the far left side of the room holds a live band like it always does, the classical music that wafts the air is less upbeat and more elegant than the modern artists usually performing for the audience. The walls of Icarus are decorated with flowers and vines imported from exotic locations for the sake of display. The marble floors, clear of its usual furniture, are draped in velvet carpets as they guide the crowd of distinguished guests and accompanying Pokemon hiding behind luxury fabric and gem-encrusted masks. The staff walking around the establishment wear black vests and matching masks.[break][break]

It makes Aris sick to his stomach, but he has a role to play, and today it's to be host to some filthy rich executive's birthday celebration as if her ego isn't swelling out of her wallet already.[break][break]

His ensemble is not unlike the guests swarming his club. A dark, silken coat adorns his shoulders as it compliments the golden shirt he wears underneath, unbuttoned and exposing some of his skin. A white feather sits pinned against one side of his chest and a golden mask covers half his face. There was a time in his life when he could barely fathom being part of such luxury.[break][break]

Nalia, his Houndour, sits obediently beside Aris' feet as she looks around the sea of hidden faces. Her master is currently engaged in conversation with one of the guests. Though he considers himself a social man, there's just something about these snobby assholes that makes Aris question that part of himself. To be quite honest, he's only present at this event out of obligation and responsibility.[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + DAMIEN RUSSO [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","milkcredit"]milky

[attr="class","header"]let it show, shine

[attr="class","setting"]

The sarcasm couldn't have been more obvious. Aris knows his excuse is a bit of a stretch, but he isn't going to give up on the lie so soon.[break][break]

"Of course." He complies with the officer's request and pulls an ID out of his pocket, adjusting the Pokemon in his arm before presenting it to the man. "As I said before, I'm still in training so I don't have a certificate for that," Aris explains politely. Cato might be a pain in the ass for a roommate, but his forgery skills are something Aris can trust.[break][break]

"I hope this suffices, Mr...?"[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Guillermo Marceliño [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]let it show, shine

[attr="class","setting"]

"It's alright, Nalia, you can relax," Aris chuckles lightly and kneels down to beckon the Houndour towards him. Nalia throws a final, low growl towards the party before trotting back and nuzzling her snout against Aris' hand. "Sorry about that, she's just protective."[break][break]

He stands up, Nalia now held comfortably in his hands, and he glances at the warning signs. "I did," Aris looks back at the man and smiles. "But my curiosity got the best of me. I'm training to be an engineer, you see, so I couldn't help but notice that this one sounds different than the rest." He nods towards the turbine behind him.[break][break]

It's a bald-faced lie, of course; Aris doesn't even have a middle-school education, much less a university degree, but this stranger doesn't need to know that. A lie is something he's more than comfortable with telling.[break][break]

"There might be a problem with the generator in there."[break]

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Guillermo Marceliño [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"]