gaelxdevries

[gaelxdevries]

Ronnie clicked her tongue, slow and unimpressed. “Orthopedic shoes and a meeting? Gael, are you trying to seduce me or just remind me you’re aging like a fine tax bracket?”

She didn’t mind that he turned away for a second—she knew he’d swing back around. He always did. That was the dance. The push-pull, the needle and the thread, him pretending she’d crossed a line just so he could step over it himself a second later.

At his question, she made a show of checking an imaginary watch. “Well, now that I know you’re too busy being a very important man in orthopedic footwear, I’ll pencil you in… never.” A beat, then she grinned. “Or, you know. Whenever I feel like ruining your schedule again.”

She stood, stretching her arms overhead with a lazy ease. “Enjoy the meeting,” she added, like she almost meant it, then winked and turned toward the exit, her voice trailing behind her like the snap of a fuse just starting to burn, “Don’t work too hard. It’s bad for your hair.”

END

[gaelxdevries]

Glimmer of amusement flickered in his eyes as the folders were thrown down in front of him, already sensing that whatever his contracts manage was about to divulge would be far from boring. He let her talk, flicking lazily through the file as the blonde spun him the tale and earned an amused huff from him. "Two of them eloped together with the third as their witness and lived happily ever after?" Head shook at his own suggestion, as though he could do better. "No, wait. I got it - started some kind of cult? Or formed another MLM scheme, same thing." The file was closed with a kind of finality, contrasting to the languid shrug that accompanied his later suggestions. He knew exactly what fate had met the wives but it was always more fun to pretend that life was more ridiculous than a man just killing off each of his ex wives to avoid paying alimony. "Vegas is fine, wouldn't take more than a couple hours to recall them." Fingers drummed on the desk, running through various scenarios in his head before he spoke again. "International's fine too, just try to not have more than three out of the country for the time being."

FOR: @gaelxdevries LOCATION: gael's office.

Once he'd given her the nod to get on with it, three folders were tossed onto his desk, discarded as if they were an after thought as she plopped into the seat opposite him. “All three of these guys are fucking morons. That file in the middle - he's wanting to take out his first wife and then, get this, his fifth wife after that. Tell me, would you, what happened to the three wives in the middle?” With a slight cant of her head as if to say go figure, she returned her attention back to the business side of it all. "Anyways, wanted you to give the green light to send an agent out of state for this. Wife number 5 likes 'business trips' to Vegas. Figured it'd be a good place to hit." Though she’s entirely aware of the fact Gael handed her the free will with planning of this sort, with all the chaos happening in the city, Alix wanted to ensure this was done through peace of mind on both their parts.

[gaelxdevries]

Lasting bonds weren't exactly something that he had a wealth of, or even something that he had gotten good at making. Ties were hard to form when he had to summon the energy to care about people and then there was the fact that they were mostly a bad idea for business. Could hardly run a faction full of assassins if he got himself all overly attached. Who wanted a gun for hire when they'd hesitate while pulling the trigger?

But León had made himself an anomaly. Probably through nothing more than the lingering feeling of closeness that their years of forced proximity had given him. Even years later still feeling connected to the man he'd spent so many hours, weeks and months in the company of. But the bond endured, enough that no matter how distant they got he'd still count him among the people who knew him best. "Trouble? I was going for danger. Or even dashing. Sounds like I might have to switch up my cologne."

There was an easiness to their interactions, having learnt each others peculiarities and way of dealing with things. It was rare that he wasn't relaxed in an interaction ( caring very little did that for you ) but his muscles were a little looser, a little less ready to spring around León. "Your words, not mine." Lips curled up into a smirk as he continued to walk into the garage. He should have checked in sooner, he supposed, by the metric of anyone else's requirements for friendships at least. But even if he was late, he was still there and potentially bearing gifts. "Both. Wanted to see how you're doing. And maybe talk a little business."

who: @gaelxdevries where: velocity motors

León didn’t look up when the door creaked open. Just kept sanding down the edges of a dented fender, back turned, music low and scratchy over the old speaker in the corner. “Unless you're here to drop off a ’69 Chevelle and a six-pack, shop's closed,” he said, voice even, though the corner of his mouth twitched like it was thinking about a smile. Only then did he glance over his shoulder—just long enough to clock the figure in the doorway and shake his head, something dry and amused cutting through the usual weight in his chest. “Shit. Thought I smelled trouble.”

He tossed the sanding block onto the workbench and wiped his hands on a rag that was probably doing more harm than good. The bruise on his ribs protested as he moved, but he ignored it like he had everything else these past few days. If Gael noticed, he could keep it to himself. “What, Nightshade need help crackin' skulls? Or you just slummin’ it today?”

Despite the jab, there was warmth under the words—the kind that only came from someone who knew what it meant to sleep one bunk apart from you for three years straight. Who saw your worst and didn’t flinch. Who earned the kind of loyalty you don’t hand out unless it’s carved from blood and time. León leaned back against the bench, arms crossed. “You want something,” he added, tone lighter now but sharp around the edges. “Or you here to make sure I haven’t finally gotten myself killed?”

[gaelxdevries]

He'd never been in the habit of checking in on the members of his association just for the sake of checking in. There'd always been an unspoken understanding that they'd been recruited because of their abilities and he expected them to do their job without any hand holding. He liked to know what was going on, that it was all running smoothly, but rarely felt the need for anything close to a wellness check.

So the text he'd sent to his weapons dealer had been purely business, a need to discuss with her what he had plans for in the future and he role in it all. "All up to the usual standards?" Brow raised, knowing that if her answer was anything but an affirmative he'd rectify it immediately. He couldn't claim to know Miray all that well but she was a woman of few words in his experience and so used his to get straight to the point. "That's why I've got you here. The way things are going business could end up booming. Wanted to know if you needed any other resources - an extra pair of hands, help streamlining things or something else. And even if things don't kick off I still want us shifting more."

@gaelxdevries

Location: Where Nightshade meets at or whateva

Miray rarely bothered herself with visits to the office, because why subject herself to pointless small talk when solitude was far more appealing? Besides, she usually had Alix with her so she didn't have to do much of the conversing. Besides, she couldn't make her sells while there. But, Gael had called and asked her to stop by, and Miray liked to accommodate, at least she did when it suited her.

"This week's shipment has already been unloaded and checked." She announced casually as she walked into his office, assuming that's what he wanted to talk about. "Don't know about next week's. Haven't got that far."

[gaelxdevries]

He was almost impervious to her eye rolls now, only wondering if she ever got a headache from how frequently they were aimed at him. "Wouldn't have to be if you could take a hint. Or even a direct statement." He'd never been a man of particular subtlety, after all, a blunt openness so often underlining any interaction he had. But Jack never had been able to take anything lying down, combatative to her core. It was a trait he could summon up some kind of admiration for, likely what had draw him to recruit her in the first place, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it every minute of every day. Sometimes it was nice for things to be easy and she had a way of making almost everything ( aside from her contribution to Nightshade ) hard. Though when the bottle of vodka hit the bar, he almost retracted that notion. "Yeah, yeah. We both know you're brutally competent. Not about to heap any more compliments onto that ego of yours though so if it's praise you're after you'll have to find it elsewhere." He wasn't about to wax lyrical about someone just for doing their job well, felt too much like the bare minimum. His standards were high and she met them but it didn't deserve a song and dance in his book. Brows rose at her statement of her asking for something, pausing long enough that he expected some kind of answer. Instead she just told him about her friend, something that sounded an awful lot like occupational hazard. Their line of work didn't have a guarantee of survival. Though he suspect he already knew, he wanted her to put it plainly. "So what exactly are you asking?"

The roll of her eyes isn't something that she made any effort to hide. Too long now had she grown used to Gael and his rather potent ability to underline everything with a reminder that he was in charge. Were it anyone else, she might have imitated a rather gesting yawn, however there was no part of Jack that wanted any part in leading anyone else. Should the need arise - she'd torn apart one empire already, what was a second one under her belt? "God, you're like a broken record sometimes. No alternate reality, that was my way of asking what the fuck is going on.... -"And where he never let his authority slide, she never allowed herself to be backhanded into submission. "You know, that's not a kink of mine, but I get why you'd make that kind of assumption." A subtle nod towards the barkeep brought forth two shot glasses and a chilled bottle of vodka. "Oh, plenty. See, the difference between me and ... the rest of them, is that I'm actually somewhat competent, so I don't need to be working to keep up with the interest twenty-four seven. The system I've got works for me, and in turn, you." It's a swift reminder that he didn't trust her with the job for no reason at all. "Every move? No," a shrug of single shoulder as she untwisted the cap from the cold bottle of liquor, "If that was what I wanted, I'd have broken into your place - but here I am. Asking for something." A pause, "Hey boss, how are you? Doing well, are you boss?" Another moment" "They killed my best friend."

[gaelxdevries]

"Means they're already years ahead of us then." The feeling of playing catch up wasn't one he relished, only making him all the more determined to find some kind of way to close the gap. Nod of agreement was given to what the Don was saying, the Hollow seemingly content to force them all to do their dirty work. "Doesn't benefit me to go to war with anyone." It was a statement of fact, one he doesn't bother to elaborate when it'd be an insult to both their intelligences. Didn't take a genius to work out that neutrality and the ability to sell to everyone benefited arms dealers. But he'd meant it as some kind of reassurance, reaffirming the fact that there was a tentative agreement. That he wasn't about to pull the trigger on any kind of feud, at least not without some huge moves being made.

He leaned in slightly, elbows propping on the desk as he thought aloud. "I'd kill to know their motive. Do they wanna create a power vacuum they can step into? Is it some kind of vendetta or do they just wanna clean the city up." A beat and then he shrugged, deciding that his curiosity could be set aside, refocusing himself before he got lost in his own tangent. "Outcome's still the same whichever, I guess. I'll work on convincing who I can and seeing what I can dig up. Even with all that planning no one's perfect, they'll slip up soon enough."

There was a simple nod on Nico's behalf, it was enough in his mind to show acknowledgement. He knew what Gael was capable of - he hadn't ever yet doubted the man. Though that didn't mean he was going to take a little off track drive into his methods of persuasion. This wasn't necessarily Nico being rude, it was him being himself. He already knew they'd land in the same place, however, so there was never much point in adding to unless he disagreed.

"It's calculated - it's years in the making," the secrets, the work it would have taken to pull off their initial first strike told Nico they weren't playing with an amateur. "I'd say they want us to do the work for them, empire's usually fall from the inside, right? Like you said, hollow's got them scared - got me thinking if there's some stupid fucker out there willing to let it control them. The moment we start going at each other's throats, is the moment they win." it was food for thought, it was what Nico believed. Though that didn't mean he'd let any action against The Family slide for the greater good - if somebody made a move against his organisation, he had no problem removing them from the board altogether.

[gaelxdevries]

There was amusement in his gaze as he listened to her list the things she'd hallucinate about him but he chooses to let them slide. He was pretty sure it was only his feelings that would get hurt if they started going back and forth about just whether his hair needed any kind of improvements. "Ever heard of protesting too much?"

He laughed, loud and brief. A startling sound to some but one she was used to. "And the half makes all the difference." Eyes rolled slightly, teasing her adamant inclusion of an extra few years. "Nice to know you see orthopedic shoes as a marker of wisdom. I'll wear some next time I've gotta convince you of something. Wouldn't be able to argue then."

At the mention of her cat he immediately looked unconvinced, brows knitting together in a confused frown when he could barely understand her devotion. Fingers snapped before he pointed at her, finger waving up and down as he put the puzzle pieces into place. "I knew I recognised him from somewhere."

Eyes narrowed, him twisting on his chair to angle himself away from her briefly as though she'd displeased him enough that he wanted to impose some kind of distance. It barely lasted though, a glance over his shoulder to make the point of his disgruntledness known. "I don't like that you're implying that I'm not always wearing something sharp." But barely a beat later he was turning back to her, as though hearing more about the woman convinced him to stick to his suggested plan when in reality he knew he'd struggle to deny her anything. "So when we going?"

For a man who didn't hesitate, he almost did then. But instead he answers on a reflex, dismissing the invitation this time lest they fall into too much of a pattern. "Too busy." This time at least. Or maybe just too close to crossing the line that she'd drawn. But he softens the rejection, hidden within it the silent suggestion of ask me again another time. "Got some things to chase up and then there's a meeting."

“I hallucinate you?” she echoed, nose scrunching like she’d just smelled something foul in the philosophical nonsense he was peddling. “Please. If I had that kind of imagination, I’d at least give you better hair. Maybe a tragic scar. Or a mysterious twin. Something to make the internal drama worthwhile.”

Her boots thunked lightly against the table leg as she slouched deeper into the chair like gravity itself had just given up on her spine. “And for the record, it was two and a half decades ago, thank you very much. And Miss Traynor wore orthopedic shoes and chain smoked Virginia Slims—she knew things.”

The eye roll he gave Adam Driver didn’t go unnoticed, and Ronnie gasped in mock offense, hand dramatically clutching her chest. “Unbelievable. That’s my son you’re talking about.” Then, with a little shrug and no sincerity at all: “Not his fault he looks like a Tim Burton sketch that gained sentience.”

But she quieted as he examined the device again, and she watched—because she always watched, no matter how often she pretended not to. The quiet between them wasn’t tense. It never was. It just was, and that felt like its own kind of trust. When he finally spoke again, incredulous at her retelling of the Whole Foods shaman saga, she spread her hands innocently. “Hey, I didn’t make the rules. Apparently carnivore privilege is a real systemic issue in the animal wellness space.” A pause. “But yes. Hostile takeover. Wear something sharp. You know I like a man who threatens medical-grade aromatherapy. — Yeah, that was another one of her beliefs.”

She didn’t say thank you when he gave the green light. She didn’t have to. The way her hands moved instantly—tucking the prototype back into her bag like it had suddenly tripled in value—spoke for itself. Instead, after a long beat, she asked without looking at him, “You want me to pick up Thai on the way back, or are we pretending we’re both too busy for dinner again?”

[gaelxdevries]

Santiago Cabrera as Amat in TIERRA DE MUJERES Season 1

[gaelxdevries]

SANTIAGO CABRERA as Cristóbal Rios Star Trek: Picard (2020) Season 1 Episode 3: “The End Is the Beginning”

[gaelxdevries]

Peter Gadiot as James Valdez in season 3 of Queen Of The South

[gaelxdevries]

Nod was given to the Don's confirmation that he had other contacts. Despite how much his curiosity wanted to pry he let the matter rest. They had to invest in some kind of trust in each other, after all, he wasn't about to risk burning bridges by not showing the same respect he'd expect to receive. "Maybe." He shrugged. "I've been known to be occasionally charming." Smirk flickered over his lips, not caring that his last foray into humour had been ignored. It wasn't for anyone else but himself. "Or at least able to argue the case it'd be in their best interests too."

There was a quiet consideration for a moment, debating just how far he'd go. Not a true debate though, when he always knew he'd do whatever it took. "But it's not like that's the only method of persuasion at our disposal." Though he wouldn't hesitate to use the threat he was alluding to, there was still a reticence to just yet. At this point it'd be easier to win people over with a shared goal, rather than setting them on edge and making it a competition of who they were more scared of - him or the Hollow.

Fingers drummed lightly on the desk as he processed his own thoughts, leaning back in the chair a few moments later. "The sooner we can figure it out the sooner we can root them out." An obvious statement, maybe, but the closest thing to a plan they had right now. "You think it's a chaos for chaos' sake situation?" Some men did just want to see the world burn but he wasn't convinced that was the case here. "Seems to calculated to me for that."

Gael's attempt at a small quip had Nico raise his brows lightly - not even enough to note, still, he registered the humour with a lack of willing to respond to it. Those seconds ticked by and he's bypassed it completely, it's not because he doesn't know how to return, it's because he can't be bothered. At least not in this specific moment. "Yeah I do." he offered, letting the other know that he did have connections. Clearly having no intentions of letting him in on those - but it was the answer that counted, right?

"You think you can sway them?" he asked, to those that were scared of the current threat looming over across them all. Nico didn't get it - to be scared - and everyday, despite how twisted, it made sense to him to way his father had brought him up. It was like he had raised Nico knowing something similar would happen one day. Or, maybe he was just an insane as Enzo Barone.

"Don't think they're stopping until they get what they want," he mentioned, mostly because that was what he believed, "Still trying to figure out what that is." everybody had a reason, and Nico was more than set on finding out what it was.

[gaelxdevries]

He laughed, though there was no humour in his tone, it serving as more of an outlet for his frustration at just how ridiculous their exchange had gotten. Hand was rubbed over his face, as though that would help him summon the patience that would be needed to continue with the absurdity of what should have been a simple check in. A few questions and a few simple answers. "Enough." Clipped and sharp, any of the leeway he usually granted her evaporating as she chose to cash in a check he'd long considered paid off instead of take any kind of accountability. "We're not doing this anymore." It was getting them nowhere and he wanted nothing more than to draw a line under it before he felt the need to threaten something more drastic. "My focus would be solely on that if my assassin hadn't decided to go rouge for apparently no reason." Eyes were narrowed, a glare sent her way when he knew she was keeping something from him. "Next time you get bored find a more subtle way to entertain yourself. One that doesn't threaten to jeopardise anyone but yourself. Okay?" It was mostly rhetorical, an order rather than a question. Hand was held up sharply, cutting off whatever smartassed comment she no doubt had locked and loaded to shoot at him. "I don't want to hear anything else from you other than 'yes Gael' or I'll have Alix give every new contract we get to one of your colleagues." It was no idle threat, when they were all as qualified as each other it would be all too easy to have one of his other assassins do it. He'd bench her until she remembered which one of them was in charge.

Maybe her boss had a point, or at least he would have one if Tatiana's goal had been to start some sort of petty gang beef. Well, a fucking war would've broken out if she'd started that, and she was almost certain that Gael would've ended up hating that more than anything, but she decided to let him ramble anyways, figuring it would be impolite to interrupt him. But she did make a mental note to poison a punch bowl next time, should she really get bored and want to get people even more riled up. Once Gael finished, she hummed. "It sounds like you want me to come ask for permission to entertain myself, and I think we both know I'm not gonna do that. Ever." She pointed out, and after a whole decade together, Gael was insane to even suggest such. "What I did was harmless, and the real problem here is all of you dragging it out weeks later as if I'm the murderer taking out key gang members. All of you should probably be more focused on that, correct?" Tati suggested, not even biting back the annoyance in her tone now. "I feel like this is also time for my annual 'I saved your life' card. Wouldn't you say that I'm fucking amazing at taking care of myself and handling my business? As if I don't need you to smooth things over with the Kurtlar, people I'm actually friends with, right?"

[gaelxdevries]

He scoffed at her comment, the sound closer to a laugh than something actually disparaging. "Who told you that?" Brow raised but he continued before she could shoot back. "It doesn't count if it was one of your teachers two decades ago."

While he considered himself approachable enough as far as leaders went, he'd always made his boundaries clear. Watch their tone and no dropping by unannounced. But while he knew Ronnie respected him despite their banter, he'd always struggled to enforce the later. Impossible to establish a boundary when he had never really wanted there to be any limits their time together.

But despite his feelings on it, his eyes still narrowed at her words, head still shook in disagreement to the narrative she'd constructed. "See it's funny, I have zero memory of that conversation. You sure you're not just hallucinating me?" Smirk tugged at the edge of his lips as he leaned over the table, propping his chin up with his hand as though he couldn't wait for her reaction. "Living in your head rent free, imagining conversations that never happened."

Lips quirked once again as she waxed lyrical about her cat, eyes rolling slightly at her devotion to the creature. "Yeah, yeah. He could be all that but I don't think that's what's gonna go through their head. They're not gonna spend their last few seconds on earth reminding themselves that beauty isn't just skin deep."

He was quiet for a minute, attention taken by her newest creation before he felt compelled to pause, brow raising in disbelief at whatever exchange had happened between her and the crystal healer. "Carnivore privilege? Really?" Features screwed up, disapproval clear as he made an offer as though it'd be nothing for him. "I can make some time in my diary next week if we need to commit a hostile takeover of this clinic."

One last inspection of the device in his hand was given, before his verdict filled the air between them. "This is good. Start refining it." Nothing else needed to be said, she knew the drill and when to ask if she needed something.

“Bold of you to assume I haven’t already cried. I’m extremely well-rounded.” Ronnie didn’t flinch when his hands batted her feet off the desk; she just let them drop with a thud and sprawled even further back into the chair like she lived there. Which, given her habits, wasn’t entirely inaccurate.

“Also, let’s not rewrite history, Gael. You did have an open door policy. Specifically for me. I think the exact quote was—” she dropped her voice into a poor imitation of his tone, “‘Come and go as you please, Ronnie. My emotional boundaries are your playground.’” She gave him a wide, faux-innocent smile. “Maybe you were sleep-deprived. Or stupid. Or both.”

She watched him toy with the device she’d brought, her gaze flicking between his hands and his expression with a casual alertness—like she’d already spotted five ways to improve it, but was waiting to see if he’d say anything dumb before she gifted him with her genius.

When the jab about Adam Driver landed, her nose wrinkled in theatrical offense. “First of all, how dare you. Adam is a misunderstood prince. He is elegant. He is emotionally intelligent. He chirps when I’m sad.” She paused, cocking her head. “Also, he has seen hell. I adopted him from a vet clinic run by a woman who believed in crystal healing and used the phrase ‘carnivore privilege’ unironically.”

She let that sink in for a beat, then grinned. “So yeah, projecting his face to the enemy right before their world ends? I mean… poetic, right?”

[gaelxdevries]

Brow arched at the greeting he'd received when he'd approached one of his assassin, dry words that followed serving as a sort of caution for her. One that signalled he didn't appreciate being cut off before he'd even had chance to speak. "God forbid I take an interest in what my members are doing." He scoffed slightly as she complained about her boredom, wondering just why he kept hearing that phrase. Did they have some kind of hive mind he didn't know about? "You got to this age and never figured out how to entertain yourself?"

Still, despite the dryness he'd greeted her with he slid into the seat across from her, elbows propped on the table so he could close to distance between them in preparation for whatever she might have to share. "You hear anything good while you were 'doing what you're meant to'?"

@gaelxdevries

"Before you ask, I'm doing what I'm meant to be doing." Look pretty and entertain some people in the hopes of them being too drunk or too infatuated to control their mouth and what information came out of it. But frankly, she was getting bored now and was hoping to do what she was better at, which was putting an end to people who had gotten in their way. "I'm bored, though. So give me a hit list or at least someone more interesting to cozy up to so I can get their trust before...." Her thumb slid across her own neck.

[gaelxdevries]

Iron Sight Range with Aslan Soykan @aslansoykan

Unable to give himself any kind of permission to rest, Gael had long since established a kind of routine to ensure he felt that every minute of his time was filled with things that would benefit his organisation. Part of that was checking in on each of their businesses whenever possible, keen to be certain that there was nothing they could be doing better. He'd dropped by to the shooting range with the intention of only staying a few minutes, just long enough to ascertain there was nothing to concern himself over, but his plans quickly changed when he spotted who was making use of the facilities. As he leaned against a wall to wait for Aslan he pulled out his cigarettes, managing to get his lit just as he saw the other man approaching. Packet was extended out to the Kurtlar second. "Want one?" A peace offering but one he knows isn't needed, not since their brief text exchange confirmed that all was still well. It had been nothing more than emojis but they'd never needed anything else.

[gaelxdevries]

At her greeting his face instantly shifted into mock confusing, wondering just why they'd skipped the usual preamble that society deemed necessary. "Sorry, you've lost me. Did I step into some kind of alternate reality where you forgot that this wasn't a democracy? Or a kind of role reversal where you're the boss instead?" There'd always been a certain amount of leeway given to her, if only because she was so good at her job. But he had his limits. "Your boredom isn't my concern." Never had been, aside from what he asked of them their lives were their own, he wasn't about to become a babysitter just because they chose to twiddle their thumbs instead of finding another way to be productive. "You not got enough work? Last time I checked we always got interest in weapons." The notion that he'd been idle rankled him, an assumption he was quick to shut down. "Just because you're not privy to every move I make doesn't mean I'm not making them."

@gaelxdevries location: bourbon and smoke

"I hope this is good news," muttered in a sharp, quiet manner as she took up the barstool beside Gael. Jack was a lot of things, but patient certainly had never been one of them. Ironic, for a woman that preferred to toy with her food before pulling the trigger. Dark and twisted, she'd decided there and then that the city was too quiet - that being on the tail end of a maniac didn't suit her and she and the people she knew, were much better at such a game. "I'm tired of sitting on our fucking hands, Gael." it wasn't so much a complaint as it was a ironclad statement. She'd long since found a place among the Nightshade, and though she'd certainly proven time and time again that they wouldn't agree on everything - there were a few things he could always count on her to do. Chaos, for certain. "Tell me this isn't the plan for much longer, I almost considered slicing my own finger off yesterday, just for the excitement."

[gaelxdevries]

Sip Happens with Elena Cavallaro @lcststops

As someone who'd practised keeping a safe distance from others since childhood, never in one place long enough to form any kind of strong bond, it had been all too easy for him to continue this trend throughout the rest of his life. It almost came naturally at this point. The habit leant itself well to his role as leader, keeping himself apart from those around him, still able to view things through the clinical, cold lens that was necessary as someone who had to make the tough calls. He'd done it for years, easily, so why was he struggling with it so much now? Gaze kept drifting to the woman down the bar. The one who looked like she'd had to relive everything bad that'd ever happened to her. And he just couldn't bring himself to leave, for once unable to make the smart choice. There were too many feelings and emotions for him not to feel like he would be abandoning her, even if he had been the one who'd chosen to attempt to be a stranger to her. Throat cleared slightly to get her attention, a quick, subtle raise of his finger to indicate to the bartender he'd take another. "Bad day?"