44 BELOW bathed in CRIMSON lighting as glitter adorns CRUSHED velvet seats. the music DEAFENING as he tries to CONCENTRATE , the headache PALPABLE as he reaches for water. YES he’s aware that the music isn’t AS clamorous as it might’ve been had they been in the ICEBERG LOUNGE. in truth the music is a LIGHT undertone, though he’s SENSITIVE to such things. ‘ this guy is too fuckin’ much ’ tonight he’s under the GUISE of malone, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎’𝚜 𝙶𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙴𝙵𝚄𝙻 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚗𝚒𝚡 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚘 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝. ‘ look at him ! ’ nods to the right as some SKEEZY politician has their hands all over penguin’s CHOSEN ANGELS who get to work the club , PUSH drops if needed. ‘ fuck ’ HE NEEDS to reign in anger, to HARNESS words for he’ll TIP the scale, and then blow BOTH their covers. ‘ i know, i know ’ realizing that he’s getting too emotional, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙽𝙸𝚇 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚝𝚎𝚍𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝’𝚕𝚕 𝙿𝚄𝚃 𝙷𝙸𝙼 𝙱𝙰𝙲𝙺 𝙸𝙽 𝙿𝙻𝙰𝙲𝙴.
currently they’re looking for DROPS, not to actually CONSUME but to get a LAY of the land, who does what and WHEN. the club an HOMAGE to corruption and EXCESS. two things he hates. LEG bounces as JAW is clenched. ‘ those back rooms ’ TURNS towards her as the DARK lighting lends shadows to their CONVERSATION or PERHAPS THEY JUST BEND TO HIS WILL. ‘ 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 ’ she instead brings something NEW to the table, says something that while DISTANTLY connected to conversation throws him.
[ ‘ i never learned to lose a fight. ’ @banschivs ]
there’s the knit of brow as he then looks at her with DETERMINATION. perhaps she doubts his abilities , his need to become something GREATER. ‘ i know what you’re doing puts you at a risk . . . probably doesn’t get me points for putting you in danger ’ OF COURSE alluding to arthur, 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝙽𝙴𝚅𝙴𝚁 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚟𝚞𝚕𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎, and he TRULY believes that she can take care of herself. that when it would CALL for them to have one another’s back that she would more than RISE to the occasion. though ? he doesn’t want it to COME to that. ‘ do you remember your first fight ? ’