forum las vegas lights // oxo // closed

Started January 22, 2022 by @larcenistarsonist group

tune

"Please, if anything, I'm Mister Darcy and you're Elizabeth," Felix snorts and shakes his head. To be honest, Felix has only ever seen the Pride and Prejudice movie once, and that was when Rhyda wanted to have a movie night (which is honestly just her way of saying she needs a major-motion-picture-length amount of time to just vent constantly while Felix tries to watch whatever's playing on their tiny television set). Rhyda had blabbed all through it and Felix was only half listening to her and half listening to the movie. Felix remembers vaguely trying to read the book once because his ex loved those types of romantic classics, but the words just ended up swimming from page to page and Felix gave up. He just knows vaguely that there's some romance, a guy pining for a girl, and something about property and inheritance. 

The concert hall–or just glorified warehouse if Felix is being real–is fairly simple. A big floor, a raised stage, a hanging u-shaped balcony that stretches around the perimeter. They call it the VIP section, but Felix knows the best seats are down on the floor. There's a bar in the back corner near the entrance, a small office where the security personnel works out of next to the doors. And then behind the stage is a large dressing-room-type-room with big mirrors and plenty of fancy couches that were bought for fairly cheap from Goodwill. With a piece of printer paper and a pencil, Felix should have it all drawn out by tonight. Abel's supposed to be coming by, which is nice. It's been a long while since Felix has gotten some quality one-on-one time with his buddy. 

With a smile, Felix accepts the drawing. "Why thank you, good sir," he says with a horribly fake accent. He laughs a little before returning to his usual tone. "I'll be back later, alright. I'll text you?" With his free hand, he points at Damian's chest. Something in Felix's eyes soften just slightly as he looks up to Damian's eyes. "How bout a good-bye kiss?" he asks, almost shyly from how his voice drops to just a whisper.

To be honest, Damian had only read Pride and Prejudice twice in high school (once to help tutor someone) and never picked it up again. He only saw the movie because his dads wanted to go see it. Why they dragged him to see it was beyond his knowledge. Then he saw it a million more times because both Areum and his older sister loved the movie too. The detective would be lying if he said that he didn't like either the book or the movie. He always thought himself to be a Mister Darcy type one way or another. Of course, he couldn't argue with Felix either.

It's not like he could argue with the guy anyways. The moment Felix snorted, he lost whatever argument he was about to use. It truly was surprising how easy it was for him to just lose every single thought he had all because Felix would look in his direction or do something as simple as shaking his head.

Damian looked back to where his room was. From there he could hear the little devils babbling on the phone. He laughed, "Sure, let's hope I'll get my phone back before then." Then he lifted Felix's chin and gently pressed his lips against his. He leaned in before breaking it off a few seconds later. After taking a breath, he whispered right into Felix's ear, "You'll have to come back if you want seconds, okay?"

He kissed the side of Felix's cheek then strolled over towards the sofa. The blanket he laid out last night was wrinkled and bundled up. Damian began to neatly fold it while humming to himself.

Even though Felix never considered himself one for liking kids, he has to admit their incessant babbling and ease around their father is… cute. He's glad that there are some kids that are able to grow up without fearing their father's anger, without worrying about closing doors too loudly or speaking too much. They're toddlers, for Christ's sake. Felix is happy for them. Happy that they don't have to endure what he had from such a young age. They don't deserve pressure from their families. They shouldn't ever have to worry about making everyone proud all the time and deal with every single repercussion because they fall short. They should never have to worry about running around on the streets at sixteen with nothing but a pocketful of stolen cash and the clothes on their backs. They should grow up right. Damian is just the man to ensure that happens.

Felix leans into the kiss, but it's hard to fully accept it from the way that he's smiling. The detective's lips are shockingly soft and slightly intoxicating, but just for this visit, Felix will keep it a little more safe for work. (That doesn't stop his mind from wandering ever so slightly, but he tries to shut them down for his own dignity. Key word: tries. His mental office filled with about four dozen tiny Felixes thoroughly enjoys torturing full-sized Felix.) "Trust me, I'll be back for more than just seconds." His smile grows impish, his eyes darkening ever so slightly.

Felix finds the door, slipping on his shoes he discarded the night before. His keys lay listlessly on the entry table. "I'll see ya' later tonight, doll!" Felix calls in the house, waving good-bye to the detective before exiting through the front door and walking to his car. It's parked… semi-decently, but with the rush Felix was in the night before, could anyone really blame him? With a sigh, Felix gets into the driver's seat and starts the vehicle, checking his mirrors like the good driver he is before pulling away. He already plans what he's going to say to his roommates and friends, the lot of them no doubt going to question him incessantly for his night.

The blanket slipped from his fingers. Strands of hair fell back as Damian looked up to give a wave. "See you then," He smiled before adding, "Drive safe." When the door closed, he fell onto the sofa while deeply sighing. In an instant, all he could hear was his heartbeat. His ears turned red. Reality had suddenly clicked in his mind. He just kissed Felix. That wasn’t the first time they kissed because they kissed last night too. The detective stood up as he tried to be normal. In this case, being normal meaning not freaking out or going over every minor detail.

The moment Felix closed the door, Thing 1 and 2 walked out from their dad' bedroom. Mina was held the phone with both hands, keeping it close to her chest. Adonis happily skipped over to his dad. From the phone, they could hear faint classical music and cars honking in the background along with a man humming. Thing 1 and 2 stopped, but Thing 1 held up the phone to her dad.

Damian heard an old man's voice on the phone ask, "¿Por fin tienes jaño? ¿Una jaña?" The detective looked down at his daughter holding up the phone. Sunlight hitting the screen made it difficult for him to see, but he knew who it was. Taking the phone, Damian walked over towards the window to watch as Felix drove away. "Ya verás papá. Ya verás." He hung up the video call.

The two little precious demons were sitting on the sofa. Mina was sitting upside-down while Adonis had the blanket around him like a cloak. The little prince's brown eyes squinted as he smirked, "You like Felix, don't you?" Damian stood with his hands on his hips, watching as his kids were giggling at him. For only being four, he swore those two were geniuses. Weird but genius nonetheless.

The rest of Felix's morning is, well, not uneventful, but nothing that he feels entirely significant to note. He gets home and is instantly berated with questions from Rhyda. She throws a sock at his head (with aim a little too good coming from a totally blind woman) and asks what base he got to and Felix rolls his eyes and picks up the laundry. Jackpot scuttles up his leg and nips at his ear. He finally unmutes the group chat and agrees to a group call to fill them in on everything that happened (nosy bastards). Shea has her phone a little too close to her face, glimpses of taps and bottles behind her showing that she should be working instead of getting the details of Felix's love life. Grace is in her garden, covered in only a little dirt. On her day off, Pazia is laying on the couch, but her attention is clearly on something else outside of the frame. Abel's frame is almost entirely black, just a few shadows of leaves and stalks signalling they're stuck in their musty shop. Rhyda technically doesn't even need to be on the call granted she is sitting five feet away from Felix, but she's still there, her camera not even close to her face and instead pointed right at the ceiling fan.

After finally explaining everything that had happened (more than once because Shea wasn't listening the first time), Felix ends the call and drops his phone on the couch. He busies himself in the kitchen, starting up some lunch that he knows Rhyda will appreciate–oh, wait–speaking of his roommate. "Hey, Rhy?" He calls, glancing behind him to find her scanning through some history book translated to braille. She makes a noise. "What did you want to tell me earlier?"

"Hmm?" She raises an eyebrow. "What did I want to tell you…. oh, yeah–" She sits up, wild red hair curtaining her face and shoulders. She reaches to a new cord around her neck, a similar looking one to the one that holds her antique dog tags. She pulls it out from under her shirt, a simple, gleaming gold ring strung through the leather band. "I'm getting married."

And Felix chokes on his spit. "What?" He shouts. "You wanted to ask me about my own sad love life when you just got engaged? Holy shit–" He drops his spatula and scrambles to sit next to Rhyda on the couch. He holds the ring up to the light. "Damn, Rhy, this has so many carats in it–when did Art propose?"

"Last night," Rhyda answers with a yawn. Felix's mind is spinning. How can she be… be so nonchalant about getting fucking engaged? "Lemme know when lunch is ready." And then she goes back to her book– Oh my god. Holy shit. What. Felix blinks at his roommate, slowly standing and making his way back to his sizzling skillet. As soon as the meat is well cooked and off the heat, he whips out his phone and finds the first contact in his messages (well, after the group chat, of course).

dearest damian i just discovered my roommate is engaged and is going to get married soon and she is??????? completely causal about this all omfg would you be interested in attending as my +1 i need someone there to keep me stable and my friends do the opposit eof that and then he presses send without thinking anything else about it.

It took Damian twenty minutes to reel in everything that had happened since yesterday. He hadn't been so dejected from reality since Areum passed away and the twins were born. Not that processing was always a bad thing for him or anything, but his mind needed it in order to go on with the day. Seriously though, he couldn't believe everything that had happened. Although, he barely remembered anything from the time they were in Abel's shop to when they went to pick up the twins. Things like that always made him questioned whether or not he was a good detective, whether he should continue or quit.

Oh well. It didn't matter. Not now at least. He couldn't even stand sitting and relaxing on the sofa. The man got dressed, cleaned the whole house, and eventually took the kids so he could get the car. Once he turned the key in the ignition, they continued running errands. That's how Damian relaxed: running one errand after another. If there was one thing he was terrible at, it was relaxing. There's gotta be something he has to do at every single moment.

He took the little monsters to an Asian mart. Mina sat in the seat in the grocery cart while Adonis waddled beside Damian. Thing 2 held Damian's phone where he created a grocery list out of pictures. The little one would help find and get things while Mina would be on the lookout for whatever her brother couldn't see from his height.

As they neared the rice bags, Adonis bolted towards them. With his dad's phone in one hand, he lightly slapped every bag of rice he could. Damian got Mina from the seat so she could do the same. When they were both done, it was Adonis's turn to be on lookout. As he was about to hand the phone to his sister, he saw a message appear on the screen. With two hands, he lifted the phone up to his dad, "I think someone texted you."

First Damian placed his son in the grocery kart seat, then he took the phone. "Thank you, Your Highness," He smiled before giving his son a kiss on the cheek. It was a text from Felix. After opening it, he read it over a few times. Rhyda was getting married and Felix was asking him to be his plus one. Although he rolled his eyes at being called "Dearest Damian," he still smiled at the text.

Sure, I'd love to be your +1. Just send me the details, and I'll get a suit ready. :) After pressing send, he went back to the picture grocery list then handed the phone to Mina. She gave her dad a smile then the three Maes returned to grocery shopping.

Felix stares at the affirmative response for a moment, just to make sure that he's read it correctly, and then sends back a singular thumbs-up emoji because that just happens to be his mental state. Okay. Okay. This is all good and fine and dandy–"Who else have you told?" Felix pipes up after transferring his meat to a dish. The rice cooker beeps at him. He checks to make sure he has all decent toppings appropriate for simple rice bowls. He doesn't really have the energy to make anything else.

"Uhhh—" Rhyda sets her book down and sits up. "I think I've told the others but I dunno." She shrugs and stands and Felix wants to explode. Rhyda is talking about the potentially most important day of her life coming up and she is speaking of it like it's something as entirely ordinary as the weather. "Arti wants to keep it kind of low-key." And low-key in Artemis's book is only a handful of explosives, a couple of motorcycles, and a street race to end the day. Felix drags his hands over his face. Rhyda may not be able to see it, but she should at least be able to sense the energy. "I think she's only inviting her brothers and her friends from the shop." Right. The auto-body shop that Artemis runs with her four older brothers and a small group of women with questionable backgrounds. Felix doesn't necessarily judge knowing the background of his own friends. Plus, Art's friends are a good time. They always have the best liquor.

"You're way too casual about this," Felix notes, handing Rhyda a bowl and tapping the counter where the rice is. "Do you have the colors? The venue? The officiant? The date?"

Rhyda sighs, finding the rice spoon. "Dude. I got engaged yesterday. We'll be lucky if we even decide on the napkin color." She snorts. "I want army green." Because of course Rhyda wants a hideous color. "And Artemis wants, like, a magenta. We could always pair them together." And Felix could actually vomit. Rhyda may be blind and have the luxury of not bearing witness to the horrendous color combo, but everyone else doesn't quite have her luck. If Felix absolutely has to, he will take this wedding into his own hands. He planned Shea and Bianca's after all, and that turned out to not be terrible.

Luckily, Felix's phone pings right as he finishes dishing up. He expects it to be the detective, but it turns out to be just his buddy friend pal. The jacket is ready for Felix to pick up whenever. He'll probably head over after lunch and ask Abel if they've heard literally anything about Rhyda's recent engagement. Felix sends a quick update to Damian, telling him that he'll probably be over by dinner with the jacket and warehouse schematics.

Grocery shopping went as smoothly as it could have gone with two four year-olds. Oddly enough, they were rather quiet the whole time. Only when all the grocery bags and Maes were in the car did Damian get bombarded with questions. It was like Mina and Adonis had planned everything out.

"Are you and Felix boyfriend girlfriend?" Mina asked. Her question was followed by Adonis whispering, "Yeah, boyfriend girlfriend."

Damian tapped on the steering wheel. Some Korean pop song from the 2000s faintly played from the car speakers. He looked up into mirror, seeing as his little monsters were staring back, expectedly waiting for an answer. "Ummm…I think so. Yeah, although in this case, we're boyfriend and boyfriend," He explained. "Your Appa…Daddy…he sometimes dates a woman and then sometimes he might date a man. I married Eomma, but I loved some men and women before her. Right?"

The two thought about it for a bit, then they nodded. Mina then followed up with another question, "Yeah but like, are you going to marry him? Are you gonna marry Felix like you married Eomma?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. One day far down the road, I might marry Felix or maybe I'll meet someone else and marry them. We'll just have to wait and see."

The rest of the car ride was silent. All the groceries were put away and then it was time for him to make lunch. Thing 1 and 2 sat on the counter, watching him. This time it was Adonis who asked a question. "If you end up loving Felix, would you still love us, Daddy?"

Damian looked over his shoulder before turning around to face the demons that eat every single cookie they come across. "Look, I have loved you ever since the second Eomma told me that she was pregnant. You two are my top priority. I will always love you and no one's gonna take that away from the two of you, alright?" He kissed both of their foreheads then returned to cooking.

When his phone lit up, he looked over to see that it was Felix. He smiled as his face turned pink. Okay, just let me know when you're on your way. :) Damian hit send then sat the phone next to the ladybug and bat plates.

(this got so long im so sorry alsdfja absolutely NO PRESSURE to get anywhere near this length,,, i got away from myself with my blorbos,,,,,,,)

The rest of the day passes. Felix finds himself an (almost) blank notebook and immediately starts scribbling Rhyda's wedding plans for her. He'll ask a question over the volume of the fixer-upper HGTV show and Rhyda will respond in her casual lazy drawl. Felix will add her option to the bottom of his list containing his much better options. He had asked about a venue and she had shrugged and said Artemis's backyard. Her backyard!!? If Felix hadn't had a terrible luck with poker and a winning smile, he could surely be one of those insanely expensive wedding planners. Hell, he'll even plan birthday parties, bah mitzvahs, quinciñeras, divorce celebrations–literally anything people could celebrate, Felix is convinced that he could plan it better than they ever could. Shea's wedding was a hit, after all, even though most of them were far too drunk to remember the latter half of the night. Oh well. At least Abel, the only sober soul in the whole venue, managed to relay most of the details with only minimal laughter.

Well, speaking of Abel, the day is beginning to grow late. It's about four-thirty when Felix leaves his house, accounting for Vegas traffic and arriving at Abel's shop–Killer Fern–at roughly five-fifteen, only about forty-five minutes before closing. Felix parks next to a pair of black suburbans and enters the humid store, trying not to suffocate on the sheer amount of fog that hangs in the air. Abel is standing behind their register with a pair of large shears in their gloved hand. They're speaking rather terse with a few customers on the other end. Felix only catches a few words but he gets the gist. Apparently somebody wants a full refund for an entire order of plants that had died on them only two months after buying. They're convinced it's Abel's fault (though Abel is literally the best botanist in the Vegas area) and want a full refund of however many hundred dollars they spent.

Felix busies himself with staring at the rest of the plants in Abel's shop. They're all well taken care of, either stored in the darkness of the main room or stored in a twenty-four hour blue-light greenhouse just through a set of swinging double doors. The shop could've been a funky cafe before Abel took it over from how it's layed out. Eventually, the customers finally leave, looking far less happy than they should, and Felix finally approaches his friend.

"Oh my fucking God–" Abel mutters, letting their head fall to the marble countertop with a bonk. "You would think they would actually have the mind to read the care instructions, right?"

Felix laughs and shakes his head. "People will always surprise you with stupidity."

"Guess so." Abel sits up, slamming his sharp shears down on the counter. "Lets get that jacket of your friend's." Felix almost wants to correct Abel, but what would he even say? Erm, boyfriend actually– No. Abel would make fun of him for days. Abel disappears through a set of beaded curtains into some shadowy back, somehow even dimmer than the main store. Felix follows without being invited because of course he does. The jacket is laying on a card table, still half draped on a sewing machine. It's considerably more shiny and punk than before, even complete with a SCREW YOUR SYSTEM patch on the back. Felix could laugh granted that Damian is, well, part of the system. "Here ya' go. No charge, per usual, just make sure that it stays in decent shape. Always sucks when people break what I make."

And Felix accepts the jacket. He bids farewell to Abel and goes back out to his car, noting the time is just nearing six o'clock. Not quite dinnertime for Felix, but it could probably be dinner for someone of the likes of Damian Mae, the oldest thirty-four year old he's ever met. Almost on auto-pilot, Felix pulls out of Abel's parking lot and zones out the entire way to Damian's quaint house. He parks by the mailbox and exits the vehicle and finds himself at the front door for the second time in twenty-four hours.

(Lmao, it's fine! I'll probably write a bunch of stuff that might end up being lengthy.)

Damian spent the rest of the day by himself. Either on the sofa, catching up on his grad studies or his Interview with the Vampire book, or going the house doing more chores. He finally started to decorate the office. Really he only hung up an old Dracula movie poster because he spent an hour over analyzing where things should go.

By the time the poster was on the wall, the little demons had woken up from their nap and were already ready to raise hell. He never minded it though. Seeing them run around while screaming was one of his favorite things. Adonis was in his favorite Cinderella costume and Mina wore her little Batman cape. She used to wear the mask that came with it, but ever since she bumped her head while wearing it, Mina's been scared to wear it again.

He started to make dinner a little after 5:30. The only thing he could think of doing was leftovers. Rice, dinosaur chicken nuggets, vegetables…He was still tired from yesterday and couldn't think of what to make. Adonis was insistent on wearing his apron and chef hat along with the Cinderella dress and the tiara he found under the sofa minutes ago. Mina was very serious about Damian putting foods in the microwave. She said the word "careful" over thirty-five times.

By the time Felix showed up, Damian was in the middle of eating his own dinner. The kids were sitting on the sofa watching SpongeBob. He didn't notice the car outside till Adonis shouted, "Daddy, Felix is here! Felix your boyfriend, you know?"

Damian had no clue how his son knew given that the little prince's eyes were glued to the TV screen, but somehow the little prince knew. Mina was happily watching while clinging onto her bat stuffed animal. "Thank you, Your Highness," He whispered before kissing both of them on the head.

The door creaked as he opened it. Leaning against the side, he smiled at Felix. He knew that they only last saw each other hours ago, but he still was happy to see him. "Hey, did you have dinner? I can make something if you want something."

(alksdjf omg so sorry this has taken forever this last week has been insane)

Felix leans on the side of the house, inspecting his well taken care of nails in the evening light as he waits for the door to be opened. He first hears the familiar cadence of Damian's footsteps before the click of the lock. He straightens, stretching lazily as the door's opened in front of him. He smiles, lopsided and easy. "Evenin' doll," he greets taking a few steps forward to greet him with a gentle kiss. "I haven't eaten yet, but you don't have to worry about me." He was probably going to go through some drive-thru on the way home. Maybe scrape himself something together back at his apartment. He should probably go grocery shopping soon knowing they used the last of their rice and chicken for lunch. It also doesn't help that both he and Rhyda forget about their produce and only remember it when it goes bad in the back of their crisper.

Felix invites himself into the house, kicking off his shoes in the small entryway. The house smells like leftovers. Felix finds Damian's half-eaten plate still on the dining table. Mina and Adonis are on the couch, enthralled in a Spongebob cartoon playing on the television. "Did I interrupt your dinner?" Felix asks, raising an eyebrow and pointing half-heartedly to the plate. "Sorry bout that, darlin'," Felix grimaces though it's really more of an act than anything. It was dinner. Nothing that's, like, sacred or anything. He sets his bag–a plastic bag from Albertsons–down on the table beside Damian's dinner. "I also have your jacket. Abel said it doesn't cost anything." Felix should really do something to pay Abel back soon. They like ice cream, right? Maybe a visit to the local overpriced ice cream parlor would be a solid idea. Maybe they'll bring Shea along. It's been far too long since Felix has been able to do stuff with just those two, especially between Shea's full-time job, Shea's wife, Abel's jobs and hobbies, and Abel's recent condition. Something, something, something about cherishing his friends while they're here. The thought sounds frustratingly like a certain ex of his. One that he unfollowed and swore to move past.

"How's your day been?" Felix asks, closing the distance between him and Damian, loosely slinging his arms around the slightly taller man's shoulders. "Anything particularly exciting or shocking happen in the few hours of my absence?" He raises an eyebrow. "I bet you missed me terribly." An impish smile settles on his face. "Just like how much I missed you, doll." Yeah, so what if it's only been a few hours. Felix is proud to admit that he's currently falling deeply and deeply in love with the detective.

(It's all good! I appreciate you letting me know. I hope everything's less chaotic)

Between the kiss and greeting, Damian was frozen with nothing but a smile on his face. He could barely let out a word as he closed the door. There's no way he is going to let Felix come into his house and not eat. He'll have to give this man some leftovers. Maybe he can just cook something for Felix and get some tupperware. Regardless, he just cannot let Felix spend money when he can make the man food that would taste a million times better for free. Well, maybe not that amazing, but still.

He shook his head, "You didn't. Don't worry about it." Gently, he used his right hand to rub Felix on the shoulder. Seeing the plastic bag on the table, he tilted his head. What did Abel do to the jacket? Part of him wanted to go and pay Abel for all the trouble. The jacket and all. "Thanks," He said. His fingers drifted on top of the bag.

"Oh you…" Damian rolled his eyes. He couldn't lie. Even if they hadn't seen each other for a few hours, he still missed Felix. Not that he's saying it like he's some sort of Juliet or anything. It sure was something to hear Felix saying that he missed him. He leaned in to give the man a kiss on the cheek. "My day was okay. I did miss you, Felix, but I'm glad you're here now."

From the sofa, he could hear two little demons giggling. In the corner of his eye, he saw his twins watching them before quickly turning back around to face the tv. They still laughed, just not at the SpongeBob episode playing on screen.

"Earlier, those two asked me if we're boyfriend girlfriend," He whispered. Again, he leaned in to give Felix another kiss on the cheek. Damian couldn't help himself even though his kids were probably watching them again. "You sure you don't want some dinner? I can give you some to take home." For a few seconds, he brushed through Felix's hair while he had his head tilted.

The kiss on his cheek has him smiling ear-to-ear, even his rare dimples beginning to show. He places his hands on Damian's shoulders and sways them gently, some semblance of a slow dance or… something. "You're…" Felix starts, just happily staring into Damian's eyes for a moment. "You're such a nerd." He eyes the children that are poorly pretending to watch Spongebob and his smile grows just slightly. His eyes narrow just a little bit in thought. "Did you tell them we're boyfriend girlfriend?" And he would understand if he kept it from the kids. At least for now. This is all just as new to Damian as the kids. What if they ask questions like… well, is Felix trying to replace their mom? How the hell is Felix supposed to answer that?! Of course he's not. He's just. He's just Felix. The criminal who's working with the detective to catch a murderer. (One that may have Felix as a potential target, but Felix is pointedly trying not to think about it. He'll have to visit Miss Clyde sometime soon. She always seemed nice. Quiet, but nice.)

Felix stops their swaying to step away into Damian's kitchen. Sure, he never got explicit permission to be in there, but it's literally a kitchen. Felix can wander. He'll wander as much as he pleases. He lifts the lid to the pot sitting on the cooling stove, just to get a little peek at what's been cooking. "Smells good," he notes, putting the lid back on the pot. "You said you wouldn't mind if I had any, right doll?" He finds the plate cupboard on the first try. It wasn't like it would just move while he wasn't looking. Rice and vegetables. There are even a few leftover dinosaur chicken nuggets. Classy.

It's a fine dinner for a five-year-old (which there are two of, so Damian is easily outmatched), and Felix doesn't mind a little fine dining every now and then. He sits his plate beside Damian's on the table, already gesturing for the man to take a seat beside him. He reaches into the inside pocket of his large jacket, pulling out a few folded pieces of paper to set next to Damian's water glass. "I have the schematics for the warehouse. Ignore all of the party planning notes. It was the only document I could find and I didn't have the energy to remove all of it." Notes in Shea's signature purple pen are scrawled in all of the margians with arrows pointing every which way. "There's a VIP walkway up top with the best view of the stage, I'm sure Braxton Dane would love to get in there." Plus, Felix already sent him free tickets underneath one of his many shell social media accounts. "I can get you in there. Hopefully you don't have any real issue with heights." Felix punctuates his sentence by crunching into a dino nugget.

As they gently swayed together, he placed his hands on Felix's waist. Already Damian could hear the twins faintly giggling in the background. He stared back into Felix's eyes before breaking into softly chuckling. A nerd. "Honestly," he sighed, "I think you can't find a better word to use to describe me. You're very sweet." The two little monsters were still terribly pretending to watch SpongeBob. Just as Damian was about to speak, Adonis interrupted him by shouting, "Nooo, boyfriend boyfriend! Daddy likes you, Felix!" Once the little boy finished, he grinned as Mina broke out in laughter. When their dad looked over his shoulder, they both had fallen back onto the sofa. He rolled his eyes before returning his gaze to Felix. Then he whispered, "I did my best to explain it to them."

When they stopped swaying, he followed him into the kitchen. His feet dragged behind him until he stopped to lean against the counter. With his arms crossed, he stared at the floor. "Not at all." If only he had enough energy to actually cook something especially with everything he had bought at the grocery store. Although, Mina and Adonis do have good taste. Noting could really beat dinosaur chicken nuggets. On his heel, he turned around then sat in his chair, leaning forward. His left index finger touched the side of the plastic Disney princess cup he was drinking.

Damian couldn't help but take a look at the notes on the margins. Sure he did take some time to focus on the layout of the warehouse, but his eyes wandered over every single little detail they could get a look at. It's just part of being a detective and also Damian Mae, of course. Looking up from the paper, he slightly tilted his head to the right. "Heights?" He repeated. What is Felix planning to do? Fly over the warehouse and have him drop in Mission Impossible style? His knees already make loud cracking sounds and he's had back pain since he was thirty. Slowly shaking his head, he said, "I don't have any issues with heights but how does that relate to getting me in there?"

(oh my god holy shit i am so so so s o sorry it's taken me like a month to respond. i have been,,, swamped this past month with everything and im hoping it'll all calm down with this second semester coming up askldfj)

"Ah, yes!" Felix announces just loud enough for the kids to hear. "Boyfriend boyfriend, my mistake. Well, I'm very glad that your father seems to like me, granted I like him just as much–" He smiles. "Well, maybe even more–" He looks back to Damian with a wide smile, swaying them a little wider. "Your children are already much more accepting than my own father, though that bar is practically on the ground." 

Felix studies the map for a moment before marveling at Damian's legendary Disney princess plastic cup. Felix swears that they were McDonald's toys at some point. Felix does have to respect the Sleeping Beauty appreciation. She get overlooked way too much. Felix's favorite Disney princess has always been Kuzco. He goes through one hell of a character arc in just two hours. Plus, his earrings are fabulous and Felix has been trying to replicate the gold accessory vibe for, like, almost all his life. 

Felix blinks when Damian brings up heights. "Mission Impossible?" Felix laughs. "Please, doll, you're taking me back to when we first met. The first thing you told me was no Mission Impossible-ing. Nah, the VIP section is on a raised level about twenty feet off the ground. Braxton Dane is gonna be up there, and well, lemme tell you that the platform doesn't always feel the sturdiest. It tends to sway if the crowd gets too rowdy." Felix laughs again and sweeps his fingers through his hair. "You're going to get in through General Admissions, but then I'll give you a free pass to get to the top floors. There's an elevator, but there's usually drunk people making out in there, so you're gonna want to go on the stairs." Felix points to where the stage will be in correspondence to the VIP floor. "The music is loud. My friends don't go easy on your eardrums. If you're worried about ringing the next day, I heavily recommend some ear plugs. I like the funny ringing so I always conveniently forget them." Felix shrugs.

(azgsjalzhkja it's all good! the semester is really crazy but i'll do my best to respond as soon as i can)

Damian knew the little gremlins were still listening in by the way they were giggling at what Felix was saying. For being how small they are, they sure do have the ears of spies. Looking back at Felix, he smiled before saying, "Oh really?" He looked down at his cup while shrugging. In the past five-ish years he has been a dad, he tries to teach his kids a lot of things that either he didn't learn when he was their age or things he had learned too late. "Well, they have their two grandpas and me to teach and give them the acceptance none of us grew up with." Damian looked over to see Adonis trying to climb on top of the sofa before Mina pulled him down. He laughed before sighing, "At least they have the spirit I never had."

With his arms crossed, he stared at Felix. His mind tried to scrambled every little detail he needed. Braxton Dane…VIP section…Glancing down at the map, he looked to where Felix pointed before trying to plan a route. It felt like he was a spy doing a secret mission. Not Mission Impossible or James Bond level, but still.

Part of him could not resist rolling his eyes when hearing about the whole thing with the elevator. When him and Areum moved to Las Vegas, he thought that it was the land of drunk people, American hypocrisy, murder and money. It's like his brother and Wall Street but in the middle of a desert. You can tell this detective was glad that none of it hasn't changed ever since. It's even better that he has to deal with all four in one murder case. What a lucky man he is.

His brows raised as he asked, "Tinnitus? You like tinnitus?" After he laid back into the chair, he realized that it wasn't that surprising to him. He looked around while mumbling to himself, "I think I have some ear plugs lying around somewhere…Shouldn't be a problem." Clicking his tongue, he shook his head. Glancing back at Felix, he asked, "Anything else about this place I should be aware of?"

—(I did it again I'm so sorry–my brain has just been in a million places this past month and rping has not been one of them– alsdkfj it's my resolution this year to keep up on repsonding to these like I have in the past and I'm gonna try my damdest to keep up with it–again, I am so sorry– I promise I still love this rp and Felix adn Damian and I can't wait to get into all sorts of shenanigans with them.)

Two grandpas? Felix takes a moment to wonder if Damian by chance has two fathers, or if Areum had as well. From the minimal information Felix knows of Damian's family (though he's gunning to learn more), he knows that he does not have a good relationship with his biological parents and they live somewhere along the East Coast. It's also painstakingly clear to Felix that they have had nearly no influence in the twins's lives, for there's not a single photograph of them in the entire house. Or at least, what Felix has seen of the house. Well, he'll get the information he desires later, but for now, he'll settle with what he knows. "Well, I'm glad for that. It's only gonna be so long before your old man joints begin to give out and you won't be able to move anymore." Felix sticks his bottom lip out in a mock pout. "I'm gonna need some young blood to keep up with me in my schemes." Legal or not, Felix could always use a little partner in crime, especially since his current one is going to be retiring to a married life with her girlfirend. Her void should be able to be filled by the presence of two enthusiastic five-year-olds.

"Tinnitus?" Felix responds, tilting his head as he listens for the ringing always lurking in the back of his mind. "I guess you could say so? Eh, I'm more talking about the fuzz you feel at a big event. The people, the sound, the energy–" Felix makes an enthusiastic sound as he bobs his head. "It leaves my ears ringing for days, but it usually numbs after a little while." He wrinkles his nose and shoots Damian a cocky look. "I mean, I don't know if you're gonna be that type, so I recommend you bring some solid ear plugs. If you don't have those, I know where to get you a set."

And if there's anything else about… well, anything. "I know the act that's performing. I'll be your eyes down on the floor, but you're gonna be on your own up in the VIP balcony. They stopped letting me in there a while ago." It was an entire incident involving a liter of a bloody mary, a very pretty woman, a little misunderstanding, and that same woman drenched in alcohol. To be fair, they couldn't hear half of what anyone was saying over the music and she must've entirely misread Felix's lips. She apologized afterwards and Felix gave her his shirt, but they agreed to never even look at each other again. What little venue security that was there didn't care what kind of excuse Felix gave them. They had been waiting since day one for an opportunity to exile him from the important lounge. "I shouldn't be hard to spot–" especially since he'll be wearing all gold, but now's not the time to disclose that. "There are plenty of quiet hallways kind of scattered around the building, but nobody knows about them unless you're a regular." He points to the perimeter of the building. "If you need to, we can pick a meeting place and check in every hour or so."

(It's okay! Do what you gotta do, I understand. I appreciate you responding. :D Tbh, I'll be getting extremely busy throughout the year, but I promise to do my best with responding to this. I love this rp and I look forward to see what shit Damian and Felix get into.)

The detective could not resist laughing at Felix's pout. Despite only being thirty-four, he already felt stiff every now and then. He definitely felt exhausted, that's for sure. After sighing, he jokingly commented, "If it's any concern, I may age like fine wine…Let's hope for the best." It was silent when he looked over at the little devils. For once, they sat quietly while their eyes were fixated on SpongeBob blowing bubbles. "As long as they both get into a prestigious university and become doctors or lawyers or whatever, they can join you in on whatever you come up with." Part of him did worry if Mina and Adonis did become a part of Felix's schemes. They probably would end up on the FBI's most wanted list and Interpol's too.

Damian nodded. Of course he was that type. He takes ear protection as seriously as he does with everything else. Already he was planning on which type of ear plugs he was going to be using for this secret little mission of theirs. Once he took Areum to see her favorite boy band when the two of them were in Seoul visiting her brothers. Between how loud the venue was and how loud Areum's screaming was, he regretted not bringing any ear protection. At least Areum had a good time. At least he learned his lesson.

The only way he could respond to Felix not being allowed up into the VIP balcony was by tilting his head down while raising his eyebrows. He already was overstimulated by the fact that he has to be around a gazillion people in a loud place. God only knows how Felix got himself barred from entering the VIP balcony. And God knew that he didn't want to ask why right now.

Gazing back down at the map, he bit his bottom lip. His brows pressed together while he hummed softly in thought. Damian shook his head, "I don't think we should meet up every hour…That creates a pattern and people recognize patterns." He tapped against his left knee. "I'm sure there's other ways if we need to check in every hour or let you know if I need help." He kept on tapping his knee. His eyes became unfocused for a few minutes. "Ah, how about this? Every hour or so, if I'm okay, I'll send you a tree emoji. If I need help, I'll send a flower or something. We can do something like that if need be." Personally, he didn't think he would need it even though it would be safe to have some sort of system in place. How bad would things get? Besides, even though he is super anxious and dreading it, he was somewhat confident in himself…

(askldfja alright!! this year is gonna be busy for me too with my last semester of high school and preparation for college aaaaaaaaaaa)

At the comment about a prestigious university, Felix hides any sort of temporary displeased expression that crosses his face. Well, he's by no means a parent, but he knows about great expectation. There had always been some from his own parents, for him to go to college and get a degree in business or agriculture before coming back to run the family ranch. That entire plan went down the drain when he got kicked out and his oldest sister had to struggle to pick up his slack. He knows that Damian is a far more loving father than Felix's would ever hope to be, one that would actually support his kids. He knows that he won't ever be disappointed in what his kids do with their lives. He knows that Damian will love them no matter what but there's still… Expectation. Felix has always hated expectations. 

Regardless of whatever, Felix tilts his head to the side as he registers Damian's next idea. It's true. Felix himself has been trained to recognize any sort of pattern, no matter how small. If he can pick up on people's minuscule eye movements and flutters, any ordinary person should be able to notice a man in all gold walking in and out of a hallway on an hourly basis. "Something like that sounds good, but I can't promise I'll be able to respond on a quick basis. Time, well, time gets away from me, especially in those types of environments." He drums his fingers against the table and stares at the map for a few more minutes. "You think you'll be ready for this Saturday night?" After all, it's only just a few short days away. A few short days before they'll interrogate Braxton Dane for information off his uncle and perhaps any sort of leads that could track Felix and Damian to the killer of Crystal Valentine and the would-be assassin of Daphne Clyde. With a new spot open in the poker ring, Felix has to wonder if Whitney Harima would wait for Miss Clyde to recover or to fill it in her absence. Any sort of new member could be another lead. Someone has to get out for another to get in. Felix accidentally messed with some massive plan just by existing and, well, there's nothing he succeeds more at than causing problems whether intentionally or accidentally. "I'll be back at the poker table on Tuesday, so I should be able to compare any sort of notes we might gather while we're there."

(aaaa good luck! you can do it!)

No matter how much Damian hated the fact, he knew it was true: he was like his parents in many ways. Even though they weren't for eighteen years, the detective had to admit that the only thing they did a good job at was drilling their ideals into his brain. Seriously, they were ingrained right into the folds of his brain. Even though the two were out of his life by the time he graduated high school, he ended up going to a prestigious university. Sure it was for forensic science and criminology, but he can still end up being a doctor. He just wanted his kids to at least get a degree that will give them a life where they can be much more happier and successful than he is. They're already smart enough to take over the world. At least that's what he thought.

He shrugged. "We don't have to do it. We might have to do anything," He mumbled, "I'll be fine. It's not like I'm going to talk to a drug lord or anything." Rest assured, he was dreading talking to this Braxton Dane. Whether or not this person murdered Miss Valentine and nearly murdered Miss Clyde, he wasn't sure. Although, he didn't believe it could be an outsider unless it was someone like Braxton. Between wanting to be in the game and having enough guts to kill, this was personal.

Damian bit the inside of his cheeks then he released them after deeply exhaling. "I don't know," He responded. Right now he felt like an anvil was hanging above his head. It could drop at any moment, but he couldn't do anything except stare at it. Then he mumbled, "Guess I'll be as ready as I can be." Obviously he had no clue if he was ever going to be ready. The only thing that was reassuring him was that this little mission of theirs would help him get closer to finding out who the murderer is. At least he had Felix with him. "Okay, I'm sure there'll be something you'll find next game." Damian looked off to the side before taking another deep breath. It will be fine. Everything will be fine.

(sorry for the short response–do we want to do a time-skip to the day of the concert perhaps?? also!!! happy 500 posts!!)

Felix nudges his elbow into Damian's side. "Oh I'm sure you won't be talking to anybody incredibly dangerous. If anything, you're just going to have to avoid the hoard of college students that get a kick out of those kind of gigs. Oh, also, don't mention that you're a cop. That's the one way to kill the mood and get a target on your back." He tilts his head and does one last survey of the maps before reaching to roll them up. He doesn't want to look at them any longer. He's already memorized every nook and cranny of the warehouse; he's practically lived there for the past, god, three years? Felix has to take a moment to recall exactly how old he is. Oh, his birthday is coming up. He'll be thirty and thriving without having done a signal significant thing other than swindle and win severely hundred-thousand dollars from Vegas's most elite. "And we don't have to have any special sort of meeting thing. Just send me, like, the sunglasses emoji if something comes up and we can meet by the bar." It's a subtle enough meeting place, one that won't draw too much attention if they have to sneak away to a quieter spot.

With a check of his watch, Felix sets the rolled maps down on Damian's counter. "I should get going, doll. I got a roommate to pester and some beauty rest to obtain." He smiles and winks. "Not that I need any." He laughs softly at his own joke and makes his way to the front door. "I'm just a call away if you have any burning desires to speak with me." He waves his hand dramatically as he smoothly opens the front door. "I'll see you Saturday," and then he adds with a smirk. "Or before then, if you'd like." He swings his key ring in his left hand and ducks out the door, unlocking his car from the distance.

(Happy 500 posts! Yeah, I think a time skip would be good.)

He sighed, "Right." The last thing he'd want to do his blow his cover and ultimately ruin this case. On the other hand, Felix had a point. It's true. There's only going to be people there you just want to drink, listen to music, and have a good time. And he's interviewing Braxton Dane, not some mafioso. Although for all he knew, Braxton could have some sort of involvement in this case. Still, they had to consider every single possibility. "Sunglasses, bar, got it." Damian nodded. It was a subtle meeting place. Not to mention it will be crowded with people and no one would pay attention them because they're not completely sober. Perfect. Rest assured though, he most definitely will be sober for the whole night.

Slowly, Damian got up from his seat. His knees quietly cracked, though he chose to ignore it. Looking back at Felix, he couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. His face blushed yet he decided to ignore that as well. With his left hand slightly up, he gave the man a small wave. "Alright, see you then. Drive safe." When Felix closed the door, he strolled over to the counter. He took one glance down at the maps, went to lock the front door, then sat down on the end of the couch. Even though he tried to follow along with the SpongeBob episode his twins were watching, all he could think about Saturday. Despite his mind getting anxious about how soon it was, he knew that it would over soon enough.

Felix makes it home without problem, catches Rhyda right in the act of stealing his food, and then quickly changes into his favorite set of overly-expensive pajamas. Of course, he doesn't go to bed right away, instead busying himself with the wormhole of short videos curated on his phone. By the time it's two in the morning, he calls it quits and powers off his phone, curling up on his bed with Jackpot sharing his pillow. He wakes up well past noon, but that's okay–he has nothing to do until Saturday.

When the day finally rolls around, Felix and Rhyda take turns shoving each other away from the mirror. Felix argues that she doesn't even need to see herself, Rhyda responds with a counterpoint that Felix spends way too long fixing his stupid hair in his stupider reflection. Felix believes those are bold words for a woman who doesn't even know what color her hair is. Regardless, they manage to finish preparing themselves for the night and pile into Felix's sedan as they make their way towards the warehouse.

"Really, you need to get a mini-van or something to lug all of your stuff around in," Felix notes as he struggles to check his rear-view mirror around Rhyda's endless concert supplies. None of the luggage is even an instrument either, which just leaves Felix more confused than anything.

"Oh yeah, sure, lemme just buy one and use my very real drivers license to bus myself around," Rhyda answers with a snort. She has her muddy boots up on Felix's dashboard and has one earbud in as she listens to texts sent by her soon-to-be-wife. Felix rolls his eyes and scoffs (just so Rhyda can hear the action). "You know that's not what I meant. Get yourself a band van. You can plaster your band name on the side in cheap acrylic if you want." Felix sweeps his hand as he imagines the corny logo. "Initiative– you could have like a city skyline spelling it out with some edgy spray painting in the back or something."

"That sounds like a terrible idea."

"Please, you love my terrible ideas." Rhyda laughs, basically saying yeah, right, but luckily, Felix doesn't have to deal with her much longer, for they're pulling off the freeway and into the tiny exit just outside of the Vegas City limits. There's a race track that isn't used much granted it's the off-season and a couple of teenagers horsing around in the desert with some dirt bikes. Felix recognizes Shea and Abel's cars already pulled up to the back of the warehouse. Shea is leaning against the back wall with one foot kicked up, talking to somebody on the phone with a smile. Felix parks and steps out, basking in the warm setting sun before pulling all of the junk out of the back of his car.

Before he goes in to help set up, he sends Damian a quick text, telling him that he's arrived at the scene and looking forward to seeing him later. Felix shuts off his phone and tries not to be too excited at the idea of seeing the other man in something a little less formal than his uniform slacks and tie.

Saturday couldn't have come any quicker. Seriously. Damian dreaded the day by wasting through all the ones that came before it. If he wasn't catching up on case work then he was looking after the twins or doing whatever else he could to occupy his attention. As long as the activity prevented him from thinking about his anxiety which made his anxiety even worse, then it was a win. One day he volunteered to help with filing in the forensic department. He sure did miss being in forensics. It was oddly calm in there.

Early in the morning, he dropped the little demons off at Areum's aunt's house. Even though Areum and her brothers were adopted by their aunt, Sunja, and uncle, they still considered them as their parents. Mina and Adonis called Sunja "Nana" even though they often switched between that and "Halmeoni" or "Oehalmeoni." The two rascals took off their shoes before running into the house gleefully screaming. It was a miracle neither Damian or Sunja's ears exploded. Before he left, she gave him some food to take home.

Everything he needed for the night was laid out on his bed. He had the jacket hung up on the edge of the closet door. Somehow he was able to find some earrings he had bought ages ago. His shoulders tensed up while he thought about the last time he worn them for a long time. It felt like ages ago.

Damian tried to look nice. His goal was to not look like the tired grim reaper he always thought he appeared to be. One way he tried to look more alive and awake was by putting on some makeup. Not anything special. No eye shadow or lipstick or anything like that, but concealer, foundation, and so on. Even with basic makeup stuff, he still had to call his sister for help.

By the time Felix texted him, he was standing in front of the mirror looking at the jacket he just put on. It definitely felt weird to be wearing something that wasn't his usual dress shirt and slacks. At least he looked more alive. He looked different.

Once he convinced himself that he looked fine, he picked up his phone. His eyes scanned the message a few times. Eventually he sent a text saying that he would be on his way shortly. After stuffing his phone in a pocket, he went out and got in the car. The whole time he kept trying to convince himself that everything was going to be okay. He gets to interview Braxton Dane, potentially get some clues, and go home. Doesn't sound too bad to him.

The set-up is grueling and obviously Felix's least favorite part of these concert weekends. Rhyda isn't much help, but she's happy to soundcheck anything. Shea and Abel get sidetracked and so does Felix and they're entirely without a brain cell to keep them on task. Felix supposes this is exactly why they meet up four hours beforehand to ensure the band starts as on time as a band can start. Another thing about the warehouse is that there's no opener, no encore–just one act and they're responsible for all the energy in the room. Luckily, they've never had an issue bringing up the morale and the addition of the bar doesn't exactly harm their chances.

When the first bit of guests begin to line up outside, Felix excuses himself to grab his change of clothes from his car before retreating to the gender-neutral bathroom to switch out of his day outfit. His pants, true to his word, are solid gold and are absolutely nothing short of dazzling. He's wearing a mesh crop top with a black and white denim jacket loosely hanging off of his shoulders. He's a full six-feet four-inches tall thanks to the four-inch lifts on his leather platforms. He runs his hands through his hair, palms coated in some subtle glitter that'll make him just that more delicious. (So what? Sue him. Felix enjoys dressing up from time to time. The attention is thrilling.) Wearing eyeliner that makes his eyes look nearly gold, Felix steps out of the bathroom and right into the crowd accumulating by the bar. Felix's most favorite bartender, Raymond, is manning the cocktails tonight. He offers a two-fingered salute to the man behind the counter. He smiles and offers a nod in return.

The band hasn't started yet, but the lights have been dimmed, colorful spotlights roaming the floor and occasionally pausing on a well-dressed individual. Felix ducks out of the main area to one of the many hallways that loop around the perimeter. One of the paths take him to a side door that lead straight up to the VIP section. There's a burly bouncer sitting in front of the iron stairs, hands crossed in front of his wide-shouldered stance. Felix smiles, putting on a small act as he pointedly stumbles into the bouncer. Unfazed, it allows Felix a brief glance at the VIP list that confirms that, yes, Braxton Dane is upstairs and one Damian Mae has not arrived yet. Soon. Felix practically giggles as he rolls away from the man and back into the main area, sobering up instantly as he weaves through the large groups of people. He checks the watch that he slipped from the bouncer's wrist and notes that it's almost party time.

The drive to the venue was not as bad as he thought. Sure Las Vegas traffic never seemed to sleep, but he had his 80s new wave playlist to keep his anxieties at bay. Hell, the detective was even reclined back in the driver's seat while tapping his index and middle fingers against the steering wheel. He knew this whole situation was going to leave him drained for at least a day or so.

As he pulled into a parking spot, he looked out to see a line forming near the entrance of the warehouse. The detective sighed as he gazed uo into the rearview mirror. God, he really did look bizarre. Damian could not figure out whether he looked like a background character for Queen of the Damned or not. Being dressed like this made him feel out of place. It was too casual. Too informal. And he thought wearing long sleeve crewnecks and shorts to the grocery store was already scandalous. Was he really going to blend in even dressed like this? Wouldn't it make him stand out?

Fuck it. He shoved his keys into a pocket then stepped outside. Despite making the effort to get out of the car, he stood still once he did. Damian fluffed the back of his hair while staring at the warehouse. His teeth bit the inner right corner of his mouth. Pulling out his phone, he sent Felix another text saying that he was here. Once it went through, he put his phone back then finally gave himself the courage to make his way over.