A New Energy [4 years ago, Sternbild]

[gryfeathr]

In the middle of a public train it suddenly seemed awfully, uh. Close. They were awfully close. Kotetsu scowled at him and waved a hand between them. "It's fine, it's fine, it just--uh--got me by surprise last time!"

A chime sounded, and another stop. Kotetsu's gaze jerked up over Nathan's shoulder, and he was suddenly shoving the other man. "Oye oye, our stop is up, our stop is up!"

[thecurtain]

Nathan stumbles just briefly in his surprise but hurries so he's not being shoved. Kotetsu's shyer than he originally supposed. How...unfortunate.

Well, nothing a couple drinks can't squeeze out of him. On the other side of the crowd, Nathan waits for him, hands slipping casually into his pants pockets.

[gryfeathr]

Its a pretty massive exodus as they exit to the platform, and Kotetsu has a tendency to grab for his hat as he weaves through the crowd. Nathan might have noted that the shoulder he touched was incredibly solid; the muscle was heavy and toned. For a man who claimed to only work at a publishing company, he was awfully fit.

The same strong shoulder cut around people--Kotetsu always apologized for the people he bumped into, his hands lightly correcting stumbling shoulders, his smile ready. He joined him and tilted his head, hand on brim, and nodded to the right; it lead them up onto a heavily trafficked street in Bronze level, the buildings a little less golden and a twilight heavy from all the blocked sunlight, but it was a nice place with a lot of restaurants and a lot of chatting clusters of people. Kotetsu put a hand on Nathan's shoulder to angle him towards a darker side street. "This way."

[thecurtain]

Well, people have hobbies. He's not going to complain.

Kotetsu will find Nathan's more than willing to be led, his own shoulders easy despite perfect posture. As they get closer to the darker, dingier part of town, he begins to feel a little out of place, and reaches up to loosen his tie.

[gryfeathr]

They turn a corner out of the bulk of the crowd and Kotetsu drops his hand. Man, this guy is pretty fit for a suit... ah, there we go. He crooked his finger to pull Nathan down the right street, the area clean and the buildings in good repair, but it definitely felt like they were going in the wrong direction.

[thecurtain]

Despite Kotetsu's admittedly strange way of doling out directions, Nathan's fairly confident in his ability to lead. Either that or at the moment he probably would have followed Kotetsu anywhere he led. So if they seem like they're going in the wrong direction, Nathan won't comment. He likes to believe that means he's in for a surprise.

[gryfeathr]

"Aha! Here we go, here we go," he snagged Nathan's elbow and steered him at a small door. It was ringed with old yellow christmas lights blinking in a cheery pattern and an open sign had been flipped over on the door. A narrow window ran the length of the lower floor of a building. Behind, a set of booths were set up, and beyond them, a long bar lined with stools. Everything inside was warm and worn, the lighting low, the bartender an older gentlment with grey tastefully striped through his side burns and a rather extensive collection of unusual liqours lined up being him on the wall.

Kotetsu ducked as he slipped in, hand lifted to push a low curtain out of the way, and grinned as he saw the bartender. "Oye, Master, I've got someone here who could really use something special today!"

[thecurtain]

He likes it instantly, if only for its novelty, and as he ducks under the curtain and low doorway his eyes scan the place, taking in the warm, cozy, otherworldliness of the kind of place people go to get away from everything.

Like a well-written book.

He smiles a bit, laughing at himself for the comparison, and follows Kotetsu inside, taking note of his greeting. The older man obviously comes here often.

For the bartender he gives a smile and a deep nod of his head, the sorts of motions that mean he's about to put his next couple hours in this man's hands.

[gryfeathr]

The bartender greet Kotetsu with a paternal smile, rubbing a glass clean. Just inside the door, a heavy built man with closely cropped hair dozes, and the bar is mostly empty. The floors are wood and glow with the scuffing of several years of passing feet, and the lights are low and warm. Down at the end of the bar, the space hangs a right and reveals a crowd of round tables and chairs that huddle around a circular stage. Its lifted up from the floor about a foot, a worn half-grand piano and a microphone holding empty court.

Kotetsu takes Nathan's upper arm in his hand, and give sit a second startled glance becuase it's like putting his hand around a rock as he directs him at the end of the bar. The bar tender gives Nathan a dignified nod in return, mouth lifting a little at the corner under a neatly trimmed mustache.

"Geeze, you must work out," Kotetsu comments, startled, as he takes his seat. "Geeze you sure you just wanna be a business man?"

[thecurtain]

The piano and microphone catch his interest momentarily before Kotetsu's pulling on him, and he follows to take his own seat next to him. The comment makes him smile, amused. "We should all follow a path we excel at, Kotetsu," he says, by way of an answer. The smile tips a little higher. "What else would you have me be...?"

[gryfeathr]

Kotetsu looks over at the sleek gentleman that wears a suit like Kotetsu would wear a pair of jeans, naturally and in comfort, and realizes it really was a sort of stupid question. He laughs, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck as he shook his head. "Okay, okay, I got it. Haha, geeze, guess that helps with negotiations and stuff, huh?"

The bartender leaned on the counter across from them, and nodded to Nathan again. "What would you like, sir?"

Kotetsu leaned on the bar, conspiratorial as he eyed up Nathan. "How about something good for saying 'to hell with them!' "

The bartender shook his head, smiling a little, and arched a brow at Nathan for his input.

[thecurtain]

He's already laughing at the "negotiations" comment, a deep throated thing that seems to come from just under his ribcage. The purpose of the drink just draws the laugh out, but he nods again at the bartender, consenting. "I've heard you're very good at what you do, sir, and I gladly leave the vehicle to my inebriation in your capable hands." All the pompous phrasing and flowery words seem a little facetious the way his voice bends them, the way his lips are curled up in a feline smile. What he really means is, "Hit me with your best shot."

[gryfeathr]

The bartender likes it; he gets a sly look in his eye and disappears with a, "I know just the thing."

Kotetsu grinned, unbearably pleased with himself as he hooked his heel over the footstand of the stool. "Told ya, the guy's a genius. Maybe psychic." He leaned in to Nathan, suspicious like, and poked at the side of his own head. "I've been betting of maybe it being his NEXT power for years, but Antonio thinks I'm just getting too over-excited."

He humphed, swaying back in his seat with crossed arms and a lifted brow to invite Nathan into the joke at his own expense.

[thecurtain]

But Nathan's eyebrows have already risen with the mention of the name, and he turns to Kotetsu with eyes a bit wider than usual, smile weirdly gone behind a serious expression. "Antonio...?"

Don't tell me...

[gryfeathr]

Kotetsu appears to miss all of the humour draining from Nathan's face. He turns back to him, settling on the bar with the grin still lurking on his face. "Yeah, he's a buddy of mine from way back." He gestures vaguely over his shoulder, at some wobbly past stretched out behind him. "We work together, uh, sometimes."

That was technically correct, anyway.

"S'great guy. Good for drinks after work."