I'm on my second drink but I've had a few before

[vacabdication]

[ The bar doesn’t have a name. Not officially, anyway; what it has is a big neon sign sculpted into a peacock sweeping over the doors and doormen (he insists on doormen, “bouncers” is so crass) who admit people based on a list of requirements that changes nightly, because it’s amusing to keep people on their toes. Pagan calls it the nest, because peacock, and because despite the neon lights, the thumping music and the permanent fog of smoke in the air it’s his place and that makes it cozy. Yuma calls it “that fucking hole”, but Yuma still can’t be dissuaded from calling him Gang unless they’re literally doing a deal at the time, so he tries not to worry too much about what she says. It hardly matters what she says, anyway. She thinks he hung the moon, and it’s about the only bar she can be in without people assuming she’s a teen prostitute, so Pagan knows no matter how she teases him she likes being there.

What he likes less is the fact that currently, she’s winning. The young woman sitting in Pagan’s lap is very attentive and very pretty and currently shifting against him in a way that he suspects she thinks is subtle, but she’s not even close to as pretty as the woman who is currently stealing sips from Yuma’s glass. He wonders if she’d stop if he told her just how recently Yuma got back from vanishing with a different very pretty young woman and that he’s damn sure she didn’t pause to brush her teeth, but that would probably be cheating. So instead he smiles at Yuma, who cuts him a sly grin, points to the girl in his lap, and mouths her too.

He has to hand it to her, she certainly doesn’t lack ambition. And she did introduce him to those twins the other night, so he’ll take his loss with good grace.

The idea of throwing the bet becomes even more appealing when he looks up for one of the staff and his eyes land on... someone else. It’s a man, a few years older than Pagan, probably, Asian but definitely not Chinese. His thick, dark hair is wavy and he’s got only one of his sleeves rolled up, for some reason, and his dark eyes are scanning the bar like he’s looking for something.

Pagan decides that something is going to be him. He doesn’t even wait to ponder why he wants that when the man is, quite clearly, a man. There’s something magnetic about him, and he needs to know why.

He unwraps a hundred from a roll of bills, presses in into the hand of the girl on his lap and tells her to get herself a bottle of something before standing up and very nearly dumping her on the floor. He’s across the room in a few long strides, and he can hear Yuma noticing and laughing in the background, but fuck it. The mystery man is even more interesting close up, and Pagan crowds up into his personal space. ]

Drink?

Comments

[vaaris]

[ ajay is pretty sure reggie and yogi didn't dose him.

and this isn't exactly the first time kyrat has pulled some kind of fuckery on him, except. wherever he is now is nothing like shangri-la, even though the thick haze of smoke in the air and the low thump of bass has a way of giving the place its own dreamy quality. the place feels real -- he sweeps his fingertips discreetly over one of the walls to make sure, and it's solid enough under his touch -- and the people crowded into the space with him don't seem that likely to melt away into rakshasa if he blinks.

but answering the question of where he isn't doesn't exactly help him figure out where he is.

it's been ages since he's been stuffed into a room with this many people crowding in around him, and that's what prompts him to try cutting through the crowd to find a quieter place to figure this out. it's not exactly easy -- more than one person tries to slide an arm around him and pull him closer, murmuring little supplications that he can recognize even if they're not in a language he understands. but he winds his way through the throng of people like an animal slipping a net, and when he finally finds his way to the bar, at least there's space enough to breathe.

finding his way back home is normally a matter of seeing what he's meant to be shown, but here? where the hell does he even start?

and that's the thought that he's rolling over in his head when this new stranger slides up beside him, and his answer is more reflex than anything else. ]

No thanks. [ with an apologetic little half-smile, barely even bothering to flick a proper glance in the other man's direction. figuring out where the fuck he's wound up has too much of his attention, and he dismisses this new stranger just like he'd shrugged off those dancefloor entreaties. ] I'm not staying.

[vacabdication]

[ What

the

fuck.

Listen, it's not that Pagan thinks he's some kind of celebrity. Although he's certainly better known than his father ever was (ha! eat shit, old man), his renown is fairly... niche. But this bar is generally populated specifically by that niche. It's one of the reasons he doesn't have a bloody sign! So being completely blown off by this handsome stranger is something of a shock.

Unfortunately for said stranger, it only makes him that much more interesting. And not only because if he's here on business Pagan is gong to have his kneecaps broken, no matter how sexually confusing he is. This bears further investigation. He leans on the bar. ]

Oh? That is a shame. Do let me know if you need help with that, you looked a little... lost.

[ A glass of whisky appears at his elbow, as if by magic. This particular spell is being the bar's famously temperamental owner, but still. Ta-da! ]

[vaaris]

[ being called out on it is enough to make ajay blink away from his preoccupation, casting a glance to the side and finally getting a proper look at the other man. he's clearly younger than ajay is, a little shorter, and -- there's something about him that rings a bell of familiarity, even if ajay can't quite put his finger on it. but that ghosting feeling of knowing him is enough to grab hold of his full attention, a lure dangling just in front of him and daring him to reach out and snatch at it. ]

I -- [ have no fucking clue where i am is going to make him sound like some kind of nutjob, or some random person who wandered in off the street. getting thrown out on his ass isn't exactly going to make his situation any better, so. uh... call it a half-truth, instead. ] ... I'm not that familiar with this part of town.

[vacabdication]

[ Pagan raises an eyebrow, and smiles. It's not a particularly friendly smile, but it's not threatening, and he takes a sip of his drink. ]

Tricky place to find yourself stumbling into. I hear the owner can be very particular. But where are you from? You sound American, and you look like someone I'd like to know more about.

[ And he does, genuinely, hope he's just a tourist. He does seem maybe a little dim, but he's handsome, and Pagan can see a flicker of curiosity in his eye. And he's feeling reckless tonight, so what the hell? Why not see how far he can take this? ]

[vaaris]

[ there it is again. the other man smiles at him, and some recognition flickers just beyond ajay's reach. it feels like one of those magic eye puzzles he remembers from childhood -- where straining at the details makes you miss the bigger picture within, something that lingers on the edges of your understanding but refuses to snap into view. frustrating and intriguing all at once, and he's always found it hard to ignore the tug of his own curiosity.

but that line? it's an obvious attempt at flirting, and ajay has to bite down on the inside of his cheek to stifle a smile. ]

I'm not that interesting. [ and now he's wishing he'd accepted that drink. in his experience, it's always easier to endure being hit on with a little alcohol. ] Sorry to disappoint.

And neither is Kyrat.

[vacabdication]

[ Oh. Well, precisely this far, apparently. He can tell Mr Friendly here is trying to bite back a smile, but his answers are so obviously closed off and uninterested that Pagan's relatively sure he's being laughed at rather than with, and his eyes go cold. Perhaps there's time to pick that dozy bint up off the floor and still get his dick wet tonight after all -

but then there's that little addition, that little hook. Pagan has never heard of Kyrat, and Pagan had a rather fancy education, getting exceedingly good marks in history and what all those snotty English boys referred to as "jography". It's bait, yes? You don't throw out a place name like that if you want someone to stop asking questions. Unless, of course, Kyrat turns out to be a person, or a rival gang he's never heard of, in which case he really ought to press anyway. And if he's here to start something, every man and half the women in the bar would step in. They'd have to fight Yuma to get a look in, though. ]

Kyrat. I'm not familiar. Should I be?

[vaaris]

[ a little shake of his head, and then... ajay settles himself on the barstool nearest to him, hooking one leg lazily over one of the rungs. he's kidding himself if he tries to pretend that he has anywhere else to be, and besides? gut instinct tells him there's something worth unraveling about this mystery, and he's survived this long by listening to that little voice inside of him. ]

Most people aren't. It's one of those places you struggle to find on a map, even if you know where you're supposed to be looking. [ and the bartender has obviously taken ajay sitting down as a sign that that drink is welcome, after all, because it appears in front of him like a magic trick. but instead of taking a drink, he rubs a fingertip absently over the rim of the glass instead, expression softening with a faraway kind of fondness. ] Like one of the last secret places in the world.

[ but! it probably isn't that interesting to someone who doesn't know anything about it, so. he looks up again with a half-grin and a little shrug. ] Nothing like this. I'm a fish out of water.

[vacabdication]

[ The older man sits down, which is somewhat unexpected -

but not nearly as unexpected as what happens next. He starts talking and his face goes all warm and tender, and somehow seeing it feels more scandalously private than if Pagan had yanked his jeans open and taken a quick look at his dick. But it's - well, it's beautiful, and when Pagan laughs his smile lacks the sharp edges from before. ]

You lying shit. You said it wasn't interesting. Well, you're not wrong about this place, at least. Hong Kong will chew you up and pick her teeth with your bones even if you've not been holed away in some secret hidden treasure. Here.

[ He reaches into a pocket, pulls out a little flat circle. It's approximately a business card, though it's the size and shape of a poker chip and lacks any writing, Chinese script or otherwise - it's just black, stamped in gold with the eye of a peacock feather. ]

If you ever feel like someone has you on a hook, show them this. Most people around here understand English even if they won't speak it, but the important word to mention is Pagan.

[vaaris]

[ the sound of hong kong is enough to make his eyes widen, eyes locking back onto the other man's face with a scrutiny that's far more intense than his glances from earlier. now that he's looking for them, the features leap up at him obviously -- the hair is dark, but the cut is the same, there's that same predatory tilt about the mouth, the cheekbones, the fucking eyeliner.

he knows it even before his eyes drop down to take in the gilded lines of that peacock feather, knows it even before the other man opens his mouth to speak again. but the sound of pagan is still enough to knock the breath out of him in a rush, voice colored around the edges with awe when he finds it long enough to speak again. ]

You're Pagan Min.

[vacabdication]

I am.

[ And there's a curious lilt to the way he says it, because - well, everything the man's said since he sat down has given Pagan the impression that he should have no idea at all who he is, or the significance of the name. He's almost definitely older than Pagan but he seems in some ways incredibly naive, and that's usually not a state of being that goes hand in hand with knowing the name of the man who's trying - and succeeding - to batter the Golden Triangle into a shape he likes better. Not unless the name is said with alarm, anyway, and while it certainly sounded like shock, it wasn't fear.

He has to know more. ]

And you have the advantage of me, which isn't something many people get. You are?

[vaaris]

[ huh.

is this what he's been brought here to see? if so, he can't help but be fascinated by it -- there's a part of him that wants to reach out and take pagan's face in his hands, map out all the little contours and see if they still feel familiar. but he gets the sense that this pagan might be willing to break his fingers for trying; that's interesting too, the idea that this is a pagan who doesn't have an endless reserve of affection for ajay to fall back on.

curiouser and curiouser, right? and he thumbs the business card absently, taking a moment to roll all of this over in his head. ]

Ajay. No reputation to go with it, though. [ he takes a drink from the glass in his hand at last, coming away with a rueful little smile. ] I warned you I was boring.

[vacabdication]

Boring? A handsome stranger from a secret country who turns up in my bar without knowing what it is, but knows my name? You must have a very high bar for what's interesting, Ajay.

[ And he takes a slow sip of his drink, mirroring Ajay, more for the chance to watch his face than for wanting it. There's something there, some hint of something that Pagan can't place. Curiosity, but not just that. Interesting. ]

I do hope I can live up to it.

[vaaris]

[ that's a first, too. pagan says his name, and it's AJ instead of ajay, and the sound of it is so different from what he's used to that it almost startles a laugh out of him. it's impossible not to wonder what else is different, what else is the same -- there's a part of him that's itching the peel the other man's shirt away and see if that peacock is already emblazoned on his skin. ]

Pretty sure you'll do okay. I've -- [ how to put it. the answer that comes to mind makes the corners of his mouth tug up in a little grin all over again, amused by his own inside joke. ] -- been an admirer of yours for awhile.

[vacabdication]

Oh?

[ Well, that's intriguing. His eyes scan over Ajay's face, hunting for clues, and -

and yes, that is Yuma prowling up behind him with one hand sneaking into her jacket for a gun Pagan has tried countless times to dissuade her from carrying. That's the last bloody thing he needs, and he holds on finger up to Ajay, a signal to please wait. ]

Excuse me one moment. [ And then, over Ajay's shoulder - ] Mei mei, I've got it, be a love and fuck off.

[ And she goes, but not before uttering a string of Cantonese profanity that sound at least 70% entertained. ]

Right! Where were we? Ah, the admiring. Ajay. My new friend. It sounds like either you're here to try and kill me, which is a wrinkle in my evening that I do not need, or you want something.

[vaaris]

[ ah.

it takes a considerable amount of willpower not to reach for the khukri strapped underneath his jacket when he realizes that a much younger version of yuma lau is prowling up behind him. he's not entirely sure if she's already gotten an appetite for dosing people with mindfuck drugs and leaving them to rot in hell --

but he also really doesn't take any chances.

so it's a relief when pagan sends her cheerfully away, and some of the tension eases back out of ajay's shoulders. but he blinks at pagan's remark, responding with a little laugh and a quick shake of his head. ] Neither, actually.

You get a lot of people stupid enough to try and kill you in your own bar?

[vacabdication]

Never any I thought it would have been a shame to dispose of before, at least. And you -

[ He lifts a hand, puts a finger under Ajay's chin. It... doesn't quite work the way it would with a woman, where he'd tip her face up and look into it with intent, so he just sort of lets his thumb rest briefly against the side of Ajay's chiselled-from-marble jawline before he takes his hand back, doesn't notice the way he rubs his thumb and forefinger together like he's trying to rub the trace of the other man into his skin ]

- are fascinating.

[vaaris]

[ it's... strange. pagan reaches out to touch him, and ajay finds himself leaning naturally into that contact the way he would if he were being touched by the version of pagan that he knows. it even prompts the same little spark, the way his body lights up with a delighted little flush at even the simplest contact. it wasn't what he was expecting, and for a moment, it has him reeling. ]

You're giving me too much credit. [ and he barely even notices the way his voice has pitched itself lower, almost a purr. ]

[vacabdication]

[ Oh, shit.

Well, that seals it. He might have imagined Ajay leaning into his touch just a little, but he's definitely not imagining the way the other man's voice changes, going low and seductive. And sure, maybe he is here to kill Pagan (there's definitely something he's hiding), but the way Pagan's father would spin right out of his grave if his embarrassing son was murdered because he finally decided to sample dick would almost make it worth it. ]

Oh, I'm not so sure. I have a lot of of questions. For example: Do you sleep with men?

[vaaris]

[ pagan min has always had a way of defying ajay's expectations.

and that --

is no fucking different.

he snorts a laugh before he can help himself, turning away slightly in an incredibly futile attempt at hiding it. finally, he has to just settle for another drink to help him swallow it down, although there's no stifling the grin that stays behind. ]

Do you go around your bar asking everyone about their preferences? What a considerate host.

[vacabdication]

[ FUCK THAT DID NOT GO THE WAY HE WAS HOPING

which, come to think of it, was what, exactly? He doesn't go around asking women their preference, he just waits to see if they go for him or for Yuma. And he may not have actually slept with a man before but he's been hit on them, and they didn't offer him a bloody questionnaire!

No doubt about it, he looks like an absolute idiot. The only solution?

Brazen it out, obviously. ]

Oh, not at all. I'm just wondering whether you might like to sleep with me.

[vaaris]

[ it's so ridiculously bold that ajay is having a hard time not laughing all over again, but. he's polite enough to acknowledge that you shouldn't laugh right in the face of people who are boldly endeavoring to get you in their bed. but he can't help it; there's so much of the man he loves here, even if he hasn't quite had the time needed to sharpen all his edges into perfection. a bold, proud thing who refuses to give an inch, fluttering his plumage to impress him, and fuck. ajay is so stupidly charmed by it that he's having a hard time not leaning in and kissing him on the spot. ]

Y'know, [ almost conversationally, hopelessly amused. ] This might be the first time in history that someone has tried interrogation as a way to get someone in their bed.

[vacabdication]

And yet that's not a no. Am I getting points for originality?

[ He smiles, and he means it to be temptingly rakish, but... well, it's funny. He doesn't ordinarily find being laughed at funny in the slightest, but this Ajay fellow is looking at him with a definite spark of laughter in his eyes and it somehow doesn't seem mocking at all. It's warm, and it's it feels like he's inviting Pagan in on the joke, but also just a little like he sees right through him.

That just makes it more tempting, really. It shouldn't, but it does. Pagan looks at the warmth in those eyes and wants to see where else Ajay is warm, and that is so ridiculous he can't help a very quiet, very real laugh. ]

I'm not going to have you killed if you say no, just for the record.

[vaaris]

[ see, ajay thinks he knows exactly what his pagan would think about ajay ever actually being scared of him, and. it's enough to make him have to bite down hard on the inside of his cheek all over again, finishing off the last of his drink in an effort to save himself.

god. once he's back home, he's spending an entire afternoon doing nothing but teasing pagan about all of this. ]

Talk about a relief. I've been terrified this entire time.

[ in a tone of voice that says that he most definitely has not. ] Do you have a room you like to drag people off to, or are you just trying to take me right up against the bar?

[vacabdication]

[ He's boned. Until now he's been interested for reasons he doesn't quite understand, but now Ajay drops that line about taking him up against the bar a flush of heat runs right up his spine and confirms it. It's not just curiosity, it's not just wanting to see if he can, or wondering just how far he might be willing to take this. Pagan wants him, in a very real way.

He never did experiment with the other boys back in boarding school. Perhaps he's making up for lost time. ]

I still can't tell if you're only making fun of me. I don't think I care. Come on.

[ He throws back the rest of his drink and heads off. Through a set of double doors, and then through another door that he unlocks and up a narrow set of stairs. He resolves not to look back and see if his handsome stranger is following - but of course he does, looking over his shoulder and smiling at Ajay when he sees him there. Then finally, one more locked door, and what is basically a crashpad - though one he's very proud of. Lots of black and chrome and pops of bright colour, and a bed that would fit four people easily (even if he's never got past three). He puts his hands out wide, gesturing to the room around him. ]

If you're taking the piss, this would be the polite point to let me know.

[vaaris]

[ and ajay follows -- of course he does. he's still not entirely sure how far he intends to take this, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious. he wants to know this person, in a way that pagan's flippant remarks about his own past would have never really let him; he's enamored by all the things that are different and all the things that manage to be exactly the same.

this crashpad counts as one of those things. it's obvious that every inch of it is done to luxury, which meshes with the appetite he knows pagan has for excess, but. his rooms at the palace are a meld of pagan's own tastes and something inherent to kyrat; silk sheets on a bed made of hand-carved wood, the headboard etched with gilded reliefs telling stories of kyrat's past. rich colors instead of black and chrome, an array of windows always thrown open when the weather allows so that he and ajay can curl up in bed together and listen to the morning breeze singing through the trees.

and of course, this kind of opulence that seems determined that everyone knows how expensive it is can't hold a candle to the self-assured elegance with which pagan decorates his palace. there's almost a pang of regret when ajay thinks that he won't be able to see this young man grow into it.

still. he sits himself down on the edge of the bed once he's finished his assessment, attention directing itself back to pagan. ]

I don't remember telling you that I was polite. [ with another one of those little mms of amusement. ]