forum las vegas lights // oxo // closed

Started January 22, 2022 by @larcenistarsonist group

tune

This time Damian does not read the tag of a random jacket. Some of them look weird, and he is worried about ruining them. He stood still while watching Felix go through different kinds. Of course any clothing piece can be exaggerated and have different colors, but he has not seen anything like what Felix was currently holding. "They both look nice. I like the blue," He mused. "How is your friend going to modify them?"

His arm draped around Felix, pulling him in closer. The action was not immediately recognized in his mind. Damian just saw some random employee in the corner of his eye and had the instinct to make sure that Felix was fine and out of the way. One would think that in a moment like this a detective like himself would notice what's going on, but no. In fact, his reaction to put his arm back at his side was delayed for a minute.

Play it cool, Damian. Everything's alright. He kept going through this little affirmation like it'd do anything. "My ears?" Maybe? Damian had to feel his earlobs to make sure. "Yes they are. Why? What are you planning?" He had them pierced in high school. Man does he still remember the looks on his father and stepmother's faces. He doesn't wear earrings as much as he used to in high school and college. All he'd wore were simple studs or those small silver dangling ones. That felt like ages ago.

"I don't know, usually Abel has something good up their sleeve." He pauses at the mention of his chaotic friend. "He does this type of stuff as a side-hustle. Modification for clothes, cars, furniture–anything really. They were the one you were on the phone with yesterday. The one who accused you of kidnapping." Felix disposes of the red jacket back into the rack and drapes the blue one over his arm. "If we have time after this, we could stop by their shop to see if they're op–"

Whatever thought process Felix had running is immediately yanked to a halt as soon as Damian ever-so-gently drapes an arm around him. His usually racing mind needs to take a moment for everything to catch up. Totally not at all concerned, Felix briefly glances up to follow the other man's eyeline. Oh. The employee. Felix shakes his head–and the thoughts–away. This is all extremely normal and nothing to worry about. The comment about the ear piercings does manage to knock him out of the stupor.

"Oho," Felix chuckles softly to himself as he gauges what will look best impaled through the detective's earlobes. "I just have some ideas to further the ensemble, that's all." He doesn't know how the detective had forgotten he pierced his ears. Felix could never forget the time he took a needle and potato to his own earlobes when he was thirteen. Ana Luis had helped him and they had both gotten an earful from their father. "C'mon, let's pay for these and get out of here," he announces as he drags Damian over to the register to pay for the singular jacket.

"Oh yeah," He reminisced about all the chaos that was going on over the phone. "It sounded like they were about to kill you yesterday. I'm surprised that they didn't." Damian wonders how he has met so many different kinds of people. All of these friends, it's interesting to him. Wait- Since Abel was there with Felix yesterday and he might be able to see him today, then that means he could ask what Felix's reaction was during that whole bit.

The bit in which he know wonders if it made him begin to think about things. Damian just couldn't have become hyper-aware about every little thing Felix is doing out of nowhere. It would be crazy to think that he might want to have his arm around him for longer than a minute because he likes it. Or would it be crazy if that was partially why he did drape his arm around Felix? Totally not, not at all.

"You have some ideas?" He asked. Damian continued on as he was dragged over to the register. "My hair covers my ears. No one's going to see whatever wacky earrings you'll force me to wear." He does not know what to expect from Felix. Looking at the jacket, he shook his head. Oh well, whatever ideas Felix has, he looks forward to knowing what they are.

"Don't worry about it, doll," Felix remarks as he and the cashier exchange cash and a bag. He turns to the other man with a smile and glint in his eyes. "I'll make sure you'll look good no matter what." Unsure if he even wants to see Damian's face after the comment, Felix turns away and heads for the door, ensuring to keep a side eye on the employee the entire way.

They emerge back into the light of the Vegas Strip, able to breathe clearly (or at least however clearly Las Vegas will actually let them). The contrast of light causes Felix to scramble to flick his sunglasses back over his eyes. It's crowded, logical for it being about five o'clock in the evening. More tourists bark and point and Felix usually doesn't pay them any mind, but they're suddenly obnoxiously loud. He sighs. The shop he was looking forward to is at least a solid twenty-minute walk down the Strip. "Alright, darlin', we can either get all the way down towards the Flamingo for some earrings and a necklace or we can go the opposite way and drive over to my friend's shop. They do business near Bianca's bar."

If Damian does go with the second option, it would be more time alone, but they'd be without key elements for the idea in Felix's mind. It's not like they can't do both, but it would certainly be inconvenient. Felix checks the time on his trio of watches–wait. He has a surplus of accessories hidden somewhere at home. "If we go to Abel's, I doubt we could hit the jewelry shop today but I don't think it would be that much of an inconvenience. If we get going now, I'm sure we could catch them before they close up for the night."

Damian playfully scoffed. Looking away, he tried to hide the fact that his face was blushing. He isn't sure what to think. Guess he has to trust Felix on this. He followed him outside of storing while trying to ignore the employee and wanting to drape his arm over again. There is a lot he is trying to ignore, but it's hard to.

When he stepped out, he briefly checked the time on his phone. Thankfully he had no texts nor missed calls. So now they have one more stop, right? Damian bit the bottom of his lip while thinking about the choices. He does have his own earrings; they don't need to buy some. Actually he kind of wants to meet Felix's friend, but he also made a bit about being Felix's boyfriend or something and now he freaks out anytime he stares at Felix. In the back of his mind, he has a list with pros and cons for both options. Continuing to pretend to be Felix's boyfriend can be a con, but he sees it as a pro too.

"Let's go to your friend's place, okay? I have some earrings, or I can borrow from you if you'd let me," He suggested. "The jacket is more important and noticeable compared to earrings and necklaces or whatever."

"Alright, alright, sounds good." Felix shields the sun–despite also wearing sunglasses–with his hand and turns on his heel back towards the way they came. "It shouldn't be a far walk," he calls back to Damian. "We'll take my car and then I'll drop you off back here on the way home."

Felix steels his nerves with a short huff. It's not like Abel is a bad friend, no it's literally quite the opposite. After his last break-up (which had been pretty rough), Abel took up… a protective role. It doesn't help that Abel is known for being… volatile. Felix doesn't quite blame his friend, however–it's only been a year since they've been out of the psych ward. Felix has known Abel for what… nine years now? Nearly as long as Shea. Felix would trust the odd botanist with his life.

"I have to give you a fair warning though," Felix says, slowing down a step to walk side-by-side with the detective. "Abel's known for being… easy to upset. Just avoid talking about family or… y'know your kids. Abel's gone through some hell the past two years, but they're still one of my closest friends. You also want to be on his good side–" Felix is quick to include that last statement. "Be nice, but not overwhelming. You'll know when Abel's pissed, and usually that's when they pull a pocket knife."

A new mental list appeared in his head. He focused on what Felix was telling him then added it to the list. Sometimes he muttered a word or phrase to himself in order to remember. He stopped when hearing about the pocket knife. Damian will keep it cool then if he hasn't done so already. He might just be quiet the whole time.

"Not a problem. I understand." He's fine with not bringing up family and kids. Talking about family is something he has gotten himself out of for a long time; really, he'd rather get fired or break an arm than talk about family. Getting on a deep personal level with Damian about the past or family is like finding El Dorado or the lost city of Atlantis.

What he really is concerned about right now is the effects of yesterday pending on what could happen when he meets Abel. He basically joked about Felix's boyfriend as payback, but now he realizes there are consequences to his actions. One of them being that putting the words "Felix" and "boyfriend" together gives his heart palpitations.

"What about the things I said yesterday?" Damian asked. "Like how are we….What are we going to do about that with me being there? Or should I just not say anything or maybe stay in your car?"

At the mention of the phone call yesterday, Felix's heart stutters just slightly. From his tone, Damian feels just as uncertain about it as he had… but–had it all just been for the joke? Probably? God– Felix can't do this type of shit anymore. Abel's sure to exploit some side of Felix's thoughts. Or maybe Abel will choose to play nice and forget the entire encounter. Who knows; after all, Abel is one of two people Felix has ever misread.

"You can if you want," Felix says cooly, punctuated with a shrug. "I won't force you to come inside if you don't want to." Glancing up to the detective, Felix runs a couple scenarios in his mind. None of them are particularly bad. Maybe a little bit of grilling from Abel and a few irritated looks, but Felix can't imagine that they'll do anything too bad. "Abel's… not the friendliest towards, uh, his friends' partners, but, y'know, if we don't spring a lot on them at once we'll be fine." Felix shrugs again. "It won't be anything bad, I promise."

He pulls the detective down a short street, through a clean alley and towards a parking garage. "I'm over this way." He ducks into the parking garage with Damian at his heels. The car isn't too far, surprisingly. Felix had somehow struck it lucky with the Parking Gods and gotten a spot within the first two floors. The sedan beeps as Felix clicks his keys. Uncerimoniously, he tosses the bags into the backseat before sliding into the driver's seat. Killer Fern Botany isn't too far, maybe a twenty-minute drive over to the small shopping center just outside of Vegas. Killer Fern is a strange little shop built into a historic building with exotic, jungle plants set on shelves illuminated with blue lighting. "Also, funky question, do you have an issue with humidity?"

Maybe he should talk to Felix about whatever is going on because what he said yesterday might have some weight to it. There is no way Damian could have come up with it out of nowhere. No he shouldn't. Now is not the time to. They work together too and Damian is not sure if Felix would ever want to go out with some prim detective like himself anyways. Plus, at home, he is a huge nerd. Does Felix even know about that?

"Well I mean…" Damian sighed while rubbing the back of his neck. "I can if you want me to. It's not a big deal, Felix." He might just do the same thing that he was doing in the stores: following Felix around and staying quiet. Trust him, being quiet is an art he has mastered. "I'm sure it won't be bad. I'll keep quiet…let you do the talking and so on. It'll be fine."

Quietly, he hummed as they entered the parking garage. When seeing the car's lights flicker, his step pace increased. He usually has the habit to run over, but it's not his car and he isn't in the mood anyways. Damian stood at the passenger side, waiting for Felix to get in first. He got in and put the seat belt on. It was then he realized that his feet were aching a little from dragging around. Thank God he gets to sit for a while.

"What?" Damian turned his head to look at Felix. "Nope, no issues with humidity. I hate it, but no issues with it. Why'd you ask?"

"It won't be bad," Felix confirms as he starts the car. "I'll make sure nothing happens, though I think we might be over-analyzing this all. It's really nothing to worry about." Smoothly, Felix pulls the car out of the lot and towards the toll station to pay for his one-hour parking. Afterwards, he takes a backroad off the strip to avoid the heinous traffic.

"I ask about humidity because Abel keeps his shop at about seventy-five percent humidity and sometimes I walk in there and there's a straight cloud of fog in the middle of the room." Felix's nose wrinkles. "There's mold everywhere, but it's a botany shop so… nobody minds?" Felix tilts his head to the side as he checks the mirrors and turns again. "It's all ferns, carnivorous plants, and tropical stuff. It's a freaky-ass shop, but it's cool."

He sighs and drums his fingers on the steering wheel. The radio station plays some slow pop song that slightly annoys Felix, but that's likely because it's about mushy, pining love and Felix really does not need to hear it right now. Unfortunately, if he turns off the radio that'll be too obvious so he's left to suffer in relative silence.

If Felix says that it won't be bad, then everything will be fine. "Alright, if you say so. I'm sure it will be good." He could be overthinking everything. All the engines in his mind had been sent into overdrive. Over-analyzing things is what he does best. From feelings to adaptations of Dracula, he analyzes it all.

"Oh…" Damian is not a botanist nor a state health inspector, but he felt unsure about the link between humidity and mold. Sounds like Abel owns the flower shop in Little Shop of Horrors. Somehow though, he laughed to himself. He had to ask, "Is there venus fly traps in his shop? The twins are obsessed with them. I don't know why they like them. It's cute."

The song couldn't have played at a better time. He listened to the lyrics before turning his chin to look out the window beside him. Damian did not want to ask if he could change the station cause he thought that Felix might find him being weird. Felix could find out that Damian doesn't want to pretend to be boyfriends, that he might want to actually go out together? His lips curled back. This music isn't a big deal nor is his feelings or how there is awkward silence. Instead, he focused on the beat of the song and letting his foot tap to it.

"Yeah, there's a ton of the flytraps. Along with some… other carnivorous plants that I don't care enough to remember," Felix replies, turning down another street. The song–thank god–ends and the station flips to some radio host babbling about some ex-boyfriend or whatever. "It's a weird shop. I don't go there enough." He smiles but hides it with a quick rub of his chin. "You should get the twins one. I'm sure they'd be ecstatic."

Slowly, they begin to approach the small center. Concordia Bar and Grill is bustling, having it be near dinner time. Felix eyes the law firm across the street from it. "Remind me to tell you about Angel Donovan–" He points out the window to the law firm. "That was a shit experience. I don't know if you've had to deal with him before, but lemme tell you that man is a snake." Felix huffs. He doesn't know what possessed him to bring up Donovan, especially when he told himself that he'd never bring up that experience again. Maybe he was looking for a way to fill the silence. Maybe he finds himself wanting to open up to the detective.

"We're almost there." Felix pulls into a small parking lot. A strip of three small stores fit awkwardly next to the lot, almost as if it was supposed to be a singular store that got sloppily divided into three. The one on the left is dark, the windows looking inside not giving much insight as to what's inside. Blue lights shine from the ground just inside, but they quickly lose their intensity further towards the ceiling. "You ready to meet another one of my friends?" He inquires as he parks the car and pulls the keys from the ignition.

A plant shop having tons of flytraps and other carnivorous plants; it is the Little Shop of Horrors. Damian laughed at the thought of all the times Adonis and Mina had asked for one. If he had a dollar for everytime he has said no when the twins have asked for a cat or dog, he would have enough to get a pet. They're still little and he's worried about them giving a pet or plant some Capri-sun. "Those two being ecstatic….I think it'd be safer to not buy the plant then." Maybe he'll just take a picture of one to show them later.

As he looked at the places in the area, no thoughts came to mind. Just observations that he likely will not remember. But when Felix started talking, he stared at the law firm with squinted eyes. Angel Donovan, that's a name he is not familiar with. He tucks it in the back of his mind, hoping he'll remember some details for later. Whoever this person is, they must be an interesting character one way or another. "Okay then, I can't wait for you to spill the tea on that." A lot of the lawyers he's come across are snakes, but he's sure he hasn't met an Angel Donovan. Whatever story Felix has in store, it must be good.

Is he really ready? He undid the seatbelt then gave a shrug. When he has ever been ready to meet anyone? Before he stepped out the car, he replied, "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

Before making his way to the storefront, Felix gets into the backseat and retrieves the jacket they bought not half-an-hour earlier. Felix nods to Damian with a sort of half-smile before leading the way to the door. It's nearing six, the shop still open until seven. As he pushes through the glass door, a bell rings from somewhere. There's no welcome call, just as Felix expected. He's just glad he had the foresight to leave a jacket at home.

Killer Fern Botany is a small shop that is absolutely sweltering with humidity. It's obnoxiously dark and Felix has to take a moment to let his eyes adjust to the low light. What actual lightbulbs there are are in strips along the floor, all in the same shade of blue-green. There are neon signs of the same color adorning the rugged brick walls. In the actual room, there are iron tables and towering shelves filled to the brim with various plants, all of them tropical or strange. In the back of the room is a register with a door leading to some back room. Covering a good amount of the register are the largest spider plants Felix has ever seen.

"Abel!" Felix shouts into the room. From behind the spider plants, a blue-haired head appears.

"Why are you here?" Abel responds, slowly stepping out from behind the plants. In the low light, surrounded by spindly leaves, the shopkeeper looks downright menacing. They have ears covered in silver and teal piercings, narrow eyes with the sharpest eyeliner Felix could possibly imagine, a massive jacket with a pointed fur collar, and ring-covered hands holding a pair of massive scissors. "You're never here."

"I need some help–" Felix points to the bag in his hand then to Damian behind him. "This is… uh, Damian. We need you to do some funky shit to this jacket we bought."

Abel narrows their eyes a little further and sets the scissors down on the counter with a loud click. "Were you the one on the phone?"

Following behind Felix, he stopped at the door. Jesus, it is humid in this shop and the place is covered with plants. Damian did come across a venus flytrap. Quickly, he pulled out his phone to take a couple of pictures for Adonis and Mina. He's definitely going to show it to them tomorrow around dinner time. Those two are going to be all over it.

He slid his phone into a pocket then went to stand by Felix. There are plants everywhere and the lighting is off to his eyes. Excitement and bashfulness bubbled within him. He wasn't sure why he started to feel this. It's not the first time he's met one of Felix's friends. Although, he couldn't help but be a little shy when first seeing Abel.

Before answering Abel's question, Damian took ahold of Felix's hand and laced their fingers together. He is 87% sure that it was not to entertain the bit from yesterday. While he is sure that this impulsive action stems from his feelings, now was not the time to go through all the details and draw a conclusion. Eventually he will have time for this at a later time.

"Yeah, I'm the one who's one the phone," He answered. "It's nice to meet you. I'm happy to meet one of Felix's friends."

Felix fights the urge to instantly draw his hand away as soon as Damian laces his fingers through. It's not that he dislikes the contact, no, no, no–Abel narrows his eyes, a small sneer curling at their lips. That's why. Noiselessly, Abel slips behind the spider plants again and almost materializes on the far side of the shop. They have a mister in hand, delicately tending to some of the ferns.

With a sigh, Felix speaks up. "Abel, can you help us or no?" The botanist halts what meticulous care they're delivering to the plants and sends Felix a less-than-nice glare. Of course, the gambler doesn't take it personally. Abel's by far the prickliest of his friends. And Felix disturbed them in the middle of work.

"No public displays of affection in my shop–" Abel hisses, walking right between the two men to break up their link. Felix has to snort at that. "I've already had to kick Shea out because she kept trying to push Bianca up against the register." Abel pauses to fake gag. From the inside pocket of his jacket, Abel produces a small jar that buzzes. "What do you need?" They ask, using a pair of long, metal tweezers to poke through a hole in the lid. They're flies. One by one, Abel begins to feed the flytraps a thrashing bug.

"Well–"

"No." Abel quickly cuts Felix off. They study one of the flytraps closely before whipping out a short knife from the confines of their jacket. With a quick movement, a blackened, dead head of the trap falls to the ground. "I wanna hear it from him." Abel turns to the duo and points the knife towards the detective.

Felix sighs and rubs his hands over his face. Don't get him wrong, he absolutely loves Abel. He's been one of Felix's closest friends for nine years now, but truly, Abel can get entirely extra at times. Extra, difficult, dramatic, and stubborn. He supposes those are traits the both of them share from time to time.

Looks like he does not need to utter a word in order to cause a reaction. When Abel walked between them, he lifted his hand up only to have it on the back of his neck. He muttered a "sorry" before softly sighing. After that, Damian sort of zoned out. In the car, he did say that he would just stand there and be quiet, so that's what he intends to do.

Will it be the plan that he is going to stick to? A knife was pointed at him, and Abel turned their attention to him. He didn't even realize it at first as he was focused on the flytraps. When he did, Damian blinked. Well shit.

So much for just standing there and letting Felix do all the talking. What can he say? He has no idea what the plan is nor what is supposed to be done with the jacket. And he is not going to say that it is to help him blend in with a bunch of weirdos for a case. Honestly, Damian was too focused on the flytrap's head on the floor to come up with something to say on the spot. In spite of being a detective and all, he loves not talking as much as he loves silence or not being around people. But here he is and he has to talk despite not knowing what the fuck to say.

While staring at the knife pointed at him, he smiled. His gaze glimpsed up to Abel. "He's taking me to see a band, but doesn't want me to show up in clothes similar to the ones I am wearing now," He responded while gesturing to his clothes. "Felix told me that you are great at modifying things, especially jackets. So please…," Damian took the bag from Felix and held it out to Abel, "Please make this jacket look better with your artistic abilities, for Felix. It doesn't matter if you like me or not, you don't have to either way."

Abel's eyes shift from the bag to Damian to Felix. Slowly, a sharp smile stretches across their face. They flip the knife with a quick flick of their wrist before catching it by the handle and slipping it right back into their coat. "Jesus, man, you don't have to get so formal." Swiftly, Abel snatches the bag out of the detective's hand and grabs the jacket inside, letting the bag drop unceremoniously to the floor. Abel purses his lips as he studies the jacket in the odd lighting of the shop.

"What are you looking for?" Abel inquires, stretching the sleeve out.

Felix isn't sure if Damian wants Abel to know that he's going to be attending Abel's concert in a few days, so he shrugs. "Something less stuffy that'll make Damian look like an actual person instead of…" Felix gestures vaguely to the detective's entire ensemble. "That."

Abel laughs–an airy, wheezing, inhuman sounding thing–and grabs Damian's arm, holding it out to the detective's side for some vague-ish measurements. As he moves the man's arm, the sleeve rides up, exposing a scarred wrist. The smile instantly drops from Abel's face as he looks to the detective, their odd, blue-green eyes locking with the detective's dark ones. Leaving something unsaid, Abel shakes his head and takes a step back, holding the jacket up to gauge how it will look on his frame. "I think I can get something done." They nod. "I'll get it to you in a day or two, Felix." Abel looks back over to Damian. "Anything else?"

Damian chuckled at Abel's words. Success! When in doubt, use formalities. Sure it's Vegas, but he has learned that not a lot of people expect someone to be prim and formal; they might not like it. Might as well use this knowledge in a time like this. He does it all the time back at the station.

He looked over to Felix to answer the next question. If he wanted to honest right now, he has no idea how they can make this jacket look "cool" or whatever aside from leaving it as it is now. And while he is aware that his clothes now are rather plain, he still rolled his eyes. It's business formal and he likes dressing better than some of the people at the LVPD.

"Huh?" Red alarms went off inside his head. In a matter of seconds, his whole body becomes stiff at the physical interaction. He wanted to pull his arm away then leave, but he didn't want to make Abel upset or anything. There's multiple reasons why Damian constantly wears long sleeves. As a matter of fact, he could give the measurements of his arms if only he was asked to. In the end, he is not able to prevent any situation like this. So he just stood stiffly, waiting for his wrist to be let go.

It felt like decades had passed when staring back at Abel. But it had passed. Thankfully Damian was able to focus his attention back onto the jacket. He sighed while stuffing his hands into his pockets. Shaking his head, the only thing he said was the word, "No." All the energy and excitement built up within him had become static. His eyes were looking off to the side.

"I'll see what I can do," Abel says, slinging the jacket over his shoulder as he returns to their post behind the wall of spider plants at the register. Their footsteps are freakishly light, something Felix had picked up early on their friendship. Felix had noticed a lot of things: the way Abel would flip between moods in an instant, how they would unconsciously find a tall place to sit, how they always wore eight rings on each hand–

Felix also noticed the unexpected, prolonged eye contact between Abel and Damian. Deciding that it's definitely not the place to ask, Felix tucks it away in his mind for later. Abel doesn't really make eye contact unless something… interesting happens. "How much do I owe you for the jacket?" Felix asks, already reaching for his wallet in his back pocket.

"Nothing," Abel answers and Felix definitely knows something weird is happening. Abel never works for free, not even for their own friends and family. "I'll drop it by your apartment."

Yeah, no, this is all entirely weird. Is there something in the humidifiers? Perhaps a venus flytrap swallowed him whole and he's in an alternate dimension. Well, it doesn't seem too out there, if Felix is being completely honest with himself. Humming to himself, Felix rocks on his heels and turns to Damian. "Everything alright?" He inquires quietly. "You ready to go?" He asks again, just a little louder as he points to the door.

The red alarms finally stopped. Now his mind was replaced with TV static. This time he did not have to focus on being quiet. It just came naturally and effortlessly. He avoided looking at Abel and Felix as well as making eye contact with either of them. Hell, he doesn't even want to look down at his arms and wrists. Previously, he just wanted to go home because he didn't want to be dragged around the strip and try on clothes. Now he wants to go home so he can be alone and away from everything, but that is impossible for him.

He wasn't really paying much attention to the conversation. While getting the jist of it, he did not focus much to details if there were any. All he is able to recall is that Felix apparently owes Abel nothing for the jacket. Not much thought went into what he heard. Somehow words were drowned out by ringing in his ears.

So when Felix was talking to him, his reaction was delayed. Damian was withdrawn and only heard the last syllable of whatever Felix said. Snapping back into reality, he blinked then turned to look over. He only had a faint idea of what was being asked when he saw that Felix was pointing towards the door. "Yeah, sure," He replied, "I'm ready to go."

Felix blinks. Yeah, no this isn't good at all. Rewinding everything that just happened in his mind, Felix tries to pinpoint what exactly what caused this sudden withdrawal. Like, not even ten minutes ago Damian was laughing and smiling and actually invested in what was happening–oh. The reel in Felix's mind shudders to a stop. Abel grabbed Damian's wrist and saw. Shit.

"Alright, thanks man!" Felix calls with his usual volume as he begins to push Damian towards the door. "Just let me know when it's done." Abel makes some noise of affirmation as Felix pushes open the door. The bell sounds, they're hit with the dry evening air, the door closes behind them. The difference between the stuffy, humid shop and the six o'clock desert air is stark and almost disorienting. Felix shakes away the odd change as they head towards his car.

"Hey–" Felix starts, carefully bumping into Damian with his shoulder. "You alright? You shut down in there." Felix knows why, but he's not going to start a conversation with Hey! My friend saw some pretty traumatic scars and it caused you to zone out! You alright?

(zfzjalkijh ahh that is awesome! i didn't even realize it's been a year. i love this rp)

The world felt removed from him or he was removed from it. His senses were dulled. All that he could hear was the ringing from his ears. There were no thoughts in his mind. No deep thinking or wondering what kind of dinner he should make when he takes the twins home. His anxiety was voided with the rest of him. In fact, he cannot recall if he had said anything just moments ago. Did he? What did he even say?

Subconsciously his feet moved as he was pushed outside of the plant shop by Felix. They stopped once the two of them were at the car. Damian put his hand on the door handle. His fingers wrapped around it and stayed there. No pulling, no tugging the handle to see if the door was unlocked. Nothing.

His body moved after the slight bump, but he remained still. If this had happened at any other time, he would have shouted or sweared. He turned his head in Felix's direction, but didn't make eye contact. There was no expression on his face. Usually when he is nonchalant, you can still see hints of emotions lingering his eyes or the way he spoke.

Somehow he managed to speak. Still, he is unsure of what Felix said, but he responded anyways. "I'm fine. Just tired. It's been a long week." Damian looked down at his hand on the door handle then pulled it.

Knowing that his answer is bullshit, Felix sighs and unlocks the car after Damian's half-hearted attempt at opening it. There's something entirely distant in the detective's eyes… something that tugs at something deep within Felix's chest. He doesn't like it. Seeing Damian suddenly distant like this. "Alright," the gambler murmurs, ducking into the driver's side of the seat.

He waits for Damian to get in, fiddling with the air conditioner to get a cool breeze blowing through the sedan. He turns the radio down low so only a few warbles can be heard from whatever artist is belting their heart out. Felix pauses for Damian to get his seatbelt on before shifting the car into reverse and pulling away from the old parking lot.

For a couple of agonizing minutes, Felix drives in complete silence. Every time he would break at a stop light, he'd steal a glance over to Damian. Somewhere along the way, he places his hand carefully atop of Damian's.

After a few moments of silence, he clears his throat. Perhaps… perhaps a story might help. It could give Damian a distraction of sorts, something to focus on. "So, Angel Donovan." The law firm lingers in the corner of his eye. "I was twenty, a perfect case of wrong place, wrong time. There had just been a massive robbery, the cops pinned me down as someone too low-class to have a nice jacket, so they arrested me and brought me to a holding cell. I met Abel and Shea there." He pauses. Their stories aren't quite Felix's to tell. "Something we all had in common was that we were all innocent, and Angel Donovan had chosen to take up the prosecution."

"Donovan was a renowned lawyer. For some goddamn reason he chose to slither down to Las Vegas and spend his days making bank from busting low-class kids in a high-class city. The rich guys love him. They think he's just ridding the streets of pests." Felix has to take a moment to unclench his jaw. "Y'know?"

Right now, it is physically and mentally not possible for him to speak. He is not sure if he truly has anything to say at all. Putting emotions to words is not something he is good at. Being vulnerable is something he still fears, and he has no choice in the way he is right now.

After putting the seatbelt on, he sat up straight in a rigid manner. His eyes were kept staring off to the side. The silence was not a problem for him; he didn't even notice it at all. His sense of touch was numbed. Damian only noticed something moving in front of him. When looking to see what it was, he discovered Felix's hand on top of his. His vision became blurred with tears he blinked away.

He tried listening to the story. Listening to Felix was like hearing his voice underwater in a pool; he heard bits and pieces, but it was muted by the water. Sounds of ringing filled his head. Between trying with all his might to pay attention to Felix's story and trying to ignore the ringing, it was exhausting. Silence broke all the sounds, real or not, when he heard Abel's name.

All he thought about was feeling their hand move the shirt sleeve up then revealing the scars. He saw the light in Abel's eyes when they stared back into his again. Just the shattering feeling of his mental state crashing down into smithereens was enough to remove him from himself and for the better part, the world.

Staring down at their hands, he said nothing aside from humming in response. It was the least he can do, although he wished he was able to say more. He wished he could have been respectful and listened more attentively. He wished he couldn't be so easily conquered by scars. Damian stared at their hands, sighing softly yet painfully.

"I thought I was gonna be in prison for twenty-five years. I'd get out at forty-five and my golden years would've been spent in a cement cell." Felix knows Damian isn't listening. He knows that the man has long since checked out mentally. Damn it, Abel. There's matching scars on Abel's wrist, but Damian doesn't know that. Damian isn't supposed to know that. It's not Felix's secret to share. "But there was some miracle lawyer, fresh out of law school. She had interned beneath Donovan in her college years, and she luckily figured out what kind of conniving man he is. She saved my ass, I owe my life to her."

Felix shifts his hand, moving so his fingers lace between Damian's as he squeezes softly. If he can't hear Felix's words, he at least hopes that he can feel Felix's touch. "She managed to get the others out of a wrongful sentence too. God, I wish more people out there were like her." The radio and hum of the car supply a comfortable white noise as Felix heads down Damian's street. His car is still somewhere on the Strip, but Damian is in no condition to drive home. Felix can always drive him back in the morning.

With nowhere left to drive his story, Felix sighs and checks the rearview mirror. He's going to have to text Rhyda to feed Jackpot his dinner. "I don't know if you can really hear me right now," Felix starts, shooting a sideways glance to the detective. "But I hope you're alright. I… I think I know what triggered this whole… shutting down thing and I'm–" Another sigh. "I'm sorry that you had to go through shit. In the past and now. You don't deserve that, Damian. You don't deserve to suffer." With that, Felix slowly pulls up to the curb of Damian's house.

Guilt slithered around the rest of his feelings. He cannot control any of this. He was not able to hold back from all the pressure that he had held back and dealt with for so long. It bled into the present, into the current moment where he cannot be present for those like Felix. His fingers felt bleak against Felix's as they laced together. Damian could only stare at them for so long before looking out the window. When he did, he tilted his head as he saw a familiar yet unexpected sight.

Wait- they are at his house? How? Damain does not remember how they got here aside from getting in Felix's car. Felix's car. Not his car. So if he hasn't gotten into his own car, then that means he hasn't picked up Adonis and Mina yet. In that moment of realization, the only part of him that had returned was the anxiety. It caved into his chest, making each breath heavier than the last. Breathing became a task as much as thinking or listening had.

The volume of the ringing lowered a little. And although he was unsure what Felix was saying, in the midst of his broken and foggy, Damian shook his head. He doesn't need to hear. Chances are he knows what is being said. The unheard heard words, along with the inner turmoils, were enough to make his eyes water.

All the distress has worn him down to nothing. And yet, his chest heaved greatly. Damian needs to get his kids home, but here he is a complete wreck. He shook his head again. There was confusion and worry in his eyes. "Felix, I- why are we here? I need to get my kids. I need to make dinner. I need to go now. I need-"

A sharp inhale stopped him. With his free hand, he pressed his forehead into it. The fight against himself was a loss. Tears silently rolled down his face.

Felix just watches for a moment as Damian's panic sets in. He grits his jaw, blinking away the sting aching in the back of his eyes. He squeezes their hands together. He has burning questions in his mind, but Felix knows they're nowhere near close enough to breach that topic. What could've drove Damian to… to this state? His parents, his youth, his job, his wife…?

"Hey–" Felix is quick to speak.With his free hand, he reaches over to place it gently on Damian's cheek. Slowly, he turns the detective's head to face him. With the pad of his thumb, he swipes away a tear. "Hey just breathe for me, alright? We can go get them right now. You just have to tell me how to get there."

Not allowing any of his thoughts to show, Felix has to wonder how he got to be so nice. Any version of his from the past wouldn't have cared. He would've offered a false sympathy, a pitying smile and then he would've been on his way without a second thought. With one hand, Felix can count how many people he's wiped tears from: Ana Luis, Shea, Abel, Drew, and now Damian. He must be getting… soft. But the thought doesn't disgust him.

"Is it alright if you can tell me where to go? After we pick up the twins I can get dinner. If you need me to, I can even stay for a little while to give you a little bit to recover, okay?"

Never in a million years would he ever think that he would be here like this. Crying while looking at Felix as they held hands and Felix wiping away a tear. Crying in front of somebody else is just something he never would have imagined doing. Damian let out a small exhale, but ended up letting a loud groan. More tears followed. His hand balled up into a fist pressing against his chest.

"No…No…" He cannot be receiving help at this time. Forcing Fellix to do all these things because of his state. It's wrong. He shouldn't even be here crying helplessly. Fathers don't do that nor do detectives. Even with this mindset that still holds on, his face is stained with his own tears. His lips trembled with burnout, exhaustion. His eyes filled with tears. They just kept coming out.

What else can he do right now? Better yet, is there anything he can do right now? The answer is clear. It is clear, but Damian only continued to sob. Apologies slipped between the quick pierced breaths he made. This is terrible, especially since he sees it being his fault. He knows that it really isn't, yet he cannot get rid of the old way of thinking. It is his fault. It is his fault.

He managed to muster up some energy as he took out his phone. The screen lights up, showing a picture of the twins dressed up as little bats for Halloween. In that moment, he stopped sobbing just for that moment. He was able to find the address of the place the twins were at; it's just a YMCA where he has to pay extra for after hours. His hand was shaking as he turned the phone to show Felix the address.