Welcome to Gaia! ::

In his office Garos was busy working on the reports for the week past and this week. A couple of incidents with patrons who’d been kicked out for disorderly behavior. Beyond the occasional jackass who thought they could get away with touching, let alone attacking some of our wait staff was lucky that being kicked out was all that had happened, but they wouldn’t be allowed back in and the staff he had attacked were treated and given time off to recover from the ordeal beyond their usual days off. Cassarria believed in taking care of their staff and he was a firm believer that ideal meant doing everything possible to make their lives better. As he poured over financial reports which no surprise, they were up from the weeks prior, he also handled ordering any supplies they needed to daily operations. His focus was purely on his paperwork that the presence of anyone walking in was missed immediately.

When Laura dropped that tray of Fudge in front of him, his attention was split between the information she was giving him and having to process and the fact that she had brought him a tray full of fudge, his face a mixture of confusion and professionalism. He couldn’t get a word in until she spoke of her going out on a date which surprised him even more, since he recalled she’d not been in... How long had she been?



As she started to leave his professional facade finally broke, his chair had shifted only slightly when he got up his movement swift, he caught her arm with his hand causing her to look at him, the sudden questioning look on her face caused him to release her and stand back a step giving her a level of space that he thought was appropriate for someone like himself and finally spoke “i uh...” he lowered his eyes her appearance catching his attention as he slipped back into a professional baring, had she always been this beautiful? He couldn’t recall since he rarely took time for himself, he chose to work after his former employer died so long ago, his work the only thing keeping him from being murderous, and the exhaustion when he finally stopped keeping him from doing anything regrettable especially on Club grounds.



Finally, he spoke in a clear voice for the first time, no professional tone, just him “thank you for the fudge, and...” he paused a moment as he finally raised his eyes to look at her and finally seeing her “you look beautiful, and...” he paused again, his muscular form showing even in the dark grey suit he wore since he started managing the Club, his muscles were suddenly tense, and when he finally spoke again there was a slight tinge of sadness in his tone “enjoy your date tonight, I'll make sure that you are cleared of any duties this evening” he was hopeless, but if anything he had done something that he had never done previously. His muscular form slumped slightly as he turned and started to return to his chair, his eyes looking at the Fudge that was resting at the center of his desk, papers buried under it or scattered a bit. Had he been a fool to shut out everyone around him? Probably... he was protecting them, but from who? Himself? Or was he simply hiding behind his work because he was deep down afraid to get close to someone again, granted his relationship with Tenran had been mostly business and some casual, he was after all his butler and manager when Brimstone was still in operation. He had a love for them man because he treated him more than just an employee, he was a colleague, a confidant, Tenran didn’t speak of it much but he had cared about his butler and that in of itself meant much for the at the time young demon who’d been brought into the industry as a result of being bonded out to him to pay off a debt.



The debt paid, he continued to work for them man, he was hopeless without him and that was the way he preferred it to be. After the death, he had nearly lost himself to the pain of loss of a man who was too good for this world, admittedly there was question on whether it was necessary but Tenran had been chosen to lead the horde that was subsequently slaughtered by the wolves who fought back, he hadn’t heard of anything after that. Sometime after he had chosen to continue to be a use rather than seek an end that benefited anyone, but he had vowed not to get close to anyone after that and sought employment with the Club. He had simply come looking for a simple job instead the owner saw the value of his talents and put him in charge of the club as the manager, it was a role he took to easily and twenty years later he was still hard at it, though ten years this woman had been trying to get close to him, tried to give him something he wasn’t sure he knew how to handle, afraid that if he let himself feel that he’d lose her too.



Finally, he spoke up sensing her presence was still there, “i apologize for being an a**, and ignoring you and your feelings” his professional facade gone, only a demon who’d been ignoring the feelings who’d been trying for ten years to get him to see her and for whatever reason this act had caused a crack to appear on his carefully protected heart, his eyes showed a man who’d used his work as a shield, to the point of working himself to death. He had been well suited for the job but even he couldn’t continue this for much longer, he’d kept everything at arm's length as a professional courtesy, thought now he had to wonder what Tenran would have thought of his Butler and arguably his closest friend and ally hiding away behind his working environment, pushing everyone away for professional reasons. Truth be told he couldn’t say his friend would have agreed with this self-destructive path, Tenran had readily believed that one should enjoy life not just live, and well he hadn’t exactly been enjoying life, only living, only getting by.



When Garos turned around he was taken aback by the swift response she had given him, Laura taking a chance in hoping it wasn’t the wrong move having closed the distance and lip locked him. Whatever was left of his perfectly tailor facade shattered in that moment, he wrapped his arms around her bringing her closer to him suddenly needing her, suddenly desiring to feel alive not just living for the sake of living.