[ Cheol-gang doubts he's simply looking for company—certainly there's something he plans on asking. If he had to guess, this probably pertains to the state his son's been in; he wouldn't be at all surprised if the man irrationally blames him for what they were both forced into. It's undoubtedly easier to place him in the role of aggressor, especially from a Westerner's perspective, though this also raises the question of what his submissive may or may not have told him. ]
[ The Cherry Pit isn't much to look at on the outside, just a big neon cherry sign to clear away some of the gloom of the Down, but at least it doesn't raise expectations for the inside either. The red upholstery of the booths has definitely seen better days and despite a few fruit-themed touches it's the kind of bar where every surface is somehow either wet or sticky or both.
Logan seems to be absolutely at home, leaning back in a booth seat, wearing a colorful Hawaiian shirt that looks like it's about to lose a button or two if he moves too quickly. He's got a pitcher of beer and appears to be watching a muted gameshow playing on the TV above the bar, which seems to involve a lot of women being doused with soapy water. ]
[ The place is a real dump, but Cheol-gang doesn't let that thought make its way to the surface. Instead he just passes through unperturbed, soles of his shoes audibly sticking to the floor every few steps, resolving not to touch anything unless it's necessary.
He finds his submissive's father easily: despite his small stature, the man has a presence to him. Logan looks better than he was picturing when he received the random text and during the conversation after, though not by that much. He's not plastered, though, or day drinking.
Cheol-gang smiles in greeting, a synthetic look practiced to the point that it's long been indistinguishable from its original template. ]
[ The other man stands out precisely because he doesn't stand out at all. If Logan hadn't already met him, he probably would have pegged him for a lifetime military man for the creases in his chinos alone. As it is, Cheol-gang earns himself a sideways glance that travels down to his shoes and back up again. He doesn't quite return the smile, though he looks faintly amused. ]
Well as I can be. [ He offers the response with a slightly distracted air, already looking back over at the TV. A flip of his hand indicates the other side of the booth. ]
Siddown if you wanna. Unless those starched pants are gonna crack if you try.
[ Not starched, just ironed, thank-you-very-much, but Cheol-gang doesn't press the issue (so to speak). He glances briefly at the TV, at the lewd display of lathered skin and wet, clinging clothes, then back at the man who looks like exactly the kind of guy who would watch and enjoy that kind of thing. ]
I think they'll be okay.
[ Cheol-gang slides into the offered seat, addressing him conversationally. ]
A guy can't ask another guy if he wants to get a drink?
[ The grin that Logan slides Cheol-gang as he turns to face him properly and reaches for the pitcher of cheap beer is undeniably sly, though how much of that is just to rile the other man up isn't immediately obvious. He shrugs a little as he fills his glass. ]
Figured you could use someone to talk to. Ain't easy bein' new here.
[ Cheol-gang highly doubts that this is an act of charity, especially from a man as wary as Logan, but he doesn't share the thought. This is ultimately what he wanted, even if it's not being offered cordially - an open line of communication with this man is almost as important as it would be with an in-law, and their relationship is only a hair removed from such. ]
You're right, it's not. It's been quite the interesting month, I think we can all agree.
[ Cheol-gang holds out his own empty glass and waits for it to be filled—this place may ooze Americanisms from its every crevice and alley, but he's still not going to pour for himself. ]
[ It's an agreement he gets after a speculative pause. Being offered the empty glass earns a lift of Logan's eyebrows, but he doesn't hesitate to reach for the pitcher and pour him a drink. He assumes Cheol-gang already thinks he's a poorly mannered son of a bitch, but there's no reason to prove him right just yet.
As he sets the pitcher back down, he eyes Cheol-gang narrowly. ]
Heard there was some commotion over those tests they did.
But presumably that's not what he's referring to. Perhaps Akihiro told him about his intervention - the minimum he could do as the man's dominant, really, but maybe noteworthy on its own. He gets the strong sense that his submissive is unused to having another person look out for him, even if it's only when it suits his own interests. ]
Yes, that's one word for it. I wasn't comfortable standing idly by while someone groped my submissive, clinician or not. Surely you understand.
[ He growls it over the rim of his glass, studying Cheol-gang with a narrow eye. He's still not sure what to make of the other man and his interest in Akihiro -- no matter how much he claims that it's just for the sake of the contract. He's not comforted by Cheol-gang's possessive words, since they act as a reminder of how far outside his control his son's wellbeing currently sits.
He shrugs a little and drains off some more beer. ]
Still, he ain't exactly gonna be sittin' around waitin' for you to grope him instead.
[ Again the spectre of an imagined possibility of intercourse between the two of them raises its head, as it seems to do every time he and Logan are in the same room together. The elder Howlett's certainly fixated on that, which is almost amusing, in Cheol-gang's eyes—he knows he's not particularly attractive, but if his apparent worst case scenario were a reality, his son could do much worse, especially here. He had a well-respected job and considerable power back home, and he has the same here, even if he's still working back up to the level of influence he had before. Akihiro, on the other hand, is a prostitute and a submissive, with a history of doing the sort of work men like him, Cho Cheol-gang, order people to do. It doesn't take much finesse to kill, contrary to what so many civilians think.
But Logan is a father, and Akihiro is his only son. Of course that puts blinders on him. He's sure Logan's studying the image of a ghoul out to corrupt his otherwise innocent offspring from across his beer, not the man his already-corrupted child agreed to contract with.
He answers nonchalantly, as though this is a conversation absent of tension. ]
Of course not. I've made it very clear to him that I have no interest in men.
[ In some ways, Cheol-gang appears to be an easy man to understand, perfectly willing to present himself in exactly the way he wants to be perceived and apparently succeeding at that. But Logan's not about to assume he's being told anything except what Cheol-gang wants him to hear, which he imagines is far from the truth.
Logan lets that go, however, with a dismissive grunt. He glances back over his shoulder at the TV and watches it for a few moments before returning his attention to the other man. ]
Akihiro's been dealin' with some stuff lately. Some crap from his past that this place decided to dig up. Has he told you about any of that? What's goin' on with him?
[ Again he thinks of Mu-hyeok's watch, despite lacking any desire to. He's been under the impression Akihiro's dealt with something similar judging by the shift in his demeanor, but his submissive hasn't told him anything about it and he hasn't asked. It isn't any of his business. ]
It hasn't been discussed, but I'm aware that he's been having a difficult month. I get the sense your son prefers his space, and it's far from me to force him to talk about something he isn't comfortable disclosing.
[ Cheol-gang takes a sip of his beer. Not as good as what he's had in North Korea, overall about what he expected from this establishment. ]
[ Again, Cheol-gang gets a narrow, assessing look, then Logan seems to come to some internal agreement with himself and he nods slightly. Truthfully, the other man isn't saying anything wrong -- he actually appreciates the acknowledgement of Akihiro's privacy -- but that wall of formality has always been a difficult thing for him to be comfortable with. If he can't dig his way underneath it or kick some cracks into the foundations, he'll have to circumvent it altogether.
He sits back in the booth, slinging an arm up along the back of the seat. ]
So what d'you do when you're havin' a difficult month, Major? Whaddya do to blow off steam?
[ He answered correctly, judging by the shift in Logan's facial expression—he usually does. This time it just happens to be closer to the truth than is typical. Akihiro's father changes the topic after that and he goes along with it, though it's an odd question, almost personal.
What does he do to blow off steam. He doesn't, truth be told: tress is useful, something that keeps people sharp and vigilant. He wouldn't have gotten this far in the State Security Department if he couldn't operate under pressure, and unlike Director Choi, he doesn't turn into a trembling mess when his life is threatened. He handles stress by doing something about it and resolving the issue, and on the very few occasions when that doesn't work... Cheol-gang supposes he just sucks it up, as the Americans say.
He says none of this, of course. Instead: ]
Target practice. I find the firing range has a way of clearing the mind. And you?
[ That's -- well, it's more or less the kind of answer Logan thought he'd get. Less a hobby than an extension of his training, the appreciation of a weapon doing what it's supposed to no doubt drilled into him from an early age. Logan eyes him thoughtfully, but doesn't seem particularly impressed at the response. ]
I think you know. [ He grins suddenly, showing some teeth. His private life is certainly no secret, not after certain network posts. He laughs softly to himself and reaches for the pitcher again, pouring for himself and then holding it out mutely as an offer to Cheol-gang to top off his glass. ]
Don't think there's a range here. Unless you wanna start one up. Plenty of people willin' to use it, of course. Especially down here, though I dunno if the Rubies would take too easy to someone showin' off a stock of weapons on their turf.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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No, not at all. Why?
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I see no reason not to. What time?
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I'm already there
[ He drops a location pin into a comment. He's at a particularly grimy dive bar in the Down called the Cherry Pit, just inside Ruby territory. ]
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Logan seems to be absolutely at home, leaning back in a booth seat, wearing a colorful Hawaiian shirt that looks like it's about to lose a button or two if he moves too quickly. He's got a pitcher of beer and appears to be watching a muted gameshow playing on the TV above the bar, which seems to involve a lot of women being doused with soapy water. ]
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He finds his submissive's father easily: despite his small stature, the man has a presence to him. Logan looks better than he was picturing when he received the random text and during the conversation after, though not by that much. He's not plastered, though, or day drinking.
Cheol-gang smiles in greeting, a synthetic look practiced to the point that it's long been indistinguishable from its original template. ]
Logan. I trust you're doing well?
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Well as I can be. [ He offers the response with a slightly distracted air, already looking back over at the TV. A flip of his hand indicates the other side of the booth. ]
Siddown if you wanna. Unless those starched pants are gonna crack if you try.
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I think they'll be okay.
[ Cheol-gang slides into the offered seat, addressing him conversationally. ]
So. What prompts this?
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[ The grin that Logan slides Cheol-gang as he turns to face him properly and reaches for the pitcher of cheap beer is undeniably sly, though how much of that is just to rile the other man up isn't immediately obvious. He shrugs a little as he fills his glass. ]
Figured you could use someone to talk to. Ain't easy bein' new here.
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You're right, it's not. It's been quite the interesting month, I think we can all agree.
[ Cheol-gang holds out his own empty glass and waits for it to be filled—this place may ooze Americanisms from its every crevice and alley, but he's still not going to pour for himself. ]
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[ It's an agreement he gets after a speculative pause. Being offered the empty glass earns a lift of Logan's eyebrows, but he doesn't hesitate to reach for the pitcher and pour him a drink. He assumes Cheol-gang already thinks he's a poorly mannered son of a bitch, but there's no reason to prove him right just yet.
As he sets the pitcher back down, he eyes Cheol-gang narrowly. ]
Heard there was some commotion over those tests they did.
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But presumably that's not what he's referring to. Perhaps Akihiro told him about his intervention - the minimum he could do as the man's dominant, really, but maybe noteworthy on its own. He gets the strong sense that his submissive is unused to having another person look out for him, even if it's only when it suits his own interests. ]
Yes, that's one word for it. I wasn't comfortable standing idly by while someone groped my submissive, clinician or not. Surely you understand.
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[ He growls it over the rim of his glass, studying Cheol-gang with a narrow eye. He's still not sure what to make of the other man and his interest in Akihiro -- no matter how much he claims that it's just for the sake of the contract. He's not comforted by Cheol-gang's possessive words, since they act as a reminder of how far outside his control his son's wellbeing currently sits.
He shrugs a little and drains off some more beer. ]
Still, he ain't exactly gonna be sittin' around waitin' for you to grope him instead.
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But Logan is a father, and Akihiro is his only son. Of course that puts blinders on him. He's sure Logan's studying the image of a ghoul out to corrupt his otherwise innocent offspring from across his beer, not the man his already-corrupted child agreed to contract with.
He answers nonchalantly, as though this is a conversation absent of tension. ]
Of course not. I've made it very clear to him that I have no interest in men.
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Logan lets that go, however, with a dismissive grunt. He glances back over his shoulder at the TV and watches it for a few moments before returning his attention to the other man. ]
Akihiro's been dealin' with some stuff lately. Some crap from his past that this place decided to dig up. Has he told you about any of that? What's goin' on with him?
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It hasn't been discussed, but I'm aware that he's been having a difficult month. I get the sense your son prefers his space, and it's far from me to force him to talk about something he isn't comfortable disclosing.
[ Cheol-gang takes a sip of his beer. Not as good as what he's had in North Korea, overall about what he expected from this establishment. ]
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He sits back in the booth, slinging an arm up along the back of the seat. ]
So what d'you do when you're havin' a difficult month, Major? Whaddya do to blow off steam?
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What does he do to blow off steam. He doesn't, truth be told: tress is useful, something that keeps people sharp and vigilant. He wouldn't have gotten this far in the State Security Department if he couldn't operate under pressure, and unlike Director Choi, he doesn't turn into a trembling mess when his life is threatened. He handles stress by doing something about it and resolving the issue, and on the very few occasions when that doesn't work... Cheol-gang supposes he just sucks it up, as the Americans say.
He says none of this, of course. Instead: ]
Target practice. I find the firing range has a way of clearing the mind. And you?
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I think you know. [ He grins suddenly, showing some teeth. His private life is certainly no secret, not after certain network posts. He laughs softly to himself and reaches for the pitcher again, pouring for himself and then holding it out mutely as an offer to Cheol-gang to top off his glass. ]
Don't think there's a range here. Unless you wanna start one up. Plenty of people willin' to use it, of course. Especially down here, though I dunno if the Rubies would take too easy to someone showin' off a stock of weapons on their turf.