He's met with a blinding grin and Midnight waves as he greets, "Hey! Yeah, hop on over."
Rook's lack of uniform is noted with a little nod over his clothing in general and Midnight comments, "I guess Ulysse hasn't given you a uniform, yet. Though he never really forces people to wear it... Still, might not be a bad idea to give you some visible sign that you're the security so people don't just think you're another troublemaker."
He'll be surprised if Ulysse hasn't prepared something just for that. His brother's detail-oriented like that.
He pads barefooted across the deck, cigarette ground out in an ashtray before he carefully opens the door, greeted with an annoyed meow to which he retorts, "I'm sorry, madam, but I don't want you or your unborn young being gator bait."
The heavily pregnant cat is herded to one side so Rook can step inside after Midnight, the door quickly shut behind them. She flicks her tail in irritation, giving the men an aloof stare before wobbling off elsewhere.
Midnight shrugs and gestures for Rook to follow him, leading him through the small and tidy cabin towards the kitchen. There are bright splashes of colour everywhere in the form of woven rugs and throws, strings of beads in place of doors, and some photos hung up showing Midnight and his brothers, Grey and his brood, as well as their friends. The kitchen is just as cosy, currently smelling of gumbo even with the windows open, and Midnight pats one of the stools in passing.
"Take a seat, I'll get the coffee sorted. How do you take yours?" He also nods to the sketchbooks, explaining, "Feel free to take a look, that's a bunch of sketches with some shots of the finished pieces."
"I'm sure he has that covered," Rook shrugs as he climbs on board, casually looking around while he follows Midnight towards the cabin. Ulysse sure seems like a dude, who has thought it through and Rook is more than willing to leave that part of the job to him. He'll handle the more hands on business.
He gives the cat an equally cool look, their eyes meeting with understanding before she vanishes. Then Rook takes his time taking in the interior of the cabin, the homely splashes of colour and pictures, little details that tell him that this little man is very fond of his place here. He can spot the brothers easily in the photos, curiously peering at one where Ulysse is smiling. He hasn't seen that broad an expression on the man's face before and it's fascinating to see how it transforms his features. (Still radiantly beautiful.)
The rest of the men look either familiar or completely strange. He can spot the cop, Ulysse's boyfriend, confirmed more or less with the familiar way the dude is leaning against Ulysse in one of the pictures. There's Kai, the bartender and his nurse boyfriend. Damian, the buff waiter, and Arie, the third brother. Rook is pretty certain he saw the big man - obviously Midnight's - some time in the bar but doesn't know anything about him. It's a whole gallery, isn't it?
He gives a last glance at the photos before he lets his feet take him to a chair Midnight pointed out and takes a seat, grabbing the first sketchbook to fiddle through it carefully.
"I'm not picky," he says and means it. He'll drink whatever Midnight puts in front of him.
Rook isn't made to hurry through the house at all, even when Midnight might notice him examining the various photos, or how he'd lingered over one of Ulysse caught mid-laugh. That in particular is a gem as far as Midnight's concerned, given how rarely his brother laughs so freely, and he's pleased people appreciate it.
"Yeah, but there must be something you're less picky about than others, right?" he shoots back as he prepares a mug.
"Black? Americano? Milk? Sugar?" A brief pause, and then with a cheeky grin, "Whiskey?"
With a snort, Rook looks up from the sketch book and gives a wry look at Midnight. Ulysse definitely would appreciate it if he'd show up to work smelling of booze.
"Black's just fine," he says easily. "Don't make a fuss about it."
His gaze returns to the drawings, enjoying the shift of colours and styles across the pages. Obviously Midnight knows how to do it all like he said.
"You always knew you gonna be an artist?" he asks curiously.
"I mean..." Midnight trails off with a laugh as he pours the coffee, setting the mug down by Rook's arm. This is then quickly followed by a little plate of honey biscuits that had been kept warm in the oven. "I always liked art?"
He plops down in the stool next to Rook and helps himself to a biscuit, shrugging as he explains, "My dad was a guitarist. Mom was a painter. I guess our family sort of leans in that direction. Arie, my oldest brother, he's a musician. Ulysse was into dancing for a while..."
But with looking after his baby brother and then later their infirmed father, Ulysse had had to give up that passion, something which still twists the guilty knife in Midnight's gut. He doesn't let the sad look linger too long on his face, though, determinedly pushing on and popping a piece of pastry into his mouth as he says cheerfully, "Hopefully once things settle a bit more with the Roadhouse, he can pick that up again at least as a hobby, you know?"
"Thanks," Rook mutters when the coffee appears by his elbow. He takes a sip carefully, making sure not to burn his mouth. Then he settles to listen Midnight while he flips through the drawings some more.
"He seems to have that kind of grace," he comments. "Make sense he's a dancer."
He files away the little bits of information about his new boss. He's honest enough to admit that Ulysse has become something of a fascination for him. A fascination that will have to stay platonic unfortunately but fascination all the same.
"What kind of dancing?" he asks curiously then, not looking up from the sketchbook. So, what? He's curious. So sue him.
Midnight doesn't bother to look down at his art as the book is flipped through, focused more on watching Rook's face as he speaks. He likes studying faces, and Rook has a rather interestingly shaped on, after all. He's also contemplating asking the bouncer to model for him sometime when it's not their second meeting.
"A bit of this, a bit of that," he hums, smiling privately as he notes Rook's reserved interest for Ulysse. Hmm... "He was really into ballroom dancing, before, and dabbled a bit in contemporary on his own."
"Not interested enough to be a professional?" Rook asks. He knows something about the life of a professional athlete, especially one that competes in a field that is mostly about entertainment. It's not easy, you have to want it. A lot.
He hopes that is why Ulysse quit dancing, and not something else that forced his hand.
He doesn't realise that he's under the scrutiny of the little artist. There's plenty enough taking his attention elsewhere.
"... Nah, he had to look after me during school, and after that, we both had to focus on taking care of our father," Midnight sighs, some of that sunniness finally dimming a bit. "After he passed, Ulysse just said he was too old to even try to go pro and that he was happy staying here."
Not to mention Anton had been so very strongly against his then-boyfriend escaping out from under his thumb, let alone leaving town to pursue a career in dance, but Midnight's not up for sharing that just yet.
"There's a few clubs here, though, and I know a couple of restaurants and bars have started doing dance nights, so maybe once he can get things under control at the Roadhouse, I'll be able to convince him to take a night off here and there to go have some fun, you know?"
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no subject
He's met with a blinding grin and Midnight waves as he greets, "Hey! Yeah, hop on over."
Rook's lack of uniform is noted with a little nod over his clothing in general and Midnight comments, "I guess Ulysse hasn't given you a uniform, yet. Though he never really forces people to wear it... Still, might not be a bad idea to give you some visible sign that you're the security so people don't just think you're another troublemaker."
He'll be surprised if Ulysse hasn't prepared something just for that. His brother's detail-oriented like that.
He pads barefooted across the deck, cigarette ground out in an ashtray before he carefully opens the door, greeted with an annoyed meow to which he retorts, "I'm sorry, madam, but I don't want you or your unborn young being gator bait."
The heavily pregnant cat is herded to one side so Rook can step inside after Midnight, the door quickly shut behind them. She flicks her tail in irritation, giving the men an aloof stare before wobbling off elsewhere.
Midnight shrugs and gestures for Rook to follow him, leading him through the small and tidy cabin towards the kitchen. There are bright splashes of colour everywhere in the form of woven rugs and throws, strings of beads in place of doors, and some photos hung up showing Midnight and his brothers, Grey and his brood, as well as their friends. The kitchen is just as cosy, currently smelling of gumbo even with the windows open, and Midnight pats one of the stools in passing.
"Take a seat, I'll get the coffee sorted. How do you take yours?" He also nods to the sketchbooks, explaining, "Feel free to take a look, that's a bunch of sketches with some shots of the finished pieces."
no subject
He gives the cat an equally cool look, their eyes meeting with understanding before she vanishes. Then Rook takes his time taking in the interior of the cabin, the homely splashes of colour and pictures, little details that tell him that this little man is very fond of his place here. He can spot the brothers easily in the photos, curiously peering at one where Ulysse is smiling. He hasn't seen that broad an expression on the man's face before and it's fascinating to see how it transforms his features. (Still radiantly beautiful.)
The rest of the men look either familiar or completely strange. He can spot the cop, Ulysse's boyfriend, confirmed more or less with the familiar way the dude is leaning against Ulysse in one of the pictures. There's Kai, the bartender and his nurse boyfriend. Damian, the buff waiter, and Arie, the third brother. Rook is pretty certain he saw the big man - obviously Midnight's - some time in the bar but doesn't know anything about him. It's a whole gallery, isn't it?
He gives a last glance at the photos before he lets his feet take him to a chair Midnight pointed out and takes a seat, grabbing the first sketchbook to fiddle through it carefully.
"I'm not picky," he says and means it. He'll drink whatever Midnight puts in front of him.
no subject
Rook isn't made to hurry through the house at all, even when Midnight might notice him examining the various photos, or how he'd lingered over one of Ulysse caught mid-laugh. That in particular is a gem as far as Midnight's concerned, given how rarely his brother laughs so freely, and he's pleased people appreciate it.
"Yeah, but there must be something you're less picky about than others, right?" he shoots back as he prepares a mug.
"Black? Americano? Milk? Sugar?" A brief pause, and then with a cheeky grin, "Whiskey?"
no subject
"Black's just fine," he says easily. "Don't make a fuss about it."
His gaze returns to the drawings, enjoying the shift of colours and styles across the pages. Obviously Midnight knows how to do it all like he said.
"You always knew you gonna be an artist?" he asks curiously.
no subject
"I mean..." Midnight trails off with a laugh as he pours the coffee, setting the mug down by Rook's arm. This is then quickly followed by a little plate of honey biscuits that had been kept warm in the oven. "I always liked art?"
He plops down in the stool next to Rook and helps himself to a biscuit, shrugging as he explains, "My dad was a guitarist. Mom was a painter. I guess our family sort of leans in that direction. Arie, my oldest brother, he's a musician. Ulysse was into dancing for a while..."
But with looking after his baby brother and then later their infirmed father, Ulysse had had to give up that passion, something which still twists the guilty knife in Midnight's gut. He doesn't let the sad look linger too long on his face, though, determinedly pushing on and popping a piece of pastry into his mouth as he says cheerfully, "Hopefully once things settle a bit more with the Roadhouse, he can pick that up again at least as a hobby, you know?"
no subject
"He seems to have that kind of grace," he comments. "Make sense he's a dancer."
He files away the little bits of information about his new boss. He's honest enough to admit that Ulysse has become something of a fascination for him. A fascination that will have to stay platonic unfortunately but fascination all the same.
"What kind of dancing?" he asks curiously then, not looking up from the sketchbook. So, what? He's curious. So sue him.
no subject
Midnight doesn't bother to look down at his art as the book is flipped through, focused more on watching Rook's face as he speaks. He likes studying faces, and Rook has a rather interestingly shaped on, after all. He's also contemplating asking the bouncer to model for him sometime when it's not their second meeting.
"A bit of this, a bit of that," he hums, smiling privately as he notes Rook's reserved interest for Ulysse. Hmm... "He was really into ballroom dancing, before, and dabbled a bit in contemporary on his own."
no subject
He hopes that is why Ulysse quit dancing, and not something else that forced his hand.
He doesn't realise that he's under the scrutiny of the little artist. There's plenty enough taking his attention elsewhere.
no subject
"... Nah, he had to look after me during school, and after that, we both had to focus on taking care of our father," Midnight sighs, some of that sunniness finally dimming a bit. "After he passed, Ulysse just said he was too old to even try to go pro and that he was happy staying here."
Not to mention Anton had been so very strongly against his then-boyfriend escaping out from under his thumb, let alone leaving town to pursue a career in dance, but Midnight's not up for sharing that just yet.
"There's a few clubs here, though, and I know a couple of restaurants and bars have started doing dance nights, so maybe once he can get things under control at the Roadhouse, I'll be able to convince him to take a night off here and there to go have some fun, you know?"