The City of Ipses

Aslan definitely couldn’t wait until the time they would get to hang out together again. He went about his routine as usual - or as close to it as he was capable. He was still lost in his day spent in Damian’s companionship during the D&D game, the lingering taste of chocolate and strawberry in his mouth, that his poor character didn’t really stand a chance for long. He was royally teased by his friends, but, as usual, the game ended without a consensus on who had won, as they had serious sore losers on their team. Still, they always got together to play again, same time, every week.

His next shift at work in the station thankfully wasn’t the early morning one, so needless say, he was definitely in a better mood already. He even got himself a bit more presentable than usual, uniform a bit straighter, hair a bit less wild (if only because he tied it back). He had helped Becky stack a couple of boxes in the shop area - easy enough, with his ability. Through the middle of it, a familiar sensation came over him, almost a dejá vu. He could have sworn he felt something familiar around Damian, but he dismissed it to his current infatuation with the older man. Of course his coworkers had picked up on it, and he was glad his current shift was with Zack and Becky, which were the ones he got along better with.

He had had just switched posts with Zack in the ticket booth, still laughing at his coworker’s jokes, when a familiar face showed up. Of course, working at a busy train station, that allowed connection to other means of transportations, he saw familiar people everyday, But the fact Damian was here was still a surprise, also because the other man didn’t strike as the kind of person to use public transportation. He remembered their conversation about him exploring several cities, so he hoped the other man didn’t suddenly decide to leave Ipses.

“Damian! I didn’t expect to see you here! Are you taking a train?”
 
Damian offered a smile in exchange for Aslan's excitement, leaning somewhat casually against the edge of the ticket booth, one long leg crossed behind the other. "No, I'm not heading anywhere. Just here to pick up a friend."

Damian glanced back the way he had come, and wasn't particularly surprised to see that Chris and one of the officers had followed him towards the ticketing area. Considering the fact that he'd gone out of his way to meet Chris this morning, Damian didn't consider his behavior all that noteworthy, and figured Chris had simply wanted to make sure he wasn't about to wander away somewhere. Snorting lightly to himself, Damian turned his eyes back to Aslan, missing the way Chris' gaze immediately shifted to Aslan as well, all but scrutinizing the young man.

"You came to say hello to me the last time we crossed paths, I figured it was only fair I return the favor. I hope I'm not interrupting?"
 
He sighed in relief internally, glad the other wasn’t leaving the city at all.

“A friend?”

That piqued his interest, because Damian had said himself that he didn’t really have that many friends. He blinked as he saw the...important looking man in the distance. He looked kinda familiar… Even if the man didn’t have what was seemingly a bodyguard, he still exuded high status, what with his well pressed expensive looking suit. It didn’t take him long to place his familiar face. Damian was friends with...the city governor?!

That fact, along with the eyes of the important political figure analysing his figure were as effective as a paralyzing quirk - no doubt the other man taking in the cheap and rumpled uniform, his less than stellar attempt at taming his wild hair and his vaguely pale complexion, as he was effectively subsisting on cup noodles and little else until his next pay check. He knew he might as well have a flashing neon sign over his head saying ‘on a tight budget’ but he’d never felt that fact so strongly until now. With some difficulty, his brain fine-tuned back to Damian’s dulcet tones and he blinked at the other man’s words. He was making The Governor (yes, his mind was even using all caps now) wait to greet him?!

“Er, no! You’re not interrupting at all!”

For once, his nervousness wasn’t caused by Damian. He considered this a definite plus. He lowered his voice, leaning in closer so the very important political figure some distance away wouldn’t hear (unless his ability was related to enhanced senses, of course. Like all politicians, his quirk was kept a secret).

“But, um...is it really okay to keep your friend waiting?” The fact that Damian could keep The Governor himself waiting on the side again made him realize their immense difference in status. And yet...the dark haired man had put such a man on hold just to come say hi. That definitely made his heart flutter happily.
 
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Damian had to suppress a faint chuckle at the look of shock that spread across Aslan's face. While Damian never forgot his friend's position, it wasn't the kind of thing that would shock or awe him. That was part of the reason it had become a running joke between the two to greet each other like they were meeting their idol.

However, he also knew that there were plenty of people out there who would be truly honored to get the opportunity to shake the governor's hand, and it appeared Aslan fell into that number.

"Seeing as he's the one who dragged me out here to pick him up," Damian replied lightly, his tone almost drawing air quotes around the words 'pick him up'. What kind of person needed to be picked up when he already had a chauffeured vehicle waiting outside. "I think he can spare me a couple of moments."

All the same, Damian was easily able to feel Aslan's awkwardness, and he didn't keep the young man's attention for very long, doing little more than exchanging a couple of quick pleasantries before he offered his farewell and turned away. He approached Chris with brows slightly raised. "Shall we go?"

Chris smiled and nodded, patting Damian on the shoulder before the two walked out of the train station together. As Damian had expected, a short limo was waiting out front. Chris opened the door before stepping aside, allowing Damian to enter, before he turned to shake hands with the two officers. Leaning in to clap one of them on the shoulder, soft words slipped out from Chris' lips, barely audible.

"Figure out who that boy was."

The officer smiled and nodded, and Chris laughed slightly, before following Damian into the limo.

"Robin is going to be so excited to see you again," Chris said as the door clicked closed. "He's been asking about you, you know."
 
Needless say, after Damian's visit, Aslan went about the rest of his shift with a bright smile upon his face.

A couple of days later he had even more of a reason for being in high spirits, as he was finally able to restock his pantry and fridge. He was about done with cup noodles - until the next time he was effectively on a tight budget at the end of the month, that is.

At the moment he had just about finished storing foodstuff away, while texting Damian regarding their next meeting. He was looking forward to their next lunch or walk together. Even if the other man was on casual terms with the governor, of all people, the fact he was still willing to hang around him, had given him new confidence about the budding relationship with the other man.

He'd just finished a brief shower, having put on a comfortable pair of slacks and a hoodie, as he toweled his damp hair dry idly when the doorbell rang. He blinked, because usually when he had friends over they'd plan things ahead and it was very rare for someone to come by unannounced. He shuffled to the door, figuring it was probably a door to door seller or similar. Needless to say, when he opened the door, the last guest he'd expected was the governor himself. He froze as he pondered the impossibility of such a visit.

“Er, hi sir… Um, are you certain you got the right place?” Was really all the occurred to say.
 
Governor Laughlin laughed slightly at Aslan's obvious shock, a winning smile spreading across his face. He was in full politician mode, but it wasn't easy to tell at a glance. Chris had a well earned reputation for a down-to-earth attitude and strict policy of honor and honesty. His 'politician' mode was far more like a neighbor than a leadership figure.

"Yes, I've got the correct place. Aslan Torche, correct?" Chris extended his hand for a handshake. "Christopher Laughlin, although I suppose you know that already. May I come in?"
 
“Er, yes…”

He confirmed his identity and promptly shook the proffered hand, all the while freaking out internally. All he could think was what the hell he’d done to warrant the governor’s visit? Even if he’d messed up in his tax forms, he’d hardly expect to have the governor, of all people, at his doorstep.

“N-nice to meet you, sir. It’s a pleasure. Yes, of course, come on in…”

Even if his small, yet cozy apartment was clean, it was hardly the sort of place fit to accommodate an important politician. He guided the man to the worn, but comfortable couch.

“Would you like anything to drink? Tea, coffee?”

He asked, already making a beeline for the kitchen, thinking that nice coffee set his mom had insisted he bring along when moving would actually come in handy. The cups had flowery motifs but pretty much every coffee set had flowers, right?

He quietly pondered all this, ditching the towel around his shoulders, as he tried not to freak out completely. But...the governor was at his place! There was no more bizarre than this in his life, robberies gone wrong notwithstanding.

He eyed his phone, wondering if he should ask Damian for advice. If he was friends with the man he must have some tips? Heck, maybe he knew why the man had suddenly dropped by? Or maybe not, because he was pretty sure by now Damian had a clue as to how prone to stress he was. Surely he would have told him if he’d known?

Well, overall he was glad at least he’d been properly dressed and not, like, in his pajamas. If Steve had been over, the chances the man would have been greeted by his friend in his boxers would have been exponentially great, as answering the door in any state of dressing was something Steve didn’t have any qualms in doing.
 
Chris sat down slowly on the couch, before settling into the backrest. He looked entirely comfortable in the space, as though he wasn't able to see any difference between Aslan's apartment and the high-end hotels he was far more likely to frequent.

"Coffee would be wonderful," the governor replied, a winsome smile still spread across his face. "A little bit of cream, no sugar, if you have it. If not, black is fine."

Chris waited patiently for Aslan to return, receiving the flowered cup from him with another smile, before taking a sip and letting out a contented sigh. However, a moment later his half-closed eyes opened fully, and he turned to look at Aslan, a slightly apologetic smile crossing his face. "I do apologize for dropping by unannounced like this. I don't usually just show up without warning on peoples' doorsteps, but I had something... rather important I needed to speak with you about."

The governor leaned forwards, both hands cradling the coffee cup. He licked his lips slightly, hesitating, before sighing slightly and beginning to speak. "How much do you know about Damian Nault?"
 
In the end he decided against bothering Damian over this, figuring he was likely making too big a deal out of the situation in his mind, as he was sometimes prone to. However, this was still such a big thing to keep to himself, so he quickly texted Steve as he waited for the coffee machine to fill the cups.

Dude, you're not gonna believe this but… Governor Laughlin is at my place!

His phone buzzed a few seconds later.

Dafuq man? Any chances you can ask for a raise?

He rolled his eyes at his friend's reply and busied himself with making the governor's coffee as requested. He carried the small tray over, a plate with cookies, some toasts and jam - the nicest things he had to offer - and probably a far cry from the fancy stuff the man was likely used to.

He set the tray down on the coffee table, handing the man his cup, before sitting on a small stool in front of him, so they would be facing each other. He stirred his own coffee slowly, his motions stilling at the question.

Of course… Damian was really the only thing they had in common, so of course this was about him. He tried to keep his expression neutral and be as practical about this as possible while not revealing much about the other man's abilities. Sure, he claimed to be friends with the governor but he'd also said he didn't trust people easily, so he had no idea where Laughlin stood in terms of awareness about Damian. But, heck, he hardly knew Damian himself so perhaps the other man knew something that he had no idea about.

“Not as much as yourself, I'm certain. We met by chance at a bookstore the other day.”

He congratulated himself for the fact he sounded natural in his reply. His board game nights with the guys at least seemed to be paying off as far as his pokerface went.
 
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Chris studied Aslan as he spoke, eyes serious, one finger tapping out a slow rhythm against the edge of his cup. "Perhaps," he finally replied, after letting the silence drag on long enough that he could all but see Aslan shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Damian certainly keeps his secrets close to his chest."

For all his playful friendliness earlier, it was obvious at a glance that Chris was dead serious now. He set down the cup of coffee, only half drunk, on the table in front of him, before lacing his fingers. "But there are two things I would have thought I knew about him for sure. One, that man is likely the closest thing to a god this world is ever going to see. And two, he doesn't like anyone.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, he'll tolerate people who don't get on his bad side. Play along, if it suits his mood. But I have never seen him initiate anything. Until he walked up to say hello to you."
 
The prolonged silence was hell on him, his blunt nail scraping the side of the pristine cup idly as he waited for the man to speak again. He swallowed dryly when he felt the scrutiny upon him. This was worse than all his job interviews put together.

His shoulders relaxed some when the man mentioned Damian's abilities. Was he glad he didn't have to keep that a secret - not that he'd been afraid to accidentally spill secrets, but rather he was crap at white lies and being composed during it.

He blinked and tilted his head some when the governor mentioned Damian dropping by to say hi at the station was such a big deal. Sure, he'd understood the other wasn't big on socializing, he just didn't how much. His heart fluttered happily for the fact that Damian seemed to have really taken a liking to him. He tried to keep his face neutral, but a small smile still met his lips.

He quickly schooled himself, though, now thoroughly confused as to Laughlin's visit. He'd assumed it would have been due to Damian's abilities but it was actually due to having been brushed off at the station? That seemed like a petty reason to go out of his way and drop by.

“I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid I'm not following your point…?”
 
"Do you like this city, Aslan?"

Governor Laughlin's reply to Aslan's question seemed almost entirely like a non sequitur. But the continued seriousness of his attitude made it obvious that the question was anything but frivolous. However, he didn't give Aslan a chance to actually answer before he started speaking again.

"I love this city. I was born here, you know. Back well before The Silver Sword decided he liked the rustic little town of Ipses, and made it his new base. Now Ipses has grown so much that it would seem unrecognizable at first glance, but I still see all of the things that made it so special when I was a boy.

"There's a Japanese saying, which translates to 'money follows heroes, villains follow money, and heroes follow villains'. I've always liked the saying. It makes sense, and I've seen it happen. The money followed Silver, and the city boomed. Then the villains came, and everyone suffered for it. But they were supposed to just be growing pains, which would settle out as heroes came from all over, looking for work and new opportunities. That's what was supposed to happen."

Chris paused, his momentarily vacant gaze, lost in reminiscence, sharpening as he turned to stare at Aslan again. "But it didn't. A few very dedicated heroes have kept this city from falling into utter chaos. Have suffered, so that the normal residents of this city, people like you, like your friends, like your family, can live a peaceful life. But they can't hold on. They're nothing but a stopgap measure, and the truly dark powers? They're eyeing this city like a bunch of salivating dogs. They see it as the next Clerfort, only one shove away from falling into complete anarchy. They're just waiting for the right moment.

"And we can't stop them. Oh, we tried. We all tried. My son, my beautiful Robin, was the last to pay for our attempts. If it hadn't been for Damian, I..."

Chris choked briefly, but quickly recollected himself, taking a short breath before offering Aslan a somewhat shaky smile.

"My apologies. You're still wondering why I'm telling you all this." He laughed slightly, and picked up the coffee cup, taking another sip of the now lukewarm beverage. "I wouldn't be telling you all this if I had any choice. You didn't ask for this burden, and under any circumstances I would have resorted to this. But chance and circumstance have made it so that you are now the one person who can save this city.

"Because the one man who can stop them, the one man who could turn this situation around in a second? He cares about you."

For all his years in politics, for all his training and practice, Chris wasn't capable of keeping the traces of bitterness out of his voice at that sentence. He snorted ruefully, before sighing.

"I can't ask him. He'd vanish in a heartbeat if I dared to try. I brought him here, hoping he'd see this city, he'd see how much beauty it holds, and he'd start to care. But he doesn't. He knows what's going on, but he doesn't care. He'll watch it fall, and then he'll get up and walk away, as untouchable and unruffled as ever.

"So I ask you again, Aslan. Do you like... this city?"
 
He blinked at the unexpected question, opened his mouth to reply then closed it again as the man continued to talk. He nodded idly as the governor proceeded in mentioning a part of the history of Ipses.

His breath caught a bit at the intensity of the man as he spoke. His son…? He remembered there had been a few rumors some years ago about the governor's son - he hadn't really paid, attention and the press had grown quiet about it soon enough anyways. He almost dropped his cup when Laughlin said he was the only one who could save the city.

“W-what?”

That was too much for him to keep still so he stood up and started to pace. Oh now he knew where this was going - Damian had mentioned a friend trying to convince him to become a hero. Guess that role was now being passed on to him.

“B-but wait a minute sir, I think you're possibly overestimating how important I am to Damian? I mean we met just the other day…”

And he wasn't certain the overpowered man felt the same attraction for himself… Well certainly not the same level he did. Or he was just that good at disguising it. Still, one date with someone didn't mean he could go around and ask that person to make a significant life changing decision on the off chance they might fancy him. He was way out of his, depth.

“Of course I like this city.” He replied. “I've always lived here, me and my family.” He sighed, running a hand over his wild hair.

“Still, I'm not sure Damian will listen to me just like that? You've known him longer than I have…”
 
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"Yes, I've known him longer," Chris agreed, before sighing and rubbing his nose in self-exasperation. "And that's why I'm able to recognize it."

Staring at the anxious young man pacing in front of him, Chris waited a couple of moments for him to calm down somewhat, before he started speaking again. This was far too important a matter for him to simply let it rest.

"You would like evidence, then? To know about the things I've seen? Tell me, in all the time you've spent with him, what information did he volunteer about himself?" Chris didn't wait for a reply, clearly already knowing the answer. "Almost nothing. Perhaps some superficial things, if he likes a painting or a book. I bet he didn't tell you about me before that day at the train station.

"I brought him out to lunch after that, with my family. And he told me about you. How you met. That cute little date you went on. Oh, it was entirely casual, scant more than a sentence here or there. But I didn't ask. He brought you up first."

Chris smiled ruefully. "That not enough for you? Then let me tell you the more important piece. The one I didn't even know until I came here and started talking to you

"You want to know how I know he cares about you, trusts you? You know what he's able to do." Chris laughed slightly, the noise almost a pained snort. "I saw. You didn't flinch, didn't blink, when I said he was all but a god. You know, and with that telekinesis of yours, the only way you could have found out is if he told you."

For a second, Chris stared at Aslan, lips narrowed into a thin line. "And honestly? I'm jealous. Because he still hasn't given me even a hint of what he's really capable of. He has never shown me anything more than what he absolutely had to. The only reason I know he's far, far more capable than he lets on is because I can see it with my own power.

"For all the time we've spent together, he's kept everything about him a secret, cards tight to his chest, never sharing a single thing. But he told you."

Christopher paused, head dipping down slightly as he wearily rubbed one brow with the palm of his hand. In that moment, he didn't look like a governor, but a tired old man, betrayed and abandoned.

When Chris finally looked up again, his brow was wrinkled from stress, the corners of his eyes lined with crow's feet. "To answer your earlier question, no. I don't think you could just march up to him and ask him to intervene and he'd listen. That man holds far too much fear towards being used for that. But I do believe, with absolute confidence, that you could lead him there, and he'd follow willingly. You don't even need to do the work."

This time, Chris' laugh was much more hopeful. "i'll even be the villain for you, Aslan. I'll set it all up, so that when the time comes and he asks you if you know anything, you can look him in the eyes and say with full truthfulness that you don't know anything, and then point your finger right at me. All you need to do is accept the free tickets that show up in your mail, and ask him to come along. That's it. If you do that, it'll all fall into place from there."

Chris set down his cup once again, and stood to walk over to the pacing young man, his hands coming to rest heavily on his shoulder. "Will you?"
 
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He stopped his pacing as Chris spoke on. He nodded idly at the comment about Damian not really talking about himself - except for the part where he didn't trust people and hardly stayed in one place, it was true he didn't know much about the man. He honestly didn't know how to feel about for the fact that such a man had volunteered information about their date to his friend. Perhaps he did feel more for him than he let on? Admittedly, Aslan wasn't the best person at reading others.

He grimaced when Laughlin was able to easily tell he knew about Damian's powers. He really should have acted surprised, but anything else but immediate honest reactions eluded him. To plan ahead how he should react to things was something that he felt wouldn't work well for him.

“Um, when we met there was… This sort of incident next door. A robbery. So I saw his abilities in person…” And yet later he'd asked Damian about it and the other man had shown him just like that what he could do. The man who didn't trust others easily.

So, this was it. The cards were on the table and he had to decide if he would play the hand. But why him? - a part of him couldn't help but think. Why did he have to go around and betray the feeble trust of a man who honestly must have enough reasons not to get close to others, out of fear of being used? A man who could very well be a deity among others, yet who seemingly had lived such a lonely life. This whole thing wasn't sitting well with Aslan, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth that had nothing to do with the earlier cup of coffee.

He swallowed dryly, thinking back on his board game nights with his friends. They did warn him he kept losing because his face was a clear reflection of his emotions. And, by all means, sometimes he would even mumble his plans aloud without meaning to. So, subterfuge it was… He would accept this man's plea… Yet he refused to betray Damian's trust.

He glanced up at the man when he set his hand on his shoulder, eyes alit with intent.

“I… I want to see Ipses safe as well. As it stands, there's too much crime here. I see it everyday at the station. Most of it are petty things but… People are confident in their quirks. Even with all the heroes, they can't really contain everyone with bad intentions and the power to do harm. I… I would like for my little sister to be able to walk in a city that is safe. So… I will accept your ‘offer’. I will… Try my best.”

He didn't know if this was the right decision, but in something Laughlin was right - something needed to be done for the city. He was loathe to use Damian for those means but that's why he would talk to him about it.
 
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"Thank you, Aslan," Chris replied, stepping away from the other man with a chagrined smile on his face. "And, I'm afraid, after dropping all that on you without so much as a 'by your leave', I need to leave. Thank you for the coffee, and for your help."

He turned, heading towards the door, but paused when he'd partially pulled it open, sighed, and turned around to face Aslan. "I can see this doesn't sit well with you. I'm sorry. If it's any consolation, he won't blame you for it. After all, I'm using you. Blackmailing you. You're a good person, and I'm using my words and your affection for your family, friends, and the city you grew up in to trap you in a corner, and leave you with no way out but to say the words I want to hear. I'm very good at that. Damian knows it, too. This isn't consensual, Aslan. It's rape, and you shouldn't forget that.

"And now, to make it even worse, I'm even going to use your affection for Damian against you. Because you can tell him my plan. Even if I wanted to, at this point I couldn't stop you. But if you tell him, he'll leave, and then you'll never see him again. He'll be gone, and this city will be doomed. And wouldn't that be a tragedy?"

As though his words were a lie, Governor Laughlin smiled like he'd just told a great joke, finished opening the door, and left Aslan's apartment behind.
 
He'd moved to see the other man off, as social norms dictated. But governor Laughlin's words effectively froze him like a sudden downpour down his back. He paled significantly as the other man spoke the cruel truth. He thought everything would be alright if he tentatively accepted this deal and confided in Damian still. Yet, he felt distinctively cornered like a rat facing a rather large snake. He could only look on as that smiling snake slowly slithered out of his apartment, leaving the remnants of his peaceful life behind, as if an earthquake had just struck his routine.

As it usually happened when he had some major issue to figure out he thought about his options to the point of obsession - with the difference he couldn't really talk about this one to other people. Eventually, he decided to give himself a break before he went mad. Luckily, there was the perfect distraction opening in Ipses - an amusement park, dedicated to the city's heroes. How…apt for his plight. Yet, he figured just thinking about it wouldn't get anything solved, so he decided he might as well see if Damian was up for that kind of place. He hadn't been to such a place himself since he had been a kid.

So it was that on his next day off, he was standing by the entrance waiting for the other man. As he eyed the queue he was very glad he'd gotten the tickets online. As it had happened on the last few days when he left his mind adrift, he was again reminded of his conversation with Laughlin. He sighed and shook his head, trying to take his mind off things.

This time he'd decided to wear more comfortable clothes, so he was wearing simple faded jeans, a cotton sweater and a leather jacket. He hadn't bothered with trying to tame his hair - which was even more impossible than usual with his nerves - so he'd just tied it back in a messy bun.

He did cheer up some when he glimpsed the familiar dark hair amongst the crowd.

“Hey there. Glad you could make it.”
 
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It had been almost a week since Damian had last seen Aslan, but the two still texted a little bit every day, sharing brief messages or thoughts with each other. Damian wasn't in a hurry to see Aslan again, not so much because he didn't want to see Aslan, but because he didn't want to rush anything. The other man had a life, certainly far more of one than Damian did, and Damian had no intention of simply intruding upon it. He wasn't in any hurry. He had the feeling he'd see the young man again when there was time.

Chris had also been unexpectedly distant. Under normal circumstances, the man would regularly invite him out whenever he was in town, of which Damian would only accept a few of the invites. However, despite having been back in town for five days, Chris hadn't messaged him beyond that first initial request to come pick him up, and the meal they'd had afterwords with his family.

Apparently Aslan wasn't the only one who was busy, but he paid far less attention to Chris' matter than he did Aslan's. He couldn't imagine Chris just disappearing, so he'd wait for the man to finish his business and come back.

Damian grabbed his phone almost immediately when he received a message from Aslan, before glancing down at the other man's invitation. He hesitated for a moment, before sighing and smiling slightly at the young man's invite to the new amusement park. Frankly, amusement parks were far from his thing. Too crowded, too noisy, and the rides frankly didn't hold any particular attraction to him, since it would be all but impossible for him to get any particular thrill from them.

However, it also wasn't hard for him to imagine Aslan's excited face at the sight of the hero themed rides. Damian might not gain much from the place, but getting the chance to watch Aslan play would be well worth the noise and the people.

The park was open twenty four hours a day, with different events for daytime and nighttime hours, so the two agreed to meet up around noon. The lines would be busy compared to the early morning or late evening hours, but that was also when the place began most of their 'rideside' entertainment, to placate the guests standing in line for their turn.

Damian arrived punctually, and almost immediately spotted Aslan, offering a wave before walking up to the other man. He quickly spotted that Aslan had already gotten the tickets, before they moved over to the admittance line.

Damian could tell at a glance that Aslan was nervous, hands shoved in his pockets and shoulders hunched. He gave the young man a somewhat confused once-over. "Am I making you nervous again?"

They didn't exactly look compatible at a glance. Damian hadn't exactly dressed down for the occasion, wearing clean black slacks and a collared shirt, but it wasn't as though anyone was going to be paying much attention to them, busy as they'd be with their own fun.
 
Despite everything, he was glad to see Damian again, even if they'd seen each other not even one week ago. He immediately noticed the other man hadn't really changed his style of attire and wondered if the man even enjoyed this type of place. Going by what he knew of him so far, the answer to that was probably a resolute No. But he'd been so caught up in his drama with Chris that he hadn't really pondered things over regarding this date. Well, he supposed if the place became too overwhelming, they could always leave in search of a quiet park or something.

He blinked at the question as he was effectively drawn from his thoughts. Well, of course the other would notice his tense body language. And he was crap at hiding things but it's not like he wanted to lay that one on Damian suddenly. So he just smiled at the other.

“Oh, not at all. I think I'm used to you by now.”

He said, and it was the honest truth. Funny how once his mind decided to worry about something, other things became automatically simpler. Like the mystery that was Damian Nault. And, actually, Chris had helped a bit in that regard, with his reassurance that Damian actually cared his own way. Funny how life worked.

As they entered the park he wondered idly if Damian had got to do this kind of thing as a kid. Like shoot targets for prizes or eat cotton candy. Well, nothing like asking.

“It's been ages since I last visited an amusement park. What about you?”

The creators had followed the hero theme down to the last detail, and even the adults wandering around seemed to be impressed by the place. This was both a way of thanking the city heroes and a quiet message to any criminals thinking of breaking the law. Sad that it probably wouldn't work. Criminal activity was so off the charts these days that any sublime meanings had zero effect on it - heck, he wouldn't be surprised if the place was vandalized or something. It would take a significant game changer for the city to turn around. Someone with definite influence and power. He frowned as he pondered Laughlin's words, tensing up again.
 
It didn't take long for them to get through the line to enter the park. The staff had several different gates open, and it didn't take more than a quick scan of a ticket for each group to get through the gate. When Damian got up he carefully handed over his own ticket to the costumed worker, ignoring her false smile in favor of studying the crowds up ahead.

People had pretty much dispersed the instant they were through the gates, most hurrying off in the direction of various rides, with only a few lingering at the event booths and pop-up stores close to the main gate. Although the place was undeniably busy, at least it wasn't crowded enough that people would be at risk of running into him.

However, the place still left him somewhat tense, impossible to guess as it might be from the casual slope of his shoulders, hands tucked in his pockets.

The sound of Aslan's voice brought him out of his brooding, and he considered for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I've never been. There was... nothing like this where I grew up, and by the time I was traveling on my own, it just wasn't all that appealing to me anymore." He smiled, gesturing in front of them with an open palm. "You'll just have to show me what there is to do, yeah?"