[ti]private[/ti]Alexa, intruder alert

Oh, his poor, sweet, Bellamy. Even with a mere glance Mars is not oblivious to the nauseous pallor in his junior assistant's complexion — a bundle of anxiety using every fiber of his being to resist the urge to tremble. Who can blame him? Bell is a fine assistant under most circumstances, and he does have a lot of potential, but he's not the one who usually deals with problematic individuals for Mars, and Kazuki's signature violent outbursts and anger issues had gotten under the skin of even his ever tepid Ariel (although admittedly the circumstances also had a bit to do with that, she was already quite done). As for Mars himself, though...

"So, it really is you. No one can take everything everyone else says as a threat quite like you, Kaz." He laughs, and it's an honest sound; not mocking, even though he has no doubts that Kazuki's ever-defensive nature might disagree with that. Of course, all demands are blatantly ignored: Martín Marzán calls people whatever he wishes to call them and he goes at no one's pace but his own. That's just how he is, see. He knows that this too may rile up Kazuki even more, but it's not an attack. Quite the opposite, in fact. "I've always liked that about you, you know? I find it very relatable. You don't hide how you really feel, and believe it or not, I appreciate it."

They're opposites in that, but not in their defensiveness and proneness to anger. Mars has taught himself to keep all that concealed out of both necessity and wish, wielding his smiles as both weapon and disguise. Yet, that anger within him has never quite been extinguished, and his distrustful nature has never been proven to be unjustified or needless. This man trusts no one, and with good reason, at that. He doesn't trust, but here they are now.

"Bell, can you get me some coffee?" Mars only looks away from the man before him to give his assistant a smile. He isn't in any particular need for caffeine, but he knows Bell will appreciate the chance to slip away for a few minutes, and it does allow for some more privacy. When the junior assistant nods and leaves, Mars returns his attention to Atsushi.

"Are you sure you don't wanna sit? You looked like you were in pain back there, and like you could use a rest... Don't worry, I won't pry. I'm just glad we get to meet. The anonymity Tuesday provides me is nice, but it obviously means I can't really discuss the game with most people outside of it. There's only one other person who knows my identity in the whole server, actually, and you'd probably laugh about who it is."

If you wanted friends so badly, I’m sure you can just pay for them.

Of course. In the end, it always boils down to that, does it not? An accusation and a reminder all at once, and honestly, Mars has heard it all so many times before that he could dub Kazuki's words for him if he wished to. When he was a kid, it was his family's wealth and influence that people flocked to, and now, to a much greater extent, it's his own, leaving most people in Martín Marzán's life to be much more interested in his money than in him as a person. He knows that. It's something he has fought against since he was a boy; the knowledge that even those who matter to him the most may turn their backs on him if he didn't have all of this power that he will never have any interest in letting go of.

So, yes, begrudged, he has to admit that the accusation stings, but Martín Marzán had graduated summa cum laude with a PhD in poker faces and bottled up feelings, and so, he smiles at Atsushi, as if he hadn't even heard it.

"Stubborn as always, huh? Fine, suit yourself, but feel free to take a seat if you get tired of playing the masochist."

The part of him that relishes in gossip is dying to ask what's up with his so-called "friend", but the part that is skilled at the delicate art that is manipulating people to his side knows that this isn't the time or the place. And yes, the fact that he wants to know out of curiosity and not out of any actual concern for Atsushi's wellbeing definitely does say a lot. He'll be just fine, though! He's dealt with much worse than this, no? Maybe if he behaves, Mars can get him appointments with some top tier doctors to help with whatever ails him. That's what a good friend like him would do!

"You should be proud of yourself, though." He carries on, paying no mind to the hostility that is positively radiating out of his companion. As if he were immune to it. As if he were incapable of even perceiving it. Needless to say, that metaphorical PhD of his (which is not all that different from his actual business PhD, honestly) sure goes a long way. "Not many people have ever managed to get Ariel that riled up, she's usually stoic as all hell. But, to be fair, at least you didn't piss her off as much as Ada did. For a second there I was worried she'd end up breaking his nose and getting security called on herself."

No, he has no idea that Atsushi is familiar with that the name, and even then, he does not bother to explain. At least, not yet.

By will of his nature, his nurture, and his negative experiences later in life, Martín Marzán happens to be an incredibly distrusting man. That much sure as hell explains some of the things he has done so far, but see, this distrusting side of him also often results in other people's sheer inability to surprise the man. He's good at expecting the unexpected, and he's specially good at expecting people to do fucked up shit.

Atsushi's reaction to a comment said in passing does manage to surprise him, and for those keeping track, that's two rare achievements that Atsushi himself may be unaware of so far. Offending him and surprising him all in less than the span of five minutes? What a guy! No wonder Verai is so smitten with this man. It's not even what he says, it's what's implied by his words and by the way he reacts to the mention of a simple name.

"You know Adarsa? As in starlitlover?" He doesn't even bother with hiding his surprise, making it clear in his tone despite the passing thought that maybe, if 'Kaz' knows of Ada he may also know of their past together, and that mentioning as much was done on purpose as an attempt at yet another jab. If Mars feels any concern over how true this suspicion might be, there's not even a hint of it in his expression, because right there and then, as soon as those questions are voiced, he finds himself laughing at how ridiculous this whole situation is. Giving him attention, showering him with kisses and compliments, reading his fanfiction... That last one settles it for him. Yes, they're both absolutely talking about the same person. "Out of the game too, by the sound of it. That's fucking hilarious. Gods... You know we dated back in university but he somehow apparently has no idea what I do now? That's why he was so pissed seeing Ariel pretending to be Tuesday. He demanded an explanation, and I'm sure you realised that Ariel isn't a big fan of when other people demand anything of her."

Other people. Not him. An important distinction to make, and speaking of Ariel...

From where Mars sits, he smirks at his masochistically-still-standing friend.

"Also... People know Tuesday? You're kidding, right? I doubt anyone out of the American server even knows who she is, and of those who are in the server, how many do you think were able to attend the convention? Even less would actually know who a single player is... Believe me, Kaz, Ariel is used to dealing with much worse. By comparison, pretending to be Tuesday is a cakewalk. 'Much less hectic than she expected it to be', in her own words."

Is he underestimating the amount of people who might know who Tuesday is? Honestly, yes, probably, but Mars will likely never realise as much, because that's the way it is with people who are used to being recognised. By comparison, to him, Tuesday exists in obscurity, and if people do happen recognise her, well... isn't that just how life is? Fans? Haters? No way. Ariel has to actually deal with those as his assistant just about every day, and honestly, for her ability to do so so effectively among her many other talents, he has great respect for her (which is accurately reflected in her paycheck, obviously!).