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Tweak says, "Then how about marrying me?"

Bryn Cadwallader (nowinaminute) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-09-05 18:51:00

Entry tags:

character: ben stebbins, character: bryn cadwallader, status: complete

RP: Open Mic Night
Who: Bryn Cadwallader, Ben Stebbins
What: Bryn and Ben chat during their shift at open mic night.
Where: Finnigan's
When: Friday 5th September
Rating: SFW

Bryn didn't exactly get grumpy when he had to work on open mic night, but sometimes it happened and he couldn't perform. He hadn't quite had the chance to work on anything new yet, either, and at some point he wanted to run a chord sequence that he just couldn't get right past Ben to see what he made of it.

Removing a couple of empty glasses from the bar, Bryn gave it a quick wipe. A performer was just finishing their song, so he knew well enough by now that people would probably head to the bar while the next one got ready to play.

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zenben
2014-09-05 10:02 pm UTC (link)

Open mic night was one of Ben's favorite nights to work. It was always busy, and he loved to see the talent that took to the stage. There were singers, poets, comedians...anyone and everyone who had an inkling to show off what they could do in front of an appreciative crowd got their chance. Sure, there was the occasional dud, but it was all in good fun and no one jeered or slung around insults. It was all very pleasant and friendly, two of Ben's favorite things.

He liked it even more when it was busy enough to require two bartenders, and when that other bartender was Bryn. It gave them both a chance to get up in front of the mic if they wanted, without the bar falling apart.

As the performer finished up, he made his way town the bar towards Bryn. "He was pretty good, but had some trouble with the bridge." Ben wasn't often judgmental, but he liked to discuss some of the performances after ward. "Thinking of getting up there tonight?"

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	nowinaminute 2014-09-05 10:33 pm UTC (link)
	Bryn shrugged. "Yeah, lush key change in the last verse. Just could have done with a bit more practice." Next up was one of their regulars, a witch who rarely messed up. It would be interesting to see what she had for them tonight. "Not tonight. Didn't bring my guitar. Might do next week, just don't have anything ready for tonight. You?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

zenben
2014-09-10 04:21 am UTC (link)

What she had in store was a fantastic rendition of a Weird Sisters hit; stripped down and soulful. Ben found himself grinning halfway through, and was going to make an effort to talk her into doing a duet one of these days.

Dragging his attention away from the stage and back to Bryn, he shrugged. "Maybe. There's a couple of open spots towards the end, so if things slow down here I'll take one." He always brought his guitar with him everywhere, right now it was nestled in the back room out of the way. "We could do a thing, next week. The two of us. Been awhile since we've collaborated."

Ben loved music, but what he loved more was sharing the stage with someone else who loved music. He and bands might not have been a good match in the past, but that didn't change the fact that he preferred company on the stage to being alone. That went for everything, actually. Ben was not someone who liked to be alone.

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	nowinaminute 2014-09-10 03:19 pm UTC (link)
	Bryn quietly served a pint, letting Ben enjoy the music. She was pretty damn good. It was the sort of thing that he tried to do with his occasional Warbeck covers, but he could never quite get that bluesy quality. "You think?" He nodded slowly, trying to remember the last time they had been on stage together. "Yeah, I'd be up for that. Anything you fancy doing?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

zenben
2014-09-10 05:33 pm UTC (link)

"There's a few things I've been working that could use a second voice and guitar. Original stuff, a couple of covers...just messing around really."

At one point in time Ben had wanted to do music professionally, but had never managed to stick with anything long enough to see it through. He was mostly okay with that, but it didn't stop him from dabbling from time to time.

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nowinaminute
2014-09-10 09:36 pm UTC (link)

Bryn nodded again, weighing up his various work rotas for the next week. Fitting in a jam session or even a couple seemed doable. Plus, it would be fun. It had been a while since he'd collaborated with anyone and it would be interesting to see what Ben had come up with. He was good at what he did, in Bryn's opinion.

"We should get together this week. See what we can come up with. Do me good to have a bit of a challenge."

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zenben
2014-09-11 03:50 am UTC (link)

Ben grinned, nearly bouncing on his feet in his excitement. "Brilliant! It's been too long. Let's compare schedules after shift, and find some time." He knew Bryn had as much of a normal schedule as he did, which was to say not even close to normal at all.

Giving Bryn another grin, he moved off to serve a group of young ladies their requested beverages. He gave each one a little bit of a flirt, because they looked a bit nervous and new at the whole bar scene. He remembered the days well.

"I'm sure you'll be wonderful," he told one of the girls, who mentioned she was going to sing in a few minutes. "I'll be clapping for you." He winked, she giggled, and he moved back down the bar where Bryn was.

"Nothing quite like youth," he said to Bryn, still watching the group of girls with a smile. They'd moved off to a table now, and were patting the singer on the back. "Remember those days?"

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	nowinaminute 2014-09-11 09:14 pm UTC (link)
	"Youth," Bryn mused. "I vaguely remember it." He sighed his most wistful sigh. "Those whippersnappers don't know how good they've got it, right, old man?" Laughing, he checked to see if anyone needed serving, but right now they seemed to be on top of things. "I don't think anyone can ever forget their first time on stage. Even if they want to." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

zenben
2014-09-12 06:03 pm UTC (link)

"Almost like it was yesterday," Ben agreed. His birthday was coming up and soon he'd officially be in his late twenties. Scary thought. "You can say that again. The endless energy if nothing else." Though no one would ever accuse Ben of being slothful, gone were the days when he could get three hours of sleep over forty-eight hours and still function like an actual human.

Ben grinned, thinking of his. "I was so scared, I almost threw up. Got over it quick though, which is a good thing."

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	nowinaminute 2014-09-12 09:08 pm UTC (link)
	"All that energy," Bryn agreed with a slight groan. "And livers like steel. I can't drink the way I used to. Which is probably a good thing." He laughed, smiling. "I don't actually remember leaving the stage. I remember playing and I remember applause but... next thing I knew I was at the bar with a pint in my hand." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

zenben
2014-09-12 09:12 pm UTC (link)

"We're getting old, Brynnie. Next thing you know we'll be bickering over chessboards and using canes to get around." Hopefully that was a long way off, but somedays it seemed right around the corner. "Okay, let's not talk about that anymore. Too depressing."

Talking about music was a much better option. "I think I bought you that pint, because you were great." He grinned, and poured a pint for an older wizard who was a regular but whose name Ben could never remember.

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	nowinaminute 2014-09-12 09:31 pm UTC (link)
	"That we are, Bennie." He chuckled shaking his head. "Yeah. That is depressing. At least I can live with the knowledge that you'll always be older than me." Bryn quickly tried to shrug off the compliment. "Nah, I fudged the middle eight. It's no wonder I needed a pint." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

zenben
2014-09-13 04:56 am UTC (link)

"Don't remind me." He wasn't quite sure why he was having such a hard time with his upcoming birthday. Well, he did, but he wasn't going to think about the fact that it had been ten years since he'd celebrated one with Cedric. "Twenty-seven! That's almost thirty, Bryn, and from there it's a quick race to ninety." Maybe he was overreacting, but he couldn't help it.

Bryn had this thing where he always tried to downplay compliments, and it wasn't something Ben liked to let him get away with. "But you got it right the next time," he reminded his friend. "Mistakes are just stepping stones to success." Now he sounded like one of those inspirational posters on the walls of an office building, but it was true. "You haven't fudged the middle eight in a performance that I can remember."

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	nowinaminute 2014-09-14 04:57 pm UTC (link)
	"If you keep talking like that, you're going to end up getting a walking stick for your birthday," Bryn warned, only half-joking. He was tempted to go through with it just to see how much Ben would pout. He wrapped his arm around Ben's shoulders in a half hug. "You're good for my ego." Bryn gave him a squeeze. "I should just keep you around all the time." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

zenben
2014-09-16 01:03 am UTC (link)

"Oh, can I use it to whack people in the shins and call them whippersnappers?" Ben asked, laughing at the image. "I'll wear a sweatervest and bowtie, and old man's shoes. Sounds perfect." He knew Bryn was teasing, but he half hoped it would happen. It'd be hilarious.

He leaned into Bryn, always good for a hug. "I only speak the truth," he said solemnly. "And I have it on good authority that I'm almost pocket sized, so keeping me around all the time isn't that difficult."

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